Age of Mysticism

  Chapter 347 First Winterfell

  Before the breakthrough of steam technology, Fort Da'an was just an inconspicuous village. It is at a high latitude, and half of the year is in cold weather. People living here live by hunting and growing potatoes, and their lives are very difficult.

  After the steam technology entered a new era of rapid development, a group of steam scientists discovered that the underground of Da'an Babao contained extremely rich geothermal heat that could be easily developed.

  There is a large natural cave underground here. Under the cave, there is a high-temperature heat source from the earth veins, and there is also an underground river channel with a very rich water source. In the excavation of underground heat sources, steam scientists discovered high-purity iron ore resources here.

  The originally barren and poor Daanba Fort suddenly became a treasure land with cheap energy and abundant resources.

  Steam scientists rely on geothermal heat and underground rivers to build an urban heating system, and use pipelines to transmit high-temperature and high-pressure steam to any part of the city. Factories that need to use steam-driven machines can use the world's cheapest and most efficient energy for production as long as they are connected to the city's heating system.

  Geothermal heat is used for iron ore mining and iron processing, allowing Da'an Babao to produce the cheapest steel in the world.

  For a time, international investors flocked here, and factories were established in Daanbabao. A large number of laborers were attracted by all kinds of fancy publicity about Fort Da'an, and they took their families across the oceans and snowfields to Fort Da'an.

  So in just a hundred years, Fort Great Anbar became the largest industrial city in the entire Northland. It squandered steel and energy recklessly, connecting cities in the Northland with a railway network; it helped other cities complete the industrialization of steam by perfecting the advanced urban steam heating system.

  Technical advantages and price advantages make Beidi's steam machinery products sell well all over the world, and also created many large heavy industry companies with extraordinary influence in steam machinery technology.

  Century calendar September 14, 2604.

  Da Anbabao led several major industrial cities in the Northland to establish the Yate County Union, and announced that the vast territory of the Northland was all owned by the Yate County Union.

  At that time, the Northland was full of tribes of non-human races, and there were dozens of small human countries and territories. Facing the steel and steam-armed Yate County Union soldiers, they had no force that could resist them, and they were wiped out and annexed one after another.

  In a short period of time, the land controlled by Yate County United has expanded dozens of times, and the entire Northland has fallen into the hands of this emerging country. The war brought countless wealth and resources to the Yate County United, which further stimulated the Yate County United's appetite for land, so this northern steel giant took a fancy to its southern neighbor... the Golden Shield Empire.

   It was just that in the Golden Shield Empire during this period, there appeared an emperor who worked hard to promote the country's industrialization. The expansion of the Art County United was blocked in the northern border of the empire, and the two countries were also caught in a protracted border confrontation.

  Dongdu is another name of Daanba Fort.

  The moment Luke stepped off the train, he felt the welcome of this ice and snow city. The icy cold wind swept the goose-feather-like snow, and drilled in through the gap of the collar. Even though Luke had a fire-type physique, he was shivered by the sudden cold.

  The cold breath out smoked the glasses he was wearing.

  Luke put down the suitcase, took off his glasses, took out a buckskin towel from the pocket of the windbreaker, and looked around while wiping the lenses.

  This is Dongdu's railway station, and the platform is full of travelers who just stepped out of the train. There is a huge temperature difference between the warm compartment and the outside, and most people walk quickly against the wind and snow wearing scarves and shrinking their necks. At this time, find a place with heating as soon as possible. It would be even better if there is another cup of hot coffee.

  Luke wiped his eyes clean and put it on the bridge of his nose. He immediately had a strong bookish look. He straightened the deer hat he was wearing, then bent down to grab a hand that was trying to walk away from his suitcase.

   "Ah!" The owner of the hand screamed because of the pain from being held, and she begged again and again: "I'm sorry, sir! I'm not a thief, I just want to help you carry the suitcase..."

   "Didn't someone tell you that stealing is stealing if you don't have the owner's permission?"

  Luke saw what the thief looked like, a skinny girl who looked to be in her teens. He was wearing a fat and dirty miner's uniform and a felt hat with ears. Although he was wearing gloves, they were full of holes, and the exposed hands had frostbite.

  The girl who was caught was very frightened, she pleaded: "I sincerely apologize to you, dear sir. I... my father was injured in the leg, I just wanted... to get something to eat.

   Please don't turn me over to the Sheriff... Please. "

   At this time, a sheriff wearing a dark blue cotton trench coat and a beard came over: "Sir, are you in trouble?"

  Luke let go of the girl's hand, then nodded to the sheriff: "No, there is no trouble. This is my first visit to Winter Capital, and I hope to find a guide, this..."

  The girl immediately said: "My name is Permina Klitschens, you may call me Mina, sir!"

   Luke said to the sheriff: "Miss Mina volunteered to be my guide."

  Mina was too afraid to look directly at the sheriff, but she still added: "I wanted to help these gentlemen with their luggage, and then I accidentally touched the frostbite on my hand, so I screamed."

  The sheriff has actually been paying attention to Mina for a long time, and he wants to catch her, and then he can go back to the security post to enjoy the heating while interrogating.

   What I didn't expect was that an outsider actually sheltered a thief.

   This made the magistrate very unhappy. He looked at Luke with unkind eyes, and said in a contemptuous tone: "This is the first time you have come to Winter Capital? What are you doing here? I think you look like an agent of the Golden Shield Empire's Secret Affairs Bureau."

  Luke certainly doesn't think his identity has been found out, this is just an excuse for the sheriff to make things difficult for him. He took out his ID card and a letter from his pocket, and politely said to the magistrate, "I am a steam engineer. This time I came to Dongdu because I was hired by Harut Heavy Industry Company to inspect the steam pipeline."

  Hearing that the other party was a steam engineer and hired by Harut Heavy Industries, the sheriff immediately changed his face. He stood up straight and took the certificate with both hands, and returned it with both hands after checking it was correct.

   "Mr. Luke, please forgive me for my unintentional offense to you. It is because the secret agents of the Golden Shield Empire are too rampant that I am so nervous.

  Welcome to Dongdu.

   Want me to call you a car? "

"Thank you, I just need a car to take me and my luggage to a warm hotel. It's really too cold here." Luke put the ID and letter back in his pocket, and then took out an Att coin to give Sheriff.

   Such a "language" is commonly used all over the world. The sheriff happily took the coin and said, "Please follow me, Mr. Luke."

"it is good."

  Luke wanted to get his luggage, but Mina had already grabbed his luggage. She looked at Luke with pleading eyes, snow had already piled up on her hat and shoulders: "Sir, I will be a qualified guide, and...very cheap!"

  The sheriff who was walking in front stopped and waited when Luke didn't keep up.

  Luke thought for a while, and said to Mina: "Well, I do need a guide. But if I find you stealing my things, I will hand you over to the sheriff."

   "Sir, I promise not to steal from you. Thank you, sir."

   After speaking, Mina dragged the box forward, as if afraid that Luke would go back on his word.

  Luke could only smile and follow.

  Out of the train station, the sheriff easily found a taxi. He also enthusiastically handed over a business card, so that Luke could go to him if he encountered any troubles, and pointedly looked at Mina who was sitting in the car holding the suitcase.

  Luke thanks the sheriff, gets in the car, and tells the driver the address of the hotel he's going to.

   While the magistrate was waving goodbye, the car drove away under the snow, and soon disappeared in the heavy snow.

  Dongdu's wealth and fame are built on steam, so steam engineers have a detached status here, and the steam guild is an organization that everyone should respect here.

  Once you offend the steam guild, there will be no one to repair if steam leaks or other faults occur in the future.

   This is why the sheriff's attitude changed drastically after he knew that Luke was a steam engineer. A steam engineer, and a steam engineer hired by a big company from outside, is definitely not offended by a low-level security officer.

  The heating in the car made Luke much more comfortable, and the girl also enjoyed the warmth she gained from the severe cold.

   Luke asked Mina, "Your father was a miner?"

   Mina immediately replied after hearing the question: "Yes, sir. My father works in the B36 mine in the underground steam city. During a steam leak, he was hit by a falling stone and broke his right leg.

  Father and his fellow workers had already reported to the mining area that the steam pipe needed to be replaced, but no one listened to them.

  He’s the only earner in the family…”

   At the end, Mina could not help but choke up.

  Luke can imagine how difficult Mina's family is now, and there are many people in Winter City who were injured by steam accidents like Mina's father.

  Dongdu is full of pipelines that convey high-pressure and high-temperature steam. These pipelines are built at different times due to different development stages of the city. The earliest pipelines can even be traced back to when the city was first built a hundred years ago.

  Steam line accidents are commonplace here.

  It is common sense to replace it if it is broken, but replacing a steam pipe is a serious and time-consuming overhaul project. Therefore, except for the pipes that must be replaced in time, most of the pipes can be used as long as they can be used, repaired as soon as they can be repaired, and replaced after an accident.

  Especially in production plants, the downtime due to pipe replacement is a waste of money.

   As for worker casualties...do they matter?

  The factory owner will not even pay for medical expenses.

  Luke took out two 100-yuan Att coins and gave them to Mina: "These are your rewards for being a guide. You can go home when you arrive at the hotel."

  Mina took the coins happily, but returned one of them after hesitating for a while: "Sir, one is already a lot."

   Luke didn't accept it: "I just pity what happened to you, accept it, and buy yourself a pair of warm gloves. I can help you, only these..."

   "Thank you, sir." Mina solemnly folded up the coin, and carefully put it in the inner pocket of her clothes. Then, as if thinking of something, he said: "Sir, you came to Dongdu alone! During your work, you need a servant to take care of your daily life...

  You can hire me. I can cook, I can do your laundry and clean the room. "

  Luke said: "I think the people in the hotel will help me deal with these things."

   “But if you need to stay in Winter City for a while, the cost of staying in a hotel is very high. You can rent an apartment and hire a servant, which can definitely save you at least half the cost.”

  Luke seriously considered Mina's suggestion.

  What you have to do in winter cannot be done in a short time. There is a lot of turnover in the hotel, and the mixed dragons and snakes are easy to be targeted by people with different purposes. If I rent an apartment, it suits my current status, and it is much more convenient to get in and out than staying in a hotel.

   "As my guide, do you have a suitable apartment to recommend for me?"

  Hearing that Luke accepted his proposal, Mina immediately said: "Yes, I know there is a clean apartment. My job..."

  Luke said with a smile: "You are hired. You will be my maid while I am working in Winter Capital. If you do a good job, you will get a bonus after I leave."

   "Thank you, thank you, sir!" Mina, who had a job, happily wanted to stand up and thank Luke.

   "Hahaha, sit down and tell the driver the address of the apartment."

"Yes, sir."

  Luke found the apartment under the guidance of Mina. The owner of the apartment is an old couple who live on the first floor, and four separate rooms on the second floor are rented out as an apartment.

  The old couple knew Mina, and after knowing that Luke was a steam engineer, they happily accepted Mina's offer.

  Luke is very satisfied with the apartment, which has a bedroom, a kitchen, a separate bathroom, and a living room. The room is very warm, and although the furnishings and furniture are a bit old, it gives a very warm feeling. What satisfied Luke the most was that the window of the bedroom faced a secluded path. According to the mobile phone map, there was a pipeline leading to the underground steam city near this path.

unexpected surprise!

  Luke readily paid three months' rent, and gave Mina a sum of money to buy some food and daily necessities. And let her buy a set of clothes for herself, so the maid must look like a maid.

  Mina went shopping, Luke put down his luggage and simply cleaned up his bedroom, and then went to Harut Heavy Industry Company with his certificate and letter. He really found a job for himself in Harut Heavy Industry, and now he is going to report to work in the company.

  Halut Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. has a full range of industries in Dongdu, including mining, metallurgy, steam industry, real estate, and finance, and has its own steam heat source production and transmission pipeline system.

  Inspecting hidden dangers, troubleshooting, and guiding maintenance all require very professional steam engineers.

  Luke forged a steam engineer certificate for himself, and then recruited through Harut Heavy Industries Company, and worked as a temporary worker for a period of time in winter.

  (end of this chapter)