Chapter 612: Trouble is Opportunity
"Roar...!"
The hideous zombie monsters rampaged wildly through the city.
They possessed an extremely sharp sense of smell, able to detect any hidden flesh.
Once they found 'food,' they would swarm at the fastest speed, and the twisted scenes of destruction were horrifyingly nightmarish.
Countless hidden people were slaughtered and then transformed into dreadful zombies under the influence of twisted power.
What made the viewers' hearts tighten the most.
Was the constantly shaking footage.
Was the sound of heavy breathing echoing in everyone's ears.
Was the shrill screams when companions beside them were taken away.
The relentless pursuit of zombies, leaving no room for escape.
The footage was always about fleeing, always about retreating.
Finally, after braving countless near-death experiences, the survivors managed to break through the walls and leave the dangerous city.
Before they could even relax, a massive wave of zombie monsters surged in from all directions, engulfing the remaining survivors under everyone's horrified gaze.
Blood-stained scenes, broken corpses, and the chilling sounds of chewing.
Along with the subtitles that appeared across the screen:
"This is the real event that took place in Farsico's coastal city of Chicago. The estimated death toll is 1.26 million..."
All of this declared a cruel truth to everyone.
No one survived!
The entire theater fell into dead silence, and everyone was immersed in worry and righteous indignation.
They never expected that such terrifying events could happen even in a safe city.
Over a million deaths occurred in just over an hour.
Many people, when leaving the theater, were still unable to calm down for a long time.
They walked into the crowded restaurants, absentmindedly ordering food, and noticing others with similarly dazed expressions, they tentatively asked:
"Did you see it too?"
"Yeah, the factory organized everyone to watch it. I really didn't expect it... that things are so bad in other places."
"Besides Chicago, I heard there are several big cities also trapped in a zombie crisis. Even Farsico's former capital, Washington, is now surrounded by zombies."
"Really? Where did you hear that?"
"It's all in the Territorial Newspaper and the News Gazette. The Territorial Newspaper is more detailed. It clearly states that this is the conspiracy of the Church of Eternal Life..."
"Those people are just too pitiful. Weren't their soldiers and guards protecting them?"
"Hah, haven't you seen what they're like? Do you really think their soldiers and guards are as dedicated as ours in the territory?"
"Right, they even issued danger warnings, which is already quite good."
"Sigh, it's because they're weaker. If they don't properly develop their cities and territories, when danger comes, they have no power to resist."
"Heh heh, you can't say that. They have power and resources; they just don't want to train their armies and soldiers or they waste their combat power on rescuing civilians."
"Our territory is the best, not only having strong armies and force but also true soldiers of the people..."
"Of course, with Yaya and Lord Matthew here, and without any so-called nobles, everyone is living comfortably."
"If you ask me, dangers have been increasing in recent years. Everyone should train harder and improve their strength."
"You don't need to remind us! Our territory has always lived like this. After increasing our strength, the monthly subsidies are not a joke."
"Don't overthink it. Just do your job well, and that's the biggest contribution and help."
"..."
The newly arrived refugees deeply resonated with the discussions, unable to hold back from sharing their own experiences.
They soon discovered that everyone in the territory, more or less, had gone through similar experiences.
It was precisely because of this that everyone cherished everything in the territory even more.
A life of safety and peace, with unprecedented fulfillment and opportunities for growth, gave everyone endless motivation.
In the Territory's munitions factory.
A brand-new weapons production line was being established.
Large metal frames were being assembled one by one.
The first production lines built were often manual and tool-assisted learning and experimental lines.
Their role was significant.
They allowed workers to understand the steps of manufacturing and production.
To study the requirements and specifications for automated production lines.
They were also key areas for performance enhancement, data fine-tuning, and structural modification.
The data from the first batch of experimental mass-produced weapons would all come from here.
Every worker transferred to this place had mastered advanced manufacturing technology. They were elites nurtured by Bay Territory's production factories.
They would follow the blueprints provided by the research institute, conduct pilot production, and then gradually adjust the production methods.
Once the product quality and production methods stabilized.
They would take charge of the newly established production lines.
Production workers who met the 'selection requirements' would learn to produce this type of weaponry under their guidance.
When enough production workers were trained, the accumulated data and technology.
Would be enough to support Bay Territory's completion of semi-automated production lines.
The final step of production was the completion of a fully automated production line.
Bay Territory was cultivating its workers in this way.
Step by step, more and more excellent workers were being trained.
At the same time, it was achieving incredibly strong production capabilities.
The two complemented each other, growing and expanding at a remarkable speed.
Matthew was testing the improved exoskeleton combat devices.
In battles against zombie monsters, these devices performed exceptionally well.
Considering the various enemies they would face in the future.
These devices, which could enhance production capacity and boost combat power, would bring significant growth and production improvements to Bay Territory.
Of course, considering the difficulty and cost of producing magical items.
Matthew knew that large-scale promotion and cost-effective production would be very challenging.
Even the cheapest production golems, the miniaturized Pathfinder Golems and Statistical Golems.
After two years of development and research, their cost had only been reduced to around 800 gold coins per unit.
Considering Bay Territory's current population of over five million, the cost and resources needed for full-scale implementation would be incalculable.
"So, start with small-scale production, solve various issues during production and usage."
"Gradually improve production efficiency and reduce production costs..."
Hearing Matthew's words, Macaron, the head of the munitions factory, couldn't help but nod repeatedly.
It wasn't that he unconditionally followed the Lord's orders and words.
It was that all the development paths he had experienced were ones he had never seen before.
And those paths were incredibly vast and full of potential. How could he not be excited?
The continuous improvement of factory productivity allowed Bay Territory to develop constantly, raising the foundation for producing heavy weaponry and equipment.
With the production matters settled.
A relieved Macaron excitedly shouted to everyone:
"Lord Matthew is very satisfied with everyone's work, and the people of the Territory also have great expectations for all of you."
"So, everyone must work twice as hard to repay the Territory for its support."
"After all, the more you produce and the better the production results, the more everyone will gain. Bonuses and merits will also be higher."
Deafening cheers erupted from all directions.
Clearly, everyone was very fond of 'bonuses' and 'merits.'
Production here was running smoothly.
Other weapons and equipment, production tools, and combat golems also completed further capacity expansion.
The daily production of weapons and equipment, which used to be one hundred thousand units, was now moving toward a stunning five hundred thousand units.
In Lord Matthew's own words:
The Northern Continent is in such turmoil, with various territories and kingdoms mired in danger and trouble.
To help everyone gain the power to resist these dangers.
Bay Territory specifically produces high-quality, affordable weapons to provide strong support for everyone.
What kind of spirit is this?
It's the spirit of making sure everyone lives a good life!
The workers in the munitions factory were filled with enthusiasm, and people in other positions were just as motivated.
Especially the production department in charge of food production, they were practically overwhelmed with work lately.
There was still one last wave of crops waiting to be harvested.
This batch of crops was also the largest—covering a full 20 million acres!
It could be said that just this single harvest alone.
Bay Territory could easily support more than five million people.
Including the 30 million acres already harvested in recent days, Bay Territory had completely broken free from the shackles of food shortages.
However, Matthew was still not satisfied.
He needed more food, and Bay Territory needed more people.
Across the Northern Continent, due to exploitation and war, nearly half of the continent's billion people were living below the subsistence line.
Matthew's ambitions were vast!
On the golden wheat fields, rows of busy golems harvested the crops in large swaths.
The mountains of grain brought a sense of joy and fulfillment.
Everyone watched with immense satisfaction, discussing how much this harvest would yield.
Smiles filled every face—smiles of harvest.
Captain Sean, who was patrolling, happily watched the mountains of grain.
He remembered the days when they lived in constant danger, facing Kobold and Troll invasions and often going hungry.
Captain Sean cherished the beauty of the present, watching everyone gather together, listening to their excited conversations. He waved at the distant golem trains.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
The dense piles of grain were loaded into the carriages, filling each compartment to the brim.
Only when all the grain was loaded did the golem train, with its remaining empty carriages, continue to move forward.
They chugged along, off to other locations to load more grain.
Seeing all the grain packed up, Captain Sean waved to the children in the distance and said to the teacher leading the group:
"The leftover grain in the fields is yours to collect."
The teacher smiled and nodded, turning to the eager children and said:
"In the East, there is a poem that goes: 'The farmers weeding at noon, sweat drips onto the soil. Who knows the food on the plate, each grain is filled with toil.'"
"The food you eat every day is grown grain by grain. It doesn't come easily, and it must be cherished."
"Today's task for everyone is to use what you've learned to gather the scattered grain in the fields, ensuring none is wasted."
"The top ten students who perform the best will receive a gift prepared by Lady Yaya."
Upon hearing that there were gifts from Yaya, every child became excited.
On coins, in emblems, in sculptures everywhere, and in the history of Bay Territory they learned daily.
Stories of Yaya's great contributions and importance were told to all the children.
Their love and admiration for Yaya and Matthew were even deeper and more fervent than that of adults.
If not for Bay Territory's firm stance against blind worship, they would have been the most fanatical believers.
However, the territory's promotions and the teachers' teachings always maintained a balanced approach.
Helping the children understand the challenges of development, recognize the difficulties of progress, and take the growth of the territory as their aspiration, encouraging them to grow faster and stronger.
But not to the point of blind fanaticism, keeping everything rational and scientific.
The children were incredibly smart.
Some brought brooms, some prepared sacks, some carried little wands, and others brought large fans.
Some succeeded in their plans, picking up lots of fallen grain.
Others failed and could only pick up the grain by hand.
They watched each other's methods in secret, thinking about how they would prepare for tomorrow.