Munitions Empire

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"It's hard to say about Brunas side. The amount of steel transported away is terrifyingly high, possibly exceeding 70,000 tons, perhaps even over 100,000 tons..." Back to the matter at hand, the figure provided by the intelligence chief in charge of the Brunas case was even more ambiguous.

Dragon Island itself also has steel mills, with massive quantities of pig iron and rough iron being transported to the island for processing and refining every day. Therefore, merely investigating the steel transported to the island is actually meaningless.

Even though Tang Mo was building a battleship that would consume a significant amount of steel, faced with such enormous numbers, the Shireck side simply couldn't speculate any issues with Great Tang Group's usage of metal.

This was a simple matter if you were consistently consuming 100 kilograms of steel daily and suddenly increased to 200 kilograms a day, everyone would be surprised.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

But if you consume a million tons of steel every day, using an extra 100 kilograms one day would probably be nothing more than a small error, something no one would care about.

Indeed, some people started to reflect, "In the past, the total annual steel demand of a kingdom wouldn't even be this much. But now, just the total quantity shipped out is already this terrifying."

In the past, a kingdom might not require that much steel in a whole year, or rather, even two or three kingdoms combined might not have as much demand for iron ore as a single Great Tang Group does now.

The intelligence chief responsible for the Brunas direction added reluctantly, "If you include the steel consumed by Brunas itself, the total might exceed 300,000 tons."

He actually guessed too low, and by half! In reality, just Brunas alone consumed about 600,000 tons of steel in a year.

Keep in mind, this is only the steel manufactured and consumed by Brunas, not including other cities and regions controlled by Great Tang Group.

Previously, this might have been the steel production of an empire, or even two empires, but now it had become a corporate indicator for a single group.

Admittedly, compared to the annual production of several super steel enterprises in Huaxia, this number is not much, but the Great Tang Group is also growing and expanding, isn't it?

Especially within the borders of the Ice Cold Kingdom, an even larger steel plant is being established. Once it starts production, Great Tang Group's steel output seems like it could double again!

Glancing at the exceedingly beautiful Sofia, seated at the head of the table, the intelligence chief responsible for Brunas direction added, "No joke, just the steel consumption in the regions controlled by Great Tang Group is definitely over a million tons, and additionally, there is a lot of inter-regional transportation that complicates our investigation, resulting in a high redundancy rate."

"Under these circumstances, trying to calculate exactly how much steel Dragon Island has consumed is impossible." He said this and stopped, shaking his head helplessly.

"But the people above all want to know the specifics about Dragon Island... Dragon Island is impenetrable, and even if you go, you can only get a quick glance before leaving, so we have to resort to these clumsy methods." The person originally responsible for Dragon Island intelligence was even more frustrated.

"Sigh..." He sighed, not concealing his own failure, "So in terms of Dragon Island, we have no valuable intelligence to report."

Sofia set down the file in her hand on the table and encouraged with a smile, "A momentary win or loss doesn't define anything. The Shireck Consortium has made it this far by defeating countless rivals. It's just that this Great Tang Group is a bit more troublesome than others."

She stood up, "Don't lose heart! Don't be timid! You must believe that one day, we will achieve the final victory!"

"Yes!" Seemingly inspired by her encouragement, several intelligence chiefs perked up and promised in unison.

"Go! Find out as much as you can about why Great Tang Group needs so much steel! Don't overlook any detail!" After Sofia said this, she concluded the meeting, "I believe in you!"

"Yes!" This time, even more people were infected by her, and they replied energetically and in chorus.

...

In a row of fixed seats, a nobleman was boasting to his lover about his wide knowledge, "You may not know, but this performance will usher in an era. A brand new era."

It was also his first time at this venue since it had only been open for one day! For him, this was a strange and mysterious domain.

His companion was decked out in gold and silver, adorned entirely in luxury goods from Great Tang fashion, clearly a true socialite.

The woman was very beautiful but wore a disdainful expression, "Perhaps, but I don't think any show could impress me. I've lost interest in plays."

She had seen too many plays, and any novelty could no longer surprise her.

Moreover, this particular play lacked even the basic setting—no curtains or screens, just an enormous white background stretched across the back of the stage for some unknown purpose.

While she was being haughty, a deep voice suddenly echoed, reassuring everyone not to be afraid, "Ladies and gentlemen... the film is about to begin, all lights will be turned off, please do not panic."

"Ladies and gentlemen... the film is about to begin, all lights will be turned off, please do not panic." Before the film officially started, the voice repeated this announcement over and over, tirelessly.

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Eventually, the entire venue dimmed in the endless loop of sound. Despite the repeated reminders, there were still those who panicked when the darkness struck: "Hiss... What's going on?"

"I don't know either..." came a voice, slightly flustered in response.

The woman nervously grasped the man beside her, a gesture that the man found quite gratifying. He leaned back in the comfortable chair, caressing the woman's slender fingers with his hand: "Don't be scared, darling, I'm here..."

Then, from behind these people, a beam of light suddenly struck the white screen, followed by a continuous sequence of images—flickering numbers in a rapid countdown.

Everyone was stunned by the sight before them, their eyes wide as they watched the screen change continually.

At last, the face of a beautiful woman appeared on the screen, and when this incredibly beautiful woman began to speak, everyone gasped in awe: "My goodness!" "By the gods above!"

It was simply a visual feast, the first time in the world someone had recorded events of the past using images.

Familiar streets, familiar buildings, familiar squares... Everyone present recognized that the scenes on the screen were of their well-known Brunnis!

The first movie shot by Tang Mo, or rather the first movie presented by Great Tang Group, and indeed the first movie in the world, was naturally imbued with numerous intentions.

Not making use of such an obvious advertising opportunity was something Tang Mo would not forgive himself for. The script he chose was the famous "Roman Holiday," and the outdoor shots were essentially no different from a city promotional film.

Of course, this movie could not continue to be called "Roman Holiday"; it had been aptly renamed "Encounter Brunas" due to the setting.

The story itself had also been adapted to some extent, telling of a Princess named Anne who came to Brunnis for an inspection visit.

Then, after she saw the legendary sights of Brunnis for the first time, she fell deeply in love with the place. To better appreciate the local scenery, she eluded her entourage and guards, venturing out onto the streets alone.

What followed was, of course, a series of distinctive street scenes shot in Brunas—the clear blue sky, pubs and teahouses, markets and shops, jewelry stores glittering with gems, and fashion boutiques with the latest trends in skirts and dresses. Everything here was just so beautiful.

Next, a wonderful love story unfolded. Princess Anne had an encounter with an officer from the security forces of Great Tang Group, a young officer with extensive knowledge, refined manners, and dashing looks.

And the Princess was gentle and kind, beautiful and benevolent, with a station that was beyond prestigious.

Amusingly, at this moment, the Princess was penniless and in a bind, leaving the young officer no choice but to settle her shopping bills.

The officer enthusiastically took Princess Anne around Brunas, visiting the naval dock teeming with seagulls and even climbing aboard the huge ironclad warship...

Naturally, this was also a product placement by Great Tang Group, allowing for close-up shots that gave the Brunas-class ironclad warship an even greater visual impact.

The ship's mighty cannons were bold and imposing, underscoring the heroic quality of the military men. Tang Mo even added a classic scene from the Titanic to this segment of the plot.

It was during this time that the male protagonist showed off a camera product from Great Tang Group, recording the Princess's joyful moments all the way.

Needless to say, this was also part of the advertising—in the entire movie, a plethora of Great Tang Group's products was featured in commercials, even down to toothpaste sponsors.

Cars of various models filled the streets, including the latest people's car launched by Great Tang Group and the new, expensive Rolls-Royce models, all getting their time on camera.

There was even a car chase scene, where the male lead drove the female lead away from her pursuing guards.

The plainclothes guards caught up with them when the male lead took Princess Anne to a floating dance hall to attend a ball. The guards asked the Princess to return with them, but she resolutely refused, and when they tried to forcibly take her back, the male lead and his comrades came to blows with the guards, while the willful and mischievous Princess also pitched in, having a lot of fun.

Taking advantage of the chaos, the male lead whisked the Princess away, while the plainclothes guards were arrested by Brunas's public security police.

Throughout the entire tour, or rather, the adventure, the female protagonist, Anne, had completely fallen for the young officer, but her identity became the biggest barrier between them.

And at this point, all the spectators in the audience were deeply captivated by the movie's visuals and the storyline.

The cinema was silent as a tomb, with everyone fixated on the screen as if their souls had been sucked away.