Jiang Ye attempted to purchase on credit.
But Fu Qiuyan firmly refused.
After all, the previous credit orders hadn't been settled, so how could there be a second credit purchase?
Therefore, Jiang Ye ended up buying only ten thousand androids, divided into groups of five thousand to be deployed to Birong Star, responsible for forest farm development.
Now, the forestry on Birong Star has begun to take shape, with foreign timber furniture companies placing orders and acquiring specific species of Birong Star trees. The androids' wages have also increased, averaging five to six hundred per day.
The two wealthiest androids currently are Mu Gui and Benson.
These two small bosses have moved beyond selling roasted toads and skewers, starting their own forest farm canteens.
Although they had earned some money selling skewers before, it was far from enough for the startup capital needed to open a canteen.
Thus, Mu Gui and Benson privately approached Jiang Ye for a personal loan.
Jiang Ye was generous, lending them five million in one go.
This money was enough to build a sturdy and attractive small canteen, purchase equipment, and hire a few cooks.
There were two considerations for lending them the money.
Firstly, Jiang Ye was happy to see talented and ambitious androids start profitable businesses, change their own destinies, and at the same time develop the high-end strength of the android population.
If all androids only knew how to chop trees, it would be difficult for them to gain social standing on Birong Star in the future.
Secondly, after Mu Gui and Benson's forest farm canteen was established, 50% of its daily profits would be shared with Jiang Ye.
Perhaps these two bosses could build a catering business empire in the future.
Despite various means of acquiring personnel, Birong Star still faced a labor deficit of over one hundred thousand. Currently, only 20% of the industrial zones were operational.
Soon, Isabel also sent a message.
"Old Jiang, when are you coming to Birong Star? I've figured out what I need to do."
Jiang Ye did not hesitate. Upon receiving the message, he immediately called his wife to wait at the space station, and he himself set off for the space station.
Two hours later, the couple boarded the nearest spaceship to Birong Star.
Jiang Ye expected to see Isabel soon, but after the spaceship arrived in Birong Star's orbit, it was intercepted.
[Birong Star is conducting a full-orbital military exercise. All aircraft are prohibited from entering or exiting. All-frequency signal shielding is in effect.]
[Exercise duration is unknown. Please wait patiently. You may remain in place or proceed to the nearby Birong Space City for resupply.]
"Should we wait a bit longer, or go to Space City?" Cen Yemeng asked her husband's opinion, listening to the repeated announcements on the ship's broadcast.
"Let's go to Space City to have a look. Once the military starts an exercise, you never know how long it will last. The longest lockdown was four days and four nights," Jiang Ye decided.
The spaceship turned and approached Birong Space City.
From a distance, the shape of the space city could be seen, like a giant metallic cube. Dense silver dots were converging on the cube's surface, like iron filings attracted by a magnet – all ships that were blocked from entering Birong Star.
Jiang Ye peered through the porthole, counting the silver dots, his heart filled with worry.
There were nearly a thousand visible to the naked eye!
There were so many!
The waters of Birong Star were indeed deep and murky. It appeared barren on the surface, but privately, countless spaceships were desperately delivering goods, and various factions were secretly preparing their ultimate moves.
As the spaceship neared Space City, its structure became clear. It resembled a beehive, with thousands of openings and countless docking bays. Interspersed among them were metallic building areas, glowing with orange lights, like burning coal lumps with their outer skins scorched white and cores still incandescent.
The spaceship swayed as it searched for a parking spot. Space City dispatchers were responsible for guidance, and one only needed to wait patiently. This place was like a maze, and Jiang Ye felt dizzy looking at it from the window.
He saw many giant ships bearing military insignia, their hulls embedded with outrageously large, unknown weapons. These space behemoths lay dormant in the Space City's nest, occasionally flashing their lights, like glowing breaths. The civilian ships visible were only a small portion.
In fact, the entire Birong Star Space City was a disassembled forward operating base from the siege of the Meer people's planet, towed from tens of light-years away and refitted. Initially, it was entirely military facilities. In the past few months, the military had been gradually withdrawing from Space City, freeing up more space for civilian use.
The spaceship docked steadily, and Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng entered the nearest building area to wander.
The interior of the building area was almost identical to a super large shopping mall, with various shops, smooth white porcelain floors, bright white lights, and a chilling blast of air conditioning.
Cen Yemeng spotted a few pieces of clothing and bought them casually, while Jiang Ye went to the restroom.
He was startled upon entering the restroom, almost letting out a cry.
A two-meter-tall mass of transparent jelly, wet and glistening, was coiled in the corner of the restroom, still moving, like a giant jelly that had gained sentience.
A Meer person!
On top of the jelly-like head was a large blue hat, and on its body were attached blue cloth pieces with large golden characters.
[Cleaner]
[Tianluo Girl Space City Cleaning Company]
[Employee ID: Zone B - 77880]
Jiang Ye steadied himself and then noticed the mop, vacuum cleaner, and toilet plunger that the Meer person was holding. The urinal was leaking, and it was clumsily cleaning the urine stains on the wall, its movements slow and trembling, like an elderly person.
Perhaps because Jiang Ye stood there for too long, the Meer cleaner noticed him and clumsily moved aside.
"Please enter, sir. Do you need me to leave?" its voice emitter on its neck sounded, a muffled male voice, with a somewhat pitiful tone.
"No need," Jiang Ye walked to the adjacent urinal, unzipped his pants, and began to urinate.
The Meer cleaner continued to bend down, diligently dealing with the urine stains.
For some reason, Jiang Ye felt a sense of pity for it.
"Are you earning redemption points?" Jiang Ye couldn't help but ask.
"No, sir," the Meer person turned laboriously again, facing Jiang Ye with its hat brim forward.
"Then you are working here..." Jiang Ye was slightly surprised.
"I am not a Meer prisoner of war. I lived in human society before the war began. I initially worked in a bank and was even promoted to deputy branch manager," the cleaner replied. "Later, the war started, and I was fired. I became homeless, and everyone discriminated against me. I couldn't find work and survived on my savings. I just found this cleaning job recently."
"That's really not easy," Jiang Ye finished urinating and pulled up his pants.
"It's fine once you get used to it," the cleaner silently turned back, continuing to deal with the urine stains.
Twenty-four hours later, the military announced the end of the exercise.
Jiang Ye immediately took his wife back to the spaceship and landed quickly.
Upon entering the military base office, Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng were both taken aback as the door was pushed open.
The room was a mess. Six oversized ladies' suitcases were lined up, with over twenty pairs of scattered women's shoes by the door. The sofa, floor, and coffee table were covered with women's clothing of various styles – long skirts, short skirts, formal wear, pajamas. Black stockings and sheer stockings were draped over the backs of chairs, like shed snake skins, and pink underwear fluttered from the air conditioner vents.
Cen Yemeng was reminded of a college girls' dormitory, while Jiang Ye thought they had stumbled upon a set for a women's clothing advertisement.
"Old Yi?" Jiang Ye called out.
"Hold on! I'm on the toilet!" Isabel's voice came from the direction of the restroom.