Kingdom of Corrosion
Chapter 346 - 194 Arrangements

Chapter 346: Chapter 194 Arrangements

Stone nodded in agreement with Lin Wu’s opinion. In private, Stone explained to Maya that Lin Wu couldn’t stand loneliness, and since there was a skywalk, he would surely find a way to go out and play. You can accompany him. When you need help, just call the base through the earpiece to pull the rope. But the skywalk cannot become a workplace.

Furthermore, Stone and Maya discussed the plan to recruit two slaves before the end of spring. Slaves need to work 12 hours a day, managing the farm for 6 hours and being responsible for the sentry post for the other 6 hours. Maya expressed her doubts, questioning whether it was possible to recruit slaves under these conditions. Stone reassured her that with the summer mode soon kicking in, many people would starve to death, and they could only choose to leave Hardcore Mode.

Non-Hardcore Mode is an independent game where everyone can have more fun, but they won’t earn any points, and the game has no specific goals. It is vital to note that the two modes are separate worlds; otherwise, people in Non-Hardcore Mode could easily keep those in Hardcore Mode alive.

Stone was confident that many players would be willing to become slaves for the sake of points. Besides, the treatment for Shadow slaves was good. Of course, we can’t outright say we’re recruiting slaves. We will announce the recruitment of reserve officers, highlighting traits like endurance, serious work ethic, and a priority for those who obey their superiors.

Of course, the others won’t be idle, either. They will spend their time on more interesting tasks, such as missions, scavenging, and venturing out, etc. The difference lies in the fact that the slaves have specific work content and hours, while others have ample personal time.

Seeing that Maya hadn’t caught on, Stone asked, "Among Tang Monk’s party including the White Dragon Horse, who’s the one who benefits the most?"

Maya immediately responded, "Monk Tang, because he barely does anything."

Stone shook his head. "Without Monk Tang, there would be no pilgrimage project, and the others would be unemployed. Without Monkey King, they couldn’t defeat the demons. It’s not like they can always ask for the Bodhisattva to save them, right? Pig Ba Jie might seem to eat the most, but in reality, he’s the team’s lubricant; he can flatter and is willing to take the blame."

Maya argued, "White Dragon Horse carried Monk Tang for tens of thousands of miles, and Sand Monk carried the luggage for just as far. Aren’t they the most hardworking ones?"

Stone countered, "Indeed, they’re the hardest working and, at the same time, they benefit the most. Because both Black Dragon Horse and Stone Monk can do the same work. They might work the hardest, but their work doesn’t have technological barriers and is easily replaceable. In a factory, the boss is like Monk Tang; you can’t fire the boss, or the factory closes. Monkey King is like the sales department manager, irreplaceable because without him, there’s no business. Pig Ba Jie is the deputy general manager, dealing with internal conflicts, easing the tension between the Monkey and Monk Tang, and calming disputes between the boss and the employees. When necessary, he also has to take the blame for the boss."

Stone continued, "Who can be fired? That would be the assembly line workers at the bottom. Their jobs can be done by anyone else. Now I ask you, is it fair for positions with and without technological barriers to enjoy the same benefits and treatment? Do you think it’s fair to Lin Wu if our reserve officers receive the same treatment as him?"

Stone asserted, "Even within a collective, there are rankings and class distinctions. If those who contribute more to the collective don’t receive more benefits, why should they contribute more to the collective?"

Maya said, "In the guards, we are a collective where only positions, not ranks, differ. Everyone works hard to do their best."

Stone explained, "The reason is that you have the supreme honor of Blue Star. In court, judges will believe what you say. You can get a lot of money from the bank without collateral. You have a high social status. All these are benefits you achieve by sticking together. Your interests are not within the guard but outside of it."

Stone planned, "I intend to increase the number of reserve officers based on the actual income of the farm. When the time comes, you’ll leave them under Shana’s management and you’ll just focus on handling Monkey King’s business."

Lin Wu sauntered back, seeing the two conversing by the river, he waded over to them, "Old Man, that’s a nice suit."

Stone adjusted his suit, ran a hand through his hair, "Quite nice. But I don’t know which bastard hid four embroidery needles inside, making it especially uncomfortable to wear."

Lin Wu said, "It was Wai."

"Heh," Stone chuckled falsely, then asked, "Horse Soul wants to open a kitchen, should we do it?"

This question was a major issue currently facing the Sawmill base; there were too few small compartments. A production room and a clinic were two essential units, leaving just two units to be determined by consensus. Everyone agreed to build a library, which left only one building unit. Projects such as a gym, shooting range, swimming pool, and hot springs bath all required space.

Maya had a card that could divide one large compartment into two smaller ones, but there weren’t many large compartments left. In the plans, doubling up on the barracks, farms, and watchtowers had already consumed six large compartments. Everyone agreed to set up a trade station to engage in transactions with NPCs. Even scrap iron could be traded with NPCs, making it the best way to deal with garbage and turn waste into treasure. As such, only one large compartment remained, which definitely shouldn’t be divided, considering large compartments were required for significant functional buildings.

After preliminary planning, Shadow Base had only one large and one small compartment left unplanned. Stone was reluctant to use a small compartment to build a kitchen. But the absence of a kitchen in summer would make cooking by hand quite troublesome.