Demand for Water Pumps
Although the Beyonders sent by the Balk Family had some complaints about Elliot's lateness, they still gave him a very warm welcome on the surface.
After holding a welcome banquet that evening, the family members who had arrived early took Elliot to inspect the Copper Mine first thing the next morning.
The Fosac Empire's colonists had been mining this Copper Mine for seven or eight years, and the living facilities were already fairly complete.
There were quarters aboveground for managers like Elliot and the others, places for the local foremen and coachmen to live, as well as shacks for the slaves and horses.
As they toured the site and chatted, Elliot noticed that these clansmen had subtly gathered around Zachary, the Sequence 6 Beyonder. They were enthusiastic toward Elliot, the actual leader, but showed him little respect.
Elliot naturally knew that he had only received this position because he was a devout Believer of the "Creator." At the family's other Copper Mine and Forest Farm, the supervisors were both Sequence 6 Beyonders.
Yet Elliot was merely a Sequence 7, and so far, he had not rendered any major service to the family.
I need to find an opportunity to seize back authority, Elliot thought.
After inspecting the accommodations and carriages, the group arrived at the entrance to the Copper Mine.
At the mine entrance, Elliot saw an old-looking steam engine. It seemed to be struggling as it turned its wheel and worked, every movement producing a "hiss, hiss, hiss" sound.
On the other side of the steam engine, over a hundred slaves squatted there. Local foremen with brown skin patrolled back and forth with horsewhips in hand, maintaining order among the slaves.
Upon seeing Elliot and the others, the foremen immediately put on fawning smiles.
"Are