Ronin was shocked and opened his mouth wide. She just increased the order like that?
After confirming with Sophia one more time and making sure she really wanted to increase it, Ronin had no choice but to agree.
Sophia reminded him, "Since you've already contacted people in the nearby villages, help me ask if they have any stockpiled cotton pajamas left. Any size is fine, we'll take them all. We need thirty thousand sets."
Whether for soldiers on the battlefield or regular people, everyone needs warm clothes.
Ronin froze for a second, then quickly nodded.
With the current market, many small village workshops were about to shut down. Factories had piled-up inventory they couldn't sell.
If they could take the goods, maybe they couldn't save everyone, but at least they could help delay the collapse.
With Sophia's word, Ronin immediately began reaching out.
Back when they planned to get those people to make military coats, he had already added many of them on WeChat.
As for the security system, Sophia personally handled it. Things moved quickly and both sides signed the contract.
At the same time, the warehouse project was finishing up its inspection. Sophia went to check the site herself and confirmed the inventory list.
"Miss Sophia, since all our materials are confirmed and the contract is signed, once we finish our internal procedures, we can start work within three days. We'll deliver everything in half a month," said Manager Peng from the security company.
Sophia thought for a moment and said, "Manager Peng, I want the security system for the small villa to be done first. Try to finish it in seven days. If that's too tight, at least finish the third floor. I really need it."
Peng was talking about the timeline for the whole project. Sophia was asking for part of it to be delivered early.
After considering it, he agreed.
"Alright, no problem. I can arrange for people to start tomorrow."
Since the contract was signed, it was okay to begin ahead of schedule.
Satisfied with his answer, Sophia didn't say more.
After everyone left, she started thinking. She could start moving the antiques from the warehouse now.
But first, she needed to buy display cabinets for them.
She began looking online.
Originally, she planned to buy cabinets like the ones in museums, but after returning home and taking a look, she realized the house was too small for that.
"When the third floor of the warehouse is ready, I'll turn it into a private museum. That space is good for large pieces like antique shelves, bed frames, bronze items, and porcelain."
"The third floor of the small villa, on the other hand, is better for small objects like jewelry, calligraphy, and paintings."
So Sophia placed an online order for twenty custom display cabinets in different sizes.
That night, Ronin came back. Sophia took the tablet, confirmed the videos she selected were downloaded, and sent them over to General Yves.
On General Yves' side, the war between the Wu and Zhao nations had officially begun.
The Chen area was close to both countries. You could even hear sounds from more than a hundred miles away.
As soon as he got the news, General Yves led his team to quietly begin operations.
The ancient soldiers really were brave. They watched the training videos two or three times, and then started trying things hands-on.
With guidance from the instructors, in just two or three days, the machines started working.
General Ulric led the way, and each of the four armies selected three hundred soldiers. They went straight to the wilderness and got to work.
Excavators, earth movers, and cranes all started roaring and moving.
"General Ulric, these machines are incredible! One scoop and they can dig up a whole tree!"
"We have these machines now. In less than a month, we should be able to clear the wasteland and give the people land to farm!"
General Ulric and the other officers rode their tall horses. Normally they looked very powerful, but now they were overshadowed by these giant machines.
Still, no one cared about that anymore.
Everyone wondered if these machines could also be used in battle.
Their hearts were full of excitement.
When they reached the location, they began setting up camp. The eighty soldiers continued to practice operating the excavators and dump trucks.
General Ulric was arranging things with his officers, discussing where to start clearing and how to handle everything they dug up.
Suddenly, they heard loud laughter from outside.
"What are those brats doing out there?" one of the officers asked.
Their conversation was interrupted.
General Ulric said, "Let's go out and have a look!"
They walked out and saw many soldiers surrounding a big yellow machine, laughing and joking.
"You little punks! What are you doing here? Didn't you set up your tents? Are you planning to sleep outside tonight?" General Ulric shouted.
The laughing soldiers turned around, saw their commanders, and immediately straightened up, falling silent. They stepped aside quickly to make a path.
Then General Ulric and the others saw the big yellow machine — the excavator — digging up weeds easily with just one scoop.
"General, this excavator is amazing. One scoop and the weeds are gone, roots and all. We don't even need to use hoes anymore," a squad leader reported. His eyes were full of excitement.
These soldiers didn't just fight wars. During peaceful times, they had to farm while guarding the borders.
Usually, they had to bend over with hoes and work hard for hours just to clear a small patch of weeds. Now, in just seconds, the machine did the job. No wonder they were all excited.
General Ulric looked up at the soldier in the driver's seat and said, "Keep going. Let me see it work some more."
Because they were in a rush and had a big task, as soon as they got the tablets, they heard that Wu Kingdom and Zhao Kingdom had gone to war. So they had to hurry out and start the land clearing without studying the machines much.
"Where's the tablet? Bring it here," General Ulric ordered.
Before they left, the commander told him that once they reached the site, they should open the videos stored inside. They explained the machines' functions.
General Ulric started watching the videos. These were much simpler than the training guides.
The dump truck was mainly used to transport stones, sand, and cut-down trees. The crane was for lifting heavier stones and trees. People could move them too, but it was dangerous. If a rock fell, it could seriously injure someone. Also, it took a lot of time and effort.
General Ulric watched with shining eyes.
He was about to watch the video on the excavator when the screen suddenly went dark. No matter how he pressed the power button, it didn't turn back on.
"I know what's going on! Didn't the commander mention something like this before we left? It's probably out of battery. We need to charge it," said the deputy general of the Green Sparrow Army.
Everyone looked at each other.
They had no choice but to take out another tablet and continue watching.