The old saying held true: there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.
It was the same with the government. Their intention behind wanting the second phase of Shiyuan was obvious, and so was their underlying motive. The biggest headache for the authorities right now was the sheer scale of the crisis. With resources already running dangerously short and food supplies barely enough to sustain the current population, the surrounding small cities had all been buried by devastating mudslides. This forced a relentless tide of survivors to flood into Wu City. Soon, Ningshan City would also be moving here in its entirety, bringing another million mouths to feed.
Wu City was already at its breaking point. The real question was how they were supposed to feed even more people when the infrastructure was crumbling. How were they going to cram everyone into the remaining habitable zones when half the city sat underwater? It wasn't just about the calories; they also had to find shelter for all these people in this brutal, freezing weather.
So, why did the government want the second phase of Shiyuan?
The answer lay in the construction itself. It was a massive, temperature-controlled area that could house tens of thousands of people in relative comfort. With a little squeezing, the space might even fit a hundred thousand. If Shiyuan could build a complete food production chain, it wouldn't be impossible to construct high-density housing nearby.
The government's demand was simple: as long as those people didn't starve to death and could stay alive, that was success enough.
As for the shareholders sitting in this bar, their interests were even simpler. To put it bluntly, they didn't care how many people died in the streets or went hungry in the camps. All that mattered to them was that Shiyuan kept generating a steady profit. They wanted to maintain their access to luxury in the apocalypse. They wanted good food, comfortable living, enough supplies to hoard, and a permanent sense of security.
Both sides needed the second phase of Shiyuan to fulfill their own conflicting goals. That was why they were now locked in a stalemate.
Qian Duoduo gestured for everyone to quiet down, the walnuts in his hand clicking softly. He turned his gaze to Jing Shu. "So what do you think? Everyone's idea is simple enough. Since we have invested, we expect returns. No one cares about the government's virtual coins. As long as we keep getting the usual materials and fresh produce from Shiyuan and stockpile enough food for the apocalypse, that's good enough. But the question is, will the government agree to that?"
If all the production went to the shareholders, how was the government supposed to feed the tens of thousands of people it planned to move into the expansion?
Jing Shu countered, "Mr. Qian, you just told us what everyone else thinks. But what about you? What is your real opinion on this?"
Qian Duoduo's words had merely reflected the stance of the shareholders. They didn't care about the bigger picture; they just wanted their cut of Shiyuan's output so their comfortable lives could continue.
He froze for a moment, then lowered his gaze. He absently turned a walnut between his fingers, the smooth wood catching the light. The truth was, he didn't feel the same as they did. To him, the second phase of Shiyuan was a stepping stone toward a greater legacy. He had far bigger plans in mind. If he simply handed it over to the government, he would be cutting off his own path. This time, they wanted the second phase. Next time, they would want the original Shiyuan. And what about the time after that? They might come for his entire private stockpile.
After a long moment of silence, Qian Duoduo looked up, his eyes sharp. "You have found a new food source, haven't you? A type of giant bug that is edible. I heard each one weighs hundreds of kilos. That is enough to feed hundreds, even a thousand people a day. You can supply some every month, right?"
Jing Shu raised an eyebrow. News sure traveled fast in these circles. She didn't bother denying it, merely taking a slow sip of her wine.
The shareholders started whispering among themselves, a mix of envy and shock coloring their voices. None of them had expected someone as young and unassuming as Jing Shu to pull off something like this. Having access to that much bug meat meant holding serious power and money in the new world.
Qian Duoduo squinted, stroking his well-groomed beard. "Jin Tianci told me about it. He said if Shiyuan is handed over to the government, they will step back from the business side of things. Then we can buy large amounts of bug meat from you at a price you are happy with. Think of it as compensation for our loss of the land."
Bug meat could do a lot. In this world, having food meant you could hire more people, raise more livestock, and expand faster than anyone else. With a steady food source, Shiyuan could multiply its breeding farms several times over, raise even more animals, and maybe even build a third phase. It could also save a massive amount of existing grain. After all, the people at the bottom level of Shiyuan don't get to eat rice. Without a substitute, too many high-value resources would go to waste just to keep the labor force alive.
"So what are you getting at?" Jing Shu asked.
Qian Duoduo tapped the polished bar counter rhythmically, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Why don't you tell us first? How exactly do we 'give' the second phase to the government?" For some reason, after seeing the steady confidence in the girl's eyes, he felt calmer. Maybe she really did have a plan that worked for everyone. Deep down, he started to suspect that this bug meat might be the key to the whole puzzle.
But the government wanted Shiyuan for its full production capacity. Would they really agree to let it be self-sustaining while others took the profit?
Jing Shu didn't beat around the bush. She stood up in the middle of the bar, her presence drawing every eye in the room. "No matter how we give it, all the shareholders here only have one condition, right? You want to keep receiving Shiyuan's produce and materials every day, and you still want your annual dividends, as long as the output is the same as Shiyuan's current level."
"That's right, that's all we want," one man called out.
"We don't want those virtual coins!"
"As long as the second phase runs smoothly and gives us double Shiyuan's dividends, we don't care about the rest," another added.
Then, Lao Xu, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke up with a polite, measured smile. "It's not really in our hands anymore. I don't know what method Miss Jing plans to use to convince the government to pay us such a high 'rent' every month."
Why would they listen to her? Why would they give up such a huge piece of the pie when they held all the cards?
Jing Shu asked back, "How many people is the government planning to move into the second phase?"
Qian Duoduo thought for a moment, calculating the figures. "About twenty thousand. They are planning to copy Shiyuan's model completely and create a self-sustaining ecosystem. They are moving all the residents from the old district into the new one. I heard one slot in the second phase is already worth several hundred virtual coins. They are even planning to bring in outsiders from the outer city."
Someone muttered under their breath, "That's messed up. They are already counting the profit before we have even agreed to give it."
Jing Shu smiled. "Then tell me, what if we talk to the government and offer to hire fifty thousand people to work and live in the second phase? We will provide the food and housing, but all profits from Shiyuan's output stay with us. Do you think they will agree?"
"You are crazy! Shiyuan can only support twenty thousand at most. How could it possibly handle fifty thousand?"
"Yeah! How would you even feed that many people? You think Shiyuan produces that much food?"
Lao Xu frowned, looking at her intently as he tried to grasp her logic.
Jing Shu narrowed her eyes and said calmly, "Mr. Qian, just tell me. Would the government agree to those terms?"
"Only an idiot would say no."
Qian Duoduo nodded slowly. "If we can take that massive burden off their hands, of course they would be thrilled. And compared to feeding those people, Shiyuan's output doesn't mean much in their eyes. Wait. You are talking about that batch of bug meat, aren't you?"