Munitions Empire

Brunas' atmosphere had become very relaxed, as the news of victory was confirmed one after another.

The triumph at Hotwind Port had been verified because the returning transport ships brought with them a massive number of prisoners, bound for hard labor at Northern Ridge.

Having seen the abundance of prisoners and having witnessed the victory, those who had gathered here for the sake of wealth and showmanship naturally reverted to their original states.

"Blazing lights and wine green," a phrase used in modern society to describe prosperity, was at this time an expression exclusive to Brunas.

Most had never seen Dragon Island, so they sang praises of Brunas' flourishing state. The gloom of war gradually dispersed, and the place started to regain its rightful vitality.

This could be glimpsed merely from the total amount of alcohol consumed in Brunas. Just by investigating the daily consumption of a variety of alcoholic beverages, one could clearly discern the level of Brunas' economic prosperity.

In fact, the outbreak of the war not only made Shireck a tidy sum, but Great Tang Group was also a winner in this large-scale regional conflict.

Brunas and Dragon Island could produce tens of thousands of shells a month, and yet, even with production at full capacity and overtime, they still could not completely meet demand.

Similarly, the production lines for breech-loading rifles had already been handed over, sold to various kingdoms for their own production.

But even so, Tang Mo had made so much money that he was beyond counting it—the flourishing arms market propelled the operations of Great Tang Bank.

The issuance of paper currency allowed Great Tang Group to reap tenfold or even a hundredfold profits, and Gold Coins began to be phased out in Brunas' commercial circles. The paper currency issued by Great Tang Group started to replace traditional metal money, accepted by merchants and the workers of Great Tang Group.

This was positive news, giving Great Tang Group even more room for maneuver. Modern financial knowledge came into play, the power of capital developed rapidly, and it had started to bare its ferocious fangs.

"Strauss and Bolton are doing well in Dorne," Tang Mo put down a telegram from Dorne, stretched contentedly, and praised.

He had not expected the dandelion seeds he had sown to bear fruit so quickly, to control the situation so masterfully.

In fact, the reason why these seeds rooted and sprouted so swiftly was deeply related to the era's desperate yearning for wisdom.

Everyone longed for a series of transformations because almost all enlightened individuals had acknowledged that the old development model had hit a bottleneck and could no longer achieve breakthroughs.

What could break the mold and lead the world forward was not the conservative likes of Shireck, but a more advanced, more powerful force.

The dandelions that had come into contact with the first Industrial Revolution and, through early learning and exploration, unraveled the threads of modern development, shone in this transformation, becoming the backbone that led the world.

Their strength surpassed that of the era; their power stemmed from foresight built on the advancement of scientific technology.

While everyone was still marveling at Great Tang Group's wireless telegraph technology, telephone technology had already been demonstrated repeatedly to students in various schools of Great Tang Group.

All students graduating from schools of Great Tang Group received education that was ahead of their time. It was akin to bringing a group of college students from the 1990s back to the nineteenth century; regardless of their plight, their vision and knowledge would surely surpass the entire era.

"These young people have it tough, too. When they came here, they bore too much burden," Li'ao spoke softly from behind Tang Mo.

Many students had grown up under his vigilance, and he had personally taught and nurtured them in intelligence work. Many of these children were ones he had high hopes for.

Regrettably, recently a number of dandelion rings had been sent back, these rings, whether stained with blood or spotlessly clean, had all once represented vibrant lives.

These young lives lost were each the pride of their time, and any could have been a force to change the world in the future.

Yet they had perished in this era due to misfortune. It must be said that this was not only a loss for Great Tang Group but also a loss for the entire world.

When they first came here, many were the sons of blacksmiths, tile makers, craftsmen, fishermen, or perhaps simply orphaned boys with no one to turn to.

These children came to the schools of Great Tang Group truly believing this was their only chance to change their destinies.

And indeed, it had changed their destinies, allowing them to become the favored children of the heavens, looking down upon the era from high above.

"It's their own effort; I just gave them an opportunity," Tang Mo looked out the window, his mind filled with images of the young dandelions that had died for him, and he unconsciously pulled out a cigarette case from his pocket.

"Master, in this era... not everyone has an opportunity," Li'ao keenly knew that talent was not scarce, it was the chance for these talents to emerge that was rare.

Even a madman, if used to the extreme, could be capable of starting a world war, or helping a handsome man tattooed with architectural blueprints to escape from jail.

Who could have imagined that when a failed art student smashed up a bar, the number of people involved in the ensuing brawl would account for more than half of the world's population...

"Let's not talk about these unhappy matters. Have someone send the Third-Class Great Tang Medal to Dorne! After all, Strauss and Bolton are my men; when it's time to reward, they should be rewarded," Tang Mo said with a smile.

His dandelions can be considered spies, or talents lent out; as for what role these people ultimately play, that depends on what role Tang Mo hopes they will perform.

Therefore, these talents cannot simply be sent out and then forgotten; what he needed to establish was a complete modern system, a modern system that depended on him personally. That was the true purpose of the Dandelion Plan.

Otherwise, why would the Great Tang Group, not exactly known for its charity, offer its precious trained talents for others to use for free?

Experience had proven one thing: in this world, the things offered for free were often the most expensive... Of course, within the realm of freebies, the lottery draw was another form of domineering existence from a different dimension.

And Tang Mo was treating the Tang Military Academy as a lottery pool to cultivate talents... This was Brother Teng's secret to getting rich.

You want talents from the Great Tang Group? Come and draw lots! You might not get the first or second pick, but the seventh or eighth? That's still a lucky jackpot, isn't it?

Hurry! Lucky draw! Just pay a fee, and you can draw an intern from among the fresh graduates! He might not be the best... but! He is certainly worth it!

Come on! What's there to hesitate about?

In the end, this was a game for the rich, and the kings who got addicted to this game had become like big spenders, incapable of quitting.

Take, for example, Leite VII of the Leite Kingdom; he had completely fallen for the lottery draw, having participated twice in a row, taking away dozens of interns.

And the Dorne King, newly involved in this project, was also deeply addicted, becoming a true big spender—Dorne's envoy in Brunas had already spent 20,000 Gold Coins on this.

Doesn't sound like much? This was just the beginning. To attract talents, an expenditure of 20,000 Gold Coins was really just a threshold.

In order to meet these fresh graduates, Dorne's envoy hosted a luxurious banquet for young people, which cost over 1,200 Gold Coins...

And Suthers, striving for more talents amid internal and external troubles, spent a considerable amount too. They went through two rounds of spending, taking away 20 graduates, planting seeds of hope.

Of course, these nations would soon realize that the money they had spent was more than worth it. As the outcome of the Battle of Dorne became known to other powers, graduates of the Tang Military Academy became hot commodities, as valuable as gold.

No one would refuse such a temptation, as if introducing these talents could elevate their own kingdom into the ranks of the world's powers.

Some kingdoms wanted talents for civil affairs, some needed exceptional doctors to ensure the health of their monarchs, some required technical engineers, some needed leaders to command troops...

In the past, these kingdoms could only rely on the nobility system, cultivating slowly and inefficiently, waiting endlessly to occasionally obtain some mediocre talent.

But now, it seemed everyone had found a shortcut, a shining path to reliably acquire talent! All they had to do was go to the Tang Military Academy with money for the lottery draw, and if they got the first among the graduates, wouldn't that be heaven-defying?

Who would think their luck was poor? Just draw! If not, rely on being wealthy and draw a few more times, right?

Spend, draw, money...

What? Expensive? That's not our problem, okay? If you're too poor for this game of the rich, then just drop out...

With everyone harboring this mentality, the grand feast would continue endlessly—rich people competing over who has more money, without losing face...

Hearing Tang Mo's instructions, Li'ao bowed slightly and promised, "Yes! Master."

Tang Mo paused and then added, "Keep a close eye on the pension funds for various departments! Since we are using their people, we must pay! Your Silver Fox, the military academy, and the security department, all must contribute... Maximize the amount, calculate on the higher end!"

"Understood! Master! I will keep a close watch on this matter, not a penny of the dandelions' pension funds will be missing," Li'ao assured him.