Wei Xuming straightened instantly. "I'm here."
"Your task is in the countryside," Gu Mian said calmly. "You'll visit livestock farmers, grain producers, fruit-processing factories, and flour mills."
She paused, then continued, voice precise and methodical.
"Spend at least twenty million yuan on all types of fruits and vegetables available. Buy broadly—don't miss anything. Once purchased, send them back immediately."
Wei Xuming nodded, already mentally planning routes.
"Next," she continued, "spend sixty million yuan on grains of all kinds. Rice, wheat, corn, beans—everything. The remaining twenty million will go into flour and processed grain products."
She leaned back slightly.
"You'll prepare a temporary warehouse locally. After that, coordinate with Qin Yao so transport can be arranged back to C City. Fresh produce must be bought last—I don't want rot."
Gu Mian lifted her gaze. "You have one month. Total budget: one hundred and fifty million yuan, including transport and living expenses."
Wei Xuming smiled faintly. "Understood, Boss. I'll handle it."
"Good."
Gu Mian stretched slightly, then groaned dramatically.
"Ugh… talking so much makes me thirsty."
She picked up a glass of water and drank, the room relaxing immediately. A few of them exchanged amused glances—this was the Gu Mian they were getting used to.
She placed the glass down and looked at the next person.
"Bai Ying."
"Yes."
"Your task will take at least two months, and it has two phases—domestic and overseas."
Bai Ying's expression sharpened.
"Within the country," Gu Mian said, "I want every type of seed and seedling you come across. Flowers, trees, shrubs, medicinal plants—if it can grow, you buy it."
"Understood."
"You'll start with the largest plant markets in Hua Country. After that, rent a plane and go abroad. Visit the biggest plant markets in the world and repeat the process."
Gu Mian slid a card across the table.
"Budget: seven hundred million yuan. You'll transport batches back whenever your truck is full. Can you do it?"
Bai Ying smiled confidently. "Absolutely. A few retired friends of mine run plant businesses—I'll pull them in."
"Good," Gu Mian said, satisfied. "One month from now, after Xuming returns, we'll have a second meeting. If you're still overseas, I'll send instructions by email."
She handed out several cards.
"These are your work cards. Keep them safe. Funds for your next assignments will be transferred next month."
She stood up.
"As for the rest of you—don't worry. Your turns are coming."
Her lips curved slightly. "It's late. Let's eat, then rest. Tomorrow will be busy."
That night, the dining room was unexpectedly lively.
"This place feels more like a base than a house," Bun San remarked, chewing thoughtfully.
Qing Ruofu chuckled. "At least the food's good. Way better than military rations."
Mu Xia leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You people talk too much."
Wei Xuming laughed. "That's because you never talk."
Gu Mian watched them quietly, a faint warmth in her chest.
Good, she thought. This is how it should be.
The next morning, after training, everyone departed for their assignments.
Gu Mian stayed behind.
Her task was… buying novels.
Why novels?
Because of her past life.
Back then, space ability users were mocked—useless except for teleportation. Until one eighth-grade-syndrome idiot created "Space Blade" after reading a novel.
It worked.
People copied it. Improved it. Created techniques like bamboo shoots after rain.
Suddenly, novels became strategic resources.
And it was because of discrimination that she had revealed her healing spring to her team—leading to her betrayal.
This time, she would be smarter.
She decided to build a massive library—inside one of her future movable housing units.
Completed novels only.
She spent her days in a simple routine:
Wake up.
Train.
Eat.
Buy novels.
Download.
Eat again.
Sleep.
Three days later, Mu Xia placed a phone on the table.
A photo.
Her ex-boyfriend's corpse.
Gu Mian glanced at it calmly. "Police?"
"They're investigating," Mu Xia replied. "But he wasn't clean. No trail leads back."
Gu Mian nodded. "Good."
By the time the hackers' meeting arrived, Gu Mian had collected:
2,000 xianxia / xuanhuan / wuxia novels
500 game novels
300 other-world development novels
800 romance and BL novels
400 farming and world-building novels
Chinese, Korean, Japanese—almost all with English translations.
They met in one of her properties near the railway.
After lunch, Gu Mian stood before them.
"I know you're curious why I gathered so many of you," she said calmly. "Don't worry. It's legal… and illegal at the same time."
She gestured to four tablets.
"These contain online novels. You'll print them."
A hacker blinked. "Print… all of them?"
"Yes. Five copies of the original. Five of the English translation. Leather-bound. No typos. Treat them like textbooks. Packaging process will a small box for each book, originals by one side, translations the other. Seal, then send."
Silence.
Then—
"…That's insane," someone muttered.
Gu Mian smiled faintly. "I'll pay accordingly."
She turned to another three hackers.
"Your task is simpler but broader."
She raised a finger.
"First: acquire five copies of every textbook in Hua Country, from kindergarten to university. Every subject. No exceptions."
Another finger.
"Second: collect question banks from elementary schools to universities. Compile, print, and bind them."
She concluded calmly, "Label everything properly. Packaging should be similar to what I had said before. Textbooks on one side and question banks on the other."
They swallowed hard.
"Yes, Miss."