gnovel Chapter 119 Engineers, Propose a Transformation Plan for Paradise Valley!
Chapter 119 Engineers, Propose a Transformation Plan for Paradise Valley!
Chapter 119 Engineers, Propose a Transformation Plan for Paradise Valley!
Just as Tom was about to set off for the Crow territory to explore the gold mines, news broke first in Paradise Valley.
The Sheriff of Livingston, accompanied by his deputy and a large contingent of militia, headed straight for the Crowe reservation!
The news was brought by the foreman of the construction team, accompanied by an elderly cowboy.
"What's going on? Why bring so many people over for no reason?" Tom immediately asked the construction team leader.
The person in charge glanced around instinctively, then lowered his voice: "You don't know? A huge gold mine has been discovered in the Klaue territory! Shallow veins, I heard they stretch for dozens of miles! Miners are flocking there like madmen!"
He caught a glimpse of Tom's "nobody here" expression and finally relaxed completely, his voice lower and tinged with unease: "Can the Klaus just stand by and watch outsiders steal the gold?"
Tom readily chimed in, "Absolutely impossible!"
"And that's how the fight started!" The person in charge nodded emphatically.
Tom's heart skipped a beat.
If the Crows and the white miners really started fighting, it would be a huge problem!
As for the purpose of the construction team leader bringing the old cowboy to Paradise Valley?
It's simple, the old cowboy just wanted to see the scenery of this valley.
After all, they were helping the Dutton family with construction, so Tom couldn't be negligent and accompanied them the whole way.
"This place looks nice," the old cowboy squinted, gazing at the valley. His faded cowboy attire made him look more like a genuine Western cowboy than the younger men. "But to settle down here and raise a family? Difficult!"
Tom met the old cowboy's scrutinizing gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips, his meaning clear: he wanted to hear more.
The old cowboy didn't mince words, getting straight to the point: "Climate! As far as I know, this valley used to be inhabited, but now? It's deserted! Why is it deserted?" He answered his own question, giving Tom no chance to interject, "The climate here isn't suitable for people!"
"The snow in winter is so heavy it can block out the mountains! Completely isolated from the world, the people inside can only rely on themselves. They have to endure everything, from eating and drinking to relieving themselves. If they get sick or injured, they have to tough it out! It takes at least three months!" the old cowboy summarized.
Although he was mentally prepared for the shortcomings of Paradise Valley, this sudden "blow" still left Tom speechless.
The power of nature is beyond human control.
"Haha, feeling unhappy, huh? Young man!" the old cowboy laughed, then changed the subject, "It's not like there's no way to change this!"
The more Tom listened, the more he felt there was something more to the old man's words.
"Since you've built the watchtower, the sluice gate, and the suspension bridge—have you considered," the old cowboy said, his gaze sharpening as he looked at the river in the valley, "that when the river goes berserk, it can swell and flood both banks?"
Tom's heart skipped a beat.
It's not that I hadn't thought about it at all, but looking at the terrain on both sides of the river, it didn't look like it had been ravaged by floods.
"It's documented! The Yellowstone River has flooded before, and both banks were completely destroyed!" The old cowboy's voice deepened. "Of course, it might not happen once in a hundred or two hundred years."
Ha, encountering it once is enough to wipe you out!
Tom's inner alarm bells were ringing.
He carefully examined the old cowboy before him, his tone carrying a hint of sincere inquiry: "So, what do you suggest we do?"
The old cowboy chuckled and uttered two words: "Transformation!"
Tom was about to press for more information when the old cowboy's words followed, striking him like a heavy drumbeat: "You think the only thing that's deadly in this valley is the winter snow?"
"Summer downpours and flash floods," the old cowboy's voice was resolute, "can just as kill!"
Tom's heart skipped a beat.
"There is a way!" The old cowboy's gaze slowly shifted to the rushing Yellowstone River.
Yellowstone River! The lifeline that runs through Paradise Valley!
"Build a dike!"
Those three simple words almost gave Tom a back injury!
Tom then realized: What did he mean by "enjoying the scenery"? What did he mean by "giving advice"? So that's what they were waiting for him to do!
"No money!" Tom had seen through it all; this construction team was clearly trying to rip him off!
The old cowboy was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter!
"I don't sell stones!"
He finally revealed the truth.
Summer is here and floods are imminent. All we need to do is gather manpower to clean and reinforce the riverbanks!
Raising the embankment with soil and gravel can effectively prevent flooding.
After the old cowboy explained it carefully, Tom finally understood: the rainy season flood was imminent, and clearing the river channel was urgent!
"Where can we find them?"
"We have people here!" the foreman quickly replied.
Tom glanced at them with a half-smile. The foreman looked embarrassed, but the old cowboy remained unfazed.
"The entire valley needs a master plan, dividing it into different functional zones!" The old cowboy looked at Tom. "What do you mean?"
Tom understood what he meant, but he didn't have the talent to do so, so he could only tell the truth.
"We do!" the foreman exclaimed enthusiastically, looking at Tom with gesturing. "Look, this is our company's engineer!"
The old cowboy's pride was impossible to hide.
So this is where the real pitfall was!
"Tom, feel free to share your ideas!" the foreman said, looking confident.
The old cowboy ignored the foreman and fixed his gaze on Tom: "You want to transform Paradise Valley into a livable residential area, right?"
"certainly!"
Is that even a question? The future of the Dutton family rests on this.
"That's great! We'll provide a design plan and quote after the measurements! Tell us your general ideas first: how will the area be divided, and what buildings are needed?"
Architecture? A picture flashed through Tom's mind instantly.
"A school, a boarding school. As for size, it will have several dozen teachers and students; let's plan for a hundred students to start!"
Upon hearing this, the foreman immediately became suspicious.
The old cowboy's expression suddenly turned serious: "Do you need a training ground? Like a shooting range?"
Tom nodded: "Yes, but not at school. This school, on the surface, has to be just like a normal school!"
The fact that a school can be built in such a place is extraordinary in itself!
"What about an armory? There has to be one, right?" the old cowboy pressed.
"Absolutely!" Tom declared firmly.
"Do you need a research lab? For example, one for developing bullets, explosives, or firearms? If so..."
The old cowboy pointed into the distance, "I suggest placing it at the southernmost point. It's neither a residential area nor a ranch area, so it's safe there."
Tom's eyes lit up, but then, as if remembering something, the light dimmed again.
The old cowboy, observing this, immediately chimed in, "There's a patch of wasteland at the foot of the neighboring mountain range; with a little modification, it'd be perfect!"
Tom's gaze towards the old cowboy completely changed!
This old man—
"Ahem!" The foreman quickly leaned close to the old cowboy's ear and whispered a reminder, "Hey old man, you need to take it easy on that old ailment of yours! Don't forget how you were exiled from the big cities of the East to this desolate wilderness—"
The old cowboy didn't even lift an eyelid, completely ignoring him!
"It's settled then! Get the plan ready as soon as possible!" The old cowboy made the final decision.
Tom paused for a moment, then asked casually, "When will the lab plan be ready?"
The foreman suddenly looked up and stared at Tom as if he were a madman!
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