Chapter 17

After a hearty meal of monster meat, Li Xian shouted with excitement, truly feeling overjoyed. The only issue was that his sister-in-law was very enthusiastic about introducing her younger sister to him, which made Li Xian flee in panic.

After breakfast, Li Xian realized that he had somehow advanced to the eighth level of the Qi Condensation stage in his sleep. "This is the eighth level, but I don't feel any different." Li Xian casually cast a spell, and a small fireball appeared in his palm, burning quietly. Feeling the fireball's heat and the rapid depletion of his true essence, Li Xian silently savored the wonders of cultivation. "Very interesting. Well, from today on, I'll be busy."

After breakfast, Li Xian gathered Xu Ren, Sun Ming, Tang Rong, Song Gang, He Lin, and Liu Bin to discuss. "We just need to build the workshop as we did before, right?" Song Gang said carelessly, showing no concern.

Li Xian unfolded the map he had received from his brother and said, "Uncle Song, if we were just building the workshop as before, there would be no need to leave the capital. We left the capital to find a place where we can truly be free to develop. Clearly, this is our most ideal location for development. If anyone has any questions, they can ask Xu Ren."

After unfolding the map, Li Xian took out a piece of white paper, which was the plan he had made over the past few days. Since this was a formal power distribution meeting and the first time Li Xian was truly laying the foundation, he had to show his "owner" demeanor.

"Everyone, please sit down. Today, we will truly strive for our dreams. Whether we can soar to the sky in the future depends on everyone's efforts. Starting today, we will make a complete change to the workshop.

First, we will abolish the term 'workshop' and use 'factory' instead. I will be the general manager of the factory.

Each different section will be called a 'plant,' and the person in charge of each plant will be called a 'plant manager.' Inside the plant, there will be workshops, and the person in charge of each workshop will be called a 'workshop director.'

Second, we will define the departments and set their tasks and development directions. Everyone, listen up.

Xu Ren, I appoint you as the general advisor of the factory. Your responsibilities include handling administrative work such as planning, personnel recruitment, and external relations. You can invite your friends or recommend relevant personnel; if necessary, I can personally invite them. Any questions?"

"No, it suits me well." Xu Ren gladly accepted the position.

"Tang Rong, I appoint you as the head of the research department. The research department is the most important core of the factory, and you have the authority to mobilize all resources to ensure the research tasks. Currently, the research department will focus on conductors, arrays, and engines. You can appoint the heads of each research group yourself. I will monitor the progress."

"Understood." Tang Rong accepted the appointment.

"Sun Ming, I appoint you as the plant manager of the jade plant, responsible for all jade-related affairs. Whether it's material selection, lamp making, array engraving, glass, or related research, you are in charge. You can appoint the heads of the departments under you. I will also monitor the progress."

"Understood." Sun Ming also accepted the appointment.

"Song Gang, you will be responsible for metallurgy, including all metal materials, alloys, general metal tools, weapons, farming tools, and even the research and production of mineral resources. Materials are the foundation of technology, and your task is heavy. Industrial development requires thousands or even tens of thousands of materials. I hope you do not disappoint me or everyone else. Additionally, we will establish a separate workshop for weapon production to supply the military in Anyang."

"I guarantee I won't disappoint everyone!" Song Gang was unaware of the difficulties in material research.

"Liu Bin, all mechanical design and production, as well as precise measuring tools, will be your responsibility. Machinery is the most powerful force in technology. The most advanced machinery may even surpass the power of cultivators and exceed your imagination. For example, you have already seen the initial mechanized textile machinery and the use of machine tools to forge and polish swords. Therefore, your task will not be easy."

"Understood."

Finally, Li Xian looked at He Lin. He Lin was suddenly excited; as a woman approaching old age, she had the opportunity to sit here.

"Aunt He, by next spring at the latest, we will establish a massive textile factory. At that time, the daily production of the textile factory may meet the entire capital's demand for cloth. Clothing is the most important of the four basic needs. The current textile industry has a wide range of raw materials and broad demand, with relatively low technical requirements. Therefore, the textile industry is the only sector that can quickly gather funds during the initial stages of industrial development. In a short time, the textile factory will become the most profitable department among all plants and departments. The factory's operations will rely on the profits from the textile factory for a long time. Therefore, Aunt He, your task is the heaviest of all. You will be responsible for recruiting workers, researching and improving textile machines, and improving all aspects of cloth production, including patterns, dyeing, and raw materials. Additionally, you will be responsible for purchasing raw materials and selling cloth. If you encounter any problems, you can discuss them with me or Xu Ren, or with anyone present."

"Don't worry, the old lady is not afraid of difficult tasks, but of having nothing to do!" He Lin was not to be outdone by men. Hearing about the importance and bright future of the textile industry, He Lin was as excited as a young girl.

"Good. Now, let me plan the construction of the plant." Li Xian pointed to the map. "I have chosen a valley ten miles south of the city. This valley is about two miles in diameter, which is sufficient for our needs. There is a river running through the center of the valley, which can meet our industrial water needs. There is also a small jade mine in the valley, which is sufficient for now. I have decided to name our factory 'Brilliant Stars,' the river 'Starlight River,' the valley 'Qingyun Valley,' and the surrounding mountains 'Qingyun Mountains.' I hope we can soar to the sky from here."

The basic framework of the factory was thus established, and the rest would need to be developed gradually. First, the machinery and various items brought from the capital were arranged, and the relevant personnel began assembling them. On the other side, cultivators sent by his brother Li Liang helped with the construction. With a wave of spells, the walls, floors, bridges, and even a large number of tiles were created, leaving Li Xian in awe.

In just one day, all the walls and pillars of the factory buildings were completed according to Li Xian's requirements. The remaining work required Liu Bin and his subordinates to work overtime, cutting trees, making doors, windows, and beams, and restoring a few factory buildings. After that, all items were moved in, and the workshop began to resume operations.

After a flurry of activity, in just three days, the group miraculously restored the original production. The first to resume was the lamp workshop, which began working overtime due to the backlog of orders. However, other factory buildings, especially those related to machinery and metallurgy, could not start operations! The lack of iron ore was a significant problem. In the capital, iron ore could be bought with money, but there was nowhere to buy it here.

Additionally, Li Xian was most concerned about materials like Heavenly Silk, Jade Silk, Demon Spider Silk, and even Sea Soul Silk. These materials were urgently needed for in-depth research and to replace inefficient manual operations in jade mining.