Suina's gaze at Wu Liang was filled with worship.
"There's more!"
Wu Liang picked up another piece of rubber and looked at Florgloria.
"rubber is waterproof; we can use it to make raincoats, rain boots, and all kinds of seals."
"Used on pipes and storage tanks, it's a hundred times better than hemp rope."
Florgloria's full, voluptuous frame trembled slightly as she instantly grasped the material's vast civilian potential.
Especially in the rainy season, a set of waterproof clothing would be a godsend for anyone working outdoors.
"As for this…"
Wu Liang's eyes finally settled on Akomann.
"Akomann, our rifle bullets—"
"—although we have metal cartridges, the gas seal still isn't perfect, letting a little propellant leak and cutting range and power."
Wu Liang picked up a cartridge.
"If we add a tiny rubber seal right here, we get a perfect gas seal, letting every grain of powder drive the bullet."
Akomann's breath caught sharply.
Longer range, greater power—for the Rifle Battalion this was a qualitative leap!
Yaduo, Di Lulu, and Mia listened slack-jawed.
They'd assumed Wu Liang had brought the stuff back only for some novelty.
They'd never imagined so many uses lay behind it.
Railways, electricity, pneumatic tires, waterproof gear, weapon upgrades—every item critical.
"All right, time to assign tasks."
Wu Liang clapped his hands, recalling everyone's wandering thoughts.
"Suina, your Military Workshop has three top priorities."
"First, set up a dedicated rubber-products division and work out how to vulcanize raw rubber."
"Then manufacture the tires, seals, and insulation I just described."
"I'll give you the blueprints and process flows."
"Second, upgrade your steam engines! We need boilers and pistons that are more powerful and efficient. Whether the railway can run depends on you."
"Third, keep perfecting converter steel-making; we'll need huge amounts of quality steel for rails and machinery."
"Rest assured—leave it to me!"
Suina straightened, confidence written across her face.
"Eliza, Annia, you're in charge of the electricity project."
"The Magic Academy and First Academy will jointly research rubber-insulated cables and plan the Tribe's power-grid layout."
"Understood."
Eliza and Annia answered in unison.
"Florgloria, you handle logistics."
"The railway is a colossal project; it'll take vast manpower and material. Make sure everyone is fed, clothed, and supplied, and that materials arrive on schedule."
"Also, organize teams to mass-produce civilian rubber goods—raincoats, boots, and so on—as soon as possible."
"Understood."
Florgloria's gentle smile carried its own reassuring strength.
"Akomann."
Wu Liang looked at her.
"Keep training the troops—no slacking for a single moment."
"Yes, sir!"
Akomann's reply was curt, her gaze sharp as a blade.
Finally Wu Liang turned to Yaduo, Di Lulu, and Mia.
"Your three peoples will be mixed into every project team."
"Yaduo, your clansmen can enter academies and workshops to learn skills."
"Di Lulu, yours can join the Guard and engineering corps."
"Mia, yours will work with Sa Lan's Scout Battalion on surveying and security in new areas."
The three women hastily bowed in acceptance.
Wu Liang was giving their peoples a chance to integrate into the Black Rock Tribe—and also a test.
When the meeting ended, Suina immediately dragged her most capable Artisans into rubber research.
A month and hundreds of failures later—
amid cheers—a black, elastic, hollow ring was produced in the Military Workshop yard.
Suina had a simple valve fitted, then laboriously pumped air in with a converted bellows.
The Black Rock Tribe's first pneumatic tire was born!
Wu Liang hurried over to inspect the result.
He had the tire mounted on a wheelbarrow loaded with several hundred catties of stone.
Under everyone's gaze, an Artisan easily pushed the barrow across uneven ground, rolling smoothly.
The soft tire absorbed almost every jolt.
The onlookers were stunned.
"Not bad, but this tire is still too crude for real use."
Wu Liang smiled, patting the tire and savoring its familiar bounce.
It was only the beginning; with tires, transport efficiency could rise.
With mixed crews and new projects, the entire Black Rock Tribe brimmed with unprecedented vitality.
The fox-kin in particular—clever by nature and stunningly beautiful—quickly shone in every post.
Whether learning letters in academies or doing delicate work in workshops, they absorbed skills at lightning speed.
But a new problem surfaced.
Fox-kin women exuded an almost imperceptible allure.
Every word, every smile carried a unique magnetism.
In their culture, offering oneself to the strong was both honor and survival wisdom.
And in the whole Black Rock Tribe, the strongest was unquestionably Wu Liang.
So odd phenomena began.
Whenever Wu Liang walked down a path, a fox-girl would pass, gasp, and "accidentally" drop something.
Bending to retrieve it, her pert backside and fluffy tail traced an enticing curve.
When he inspected workshops, the fox-girl taking notes would lean in close, her distinctive fragrance drifting toward him.
She would ask questions in honeyed tones, her limpid eyes brimming with adoration.
Even at night, outside his house, he might spot one or two fox-girls loitering in the shadows, pretending to enjoy the view while lying in wait.
The trend soon caught other women's attention.
"Hmph, a bunch of shameless foxes, tails cocked sky-high."
On the Ember Fire Legion drill ground, Ignis speared the head off a wooden dummy, her temper unconcealed.
Wiping sweat, she glared at several fox-girls laughing nearby, eyes hostile.
"If their chieftain's like that, how good can her people be?"
Akomann, directing shield-wall drills, added coldly.
She'd never had patience for women like Yaduo who rose through body and charm.
Sa Lan, drinking water, showed less hostility, only puzzlement:
"They don't seem bad—just overly enthusiastic."
"That's not enthusiasm, it's seduction!"
Ignis snapped.
"Can't you see their target? Every last one of them wants to climb into Wu Liang's bed!"