Chapter 486: Chapter 486

"Ah??" Manager Tuo wiped the sweat from his brow. He couldn’t have heard wrong, could he? Was it possible to join the factory and still need to fork out 20 Virtual Coins? This felt like highway robbery. Was he going crazy, or was the world crazy? Would anyone be foolish enough to offer 20 Virtual Coins? "Okay, fine. Even if someone wants to join, we don’t have a single Virtual Coin in our account. How can we lend them any?"

"Here’s the plan," Jing Shu said. "Those who want to join but don’t have Virtual Coins can use points to take out a loan. They just have to work off the equivalent of 20 Virtual Coins, right? It’s even better if people can pay directly with Virtual Coins. These individuals are usually merchants. Have Factory Director Su gather these people for a meeting to sell them on a grand vision. We can consider letting some of them become first-level distributors and give them an advance look at the qualifications for becoming agents in the thirteen districts of Wu City."

"Oh... all right then."

After thinking for a moment, Jing Shu instructed, "Starting tomorrow, supplies will be entering the factory. People specialized in repairs will come to completely secure its perimeter. I’ll arrange for electricians and surveillance. However, to prevent theft and other undesirable incidents, all non-factory workers must be cleared out from tomorrow. We will also implement a whistleblower system and cooperative surveillance. Everything must proceed according to plan."

"But... what if there’s no petty thievery or mischief, or no troublemakers either?"

Jing Shu stroked her chin. How could there be none? If there truly are none, it must mean they’re currently observing, weighing whether the potential rewards of causing trouble are worth the risks and consequences.

"If there are none, you feign a vulnerability to bait them. If there really are none, just get a few full-time workers to stage something. It’s crucial to make an example of someone to show them that the factory’s bottom line must not be crossed. After that, management will be much easier." Thus, these seeds of evil must be nipped in the bud.

"Understood." Manager Tuo’s sweat kept dripping. He thought of his decades in the Government, where he’d navigated cutthroat office politics and complex interpersonal relationships, never losing out to anyone. Yet, in this post-apocalyptic world, he found he couldn’t match a young woman’s ruthless grasp of human nature. He had truly lived in vain.

"That settles it then."

The call disconnected with a series of beeps.

Manager Tuo sighed. Initially, he had worried this was merely the fleeting enthusiasm of a rich, second-generation kid; ideas are wonderful, but when faced with setbacks, they might make excuses and shirk responsibility. But in reality... It seemed he needed to redouble his efforts. This might be his, Lao Tuo’s, second spring in his career.

The whole roast lamb was finally ready, sprinkled with fragrant sesame seeds and chopped green onions. The lamb’s exterior was golden and glistening, the outer meat charred and crispy, while the inner meat was soft and succulent. The aroma of the roasted meat was so fragrant and enticing that Jing Shu couldn’t stop swallowing.

A whole roasted lamb wasn’t enormous, but in this apocalypse, it was undoubtedly the epitome of a feast, especially since it was lamb nourished by the Spiritual Spring.

The whole roast lamb was placed on the dining table in the villa. In front of each person was a large glass of golden Kvas, an empty plate, and a small knife. There were also many side dishes on the table; it was truly a grand whole roast lamb banquet. The most update n0vels are published on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢~𝔫𝔢𝔱

Today wasn’t any special holiday. It was simply because she had remarked earlier, "Roast lamb with Kvas creates a better atmosphere and tastes even better." So, at Mr. Jing’s suggestion, the family had prepared this grand feast. After downing a large glass of Kvas, Mr. Jing used his knife to carve off large, bone-in pieces of meat.

Jing Shu selected an entire hind leg of the roast lamb. Holding the lamb leg in one hand, she used the small knife in her other to slice off pieces of meat and pop them into her mouth. The crispy sheepskin crackled delightfully. The charred skin was crisp and flaky, but the meat inside was incredibly tender—rich but not greasy, crispy and savory. It was truly a unique flavor!

...SLURP! So delicious! It felt like I was soaring through the clouds.

A whole roast lamb isn’t ideal for tearing apart by hand because the skin is too crispy. It’s best to slice it along the grain, ideally getting slices with a good portion of crispy skin and some fat along with the tender roasted meat. Finally, you pick up the bones to gnaw on and suck out the marrow.

One whole lamb wasn’t enough for Jing Shu’s large family, but fortunately, there were other dishes. Grandma Jing had made spicy lamb trotters from the lamb’s feet, the lamb head had been stewed into a mutton and spring onion soup, and the remaining offal was cooked into braised meat. This was all served with soft and crispy nang baked in a nang pit. With soup, a main course, and roasted meat, Jing Shu squinted in satisfaction, eating until she was about half-full.

This was the most satisfying meal she had eaten since her trip to the United States. Only after they finished eating did Mr. Jing mention that it was Grandpa Jing’s eighty-eighth birthday. They needed to use the eaten lamb head to pay respects to their ancestors. And since Jing Shu had wanted to eat whole roast lamb, they had decided to prepare one.

Well, Jing Shu had assumed it was just an ordinary day. Grandpa Jing’s generation, however, followed the lunar calendar, which Jing Shu didn’t really understand.

Besides, people hardly celebrated birthdays in the apocalypse. But now that their conditions had improved, birthdays could feature cake in addition to the traditional longevity noodles. So, at Jing Shu’s firm insistence, the cake she had brought back from the United States was brought out. Everyone got a slice, and Jing Shu packed up the rest. Only then did it feel like they had truly celebrated Grandpa Jing’s birthday.

"See, you just wanted to eat cake," Mrs. Jing said helplessly, thankful that Jing Shu could eat a lot without gaining weight. Otherwise, she would genuinely worry.

Grandpa Jing looked reproachfully at his wife. "We don’t usually celebrate birthdays. I just turned 88 and thought of using the lamb head for an offering to the ancestors. All this is such a waste..." Though his words were humble, the old man was beaming and clearly very pleased.

However, that night they held a family meeting to discuss how to survive better and more discreetly in the apocalypse. During the meeting, Jing Shu also brought up her plans to renovate the backyard and install the big stone.

"If you build a wall around it, won’t the neighbors and the people in front have objections?" Grandma Jing asked.

"Grandma, don’t worry," Jing Shu said. "I’ve already given them a heads-up. If it really becomes an issue, we can just buy up an additional ring of land around us. Land in the Banana District is getting more expensive, so buying it now is the right move."

The family thought Jing Shu was just planning to encircle the area with some stones, so they didn’t think much of it. Jing Shu didn’t elaborate further. The next day, after those who had work left, trucks sent by Qian Duoduo began to arrive, unloading huge blocks of stone one by one. Grandpa Jing and Grandma Jing were stunned.

"What on earth is this for?"

"Goodness gracious, aren’t these stones a bit too big? Are you planning to encircle the entire back mountain?"

Qian Duoduo really was efficient!

The first batch of stones had arrived, matching the specifications Jing Shu had planned. To withstand mudslides, small stones wouldn’t do. These stones were intended to act as ’channels’ to divert the flow and would need to bear considerable pressure. To prevent them from being washed away, they needed to be deeply rooted, the gaps between them filled with cement, and even waterproofed. Besides, even larger stones, destined for the very center, had yet to arrive.

So, it was a rather large project. Early in the morning, Xiao Liz arrived with about a hundred people undergoing labor reform to begin the work. The entire area around the villa became exceptionally lively.

"Quick, look! That villa is up to something big again. Why are they hauling in so many large stones?"

"What else could it be? You people are always eyeing their property. They obviously have to take precautions."