The rebellion in Nanqing City was, in fact, quite straightforward.
After Qian Ye, Song Zining, and Ji Tianqing entered the Great Vortex, the Empire promptly withdrew from the Neutral Grounds. The dark races, after sending in their chosen candidates, also left one after another.
The passage of the Great Vortex in the Neutral Grounds could only be used to enter, not to leave. Those who wished to depart had to go through the traditional channels in the initial area. Thus, there was little point in staying in the Neutral Grounds any longer.
The Everburning Flame, a titan among the demonkin, naturally couldn’t linger. As a significant figure in the demonkin world, he had too many affairs to manage. The environment of the Neutral Grounds was a torment for the demonkin, and they were eager to leave as soon as possible. On the other hand, the Imperial fleet couldn’t stay for long either. Compared to the dark races, the human race couldn’t afford to lose such an elite force.
Additionally, with the Blood Throne’s gaze hovering menacingly, it was like a sword hanging over the heads of all the strong, no one knew when this unpredictable entity might act. Who would want to stay when they could leave?
Thus, a power vacuum formed in the Eastern Sea Landmass, especially in Nanqing City. Many factions had been eyeing the emerging workshop system in Nanqing City, and once they confirmed that the Imperial fleet had withdrawn, various powers large and small couldn’t help but emerge.
However, no one expected that Zhang Tiānwáng, unable to resist the temptation, sent out Zhang Xuance, accompanied by a reclusive general.
With Zhang Bu Zhou putting his foot on the table, the other factions had no choice but to back off. In the Eastern Sea, Zhang Bu Zhou had two generals to call upon, including the formidable Wolf King. Other powers, like the Moonlight White Devil and Frost Thunder Temple, were only slightly stronger on paper.
At this critical juncture, the major trading houses also emerged, hoping to claim their share, thus determining the fate of Nanqing City.
However, Song Zining seemed to have anticipated this, and had already instructed some key figures under his command, leading to the “surrender by decree.”
The workshop system was unique, with each part intricately linked and indispensable. Any malfunction in one part would affect the entire system. So, as long as the workshops established by Song Zining agreed to surrender, everything would continue as usual. Not only did the stewards remain in place, but all the artisans, managers, and workers remained unchanged.
Zhang Xuance wanted to shake things up but was immediately met with opposition from the major trading houses. A couple of disruptions wouldn’t matter, but if the workshops under Ningyuan Heavy Industries experienced even a month or two of irregular production, the whole system would suffer. Moreover, the workshop system was crafted by Song Zining. If Ningyuan Heavy Industries’ part fell apart, could it ever be pieced back together? In the face of tangible profits, even Zhang Tiānwáng’s prestige was of limited use. Soon enough, the trading houses realized their foresight was correct.
There were too many and too powerful factions vying for control over Nanqing City; Dark Flame simply couldn’t resist. Part of this was due to the “surrender by decree” of Song Zining’s subordinates, making the transition exceptionally smooth, with almost no bloodshed.
The only ones who truly resisted were a few minor mercenary leaders, surprisingly loyal to Qian Ye, or perhaps they felt a special sense of belonging to Dark Flame. Since their original positions were insignificant, they were not included in the “surrender by decree.”
No one expected these minor figures to fight to the bitter end.
Their resistance was tragic and desperate, like a candle flickering in the wind, ultimately extinguished.
However, after the division of Nanqing City, the major trading houses quickly realized a crucial issue: the key components of the floating warships. The high-performance engines of these warships relied heavily on prefabricated parts from Ningyuan Heavy Industries. A small number of parts that could be produced in the workshops required a special alloy with miraculous properties, the formula for which Song Zining had obtained with his military merit.
The problem was that the alloy formula remained in Song Zining’s possession. The workshop personnel only saw the finished product, a silvery-white powder. There were only two bottles of this powder left in the workshop, and despite hours of study, Zhang Xuance couldn’t discern its true value.
Without this alloy, the components couldn’t be made, and without the components, there would be no engines. This much he understood.
He thought it was simple: once the alloy ran out, couldn’t they just make lower-quality engines? After all, in the Neutral Grounds, the so-called fleets were mostly dilapidated ships. New or old, they fought the same.
But Zhang Xuance didn’t realize that even slightly inferior engines were unattainable. Without the ability to produce warship-class engines, the entire Neutral Grounds was at a loss. What they could manufacture were designs hundreds of years old, bulky, heavy, and with abysmal power. Their sole advantage was durability, able to withstand the harsh conditions of the Neutral Grounds.
As for the high energy consumption, in the Neutral Grounds, having an engine at all was a blessing, let alone a problem.
Through this trial, Zhang Xuance discovered the current predicament. Without support from Ningyuan Heavy Industries, the workshop system in Nanqing City would grind to a halt within a couple of months. While some ship components remained unaffected, what was the point of building a deck without an engine?
But Young Master Zhang had his own way of dealing with this. Since Nanqing City was acquired without cost, they might as well keep it running for a couple of months and worry about the rest later. Even if they couldn’t produce the engines, reducing the system’s value by 90% still left 10%, right?
Thinking this way, Young Master Zhang felt at ease, believing there was nothing insurmountable.
While Zhang Xuance remained indifferent to the crisis, the trading house executives, who lived by these worldly affairs, immediately recognized the value of Ningyuan Heavy Industries, not just as a single link in the workshop system.
If earlier attempts to dissuade Zhang Xuance were merely to avoid a couple of months of downtime, now they realized that Ningyuan Heavy Industries was the cornerstone of the system. They treated the surrendered Chief Steward Song with due respect, and even the subordinate workshops and trading houses of Ningyuan Heavy Industries suffered no disruption, save for a change in nominal ownership.
Aside from a few giant trading houses like Wanjin, no one else entertained thoughts of plunder. They tried to maintain the contracts as they were, hoping to use Chief Steward Song’s connections to procure more materials from Ningyuan Heavy Industries. With the materials, the entire workshop system could operate. The difference between 10% and 100% profit was enough to spark a war.
Yet, including Zhang Xuance, no one saw the true crisis. They had considered the possibility of Qian Ye and Song Zining returning, but so what? The situation in Nanqing City was set. To make them spit out what they had already swallowed would require defying Zhang Tiānwáng. If Qian Ye and Song Zining were cooperative, why not invite them to the table? There was plenty of meat, and it was just a matter of adding two more pairs of chopsticks. Moreover, with Qian Ye and Song Zining, the meat would flow continuously.
But no one expected Qian Ye to return with such ferocity, severely injuring Zhang Bu Zhou’s reclusive general, who couldn’t even take Zhang Xuance away.
Qian Ye made it clear he wouldn’t give Zhang Bu Zhou face, and now it was up to Zhang Tiānwáng to counter.
This was a battlefield for the mighty. The weak, caught in the middle, would be crushed to dust. Including Mayor Ji Rui, the various factions in Nanqing City were well aware of their position. For them, who ruled Nanqing was unimportant; it only meant a change in who collected the taxes, which would always be paid regardless.
So, when Qian Ye and Song Zining took control of Nanqing City, there was little resistance. When Zhang Xuance came, there was little resistance.
Now, with Qian Ye overwhelming Zhang Xuance with a thunderous strike and simultaneously suppressing the branches of several major trading houses, no one would dare to stand up.
When confiscating the trading house branches, there was some resistance, but it was quickly quelled. The sporadic counterattacks in the city lasted only about a day, smoother than anyone expected.
Throughout the process, Qian Ye largely stayed behind the scenes, delegating the work to his former subordinates.
A day later, Nanqing City returned to peace.
The next morning, Qian Ye called a meeting, a task usually handled by Song Zining. Now, it fell to Qian Ye. When handling these daily affairs, Qian Ye finally understood the challenges Song Zining faced. When Song Qi was around, every detail, big and small, was managed, and he even oversaw the broader strategies for Nanqing City and the entire Eastern Sea. Now, with Qian Ye in charge, even the smallest tasks were causing him headaches.
Once the daily matters were settled, a few confidants remained in the assembly hall. Steward Song presented a ledger, smiling, “This is the list of confiscated items from the trading house branches. It’s quite a haul!”
Qian Ye opened it, finding mostly bulk materials, astounding in both quality and quantity. For example, high-grade alloy plates, totaling hundreds of tons. There were also dozens of tons of high-temperature, high-pressure resistant pipes. Such bulk materials were hard to obtain, even with money.
As Qian Ye reviewed the list, Steward Song provided commentary. These materials were primarily for the warships. Song Zining aimed to build military-grade vessels, and the primary materials could not be compromised. Originally, the major trading houses supplied the warships being built, but during the rebellion, Qian Ye seized everything.
Additionally, there were ten military-grade ballistae and some large components, fitting for a destroyer’s main gun. This was the main cannon Song Zining chose for the new warships, though the parts were incomplete. Key components needed to be shipped from the Empire, and the specialized bolts for the main gun could only be forged there.
These spares were, for now, stored in the warehouses.
Just looking at the list, Qian Ye roughly grasped Song Zining’s plan. Even if someone else bought the warships, they would need to return to Song Zining for bolts, spare parts, and engine maintenance. This ensured a continuous business, potentially more profitable than the warships themselves.
Song Zining’s first batch was to construct three warships, and the framework was just beginning. However, completing the warships required engines and main guns, which in turn needed key components, and those required super alloys. This was the sticking point.
But only Qian Ye knew that, for him, none of this was a limitation. The key components and super alloys were all stored in the Northern Continent.
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