"It's for radiation protection. After the prospecting machine is activated, the radiation will be very strong for about three seconds, which can have adverse effects on the human body," Xu Yan explained. "You'll be fine if you wear it."
Jiang Ye fumbled and put on the radiation suit. It felt heavy, like armor.
Xu Yan walked behind him and helped him zip it up. He was completely sealed and protected from head to toe.
The two stood in the snow, silently waiting for the workers to install the prospecting machine.
The prospecting machine gradually took shape. It was larger than Jiang Ye had imagined, at least two stories high, a dark cylinder with a small red light at the top.
"Activation countdown: 3! 2! 1!"
The prospecting machine emitted a clear electronic prompt, followed by a loud bang that sent ripples through the surrounding snow.
Xu Yan picked up a tablet, and various data began to appear on it.
Jiang Ye leaned in to look. It was a bit awkward through the face mask, but he could see a dark green liquid on the tablet, resembling chive juice.
Xu Yan tapped the screen, her voice filled with excitement, "There really is ore!"
"What is this?" Jiang Ye couldn't understand.
"Petroleum. The ground is full of petroleum. The depth is very shallow, and a small oil field can yield it. The specific reserves still need further exploration, but judging by the current situation, the reserves are not small," Xu Yan said with the tone of someone about to get a promotion and make a fortune. "Let's cooperate. Grant me this mine, and I'll build a factory to extract it. We'll split the profits 40-60."
"Isn't petroleum always black? Why is it dark green?" Jiang Ye was confused.
"It's formed from the remains of organisms over thousands of years underground. Different organic remains produce different forms of petroleum." Xu Yan's tone was professional. "I've also seen purple, red, white, and transparent petroleum. Black petroleum is actually quite rare. Crude oil is a broad category; it's not surprising for a large family to have diverse members."
Jiang Ye pondered, then stomped on the ground with his foot. "Where we're standing now, was it once a place where 'eagles soared and fish swam in the depths'?"
"Not necessarily. It could have been some fungi. This planet looks barren, but there are quite a few fungi, although none of them can infect humans." Xu Yan reached out and patted his arm. "Cooperate with me, cooperate with me?"
"I want to build an oil city," Jiang Ye said.
Xu Yan paused, then pondered for a moment. "That's fine. Wait for me to go back and work out a plan for you."
...
As night fell, Jiang Ye's ornithopter returned to the military base.
As he landed, a large squadron of ornithopters was just taking off. The troops had been bombing the discovered frog mothers all day, having already destroyed over thirty of them.
Back in his office, Liu Jizi had already laid out a steaming hot dinner on the table, featuring a total of 16 dishes: delicacies, hot soup, and desserts.
Jiang Ye took off his coat, changed into slippers, and sat down to eat.
After a few bites, he suddenly noticed that Liu Jizi was standing by his side, not leaving, with a hesitant smile on her face.
"Is there something?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Commander, I... I have a request. I hope you can help me," Liu Jizi said, uncharacteristically stammering.
Jiang Ye put down his chopsticks and looked at her seriously. "Just say it. If I can help, I will."
"It's like this, I have a good best friend. She saved my life before. But now she's unemployed and has no housing. She's living a very hard life and is already considering doing 'that'," Liu Jizi said. "I don't want to see her do that, so I'd like to ask you to arrange a job for her."
"Arrange a job?" Jiang Ye frowned. "What is she suitable for?"
"She's quite intelligent and diligent. She can do most jobs," Liu Jizi quickly replied. "Any job that can help her make a living will do."
"You find a suitable position for her and then report it to me," Jiang Ye said, picking up his chopsticks to continue eating.
Liu Jizi quickly took a small piece of paper from her pocket and placed it on the table.
[Position: Grassroots Situation Reporter]
[Job Description: Move among the people, gather various grassroots information, compile important information, and report directly to the highest commander.]
[Salary: 20,000 per month]
Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow in surprise. This was the first time he had heard of such a profession.
It was a bit like a spy, a Jin Yi Wei, or an eunuch from the Eastern Depot, gathering information everywhere and then reporting on people daily.
"Alright. Tell her to report to me then. I'll see what she's like," Jiang Ye said.
"Thank you, Commander!" Liu Jizi said with delight.
After Liu Jizi left the office, Jiang Ye continued to eat his meal.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He opened it to find a message from Xu Yan.
The planning proposal for the oil city was ready.
The file was quite large and took a while to load before it opened.
Jiang Ye let out a surprised "Hoo," as the planning proposal was more detailed than he had imagined.
First, there was a large-scale oil extraction field, spanning over a thousand mu. According to the rendering, the oil extraction machines of this era were no longer the nodding donkeys of the past but cylindrical machines.
The oil extraction field had intersecting roads, which extended to open spaces and spread out into a road network. Various tall and short buildings rose near the road network: commercial districts, residential areas, school districts, research districts, industrial districts... The entire oil city could accommodate over twenty thousand people.
There were also various supporting facilities, such as power plants driven by the oil extraction field, military bases, and artificial forests.
There was also a large amount of textual explanation, detailing why certain areas were designed as they were. The urban planning map, which seemed to be made in a hurry, was actually ingeniously designed. For example, the city's road network not only met the daily needs of the citizens but also provided quick access to the oil extraction field.
Jiang Ye was so engrossed in reading that he forgot to eat. Liu Jizi came in to clear the plates at the scheduled time. Seeing that he hadn't finished, she quietly withdrew.
After reading for more than twenty minutes, he finally finished.
Jiang Ye was very satisfied. The planning for the oil city perfectly matched his vision. A prosperous city that grew from the petroleum industry, capable of housing all the immigrants and later expanding into a city of hundreds of thousands.
Jiang Ye: "How much will this plan cost?"
Xu Yan: "It depends on how we cooperate. Baiyi Real Estate can undertake different proportions of the urban construction expenses."
Jiang Ye: "Assuming the total profit from the oil field is ten parts, three parts go to me, three parts go to the residents of the oil city, and four parts go to you."
Xu Yan: "Generous! In that case, the road network and the oil extraction field will be funded and built by Baiyi Real Estate. You won't have to spend a single cent. As for the city itself, it depends on how large you want to build it and how luxurious the buildings are."
Jiang Ye: "Let's start extracting petroleum as soon as possible. I'm short on money recently, and the interstellar refugees will be arriving soon."
Xu Yan: "We'll need some troops with firepower to protect the construction team during exploration and construction. Your military factories that you ordered earlier will be completed in a few hours. Please clear out the nearby frog mothers as much as possible, and then I'll send the workers over."
The agreement was happily reached. Cooperating with an old acquaintance was indeed pleasant.
Jiang Ye checked the time; it was eight o'clock in the evening.
He went straight to bed and set his alarm for five in the morning. This amount of sleep was more than enough. He had a busy day ahead of him tomorrow.