Age of Mysticism

Before the breakthrough of steam technology, Fort Da Anba was just a humble 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 impoverished 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 place in 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 in iron ore mining and iron processing, allowing Da Ambar Fort 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 one 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.

The advantages of technology and price have made Beidi's steam machinery products sell well all over the world, and it has also created many large heavy industry companies with extraordinary influence in steam machinery technology.

September 14, 2604 in the century calendar.

Daan Barburg 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 the Yate County United has expanded dozens of times, and the entire northern land 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’s 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 also fell into a protracted border confrontation.

Dongdu is another name of Da'an Babao.

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 have 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, and 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. She begged again and again: "I'm sorry, sir! I'm not a thief, I just want to help you carry the suitcase..."

"Hasn't anyone told 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, and she begged: "I sincerely apologize to you, dear sir. My... my father was injured in the leg, and 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, and 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..."

Immediately the girl said: "My name is Permina Klitches, and you may call me Mina, sir!"

Luke told the sheriff, "Miss Mina volunteered to be my guide."

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

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

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

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

Of course Luke didn't think his identity had been found out, it was 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 inadvertently offending you, it is because the secret agents of the Golden Shield Empire are too rampant that I am so nervous.

Welcome to Winter Capital.

Shall I call a car for you? "

"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."

"good."

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

The sheriff who was walking ahead saw that Luke was not following, and stopped to wait.

Luke thought for a moment and said to Mina, "Well, I do need a guide. But if I find you stealing from me, I'll 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 repent.

Luke could only smile and follow.

After leaving 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 thanked the sheriff, got in the car, and told the driver the address of the hotel he was going to.

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

The wealth and fame of Winter Capital 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 the steam guild is offended, there will be no one to repair the steam leak or other failures in the future.

This is why the sheriff's attitude changed drastically when 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 heater in the car made Luke a lot more comfortable, and the girl enjoyed the warmth after the severe cold.

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

When Mina heard the question, she immediately replied: "Yes, sir. My father worked 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.

My 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 couldn't help but choked 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.

There are pipelines conveying high-pressure and high-temperature steam everywhere in Dongdu. These pipelines were 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 labor-intensive 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 doesn't 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 happily took the coins, 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 Winter Capital alone! During your working hours, 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 spend some time in winter, staying in a hotel is very expensive. You can rent an apartment and hire a servant, which can definitely save you at least half the cost."

Luke took Mina's suggestion seriously.

What I 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 smiled and said, "You have been hired. You were my maid while I was 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, wanted to stand up and thank Luke happily.

"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 bedroom window 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 tidied up his bedroom, then took his documents and letter to Harut Heavy Industries Company. He really found a job for himself in Harut Heavy Industry, and now he is going to report to work in the company.

Harut 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 pipeline system.

Checking 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, and worked as a temporary worker for a period of time in winter.