The exact ratio of those five portions still depended on how well the factory performed. If production went up, she'd store more. If it dropped, she'd store less.
But according to Jing Shu's calculations, the factory's current output could at least meet the bare minimum consumption of a few hundred thousand people every day. And by "bare minimum," she meant mostly water with only a little bug paste, the kind that took ten minutes of chewing per bite just to trick your stomach into feeling full.
If they actually wanted to eat until they were satisfied, though, the daily yield could barely feed fewer than a hundred thousand people. That came to around ten tons of red nematodes.
Sure, that was still a long way from feeding millions, but hey, everything needed time to grow, right?
To anyone else, it might look like Jing Shu was running a losing business—borrowing loans, investing materials, giving away her profits left and right—but she'd already done the math. Once the factory reached full maturity, it could bring in at least fifty thousand virtual coins a day. And that was without even counting the stockpiled food reserves, which might not make extra money but could always be traded with the higher-ups for something valuable.
Once everything entered a stable loop, she wouldn't even need to lift a finger. The fifty thousand would just roll into her account every day. That's one and a half million virtual coins a month! Before long, she'd not only recover her investment but start making real profit. At that point, those virtual coins would just be long strings of numbers to her!
"Man, I really wanna know what it feels like to be filthy rich." She was practically drooling at the thought, already daydreaming about what to buy with all that money.
Wait, no. That wasn't the real reason she was doing this. She just didn't want Xingfu Shiyuan to be seized by the government a year later and drag her into the mess too. As long as Qian Duoduo stayed alive, he'd always be the one standing in front of them, shielding them from trouble. But if he died, everything would come crashing down on them. She wasn't trying to make a fortune—she was trying to keep Shiyuan from repeating history.
Still, how the hell did things end up like this, where she was running a factory for profit in the middle of the apocalypse?
"Well, guess I'll just have to accept it," she sighed, feeling oddly cheerful. Without wasting a second, she rushed straight to Jin Tianci's residence.
First, she wanted to check on his injuries. As it turned out, he was recovering well. All the medical equipment had been removed, and he looked much more energetic, though he still needed someone to support him while walking. That was expected, really. In her previous life, he hadn't died this early—he'd lasted another year. But after that? Would he still need this special medicine to stay alive?
The second reason for her visit was, of course, to play the "poor me" card. And that, she knew, required technique. You couldn't just complain for the sake of complaining—you had to do your homework first and know exactly what you wanted.
She sighed dramatically. "I'm broke, and I didn't realize starting a factory would be this hard. I was young and naive and threw in everything I had, only to find out I can't even keep it running now. But I promised to feed two thousand people! I'm helping reduce Wu City's burden, you know."
Jin Tianci chuckled, amused. He could tell perfectly well she was here with a motive, but he couldn't bring himself to be annoyed.
"Alright, just say it. What do you need? Whatever problem you've got, tell me, I'll sort it out. You've already got your own rules and systems, ranked your workers into tiers, even used a points system like your own factory.
I heard a lot of people have been working their butts off lately. You've definitely got a next move planned, don't you? So just spit it out—what do you have your eye on this time?"
Jing Shu smiled coolly. "To tell the truth, everything's ready except for one thing. You remember all that scrap metal left behind by the previous owner, right? Those massive industrial machines are useless to me, and they're taking up space. I want to melt them down and remake them into the equipment I actually need.
I've thought about it long and hard. Since I can't move those big machines out anyway, why not set up my own furnace and make my own equipment?"
Jin Tianci froze, then burst out laughing. "You really think big, don't you? You know the country started collecting scrap metal and iron weapons in the first year of the apocalypse, right? They're using it all to build the artificial sun project, and it's at a critical stage right now.
Besides, smelting equipment's all registered. You can't just 'get one' because you feel like it. But I can probably have Jun Jia borrow an industrial-frequency induction furnace for you. You'll need high-voltage power, though, and some skilled workers to mold the molten iron."
Jing Shu immediately said, "Power's no problem. I'll feed and house the workers, and I'll even give them bonuses."
He nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Most of those workers get a day or two off anyway. If you're in a hurry, I'll call in extra hands. We'll get it done in two days without delaying anyone."
"The sooner, the better," she said, grinning.
With that, the factory equipment issue was settled. She didn't even need anything fancy—just some workstations, conveyor belts, breeding rooms, and basic processing gear. The old craftsmen could handle all that easily. What mattered was building a streamlined workflow to boost efficiency.
"Anything else?" Jin Tianci asked when he noticed she was zoning out.
She nodded. "Yeah. I've recently bred a large batch of Sulfuric Acid Ants. You can extract sulfuric acid from them. It's pretty useful—it can be used as fertilizer, feed, or even for industrial stuff. I've already reserved a section of the factory for it, but without the right equipment, I don't dare start production yet."
"How much can you produce?" he asked, intrigued.
"Not much for now, but once things stabilize, a few hundred kilograms a day won't be a problem."
In truth, the old Sulfuric Acid Ant Queen had been nearing death, but after being nourished by her Spirit Spring, it was like the creature's meridians had been unblocked. Its egg production had multiplied several times over, and it was still rising steadily. The ants might be tiny, but the diluted acid from their bodies could yield quite a lot.
Jin Tianci's eyes lit up. Before the apocalypse, sulfuric acid plants were everywhere, often overproducing. But now? They were gone. And while sulfuric acid didn't seem essential, it was actually used in tons of processes. The problem was, it was insanely corrosive and dangerous. A small whiff could wreck your lungs, and getting it on your skin was even worse.
Still, there was no denying that they needed it.
"Alright, here's the deal," he said. "We'll provide the technology and manpower, and you supply the Sulfuric Acid Ants. We'll go into partnership. Thirty-seventy split—you take seven."
"Deal!" she agreed instantly.
With that settled, Jing Shu still didn't leave.
"You've got more?" he asked, half-laughing.
"Yeah, actually... I'm really out of money. I wanted to borrow a bit to keep things going."
She coughed lightly. She did have plenty of materials she could trade or flip for profit—including some top-grade stuff she'd brought back from the US—but virtual coins were just numbers. They didn't give her the same security as having tangible resources in her hands. And besides, those supplies still had their uses.