Watching the veterans of industry work, Jason felt a profound sense of respect. These masters, many of whom had begun their careers in the 1960s and 70s, were the backbone of the nation's industrial strength. "If you need anything at all, you must tell the site manager," Jason instructed, looking at the gray-haired engineers who had traded a comfortable retirement for the harsh winds of Dragonstone. "We cannot let these men suffer while they build our future".
As they discussed the ongoing energy revolution, the mood was triumphant. The fact that their homeland now held a global monopoly on the Dragon Crystal battery market was a source of immense pride for everyone on the island.
While walking toward the administrative offices, Jason encountered a sanitation worker dressed in the blue "Zhongwei Mining" uniform, which bore both the modern script and Westerosi letters. Beside her, a blonde, blue-eyed girl of about six or seven was bouncing around, helping her mother pick up stray debris.
As Jason's party approached, the woman—gripped by the traditional fear of the nobility—hurriedly pulled her daughter to the side of the road and bowed her head in trembling silence. Jason stopped, his eyes gentle as he looked at the pair.
"Ma'am, are you a native of Dragonstone?" Jason asked in the local tongue.
The woman's hand shook as she held her broom. "Yes... yes, my lord," she stammered, her voice low. "My name is Ellie. This is my daughter, Liya. We were fishermen once... my husband works in the mines now".
As Jason spoke with her, the tension slowly drained from Ellie's shoulders. She began to glow as she described their new life. They had rice to eat every day, plenty of meat, and Liya's favorite—canned yellow peaches. Even the sturdy blue clothes they wore were a luxury compared to the rags of their past.
But as Jason watched little Liya helping her mother sweep, he realized that a life of menial labor wasn't enough for the next generation.
"Can we set up a primary school here?" Jason asked the site manager once they reached the office. "Every child under fifteen on this island needs to be in a classroom".
The manager looked sheepish. "Mr. Liu, we're stretched thin just keeping the mine running. There are about 412 children here between the ages of four and fifteen. To teach them all, we'd need at least seven teachers from the modern side".
"I'll speak to the advisory group in King's Landing," Jason sighed, rubbing his temples. Westeros was now unified, but the Red Keep was drowning in paperwork. With an illiteracy rate over 95%, governing this feudal kingdom was proving to be a monumental task that required more modern talent than they currently had.
Jason returned to King's Landing via helicopter just as the tides of war were being finalized. Jon Snow had arrived by sea, escorting a fleet of aristocratic captives from the Western territories. To maintain order in the West, Colonel Li remained behind with 30,000 troops to garrison major cities and suppress banditry.
In the East, the transition was far more brutal. Edmure Tully had swept through the Vale, but the true architect of the campaign was Colonel Luo. Jason and his advisors had given Luo a clear mandate: uproot the Great Houses of the Vale and move them to King's Landing to strip them of their regional power.
Most submitted out of fear, but some still clung to the old ways. Yohn Royce, the "Bronze Knight" of Runestone, raised his banners in defiance against the forced relocation. He believed his ancient stone walls could protect his legacy.
He was wrong.
Colonel Luo didn't bother with a siege. He simply ordered the artillery units to open fire. In the blink of an eye, the ancient seat of House Royce was reduced to a pile of smoking rubble. Not a single direct member of the Royce family survived the blast. It was a cold, loud message to the rest of the nobility: the era of knights and castles was over. The era of Starfire City had begun.