Today, Jing Shu wore a neatly pressed formal suit. Even though the outfit looked strict and professional, it couldn't hide the youthful air around her or the soft glow of her fair skin. Still, Lai Ziba felt the powerful pressure coming off her like a mountain pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
"Bold of you!"
Before Manager Tuo could even finish his words, Jing Shu waved her hand. The whole crowd started whispering among themselves. Everyone knew this woman. Wasn't she the same person Manager Tuo had gone up to shake hands with when she got out of the car? Even Director Su had been standing behind her like an assistant back then.
"I'm the investor of this factory and the developer of the ZS880 Red Nematode Reproduction Solution. You can call me Boss Jing," she said calmly, looking down at Lai Ziba from above.
For some reason, Lai Ziba, who'd been loud and arrogant a moment ago, suddenly lost all his bravado.
"B-Boss Jing, h-hello. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just saying the factory definitely needs bodyguards around the clock, right? Otherwise, what if someone with sticky fingers tries to steal something, or robbers come for the food supply? My brothers and I can handle that, no problem. We're not asking much, either. As long as we get food and a place to stay, we're good," he said, sneaking a glance at Zhang Zi.
Jing Shu let out a small, disdainful laugh. "Bodyguards? Don't need them. Anyone with sticky fingers wouldn't dare anyway. The rules Manager Tuo didn't finish reading earlier will be printed out later. Every employee has the right to supervise each other. Once someone's caught stealing and the evidence's confirmed, the person who reports them will directly inherit all of their points and star level. The thief will then be sent to the inner zone for labor reform and won't be coming out again. So maybe think twice about the consequences."
Then she added, "But an inspector position might be necessary."
"Yeah, yeah, I can do that! My brothers and I can be inspectors. That's totally our thing," Lai Ziba said quickly.
Jing Shu gave him a long look from head to toe. "Didn't you hear what Manager Tuo said? The people who earn the most points from the newly posted jobs can choose their positions."
Lai Ziba rubbed his nose and muttered unhappily, "What about the shelter area we were assigned, huh? We've got the right to live there. You say LV3 gets a four-person room, so where do LV0 people go when there's no space left? You're basically kicking us out, aren't you?"
"You can work here and earn points to level up. Besides, this land's mine now. My rules apply. If you don't like it, feel free to report it to the higher-ups," she said coolly.
Lai Ziba wasn't giving up. "But even the LV1 sixteen-person rooms cost money now, and the LV3 four-person rooms cost ten points a month. Why not use that to buy food instead? You guys agree, right?"
"You've got a thousand bucks, and I'm asking for ten to stay in a four-person room for a month, and you're still complaining? Then go sleep in the hallway for free. Face it, you just don't want to pay. But that's not fair to the people working hard to earn points. If they've earned them, why can't they let their families live comfortably?"
Lai Ziba tried again, "The shelter shouldn't charge us, and you can't just kick us out. Zhang Zi, say something!"
Zhang Zi, who'd been silent, stepped up on stage. He stared straight at Jing Shu and asked, "Can you guarantee what you said? That as long as we work hard and earn points, we'll get what you promised? What kind of jobs are being posted anyway?"
Jing Shu waved her hand at Manager Tuo, signaling him to announce the list.
Collectors: 1 point for every 100 kilograms of carrion scavengers. No limit.
Brick movers: 1 point per cleared section of stone. Limit 50 people.
Cooks: 1 point for preparing food for 200 people. Limit 15 people.
Builders: 3 points for factory repair work. Limit 30 people.
Cleaners: 1 point for cleaning the factory. Limit 100 people.
Quality inspectors: 0.1 points per check. Limit 50 people.
Anyone who fails to meet the requirements must redo their task or it'll count as giving up.
"You've got three days to earn points. Only three. The best jobs are limited to just over a hundred people. The rest will be tougher. But if you become a team leader or supervisor, you'll only need to assign and check work every day to earn a ton of points. You'll live in big rooms and get free buffets for your whole family every day, so work hard," Manager Tuo added with a grin.
Jing Shu smiled at Zhang Zi, who was standing there clenching his fists. "Well? If you want earn points fast, I suggest catching carrion scavengers outside. They're as easy to grab as red nematodes, just scoop them up by the handful."
Zhang Zi gritted his teeth and nodded. "Got it. I'll do my best."
Lai Ziba frowned. "Hey, hey, wait a second. We were talking about the shelter fees, not jobs! We should all protest! Why should we pay so much? Don't you guys agree?"
But no one responded. Instead, everyone started chattering about when they could start taking jobs.
Manager Tuo just smiled at the scene. An hour ago, if someone had told him they'd make these people pay for rooms—ten points a month for a four-person one, and a hundred for a single—he'd have said they were insane. Who'd pay that much?
But now... the dream had already been spun.
Zhang Zi turned to Lai Ziba. "I don't want my wife and kid crammed in with others anymore. The dorm setup makes sense, and I'll pay the points so they can live better. I don't want them starving or going without vegetables either. Before, we didn't have a choice, but now that we do, I'm not wasting it. I'll be one of the first to pick the high-point jobs."
He paused and added, "You should work hard too, Lai Ziba. Don't just loaf around. If they're lying to us, fine, we've got numbers on our side. But right now, all we've got is our labor. And with Manager Tuo here, what's there to be scared of?"
Lai Ziba grumbled, "Who knows if this factory's even legit..."
Just then, someone shouted, "Look, look! So many red nematodes! Quick, the cup's overflowing!"
People rushed over with basins to catch them. In no time, a tiny cupful turned into a whole basin packed with fast-growing red nematodes. The sight alone was a living advertisement. With tech like that, how could this factory not take off?
The crowd's mood shifted instantly. Those thinking of slacking off didn't dare say a word anymore. Most people eagerly took up tasks, ready to get to work right away. Manager Tuo and a few official workers started assigning ranks and duties.
A new busy day had begun.
And for once, it felt like things might actually turn out alright.
===
So, I Became a Fairy And Lived Forever In The Fairy World is already rewritten and up on my AO3 account plus I changed the webnovel version. Now it's The Cube Queen's Apocalypse Feast's turn, it'll get the same treatment, rewritten and published on AO3 and on Webnovel.
After that, I might work on The Villainess Refuses to Repent or Troublemaker's Guide to Immortality, then I'll move on to Feng Ling's novels like Stealing Luck and The Heir of Chaos. Basically, every novel I've released on Webnovel that I later post on AO3 will get the same process. I'll rewrite, expand, and smooth everything out, but I won't touch the Webnovel version. That means each story will eventually have two versions, the polished one with my current style and the original one where you can see my whole journey as a translator and how my style slowly turned into what it is now.
If you want to follow my projects, I really recommend subscribing to my AO3 profile under the name Rikhi. For the latest announcements and updates, you can also join my Discord server at discord.gg/75sprU6DdD