Munitions Empire

The guide stood in front of the crowd, maintaining order while presenting his product, "This is the most advanced steam train in the world, capable of reaching a terrifying speed of 90 kilometers per hour!"

"The key is the power it can provide, which is more abundant than all previous train engines, allowing it to pull 20 carriages!" he explained as he walked from the front of the train to its tail end.

Then, he continued, pointing at the train tracks below, "Standard gauge, no modifications needed to use this type of engine head! It's revolutionary! Perfect!"

"So, we would like to pre-order three of these engine heads, do you have them in stock?" an elf wearing a top hat asked loudly, waving his arms.

"There's no stock available... sir... this is for exhibition purposes... to demonstrate the Great Tang Group's leading industrial technology... If you want in-stock items, you can place a pre-order," the guide politely responded.

The elf showed a disappointed expression upon hearing the answer, but still continued to ask, "Then, how long will it be before we can get the stock?"

"About a year from now," the guide replied with a polite smile.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

An elven tycoon immediately complained, "Oh! Bloody hell! Why do we have to wait so long? We need it now... "

At his side, a Dwarf was shoving, trying to push out competitors taller than him, "Make way, sir, if you're not buying, we want to place our order! Damn it! If you're not buying, then why are you standing so close to the front?"

"We want to order five engines! And the matching carriages..." he complained as he shouted loudly.

Beside him, a human who was being jostled seemed impatient and frowned, "Only five? You're pushing forward for just that? We want seven! Seven engines!"

"Stop the noise, I was here first!" Further away, buyers from other countries were waving their hats, trying to get the attention of the sales staff in the front.

"So what if you came first?" Even farther back, more people started to complain.

Not far from this booth, another booth from a factory called Shireck Vehicle Factory was bustling with its staff calling out non-stop.

The scene was somewhat chaotic, and many were spectating—Shireck Vehicle Factory was another train manufacturer, and at this time, Sofia, Shireck's close personal maid, was in charge here.

The trains they launched were almost identical to the Great Tang Group's first-generation steam engines, and many of their parts were even interchangeable.

Moreover, their main advantage was their pricing. The engines they produced were priced at less than a third of the equivalent product from the Great Tang Group.

Another advantage was that their products did not require waiting in line or, rather, for the time being did not require waiting—stock was immediately available.

This was of great interest to many countries eager to develop their railroads, and at this time they had already secured a number of orders—judging from these orders alone, the profitability of Shireck's secretly established train factory was not an issue.

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There were also some smaller enterprises at the venue, and although they relied on Great Tang's technology to develop and mature, the products they introduced were varied. As luck would have it, their technologies had a market as well, attracting the attention of many spectators.

Watching a machine impress beautiful patterns on a well-cut deer skin, a merchant exclaimed excitedly, "This is Northern Ridge's new deer skin processing machinery... so advanced! With it, I'd only need three workers to accomplish what would have taken 45 workers before."

The machine worked smoothly and very quickly, able to imprint a variety of patterns on deer skin, something that previously required many skilled workers to complete but now required just a few workers and one machine.

Thus, a leather merchant who seemed quite interested said, "Look at its operation, my God! It's an absolute pleasure!"

"Yes, assuming your city has an electrical system... Without sufficient electricity, this device would merely be a paperweight," his friend pointed out the catch right away, dampening the enthusiasm.

After pondering for a few seconds, the leather merchant, who had grown wealthy through his trade, seemed more interested in generating electricity, "What if, I mean if, I bought a set of electrical equipment for my city... Started a power plant... Would there be any prospects?"

His friend snorted sarcastically and continued to pour cold water, "Prospects? Of course, there are... Do you know? Great Tang's electrical equipment is also in high demand, with hundreds, if not thousands, eager to start their power plants... You might not be able to get one."

"My cousin's grandmother's step-brother's daughter-in-law, I heard she's well-connected in Brunas, maybe I could try to leverage some connections," the leather merchant decided to flaunt his influential personal network to his friend.

Sure enough, his friend no longer scoffed but earnestly pleaded, "If you can get one... Count me in... I'll invest 3000 Gold Coins..."

"Deal! We'll strike it rich together," the merchant nodded in agreement, quite enjoying the feeling of being sought after.

Joking aside, if he really secured the electrical equipment, he could make money investing anywhere—why would he even consider looking for shareholders at such a time?