Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 853 - 82: Turmoil in Langdon

"This is utterly disastrous! Is this how you idiots manage a city?" Perfikot thundered in her previously used office, her voice echoing like thunder throughout the room, causing the walls to seem to tremble slightly.

Her fury seemed almost tangible, making the atmosphere in the entire room oppressively heavy, as if the air had solidified.

Outside the window, the wind and snow howled and beat against the windows, as if cheering on her anger.

In front of her, a group of Langton officials stood frozen in fear, barely daring to breathe.

They hung their heads low, faces pale, with fine beads of sweat emerging on their foreheads, afraid that even the slightest movement would provoke even greater wrath from Perfikot.

These officials used to be the pillars of the Empire, but under the ravages of the doomsday winter, their spirit had long since been worn down, leaving only exhaustion and trepidation.

"I know you are facing a lot of problems, but to let Langton end up like this? What have you been doing?" Perfikot originally intended to scold them more harshly, but seeing these officials, obviously more haggard and emaciated than when she last saw them, she spared them a little dignity.

She understood that these officials were also struggling for survival, but they clearly lacked the wisdom and capability to handle the current crisis.

The situation in Langton had deteriorated to an extreme point: fuel shortages, scarcity of supplies, the rise of separatism, and even activities of the Evil God Sect were growing in the shadows.

These issues intertwined, turning what was once a glorious city into one teetering on the brink of disaster.

Perfikot took a deep breath, striving to calm herself.

She knew now wasn't the time to vent frustrations; Langton's situation no longer allowed her the luxury of wasting time.

Immediate action was necessary, otherwise this city would truly plunge into irrecoverable depths.

She raised her head, her gaze as sharp as a knife cutting through the crowd, coolly stating: "First, the fuel issue must be resolved! I've brought new energy technology from the Northern Territory, which can somewhat alleviate the fuel shortage issue.

But you must ensure these resources are distributed fairly, never again allowing those greedy individuals to hoard or create shortages for profit."

The officials nodded, indicating their commitment to strictly implement her orders.

There was a glimmer of hope in their eyes, as if Perfikot's arrival finally presented a chance to escape their predicament.

However, Perfikot remained vigilant.

The fuel issue was only the tip of the iceberg; Langton's crisis was far more complex than it seemed on the surface.

"Secondly, the momentum of separatism must be contained!" Perfikot's voice suddenly rose, with an unmistakable authority, "I have dispatched the Floating City to patrol various cities, and any attempts to fracture the Empire will be met with severe punishment.

Your task is to ensure internal stability in Langton, never allowing the Evil God Sect and separatists any opportunities."

Her gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, seemingly capable of seeing through each person's inner thoughts.

The officials dared not meet her gaze, only bowing their heads, silently enduring her reprimands.

Perfikot understood that the root of separatism lay in extreme scarcity of resources and the people's despair for the future.

If these issues couldn't be fundamentally resolved, the flames of separatism would only burn brighter.

"Finally," Perfikot's voice softened slightly, but maintained an undeniable firmness, "I hope you remember, Langton is the core of the Empire's homeland and the Empire's last bastion in the old world.

If we fail here, the Empire will lose its native territory in the old world, which is absolutely intolerable for the Empire!

Each one of you, every person in this city, including myself, must fight for the survival of this city."

Her voice echoed throughout the room, carrying an invisible power, making everyone present feel the weight of their responsibility.

The officials were silent for a moment, then each voiced their support, indicating they would do their utmost to support Perfikot's plan.

Though many of them were exhausted beyond measure, Perfikot's encouragement seemed to rekindle a faint fighting spirit within them.

Perfikot nodded slightly, even though she held little hope for these officials' capabilities, at least they were willing to cooperate now.

She knew that the coming days would be even more challenging, but as long as the people of Langton united, there was hope to survive this doomsday winter.

The sky over Langton was still overcast, but under Perfikot's leadership, the city finally seemed to glimpse a ray of light.

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Perfikot's first task, of course, was solving the fuel issue.

The new energy technology she mentioned was, naturally, petroleum.

Though the Empire's homeland had scarce coal resources, Langton was by the sea, where the ocean often held abundant petroleum resources.

As long as a suitable vein was found and an oil well drilled to extract oil, Langton's current fuel demands could be met.

Petroleum's burning efficiency far exceeded coal's, and its reserves were plentiful; if extraction proceeded smoothly, Langton's fuel crisis could be greatly alleviated.

Regarding finding oil fields, Perfikot had no patience for slow geological exploration.

She directly sent people to find the Astrologers in Langton City to conduct divinations.

Though often deemed charlatans by many, in Perfikot's eyes, Astrologers possessed a unique and valuable ability.

Through observing celestial phenomena and conducting complex rituals, the Astrologers finally pinpointed a location not far from Langton's coast, affirming that what Perfikot sought was indeed beneath it.

Perfikot was very pleased with this and immediately had the Floating City manufacture a large drilling rig.

This rig employed the latest alchemy technology from the Northern Territory, capable of efficient operation in extreme cold.

Following the Astrologers' designated location, the rig commenced drilling the first oil well on the seabed.

Soon, an offshore drilling platform was rapidly erected.

Since sea conditions posed no concern, the platform's foundation could be directly established on the thick ice, which greatly expedited construction.

In less than half a month, the drilling platform was already able to supply Langton with extracted petroleum.

During the drilling and platform construction period, Perfikot also had a set of petroleum processing equipment brought from the Northern Territory.

This equipment could fractionate the crude oil, enhancing its utility and yielding more usable materials.

The products of petroleum fractionation could be used not only as fuel but also in producing lubricants, asphalt, and other chemical products, providing vital raw materials for Langton's industrial revival.

Concurrently, technical upgrades and renovations for Langton City's shelters, Energy Towers, and other facilities were being overseen by the technical team Perfikot brought in.

The Alchemists and Engineers accompanying the Floating City conducted comprehensive inspections of all shelters and Energy Towers in Langton.

Beyond technical upgrades and renovations, they also repaired sections that had evidently malfunctioned.

Several severely overloaded shelters were expanded and maintained, allowing them to continue serving the Empire.