If they tried to feed fifty thousand people using only Shiyuan's current output, that'd be completely impossible. Just look at how things were right now. With the limited farmland and the lack of enough feed for livestock, even if everyone worked in perfectly divided roles and squeezed every bit of productivity out of what they had, the whole of Shiyuan could barely sustain twenty thousand people at most.
And that's without even counting the dividends they had to pay out and the twenty percent of the produce that had to be stored away. That cut the number down even more.
So Jing Shu's promise to "take responsibility for everything" wasn't exactly wrong, but the "food included" part was a serious problem. Feeding fifty thousand people? Even with both Shiyuans combined, it wouldn't be enough. They'd have to pay out of their own pockets to make it work.
And managing that many people's food, water, and basic needs? That was already a nightmare at ten thousand, and she was talking about fifty thousand now. Was she joking?
"Bugs? What bugs? You mean those bugs can feed fifty thousand people?" The shareholders all turned to Jing Shu. Even though Qian Duoduo looked like he was in on something, the rest couldn't understand what she meant.
She smiled and said lightly, "More or less. It's not just that batch of bug meat, we can expand the business and figure out ways to produce more food. Turning the bugs into worm patties would also save a lot of resources. Either way, there's no reason for the government to reject the proposal if we can feed fifty thousand people."
Compared to the government's original plan of resettling twenty thousand, if the second phase of Shiyuan could take in fifty thousand people and also handle their food, that'd solve one of their biggest headaches.
"How much bug meat would it take to feed fifty thousand people a day?"
Lao Xu tapped his fingers on the bar and looked up at her. "If the government agrees, and the second phase's output belongs to us, how do you plan to make a profit? How can you still guarantee dividends for the shareholders while feeding fifty thousand people at the same time? You're not planning to run this at a loss, are you? And if your food supply chain breaks down, what happens then?"
He hit the heart of the issue. From everyone's perspective, there was simply no profit in this deal. No matter how you calculated it, it was a loss. And if the food supply ever got cut off, what would they feed the fifty thousand people with?
There was no extra food anywhere now. If things went south, they'd be finished.
Jing Shu chuckled softly. The chances of her supply chain breaking were close to zero, and she had backup plans to make sure of it.
"As for profit," she said calmly, "I'll just say this much. Breeding those new species of bugs costs resources too. And they also need large amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains to stay alive. So I think trading a few luxury goods for double the amount of bug meat, which can feed more people, is worth it. It's mutually beneficial. Besides, I'm also one of Shiyuan's shareholders, and I'm happy to protect our collective interests."
Some shareholders frowned, but the quicker ones were already catching on to what she meant.
They could trade Shiyuan's fresh produce for bug meat, which in turn could feed a massive number of people.
"As for your worry, Mr. Xu," Jing Shu smiled faintly, "do you really think I'd have no solution if the supply chain ever broke down?"
Most of the shareholders didn't know that she owned the Red Nematode Factory and was producing worm patties in partnership with Qian Duoduo. Even if the main food supply was cut off, she still had tons of stockpiled worm patties ready to go. That was her insurance.
Qian Duoduo nodded seriously. "You don't need to worry about that. Even if her food supply chain gets interrupted, she has the means to fill the gap. What I want to know is, do you really have enough bug meat to feed fifty thousand people? When will the first batch be ready for production? If you're serious about this, then the rest will fall into place. Shiyuan won't let you take a loss."
Jing Shu coughed lightly. "Almost ready. I'll add a few other ingredients to stretch it further. The first batch is already in Wu City. You can start production anytime you want."
"Good! Good! Good!" Qian Duoduo said excitedly, repeating the word three times. "Here's what I think. The daily production from the second phase, after we give out shareholder dividends, everything else goes to you. Sound fair, Jing Shu? If it's not enough, we can even reduce our dividend share."
He knew from her tone earlier that there was definitely profit to be made here, but he was still willing to make concessions. Even if bug meat wasn't as valuable as rice or vegetables, it was still food, still life-sustaining. In this starving world, that was priceless.
Even Lao Xu said, "I'm fine with reducing my dividends. As long as we keep getting something, it's better than those worthless virtual coins."
"Yeah, I agree."
Jing Shu smiled. "There's no need to cut dividends. Let's keep it the same as before. But I'll be taking the rest of the produce to exchange for bug meat."
She'd originally planned to just act as a middleman, but things had worked out better than expected. The government had thrown Shiyuan a problem, and now Qian Duoduo and the others had no choice but to compromise—handing her a perfect opportunity.
With her eyes half-closed, she was already thinking about how to best use the surplus of fresh food she'd get.
"I didn't expect Jun Bao to keep the details from Jin Tianci," she thought with amusement. "Otherwise, he'd have known how much these bugs could really produce. I wonder if Jin Tianci will regret it later." She knew the government didn't have that many supplies, and their eco-zones couldn't produce nearly enough fresh food.
"Alright then, it's settled," Qian Duoduo said cheerfully. "Let's raise a glass to Jing Shu's generosity and cleverness for helping us solve this headache." He finally lifted his glass for the first time, letting out a satisfied breath. "Now, let's go see that first batch of bug meat and have a proper talk with Jin Tianci. I bet he'll be thrilled."
Qian Duoduo immediately sent people to receive the first batch of two hundred giant gastropods. When those massive creatures were transported to the second phase of Shiyuan and filled the entire first-floor hall, hissing menacingly, most people nearly pissed themselves.
The chefs in the cafeteria, who'd been told to prepare a new dish, were trembling so hard they could barely hold their knives.
They were cooks, not executioners!
The bugs were enormous, about the size of elephants, with sharp, gleaming legs that reflected light like blades. Just looking at them made people's hearts pound. No one doubted that if anyone tried to kill them, the bugs would fight back—and they might even win.
"They're alive? How the hell are we supposed to turn these into cooked food?"
"Weren't we told to cook? No one said anything about slaughtering monsters!"