Chapter 473: Chapter 473

The tyrant once said that what motivates employees to work hard, avoid laziness, and feel a sense of belonging isn’t strict rules and regulations, but benefits. Simply put, people work to earn Virtual Coins and food. Forget ideals or ambitions. Either provide enough Virtual Coins or ensure enough food, so people have no worries. Working 24 hours a day wouldn’t be a problem; Huaxia people are just that hardworking and resilient.

"Ah? Everyone? Why do you need so many people?" Lao Tuo’s mouth gaped open. Uncle coughed, almost choking. Mr. Jing swallowed. Has my daughter gone mad? he thought. Hiring 2,000 people in the apocalypse? Can she afford that many Virtual Coins and feed so many people?

"A Red Worm Processing Factory! Not only that, but I also want to hire you as the HR manager of this factory, responsible for selecting elite talent for various positions. As for your compensation, how about a profit-sharing system based on your performance? You know, in this factory, only those at the managerial level and above are entitled to profit-sharing.

Of course, you don’t need to give up your current duties. After all, your day-to-day job is to understand these people and protect their safety, isn’t it? Now, that task will become even more convenient."

"You—you’ve mastered the technology to breed red earthworms?!" Lao Tuo was thrilled, and the visiting specialists around him were even more shocked. If this technology had truly been mastered, the future development of this factory would be like printing money.

Jing Shu raised her eyebrows and didn’t speak. It should be soon, she thought. Best to paint a grand picture first.

Under the immense temptation, Lao Tuo—oh no, Manager Tuo—quickly integrated into his new role, but he couldn’t help worrying about the factory’s future.

"Even if our factory can breed many red earthworms daily, can we afford to hire so many people and pay their remuneration? What if there’s a labor surplus and many people don’t work?

What about those who want to stay but refuse to work? What if someone incites trouble? It’s all hard to manage." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝕟𝕖𝕥

The corners of Jing Shu’s mouth turned up slightly. "Our factory doesn’t distinguish between permanent and temporary workers. There’s no base salary, only commission: you get food equivalent to the work you do. Additionally, we implement a compensation grade system. Reaching a certain level means you can receive benefits even better than those of the Government’s permanent workers. I will explain this in detail later, so take notes.

Manager Tuo, do you realize? The greatest loyalty comes from shared interest. If we bind everyone’s interests together, what do you think will happen if only a small faction tries to stir up trouble?"

Manager Tuo wiped his sweat. They’d be drowned in spit!

See, now that his interests as an HR manager are involved, he’s anxious too, Jing Shu mused. Interest truly is the best tether for motivating people.

Uncle and Mr. Jing were utterly astounded. When had they ever seen Jing Shu list and clarify plans so meticulously, implementing almost entirely new rules? Uncle was sweating even more. If it really went as Jing Shu said, then his coming here would indeed just be for supervision. Oh no, he thought, maybe I’d also need to occasionally go up and explain things.

Half an hour later, the middle-aged Manager Tuo, holding a stack of notes, couldn’t help but admire Jing Shu immensely. She had not only solved the accommodation issue for these 2,000-plus people but had also tightly bound most of their interests together. As for the few bad apples...

Heh, they wouldn’t even need to deal with them; the rest of the people would willingly eliminate the Rat Meeting.

Jing Shu picked up her insulated cup and took a big sip of goji berry ginger sugar tea before speaking.

"Manager Tuo, here’s the plan. Take advantage of everyone being here. Gather them all, announce the acquisition, promote our philosophy, hold a meeting, and confirm everyone’s positions today. Surplus personnel can be assigned to sales, collecting rotten corpse insects, or construction to refurbish the factory."

The mudslides next year would also affect this area, though the villas would bear the initial brunt. Besides, in this desolate wilderness, Jing Shu could divert water at will, not worrying about blocking Old Wang next door’s entrance.

Moreover, this piece of land was mortgaged. Starting production a day earlier meant seeing results a day earlier. Jing Shu, a major boss, might not have a single Virtual Coin on her when she went out. She could always say, "I never carry money." If employees couldn’t be paid their wages, she could issue self-produced red worm cakes. But the loans still had to be repaid every month!

The factory in the Golden Land will be named the Red Worm Cake Processing Factory. To enrich the flavors, Jing Shu planned to have her experts develop several cheap and delicious varieties. These could be discussed later. First, they needed to establish the factory’s framework. The most important thing was to present this grand vision!

"What are they up to?"

"Heard we’re having a meeting. It’s been buzzing about since yesterday. The new boss who took over this land apparently wants to drive us all out. Zhang Zi, remember your promise—bring your hundreds of brothers to stand your ground. They want to start a factory, right? Demand a few dozen security spots from him. If they don’t agree, we’ll cause trouble—big trouble—so much that they can’t open their factory."

"TSK, TSK. Liu Zi and the others are working as security for the Government. They get one meal a day—it couldn’t be better, and it’s easy work. It’s nothing like us, dredging up corpses, working ourselves to death just to get by," Lai Ziba said enviously.

Zhang Zi nodded silently and said nothing else, clenching his fists. His wife and child were crammed in their room with other women, huddling together for warmth. All he could do was desperately try to earn Virtual Coins. His child received one government-subsidized meal, but it was far from enough. He would do anything to ensure his wife and child had enough to eat.

If anyone tried to force them out now, they shouldn’t blame him for being ruthless. That was the sentiment among all the brothers behind him as well.

Most people shared this mindset. Half of Wu City’s urban area buildings had been destroyed, and their original homes were gone. Earthquakes were frequent, and other shelters were full.

After the apocalypse, those who could pickle vegetables, grow crops, or practice medicine—anyone useful—had become regular workers, or at least temporary ones. Only they, the office workers from before the apocalypse, were utterly useless. So, where else could they go now?

The dilapidated factory was vast. Energy-saving lights flickered on, illuminating a jostling crowd below. Their forms were emaciated, their faces pale and sallow. They were clad in bizarre outfits cobbled together from any materials they could find—scraps of fabric, plastic sheets, even sofa leather. A makeshift podium stood at one end. Jing Shu looked out over them...

It’s like a Martial Arts Assembly to elect a leader for a malnourished Beggar Gang!

At that moment, the disparity was instantly, glaringly obvious. Only the middle class and regular workers—those who could afford proper meals—had rosy complexions and still wore normal pre-apocalypse clothing. The class divide was stark, as if branded onto everyone’s forehead, an indelible mark of their social standing.

Manager Tuo, holding a megaphone, stood on the stage and began, "Comrades, I have some good news for you!.."