Chapter 281: Chapter 281

Wang Daxian, who had just been insisting on giving up his position, now winked at Jing Shu. Jing Shu felt that Wang Daxian might have known something in advance.

Did he know that her tobacco cultivation was about to be in demand, so he wanted to get on her good side in advance?

Indeed, whether or not he wanted the position, he was already the designated vice president; taking the role was merely a formality. So, him giving me a heads-up in advance wouldn’t be an issue, right? Jing Shu shook her head, pushing these thoughts aside for the moment.

"COUGH, COUGH. That’s the information from above. It looks like we’re going to be working overtime again today. I won’t elaborate on the importance of this document; the headquarters’ competition occurs only once a year. It decides the upcoming strategic material distribution and your compensation. If you pass the preliminary test, you’ll get more resources and better compensation. If you don’t pass, you get fewer resources—you know the drill..."

"Okay, let’s first decide on the vice president before we discuss anything else. Jing Shu, you can continue. Just say a few words; don’t delay everyone, as we have much to do. As usual, the more you accomplish, the larger your share of the resources. Resources will be distributed based on each person’s cultivation output," Zhou Bapi said, revealing his Big Yellow Teeth.

"Alright." Jing Shu smiled; victory was assured. She hadn’t anticipated such a fortunate turn of events so soon. She thought it would take at least a month, when the insects were rampant, for her to finally have her moment of triumph. Yet, the document from headquarters had arrived sooner than expected to address this very issue.

In her previous life, Wu City probably hadn’t passed the preliminary test. Would she change the course of history in this life?

"Of the dozens of medicinal materials listed, I don’t have Seeds for a single one! It’s over!"

"Since the special Seed storage at the Seed Station was flooded, the salvaged Seeds are damp, with a germination rate of less than one in ten. Should we try our luck again?"

"There’s no more time to wait. Should we ask Jing Shu to share some Seeds? Her Seeds are truly exceptional, not to mention she’s truly skilled at cultivation. Lucky her, having cultivated five racks of tobacco, which are now mature. It looks like passing the preliminary test will depend on her."

"You have to admire her for having such tobacco. It seems she’s a shoo-in for vice president now."

The noise from the audience gradually quieted.

Jing Shu cleared her throat and said, "Let me just say a few words. I inadvertently cultivated a bit too much tobacco. As you can all see, the Seeds are plump and have a very high germination rate. If you select me as vice president, I can allocate tobacco Seeds, and if any problems arise, I can offer guidance. Oh, and by the way, those who previously said my tobacco cultivation was worthless will not be included in the distribution. That is all."

Pharmacist Liu’s face turned livid. This person really holds grudges!

Excited shouts erupted from the audience. Who became vice president didn’t really matter to them. However, if Jing Shu became vice president and could distribute Seeds and resolve difficult issues, there could be no better choice.

Wang Daxian took the microphone and laughed. "President Zhou, I think we can skip the voting; it’s a waste of time. Let’s just choose Jing Shu as vice president. She really has a knack for cultivating tobacco. If everyone starts cultivating tobacco and follows her guidance, we won’t need to procure other medicinal materials; we can directly make the worm-killing medicine. Perhaps we’ll easily pass the preliminary test then."

Zhou Bapi chuckled. "That still depends on the opinions of the leaders inspecting today."

Dean Zhang, with his corpulent belly resembling the KFC mascot, laughed and said, "I agree with Jing Shu as vice president. She indeed has a knack for cultivation. With her expertise, she’ll definitely secure substantial resources for Wu City’s Medicinal Materials Association, which will more than compensate for any other shortcomings."

Pharmacist Liu’s face was dark as he forced a smile. "We should still ask if anyone disagrees."

Zhou Bapi was already grinning from ear to ear. "So, is there anyone who disagrees?"

Who would be foolish enough to disagree? Didn’t they want the Seeds anymore?

"I do!" Jiaojiao stood up and walked onto the stage. Her "I do!" attracted everyone’s attention.

Zhou Bapi frowned. "Why do you disagree?"

"Presidents, what Jing Shu cultivated is considered property of the Medicinal Materials Association. Therefore, these tobacco plants she grew should be managed by the Association. They were originally intended to be directly collected and then distributed to everyone. Contributing cultivated items to the Medicinal Materials Association is what’s expected, isn’t it?"

"Are you saying that if we don’t vote for her, we can’t get the tobacco Seeds? These items inherently belong to the Pharmacist Association; why would we need her approval? Since that’s the case, electing a vice president has nothing to do with this. Mr. Wang is more authoritative, and I believe he is more capable of leading us," Jiaojiao spoke eloquently, a trace of smugness in her words.

Everyone understood Wang Jiaojiao’s implication: once items were cultivated for the Medicinal Materials Association, they no longer had anything to do with Jing Shu, so she would have no authority to distribute the herbal Seeds.

At this moment, Wang Daxian stood up and said with a laugh, "Little Miss, how about you come to work and make contributions without receiving a salary, alright?"

"Th-that’s impossible!"

One works for a salary; otherwise, who would bother working?

Jing Shu stepped forward slightly and said with a smile, "The Medicinal Materials Association’s rules state that if one uses their own Seeds, the cultivated herbs are to be submitted in exchange for Contribution Points, but any new Seeds produced from those plants remain the property of the owner. I apologize, but these are my own Seeds. I can submit the tobacco for Contribution Points, but the new Seeds are mine. I have no obligation to contribute them."

Jiaojiao frowned and said, "Impossible! When was this rule established?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱

A slight smile touched the corners of Jing Shu’s lips. Two months ago, she had specifically asked Zhou Bapi about this. While she could accept that the cultivated plants would be considered communal property, she believed that any Seeds produced from her personally supplied Seeds should be returned to her.

Later, Zhou Bapi had said that to boost employee morale, individuals were allowed to keep any Seeds produced from Seeds they had personally supplied. He had even added this clause to the new regulations. However, since most employees couldn’t acquire many extra Seeds, few people were aware of this rule.

"I added that rule two months ago. All three vice presidents agreed," Zhou Bapi stood up and stated.

Jiaojiao’s face turned pale, and she stumbled backward, collapsing into her seat. Various complaints arose from the audience below. They grumbled that Jiaojiao was being a busybody and that if she angered Jing Shu, who might then refuse to distribute Seeds, they would all be helpless.

"So, are there any other objections? ...None? Excellent. Now, Chairman Tie has an announcement for everyone," Zhou Bapi grinned.

Chairman Tie took a deep breath. "After today’s assessment, we recognize that Jing Shu is capable of serving as vice president. Mr. Wang is also undoubtedly qualified. However, Wu City has limited quotas for vice presidents, and I cannot allow Wu City’s Medicinal Materials Association to stagnate. Therefore, I have decided... to step down and yield the position to someone more capable! I will move to a supporting role at the pharmaceutical factory and entrust this significant responsibility to those better suited for it."