met free Chapter 62 Farewell, Year 2
Chapter 62 Farewell, Year 2
"Hancock! Hey buddy."
"How about it?"
Several workers sat together, their clothes soaked with sweat. For the workers at the Trian sausage factory, the sweltering sausage-making workshop was like hell, but they were creating paradise.
"I'd like a beer, two slices of sausage, and a plate of roasted potatoes. And you, Eugene?"
"Give me some grilled fish, oh damn, I've had enough sausages! Could I also have some fruit and bread?"
Working in Trian is a tough job. It's better in comparison to state-owned factories or factories directly under the royal family, where at least you only have to work 9 hours a day. In private factories, the working hours are even longer.
But whether state-owned or private, at least for now, the working conditions in factories are extremely poor, with a lack of production safety regulations, flawed production technology, and weak safety awareness among workers. This year alone, the number of disabled people in Trian has increased by thousands.
Industrialization is a painful evolution. Civilization must abandon its undisciplined nature, restrain itself with discipline and time, forge the machine of civilization with flesh and blood, and refine civilization with the machine, with science as the standard.
Grilled fish and sausages were served, and fruit was also present, but the workers could tell at a glance that it was canned. With the development of Trian's food industry to this point, canned fruit and various other canned foods naturally appeared.
"Come on, how long has it been since we've had such a sumptuous meal every day?"
The workers ate heartily, their heavy workload forcing them to consume large amounts of carbohydrates, sugar, and protein—a level of intake that would have been virtually impossible in the past. Natural agricultural economies could not provide such food for most people, and even if a region's agricultural production could provide enough produce, the existence of manor economy and aristocratic feudal system meant that most of the agricultural output did not reach the local commoners.
The massive demand brought about by industrialization first gave rise to a large number of livestock and breeding enterprises, especially a large-scale industrialized breeding farm represented by the state-owned Trian sheep breeding experimental base and the Shira chicken complex, not to mention the devastating introduction of trawl steamships.
Large numbers of industrially raised livestock entered the market and were divided among various enterprises, processed into canned goods, by-products, and wool. If it weren't for the fact that the group from the New World that Alice had hoped for had not yet returned to the Old World with corn, Alice would have already begun to select and hybridize corn, the "pillar of modern industry and agriculture."
However, the first wave of benefits from industrialization has now appeared on people's dining tables. Trian's unique black soil has made it a pillar of the country's agriculture. In the context of large-scale industrialization, the black soil, which is fertilized with chemical fertilizers and animal manure, has grown crops that support the machines. These crops are then put into the machines, processed, and end up on people's dining tables.
Spices imported from the East and cocoa smuggled from the South now appeared on the workers' tables, entering their stomachs in this ordinary workers' canteen.
"Oh my god, I smell meat..."
A man pushed open the door and walked into the restaurant. Several workers immediately saw him—his clothes were from the South, and it was clear that he was a new defector—someone who had fled from the South to the North.
He looked around—it was just an ordinary restaurant in the city, so why was there such a strong smell of meat? Fish and meat, those were foods for the nobility!
"Hey, little Dixie, what do you want?"
The proprietress teased the man with a slang term as she wiped the cups, watching this oddball—he pulled a silver coin from his pocket—a southern denomination coin.
"Damn it, it's Dixie coin."
Amidst laughter, the proprietress accepted the silver coin—she would have to exchange it at the bank to use it—and turned to take out a serving of baked mashed potatoes with sliced sausage.
"Really? You can buy meat with just one silver coin?"
"Welcome to the North, little Dixie!"
Several workers stood up, waving their beer mugs and celebrating loudly—
Happy New Year, fellow workers!
Happy New Year! May we all live long and healthy lives!
"cheers!"
Amidst the restaurant's clamor, under the bright, magical lights, slightly cloudy beer glasses clinked, oil, sugar, and protein mingled everywhere, and the heating system roared.
The year 653 came to a close, and in the swirling snow, the chimneys of Trian stood tall. Alice and Alicia sat together, on the table lay a cream cake, a glistening roast chicken, and blood.
"Cheers to this year, Alice."
She looked up at the window. The skyline of Trian was completely different now, with towering chimneys and six-story concrete buildings. All of this was thanks to the monster of industry, which was devouring everything and creating the future.
Cheers to industrialization and modernization!
Blood danced in the glass, and Alice drank it all in one gulp. The delicious liquid went down her throat, marking the end of the second year of industrialization.
Sacred Islands—Holy Church of Humanity—Sacred Cathedral
"Your Holiness, Your Holiness the Pope, the hero summoning ceremony is ready."
Inside the magnificent cathedral, with hymns playing at the background, bishops in their rich robes walked step by step toward the sacred pool, the place where successive Vatican councils have summoned heroes. Here, saviors of mankind and great figures have been born.
Each hero is personally selected by the "Goddess," but not every hero has the ability to defeat the Demon King, just like the previous hero.
But the church needs heroes, because no matter what, in the eyes of believers, heroes represent light.
"Goddess, we praise your name, we proclaim your greatness, your radiance, your omnipotence. Please descend your power, use your authority, and bring light to your followers—Lord Eniac!"
The sacred pool hummed and stirred, and two rings adorned with gold dust began to spin in the air, emitting a bluish-white light that then radiated a blinding glow.
In church texts, "Eniac" is the name of a goddess. For the church, this word is the most sacred word, and if it is uttered outside of a ceremony, that person will be immediately burned at the stake.
A blinding light flashed, and a blurry outline gradually appeared in the light—the hero was being sent by the goddess, and the bishop watched the light—until everything faded, and a person had appeared in the sacred pool.
"Is the hero male or female?"
The saintess examined him closely—the hero had long hair, long eyelashes, and a beautiful face, which almost made her think he was a woman—but upon closer inspection, she discovered that he was a man.
"A male hero who looks like a woman? Two in one... Let's take the hero to rest!"
The saintess nodded and carried the sleeping hero past.
"Lilith...you should understand the duties of a saintess, right? The hero is a man, so I think you should have been taught how to serve men...I probably don't need to teach you how to keep him tied up in the church, do I?"
The saintess known as Lilith nodded.
"Yes... Your Holiness the Pope."