Chapter 803
Perficot's series of actions were like igniting a cluster of hope in the cold winter, which gradually restored some vitality and vitality to Langdon, a city on the verge of collapse.
However, it is still unknown whether the faint light of this cluster of flames can truly dispel the frost that enveloped the empire.
Langton's recovery, although brought a brief breath, also quietly ignited another deeper crisis.
The mining of offshore oil fields is progressing smoothly, and black crude oil is continuously transported to the newly built refinery at the port terminal through the laid pipeline.
The refinery is one of the industrial facilities planned by Perficote. Here, crude oil has been carefully fractionated and smelted and converted into a series of fuel products such as gasoline and diesel, injecting new energy into the frozen city.
However, although the arrival of petroleum fuel eased Langton's energy crisis, it also triggered panic and hostility in other cities of the empire.
Diesel is prone to freezing at low temperatures, so most of it is distributed to shelters to maintain indoor heating systems.
The temperature in the shelter is always maintained above zero degrees, and diesel can burn stably here to provide warmth for residents.
Outdoors, gasoline with temperatures as low as tens of degrees below zero and freezing point becomes the main choice.
Despite this, the promotion of petroleum fuels has not been smooth sailing.
For the residents of Langton, this new energy is still a strange thing, not to mention that the large number of stoves in the city are still old-fashioned coal stoves, and gasoline or diesel cannot be used directly as fuel.
As a result, gasoline is more used as a combustion aid for coal.
Residents pour gasoline on coal blocks and use their flammable properties to improve combustion efficiency.
Diesel is also used in a similar way, burned in a mixed manner with coal to save valuable fuel reserves.
Although this mixed combustion method is not efficient enough, it is already a helpless move in the face of extremely scarcity of resources.
After all, there are nearly one million people in Langton City, and the daily fuel consumption is extremely large.
Before the advent of petroleum fuel, Langton relied almost entirely on transactions with surrounding cities to acquire coal, a fragile supply chain that put the city on the brink of collapse for a long time.
The arrival of petroleum fuel has greatly alleviated Langton's fuel shortage problem.
While the renovation of coal stoves takes time, the Langton City Government has launched a trade-in program to recycle old coal stoves from residents and transform them into stoves that can adapt to new fuels.
Although this move has been slow, it has laid the foundation for the city's energy transformation.
Perficot's eyes did not stop there.
In her plan, natural gas was also seen as a potential energy option.
However, the technology for the extraction and use of natural gas is not yet mature, especially in extremely cold environments, where there are insurmountable technical difficulties in its storage and transportation.
Therefore, natural gas can only be used as a technical reserve for the time being and will be promoted when conditions are ripe in the future.
Nevertheless, the introduction of petroleum fuel has brought significant changes to Langton.
The snow on the streets was cleaned more timely, the temperature in the shelter was more stable, and even smoke was re-emerged from the chimneys of the factory.
All of this is silently proclaiming, Langton is awakening from the long cold winter. Although the road ahead is still difficult, Langton has finally reappeared hope.
However, Langton's recovery did not make everyone happy.
As the energy crisis eases and the gradual recovery of urban functions, an undercurrent is surging among other cities in the empire.
The signs of separatism are quietly growing in the competition for resources, and Langton's re-emerging has made surrounding cities feel unprecedentedly afraid.
Some cities with coal resources have begun to take alert towards Langton. They fear that Langton will gradually erode their share of resources with the advantages of petroleum fuels and even reestablish its dominance as the core of the empire. This uneasiness is particularly evident in cities that produce mainly coal resources, where officials and merchants have begun to discuss privately the possibility of breaking away from the empire and establishing their own businesses.
They secretly hoarded resources, refused to provide coal and other essentials to Langton, and even tried to cut off trade channels with Langton.
At the same time, the evil god sect also took the opportunity to fan the flames.
They spread rumors in the dark, claiming that Langton's recovery was at the expense of other cities, and that Perficot's energy plan was nothing more than an empire's plot to regain control of the place.
These remarks spread rapidly in cities with scarce resources, arousing dissatisfaction and panic among the people.
Protests even occurred on the streets of some cities, demanding that any resources be sent to Langton be stopped.
Faced with this situation, Perficote was not panicked.
She knew very well that the root of separatism lies in the uneven distribution of resources and a sense of uncertainty about the future.
To ease tensions, she ordered some of the oil fuel to be provided to surrounding cities at preferential prices and sent technical teams to help them renovate the heating system to reduce their dependence on coal.
At the same time, she also delivered a public speech to all cities in the empire through the communication network of the floating city, emphasizing the importance of unity.
The most new ⊥小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小小� "Langton's recovery is not an isolated incident," her voice spread across every street through the radio. "This is our common victory! Only by working together can we survive this cold winter and rebuild the glory of the empire."
However, not everyone is willing to accept her proposal.
Some city leaders believe this is a means by Langton to try to regain control of them, and they secretly united in an attempt to form an alliance independent of the empire.
The member cities of this alliance have begun secretly exchanging resources and plan to cut off all ties with Langton if necessary.
Perficot realizes that goodwill and compromise alone cannot calm the crisis.
She ordered the floating city to strengthen surveillance of surrounding cities and sent special envoys to those swaying cities, trying to resolve conflicts through diplomatic means.
At the same time, she also made the worst plan - if separatist forces continue to expand, she did not rule out the use of force to maintain the unity of the empire.
In this undercurrent game, Langdon's every move affects the fate of the empire.
Perficot stood on the tower of the refinery and looked at the outline of the city shrouded in the distance by wind and snow.
She knew that the real test had just begun. The energy crisis may have eased, but the cracks in people's hearts are far more difficult to bridge than the cold winter.
And she must find a way to unity and survival in this frozen land.
However, time is not on her side.
As separatist forces continue to grow, Langton's energy supply is also facing new threats.
Extremists in some cities have begun to destroy the oil pipeline to Langton, trying to cut off the lifeline of the city.
At the same time, the power of the evil god sect was also secretly infiltrating, and their believers spread panic in the streets and alleys of Langdon, trying to dismantle the will of the city from within.
Perficot knew that if the crisis could not be quickly calmed down, Langton's recovery would be just a flash in the pan.
She must find a way to maintain imperial unity and ensure Langton's survival in this storm.
And this road is destined to be full of blood and sacrifice.
(This chapter ends)