"Ambush!"

Horn reached out and grabbed Hilov's wolf ear, rubbing it instantly.

Almost immediately, the Wolf Woman's tail fluffed up and exploded, and she grabbed the book from the table and threw it back.

The hefty notebook whistled and hit the wall with a dull thud.

Only when the notebook hit the ground did Horn's retracted neck return to normal: "Was that necessary?"

"If it teaches you a lesson, then yes." Hilov turned the wheelchair to face Horn, "I told you not to scare me."

Horn remained silent, only continuing to smile.

After glaring at him, Hilov turned her wheelchair towards the wall corner to pick up the book she had just thrown.

Due to limitations of the spring mechanism and severe wear of key parts needing Dwarf manual recasting, the Wolf Woman's artificial leg had limited activity time.

Additionally, she was accustomed to sitting in a wheelchair, so she often sat in the wheelchair to conserve use of her artificial leg.

Holding the book, she returned to the table and sighed while looking at him: "Weren't you going to meet those Steel Guild people?"

"They're currently at the Steel Guild, Hilov is negotiating with them." Horn picked up a glass bottle and shook the powder inside, "What's this?"

"Stellar dust, a byproduct of the lightning furnace, still being tested for properties and uses."

Horn nodded and put the bottle back where it belonged.

It was the age of great discoveries in the Holy Alliance, and peculiar things were found and named daily, leaving him unfazed.

He dragged a chair to sit across from Hilov, asking, "Based on the tests, how many workers do you think this refinery would need?"

"A lightning refinery like this would need about fifty or more workers." The Wolf Woman counted on her fingers, "Including smelting technicians, forge workers, furnace maintenance workers, ingot pre-treatment workers, quality inspectors, carriers, and at least ten technical employees."

The technical employees Hilov referred to were metallurgists, alchemical engineers, mechanical technicians, and clerical management staff.

"A lightning refinery could create so many jobs; finally, those students in schools have new places to go."

Hilov, as the Holy Academy's president and head of the Holy Council's Education Committee, felt significant pressure.

She advocated for large funding increases and even expanding schools and enrollment against opposition.

It would be laughable if the students couldn't find jobs after graduation.

Hearing Hilov's words, Horn couldn't help but covertly reach out to rub her wolf ear again: "It's not just fifty jobs."

Horn believed this lightning refinery would offer many more employment opportunities.

New workers and employees need to spend money daily, and the steel produced needs selling, hence driving new service industries.

Upstream, if the iron refinery needs more pig iron, the Steel Guild will likely need to increase production.

This would necessitate new smelting facilities, maybe even opening new mines or increasing mining efforts, needing more workers.

These new hires will surely spend money, right? Besides, mining isn't done by hand, generating new tool orders.

Downstream, with more steel, tinplate can be produced; with tinplate, a canned food factory isn't far off.

It's the same principle: new employees, new tools, new consumption.

Moreover, with more steel, more new products can be manufactured, not just tinplate.

The big trend is moving from organic to inorganic goods.

"No wonder you said there's still a lack of literate population." Hilov slapped Horn's hand away, covering her wolf ears with both hands pressed against her head.

To Horn, this made her look like an adorable folded-ear puppy.

Horn nodded: "That's why I'm expanding schools and enrollment, but talent is only one limiting factor; the main focus is on downstream industries.

Internal constraints on our steel production issue are basically solved, leaving only time and accumulation.

The remaining limiting factor, firstly, lies with certain energetic illegal monopoly organizations."

"Steel Guild, is that why you invited them today?" Hilov still held her ears, fearing another sneak attack from Horn.

"Yes, today is just a warning; lowering their heads gives them a sweet treat, and Catherine will negotiate with them.

If they still dare argue, that's when Jeanne and Jia Li will negotiate with them.

If they think they can outmatch me in an internal conflict, they can try."

In this area, Horn is quite confident.

Four years of war, four years of drills, countless Holy Alliance veterans and reserves.

There's even the Defensive Army militia undergoing military training.

If it really comes to a fight, the battle group will be at the Steel Guild's doorstep in no time.

"How do you know the Steel Guild is the factor limiting pig iron production?" Hilov asked curiously, as she usually didn't manage production.

Hearing this, Horn shook his head helplessly: "This bunch of fools caused me to lose at least four hundred tons of pig iron!"

Currently, the annual pig iron production in the Thousand River Valley is about 5800 tons, an increase of around 1000 tons compared to four years ago.

This 1000-ton increase might seem significant to others, but Horn felt it was far from impressive.

Compared to the historical period, England's 1559 pig iron production was 5200 tons, resembling the Holy Alliance in 1449.

By 1569, England's pig iron production was 8800 tons, an increase of 3600 tons.

Calculated, averaging 360 tons growth yearly, achieving about 1440 tons in four years, the Holy Alliance clearly lags behind.

The Holy Alliance can't possibly be worse than 1560's monarchic England, can it?

So, what's causing the shortfall of these 400 tons?

Wet method iron smelting is inefficient, but not to the extent of being 30% inefficient.

With closed peat kilns, increased heating temperatures greatly enhanced the iron smelting efficiency significantly.

Horn invested heavily, establishing numerous iron-related herb plantations in Black Snake Bay and building a large number of iron-smelting potion workshops.

The Thousand River Valley's manpower, resources, and mineral resources are on par with 16th-century England.

Controlling variables, certain Steel Guild elements surfaced at once.

According to Harbin's investigation report:

Firstly, North Mangde County's workshop is family-run, incapable of fitting Horn's process breakdown and standardized plant system.

Secondly, Thousand River Valley's iron-smelting workshops are spread out (like North Mangde County's hundreds of smelting sites), with an average annual production per site of only 40 tons of iron, wasting a lot of resources.

Thirdly, the most direct reason is the damn Steel Guild's mining union is monopolistic and conservative, hindering market development.

Even before breakthroughs in new iron-smelting technology, the limits of old technology haven't been reached!

If Horn doesn't go after the Steel Guild, who else?

"What's the second restricting factor then?" Hilov asked warily, one hand covering a wolf ear, reaching for another notebook.

"I believe there are typically two factors restricting technological development: materials and power.

In terms of materials, we can resolve it by setting up the lightning furnace and addressing the Steel Guild.

But the power issue, we have two directions.

Firstly, the stellar cast gears; great as they are, they're scarce. We can't find a casting method for large-scale applications.

And what about the Spring Engine?

Indeed, it's easy to cast and maturely applied, but its energy storage is insufficient, too cumbersome, and dangerous, needing frequent replacements during operation."

Horn spread his hands: "If we acquire the stellar cast gear's technology, we can naturally retire spring mechanisms.

If we don't, even if the latter is cumbersome and dangerous, we must still develop the latter extensively."

Hilov understood Horn's implied meaning, lowering her hand from her wolf ear: "When are you going to Black Snake Bay?"

"I plan to complete the Steel Guild purge by autumn and winter, set out in spring next year." Horn took her hand, "But don't strain yourself."

Hilov pursed her lips, her eyes wandered, and one wolf ear stood upright while the other drooped.

After a moment, she finally made up her mind and quickly jotted a note in her notebook: "I've decided, I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Hilov raised her head, "Didn't you say you'd lead me to see the sea? The first step starts with going to Black Snake Bay!

Moreover, I too have many questions to ask that Red Dragon lady..."