Arriving in Brunas with Taren X were several dozen ships of mysterious origin, none of which flew a national flag, nor were their sails uniform in color, and even their sizes were not quite the same.
These ships hailed from many different countries or regions, but after being inspected, they were allowed to unload in Brunas.
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Unbelievably, these long-distance sailing ships were filled with iron ingots from an unknown source! Entirely iron ingots! A massive quantity of iron ingots! Top-quality iron ingots.
After verifying the secret signal, the Shireck maid on the pier handed the document in her hand to a subordinate beside her, watching, expressionless, as the workers and cranes moved the costly, high-quality iron materials from the sailing ships.
The workers waiting at the dock scrambled to load these goods onto the long-awaited horse-drawn carts and trucks, which then hurriedly made their way to the nearby train station.
There, trains that could go directly to the Great Tang Group awaited, freight trains that could deliver the iron materials straight to the steel mills, where these raw materials would be refined and processed into the steel products needed by the Great Tang Group.
Including steel capable of being made into railway tracks, steel for manufacturing gun barrels, steel that could be transformed into sheet metal, steel that could be used as the framework...
In short, the Great Tang Group had an immense need for steel, and clearly, constructing an entirely new world would require even more steel.
"We can't keep this secret for too long," the maid said, looking at Harry, who stood silently beside her. "Even if you're good at keeping secrets, our clandestine cooperation won't stay hidden for long."
"We don't need to keep it a secret," Harry responded with a relaxed smile as cart after cart of iron ingots was moved out of the dock. "As long as there's no evidence, that's all that matters."
"Sometimes, they don't need any evidence to take action," the maid replied coldly.
Harry remained unconcerned, lazily stretching. "Hmm... so why would they want to take action?"
"What do you mean?" the maid asked, giving him a sideways glance.
Harry finished stretching, dropped his hands, yawned, and then answered: "Why would they stop something that's to your advantage?"
Lately, he had been working with Van Kums on a financial data model, and for three nights straight, he hadn't had a good sleep.
They were about to accomplish a feat no one in the world had yet touched, their data model could play the world's financiers like pawns on a chessboard.
It was a great mathematical model that transcended the entire era. Once it started operating, the Great Tang Group would have the world's financial jugular in its grasp.
The concept was, of course, proposed by Tang Mo, and once Tang Mo presented it, he and Van Kums became obsessed.
In fact, much of their work was essentially verification or recalculations, but in the process, it seemed they had opened the door to a new world.
Then, ignoring Harry beside her, she kept telling herself inwardly that she was a lesbian, a lover of women, and the person she liked the most was the powerful Sofia.
But... are there really men in this world as powerful as Sofia... A young man, a few years younger than her, a strong young man...
Uncontrollably, her gaze shifted back to Harry, just in time to catch him with a pair of gentle eyes looking at the distant sea.
In an instant, the powerful, focused, resolute, steadfast... everything imaginable rushed into the maid's desolate heart.
At that moment, she felt dizzy and nearly had a nosebleed.
Harry had just been contently watching a brand-new Liberty ship navigating the sea, knowing that it was the Liberty ship that had been launched yesterday on its trial voyage.
He was very satisfied with the progress at the dockyard and made a mental note to praise Mr. Parker, who was supervising the operation of the dockyard, at the next meeting.
When he realized that the Shireck liaison beside him had been silent for quite some time, he turned his attention away from the sea.
And as he looked at her, he saw the maid's eyes brimming with curiosity as she scrutinized him up and down.
"What are you doing?" Harry felt that the way she had looked at him was somehow familiar. He stepped warily aside and asked subconsciously.
"Nothing... We have many beautiful ladies at Flame Castle. Next time, shall I bring one for you?" Blurted out the maid, as if possessed.
She probably didn't even know what she was doing...
Harry remembered that look; it was the same one his female classmates had when they eyed the latest handbags on the street - full of appreciation, a desire to possess, driven by a collecting fetish and a controlling desire - a demeaning lowbrow taste...
"No need, thank you, I don't have time for women." Harry was as straightforward as a beam of light. In his world, the female form certainly did not appeal to him as much as mathematical models did.
The maid finally realized how she must appear to ordinary people, what sort of monster.
She wished she could slap him and then shout loudly to bring him back on the right track, "Wake up! You need a woman! A good woman who is worthy of you!"
But on the surface, she still smiled politely, "It's okay, if you don't need one, then it's easier for me."
Another vehicle fully loaded with ingots drove past the place where they were standing, drawing Harry's attention away, and the conversation came to an abrupt end as if nothing had happened.
A second later, the maid began to miss her beloved Sofia again, while Harry returned to contemplating his data models.
On the distant sea, the horn of the Great Tang Group's massive Liberty ship sounded, its wail obscuring all the awkwardness.