Chapter 207: Chapter 207
Wang Qiqi took away several recommendations from Jing Shu and began his arduous journey up the social ladder. Although Jing Shu thought it was unlikely for Wang Qiqi to rise to a high position given his lack of resources, Jing Shu could offer him aid when absolutely necessary.
After all, a trustworthy person as a distribution director was much better than others; furthermore, all evacuations and future disaster sheltering would rely heavily on the distribution process.
If Wang Qiqi did indeed become the director, their positions would relatively improve a lot in the future.
Thinking so, investing in Wang Qiqi seems like a good idea indeed.
The items Wang Qiqi brought, except for the steel cutting machine that was currently useful, were of no use, and he handed them all over to Mr. Jing.
Jing Shu planned to use the steel acquired from Su Malie during her downtime in the coming days to cut it into versatile weapons, suitable for both offense and defense.
The idea of launching large steel arrows instead of stones was indeed thrilling.
Meanwhile, in the old group chat, Wu You’ai also announced:
"@everyone, the government will start salvage operations tomorrow. Anyone can sign up, with free transportation, but renting a life jacket costs 1 Virtual Coin. The surface of Wu City is covered with various usable items, all of which can be exchanged for Virtual Coins. Hurry up and register; life jackets are limited in number. This is also a way for you to earn Virtual Coins; you definitely won’t lose out."
"What, we still have to pay? Can those who are good swimmers just go directly into the water?"
Wu You’ai replied, "You can, but we won’t be responsible for your life or death. Oh, and those who have swim rings at home can also bring them."
I have a baby posted, "0.5 Virtual Coins to rent out a swim ring? Who would want that?"
Wu You’ai added, "Also, the big data system has updated the list of all salvageable materials with their corresponding Virtual Coin values and other rewards. You can use this price list to guide your salvage efforts and select useful items. Don’t try to exchange garbage; that would just be embarrassing."
That night, Jing Shu moved everything she didn’t currently need from her Magic Cube Space into the basement. This included burying all the huge rocks at the back of the mountain and placing the steel in the villa’s backyard, freeing up nearly half of her storage. She hoped for some good finds the next day.
At 4:00 AM on January 8th, Jing Shu, sporting dark circles under her eyes, was woken by Mrs. Jing to go to work. They drove off in the Shark Submarine. Since their deal with Chen Nan had been changed to acquiring materials for modifying their motorhome, their luxury car was gone. They didn’t dare drive their own energy vehicle either. Fortunately, they had an appointment with Wu You’ai, who was scheduled to visit them the next day.
Lucky me, just a few hours of sleep again.
Dear Mom, dear Mom, dear Mom! Jing Shu chanted silently three times before hitting the gas. She sped out from the surface level of Banana District, as the underground garage was now packed with people, making it unusable as an exit.
Jing Shu ate her breakfast on the go: a savory wrap stuffed with lettuce, grilled sausage, chicken tenders, fish fillet, beef sauce, and duck egg, washed down with pure milk. It was a quick, makeshift meal.
The floodwaters in the Development Zone had receded somewhat. Areas where utility poles were previously submerged now had their tops visible. However, the flood in the city center showed no signs of subsiding, dashing the hopes of many who wished to return home.
After ensuring the residents were settled, the Wu City Government commenced salvage operations today. They also encouraged the public to join in salvaging materials from the city center.
From this day forward, everyone became busy. Disaster strikes quickly, but post-disaster reconstruction is a long and arduous process.
Nothing changed at the Agricultural Management Department, other than the fact that since they started irrigating with rainwater from the storms, all vegetables were now covered with insect eggs. Some people were manually removing them, but it was mostly futile.
Upon arrival, Jing Shu immediately set to work de-worming, without saying a word.
She meticulously picked mature worms from the plants—a consequence of using the contaminated rainwater for irrigation—and drowned them in saltwater. She toiled for the better part of the day until all the vegetables were free of insects. During this process, she grew so dizzy that she almost felt she was experiencing an illusion, similar to the disorientation one might feel after playing with the Magic Cube for too long.
Something is definitely off with my Magic Cube lately, especially since it automatically reset. I can’t quite put my finger on it, Jing Shu mused. No matter. Once the Magic Cube upgrades, all these secrets should be revealed. The thought made her even more impatient for the upgrade, but unfortunately, the current technology didn’t permit it.
Mrs. Jing, seeing the fatigue on Jing Shu’s face, felt terribly distressed and insisted that she would not let Jing Shu undertake such tasks again; any future tasks should be delegated to others. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
It’s a good thing she was here, Mrs. Jing thought, her heart aching. Anyone else might have taken ten days to half a month and still not finished. By then, the crops would have been ruined.
"Alright, Mom, stop watering these vegetables for now, or we’ll just get more insect eggs," Jing Shu advised. "Hopefully, they’ll have a solution by the next planting cycle."
"This method is such a hassle," Mrs. Jing complained. "If we have to do this every time after watering, it will waste so much time!"
Jing Shu wasn’t aiming for this temporary fix. Her goal was to push everyone to find ways to cultivate crops cost-effectively on a large scale. Then, her mother could use simple, traditional methods to filter water for irrigation, successfully grow vegetables, and thus advance her own career.
The time should be ripe in a few days, Jing Shu thought.
"Hey, child, why are you in such a hurry? Skipping meals again? Where are you off to?"
"I’m just going out for a bit," Jing Shu replied vaguely.
"It’s so dark out, and with floods everywhere, where could you possibly go for a walk?!" Mrs. Jing exclaimed, worried.
The torrential rain continued to pour down on Wu City. The government had dispatched numerous Salvage Ships to the city center today to retrieve various items. If Jing Shu didn’t seize this opportunity to make a haul, how could she justify having her Magic Cube Space?
If I wait a few more days, all the valuable items will probably be gone.
Before the flood, these areas were tightly secured. Now, with the flood, everything is ownerless... hehe.
The tallest building in Wu City’s center remained submerged, not even its tip visible. Yet, at this very moment, helicopters hovered in mid-air, their powerful searchlights scanning the surroundings. WHIRR... The sound of their rotors cut through the rain.
Hundreds of Salvage Ships, both large and small, dotted the water’s surface. Aboard were the government’s newly recruited Salvage Workers. Each one was an excellent swimmer who had passed rigorous tests and was equipped with professional gear.
Some Salvage Ships were advanced, equipped with computer-controlled hooks. Others were less sophisticated, requiring Salvage Workers to manually secure objects before they could be hoisted aboard. Then there were the most traditional vessels, equipped with nothing but ropes, relying purely on manpower to pull items up from below.
In the apocalypse, manual labor was cheap because food would eventually be distributed to the masses regardless. Therefore, the government ultimately chose to direct resources, including food, towards those who could generate value.
Thus, many operations relied on Salvage Workers diving into the water to retrieve all sorts of items. Things that might have been considered worthless before the apocalypse had now become valuable.