Chapter 56 Establishing a Processing Workshop

With funds now in his possession, Tang Zhen set his plan into motion.

First came the equipment. The weapons used by the wanderers were extremely chaotic and mostly of poor quality. On a battlefield defined by life-or-death struggles, a piece of faulty equipment could easily cost its user their life.

Tang Zhen had no intention of letting his subordinates fight monsters while wearing subpar gear, so their defensive equipment had to be top-notch.

Initially, he considered outfitting his future men with anti-riot armor and similar protective gear. However, after reading some online reviews, he realized that the defensive capabilities of such gear were quite limited and not very practical for close-quarters combat with cold weapons.

It seemed that if conditions permitted, he would have to manufacture them himself, or at the very least, hire people to make them.

Tang Zhen only needed to have suitable metals processed into parts and then transport them to the other world for assembly. If worse came to worst, he could just find an excuse, finish the manufacturing here directly, and then bring the items into the Loucheng World.

People did all sorts of things these days; he was merely making some armor, and he trusted no one would make a fuss over it.

Aside from information regarding plate armor, Tang Zhen also looked into stab-resistant vests and chainmail. Among them, a type of chainmail made from metal spring washers caught his attention.

This chainmail had a decent appearance, reportedly offered good protection, and was reasonably priced—a full set of long chainmail cost around two thousand yuan. Tang Zhen did the math: purchasing 100 sets would cost roughly 200,000 yuan.

Of course, Tang Zhen was not going to buy that many all at once. He planned to buy a few sets first to test their effectiveness, and if they proved viable, he would produce them himself.

After making the payment and leaving an address, Tang Zhen ordered a few more sets of stab-resistant vests, and then began browsing listings for bows, crossbows, and similar weaponry.

Such items were also sold online, though the quality was hard to guarantee. Tang Zhen selected a few relatively well-known shops and placed an order for ten pieces.

After estimating the cost of having a factory manufacture a set of protective gear, Tang Zhen felt it was somewhat expensive. Even though he currently possessed a large sum of money, it did not mean he could afford to squander it randomly.

Should he hire a group of people and process them himself?

With this thought in mind, Tang Zhen pulled out his phone and dialed a former coworker.

The man was named Wang Daqing. He lived in the countryside, was honest and sincere, and had once worked alongside Tang Zhen. Because Tang Zhen was the only one who had stepped up to help him when he was once bullied by local thugs, Wang Daqing regarded Tang Zhen as a true friend, and the two kept in touch regularly by phone.

Wang Daqing currently farmed at home to take care of his sickly elderly mother, and during the agricultural off-season, he would go into the city to do odd jobs to supplement the household income.

When he received Tang Zhen's call, Wang Daqing was working in the fields. Upon hearing that Tang Zhen wanted to rent his family's property and hire people for some work, he patted his chest and declared that the matter was entirely on him.

***

The two finalized the arrangements, and then Tang Zhen called his younger sister. After chatting briefly, he told her that he had bought a house in the provincial capital and she could move in whenever she liked.

He would deliver the keys later and told his sister to wait for him at the school gates.

After dropping off the keys, Tang Zhen gave his sister a sum of money and instructed her to gradually pay off the debts left by their stepfather. If anyone asked about the origin of the money, she was to simply make up an excuse.

Having shared a meal with his sister, he immediately set about procuring materials.

An electric welding machine, a cutting machine, an angle grinder, a drilling machine, a polishing machine—all kinds of machinery and equipment needed to be purchased. In addition, Tang Zhen bought plenty of various consumable materials to save himself the trouble of making multiple trips.

Tang Zhen selected a reputable shop, completed all his purchases in one go, and arranged for them to be delivered to his specified address.

Leaving the shop, Tang Zhen headed straight to the building materials market.

Patterned steel plates, 304 stainless steel plates, titanium steel plates, and a batch of steel pipes in various specifications—Tang Zhen waved his hand generously once more, paying the bill and arranging for delivery.

Next, Tang Zhen ran to numerous other locations, purchasing leather, canvas, paint, and other items. Even with his astonishing physical endurance, he was thoroughly exhausted.

Feeling that not having a vehicle was inconvenient, Tang Zhen drove relentlessly to a car dealership and bought an SUV worth over 300,000 yuan to serve as his means of transportation.

He had obtained his driver's license long ago. After completing the paperwork, Tang Zhen drove back to his residence, pulled out pen and paper, and began tallying the supplies he had purchased.

Initially, to maintain a low profile, Tang Zhen had no intention of bringing motor vehicles into the Loucheng World. However, with the arrival of the Corpse Tribe, he could no longer afford to keep a low profile. Only by seizing this opportunity to rise powerfully could he achieve his goals all the sooner.

Considering the geographical conditions of the Loucheng World, ordinary cars were certainly unsuitable. On the other hand, agricultural tractors seemed quite appropriate—sturdy and built to last.

Tang Zhen took a liking to a front-wheel-assist four-wheel-drive agricultural tractor with thick tires and plenty of horsepower. He was confident it could adapt to the terrain of the Loucheng World.

By attaching a trailer to it later, he could use it to transport personnel and supplies, greatly increasing his travel speed. Moreover, a tractor of this size would fit perfectly into Tang Zhen's spatial storage; anything larger would be beyond his current capability.

Having sorted through his checklist of tasks, early the next morning, he drove toward the village where Wang Daqing lived.

After driving for a few hours, Tang Zhen arrived at the small village where Wang Daqing's family resided—a picturesque place nestled against the mountains and beside a body of water.

Having received prior notice, Wang Daqing was already waiting at the village entrance. Upon seeing Tang Zhen arrive, he got into the car to guide the way, directing him straight to his home.

***

Wang Daqing's home was situated on the edge of the village, boasting a large courtyard covering a full two thousand square meters. At that moment, the courtyard was piled high with various supplies.

After meeting Wang Daqing's mother and presenting the gifts he had bought, Tang Zhen and Wang Daqing went out to the courtyard to talk business.

Tang Zhen told Wang Daqing that he had befriended a major film director and secured an order for a batch of props from him. Operating on the principle of sharing the wealth, he had thought of Wang Daqing.

He would rent Wang Daqing's courtyard for five thousand yuan a month, and pay him an additional ten thousand a month to manage the workers and oversee the operations, on the condition that the work must be done well.

Regardless of whether Wang Daqing believed Tang Zhen's explanation, at the prospect of earning fifteen thousand yuan a month, Wang Daqing nodded in agreement without a moment's hesitation.

With the terms agreed upon, the subsequent matters became much easier to handle.

Tang Zhen first gave Wang Daqing fifty thousand yuan, instructing him to hire people to build a simple colored steel shed in the courtyard to shield the operations from prying eyes.

Next, he brought in a group of laborers, along with an electrician, to complete the installation and connection of the equipment and circuitry.

There were quite a few young and middle-aged men in the village looking for odd jobs during the off-season, and they were quite proficient in skills like electric welding and metal cutting. Wang Daqing took a stroll around the village and quickly recruited six people.

Being able to work right on their doorstep for decent wages naturally left these men very pleased.

Seeing that the workforce was now assembled, Tang Zhen handed a blueprint to Wang Daqing. It was a design for armor, featuring solid steel plates protecting the chest and back, while the waist and abdomen utilized small perforated steel plates riveted onto thick cowhide.

On the inside of the cowhide, a layer of canvas was to be sewn. The total weight would approach twenty catties. There were also helmets, leg guards, and other components, making it look quite complex.

Tang Zhen demanded strict quality control; as for the production speed, he trusted Wang Daqing understood what was expected.

This was the first item Tang Zhen commissioned to be made, with a total quantity of one thousand pieces. If the materials proved insufficient, Tang Zhen told Wang Daqing to place orders directly, and transferred another one hundred thousand yuan to him.

He informed Wang Daqing that he had to head into the mountainous region and would not be able to return for half a month, during which time he might be out of contact. He left the management of the place entirely in Wang Daqing's capable hands. Wang Daqing repeatedly assured him not to worry, swearing he would never let him down.

Declining Wang Daqing's earnest invitation to stay for a meal, Tang Zhen got into his car and drove away from the small mountain village.