Starting from 1618 of the Ming Dynasty

In the 46th year of the Wanli reign, the Ming Dynasty is beset by turmoil. The Jurchen tribes are sharpening their swords, the imperial court is in a state of decadence, and famine ravages the land during the Little Ice Age. Lu Yan, a seasoned overseas engineering director, finds himself transmigrated into the body of a poor, indebted scholar in Yanzhou, Shandong. Cornered by the local gentry, Lu Yan is forced into a desperate situation, but he refuses to accept his fate. Instead, he employs the ruthless tactics of an engineer to reshape the dynasty: "For a dilapidated building beyond repair, the only solution is—demolition and reconstruction!" With precision and cunning, Lu Yan monopolizes maritime trade with Japan, amasses wealth, and builds a modern war machine capable of overwhelming the enemy. In this era of ruin, Lu Yan uses steel and gunpowder to rebuild the backbone of Han civilization, leaving a trail of steel and smoke in his wake.