"Your Highness, Zhou Shu went to the Ministry of Works to hire craftsmen and has already started construction. This is the blueprint I obtained from the craftsmen." Inside a palace in Great Xia's imperial palace, a delicate palace maid was reporting to Yin Wuyou.
"He's more anxious than I am." Yin Wuyou took the blueprint and looked at it. "This blueprint was designed by someone from the Ministry of Works?"
"No, I heard that Zhou Shu designed it himself."
"He knows construction?" Yin Wuyou asked in surprise. "Did I really discover a talent?"
The palace maid was speechless. "Your Highness, you dared to appoint him as the superintendent of a workshop before you were certain of his abilities?"
"That's not it." Yin Wuyou shook her head. "I'm sure he has some talent for forging. This 0th Workshop is just an attempt. It doesn't matter whether it succeeds or not.
"Just the Huben Saber and the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber are enough for him to be a superintendent.
"Right, how many Forging Apprentices has he recruited now?"
"Not one." The palace maid said with a strange expression, "These days, he has been eating and sleeping with the craftsmen of the Ministry of Works. He's been busy with the construction of the workshop all day long and hasn't gone to recruit any Forging Apprentices!"
"Not a single one?" Yin Wuyou's brows furrowed slightly. "Great General Meng has already urged us several times. If the Forging Division still can't hand over Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Sabers soon, things will get troublesome."
"Then, Your Highness, should we ask for the secret forging formula for the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber and get the other workshops to start forging first?" the palace maid asked.
"Let me think about it." Yin Wuyou pondered for a moment. "Ask the Ministry of Public Works to inform Zhou Shu that this month, the 0th Workshop is carrying out large-scale construction, and it's not necessary to hand over weapons. But starting from next month, the 0th Workshop will have to hand over at least a thousand Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Sabers every month!"
"Isn't a thousand too little?" The little palace maid was also devious.
"Take it slow." Yin Wuyou waved her hand. "Do as I say!"
…
Zhou Shu didn't know that a forging task was about to befall him. He was looking at the slowly forming 0th Workshop, his heart filled with joy.
It was undeniable that the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works were indeed a little expensive, but their craftsmanship was unequivocal.
In just a few days, the foundation of the 0th Workshop had been completed, and the workshop was beginning to take shape.
The craftsmanship of this world was limited, so it was impossible to build tall buildings. And Zhou Shu had never thought of developing cement like other transmigrators.
Thus, the buildings of the 0th Workshop were mostly two-story and single-story.
He didn't build furnaces in the residences of the Forging Apprentices as per normal. Instead, he built a large factory and arranged all the furnaces inside.
As for the residences of the Forging Apprentices, they were arranged elsewhere.
Let's put it this way. He had divided the 0th Workshop into several sections: work area, accommodation area, living area, entertainment area…
Forging beside a furnace was fine in winter. But in summer, it was extremely hot. Zhou Shu had personally experienced it.
His 0th Workshop was not a sweatshop. He didn't want to be bad-mouthed by the Forging Apprentices.
In his opinion, it would be beneficial for their work efficiency if the apprentices had a good rest environment.
And according to his previous experience of forging Huben Sabers, he could command the apprentices at once if he gathered them to forge together.
Otherwise, it would be very difficult for ordinary Forging Apprentices to master the technique of forging the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber.
For now, the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber was the trademark of the 0th Workshop, and it undoubtedly had to be mass produced.
However, it would take the average Forging Apprentice at least a year to master the forging technique of the Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Saber.
The only way was to use the same method he had used when he completed the Huben Sabers forging mission, which was to break down the movements and unify the command.
This was why he had decided to build a large factory.
The residences of the Forging Apprentices were still detached houses. Although the houses weren't large, the conditions were much better than in other workshops.
A sparrow may be small, but all its vital organs are there. The houses were designed to have two bedrooms and one living room and could accommodate Forging Apprentices and their families. Kitchens and bathrooms were standard, and even the floors were covered with green tiles.
Thus, the cost of building each house was 20 taels of silver!
The territory of the 0th Workshop wasn't large, and Zhou Shu only planned houses for fifty people, but this already cost him a thousand taels!
He had spent almost all of the gifts he received.
The craftsmen couldn't understand why Zhou Shu would do such a thing, but since he was the one paying, they naturally did as he said.
Seeing the workshop grow day by day, Zhou Shu felt like he was watching his child grow up. The joy in his heart didn't need to be said.
Actually, he hadn't been idling around the whole time. He persistently forged Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Sabers every day.
According to his previous experience, after he forged 100 Hundred Refinements Ring Pommel Sabers, another weapon would appear in the Legendary Armament Canon.
He wondered if the next weapon would be a ranked one.
Of course, he didn't forget about recruiting Forging Apprentices.
Although the palace maid didn't see Zhou Shu recruiting, this didn't mean that he hadn't done anything.
He was waiting for the 0th Workshop to take shape before he had the terms to negotiate with others.
What is visible is always more convincing than empty words!
"Brother Zhang, Brother Wu, brothers, I know you have a lot of work to do. I called you all over purely because I had a pleasure working together with you. I left the 97th Workshop and wanted to say goodbye to everyone.
"I ordered this banquet from the Drunken Immortal Inn. Today, everyone can eat and drink as much as you want."
Zhang Yibei, Sixth Brother Wu, and the others looked at Zhou Shu with complicated expressions.
Not long ago, Zhou Shu was just like them. They were all poor Forging Apprentices.
At the time, although Zhang Yibei and Sixth Brother Wu had praised Zhou Shu and said that he would be able to become a Forging Master in the future, they were actually doubtful.
After all, the Forging Division had been established for so many years, and there were only a handful of people who had truly grown from a Forging Apprentice to a Forging Master.
Unexpectedly, only a few days had passed, and while Zhou Shu had not become a Forging Master, he had become the superintendent of a workshop!
Regardless of Forging Masters or superintendents, they were all high and mighty figures.
"Congratulations, Superintendent Zhou."
After all, Zhang Yibei and the others were no longer hot-blooded youngsters. Even though they were a little envious, they knew what they should do on the surface.
"Brother Zhang, you're too polite—"
"Superintendent Zhou, please don't call me that. Just call me by my name." Zhang Yibei bowed.
"Brother Zhang, we have gone through thick and thin together. You're treating me like an outsider. Let's sit down and talk while we eat," Zhou Shu said.
Everyone sat down with complicated feelings, and most of them only dared to sit halfway on their chairs.
Zhou Shu sighed internally. The hierarchy in this world is too strict. If the relationship between Forging Apprentices and workshop superintendents are already like this, then what about higher up?
It appeared that he could converse with Princess Wuyou and Sun Gongping now. But in reality, there was a tremendous gap between them.
It was not time for Zhou Shu to be proud and complacent.
With this warning in mind, he raised his wine cup. "We've all worked together to forge the Huben Sabers, and it was a pleasant cooperation. Let me toast everyone first!"
Zhou Shu drank his cup of wine first.
When Zhang Yibei and the others saw this, they also raised their cups and drank.
After downing the wine cups, the crowd finally calmed down a little.
"Superintendent Zhou, we didn't have the right to congratulate you when you were promoted. Now, I'll use this opportunity to toast you." Zhang Yibei stood up and raised his cup.
This scene of a man in his forties smiling and raising his cup made Zhou Shu think of his previous life, and he couldn't help feeling sad.
He and Zhang Yibei drank a cup of wine, and before anyone else could toast him, Zhou Shu spoke.
"I invited everyone here today to say goodbye and reminisce. I also have something to ask of you," Zhou Shu said in a low voice.
Zhang Yibei and the others were stunned.
"Superintendent, feel free to give us any orders," Zhang Yibei and the others said simultaneously.
"It's not really an order." Zhou Shu shook his head. "Everyone now knows that, thanks to the grand minister, I was promoted to the superintendent of the 0th Workshop. This workshop is being built from scratch.
"We all know that Forging Apprentices are the cornerstones of a workshop. Without them, a workshop is not truly a workshop."
Zhang Yibei and the others looked at each other, vaguely knowing what Zhou Shu wanted to say.
"Superintendent Zhou, honestly speaking, we're willing to work for you." Zhang Yibei was the first to speak. "You've done us a great favor. If you want us to do more things, we won't decline, let alone change workshops.
"It's just that we are bound by contracts with the Forging Division, and we have no choice."
Forging Apprentices had no choice.
Zhang Yibei had never heard of any Forging Apprentice who could casually choose their workshop.
"You don't have to worry about that," Zhou Shu said with a smile. "As long as you are willing, I will handle the contract.
"Let me make myself clear. If everyone is willing to transfer from the 97th Workshop to my 0th Workshop, there won't be any changes to your salaries for the time being."
The salaries of the Forging Division's Forging Apprentices were paid by the Imperial Court.
There was a certain rule, and even Zhou Shu couldn't casually raise their salaries.
Of course, when they arrived at the 0th Workshop, Zhou Shu had ways to improve their treatment gradually.
"That's not a problem. It's the same for us everywhere," Zhang Yibei said. "As long as Superintendent Xiao doesn't stop us, I'm willing to work for you, Superintendent Zhou."
"Me too!"
"Me too!"
The rest chimed in disorderly.
Everyone's reactions warmed Zhou Shu's heart. It seems I'm quite popular.
"Everyone, eat and drink!" Zhou Shu laughed. "Tomorrow, I'll go find Xiao Zongshui and negotiate with him. In the future, when everyone comes to the 0th Workshop, we'll be brothers. As long as I have the ability, I won't mistreat anyone.
"I dare not say anything else, but in my 0th Workshop, there will definitely not be any Forging Apprentice who will die from exhaustion!"