Inside the small canteen next to the "Old Task Force".
Jiang Baimian returned with a tray, placing the meat dishes down one by one.
There was a rich broth filled with soft, glutinous potatoes and large chunks of beef, a fragrant, yellowish-skinned whole roasted chicken, a seemingly light winter melon and pork rib soup, and slices of mutton scattered among scallions.
"Too, too lavish," Long Yuehong exclaimed sincerely, inhaling the fragrance that filled the air.
For him, it was like celebrating the New Year.
Jiang Baimian glanced at him:
"Didn't you also enjoy yourself in Qifu Town?
"I thought such meat dishes could no longer move you like before."
"How could that be?" Long Yuehong retorted instinctively.
He paused, a nostalgic expression on his face:
"However, the ham and salted pork in Qifu Town were really good..."
Because they had become vassals of "Pangu Biology," Qifu Town could exchange for a very cost-effective and sufficient amount of salt, which allowed them to preserve excess meat during the hunting and harvesting seasons, saving it for the winter when wild animals were difficult to find, to combat hunger.
"Didn't you say you were tired of it?" Shang Jianyao, beside Long Yuehong, exposed him.
Long Yuehong's expression faltered:
"At that time, only at that time!"
While they were talking, Bai Chen returned with a tray, carrying four large servings of rice.
She glanced at the meat and vegetable dishes, and the equally numerous vegetarian dishes, blurting out:
"Team Leader, won't this cost you too much?"
"This is a special meat dish, only costing 1 contribution point," Jiang Baimian pointed to the roasted chicken. "The others add up to only 150 contribution points."
"What do you mean, 'only'?" Long Yuehong exclaimed. "If I ate like this every meal, my monthly salary would only last six days, no, less than six days. I didn't count breakfast just now."
"If you can eat this much every meal, I can always treat you," Shang Jianyao suggested very seriously.
"...Then I'd be stuffed to death in a day," Long Yuehong thought for a moment, deciding that he couldn't take advantage of this.
Jiang Baimian then laughed:
"It's not like I can treat you to every meal like this. Once in a while is nothing.
"I'm already at d6 level; you all know how much the basic salary is."
"Each level increases by 500 contribution points, d1 is 1800 points, d2 is 2300... d6 is 4300 points. Including various subsidies, Team Leader, even if you don't go on fieldwork, you have at least 4500 points," Long Yuehong calculated seriously. "But if you want to eat well every meal, want enough meat dishes, it will cost at least 2000 contribution points a month. This is with our meal allowance. Otherwise, it's at least 3000 points. Deducting these, there's energy allocation, water bills, clothing expenses, and various necessary expenditures. There won't be much left... If you raise a few kids, it's simply..."
The more Long Yuehong thought, the more difficult he found life.
Mainly because he had become accustomed to the "luxurious" life of having meat dishes every day and no children, and now he wanted to return to his original dream of having one wife, two children, and meat three times a week, he couldn't help but feel like he was reversing his life.
"Stop, stop!" Jiang Baimian interrupted Long Yuehong's calculation. "You're giving me a headache! And why don't you count your wife's salary? A family is supported by two people."
Speaking of this, Jiang Baimian smiled:
"I actually have a lot of salary left over each month.
"My brother got married a long time ago and moved out. I've always lived with my parents. Their salaries are much higher than mine, and so are their subsidies and benefits.
"I use the meal allowance during the day, and eat theirs at night. The company also provides uniforms, perfect~"
Jiang Baimian looked around again, smiling:
"You can also get a lot of contribution points this time.
"Bai Chen is officially hired and can enjoy the待遇 of a d1 employee. Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong, you're promoted to d2 level, with 500 more contribution points per month.
"In addition, there's a fieldwork subsidy. This time, it's been almost a month, and everyone can get eight or nine hundred.
"The biggest chunk should be the compensation from the converted harvests. I don't know the exact amount yet."
Listening, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen couldn't help but imagine how to spend such a large sum of contribution points.
"I have to apply for a larger room..." Long Yuehong muttered to himself, thinking of the cramped environment at home and his younger siblings who had to squeeze in with the adults.
Within "Pangu Biology," housing is normally allocated according to level. If you want to apply for a larger room beyond your level, you have to pay a fee, and there's an additional monthly rental fee.
Of course, employees also have ways to take advantage of loopholes, such as exchanging rooms privately instead of going through the company. For example, when some elderly employees' children have been allocated rooms and no longer squeeze with them, they may charge a fee to exchange their larger, more spacious rooms for those whose families are too crowded.
This way, there's no monthly rental fee.
But the problem is that when those two elderly employees pass away, the company will回收the rooms according to the registered information.
After so much influence, Long Yuehong's muttering was louder than usual. Jiang Baimian nodded with a smile:
"Good ambition."
She looked at Bai Chen again:
"You probably want to save all your contribution points and do gene modification when your employee level is high enough?"
If employees can pay a large sum of contribution points, or are willing to become volunteers for certain dangerous experiments, the level required to apply for gene modification can be lowered. Even d2 or d1 level might be able to apply successfully.
"Yeah." Bai Chen unconsciously pulled at the gray old scarf around her neck.
Jiang Baimian nodded gently:
"I remind you again, gene modification technology is far from mature and has all sorts of dangers. Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to try it.
"Well... I also know that you must have your own reasons. I just hope you weigh the pros and cons carefully."
Without waiting for Bai Chen to answer, Jiang Baimian sniffed the fragrance in the air:
"Eat quickly, eat quickly, the food is getting cold!"
As she spoke, she reached out with her chopsticks and deftly tore off the wing of the roasted chicken.
Under the yellowish skin was a layer of fat that melted in her mouth, combined with the flavors of several seasonings, making Jiang Baimian almost unable to stop.
Shang Jianyao, Long Yuehong, and Bai Chen also joined the ranks of enjoying the food, each focusing intently, with no time to talk.
After eating like a whirlwind, Jiang Baimian took a sip of the soup, squinting her eyes and saying contentedly:
"Every time I come back from outside, eating a meal like this really makes me appreciate the beauty of life."
"So we must save all of humanity even more," Shang Jianyao also put down his bowl and chopsticks, wiping his mouth.
"Can't you change your lines?" Jiang Baimian rolled her eyes at the guy.
Shang Jianyao nodded and suddenly asked:
"Then, what do you think Xiao Chong really is?"
Hearing the name Xiao Chong, Bai Chen and Long Yuehong, who were still sucking on chicken bones, froze at the same time.
To them, this name was both mysterious and terrifying, as if it represented some kind of taboo.
In the previous days, they had deliberately forgotten Xiao Chong and hadn't mentioned him in any discussions.
Jiang Baimian was silent for a few seconds before saying:
"I suspect he's a 'Heartless,' a 'Higher Heartless' among the 'Higher Heartless,' even a 'King of the Heartless.' Maybe, it was because he was there, wanting to see a real gunfight, that I subconsciously ignored Qiao Chubie's Awakened abilities and the corresponding range..."
"A 'Heartless' who has regained human intelligence and memory?" Long Yuehong shuddered in surprise, muttering to himself, "No, how can a 'Heartless' have human intelligence..."
Jiang Baimian said with a solemn expression:
"Not only does he have it, but he may also possess the terrifying abilities of mutated creatures and 'Higher Heartless'..."
"A super human?" Bai Chen's tone was inexplicably heavy.
Shang Jianyao raised his hand:
"Did he exchange his inability to grow any further for wisdom?"
"Are you trying to say that Xiao Chong also has serious flaws and is far from being a super human?" Jiang Baimian understood Shang Jianyao's subtext.
Shang Jianyao hesitated and said:
"He's my friend."
"So, you can't say bad things about a friend?" Jiang Baimian tried to interpret the other party's jumping thoughts.
Shang Jianyao did not answer.
"Haha," Long Yuehong laughed twice, suddenly realizing, "Am I not your friend? Why do you always say bad things about me?"
Shang Jianyao glanced at him:
"I'm just repeating what you said.
"Alas, I only have 1.75 meters after gene modification, and my looks are average..."
"Stop!" Long Yuehong interrupted Shang Jianyao's repetition.
Jiang Baimian couldn't hide her smile, and said as she stood up:
"Alright, you all go back and rest.
"Alas... Only I have to work overtime to write the mission report and submit it."
"Need any help?" Bai Chen asked.
Jiang Baimian chuckled:
"Don't worry, I won't forget what to write and what not to write."
Bai Chen, whose little thoughts were exposed, felt a little ashamed and lowered her head slightly.
After saying goodbye to Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong entered the elevator and returned to the 495th floor.
As the elevator descended, Long Yuehong looked at himself on the metal wall and suddenly sighed:
"I wonder if I can successfully transfer out of the team this time..."
Without waiting for Shang Jianyao to respond, he continued with some confusion:
"Actually, I'm starting to understand the meaning of the 'Old Task Force' work...
"A company life with a wife, two children, and meat three times a week is indeed very beautiful. I still yearn for it, but will I feel like I've wasted my life, lived in vain, when I get old?"
Shang Jianyao stared ahead, ignoring him.
Long Yuehong then fell silent, and only smiled when the elevator reached the 495th floor:
"Let fate decide."
Shang Jianyao glanced at him:
"Then go back and change your name first."
As they spoke, they separated at the crossroads, each returning home.
Not long after, Shang Jianyao arrived at Room 196, Block B.
Just as he took out the key, he saw a simple stick-figure baby drawn in white chalk at the bottom of the door.
This was not too strange in "Pangu Biology," where children's graffiti was prevalent. If you didn't like it, you could just erase it.
But Shang Jianyao knew that such a picture, in such a position, represented a certain meaning:
Tomorrow at 5:30 AM, same old place, "Sacrifice of Life" Cult gathering.
Shang Jianyao raised his hand and gently wiped the corner of his mouth.
ps: First update seeking monthly tickets~