Speaking of the construction situation in various places, what Luo Chong cared about most was actually the middle and lower reaches of the Liuyang River under You Fu's supervision—the coal-producing regions in the south, namely the construction situation in Chengkang Commandery and Qian Commandery.
The Han Tribe was carrying out its industrial layout in the south, and the foundation of industry was steel and coal. Neither could be lacking.
Without coal, steel could not be smelted; without steel, all kinds of steel machinery could not be produced.
The Han Tribe's steel output in the north was considerable, but transporting it to the south was still far too troublesome. Even if it was transported there, the cost would be much higher than the production cost.
What Luo Chong wanted most now was to develop the coal in Qian Commandery as soon as possible, then produce coke, and next, following the principle of proximity, develop the hematite mine near the White House Tribe and establish an ordinary steelworks nearby.
High-performance steel was out of the question, but if ordinary steel—such as carbon steel for making farm tools or rebar—could be produced locally in the south, it would greatly reduce transportation costs while also creating many jobs in the south.
What You Fu had written to Luo Chong for this time was actually more Engineering Machinery, such as tractors, excavators, loaders, and Road Rollers.
After nearly half a year of continuous construction, the cities in Chengkang Commandery and Qian Commandery had already begun to take shape.
The White House Tribe commoners working for the Han Tribe in Qian Commandery saw all this with their own eyes and rejoiced inwardly, while also feeling deeply shaken and uneasy.
What they saw was the Han Tribe's various superb production techniques. What made them happy was that