Munitions Empire

In the winter of Mirage Country, where breath already carries white mist, the sound of cannons hasn't completely ceased. The Orc Troops continue their so-called demolition work, bombarding away to vent their millennia-long suppressed emotions.

They had never fought such a wealthy war! In front of the fortress of the Western Wall, all they had in their hands was the Shireck Flintlock Gun! Faced with the People of Qin's artillery and machine guns, they didn't even stand a chance.

Now things are different; the weapons in their hands are more advanced than those of their opponents, and their ammunition is more abundant than their opponents'... This war is what you call fun.

Hiding in the trenches each day, drinking hot water, enjoying the warmth brought by sweaters and coats, and listening to the sound of shells ripping through the air above—this is truly living!

It was an ordinary day, an ordinary morning; the Orc Troops' shelling began once more, the roar of the 155 howitzers becoming the wake-up call of the Shen Army in the morning. Every time they heard this terrifying sound, they had to crawl up from wherever they were and start a day of fighting.

Actually calling it fighting wouldn't be quite accurate, because they won't actively attack the Orcs; they mainly focused on reinforcing the barricades and trenches that had been damaged and then endured another difficult day amidst the ruins.

Compared to the Orc Troops, the Shen Army's winter preparations appeared to be quite inadequate. They lacked enough coats and fuel and could only find some materials in the ruined city to keep warm.

The good news is that after buildings collapse, there's plenty of wood that can be burnt directly. The bad news is that there are fewer and fewer buildings, and the places left to shelter from wind and rain have dwindled.

The few remaining buildings are used to shelter the wounded patients in hospitals. To prevent attacks, large red crosses have been painted on the roofs, following the Great Tang Empire's field hospital emblem to signify the building's purpose.

Generally speaking, Great Tang Empire aircraft wouldn't attack such buildings, but the aircraft from the Orc Troops aren't that reasonable.

Don't ask why, claiming technical difficulties in evading hospital-like public facilities. Regardless of the logical explanation, the Shen Country's Goblins have nowhere to argue, allowing the Orcs somewhat of a free hand.

Shan Lu walked past a trench that appeared to have been reinforced, with sandbags piled on both sides and also a wooden board support.

The soldiers in the trench sat together enjoying their breakfast. Honestly, since the port pier behind them was completed, their culinary treatment has been continuously improving.

They had never experienced such high-level treatment; in the Orc Empire, where there was sandy wilderness everywhere, had they seen such lavish meals? Joking aside, even the tribal priests and elders aren't eating like this!

Included in the front-line troops' culinary standards were candies, cereals that can be mixed with water, and even damn luncheon meat! Are these delicacies civilians can enjoy? These are feasts an Orc Emperor can barely afford!

That is luncheon meat! Even though two-thirds are starch, it genuinely contains oil! Flavored with salt and spices, some Orc soldiers have never tasted such luxury cuisine until they came here to fight and die.

Yes, now there are many Orcs being directly hauled from the Orc Empire's deserts to the battlefield.

The Great Tang Empire is no longer training these soldiers; given that the loss rate among the Orc Troops has decreased to an acceptable level, the Great Tang Empire started transferring untrained civilians to Ben Island.

Except these civilians had to work; either enlisted into the army or sent as laborers on Ben Island to continue working... In any case, the tasks were extremely arduous.

"How is it? Is the enemy fierce?" Shan Lu stood in front of an orc veteran and smiled. Truth be told, Shan Lu would definitely count as handsome among the Orcs; he probably looks about seventy percent human, thus was selected and became the Orc leader.

This is a classic case of looks representing justice; only Orcs that Great Tang Empire officials do not find repulsive are allowed to become middle or upper military officers among the Orcs.

There's no choice; if Your Majesty the Emperor of Tang was planning to meet a few Orc generals, what happens if they're too disgusting? Who takes responsibility? So these preparations must be done ahead, right? Even if they're slightly dumb, as long as they're handsome—that's the Orc selection criterion.

As for female Orcs... any cat-eared girls who aren't too ugly are very popular: in bars, entertainment venues, as maids, waitresses... In short, the Great Tang Empire's demand for cat-eared girls is endless.

King of Chu loves slender waists; many starved within the palace. Emperor of Tang had a cat-eared girl Imperial Concubine, so if someone doesn't have an Orc concubine, how can they dare to call themselves a noble of the Great Tang Empire?

"General!" The veteran spoke according to the script, acting as if he just noticed the Orc's Lieutenant General Shan Lu in front of him, putting down his lunchbox, standing upright and saluting: "Willing to fight for Your Majesty the Emperor of Tang!"

Shan Lu, satisfied, gestured to indicate the other should relax: "This is our new home! For the great Your Majesty the Emperor of Tang, for the future of Orcs! We all must strive forward courageously!"

When he spoke, the photographer standing above the trench carried a camera, and a whole row of tripods next to him held new cameras. Some advanced ones even had long lenses hanging on them, looking like a heavy machine gun.

Below the pit, behind Shan Lu, there were also many photographers standing, wearing various types of clothing. There were people from the Great Tang Empire Daily and those with large characters of Chang'an Weekly printed on their backs.

Professional equipment was operated by professionals, and the Great Tang Empire had started using ultra-clear color images in television broadcasts—although, at this time, ultra-clear was still some way from truly ultra-clear, the images were clear enough that many details were distinguishable.

From whatever perspective, the technological progress of the Great Tang Empire had already changed people's lives. With one satellite after another launching, humanity's understanding of the planet they inhabit was gradually being perfected.

For the first time, people used a perspective from space to overlook the world they lived in. This itself was a miracle, a great miracle.

The camera had already pushed in on Shan Lu raising his arm, loudly encouraging his soldiers. All the soldiers present followed by raising their arms, cheering and shouting.

These soldiers might look like an odd bunch, but they were all strong and powerful. The strong orcs wore the military uniforms already phased out by the Great Tang Empire, donned M35 steel helmets, and carried Mauser rifles... this scene really was laughable.

If it weren't for their lips not covering those yellowing large tusks, if it weren't for the American-made oval-shaped hand grenades hung at their waists, if it weren't for the simple canvas tactical vests they wore, there truly would be a sense of time travel.

Indeed, this was a staged shoot, a piece of propaganda. Every orc present was carefully selected for being strong, muscular, and model "flag-bearers."

The entire scene had to be meticulously designed, even down to the shooting angles, the positions in which people stood, and their gestures.

These propaganda documentaries were to be sent back to the Great Tang Empire for political propaganda use. This was a bold attempt at modern public opinion warfare and a new front in the media war being opened.

On the other side, in front of a small fortress already captured by the orcs, dozens of orcs crawled forward with reporters and photographers filming the scene. These orc soldiers endeavored to recreate the scenes of their fierce attack on the fortress at that time.

On the distant machine gun post, the orc soldier clutching the machine gun was very tense because a camera lens was about to poke into his face. He was ugly, and had never thought he'd be filmed and admired by others...

A group of goblin captives sat in the dining hall, looking at the sumptuous food in front of them, their calves trembling. Since their capture, they had never enjoyed such high treatment.

All of a sudden, they were pulled from the tents of the POW camp and seated before a table full of food, making them believe they were about to be executed.

The documentary photographer didn't care about this. He only recorded from afar this precious historical image with his camera: the goblin captives were well cared for, they could enjoy sumptuous meals, and their living spaces were spacious and bright.

Managing such a feat, the orcs and the leading Great Tang Empire were naturally righteous, civilized, and magnificent...

"Alright! That's enough." said the human carrying the camera as he walked out of the dining hall, leaving this line behind as he left.

The somewhat impatient orc soldiers carried those poor goblin captives away and escorted them back to the POW camp.

The goblins were relieved to find they weren't about to die, and the orcs returned to continue enjoying their delicious feast, so... everyone was happy.

At the southwest end of Ben Island, on the outskirts of a city where a large number of orc immigrants had begun to settle, a large-scale thermal power plant began operation.

The orcs finally had a factory of their own, and they also had their own workers. Now with electricity, their entire life began to brighten up.

Although many of the power lines were overhead for quick deployment and utilized poles with open designs, this makeshift setup indeed allowed the city to rapidly become electrified.

Cheers rose one after another, and the orc civilians were elated for the fortunate life they were embracing. But those goblins who originally lived nearby were being escorted by orc soldiers, permanently departing from the land where their ancestors had lived for generations.

When ten people praise you, there will always be three who curse you. Sometimes, even more people curse you...