Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World
Chapter 202: Year End 5

TL: Etude

Eileen Rodney’s emotions were complex at the moment.

On one hand, she was infuriated by the apparent resistance from the men in the hall to her appointment as the head of the Department of Education. Their disdain for her, merely because she was a woman, was deeply vexing.

On the other hand, Eileen was also surprised by Paul’s decision to appoint her to this role. After all, it did defy tradition – a tradition she cursed in her mind for its backwardness.

She wished Paul had discussed it with her beforehand. The suddenness of the announcement left her unprepared. Had she been prepared, she might have delivered an impassioned inaugural speech to change the men’s view of women in leadership.

Perhaps Count Grayman had made a spontaneous decision.

Regardless, Eileen felt a surge of gratitude towards Paul for recognizing her abilities. Unlike her sister Catherine, who excelled in politics and warfare, Eileen had always aspired to be a scholar, a path the King had encouraged, seeing the benefits of not having both his children involved in military and political affairs. However, growing up in the shadow of her sister’s accolades, Eileen had always harbored a slight sense of competition.

Now, given this opportunity by Paul, Eileen couldn’t help but feel elated.

“Count Grayman!”

Eileen stood up, bowing solemnly to Paul.

“I will not disappoint your trust in me.”

She sat down, silently vowing to herself that within a year, she would earn the respect of all the men present.

“Just do your best,” Paul casually encouraged. Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

In reality, Paul had chosen her by a process of elimination. Among the available candidates, besides the two female advisors, there was no one suitable. Ladi was already earmarked for some secret studies, leaving the education sector to Miss Dias.

It wasn’t the strategic maneuver Hansel had speculated. If there had been a male candidate with equal qualifications, Paul would have instinctively preferred him.

“Let me discuss next year’s industrial development plans – the ones for export.”

The mention of this perked up everyone’s attention.

“Steel smelting!”

“Cotton textile industry!”

“Printing industry!”

These were the results of multiple discussions between Paul, Ford, Hansel, and a few others, now being revealed to the entire senior staff of the Administration Council.

Malron, puzzled, asked, “Paul, aside from printing books, the ironware and textiles from Alda and Baylding don’t seem competitive. Why not invest in already profitable industries like porcelain and papermaking?”

He was only aware of Paul’s highly efficient printing press.

“Sorry for not informing you all sooner.”

“In textiles, I’ve ordered the mechanical factory to improve the current spinning and weaving machines. Optimistically, we can expect an efficiency increase of forty times the current rate!”

“As for steel smelting, we’ve developed a whole new set of production techniques that I believe will soon be operational, ones that will outperform any current global methods. Right, Mr. Burns?”

Guy Burns stood and nodded at Paul, “We should have it ready by the new year.”

“Good to hear. Let me know when it’s ready, I’d like to witness the production of the first batch of steel.”

If this had been half a year ago, everyone would have thought Paul was boasting. But now, nobody doubted his words.

Paul suddenly remembered something important. “Once the textile industry is up and running, we can produce cheaper uniforms for the soldiers.”

Currently, Alda’s army was still dressed in rather outdated styles, which to Paul, felt incongruous with their modernizing efforts. He mused that perhaps the attire of the guards and elite troops needed an upgrade.

“Oh, Count Grayman, are you planning to improve the current military uniforms?” Bryce inquired, his face lit up with excitement. “I have quite a few ideas in mind.”

Paul found this intriguing and responded with a smile, “You have ideas? Well then, draw up your designs after returning, and I’ll do the same. We should also get some input from the navy, and then we can discuss them together.”

With most topics discussed, it was time to conclude the meeting.

“If there are no other issues, let’s call it a day.”

“Uh… Count, there is actually one more thing,” Ford interjected.

“Oh? Go ahead, Mr. Ford.”

Ford cleared his throat. “With the influx of immigrants this year, and expecting even more next year, we should seriously consider where to house them. I’m not referring to their jobs, but their living arrangements. Many are single and will eventually want to start families. They can’t always live in temporary government housing.”

Paul was puzzled; this seemed like a non-issue to him. In his plan, immigrants were primarily to be settled in Lakeheart Town and Port Fran, with a controlled ratio favoring local residents and workers from the northwest.

“Why can’t they just buy or build houses near their workplaces once they’ve saved enough money?” Paul asked.

Ford shook his head. “That’s true, but with so many people arriving suddenly, we can’t just have houses built haphazardly everywhere. There needs to be some regulation. This wasn’t an issue when the towns were smaller, but now it’s something we need to consider.”

“You have a point. So, who should handle this? I’m not very knowledgeable about urban planning.”

“Count, such matters should be left to professionals. You can surely find experts in the major cities.”

“Then let’s hire the best. The biggest city in the kingdom is Crystal Shine, right? Let’s bring in a planner from the capital to design for Lakeheart Town, Port Fran, and Butuya, focusing on those three areas.”

“This seems a bit… extravagant, doesn’t it?”

“We need to think long-term. Ha, who knows, maybe Lakeheart Town could grow into a city of a hundred thousand people.”

Everyone was astounded by Paul’s grand vision.

“Hansel, I’ll leave it to you to find someone when you next visit the capital.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Count.”

Finally, with no further questions, Paul declared the meeting adjourned.

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