Everyone turned to look and saw a man who was the very definition of a perfectionist. He had a neatly parted hairstyle that looked as if every strand had been measured with a ruler, a beard trimmed into identical curves on both sides of his jaw, and even the angle of his arms while standing was exactly the same. The symmetry was so absolute that it made him look like he had been split right down the middle and mirrored.
He was busy working, one hand taking notes with quick, sharp strokes while the other handled accounts on a tablet. Some people brought things in and others took things out, but everyone had to follow Gu Yiyi's exact, measured 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 on the ledgers. The procedure was identical every time, a rigid dance of logistics that no one dared to complain about.
Despite how he looked, he was one of the very first Level 3 team leaders and a true big shot in the factory hierarchy; his standards were terrifyingly strict for anyone under his command.
"No, no thanks," Jun Jia muttered, pointing to his own head. "I heard people like that tend to have... strange habits, right?" He had seen plenty of odd folks in his life during the apocalypse, but this level of obsession was a first.
Factory Director Su thought for a moment as he watched the man work. "Maybe just a little. For example, he insists on saying things in even numbers. Never odd. Otherwise, it feels asymmetrical to him. When he writes, he has to use both hands at the same time, and when he works, he does two identical tasks simultaneously to maintain balance.
He even eats with both hands," Director Su continued, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "If the right hand feeds him one more bite than the left, he will lose his temper. They say he has got two personalities, each controlling half his body."
Jing Shu couldn't help giving a thumbs-up at the description. "Now that's the kind of talent we have got to nurture properly."
Jin Tianci pointed at a group of people carrying heavy sacks on their backs toward the exit. "And those folks?"
"They're the small-scale sellers," Jing Shu explained. "They take loose red nematode patties to sell outside in the streets. We set a low purchase price for them, so they're basically the retail vendors of our operation. 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 is done on a cash-and-carry basis; there is no credit and 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 had even organized themselves so that each district had around a dozen people, which was then subdivided further into neighborhood teams.
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, what if they ran off with the goods to another settlement? 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 first. 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 to a manageable rate.
Second, it raised the cost of making mistakes or being careless.
Third, since this was everyone's own hard-earned money on the line, they had to take it seriously. The better your sales skills, the faster you sold and the more you earned for your next batch. If you couldn't sell, that was your own problem to solve.
Food was scarce these days, but Jing Shu's patties were priced just right for the struggling public. With government backing, sales were booming across the city.
Fourth, it gave every employee constant motivation. The harder they worked, the more points they earned, and the more red nematodes they could take out to sell next time to increase their wealth.
As for safety, Manager Tuo had already planned it out with cold efficiency. First, every retailer carried a heavy iron rod for protection, and they always traveled in groups of ten or more to deter opportunistic thieves.
Second, with the constant earthquakes, most people stayed at the squares or in the shelters, and they were rarely alone. It was impossible to eat without a group nearby. 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 in an instant. 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 those dark bundles?
"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, which had been repurposed for the massive workforce. The welded-down tables and benches were still the same as before, looking just like those in a school canteen. Everything else—the cooking tools and the industrial stoves—had been provided later by the government.
Jun Jia pointed at a massive pot near the serving line. "Wait, this looks familiar. And that bowl too. Oh crap, even the crack I chipped is still there..." He suddenly covered his mouth, realizing he was revealing too much.
The cafeteria was noisy with the sound of clinking utensils, but it was not crowded. Most of those eating at this hour were women and children.
"The workers are still on shift, so we..." Jin Tianci hesitated, looking at the half-empty benches.
Factory Director Su quickly explained, "Our factory runs twenty-four hours a day, so the cafeteria is open twenty-four hours a day too. Everyone eats in different time slots. Otherwise, this place that only fits about six hundred people would never be enough for thousands."
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 have got over a dozen five-star chefs who have developed dozens of red nematode dishes. We rotate four dishes daily to keep things fresh for the workers.
Since today is a celebration, we have added a few extras. There's scrambled eggs with red nematode heads, grilled nematodes wrapped in crisp lettuce, millet porridge stewed with red nematodes, and one limited special dish—our fan favorite—Bloody Burst Nematode Eggs.
Once perfected, we will release it to the market as a premium dish."
Jin Tianci tasted every dish and nodded approvingly as he chewed. "This Bloody Burst Nematode Egg is seriously good. It's tender and smooth, just like biting into caviar. The juice bursts in your mouth; it's sweet and a little intoxicating. How did 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. It tastes amazing, but it's pretty egg-intensive to produce."
The other officials immediately scrambled forward, eager to try it too after seeing his reaction.
Meanwhile, Jing Shu seemed lost in thought, as if trapped in some old memory of a time long gone.
Jin Tianci grinned, looking around the hall. "Why don't we sit down and have lunch together before we go? It would 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 had only come to film and show off for the cameras... and honestly, that Bloody Burst Nematode Egg looked disgusting up close. The chief still had some unknown liquid at the corner of his mouth from the last bite.
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 am afraid I can't treat you today."