Chapter 242: Originally Just Looking for a Storage, But Ended Up...

Wang Gang’s intention in talking about the chicken was to show off his connections and capabilities. For instance, being able to get chicken meat in an apocalypse where the government was ramping up poultry farming made him seem important. It was a way to highlight his status and power in the new world order.

However, Jing Shu’s family completely missed his point, and instead, the young girl directly asked him about warehouse storage.

Wang Gang chuckled and shifted the conversation, “Ah, the storage warehouses are part of a large national project established before the apocalypse. They come with all sorts of safety systems and are where the city’s entire food supply is stored. They’re usually not open for private use, but…” He trailed off, giving Jing Shu a knowing smile before continuing, “By the way, what kind of feed are you talking about? This is the apocalypse—where’d you get such a large amount of feed? How many tons are we talking about?”

Jing Shu understood his hint. “We’ve recently opened a red worm feed factory, and there will be around a few hundred tons of product soon.”

The entire table was stunned. Her uncle, Su Yiyang, voiced his concern, “Are you sure about this, Jing Shu? Red worms are basically worthless right now. Why are you investing in that?”

This is the difference between family and outsiders—her uncle was worried that she might be making a bad investment.

Wang Gang shook his head and explained, “Not necessarily. According to government orders, Wu City is mandated to stockpile millions of tons of red worm cakes this year, as a contingency for future disasters. Right now, there’s no market for this feed, given the current abundance of red worms. But, in six months or a year, things could change, and in a famine, this feed could multiply in value tenfold.”

Aunt Wang Fang added dramatically, “Oh dear, you shouldn’t bother with red worms. My scientist friends say red worms are practically endless! Even if people eat most of them, they can still be bred easily. As long as there’s water, they’ll reproduce in the thousands, much faster than mushrooms.”

“And the price of red worms in Wu City just dropped to 220 pounds per virtual coin,” she added.

Indeed, red worms were resilient. Their eggs could even survive boiling water, which is why large-scale farming hadn’t been fully developed yet. However, they had weaknesses.

In about half a year, the zombie deer and cow virus from Australia would spread globally. When that happens, red worms will become inedible. Anyone who eats them will contract the zombie disease, which causes the body to decay in patches. Even poultry that eats infected red worms will spread the zombie virus, leading to a new wave of biological evolution and species invasion.

The zombie disease itself wasn’t the scariest part—it was its speed and how quickly it could spread. Rain and red worms would become the main carriers of the disease worldwide.

Jing Shu simply smiled without explaining further, keeping these future events to herself.

Wang Gang, sensing an opportunity, asked, “Actually, Jing Shu, you seem to have a good head for business. This feed might not be valuable now, but in a few months or a year, who knows? Have you considered opening another red worm feed factory?”

Jing Shu was surprised. “I’m already too busy managing the current factory. Collecting hundreds of pounds of red worms and managing the workers is quite a hassle. Plus, finding proper storage is tough. If the feed goes bad, it’s worthless.”

Wang Gang leaned forward, “Well, to tell you the truth, my friend who manages the storage warehouse had been raising and collecting a large batch of red worms early on. He made a good profit at first, but now, with red worms being so cheap, he’s having trouble getting the government to buy them.

But here’s the deal—if you can open another factory and take in his daily supply of several dozen tons of red worms, I can help you secure a private storage unit in the government’s warehouse. You can store as much as you want, for as long as you want. I’ll get you your own private section.”

A private storage unit? Jing Shu’s interest was piqued. That meant she could store as much as she wanted, for as long as needed, in a secure national facility.

“I could open another factory, but I don’t have the time to manage it. If Uncle and Aunt are willing to invest, or if you’d like to manage the factory and I’ll just fund it, I could be a hands-off partner.”

Jing Shu figured that stockpiling red worm feed in the apocalypse was a smart move. Why? Because rice and wheat were too conspicuous.

If she were known as the girl who hoarded tons of grain, she’d be a prime target. People would line up to assassinate her just for her supplies.

But if she became known as the "red worm feed" boss… Well, it might seem less glamorous, but it would allow her to operate more discreetly. Plus, with her reputation as a feed mogul, her other assets—grain, her RV, and more—wouldn’t seem out of place. Add in her connections with the apothecary association, and everything would make sense.

Aunt Wang Fang hesitated, sensing this might be a losing investment.

But Uncle Su Yiyang, ever practical, asked, “Jing Shu, we’re family. Do you think this is a good business move?”

Jing Shu nodded. “For the next few years, we won’t be able to plant crops. If red worms survive, fine, but what if we have another year of drought or rain? Next year could bring snowstorms. Without sunlight, who knows how low temperatures will drop? There won’t be any red worms, much less grain. Storage units can hold feed for up to three years. Who can guarantee the next three years will be smooth sailing?”

“Yes, what if it snows…”

“Alright, we’ll do it! We’re in!” Uncle Su Yiyang agreed.

Aunt Wang Fang wanted to object, but she kept quiet under her brother’s watchful eye.

Wang Gang, seeing the opportunity, chimed in, “Why don’t you let me invest as well? I really believe in this venture.”

Jing Shu’s parents didn’t mind her opening another factory. Their daughter had grown up and had her own ideas. Most importantly, she was financially independent.

In the end, they reached an agreement: Jing Shu would invest 10,000 virtual coins, covering fuel and other costs, and hold 70% of the shares. Wang Gang would provide the site, equipment, and cover wages and food for the workers, holding 15%. Uncle and Aunt would manage the factory, investing 1,000 virtual coins and handling day-to-day operations, holding 15%.

This new factory would be larger and more professional than the one in Wu County, with more workers, making Wang Gang’s share quite reasonable. After all, food was expensive, and feeding that many workers would be costly.

As for Uncle’s family, their 1,000 virtual coins would be borrowed from Wang Gang since they lived paycheck to paycheck—especially with their son, Su Long, eating rice every day.

And just like that, the storage and feed factory deal was sealed. The red worm prices were set at 10% below market, effectively a wholesale price, making it easier to source the worms.

Jing Shu hadn’t expected that what started as a simple request for storage would turn into another factory. It was like going shopping for shoes and coming back with a whole wardrobe.

As for the 10,000 virtual coins, Jing Shu didn’t have them. Her pockets were empty. But she noticed something new stirring in her magic cube space—her leeches and blood mushrooms.