Improvements

At Dutch's command,

a heavy-duty vehicle slowly approached, carrying a cannonball as tall as a man.

Then, various lifting devices were brought in, and dozens of soldiers worked hard to finally load the cannonball.

Gunmen had already ridden horses twenty to thirty kilometers away, cordoning off the target area for the bombardment.

It was fortunate that this plain was sparsely populated and barren, otherwise, it would have been difficult to find a suitable testing ground.

A soldier waving a small flag brought it down sharply.

Immediately after,

"Boom, boom, boom!!!"

A colossal roar, like a mountain collapsing, accompanied by dense gunpowder smoke, erupted from the cannon barrel.

The massive cannonball, amidst the spreading fire, instantly shot out, its passage through the air producing a "whoosh" that echoed across the entire field, leaving a smoky trail in the sky.

Dutch, with the crowd, stood on a makeshift high platform, each holding a telescope, watching the sky, witnessing the huge cannonball explode on a rocky Gobi desert.

A flash of fire appeared, and the massive cannonball instantly detonated.

Rocks, soil, and the brilliance of gunpowder intertwined; the colossal explosion even triggered a visible, small-scale blast wave, and rolling smoke, rising with the heat, formed a small mushroom cloud.

Of course, it was very small.

But its power was absolutely formidable; a hundred-meter killing range was more than sufficient. Even if it didn't kill from further away, it could deafen or injure.

As the smoke began to spread, the immense roar of the explosion finally rumbled over like muffled thunder.

"Boom, boom, boom!!!"

The thunderous roar and the spectacle of the explosion left everyone dumbfounded, their scalps tingling.

"Oh, sh*t! I take back what I said earlier! Only a cannon like this deserves the title of true destruction."

Arthur stood beside Dutch, his legs feeling weak.

One such cannonball wouldn't flatten Valentine easily, but it could certainly wipe out Vulture Ranch.

Dutch was utterly satisfied and burst into laughter: "Good, good, good! Vigorously develop the 400mm Venice Giant Cannon! Damn it, I'm going to sell them to Mexico! Sell them to Cuba! Sell them to those Germans!

Mr. Randy, you are fully responsible for all arms production! Damn it, from today onwards, our heavy firepower must catch up! We must have sufficient military strength to deter any armed forces that purchase our weapons!"

"Yes, Mr. Van der Linde!" Mr. Randy stood behind him, trembling with excitement.

He never imagined that after being captured by the Lemoyne Raiders, his destiny would undergo such a dramatic change, and now he had even become the primary person in charge of arms production.

Mr. Van der Linde's trust moved him so much that he wished he could die to show his loyalty!

Of course, this job wasn't actually that great; with Mr. Strauss controlling the entire Van der Linde economy, no one could obtain undeserved money from him.

But in terms of status, this was already a core position within Van der Linde.

What moved Mr. Randy the most was precisely this: Mr. Van der Linde's trust.

The Venice Giant Cannon's performance was impressive, eliciting continuous exclamations from the researchers.

Dutch left Arthur and the others here to exclaim with the researchers, while he followed Marko towards Vulture Ranch.

All the reward systems and profit sharing needed to be discussed later; this was a detailed task that he couldn't explain clearly here.

The actual follow-up arrangements, of course, would only be truly determined through step-by-step negotiation and discussion.

Now he needed to discuss the general direction of the Science Research Institute with Director Marko of the Science Research Institute.

Dutch leisurely walked half a step ahead of Marko, advising him as they walked: "Marko, I will send someone to coordinate with you regarding the various subsequent rewards and research and manufacturing directions. Besides that, I'm going to give you an opportunity to rest.

I plan to establish Van der Linde University in Saint Denis to cultivate advanced researchers. At that time, every one of our scientists can enter Van der Linde University as an honorary teacher, occasionally teaching students.

Talent is the fundamental requirement for development; we cannot allow ourselves to fall behind the world's pace. Strong military power can only ensure our safety in the present; only the continuous progress of science and technology can guarantee our eternal safety."

"You are right, Dutch. Actually, I've long wanted to try being a teacher. Oh, a relaxed university life, that would be wonderful, I dream of experiencing university life!" Marko readily agreed.

"Hahaha, there will be a chance, Marko. There will be a chance! But development is our top priority. I want to know how far along your research on vehicles is now? From what I read in the letter you sent, it seems you can already produce specialized vehicles for agriculture?"

"Yes, Dutch, we are now going to take a look at the classification of those vehicles. Inspired by you, we found that the convenience brought by vehicles will be all-encompassing. Trucks, forklifts, excavators, and even agricultural plowing vehicles can greatly accelerate production progress.

All vehicles have been researched. Currently, the experimental vehicle bodies are stored in the warehouse.

Oh, I feel that once these things can be used in our territory, it will undoubtedly lead to an explosive increase in production capacity!"

Things like excavators and forklifts actually already existed in this era; Americans had developed steam excavators in 1835.

Of course, the excavators designed by Mr. Marko based on Dutch's sketches would undoubtedly be much more practical than these steam excavators.

Dutch did not intend to sell these excavators, trucks, and similar items.

His population was small, and the speed of resource production certainly couldn't compare to the East Coast. The reason he sold weapons was that he had countermeasures. But if he sold such production equipment, his disparity would only grow larger.

This was extremely unwise.

Dutch and Mr. Marko walked to the warehouse where the vehicles were parked.

The first versions of various vehicles appeared before Dutch's eyes.

The primary creators of these vehicles were not entirely Mr. Marko; largely, Dutch had Arthur draw the blueprints, which were then sent here, directly to the research personnel in charge of this area, for the deployment of internal threads and related development technologies.

Therefore, these vehicles basically had a somewhat modern style, at least in terms of their appearance, they were well-formed.

There was no other way; this was the greatest benefit of transmigrating, somewhat akin to a prophet.

Although the overall performance of these vehicles certainly couldn't compare to modern ones, in this era, they were undoubtedly considered products ahead of their time.

Mr. Marko's existence was Dutch's second cheat code; the internal combustion engines he modified were powerful, and while they couldn't reach modern technology, reaching early World War II levels was still possible.

Miniaturized internal combustion engines could meet the production and manufacturing needs of personal automobiles.

However, Dutch was not currently planning to develop small household cars; all the vehicles he designed were capacity-generating vehicles for production, such as trucks, excavators, and forklifts.

Small cars could be produced and manufactured, but there was no rush. The United States was not yet pacified, and he didn't want to invest steel and productivity in so-called money-making.

Money could never be fully earned, and to be honest, it was useless to him now.

The United States Government could freely print money with their printing presses; how could his speed of earning money possibly compare to a printing press?

Therefore, what he wanted was not money, but resources, productivity, and the United States!

Once he possessed the United States, he would put the gold standard currency in place, and then he would have as much money as he wanted, and the whole world would have to pay for it.

This was true business! He, Dutch, was the true great capitalist!

"Excellent, Marko, excellent!

From now on, let our steel mills in New Hanover be responsible for producing various production vehicles. We must strive to equip all of New Hanover and Lemoyne with specialized production vehicles within half a year. Our production capacity needs to be significantly increased!

And the steel mills in Lemoyne will be responsible for producing Tanks and aircraft.

With a two-pronged approach, we must ensure both sufficient productivity and sufficient military might!

We must ensure we possess ample military might and the capacity for sustainable development, using these to send anyone who dares defy our will into the mines!"

As Dutch spoke, he began to deliver a speech.

Marko stood by, listening with immense excitement. He raised his right fist high and cheered loudly: "Yes! Yes! Dutch, your idea is the best!"

What this mad scientist, who wanted to rule the world with robots, loved to hear most were Dutch's bold pronouncements.

He yearned to send everyone into the mines; damn it, he was even crazier than a madman!

With Dutch's command, the production factories across New Hanover and Lemoyne instantly erupted with 200% of their capacity.

But this was still not enough.

A week after observing the experiments.

In Saint Denis, Van der Linde Manor, all the high-ranking cadres of the Van der Linde Gang gathered once again.

This included, but was not limited to, the first batch of shareholders such as Arthur John, the second batch including Flying Eagle, Mr. Randy, Mr. Marko, Miss Camille who had recently joined Dutch, and the two supreme military commanders of Lemoyne and New Hanover, Mr. Ivanov and Captain Monroe.

As well as those from the third round of shares, like Mr. Milton and Mr. Ross.

Even Signor Bronte and Mr. Martelli, who had been sent to the mines for re-education for three or four months, were brought over. They stood at the back of the crowd, heads tucked in like little quails, not daring to speak, or even to look up.

The people at the front were understandable, but why were Signor Bronte and Mr. Martelli brought here?

The main reason was that this fellow was indeed a talent. To have achieved his former status in Saint Denis, Signor Bronte could certainly be called a capable man.

Bold, ruthless, and intelligent—such a talent was best suited to be unleashed to wreak havoc elsewhere.

It was like the United States supporting Bin Laden; everyone had their own use. Whether you dared to use them depended on whether you could keep them under control.

Although Signor Bronte was intelligent and ruthless, it was clear that he was no match for Mr. Van der Linde. Having been suppressed by Mr. Van der Linde from start to finish, he knew very well that he simply couldn't outplay Mr. Van der Linde.

Such intelligent people, who could smile and express gratitude even when cursed to their faces, had one excellent quality: they knew their place. That was why Signor Bronte could be here.

At this moment, in the large garden behind Van der Linde Manor.

The large garden, which should have been used for lavish high-society banquets, had now become a gathering place for everyone.

Mr. Van der Linde, a leader from humble beginnings, seemed unsuited to the elegant and refined ways of the upper class. He had never used such a large and fine manor for hosting banquets, which was extremely uncommon in the entire United States.

A strong charisma permeated him, but this charisma was like the sternness and coldness carried by a harsh leader, lacking the gentlemanly and gentle elegance of high society.

But such a person would undoubtedly be more convincing.

Dutch stood on the second-floor balcony of the villa, facing the manor, so that he could take in the entire manor and also allow those standing within the manor to see him from various angles.

Electronic loudspeakers had already been set up on the balcony, and the amplification equipment ensured that the entire manor could hear Mr. Van der Linde's voice.

At this moment, on the balcony, Mr. Van der Linde, dressed in a black and white Van der Linde exclusive outfit, stood before the loudspeakers.

The black and white Van der Linde exclusive outfit, with its cinched waist design, perfectly showcased a man's upright, inverted-triangle physique. The black and white colors, combined with the simple decorations on the clothes, appeared clean, crisp, and sharply contrasted. The black and white pairing further added a sense of solemnity, inspiring awe.

In addition, the chest of this outfit conspicuously featured a white 'V' logo, which was the initial abbreviation of the Van der Linde Gang.

Combined with this logo, it allowed one to instantly recognize that the person wearing this outfit belonged to the Van der Linde Gang, and at the same time, it added a touch of exquisite ornamentation.

Furthermore, on both sides of Mr. Van der Linde's collar, two golden 'V' insignia, resembling military ranks, were affixed, along with a decorative silver-white epaulet, making the entire outfit appear even more exquisite.

And the hat on his head was no longer a cowboy hat or a gentleman's hat, but rather a black and white military-style cap, with the 'V' logo prominently in the center, which was truly striking.

Mr. Van der Linde, in his complete outfit, looked like a cold yet endlessly charismatic leader, inspiring madness with just a single glance.

Arthur and Hosea, standing behind him, were similarly attired, though their tie insignia were slightly different, and the epaulets on their clothes were changed to gold.

The three men stood on the balcony, and simply looking at them gave one the impression that they were extremely powerful, leader-level figures.

Davey and others stood in the manor, looking up at those dressed in typical Van der Linde Gang marked attire, filled with envy.

"Damn it, we only arrived a few years later! Arthur is really hogging all the limelight!"

Jenny, Karen, Mary-Beth, and Tilly stood together, their eyes gleaming as they looked at Dutch standing above.

"He's so handsome, Dutch!"

"Be careful, Jenny, if Miss O'Shea hears that, she'll get upset with you again!"

"Don't mention that buzzkill of a woman again, Karen."