Heavens, Jing Shu had been dreaming about getting a mobile mansion for a very long time. Back when she first set up the Red Nematode Breeding and Processing Factory, she was already thinking about the possibility. The factory's location was a calculated choice, and the image of a permanent, comfortable sanctuary on that land had never truly left her mind.
And the reason she had chosen that exact spot for the factory was simple. In the ten years of the apocalypse she remembered from her past life, that location barely suffered any major disasters. Even after the great migration, people would eventually return a few years later to reclaim the area.
Sure, life after the migration had been comfortable for a while, but the apocalypse never let any place stay livable forever. Sooner or later, people would have to move again, and for many reasons, they would end up coming back to the ruins of Wu City.
By then, Wu City was already battered to the point of collapse. The number of places still livable and suitable for human habitation had become painfully small, and the factory grounds were one of the rare remaining treasures in the wasteland. Compared to it, even the luxury villa she lived in now didn't feel that safe against the shifting tides of the world.
Although Jing Shu had upgraded the Red Nematode Breeding and Processing Factory significantly, she hadn't built anything new on the surrounding land. There's still a space behind the main facility about the size of a football field. She had kept that space for herself from the very beginning, leaving it as a flat expanse of packed earth.
It had been her little selfish plan back then. She wanted a place reserved in case something happened in the future. It was her fallback plan, her ultimate insurance policy. So she had been thinking about getting a mobile mansion for years. A standard RV was fine for travel, but it wasn't nearly as comfortable as a proper mansion.
She never expected she would actually get the chance to own one.
But today, Li Yuetian told her there's a mobile mansion available for trade.
"Are you serious? What kind of mobile mansion? Don't tell me it's one of those cheap modular houses. Those things are everywhere." Jing Shu leaned in across the table, not even noticing how her voice had climbed with excitement.
Li Yuetian pulled up some promotional material from the Elite Club on his tablet and handed it to her. The digital screen was bright, showing high-resolution images that looked out of place in their dim surroundings. "Take a look. These are some of the big items at the Elite Club. The mobile mansions' models, sizes, and materials are all clearly listed here."
Jing Shu quickly studied the information, her eyes darting across the blueprints and specifications. As she kept reading, her mouth slowly dropped open. She couldn't help whispering, "Holy shit." These mobile mansions were ridiculously high-end, built with reinforced alloys and advanced insulation. There were ten custom units available, each one a double-story house with a sprawling living space. They were already fully furnished with top-tier amenities, and the catalog stated that buyers could inspect everything on-site before finalizing the deal.
Li Yuetian cleared his throat, the sound sharp in the quiet room. "You really got lucky this time. The real estate company owed a massive debt and couldn't repay it, so they went bankrupt. But they want to exchange their remaining assets for food or apocalypse supplies. They don't want virtual currency that might lose value tomorrow. So even if you don't have money, you will be fine. Just bring some of your Red Nematode Patties and you will get one."
Jing Shu casually wiped a stray bit of moisture at the corner of her mouth. She had already looked through the mobile mansion summary twice. She hadn't gone into every technical detail yet, but she could already tell it was exactly what she needed for her long-term survival strategy.
She tried to act composed, smoothing her expression. "You make a good point. When does the Elite Club start? Is the trade done on-site or through a trustee?"
"Tomorrow. It's usually on-site. The government isn't involved this time. They are just taking goods. They need food desperately, so they are scraping together whatever they can from the private sector. If not, there's no point hosting an Elite Club."
He didn't explain where the goods originated, but that part didn't matter to her anymore. The source was less important than the opportunity.
Jing Shu nodded. It looked like tomorrow she would have to bring a lot of bugs. She felt a little embarrassed by the nature of her wealth. She didn't have anything fancy or traditional to exchange, so she would have to rely on her worm production. But she didn't truly care what others thought. She had to get that mobile mansion no matter what the cost in patties was.
After setting everything with Li Yuetian, Jing Shu didn't even remember the drama in her college group chat anymore. Her entire mind was filled with thoughts of the double-story mobile mansion. This thing would determine her quality of life for the rest of the apocalypse. Everything depended on how extravagant this mobile mansion turned out to be once she stepped inside.
So, after parting with Li Yuetian, she immediately called the Red Nematode Breeding and Processing Factory. "Prepare the patties. We are heading out tomorrow. Yes, bring five trucks."
She knew a mobile mansion would require tons of patties to settle the account. If this were the capital, she would bring rare stuff like dried blood mushrooms, honey, or fire ham to the table.
But this was Wu City. Jing Shu didn't want to attract dangerous attention by showing off her highest-quality luxury reserves. Any edible supply was a luxury here. Bringing out rare food wasn't showing off. It was begging to be killed.
Better to wait for the fifth year of the apocalypse. By then, food would be even more valuable than it was now. Anything edible would be hard currency. But she didn't want to gamble on the future. She would get the mobile mansion tomorrow.
She didn't mind spending a huge amount of patties. The patties weren't on the same level as rice or flour in the eyes of the public. Even if she brought a lot, people wouldn't get too jealous of a pile of processed worms.
Besides, the factory's daily production was extremely high now. Even though half of it was sent throughout Wu City every day, she still kept the other half in storage in case of a total food crisis. She had even built several extra warehouses to house the overflow.
Since she was determined to get the mobile mansion, she made full preparations throughout the evening. She even contacted her friends to ask about the Elite Club's information on mobile mansions, their estimated exchange price, and how many other people were interested in the units.
Besides, the Elite Club was using three big items as its main attractions: the mobile mansion, the nearly extinct Jinhua sow, and the entire New World Mall building of Wu City.
Any one of these would shake the entire city if the news got out to the masses.
"If I wasn't so busy, I would want to go see it myself." Su Lanzhi shook her head in regret, her eyes tired. Lately, she looked a bit worn out from the constant meetings. She had been stressed about agricultural production and all sorts of big issues involving the city's survival.
Jing An wasn't doing any better. Running the Livestock Breeding Center wasn't easy anymore. Temperature control, breeding difficulties, and feed issues were all constant sources of stress. Taking care of what used to be ordinary poultry felt like tending to national treasures now.
Poultry were supposed to be easy to breed and keep alive, but in the apocalypse, they were fragile to the point of becoming endangered.
Recently, Jing An reported that several poultry had developed black pigment in their bodies. They had mutated and could survive in the apocalyptic environment. But every mutated bird was taken away for study by the researchers.
Natural selection meant the weak would be eliminated, but the mutated poultry didn't gain special abilities. They still couldn't reproduce freely without human intervention.
"Tsk tsk, a Jinhua pig, and a sow at that. Do you know how famous Jinhua ham used to be? Now Jinhua pigs are almost extinct. This Elite Club isn't a bankruptcy auction, it's a spectacle." Jing An sighed.