Zhou Yi took a flight from Jade City to Steel Refining City.

It was daytime, and the summer sun was so intense that the ground seemed to be smoking.

Since Steel Refining City is essentially a mineral processing industrial city, and there is not much vegetation around the residential area, everything felt and looked glaringly bright, both tactilely and visually.

The production line for the refrigeration box was not far from the steel factory. Many Mushroom Houses had been erected there, with straw mats and wood used to construct some sun shades, with many workers busying themselves.

The Steel Refining Lord gave a brief introduction.

"Here I've set up a simple assembly line, divided into three easy steps."

"The first group of workers make and install the box shells and coal pans underneath. The second group fills the interior with a specific ratio of soil and packs in the cooling coal. The third group conducts final testing, including checks on smoke discharge, cooling degree, and transportation impact resistance."

Seeing the black-haired youth accompanied by the sea lord, many workers curiously snuck glances.

The Steel Refining Lord rolled his wheels, taking Zhou Yi to another side: "Mr. Zhou, take a look, this is our newly developed refrigeration box."

There were two models, one big and one small.

The smaller one was the same size as the regular refrigeration box, only the outer shell was made of woven bamboo strips.

Zhou Yi touched it with his hand to confirm it was bamboo.

He opened the lid and saw that the interior framework of the refrigeration box was also made of bamboo strips, with a layer of wood to seal off the filling layer inside.

Zhou Yi weighed it in his hands and felt that the box was much lighter.

"Bamboo is light and has strong impact resistance. It's indeed a good choice for the outer shell; it seems that the layer of soil inside has also been thinned?"

He asked, "Will this not cause any problems with cooling?"

"Mr. Zhou has a truly discerning eye. Please rest assured, the bamboo refrigeration box has passed numerous tests. Its functions are no different from the old version, whether for refrigeration or freezing, the effect is the same."

The Steel Refining Lord explained, "During long-distance transport, bumps are inevitable, and a bamboo structure is more practical. Bamboo has low thermal conductivity and can dissipate heat too, preventing the inside from being affected by the surrounding high temperature."

"Compared to wood, bamboo is cheaper and grows faster. We've already started importing bamboo in large quantities from the Tree Monster Territory, which is a bamboo-producing area. We're planning to gradually replace the old refrigeration boxes with the new ones."

Zhou Yi inquired, "How much can the cost be reduced?"

"Each refrigeration box reduces the consumption of wooden materials by 50%. Using a bamboo structure, the cost is about 120 mushrooms, previously it was 200 mushrooms, saving 80 mushrooms."

By proportion, that's a cost saving of 40%.

It was a very significant improvement.

"And then this is the large refrigeration box."

The Steel Refining Lord pointed to another model next to it.

The large refrigeration box had an exterior entirely made of wood, looking like a wardrobe with an upper and lower double pull structure.

There was even a samurai crab logo engraved on the top left corner of the upper door.

Zhou Yi opened the double doors and found that the upper compartment was for refrigeration and the lower for freezing.

The interior layer was also coated with tree gum, waterproof and with a nice touch.

Its top even had a copper pipe for easy smoke venting.

The overall look and feel had greatly improved.

"This was improved based on customer demands."

The Steel Refining Lord said, "After the widespread deployment of refrigeration boxes, many customers came back for more. A significant number of these customers had ample funds and high demands for quality, mostly enhancers and businessmen."

"Then we created this upright refrigeration box. Its interior is also filled with a bamboo structure, while the outer layer is made of wood crafted to furniture standards, ensuring exquisite workmanship and aesthetics."

"Of course, the price is a bit higher. Its cost is 800 mushrooms, and the retail price is set at 1500 mushrooms, and there are already over 1000 orders."

Zhou Yi thought it was quite good.

Products should be improved according to the actual needs of the users.

"These two refrigeration boxes were slowly developed through manufacturing and sales. The most crucial inventor is named Wang Jun."

The Steel Refining Lord called over this inventor.

Wang Jun appeared to be in his early twenties, with many old injuries on his fingers, and blackened palm lines, clearly indicating frequent manual labor.

He was a bit nervous facing Zhou Yi: "Mr. Zhou, this, I actually tinkered with the help of many workers. It's just that I like to fiddle with these things, so I was lucky."

"Being fortunate is also a skill."

Zhou Yi said smilingly, "How did you come up with using bamboo?"

"I didn't think of bamboo at first. I was just considering that a refrigeration box is essentially a miniaturized wooden house, so I started with a clay model to see how to make it more interesting."

Wang Jun shared his experience.

He was a steelworker and initially felt he couldn't surpass the design of the refrigeration box.

However, by chance, he was reminded and realized that the proportion of soil could be further reduced, that other materials capable of locking in temperature could be used instead, and that hollow structures could also isolate temperatures.

He learned from several merchants that hats made of bamboo are better for shade than those made from canvas or leather. Bamboo is also odor-resistant and has a stronger ability to resist pests. In areas with dense bamboo forests, many people build houses out of bamboo.

Then Wang Jun decided to replace some wood with bamboo, trying it out bit by bit, and found that it actually worked.

Bamboo was not only inexpensive, but its flexibility also made it a great protective outer shell.

After repeated improvements, the new refrigeration box was created.

The Steel Refining Lord said, "We've also copied the company's approach, implementing an invention and innovation rewards mechanism, so the workers have become much more active than before."

Zhou Yi felt genuinely happy.

It's not enough for just one company to be strong; it's crucial to influence more cities, leading them along the path of Wasteland Development Company, which can gradually lead to qualitative changes in the situation of the new humanity through quantitative change.

"In addition, due to the extreme heat, our workers have also invented ice treats."

The Steel Refining Lord said, "Wang Jun, bring some over to Mr. Zhou."

"Yes, my lord."

The young worker opened a nearby refrigeration box and took out two ice pops.

One red and one green.

Zhou Yi took the green one and gave it a try.

Refreshing taste.

"What is added to this?"

"It's papyrus. Tender papyrus juice is mixed with sugar to make it." Wang Jun said with a smile, "Another one is the sweet and sour fruit, imported from the Tree Monster Territory. They're sour and sweet. Everyone loves these two types of ice pops nowadays."

Zhou Yi admired, "It seems you all are quite impressive. Keep it up and start selling ice pops as well."

Wang Jun was startled, "Can these be sold too?"

"Why not?"

Biting into an ice pop, Zhou Yi retorted, "It's summer now, the perfect time to sell these. Cool and refreshing, and if not too pricey, they would definitely sell at the factories, mines, and farms in various cities."

"These are very cheap."

Wang Jun said, "They cost 1 mushroom to make, and the majority of them are water."

"You better hurry then; we don't know how much longer this summer will last. Produce more and sell them along with the refrigeration boxes."

Zhou Yi chuckled, "Seize the opportunity and you could make a fortune. An ice pop could be sold for 10 mushrooms, right?"

Wang Jun took in a sharp breath, "That's a profit of 9 mushrooms per pop!"

"Yeah, try to make more when you have time. Even if you don't sell them anywhere else, I'm sure the employees at the company would be willing to buy."

The young man started breathing heavily, glancing towards the large vehicles beside him, "My lord, is it possible for us to..."

"Go ahead."

The Steel Refining Lord said, "Seize the moment."

"Yes!"

At this point, the young man seemed hesitant, as if having something to say, repeatedly looking back as he took steps forward.

Zhou Yi said, "Speak your mind, no need to overthink."

"Well, Mr. Zhou, I have a friend named Gongsun Bao. He is an architect, and sometimes he has some wild ideas, but I think he's a genius. He's the one who reminded me to adjust the structure and material, and he helped me find bamboo for making the new refrigeration boxes."

Wang Jun mustered his courage, "He might not fit in at Steel Refining City, but please give him a chance. I want to bring him to meet you. He might be a valuable talent for the company!"

"Sure."

Zhou Yi said, "That's fine."

"Thank you, I'll bring him over right away."

Wang Jun ran off.

Only then did Zhou Yi turn to the sea lord beside him, "Do you know Gongsun Bao?"

"I do."

The Steel Refining Lord said, "He once sought me out, proposing to use construction engineering to transform the Dead Sea. I told him to focus on mining and that we simply don't have the conditions for that here."

Zhou Yi was startled by the audacity.

But if you dare not even dream, then it's even less possible to do it.

Zhou Yi asked further, "Why is he mining here if he's an architect?"

"Here we have replaced traditional buildings with Mushroom Houses, and the demand for traditional architects has greatly diminished."

"Steel Refining City is following the model of Jade City, selecting talents from the most basic industry workers, namely from the miners and steelworkers, for manufacturing refrigeration boxes."

"We need to progress step by step." The Steel Refining Lord explained.

Zhou Yi hadn't realized he had been guided across the river.

"I've invited you here, first to see our new-style refrigeration boxes, and second, to discuss a matter with you alone."

"Go on."

The Steel Refining Lord whispered softly through the loudspeaker, "We hope to introduce the Mechanized Lifeforms that were once semi-civilized."

Zhou Yi was surprised, "Do you mean... to send the semi-civilized to our hospital and use the Time Anchor for repair?"

"We don't have any semi-civilized here."

The Steel Refining Lord said, "My hope is to introduce those special Mechanized Lifeforms through the Mechanical Knight Order. If they have manufacturing and production abilities, we at Steel Refining City would like to hire and introduce them."

"As a resident of Mechanical City, I would never do that because safety and order are my first priorities. But as the sea lord, I'm responsible for the city and its residents under my governance."

It laid out calmly, "In terms of productivity and professional capability, the Mechanized Lifeforms still hold an absolute advantage."

"We possess innovative products, and combined with Mechanized Lifeforms, that would be the best combination. Currently, due to sanctions and blockades, the only ones we can turn to are these Mechanized Lifeforms."

"From an individual's perspective, I have no qualms about the semi-civilized. If we see them as enhancers with stronger bodies, then there is no problem."

The Steel Refining Lord had a strong adaptability to change.

Zhou Yi agreed right away, "I'll talk to 703. If you can coordinate well, then of course it's a good thing."

"If you agree, then I'm very confident about this."

The Steel Refining Lord spoke.

It wasn't long before,

Wang Jun came running with someone in tow.

"Mr. Zhou, this is Gongsun Bao."

Gongsun Bao was about twenty years old, sturdy, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, marred by his buck teeth, which affected his overall appearance.

Upon seeing Zhou Yi, Gongsun Bao hurriedly spoke, "Mr. Zhou."

His clothes and hair were covered with dust, as if he had just been working.

Zhou Yi asked him, "Wang Jun recommended you. What can you do?"

"I'm an architect."

Gongsun Bao said, "I have a design that can transform the Dead Sea, harnessing its power to irrigate farmlands and create an inland waterway for transporting goods..."

He took out a roll of blueprints from his clothes and began explaining them to Zhou Yi.

The more Zhou Yi listened, the more intrigued he became.

This kid has got something.

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