They said it best: 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 motive. What's the biggest headache for the government right now? With resources already running short and food supplies barely enough, the surrounding small cities had all been buried by mudslides, forcing countless people to flood into Wu City. And soon, Ning Mountain City would also be moving here in its entirety.
Wu City was already at its breaking point. The real question now was, how were they supposed to feed even more people? How were they going to cram everyone in when half the city was underwater? And it wasn't just about feeding them, they also had to find places for all these people to live in this freezing weather.
So, why did the government want the second phase of Shiyuan?
Because it was a massive, warm area that could house tens of thousands of people. With a little squeezing, it might even fit a hundred thousand. If Shiyuan could build a complete food production chain, it wouldn't be impossible to construct housing nearby.
The government's demand was simple: as long as those people didn't starve to death and could stay alive, that was enough.
As for the shareholders, their interests were even simpler. To put it bluntly, they didn't care how many people died or went hungry. All that mattered to them was that Shiyuan kept generating profit and gave them access to luxury in the apocalypse—good food, comfortable living, enough supplies to hoard, and a sense of security.
Both sides needed the second phase of Shiyuan to fulfill their own goals. That's why they were now locked in a conflict of interests.
Qian Duoduo gestured for everyone to quiet down, then turned to Jing Shu. "So what do you think? Everyone's idea is simple enough. Since we've 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 in?
Jing Shu countered, "Mr. Qian, you just told us what everyone else thinks. But what about you? What's your real opinion?"
Qian Duoduo's words reflected the shareholders' stance. They didn't care about the bigger picture. They just wanted their share of Shiyuan's output so their comfortable lives could continue.
He froze, then lowered his gaze, absently turning a walnut in his hand. The truth was, he didn't feel the same as them. To him, the second phase of Shiyuan was a stepping stone. He had bigger plans in mind. If he simply handed it over to the government, he'd be cutting off his own path. This time, they wanted the second phase. Next time, they'd want the main Shiyuan. And what about the time after that? His entire stockpile, maybe?
After a moment of silence, Qian Duoduo looked up and asked suddenly, "You've found a new food source, haven't you? A type of giant bug that's edible, each one weighing hundreds of kilos, 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. She didn't bother denying it.
The shareholders started whispering among themselves, a mix of envy and shock. None of them had expected someone as unassuming as Jing Shu to pull off something like this. Having that much bug meat meant serious money.
Qian Duoduo squinted, stroking his beard. "Jin Tianci told me. He said if Shiyuan's handed over to the government, they'll step back from the business. Then we can buy large amounts of bug meat from you at a price you're happy with. Think of it as compensation for our loss."
Bug meat could do a lot. In this world, having food meant you could hire more people, raise more livestock, and expand faster. With a steady food source, Shiyuan could multiply its breeding farms several times over, raise even more animals, maybe even build a third Shiyuan. It could also save a massive amount of existing grain. After all, the people at the bottom level of Shiyuan didn't get to eat rice. Without a substitute, too many resources would go to waste.
"So what are you getting at?" Jing Shu asked.
Qian Duoduo tapped the bar counter rhythmically, smiling faintly. "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 Jing Shu's eyes, he felt calmer. Maybe she really did have a plan. Deep down, he started to suspect that this bug meat might be the key.
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 and said, "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 still get your annual dividends, as long as the output's the same as Shiyuan's current level."
"That's right, that's all we want."
"We don't want virtual coins."
"As long as the second phase runs smoothly and gives us double Shiyuan's dividends, we don't care about the rest."
Then, Lao Xu, who'd been quiet the whole time, finally spoke up with a polite 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?
Jing Shu asked back, "How many people's the government planning to move into the second phase?"
Qian Duoduo thought for a moment. "About twenty thousand. They're planning to copy Shiyuan completely and create a self-sustaining ecosystem. They're moving all the old 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're even planning to bring in outsiders from the outer city."
Someone muttered, "That's messed up. They're already counting the profit before we've 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'll provide food and housing, but all profits from Shiyuan's output stay with us. Do you think they'll agree?"
"You're crazy! Shiyuan can only support twenty thousand at most. How could it 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.
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 burden of tens of thousands off their hands, of course they'd be thrilled. And compared to feeding those people, Shiyuan's output doesn't mean much in their eyes. Wait—you're talking about that batch of bug meat, aren't you?"