Chapter 415: Chapter 415

Of course, this thought only flashed through everyone’s minds briefly before the main event commenced, as discussions began regarding their respective share allocations.

The sum of eight million pounds was enormous in the post-apocalypse. Only farm owners possessing diverse supplies and food in a technologically advanced city like Austin could amass such wealth.

However, Dr. Bo stipulated a one-time delivery of this vast quantity of supplies. This inevitably posed a challenge for some to gather everything quickly, especially since food had become hard currency. Why were many cities declaring independence and issuing their own currency? It was to control more food and supplies, a favorite practice of the powerful and capitalists. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽

But this was an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime; what could be done? So, while these people were committing large amounts of supplies, they also started borrowing food—from the authorities in Austin, and from relatives and friends.

In their eyes, Jing Shu saw a reflection of some elderly women in Huaxia who had been scammed. They not only used all their retirement savings but also borrowed from relatives and friends, all in the hope of doubling their investment in just a few days! It felt as if investing any less was an absolute loss!

This was the perfect time for a slogan: the more you invest, the more you earn.

Dr. Bo would typically advise from the sidelines, "Don’t invest too much; I have a quota." However, this had the opposite effect, prompting them to immediately write promissory notes and become even more frantic.

Soon, the eight million pounds’ worth of various supplies was cleanly allocated. Austin’s representative invested three million pounds, a single Slave Master contributed two million, and some prosperous local elites collectively invested one million. The farm owners completely snapped up the remainder. Of course, Jing Shu, as a small-time investor, also secured a few thousand pounds’ worth, making her feel a tad sheepish.

Now, Dr. Bo was no longer in control; Austin’s executive power was formidable. Dr. Bo didn’t even need to lift a finger. The very next day, all his belongings and experimental materials were transported outside Austin City to a fissure created by an earthquake. The fissure, however, concealed an unexpected sanctuary, resembling an overturned bowl.

Peering down from the opening above, one could see roiling lava hundreds of meters below in the center. The surrounding recessed areas resembled the inner walls of a massive hearth. The entire cavity was supported only by these inner walls, looking as if it might collapse at any moment.

It was indeed dangerous!

The people of Austin placed great trust in Dr. Bo, despite a recent increase in nosebleed incidents among the populace. However, no one connected this to the glowing wall. Consequently, after delivering all the supplies, they withdrew, leaving only thirty bodyguards to ’protect’ Dr. Bo.

The farm owners, meanwhile, dispatched over two hundred ’Supervisors’ to remain stationed outside the fissure’s entrance. They brought ample food and camping equipment, and naturally, they were fully armed to protect their own food and supplies. Notably, the Slave Master, having learned his lesson, also dispatched two A-rank mercenary teams to stand guard.

Dr. Bo complained incessantly throughout the journey: "This cursed place is too dangerous! Why can’t they send more people to protect me? If anything happens, they absolutely must protect me first..." Blah, blah, blah. His constant carping paradoxically caused the surrounding bodyguards to relax slightly. One had to admit, the scene projected an overwhelming sense of security!

Below was molten lava, with only one exit. Everyone was stationed at the fissure’s sole exit, guarding Dr. Bo. Their task now was simple: wait five days for Dr. Bo to complete the conversion process, after which they would arrange for everything to be transported back.

Eight million pounds—equivalent to 3,000 tons of goods. What did such a figure represent? Consider the large freight trucks commonly seen on roads, each capable of carrying around fifty tons of cargo; it would take a convoy of dozens of such trucks to haul this volume of materials!

This was why both Austin’s authorities and the farm owners felt extremely secure. With only Dr. Bo and his handful of assistants, moving the goods box by box would take them until the next year. They knew full well the colossal manpower that had been mobilized to transport these supplies so swiftly!

They weren’t afraid even if robbers appeared. A small group of assailants could be easily eliminated by their armed forces. If a larger force attacked, reinforcements could be flown in by helicopter in waves. Besides, 3,000 tons of supplies couldn’t just vanish in an instant, could they?

The bulk of these goods consisted of the United States’ strategic food reserves from before the apocalypse, including stored grains like corn and wheat—the varieties were too numerous to list. Additionally, there were minerals, the Slave Master’s most valuable assets. He had little choice in the matter; with most of his food supplies stolen, he was now banking on these last remaining rare minerals to reverse his fortunes.

Minerals are dense and occupy minimal volume; a single lump could weigh several tons. In contrast, even large containers of corn might only hold a few hundred pounds each.

Austin had no shortage of oil, making transportation straightforward, especially since the site was only a few dozen kilometers away. The goods were deposited within the fissure of the collapsed mountain. It was rumored that proximity to the new raw material, the Water of Life, enhanced the transformation’s effectiveness, so everyone was eager.

Only after these many tons of goods were moved inside did the true vastness of the mountain’s internal cavity become apparent. The space these goods occupied amounted to less than one-tenth of the fissure’s total area.

Dr. Bo, living up to expectations, promptly began refining the Water of Life with his slaves. The thirty individuals assigned to ’supervise’ Dr. Bo were positioned above, occasionally glancing down. They understood that no one was permitted near Dr. Bo while his experiments were underway. Their supervisory role also included ensuring Dr. Bo’s safety. In a location with molten magma below and only one exit above, their primary responsibility was to secure that single point of access.

With all the goods transported, what were Jing Shu and her team doing?

Naturally, it was time for the eagerly anticipated division of the spoils!

Firstly, all the Seeds became Jing Shu’s personal property. Secondly, the vegetable dehydration technology and equipment—the primary objective of this mission—also went to Jing Shu’s group. Furthermore, all the minerals were to be divided equally among Jing Shu’s team members. These were not state property and did not need to be surrendered! The two million pounds of minerals, approximately 900 tons, might not have seemed like a vast quantity, but their value was terrifyingly high, as they were all rare minerals.

Everyone had struck it rich! Naturally, this came at the cost of a significant number of Contribution Points for each of them. If their points were insufficient, they could use minerals to offset their Contribution Value, though this might halve their actual take. However, if the state didn’t arrange transportation, they wouldn’t be able to bring the minerals back themselves anyway. After all, ensuring everyone profited a little was the key to a perfect resolution.

All the remaining food and grain supplies were allocated to Dr. Bo’s group.

So, why was Dr. Bo willing to cede all the minerals—representing a quarter of the total profit value—to Jing Shu and her team?

It was because Jing Shu’s team had shouldered all the critical tasks this time: digging the tunnel, transporting the goods, and planning the escape!