novelSusiti Chapter 144 Project Agrafa
Chapter 144 Project Agrafa
The night breeze, carrying the fragrance of tuberose, drifted through the palace gardens.
Constantine didn't have any servants follow him; he simply held Sophia's hand, leaving a trail of soft footsteps on the cobblestone path. The dazzling city lights were left behind them, like a receding tide of stars.
The two walked through the corridor and returned to the familiar study. The tense atmosphere of the day's discussions still lingered in the air.
Constantine didn't linger at the desk; he went straight to the enormous bookshelves that reached the ceiling. The shelves were filled with all sorts of finely bound classics, from Plato to Aristotle, each one neatly arranged.
He stopped in front of an unassuming marble bust of an ancient Greek philosopher. It was a statue of a blind poet with a serene face.
Constantine reached out and tapped the statue's cold base three times with a specific rhythm, neither too light nor too heavy.
"Knock. Knock knock."
The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet study.
Sofia watched his movements with curiosity in her eyes.
With a low, rumbling sound of machinery turning, the entire heavy mahogany bookshelf silently slid open to one side. Behind the bookshelf was a dark entrance, with deep stone steps spiraling down into the unknown darkness.
Sophia's breath hitched slightly. She knew her husband had a secret, but she never imagined that the entrance to that secret was hidden in a place she passed by every day, right under her nose.
Constantine took a lantern that had been prepared beforehand from a recess in the wall and lit it. The orange light dispelled the darkness at the entrance and illuminated his serene face.
"Come, my future queen." He extended his hand to Sophia, "Let's go see our true treasure."
He led Sophia down the steps.
The underground space was not the damp and cold cellar I had imagined. It was unusually spacious, dry, and well-ventilated, with a faint smell of rocks and paper mixed together.
The walls of the secret room were covered with huge maps. Sophia could tell at a glance that these were not ordinary administrative maps. They did not have city names or provincial boundaries. Instead, they were covered with dense contour lines, geological structures marked in different colors, and professional survey maps that recorded average annual rainfall and river runoff in detail.
On the long table in the center, various numbered rock specimens were scattered, and next to them were open notebooks filled with hastily written but rigorous analytical reports.
This is the culmination of Constantine's efforts over the past year in secretly assembling the "Royal Geographical Survey Team," using royal funds.
This is the heart of Greece's future industrial landscape.
Constantine, carrying a lantern, walked to the end of the secret room and stood before a massive topographical map of the entire Greek territory.
On the map, two winding, robust waterways, marked in red and blue ink, resemble two giant dragons coiled across the land of Greece.
His finger first touched the red line.
"This is the Alphius River. It's on the Peloponnese peninsula, very close to Athens, and the terrain along its course is relatively flat, making construction relatively easier. If we choose it, we can build the first hydroelectric power station within three years, illuminating the entire peninsula."
His fingers paused.
"But its potential is limited. Even if fully developed, it would only be enough to support industrialization in the southern part of the peninsula, not enough to meet the future needs of the entire country."
Sophia's gaze followed the movement of his fingers.
Constantine then lifted his finger from the red line, slowly and firmly moving it to the northwest of the map, pointing to the thicker, darker blue line that stretched deep into the Pindus Mountains.
"This is the Aserloos River." His voice deepened. "It's currently the longest river in our country. It originates in the Pindus Mountains, flows south, and eventually empties into the Ionian Sea. Its hydropower potential is more than ten times that of the Alfios River."
Sofia could sense the immense drop and energy contained in the river from the dense contour lines on the map.
"But it flows through the Agrafa Mountains." Constantine pointed to a vast blank area on the map. "That's a true wilderness. No roads, no laws, only ancient tribes and rugged mountains. Controlling it—technology, politics, logistics—every step is hellish."
A choice is before us.
A stable and predictable present, a future fraught with risks.
Constantine did not make a decision immediately. He turned and pulled on an inconspicuous rope by the wall.
A crisp bell rang out from a corner outside the secret room.
A moment later, the sound of unhurried footsteps came from the steps.
A figure appeared at the entrance.
The visitor was no longer the taciturn "Papadopoulos Consultant" who wore ordinary work clothes on the Farilo construction site.
He changed into a neat academic outfit, his hair was combed meticulously, and his eyes behind his glasses were sharp and bright.
Nicholas Dimitrios.
He strode down the steps, first bowing respectfully to Sofia, and then, without pausing for a moment, went straight to a worktable next to him.
On the table was a rudimentary model consisting of a copper coil, a magnet, and a hand crank.
Under the watchful eyes of Constantine and Sophia, Dimitrios gently turned the crank of the model with his hand.
The model emitted a slight humming sound.
At the other end of the sealed room, a small light bulb connected by two thin copper wires suddenly lit up. Although the light was faint, it was as steady as a star in the night sky.
"Your Highness."
Dimitrios's voice carried a unique, irrepressible passion characteristic of scientists.
"My alternating current theory has been verified through modeling. The loss problem in long-distance high-voltage power transmission will be completely solved. Distances that direct current cannot cross will be easily overcome by it!"
His gaze shifted from the model to the enormous map, his eyes burning with intensity.
"But the true advantages of this technology can only be fully realized in ultra-long-distance, ultra-high-power transmission! The Alfios River is too small and too close for it! It's like asking a lion to catch a rabbit!"
"For its sake, for the future of Greece, we must choose the Aserloos River!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire secret room fell silent.
Constantine and Dimitrios exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes they saw the same determination.
"Choose the Ascheroos River."
Constantine's hammer fell, and the sound echoed in the sealed room.
He then turned to Dimitrios and began issuing instructions.
"Publicly, I will announce the establishment of a brand new committee—the 'Royal Commission for the Exploration of Mineral Resources.' Its task is to search for iron and copper mines throughout the country. This is a dull, lengthy, and perfectly reasonable excuse that will not attract the attention of Sir Harding or anyone else."
Sofia had been listening quietly to her husband's conversation with the brilliant scientist. Now, she walked up to the huge map.
Her voice was gentle, yet it carried an undeniable power.
"Connie, if it's just an exploration team, their target is too obvious. Besides, they'll arouse the vigilance and hostility of the mountain people in the Agrafa Mountains."
Her fair fingers gently touched the vast blank space in the Agrafa Mountains on the map.
"In my name, I will launch the rural aid program of the 'Trade Union Charity Fund.' I will organize a team of doctors and teachers to go deep into the Agrafa Mountains to build clinics and schools for them."
Sophia raised her head and looked at Constantine, her azure eyes gleaming with wisdom.
"Your exploration team can be integrated into our team as a 'security and logistics unit' for our aid program."
"We go to spread civilization and goodwill, and you, under our protection, go to measure the land and the future."