Chapter 240: The Red Worm Feed Factory Begins Operations

It seemed that the traditional idea of upgrading the magic cube space solely through continuous practice wasn't the only way. Sudden opportunities, or "fortuitous encounters," could accelerate the process of upgrading the cube space. But did killing and violence count as such encounters? Jing Shu wasn’t sure yet; more observation was needed. If that were indeed the case, her cube space could potentially level up to the seventh or even eighth tier in a short time.

With more land in the cube space, Jing Shu could grow more crops and raise more livestock. One day, if the space grew large enough to house entire vehicles like RVs, she'd finally be able to live without the fear of world-ending calamities or unexpected disasters. Until then, she had to remain vigilant, prepared for any challenge.

This time, she felt even more in tune with her magic cube, as if she could break through to the next level at any moment. It was like reaching a bottleneck; she was so close but still not quite there.

---

Despite the robbery, Wei Zhen’s wedding turned out to be a success. Aside from the scare and a few injuries, the guests were satisfied. Originally, there were only a couple of cold dishes, three hot dishes, and one meat dish, but after adding two more meat dishes, the entire banquet was elevated. Some guests even found it hard to eat too much in one sitting and divided the food amongst themselves to take home. In this world, where pork was worth far more than their wedding gifts, everyone walked away with a bag full of food.

Once the guests had left, the three aunts started cleaning up the aftermath. Jing Shu's uncle took the bodies to the authorities and collected a 330 virtual coin bounty, which he then handed over to Jing Shu. After all, the loot from the fight was rightfully hers.

When this was revealed, not only were the guests stunned, but so were the groom’s family, including Wei Zhen and Qiao Lian. Qiao Lian's mother, especially, swallowed hard, clearly relieved she had never crossed Jing Shu.

Jing Shu, satisfied with her uncle’s fair handling of the situation, said, “They came to rob you, so you should get some compensation. Take it as reimbursement for the damage done to your family.”

But her uncle refused.

“Fine, take the loot—the pickup truck and the virtual coins—and use them to help with the factory’s operation. Just give me the drugs and the smoke bombs.”

Her uncle was grateful. “Thank you so much, Jing Shu.”

The loot turned out to be quite valuable: a pickup truck, some basic thermal imaging equipment, machetes, clubs, sedatives, and 11 smoke bombs. Jing Shu decided to keep the smoke bombs for potential future use—she had witnessed firsthand how effective they were in creating chaos. Without proper weapons, it was difficult to fight back under the cover of smoke, especially with added firebombs.

Jing Shu advised her uncle’s family to be more cautious in the future. In a world where food was as valuable as gold, throwing a grand wedding and slaughtering pigs for a feast was bound to attract envy, especially when they lacked the security measures to protect their wealth. Not everyone could afford bodyguards like Su Mali’s family, and a simple hired crew of guards might have saved them from the ordeal.

---

The next morning, on the second day of the Lunar New Year, the red worm feed factory officially opened for business.

The factory was set up in the temporary housing area at the foot of the mountain, right next to where many of the refugees in Wu County lived. The county government had built these makeshift shelters for people displaced by the floods, and the factory’s proximity to the refugee camps was no coincidence.

Jing Shu’s aunt posted a large sign early that morning: "1 virtual coin for every 200 kilograms of red worms (no limit)."

This announcement caused a stir among the refugees. Wu County’s government could only process a limited amount of red worms each day, meaning anyone who arrived late often had to go home empty-handed. The daily competition for spots created a vicious cycle of frustration.

Now, families could collect up to 300 kilograms of red worms daily and earn 1 or 2 virtual coins. That was enough to buy food and avoid subsisting on the foul-tasting mushroom-and-worm stew. Given the choice, anyone would prefer a bowl of porridge.

Jing Shu's aunt personally oversaw the collection of red worms to prevent any cheating, while the factory workers began processing the worms into feed. The factory quickly became a bustling hive of activity.

Seeing the progress, Jing Shu felt proud. This was one small way she could contribute to surviving in this post-apocalyptic world. At the very least, she was helping to store away precious food supplies.

Jing Shu’s second aunt’s husband, always the businessman, saw an opportunity. “Big Sis, I can source red worms from other areas and transport them here. How about giving me a deal—180 kilograms per virtual coin? Wu County’s small, and you’ll eventually run out of supply.”

After thinking it over, Jing Shu’s aunt agreed. Wu County alone couldn’t meet the factory’s production needs, so the deal made sense. But she warned him, “If you ever try to pass off fake goods, there won’t be a second chance.”

A ton of red worms could only produce a fraction of that weight in processed feed, but when the time came to sell, the price could easily be ten times what they were paying for raw materials. Jing Shu wasn’t interested in making money, but she had no choice but to follow the rules of the game.

The factory could process over ten tons of feed daily, but storage posed a problem. In the ongoing rainy season, improperly stored feed would mold and spoil. Jing Shu set her sights on renting space from the government’s storage facilities—they were well-equipped for long-term preservation.

However, she wasn’t sure how to make the right connections. While Niu Mou, the agricultural minister, was her go-to for farming matters, she wasn’t sure if he had sway over storage. Perhaps Zhou Bapi, who oversaw medicinal supplies, could help?

To Jing Shu’s surprise, the storage problem was resolved by that very afternoon.