Everyone turned to look and saw a man who was the very definition of "perfectionist." He had a neatly parted hairstyle, a beard trimmed into identical curves on both sides, and even the angle of his arms while standing was exactly the same. The symmetry made him look like he'd been split right down the middle.
He was busy working, one hand taking notes while the other handled accounts. Some people brought things in, others took things out, but everyone had to follow Gu Yiyi's exact instructions.
Anyone depositing or retrieving goods had to go to the specific shelf number he assigned, taking or placing patties strictly within the ranges he marked. The procedure was identical every time, and no one dared to complain.
Because despite how Gu Yiyi looked, he was one of the very first Level 3 team leaders—a true big shot—and his standards were terrifyingly strict.
"No, no thanks," Jun Jia muttered, pointing to his own head. "I heard people like that tend to have... strange habits, right?" He'd seen plenty of odd folks in his life, but this was a first.
Factory Director Su thought for a moment. "Maybe just a little. For example, he insists on saying things in even numbers. Never odd. Otherwise, it feels... asymmetrical. When he writes, he has to use both hands at the same time, and when he works, he does two identical tasks simultaneously.
He even eats with both hands," Director Su continued, lowering his voice. "If the right hand feeds him one more bite than the left, he'll lose his temper. They say he's got two personalities, each controlling half his body."
Jing Shu couldn't help giving a thumbs-up. "Now that's the kind of talent we've gotta nurture properly."
Jin Tianci pointed at a group of people carrying sacks on their backs. "And those folks?"
"They're the small-scale sellers," Jing Shu explained. "They take loose red nematode patties to sell outside. We set a low purchase price for them, so they're basically the retail vendors. Each can only front a few dozen points' worth of goods at a time. The Level 1 agents, though, can front thousands of points and sell to canteens directly. Everything's done on a cash-and-carry basis—no credit, no delays."
Step by step, the distribution chain grew. The factory now had hundreds of its own salespeople covering every corner of Wu City. Lately, they'd even organized themselves so that each district had around a dozen people, then subdivided further.
In an apocalypse where credit was worth zero, Jing Shu wasn't about to test human nature lightly. If everyone took hundreds of patties out to sell, what if they didn't return? Or worse, ran off with the goods? Sure, she could afford the loss, but once that kind of behavior spread, others would start following suit.
So whether you were a retail vendor or a high-level agent, you had to buy or mortgage the patties with virtual coins or points. You could only take out as many patties as your deposit covered, at a rate of one point per patty.
First, this slowed down the outflow of patties.
Second, it raised the cost of making mistakes.
Third, since this was everyone's own hard-earned money, they had to take it seriously. The better your sales skills, the faster you sold and the more you earned. If you couldn't sell, that was your own problem.
Food was scarce these days, but Jing Shu's patties were priced just right. With government backing, sales were booming.
So, fourth, it gave every employee motivation. The harder they worked, the more points they earned, and the more red nematodes they could take out to sell next time.
As for safety, Manager Tuo had already planned it out. First, every retailer carried an iron rod, and they always traveled in groups of ten or more.
Second, with the constant earthquakes, most people stayed at the squares or in shelters, rarely alone. It was impossible to eat without a group. Robbery had become too risky, and without a guaranteed success rate, no one dared to try it. No one would risk their life for a few patties, not when the city's data tracking was so advanced it could pinpoint your exact location. The only way to avoid being caught was to plan a premeditated attack without carrying a phone.
And finally, in this end-of-the-world era, everyone carried baskets or black sacks. Who could tell what anyone was hiding inside?
"Alright," Factory Director Su said cheerfully, "come with me to experience the last stop—our employee cafeteria."
He led the group toward the old dining hall, now repurposed. The welded-down tables and benches were still the same as before, just like those in a school canteen. Everything else—cooking tools, stoves—had been provided later by the government.
Jun Jia pointed at a massive pot. "Wait, this looks familiar. And that bowl too. Oh crap, even the crack I chipped is still there..." He suddenly covered his mouth, realizing something.
The cafeteria was noisy but not crowded. Most of those eating were women and children.
"The workers are still on shift, so we..." Jin Tianci hesitated.
Factory Director Su quickly explained, "Our factory runs 24/7, so the cafeteria's open 24/7 too. Everyone eats in different time slots. Otherwise, this place that only fits about six hundred people would never be enough."
Jin Tianci chuckled. "Go on, tell the viewers about the cafeteria benefits."
"Right! Our cafeteria's buffet is open around the clock. It costs just one virtual coin per meal, and you can eat as much as you want. We've got over a dozen five-star chefs who've developed dozens of red nematode dishes. We rotate four dishes daily to keep things fresh.
Since today's a celebration, we've added a few extras. There's scrambled eggs with red nematode heads, grilled nematodes wrapped in lettuce, millet porridge stewed with red nematodes, and one limited special dish—our fan favorite—Bloody Burst Nematode Eggs.
Once perfected, we'll release it to the market as a premium dish."
Jin Tianci tasted every dish and nodded approvingly. "This Bloody Burst Nematode Egg is seriously good. It's tender, smooth, just like biting into caviar. The juice bursts in your mouth—sweet and a little intoxicating. How'd you make this?"
Factory Director Su smiled. "That's Jing Shu's invention. She said to soak the nematode eggs in fermented worm wine, then brew them with expired red wine. Tastes amazing, but it's pretty egg-intensive."
The other officials immediately scrambled forward, eager to try it too.
Meanwhile, Jing Shu seemed lost in thought, as if trapped in some old memory.
Jin Tianci grinned. "Why don't we sit down and have lunch together before we go? It'd be nice to experience what the workers eat every day. Our full-time staff even get a supply of vegetables and grains."
The other leaders looked uneasy. They'd only come to film and show off for the cameras... and honestly, that Bloody Burst Nematode Egg looked disgusting. The chief still had some unknown liquid at the corner of his mouth.
Jing Shu quickly stepped forward. "Leaders, no matter how high your rank, you can't take food from our employees' cafeteria. Supplies are tight, and this celebration meal isn't even enough for all our staff. Please, go home and eat your own meals. I'm afraid I can't treat you today."