Hearing Li Xiaogong mention the other nine ships, Fang Er called Su Feng over.
He instructed him to notify the Power Workshop to temporarily take the diesel engines offline and focus on producing steam engines.
Meanwhile, Yi Fei was also tasked with discontinuing tractor production and switching to manufacturing trains.
After a satisfying meal and having seen Chai Shao, Li Xiaogong ambled away.
After watching him leave, Fang Er issued a command to Zhang Tian via walkie-talkie.
He was to fly to Chang'an and find Ma Tongyuan to select twenty reliable students with excellent performance.
Talent was essential for establishing a bank.
The older students in the academy could also be gradually put to use.
Although they had only studied for a little over two years, they would suffice for now, and replacements could be found later.
At the same time, he retrieved a large amount of supplies from the system, asking Zhang Tian to bring them back to Chang'an to replenish the stock at the tobacco and liquor shop.
Not long after Old Li left, Su Mu arrived in the backyard.
"My Lord, Lai Yifa has returned."
"Tell him to wait in the front hall. I'll be there shortly."
When Fang Er reached the front hall, Lai Yifa was already waiting. Seeing Fang Er, he quickly rose and saluted.
"Greetings, my Lord!"
Fang Er returned the salute. "Sit and talk."
After they were seated, Lai Yifa began to report on the achievements of his mission.
His mission was to recruit artisans and search for the tombs of successive Mohist Grand Masters.
"My Lord, I have not failed my mission. I have brought back a total of one thousand seven hundred and thirty-five artisans, mostly blacksmiths, bamboo craftsmen, lacquerware makers, masons, and carpenters."
"Furthermore, I have found a location for what you mentioned, in Laizhou. It is rumored to be the tomb of the seventy-third generation Grand Master of the Mohist school."
Fang Er was overjoyed.
Over seventeen hundred artisans and a clue to a Mohist Grand Master's tomb – this was undoubtedly good news.
"Where are the artisans being housed currently?"
"Reporting to my Lord, I returned ahead of them. They are still on their way and will arrive in Shenyang within three days at the latest."
After saying this, Lai Yifa suddenly requested a name from Fang Er.
In his words, he had already recruited hundreds of people, but they didn't have a name, which was somewhat awkward.
This was only proper, as Lai Yifa was leading an organization, albeit a small one.
Fang Er was not good at naming things. Considering Lai Yifa's work nature, several names came to his mind.
After the Tang Dynasty, imperial intelligence agencies included the Song Dynasty's Imperial City Department, the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern and Western Bureaus, and the Imperial Middle Bureau. During the Qing Dynasty, there was also the Nian Gan Er Chu. In modern times, there were the CC Clique, the Military Statistics Bureau, and the Special Section.
And Lai Yifa was a eunuch by origin, although this eunuch status was fabricated. Thinking of this, Fang Er indulged in a bit of wicked humor.
"Let's call it the Eastern Depot. You will be its Director. Below you, there will be levels of Hundred-Household Commanders, Squad Leaders, File Supervisors, and Agents."
"A Hundred-Household Commander will oversee a hundred people, a Squad Leader will command fifty, and a File Supervisor will lead ten Agents."
The name "Eastern Depot" gave Lai Yifa a sense of awe and a hint of dread. It seemed to be a formidable entity.
"Director Lai Yifa of the Eastern Depot, thank my Lord for the bestowed name!"
Lai Yifa rose and respectfully saluted to accept the name.
"Alright, from now on, entrust any matters requiring travel to your subordinates."
"First, find a small courtyard in the manor to serve as the Eastern Depot's office. Once everyone has returned, bring the managers above the Squad Leader rank to me. I will prepare some official documents for you."
"Yes, my Lord."
Lai Yifa saluted and took his leave.
Fang Er went to his study and locked the door from the inside.
The study was strictly off-limits to everyone and was always locked. There was only one key, which Fang Er kept.
On the desk in the study were a laptop and a printer.
He opened the computer and designed an identity certificate.
The certificate included fields for Photo, Name, Gender, Origin, Date of Birth, Affiliated Unit, Mission, Employment Date, and Identification Number.
After designing it, he printed it on thick cardstock.
The text was in simplified Chinese. Although it would appear as though characters were missing strokes to people of this era, it was an inevitable development of the advancing wheels of time.
Therefore, the changes would begin with his own subordinates.
He printed several hundred copies and, holding one, locked the study and returned to the backyard.
He asked Su Mu to purchase cowhide from the market and cut it into leather pieces slightly larger than the cards.
Then, he used peach gum to adhere the cardstock to the leather and applied another layer for waterproofing.
Afterward, he went to the workshop and designed several sets of steel stamps.
He fashioned the emblems of the Skyfire Army's Flame Division, the Torch Commando's Torch, the Defense Army's Shield, and the Eastern Depot into the silhouette of a headset.
In addition, he created emblems for each workshop and for the bank that was about to be established.
These emblems would be hot-stamped onto the outside of the leather, to which the identity cards were attached.
"My Lord! It's born! It's born!"
Just then, Yelü Tianying found Fang Er at the workshop and exclaimed excitedly beside him.
"What's born?"
Fang Er looked up at him quizzically.
"The sheep! The sheep are born! Three of them!"
"Let's go and see!"
Putting down the steel stamp he was holding and instructing Mo Ming to put it away, Fang Er left the manor with Yelü Tianying and headed towards the sheep pen.
In the sheep pen, several herders from the Khitan tribe were assisting a ewe with lambing.
A small lamb, with a sturdy head, was wobbling on its legs nearby, learning to stand.
"How many?"
Fang Er looked at the lamb and asked the herders.
Hearing the voice, the herders assisting with the delivery noticed his arrival. As they were about to rise to salute, he stopped them.
"The delivery is important. How many ewes have given birth?"
"Six ewes were mated at the same time and conceived around the same period."
"Reporting to my Lord, this is the first ewe. She just gave birth to one, and there is another one still in her womb."
The herder smiled as he looked at the little lamb beside them.
The appearance of the lamb was different from Da Jiao.
Da Jiao's head and neck were reddish-brown, while the rest of its body was white.
However, this little lamb, being of the first generation, had limited inherited genes.
The wool on its head and neck was yellowish-brown, far less deep in color than Da Jiao's.
Fang Er also took a special look. The little one was a ewe. He wondered if the one still in the womb was male or female.
At that moment, the ewe let out a loud cry.
"Baa~~!"
"Quick! It's coming out, it's showing!"
Another herder hurried over.
The second lamb first revealed its two front hooves, and then its entire head slowly emerged.
The two herders quickly lent a hand, one holding the lamb's front legs, the other cleaning the amniotic membrane and discharge from the lamb's mouth and nose.
The fetus was in the correct position. After the front legs and head emerged, the herders, following the ewe's strength, pulled, and the entire lamb detached from the ewe, leaving only the umbilical cord connected.
As the lamb's mouth and nose were cleaned, it began to bleat tenderly.
After the two herders tended to the lamb's umbilical cord, they stood aside.
The ewe got up and licked away the remaining amniotic membrane from the lamb.
In just a moment, the previous lamb was already able to wobble and walk.
"My Lord, these lambs are too large! Each weighs seven to eight catties."
The herder pointed at the two lambs, his face filled with excitement.
Fang Er was also very pleased. Two lambs, one male and one female – a good omen!
Recalling his previous promise, he said to Yelü Tianying, "Tianying, keep a close eye on this ram lamb. After it's weaned, it will be given to the Tianying tribe."
Yelü Tianying grinned, his face beaming with joy. "Thank you, my Lord, for this gift!"
Although not as impressive as Da Jiao, it was still a descendant of Da Jiao, making it an exceptional breed!
Watching the two lambs take their first milk with the help of the herders, their posture evoked a saying in Fang Er's mind.
That is, "Lambs kneel to nurse, crows feed their mothers."
The ewe turned its head and gently licked the lambs, its gaze full of affection.
"Quick! The other one is about to give birth too!"
Suddenly, a herder ran in from outside the birthing pen and shouted anxiously. Seeing the lambs on the ground, he consciously lowered the volume of his voice.
After the first one was born, the remaining five ewes gave birth to lambs one after another on the same day.
Six ewes gave birth to a total of ten lambs.
Seven were female and three were male.
As agreed, one descendant of Da Jiao would be given to Yelü Tianying and one to Xi Gua Ka Tian. Now, there was an extra one.
The two men's gazes towards the extra ram lamb revealed a strong possessiveness.
It was even more intense than their desire for beautiful women.
"My Lord, this one?"
Xi Gua Bu Tian asked obsequiously, looking at the lamb.
"You're thinking too much. One for each person, no more!"
Fang Er directly refused.
"What are you dreaming about? Even though it's only a first-generation crossbreed, it's still a rare breeding sheep in the Great Tang, you know!"
Although it couldn't stay here, sending it back to the Central Plains would allow it to undertake the crucial task of improving the breed. This was the advantage of crossbreeding.
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Author's Notes: