Each minecart in each column was connected by iron chains, and the laborers crowded to the side, ready to provide power for the convoy. Half-Face stood at the head of the first minecart, a chain hanging from his shoulder, and he was going to pull the cart himself.
After asking around, I learned that this was a tradition of Half-Face: the first minecart of every transaction was always operated by him and his confidants. Whether it was to win people's hearts or superstition, he had insisted on it ever since he became the boss.
Unas walked up to Half-Face and flattered him, "It's truly touching that Boss Half-Face is doing everything so personally. I'll also lend a hand to him."
"Hey, I've been waiting for you!" he said, Half-Face back with a smile. "You'll be pulling the next section after me."
The second section is usually the position of the second-in-command, Unas was directly and forcefully placed in the second section, forcing the Dwarf who was originally standing there to reluctantly retreat a section.
Unas slung the chain over his shoulder, thinking to himself that to receive such an honor, Half-Face probably intended to win him over or lull him into a false sense of security.
"Drive!" the Dwarf roared, taking the lead and pulling the entire minecart almost single-handedly.
The people behind them pushed harder to keep up, and the first minecart roared forward. The tunnel was probably well-maintained, as it was straight and wide. Soon, a bright opening appeared ahead, and everyone involuntarily slowed down.
The minecart, propelled by inertia, drove out of the tunnel, slowing down until it finally stopped at the edge of the pool. Unas swung off the chains, panting heavily; the feeling of sprinting under such heavy loads for three or four minutes was far from pleasant.
He turned around, his Half-Face- covered in sweat, and laughed loudly, "Young man, you need to get more exercise! Haha!"
"Haven't seen you for a week, Half-Face is still as energetic as ever." A relatively gentle voice came from the side; it was a Dwarf carrying a long, black-handled iron hammer.
"Torbjorn, you're too kind. I'm full of energy, but you have limitless energy, haha!"
This was Torbjorn, the "blacksmith" who was about to be besieged. He wasn't particularly striking in appearance, except that he had no hair or beard, and his entire head was bald, which was rare among Dwarves. Beards were one of the most important aesthetic standards for Dwarves, and Dwarf without a beard would certainly be extremely ugly in the eyes of his fellow dwarves. However, Unas thought it looked quite refreshing and immediately had a good impression of Torbjorn.
The two leaders, both Dark Iron Dwarves, appeared quite close. During their pointless chatter, Lincoln's Ogre army arrived, Unas, to avoid suspicion, did not go over to greet them.
Finally, the Orcs "Blacktooth" arrived. He was the leader of the Blackrock Orcs in this area, and also the boss of the North District and Angerforge.
The four actual managers of the Black Furnace gathered together, and soon after, a tremor came from the ceiling. Everyone knew that the gate had been opened.
A black Steel Cable, about the thickness of a forearm, extends down from the hole above, with a similarly black iron hook at the end of the Steel Cable.
Once the hook reached the bottom of the dried-up hot spring, Torbjorn, who was in first place, gave the order, and his men pulled a train of minecarts down the ramp made of wooden planks to the bottom of the pool. A coolie hooked the handle of the first minecart with an iron hook and then pulled hard on the Steel Cable.
Upon receiving the signal, those above began to pull the Steel Cable upwards, gradually lifting the mine cart into the air until it disappeared into the opening at the top of the sky.
"This Steel Cable can actually support the weight of an entire mine train; thirty sections must weigh close to a hundred tons!" Unas in surprise.
"The Steel Cable made of Blacksteel Wire is exceptionally strong. This one is as thick as an arm and can withstand a hundred tons without any problem. This is one of the greatest smelting achievements of us Dark Iron Dwarves," said a Dark Iron Dwarves beside him proudly, as if he had personally forged the Steel Cable.
In other words, once the wellhead is captured and the Steel Cable is lowered, people below can climb up continuously, regardless of the cable's strength. This is pretty good news.
A full fifteen minutes later, the Steel Cable was lowered again. No wonder the trading day lasts all day. At this rate, four trains go up every hour, and only ninety-six trains in 24 hours, which is just enough. But then there's no time left to lower the food.
Fortunately, the transportation speed increased afterward. The first train was probably too cautious, which caused too much delay and made Unas worry for nothing.
One after another, the minecarts were hoisted up, and after a while, it became quite monotonous. Unas yawned incessantly, but the order of rotation was followed here. This time, Coldsteel was the first to collect the ore, so Torbjorn was in first place.
After waiting for more than two hours, it was finally Blackbeard's turn. Unas perked up a bit and helped push the cart and maintain order, faithfully playing the role of Half-Face lackey.
Torbjorn didn't leave after finishing his delivery; he was waiting for the food and supplies from the mineral exchange to be hoisted down, and it would take the people above quite a while to count and assess them.
Unas spent the day waiting and pushing his cart. He was somewhat regretful, having gained almost no useful information; he might as well have stayed home to train.
After all the transactions were completed and the well gate was closed, more than ten hours had passed. Half-Face whispered to him, "After you deliver the grain back, report to me immediately. The operation can begin at any time, and my Charge team leader cannot be absent!"
Unas nodded silently and quickly escorted the food and supplies he had traded with Blackbeard back to his territory.
Generally, no one dares to cause trouble during a transaction, but after the transaction is completed, there are always some desperate criminals who rob the place on the way. But today, the situation seems to be very tense, and even most of the desperate criminals sensed something was wrong and did not take any action. He returned to the Mining District safely.
Upon arriving at the destination, he summoned Luther to his room for a private talk. According to Unas's observation, this former Stormwind City officer was the only person he could completely trust at the moment. Once the war with Torbjorn broke out, he would be unable to leave, and the humans here would have to be entrusted to Luther. He quickly confessed his entire escape plan to the middle-aged officer.
Before Luther could recover from his surprise, Unas continued, "From now on, you must keep an eye on the Central District at all times. As soon as the opportunity arises, I need you to immediately gather everyone there. Everyone should bring three days' worth of rations. The weapons I've scavenged during this time are stored in Riedel's old warehouse; you're also responsible for distributing them to everyone. In the next few days, slow down both training and mining. You can increase the amount of food; it's a waste to leave it uneaten anyway. Let everyone recover their strength."
"Then... sir, you..."
"Don't worry, I will definitely create time for everyone to escape. While I'm away, you are the supreme commander. If anyone dares to cause trouble, kill them without mercy. The Tigerfang Clan and Lincoln's Ogres are only temporary allies; don't trust them too easily. You'll have to rely on your resourcefulness when the time comes."
Suddenly burdened with such a heavy responsibility, anyone would hesitate. Luther was momentarily bewildered, having many questions he wanted to ask but unable to express them.
Unas patted him on the shoulder, leaving the guy to process the information he had just received, and led the trio quickly to Half-Face's base.