After leaving Heaven on Earth, Fang Er bid farewell to the few people and instructed them to prepare what they needed to bring.
Returning to the Duke's mansion, Fang Er leisurely strolled towards the construction shed.
"How's the progress?"
Hearing his voice, Zhao Gang quickly came over to pay his respects, "Greetings, Duke. We've already produced a trial version, and I was just about to bring it to you."
With that, he walked to a wooden crate nearby, grabbed a few coins, and handed them over.
The coins were silver, with a diameter of 30 millimeters, a thickness of 1.8 millimeters, and weighed about 9 grams.
The patterns and textures on them were clear, the inscriptions legible, and the entire surface had been polished, making it incredibly smooth to the touch. When struck, the sound was clear and pleasant.
Fang Er nodded in satisfaction, casually put the coins into his pocket, and then asked, "How many stamping molds have been made?"
Zhao Gang pointed to a pile of metal ingots in the corner of the shed and the nearby stamping machine, "We've completed ten sets. There are nine over there, and this set was just finished for testing and is still on the machine, not yet removed."
Fang Er walked over to the stamping machine and examined the molds on it.
The molds were square, each measuring 60 centimeters in length and width, neatly arranged with 324 coin master plates.
This meant that one stamping process could produce 324 coins. As long as there were no shortages in raw materials, coins could be produced continuously.
Next, Zhao Gang reported the situation from the past few days.
Initially, Fang Er had only asked him to select craftsmen who could operate and maintain the stamping machines. However, considering the inconvenience of transporting raw materials and the lifespan of the stamping molds, he had drawn some craftsmen and equipment from various workshops.
These people and equipment were sent to America, where they could immediately begin setting up new workshops.
As long as there were mines there, they could achieve self-sufficiency.
The next day, six helicopters slowly landed at the Panjin dock.
Officials sent by the Ministry of Personnel were already waiting there.
Du Yiyang was also present. Seeing Fang Er and the others disembark from the helicopters, he hurried over to pay his respects.
"Your subordinate greets all you Dukes!"
"Hmm, you're a good fellow, old man. You're looking more and more like a minister these days," Cheng Yaojin said, clapping him on the shoulder with a smile.
Du Yiyang's expression instantly contorted. He was just a civil official; while not completely incapable of physical labor, his strength was limited.
He quickly said obsequiously, "Duke Lu, please be gentle. Your subordinate cannot withstand such a clap!"
"Hahahaha!" Cheng Yaojin burst into laughter at his words.
Chai Shao glanced at the calm sea. Besides a few Wuyan warships, there was nothing else. He then asked Fang Er, "Kid, where are the ships?"
"Perhaps they're out at sea for training," Fang Er replied casually.
Wang Xuance picked up the walkie-talkie to contact Fu En. After calling several times without a response, he said, "Duke, they must have gone far. Your subordinate will go find them."
With that, he walked towards the helicopters.
About half an hour later, the sound of helicopters could be heard from the sea. Then, three colossal objects appeared in their sight – the three "Zhonghua Fuxing" passenger liners.
"Holy crap! Those are your ships?!" Cheng Yaojin rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Yuchi Jingde was also shocked, "They're f***ing huge!"
"Hiss~~ Kid, when did you quietly get such massive ships?" Qin Qiong's reaction was exactly the same.
Chai Shao, however, pouted, "You call this big? There are three even bigger ones, but the Emperor took them away last time."
The others immediately turned to him in unison. Zhang Gongjin, with a wicked grin, said, "Old buddies, this guy is being disingenuous. He didn't even let us know about such treasure ships. What should we do?"
"What should we do? Beat him up!" Cheng Yaojin said, raising his fist, the size of a sandbag, and swung it at Chai Shao.
Niu Jinda and Yuchi Jingde quickly followed suit.
And so, a scene of dukes engaging in a free-for-all unfolded on the dock.
However, Zhang Gongjin, after instigating the situation, stepped back, standing to the side with a smug expression, arms crossed, watching the spectacle.
Qin Qiong did not participate. He pulled Fang Er aside and began asking about the large ships.
"Doo~~~~~"
It wasn't until a long ship's whistle sounded from the sea that the three of them finished beating Chai Shao.
The Zhonghua Fuxing had docked!
Just a moment ago, they had only seen them from afar, and the vast hulls had shocked them. Now, seeing them up close, "shocked" was no longer enough to describe their feelings.
Niu Jinda couldn't help but widen his eyes and exclaimed, pointing at the three ships.
"What new capital are we building! If we moved these things to Zheng County, wouldn't they be more magnificent than the new capital?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw someone rush towards the helicopters. It was none other than Chai Shao, who had just gotten up from the ground.
"Old Chai dog, you dare to abandon me! I'll deal with you when we get on the ship!"
Cheng Yaojin and the others also suddenly reacted. This guy wanted to board the ship first. How could they tolerate that?
Du Yiyang and the other officials also surged towards the dock, staring dumbfounded at the ships that far exceeded their understanding.
Whether it was destroyers or the Varyag, none could sail into inland rivers. Therefore, the Wuyan warships were the largest vessels they had ever seen.
Looking at the dozens of meters high hulls of the Zhonghua Fuxing, they all opened their mouths, speechless.
They couldn't even describe these three giant ships with their knowledge!
The only thing they could think of was their size.
They were too damn big!
After Fang Er instructed the sailors to escort everyone onto the ships, and they entered the interiors from the decks, the decorations instantly made them feel like they had entered a new world.
The massive crystal chandeliers in the lounge were dazzling, and the leather sofas were as soft as clouds.
Even the carpets on the floor seemed incredibly luxurious to them!
Everything on these ships was something they had never seen before!
"To be able to ride such a treasure ship once in my life, I have no regrets even if I die!"
"No wonder they say Duke Anguo's wealth rivals that of the nation. Look at the ubiquitous decorations; each piece is a priceless treasure!"
"I dare not imagine, nor can I comprehend, that such things exist in this world!"
"I really don't know how Duke Anguo's mind works to be able to build such astonishing ships!"
"We must achieve something in this assignment, not for any other reason, but only so that our unpromising descendants can apprentice under Duke Anguo in the future!"
The more than two thousand officials roamed the ships, their voices filled with exclamations of astonishment.
In the top-floor sea-view suite, Chai Shao sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, holding a glass of red wine. At first glance, he looked like a domineering CEO.
However, this image was completely ruined by the bruises on his face.
Cheng Yaojin went into the bedroom and, upon seeing the circular bed, collapsed onto it. In an instant, he was conquered by the bed.
"Hiss~~ Comfortable!"
"Lying on this bed is like floating in the sky~"