Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 858 - 87

"Count, all the compressed biscuits produced by the factory this month have been released to the market as per your orders. The surrounding towns have responded positively, and the issue of food supply shortages has been alleviated," reported an elderly-looking official with a healthy glow on his face to Perfikot.

Although his voice was somewhat hoarse, his tone carried a rare ease and satisfaction.

Perfikot glanced at the official, remembering she had seen him before. Last time he looked pallid and frail, malnourished to the point where it seemed a gust of wind could blow him down.

Now, though his face still bore the marks of time, his cheeks were tinged with a healthy blush, and his eyes were brighter than before. He looked as if he'd finally had several hearty meals, and his vitality was gradually returning.

However, Perfikot was not surprised by this development. The Empire's intelligence department was not merely a facade, and information about these officials had long been compiled on her desk.

She knew this official's background well—he was responsible for food distribution, which by rights was a lucrative position. A little manipulation could easily line one's pockets. Yet, he was an exception.

Though he held significant control over food supplies, he never sought personal gain. On the contrary, he was almost strictly incorruptible, frequently distributing his own quota to subordinates in need, resulting in his persistent malnourishment and declining health.

His subordinates respected and pitied him, but with the food shortages, their own lives were far from easy.

It was not until Perfikot regained control of Langton that the situation improved. She ordered the expansion of the alchemy factory, increased the production of compressed biscuits, and strictly supervised food distribution to ensure every portion reaches those truly in need.

The official no longer needed to share his quota with others and could finally eat his fill.

Perfikot nodded slightly, showing a trace of approval in her eyes. She knew that officials like him were rare within the Empire, and his integrity and dedication were precisely what she hoped to see.

She spoke softly, "Well done, continue maintaining the status quo, and ensure stable food supply. Report any issues to me at any time."

The official bowed respectfully, showing gratitude on his face, "Yes, Count. I shall not fail you."

Perfikot nodded and then turned her attention to another official.

This official was responsible for oil extraction and supply, a newly established position by Perfikot, and he was newly appointed.

Due to the new position and the industry's specificity, the official lacked experience in the oil extraction field.

He was quite adept at human resource and administrative management, and had no major issues with production, but oil extraction was a new industry, and the technical complexities made him feel somewhat strained.

He could only rely on the technical documents issued by Perfikot and his previous administrative management experiences to cope.

This made him seem somewhat lacking in confidence during the report, especially given the previous official's commendation for excellent performance.

Nevertheless, he stood up straight and reported to Perfikot, "Count, the three operational wells currently supply 1200 barrels of crude oil daily to the refinery.

The refinery's daily throughput has reached 80% of its designed capacity, able to fully process all extracted crude oil.

However, according to feedback from the factory and well technicians, workers are not yet familiar with the production process, resulting in less than maximal production efficiency.

If given another two months, allowing workers to further familiarize themselves with the process, production efficiency will noticeably improve.

We expect daily crude extraction to reach 1500 barrels, and the refinery will be able to fully process this output."

Perfikot listened to the report, frowned slightly, and then asked, "Not bad, but can the current output meet Langton's needs?"

This was her chief concern.

The main purpose of introducing oil extraction as a new technology was to address Langton's fuel shortage.

Though current feedback suggests the situation has improved—the fuel supply difficulty in Langton has been alleviated, and there's sufficient excess supply for surrounding cities—even so, Perfikot was uncertain if this could satisfy long-term needs.

After all, with the promotion of diesel and gasoline as new fuels, a substantial number of people in the city have switched to new fuel stoves, leading to an increased demand for fuel use.

Furthermore, a significant reason was that previously, the needs of Langton citizens were simply survival. But as basic survival issues were addressed, people started to pursue a higher quality of life.

The popularization and increased usage of fuel is a reflection of this shifting demand.

Perfikot understood deeply that the stability of oil extraction and fuel supply directly related to whether the Empire could maintain its fragile stability and, more critically, whether the Empire could retain those separatists who had already lost faith and those rebellious cities.

Although some cities previously participated in the rebellion, overall, there were still a batch of neutral cities. They had not explicitly declared separation from the Empire, but neither did they maintain sufficient distance or sever ties with the rebels.

Now that Perfikot had suppressed the uprising stirred by the separatists, these neutral cities naturally returned to the Empire's fold.

They presented numerous resource demands to Langton; Perfikot, if she wished to avoid the collapse of the hard-won situation, had to meet these demands.

This put significant pressure on oil extraction.

Thus, she contemplated briefly before saying to the official, "Continue advancing the workers' training to ensure production efficiency improves quickly. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Also, open two more wells, while increasing production, construct another refinery.

If there are any technical difficulties, directly seek support from the Alchemist Association."

The official nodded respectfully, "Yes, Count. I will do my utmost to ensure the smooth operation of oil extraction and refining."

As Perfikot turned her gaze to the third official, his previously relaxed posture slightly straightened. Though somewhat tense, it was merely a reflex to Perfikot's scrutinizing gaze.

This official, responsible for security and infrastructure, had been busily organizing the documents he brought along, his cuffs marked with coal dust indicating he had hurried directly from a construction site.

"What is the progress on the maintenance of the heating system for the shelters in the lower district?" Perfikot asked first, lightly tapping the briefing on the Energy Tower renovation on the table.