The new batch of cultivation substrate used this year was formulated slightly differently from the initial experiment the previous year. The corn stalks had already been used up last year, and the chemical fertilizers that were previously part of the mix had been diverted to support the newly expanded farmlands in the estate. As a result, this year's substrate used a formula that excluded both corn stalks and chemical fertilizers. So it wasn't surprising that the nutrients in the medium were insufficient—Wei Wei had anticipated this from the start.
After inspecting the mushroom chambers, Wei Wei decided to remake a fresh batch of cultivation substrate to replace the old one. The existing substrate wouldn't be thrown away, though. Some of the mushrooms on them had been deliberately left unharvested. These mushrooms contained immature spores, and by transplanting both the spores and a portion of the old substrate into the new medium, the spores could mature and propagate directly—saving them the time it would take to recollect new spores.
As for the rest of the old substrate, while yields had declined, it could still produce some mushrooms. Simply composting it would be a bit wasteful. So Wei Wei offered it to the slaves managing the mushroom chambers. If they wanted, they could take it home and store it under their beds or in other damp, shaded areas to grow more mushrooms—either to supplement their own meals or sell for extra income.
Naturally, the slaves gladly accepted. They divided the leftover substrate among themselves, each person taking a large sack home. Since the substrate was plentiful and the slaves lived in communal dormitories—several people sharing a room—bringing a bag home essentially meant everyone in that room benefited. There was no need to hide it, and if someone couldn't use up all of their share, they readily gave it to their roommates. While relations among the slaves hadn't always been harmonious in the past, things had improved significantly. Though peace wasn't absolute, people living in the same room now looked out for each other—something that felt increasingly natural.
Just as the slaves on the estate were busy preparing the new substrate, a piece of good news arrived.
After more than a year of work involving thousands of laborers, the dock was finally completed.
It was a major milestone, and as the lords of the territory, Felix and Wei Wei naturally had to go inspect the finished project in person.
The dock at Slot had been built by a professional construction team. At first, Felix had only planned to build a temporary dock suitable for small to mid-sized vessels—nothing permanent. The idea was to get something functional up quickly to allow for ship traffic, and then gradually expand the dock area to a larger scale in a more optimal location.
However, after surveying the site, the construction team advised that it was better to build a large dock from the start. The reason was that the terrain was especially suitable for such a structure. While it was technically possible to build a small one first and expand later, once ships began docking, further construction would be hindered, prolonging the timeline. Given that Felix had both the money and manpower, they urged him to do it all in one go, rather than delay the project for a bit of short-term convenience.
Felix was persuaded. He increased the funding and workforce, allowing the construction team to complete the dock in just over a year.
Wei Wei once again rode a carriage with Felix to Slot County. Her last visit here had been during the Church delegation's visit.
At that time, Slot was still in recovery. The only residents were serfs, and both roads and buildings were hastily constructed—dirt paths and mud houses that went up quickly and were neatly laid out, but ultimately dusty and shabby. Whenever horses passed, plumes of dirt would rise into the air.
Now, everything had changed. The roads had been resurfaced, with cement paving added beside the original dirt paths. The old houses weren't torn down—in fact, more had been built. Rows of these houses now lined the roads, functioning as inns and eateries for passing travelers.
Behind those lay even more new buildings—some made of mud, others of stone, and even a few brick-and-tile structures scattered about. They lined both sides of the roads, forming a small roadside town.
Wei Wei couldn't even remember where the old fishing village used to be—it had become part of this newly developed township. The old, ramshackle buildings had likely long been torn down and replaced.
When she stepped off the carriage, she couldn't tell this place had once been a serf settlement. It wasn't particularly beautiful, but it was bustling—more so than any serf village she had seen in the estate.
The residents here were all serfs. Apart from the thousand who had lived here for generations, the rest were foreigners relocated from the border. These newcomers had only lived in Slot for a year. Though they still spoke with foreign accents, in lifestyle and behavior, they were now virtually indistinguishable from native Pradians.
The key difference between Slot and places like Sardinson was that the serfs here could move freely within the entire county. From the southern docks to the northern new town, traces of their labor were everywhere. Other than being restricted from leaving the county, their lives were almost the same as those of regular commoners.
With a much better quality of life—and only improving—these serfs, many of them born refugees, felt an increasing sense of belonging to Slot. With little prior concept of nationhood, they had already begun to see themselves as true Slotians.
Before she could finish marveling at the transformation, the construction team guided them away from the now-excited serf quarter—who had become boisterous upon hearing the lords were visiting—and led them quietly along a small path to the coast, where they finally laid eyes on the completed dock.
Calling it a dock didn't quite do it justice—it was more like a full-fledged harbor. The original shoreline had been pushed back nearly ten meters. Massive sections of land had been reinforced with stone, timber, and concrete, resulting in a level and spacious platform. The entire dock sat a full two meters above sea level, high enough to avoid flooding even during high tide. At the edge, neatly constructed steps led down to the water, and from these extended long piers, secured with wooden stakes driven into the sea. The spacing between piers was wide enough to accommodate ships as large as the Great Song delegation's vessels. The piers were sturdy and made docking and unloading easy.
Wei Wei wasn't familiar with harbors. She had grown up inland and had never seen the ocean before coming to Slot. Even the concept of a dock was limited to the small tourist-style piers she had seen on TV. But from her perspective, this newly built harbor was excellent.
Felix, on the other hand, had seen royal harbors before, so he didn't find this one particularly impressive. Compared to those, this harbor was still small in scale. Still, he was satisfied with the quality of the work. After walking around and inspecting it multiple times, he found no major issues. The finer details had also been handled well.
Of course, the final inspection was the job of the experts he had hired—Architect Pierre and his colleagues. Although Pierre wasn't a dock specialist either, he could still tell whether the construction team had cut corners. As long as the build was solid, minor imperfections were acceptable. Felix had no problem releasing the final payment if everything checked out.
The team didn't disappoint. Descendants of those who had once built the royal harbor, they delivered excellent craftsmanship. After a thorough inspection, Pierre confirmed there had been no shortcuts and relayed the findings to Felix, who promptly had his accountant settle the remaining payment.
However, the head of the construction team didn't leave immediately to collect the substantial final payment. Instead, he stayed behind and, with a somewhat flattering tone, inquired about the shipyard project—clearly hoping to secure the contract.
Felix had no objections. The team had proven their skill, and he was willing to continue working with them. But he said, "The shipyard is a joint project between myself and Earl Allen of Princia. If you want to join in, I can give the green light from my end—but if you want to lead the entire project, you'll have to convince him yourself."
The shipyard was another major undertaking that had originally been slated to begin long ago. However, construction was postponed to avoid conflict with the dock's building timeline. Princia's side had sent teams to scout the environment and plan the design for the joint shipyard, which would span both territories.
If the space had allowed it, Felix would have preferred to build it alone—not because he was unwilling to share profits with a friend, but because a shipyard required strict confidentiality. Having too many stakeholders increased the risk of information leaks and made management more difficult.
Moreover, just because he and Allen got along now didn't mean future generations would. Conflicts over profit-sharing were common, and Felix couldn't guarantee that their friendship would stand the test of time.
Fortunately, Allen was a pragmatic man. When they first discussed the joint project, he had been very clear: once the shipyard was complete, Princia would only be entitled to a revenue share. In exchange for providing coastline and manpower during construction, he would receive 30% of the profits. Felix, who would manage and oversee the shipyard and hold the remaining 70%, would have full control over its operations.
It was only because of this agreement—formally signed—that Felix was able to persuade Wei Wei to support the plan. Otherwise, she would never have agreed to let others be involved in building the new type of ships she planned—ones fundamentally different from those typically found in the Mediterranean.
Princia's survey work was long finished. Initial preparations were already underway on their side, and the designs were nearly finalized. All that remained was to finish building the dock at Slot, adjust the plan accordingly, and begin full construction.
Felix was planning to send someone to coordinate with Allen's team anyway. If the construction team wanted in but didn't insist on leading the project, all was well. But if they wanted full control, they'd have to convince Allen themselves.
Luckily, the head of the team wasn't that ambitious. He wasn't aiming to lead the project—he just wanted to secure another stable, high-paying job for his crew. So when Felix said they could join, he happily agreed and promised to prepare for the move as soon as possible.
After all, as long as there was money to be made, being project lead or not didn't matter. And with Earl Williams backing them, they wouldn't be sidelined even if they joined later—since the real owner of the shipyard was, ultimately, Earl Williams himself.