Jing Shu wasn't the kind of person who would borrow money from the government just to make it harder for them to "butcher the pig" later. It was a strategic move, especially when they still hadn't gotten their investment back.
Borrowing from the government was like borrowing a hen just to get its eggs. As long as the interest rate was lower than the rate of inflation, virtual coins would only get less valuable over time, while the tangible materials she used to pay back the debt would be worth more.
For example, if she borrowed a thousand virtual coins today and the annual inflation was six percent while the government's interest rate was only four, she was already ahead. If her assets appreciated at six percent per year, then by next year, that same money would only be worth nine hundred sixty coins in real value, while prices would have gone up six percent. In other words, she would be earning about eight percent in real value through the transaction.
She paused her thoughts. Wait, why did that sound like she was taking advantage of them?
"How much are you borrowing?" Jin Tianci asked, his eyes tracking her expression.
"One million virtual coins," she said, blinking her eyes innocently.
The man almost choked on his own breath. "How much?"
"One million virtual coins," she repeated, her voice steady.
"That much?" He stared at her suspiciously, leaning forward. "Four percent interest. How long is the loan term?"
"Thirty years? Okay, twenty? Fine, fine, five years, alright? I will pay sixteen thousand coins a month."
Jin Tianci narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "You don't have some terminal illness, do you? If you die in five years, I'm screwed."
"Relax, I will definitely die after you," she said confidently. Then she paused, the words hanging in the air. "Wait, that doesn't sound right. I will definitely die before you." No, that wasn't right either. "Okay, okay, I will definitely finish paying you back before I die, how is that?"
Only then did he nod in satisfaction, the tension leaving his frame. "Let Jun Jia handle the paperwork. Use the factory as collateral. If you miss three payments in a row, the factory is repossessed."
"Perfect. With this money, I can buy all kinds of stone and hire more workers. I will even have enough left for some working capital."
Just transporting those massive boulders from Xishan to Banana Community would cost a fortune in both fuel and labor. And she wasn't talking about one or two rocks, but enough to encircle the entire villa and withstand a huge, catastrophic mudslide. After doing the math, she figured both sides combined would cost tens of thousands of coins in total.
But now, all those problems were solved, and she could finally breathe easy.
When she got home later that day, she sat at her desk and started crossing off tasks from her little notebook with a pen. Her progress had been fast; almost everything on the list was done. Now she finally had time to seriously practice with her Rubik's Cube Space and check out the new crops growing in the fertile soil inside.
She had brought a full set of seeds back from the US. Knowing her own gluttonous tendencies, she had planted things like big cherries and other exotic fruits she had never tasted before. She had even thought about planting durian, since somehow, she had never had one in her life, but the smell might expose her secret to those outside. Maybe next time.
She bit into a plump, black-red cherry, and sweet, tangy juice burst across her tongue. The tender flesh made her taste buds sing with joy as she chewed.
"So sweet!"
These were American cherries; they were dark red, appearing almost black when ripe, and they were full of juice with a crisp sweetness that lingered in her mouth. They were absolutely delicious.
"Pfft—ha!"
She spat out the pits one by one, sending them flying across the space. Xiao Dou, the fat hen, clucked loudly as she flapped her wings and led her two little chicks over to snatch them up from the ground.
Lately, she had been feeling heaty, so she had stopped drinking her usual goji and red date tea. Grandma Jing decided to brew something special instead. It was the signature drink of Wu City, kvass. They had jars of honey stacked at home, after all. The ones she gave out to close friends were only the size of a matchbox, yet everyone was amazed by the quality. Honey was dangerously rare these days, and she still had whole jars of it tucked away.
Fermented with honey, the kvass had a rich, deep aroma that lingered in the room. After chilling it overnight in the cold, one sip of the icy drink filled her mouth with a faint hoppy flavor and the wild floral sweetness of the honey. It wasn't quite beer, but it was intoxicatingly fragrant.
Well, since they already had budget beer, why not go all out with a premium barbecue?
Her father came home early that day and started a fire in the naan pit behind the villa. Grandpa Jing had already butchered a one-year-old lamb for the occasion. The meat was tender and fresh, and he had cleaned the organs thoroughly to be used for braised dishes later. Even the hide would be tanned into a warm, fur-lined coat. Nothing went to waste in the apocalypse. Her grandparents were meticulous like that about every resource.
Grandma Jing marinated the entire lamb with onions, then stuffed the cavity with ginger slices, peppercorns, star anise, and ground fennel. She slashed the meat on the legs to help the seasoning soak in deep, then brushed the skin with soy sauce, a sugar glaze, and a little sesame oil for a beautiful shine.
Her father hung the whole lamb in the pit using heavy iron hooks, letting it roast slowly over the crackling fire.
The fruitwood burned with a gentle hiss, releasing that irresistible smoky aroma that drifted through the air.
Fat dripped from the lamb and sizzled onto the tray below. That oil was precious; Grandma Jing used it to make oil tea. She would fry flour, peanuts, and walnuts in it until they were fragrant, then mix it into a thick, savory paste that stayed good for years if it was sealed properly. A spoonful stirred into hot water turned into a rich, salty drink full of flavor and nutrition.
Jing Shu planned to have her make more of the paste. That way, when they migrated later, their breakfasts would be more varied. With milk, soy milk, milk tea, oil tea, and sesame paste, they could switch between them to avoid getting sick of the same thing every day.
"Ding-a-ling~"
Just as she was munching on her cherries and sipping her cold kvass, her phone started ringing like crazy. She sighed. The crops in her home garden could never keep up with what grew so quickly in her Cube Space. Plus, with one parent in the Planting Industry Department and the other managing the Livestock Breeding Center, she couldn't just take out fresh fruit whenever she wanted. Her parents knew exactly what existed in Wu City at any given time.
Take Xingfu Shiyuan, for example. Her mother, who was soon to be a minister, knew every single plant there like the back of her hand. That meant some fruits could only be enjoyed secretly inside her space until the ones at home grew naturally.
Still, she had brought out plenty of flat peaches to use as cover. Shi Mu and Xiao Xuan had transplanted their own peach trees to the villa, and her mother had been craving them. Jing Shu even brought back a small sapling today, secretly watering it with Spirit Spring so it would bear fruit in half a year.
"Hello?"
"Boss Jing, this is Manager Tuo," came the anxious voice on the other end of the line. "I just wanted to ask, when is the finance department starting work? We really can't hold on much longer! Everyone is so fired up, but since we're short-staffed, some people are cutting corners, and others are still waiting to see what happens."
"There's one more thing," he said nervously. "A lot of people somehow heard about us, and they're crowding in, trying to get hired. Some even look like they're here to stir up trouble. What should we do?"
"You have got a fixed quota, right? Stick to the old rule. Anyone who doesn't earn points for thirty straight days or has less than one percent of total points, cut them. As for those who want to join, fine—charge twenty virtual coins each, limit it to a hundred people. Oh, and let them take loans from the factory if needed."