Construction II

With stone and bricks in short supply but no shortage of timber, Victor ordered the construction crews to prioritize building wooden shacks. They would stuff the gaps with dry grass, then coat the outer walls with a layer of mud. It only had to get them through one winter for now.

The first batch of bricks and stone was used to renovate the docks and build watchtowers across the river. To spot any barbarians who might come from the north in time, Victor erected more than ten watchtowers along the north bank of the Great Fish River, forming a warning line that could send signals promptly. These watchtowers were all designed by the Calculation Module. They were not only sturdy and fireproof, but also easy to build, thanks to Victor's use of Portland cement.

Back in Bole County, Victor had made a batch of cement by mixing limestone and clay in certain proportions, firing them into clinker, then grinding it finely. Its practical performance had been excellent. He had also added a task to improve the cement-making process to the Calculation Module's linear tasks. However, this Portland cement was already sufficient for his needs, so he had assigned it very little processing power and set the completion time far into the future.

Over the next few days, Victor spent half of each day inspecting different parts of the territory, surveying the terrain and local specialties. He brought Michael and Little Paru along as well. Little Paru had not been boasting—he truly had a talent for discovering unusual things.

On the western side of the territory, they discovered an iron mine whose reserves could not be determined. Yet as Victor looked at the reddish-brown earth stretching beyond the limits of his sight, its extent was clearly considerable. The Calculation Module concluded that it was likely hematite, though its grade was low and its smelting value relatively mediocre.

The conclusion disappointed Victor somewhat, but Number 1 soon relayed information that immediately stirred him with excitement.

"Victor, this land may be highly suitable for growing Iron Bean. Based on the Calculation Module's simulated growth data, it seems somewhat like a potato and shares similar characteristics. The barbarians may have been wrong to cultivate it as an annual plant. Its growth cycle resembles that of potatoes: after each growing season, the aboveground portion withers and dies, while its underground tubers can survive for many years under suitable conditions and sprout again every spring. You can try planting the tubers in this land before winter. After roughly a year of growth, its iron yield and quality should change."

"That really is good news. Mining and smelting this iron ore normally would cost a great deal for little return. If Iron Bean can be used to mine and preliminarily refine the ore, it would save costs and lower the technical requirements for smelting."

"Number 1, honestly, with my limited knowledge, it is difficult to understand why such an advanced civilization would make something like this. What was their purpose?"

"Victor, from the data gathered during this time, we have found that this world is very young—so young that fossil fuels barely exist. However, its other resources are abundant. Combined with the several miraculous plants already discovered that can serve as alternative energy sources, the Calculation Module judges that this may be a cradle. A cradle prepared for a newborn civilization. Without arduous development, one only needs to understand the principles and master the knowledge to make use of these convenient tools of production, allowing civilization to grow strong more quickly. Once that civilization possesses sufficient technology, it can study the characteristics of these animals and plants and transform them into deeper theories. It is like an encyclopedia: on the surface, it contains much basic knowledge, but it also hides more universal scientific truths through ciphers, waiting to be studied and explored."

"I can feel this world's goodwill toward civilization. When they built this place, they must have been filled with anticipation for the future, just as the Moonlit Prophet was when building Beacon Lighthouse."

"I never expected this. It seems I really am lucky. The Beacon Module is my Golden Finger, but isn't this world my Golden Finger as well? The food has been brought right to my mouth. If I still starve to death, wouldn't that make me utterly incompetent?"

Victor swung down from his horse and stood on the grass, gazing at the distant sky. A confidence and courage he had never felt before filled his heart.

"I already possess the power to change this world. All that remains is time. If I cannot turn this beautiful world into what I envision, I would rather travel back and continue being a workhorse."

"Number 1, let's go. It seems my road is still very long. You need to help me properly."

"Of course, Victor. You are the inheritor and possess the highest authority over Beacon Lighthouse. I will always obey your commands."

Victor burst into laughter, mounted his horse, and rode toward the territory. Michael and Little Paru hurried after him. At that moment, Little Paru once again became certain that Victor really was a strange man.

That afternoon, after returning to the territory, Victor immediately threw himself into new work with renewed vigor. He would personally guide the construction crews in building the supporting facilities needed to keep the livestock through winter, especially the most important facilities for storing silage.

According to Victor's memories, silage facilities included silage pits and aboveground silage bunkers. He did not intend to build bunkers. Based on the territory's circumstances, he decided to directly construct silage pits. Their design needed to account for compacting and sealing the raw materials, while the bottoms needed waterproofing.

In his previous life, waterproofing had been simple: laying down a sheet of plastic film was enough. Such convenient material did not exist in this life, but fortunately, Victor had once purchased a batch of tung oil. He had discovered that it was also highly waterproof and had brought it along this time. It was perfect for waterproofing the silage pits.

Based on the materials available, Victor planned to build ten pits in the first batch. Each would measure 5×5×40, with a capacity of 1,000 cubic meters. Calculations showed that, combined with dry grass, this would basically ensure the livestock could survive the winter normally. Of course, some loss of weight was unavoidable. With the current number of animals, even another ten pits would not be enough. Fortunately, dry grass could supplement the feed supply to a certain extent.

Over the following days, Victor arranged for the construction crews to build the pits. At the same time, he sent out every herder, regardless of age or gender, to gather all the forage grasses they could find that could be used as silage. He also organized people to chop the grass, adjust the proportions of the different grasses, control the moisture content, manually expel the air to create an anaerobic environment, and make sealed covers from light teak and tung oil.

The process lasted ten days. Fortunately, they had enough manpower, and the plan provided by the Calculation Module was detailed enough. They managed to seal all ten pits before the final deadline arrived.

Victor looked at the sealed silage pits and let out a breath of relief. "Now it all depends on the fermentation. There is nothing to worry about in the short term; I just need to come back and check them regularly. No one has ever done this before. If not for my status, there would have been no way to make it happen."