Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence - Chapter 546 - 330: Difficulties and Plans (Part 2)

Chapter 546: Chapter 330: Difficulties and Plans (Part 2)

Even with the door closed tightly, the sea wind still seeped in through the cracks, carrying a damp scent.

Louis stood at the main seat, and behind him was a wooden board. His gaze swept over each craftsman and technician present.

He said, “Speak directly, don’t beat around the bush. If there’s any difficulty, say it straight; hiding it will only harm yourselves and others.

If you don’t say it now, and problems arise later, I will hold you accountable. Not for the sake of punishment, but so all responsibilities are assigned to the right people. Do you understand?”

The wooden house fell silent, and no one spoke first.

In the end, it was still Eliot, who was closest to Louis, who took the lead and said, “Lord Louis, there are strange fishmen nearby who often attack at night. Several laborers have been attacked and are miserable.”

Louis replied, “Set up fire beacons at various locations to prioritize personnel safety with a three-layer defense system, and have the posts communicate with each other.

If the fishmen dare to come, they will be exposed in the light. Archers are to be on standby, and there will be an opportunity to deal with them all at once later.”

Russell, seeing this, also mustered the courage to speak: “The mud layer under the cofferdam is uneven in depth; driving piles to a uniform depth could cause collapse risks.”

Louis pulled out a small black notebook from inside his cloak, evidently prepared: “We won’t drive piles to a uniform depth. We’ll explore and then partition first.

Drive deeper in soft areas, even grouting to harden it; don’t waste effort in hard areas. Each section has its method; only combined are they stable.”

The craftsmen frequently nodded, their brows gradually relaxing, and even Russell was taken aback.

This young lord not only understood his professional jargon but could also turn it into the simplest analogy, making it understandable even for the rough-handed masons.

Although the specific feasibility was unknown, seeing that the lord was not giving arbitrary commands reassured everyone considerably.

Seeing this, others also began to raise their issues, and Louis answered each one by one.

“My lord, the ropes are depleting too quickly, and the warehouse only has enough for five days. If they run out, the pile driver and derrick will need to stop.”

“First, disassemble old fishing nets to weave spare ropes. Drano, record the shortage and send someone immediately to Red Tide City to allocate the second batch of supplies.”

“There’s a lack of long timber. The shipyard’s keel needs oak; most available timber is hilly pine, which won’t hold.”

“Use pine to start a temporary ship structure, and replace the main material with oak when it arrives. Don’t stop work, just set up the framework first.”

…

Everyone brought up issues one by one: materials, work hours, technical parameters, night defenses, medical logistics, disability compensation, worker accommodation humidity issues, slipway load-bearing coefficients, steam engine coal backups…

Those truly able to speak out did so, and even the timid ones were encouraged to voice their concerns.

Some issues could be solved; others couldn’t be solved for now and could only be noted down first.

After all the issues were brought up, everyone noticeably felt much more relaxed.

Louis said, “That’s right. Only by proposing problems can they be solved. If you always keep it hidden and don’t speak, they’ll never be solved and will constantly drag on.

In the future, if you encounter other problems, you can report them to me or Eliot immediately. I can’t guarantee to solve every problem, but I’ll do my best.”

After hearing Louis’s words, the craftsmen and technicians no longer looked so worried.

Especially those shipwrights and port craftsmen from the Southeast Province, who thought the Northern Territory’s nobility always lacked maritime understanding.

Now, they realized this lord was different, easing much of the anxiety in their hearts, feeling that building a port here might not be an impossible task after all.

Louis closed the small notebook in his hand, and his gaze landed back on everyone.

“The issues are raised, and they should be specifically addressed. Without a plan, no matter how many skillful craftsmen and machinery, it’s all in vain.”

“Phase one, stabilizing the foundation and harbor basin, cofferdams, drainage, test piles, diversion dam prototype; eliminate potential threats like fishmen and pirates.

Phase two, piers and breakwater, raising the breakwater, pile bridges and docks, warehouse foundations.

Phase three, shipbuilding and navigation safety, shipways, keels, light beacons, harbor defense weapons.”

The room was silent; only the sound of a pen scraping against wood could be heard.

After writing, Louis paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over Eliot, Russell, and the other leadership: “This is the general direction, step by step, one link following another.

Moreover, we need to establish daily specific plans and goals. Everything must have a schedule and a responsible person. Who does what should be clear, with no shirking.

Of course, what I’ve written is just an example; the real details still require you to formulate in conjunction with on-site conditions. And as long as we follow the order, no matter how difficult the project, it can be achieved.”

After his words fell, the tent was silent for a moment.

With a clear direction, the eyes of the management no longer held the previous kind of dejection and confusion.

Eliot looked at the few lines on the wooden board, feeling a long-lost sense of peace rising within him.

He had charged with a sword on countless battlefields, but after becoming the overseer of Dawn, he realized that leading the construction of a city was more difficult than facing the enemy head-on.

What Lord Louis said seemed simple, but it was something he was far from achieving.

“It turns out… I still have a long way to go.” Eliot felt an unparalleled respect for Louis rise in his heart.

Everyone looked at the clear handwriting on the wooden board, feeling as if a flame had been rekindled in their hearts.

……

The plan had been set, and with the foremen’s promotion, the atmosphere on the construction site had become somewhat positive. Most of these laborers had joined Red Tide relatively late last year.

There was little resentment in their hearts for being sent here to work by Louis. Most were grateful, as Lord Louis had given them a meal to eat and a place to stay.

So they carried and lifted, shovels and hoes rising and falling without rest, starting to dig out loose silt and rubble.

The center of the mudflat gradually hollowed out, slowly revealing the outline of a future harbor basin.

Eliot directed the workforce, constructing a wooden cofferdam at the perimeter to block the seawater.

The workers braved the sea wind, driving wooden planks into the mud and filling gaps with sandbags.

Just then, a section of the excavation area suddenly collapsed.

The silt poured out instantly, trapping more than a dozen laborers, their cries cutting through the site’s noise.

However, there was no danger because, based on reminders from the Daily Intelligence System, Louis had already dispatched support in advance.

Eliot led a team into the mud, pulling up the ropes, dragging the dozen or so laborers out, thankfully without any casualties.

Louis stood by the dike line, pointing to the collapse area: “The site must be safe; lay wooden planks on the mud and weigh them down outside with sandbags. Dig another drainage channel to disperse accumulating water.”

Following Louis’s orders, planks were brought in one by one, forming makeshift paths, allowing workers to walk steadily on the mud.

The drainage channels were dug, and the accumulated water gradually receded, and the inner working areas were no longer swallowed by mud waves, making the site much safer and reducing accidents by ninety percent.

Thus, as days passed, the central clearing of the mudflat was gradually dug into a deep trench, the accumulated water was dispersed by drainage channels, and the cofferdam lines stood firmly on the mud.

What used to be a mire was now revealing the outline of a circular waterway, the edge lined with piles of timber, resembling a coarse skeleton.

The harbor basin’s outline finally emerged.

The craftsmen stood in the mud, looking at the scene with a slightly dazed expression.

Someone raised a hand to wipe the mud from their face, unable to hold back a laugh: “It really got dug out…”

The nearby companion couldn’t help but grin too: “The harbor… It really can be done.”

Those who originally had doubts now moved faster and with more vigor.

Of course, the site was not without its troubles, and external crises gradually became apparent.

Sentinels stationed outside the dike often heard splashing sounds at night.

When the torches shone, they saw a string of bubbles rising on the water’s surface before it fell silent again.

A wooden pile edge of the cofferdam was also found with half-tooth marks, wood shavings floating on the water.

But when knights raised torches to investigate, the traces had already been washed away by the tide.

The craftsmen working in the mud occasionally felt the mud below slightly vibrate, as if something was lurking beneath.

Eliot ordered enhanced vigilance, with watch posts lit every night. Those fishmen would show their fangs sooner or later.