Today, Jing Shu wore a neatly pressed formal suit that fit her frame with sharp, clean lines. 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 under the dim factory lights. Still, Lai Ziba felt the powerful pressure coming off her like a mountain pressing down on his chest. It made it hard for him to breathe as he stood before her.
"Bold of you!"
Before Manager Tuo could even finish his words, Jing Shu waved her hand to quiet him. The whole crowd started whispering among themselves, the sound like a swarm of bees in the large hall. Everyone knew this woman was important. 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 had been loud and arrogant a moment ago, suddenly lost all his bravado. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"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 is there to stop someone with sticky fingers trying to steal something, or robbers coming for the food supply? My brothers and I can handle that, no problem. We aren't asking for 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 at his suggestion. "Bodyguards? We don't need them. Anyone with sticky fingers wouldn't dare anyway. The rules Manager Tuo didn't finish reading earlier will be posted later. Every employee has the right to supervise each other. Once someone is caught stealing and the evidence is 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, his eyes lighting up with hope.
Jing Shu gave him a long look from head to toe, her eyes tracing his scruffy appearance. "Didn't you hear what Manager Tuo said? The people who earn the most points from the newly posted jobs can choose their positions. There are no shortcuts here."
Lai Ziba rubbed his nose and muttered unhappily, "What about the shelter area we were assigned, huh? We have 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 your status. Besides, this land is mine now. My rules apply to everyone here. If you don't like it, feel free to report it to the higher-ups," she said coolly, her voice echoing.
Lai Ziba wasn't giving up yet. "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?" He turned to the crowd for support.
"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 for a better life. But that isn't fair to the people working hard to earn points. If they have earned them, why can't they let their families live comfortably?"
Lai Ziba tried again, desperate to stir the crowd. "The shelter shouldn't charge us, and you can't just kick us out. Zhang Zi, say something!"
Zhang Zi, who had been silent throughout the exchange, stepped up onto the 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 from his notebook.
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 will count as giving up.
"You have got three days to earn points. Only three. The best jobs are limited to just over a hundred people. The rest will be tougher and pay less. But if you become a team leader or supervisor, you will only need to assign and check work every day to earn a ton of points. You will 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 to 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 will do my best."
Lai Ziba frowned, looking around as the support he expected failed to materialize. "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 to his call. Instead, everyone started chattering excitedly about when they could start taking the jobs on the list.
Manager Tuo just smiled at the scene. An hour ago, if someone had told him they would make these people pay for rooms—ten points a month for a four-person one, and a hundred for a single—he would have said they were insane. Who would pay that much in this environment?
But now... the dream had already been spun, and they're all caught in it.
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 will 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 will 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 have got numbers on our side. But right now, all we have got is our labor. And with Manager Tuo here, what is there to be scared of?"
Lai Ziba grumbled under his breath, "Who knows if this factory is even legit..."
Just then, someone shouted from the edge of the stage, "Look, look! So many red nematodes! Quick, it'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 wriggling against the plastic. The sight alone was a living advertisement for the factory's potential. 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 to the waiting line.
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