This Game Is Too Real
Chapter 142 Besides labor dispatch, we also provide additional ’value-added services

Chapter 142: Chapter 142 Besides labor dispatch, we also provide additional ’value-added services

It was seven in the evening.

The night was deep.

Next to the towering Steel Fortress, a heavy-duty truck came to a steady stop.

Compared to the driver who jumped down from the truck, the vehicle itself could be described as formidable. However, when placed next to the steel platform and tracks beside it, the formidable presence of the truck seemed somewhat diminished.

From a distance, it looked like a tiny bug crawling at the edge of a shoe.

The driver disembarked and operated an automated loading and unloading platform using a tablet device, removing cubic blocks of metal from the truck.

These metal blocks were all made from recycled trash, compressed into cubic meters with dimensions of one meter each side and a density varying between 6-7g/cm³.

Inside were car doors, engine hoods, and various other metal parts, all tightly pressed together, making it hard to distinguish their original forms.

It must be said that the residents of the shelter were indeed very capable. Not only were they physically fit, but their work enthusiasm was also high. They almost completely scrapped everything that could be recycled.

The only drawback was that it seemed they also stuffed in things that could not be recycled...

But that was of minor consequence.

These metal blocks would soon be sent to a dedicated processing workshop, transferred from one module to another through a series of automated production processes, eventually becoming whatever they needed.

Non-usable waste materials would automatically be ejected outside of the production line during manufacturing phases.

Wearing a thick protective suit and a safety helmet, the engineer unfolded the flexible screen of his tablet computer and walked towards Li De, who was standing by the temporary warehouse.

"Today’s collection amounted to 112 tons of scrap steel. I’ll send them onto the production line later, and we can start the replacement operation for the tracks tomorrow."

Li De, "How much steel do we need in total? I mean, that kind of trash."

Engineer, "At least 3000 tons... maybe even 5000 tons."

Li De frowned.

"Why such a large discrepancy?"

The engineer replied helplessly,

"There’s no helping it. The steel quality of those civilian vehicles is too poor. Probably to save costs and weight, they’re filled with a lot of non-recyclable carbon-based copolymers. Plus, the oxidized parts, we’re optimistic if we can recycle 400 kilograms out of one ton of scrap steel."

"Also, I must mention that we need not only steel but also rare metals... I don’t expect to find titanium or uranium in this forsaken place, but tungsten is a must. Otherwise, we could push west for another 500 kilometers at most before we have to anchor again."

Tracks and hubs were major areas of wear and tear.

And not to mention mechanical structures like bearings and drive wheels, which, although not as deleteriously affected as the tracks, required periodic replacement.

In theory, the underground garages that hadn’t been flooded should hold vehicles with reasonably high recycling value, potentially reaching recovery rates of 40% and even 50%.

If it were those vehicles exposed in wildernesses or unmanned highways, the recovery rate could struggle to reach 30%.

After all, rainwater is naturally acidic. Even with carbonic acid’s weak acidity, two centuries of "acid washing," regardless of how advanced the material technology, would lead to deterioration.

Moreover, acid washing is more lethal than oxidation; oxidation merely causes rust, and while the structure might collapse, the metal elements are still there and wouldn’t vanish. If it’s acid washing, the ionized cations could be carried into the soil by the rainwater, making them irrecoverable.

Li De’s brow furrowed even more, as he meticulously considered the engineer’s words.

kilometers before anchoring again...

According to the route planned on their map, 500 kilometers might not even take them out of River Valley Province.

Anchoring in the wilderness would be a real disaster.

"I understand the situation. I’ll have the Ground Combat Department deploy a search squad to specifically search for rare metal materials in this area."

The Engineer shook his head,

"It’s difficult to find them in this area. I suggest looking around Qingquan City’s Fifth Ring Road. A basic principle the denser the human activities, the higher the macro-utilization rate of rare metals. Especially those maglev vehicles, whether it’s the magnetic generators on the vehicles or the maglev tracks embedded under the highways and within skyscrapers, they all contain what we need... You won’t find these in the suburbs lacking an elevated road network."

"Also, the search for controllable fusion fuel rods needs to be expedited. The fusion fuel in the rod we’re currently using is down to 8%, and even if our tracks don’t fail, we probably need to find a spot to settle this issue."

Li De, "How long will the remaining energy last?"

Engineer: "It’s enough for us to use for a long time, but you know, we can’t stay here forever."

If it were just that bit of production consumption, the 8% energy was enough to last them until next year.

But, as his engineer had said, they couldn’t stay there forever.

The place that consumed the most energy in this land fortress wasn’t those production workshops on it, but its four engines.

Pushing a fortress of tens of thousands of tons to move smoothly over land, if converted to diesel engines, would take several tons of fuel per kilometer, equivalent to 1~2 armored divisions marching across off-road terrain.

Li De: "The contact point for Shelter No. 404 was just established, their people are helping us find guides, we should be able to leave within two days at most, it shouldn’t be a problem."

The engineer sighed.

"Hopefully, actually compared to the scavenging work, retrieving the nuclear fuel rods isn’t that urgent, as long as we find them before we depart. Speaking of which, I can’t help but compliment those Blue Jackets, their work efficiency is unexpectedly high. What exactly did you promise them? They work as if they were on drugs."

When he said the last part, the engineer looked at his boss with disbelief and curiosity on his face.

Li De had a complex expression as well, seemingly unsure how to answer the question.

Honestly, when he saw the results of today’s resource gathering, he too was incredibly surprised.

Based on their past experience, hiring those local survivors to help pick up garbage, managing to collect 300 kilograms per day was already good—after all, cutting, transporting, and compacting took time, and those natives were rather slow, making the work infuriatingly sluggish.

Yet, those Blue Jackets, they managed to collect over 500 kilograms per person in just an afternoon! 200% above their expectations!

If they were given a whole day, wouldn’t the per capita scavenging capacity exceed a ton?

Their enthusiasm for work was unmatched!

Though it was none of his own business, Li De still couldn’t help but wonder, how much did their Manager pay them to be that motivated?

"Where are they now?"

"They’ve already returned, they’re cooking in the camp now."

Li De nodded.

It was good that they returned safely.

At that moment, a logistical staff member suddenly walked over from the side.

"Chief, there’s a call for you."

"Transfer the call to me."

He took out an earpiece the size of a toothpick box from his pocket and hung it beside his ear, and Li De lightly tapped on the white earpiece with his index finger.

A dark green beam of light projected forward, quickly forming a three-dimensional holographic image in front, showing the facial features and bust of the person on the other end.

"How much for your holographic communication system?"

Looking around with curiosity, Chu Guang watched as Li De gave a soft cough.

"...We haven’t considered selling it yet."

"Okay."

Chu Guang in the holographic image nodded, seemingly showing understanding, and Li De hoped that he truly understood.

Forming a slight smile on his face, Li De continued.

"Is there something you need?"

Chu Guang didn’t directly answer the question but smiled at him and said in a casual tone,

"Nothing special, I just wanted to ask how you feel about the work efficiency of our laborers?"

"Very... quite good." Li De was about to say very good, but suddenly remembered that he was facing a cunning old fox and changed his response in time.

Unfortunately, the other party seemed to catch the change in his expression, the corners of his mouth lifting into a barely noticeable smile.

Li De suddenly felt a bit regretful.

Maybe he shouldn’t have transferred that holographic communication device over.

The original purpose of this device was to facilitate communication.

But now it seems that only one person is finding it convenient.

"I’m glad to receive such high praise from you!"

"Uh, actually, it’s not as high as you think, but it’s not bad either. I must admit, your workers are very dedicated, which is extremely valuable."

"Let’s then discuss the cost issue!"

Upon hearing this, Li De’s expression changed instantly. Although he didn’t become hostile, his face still somewhat soured.

"My friend, haven’t we already settled on the salary? Raising the price at the last minute isn’t a show of good faith."

"Please don’t be nervous, my friend," Chu Guang said with a calming smile and gestured for him to relax before he continued, "I’m not talking about salary issues, but about... uh, value-added services."

"Value-added services?" Li De was stunned for a moment, his tense expression involuntarily relaxed slightly.

It was the first time he had heard such a strange term.

Chu Guang continued with a smile, "Yes, when you want to improve the workers’ efficiency, you have to stuff their pockets with money, bribe them to work harder, rather than just give them a fixed salary... or to put it more diplomatically, you need to provide them with a commission, allowing them to feel the joy of growth throughout the production process. Would you like to know how I do it?"

Li De wanted to say he didn’t want to know, but he felt that no matter what he said, this guy would find an excuse to keep the conversation going, so he simply kept quiet.

Sure enough, this manager in the blue jacket did not "disappoint" him. The guy didn’t even give him a chance to speak and just went on without pausing for a second.

"In addition to the regular hourly wage, they get paid an extra amount for every kilogram of scrap metal they collect, so they are motivated to work hard. The numbers you see on the production list aren’t because they are particularly brave or strong or because of what you call dedication, but because I’ve put money into it."

Li De didn’t want to listen anymore.

It all came down to the same meaning.

He said sternly,

"How much do you want?"

Chu Guang laughed and said,

"Not much, considering our close relationship, how about 5 CR per ton? For you, it’s just the cost of a few extra bowls of instant noodles."

Although he wasn’t going to spend that money on instant noodles.

After hearing Chu Guang’s proposal, Li De didn’t immediately respond but quietly did some calculations in his mind.

If the daily production was 200 tons, that meant they would have to spend an extra 1000 CR.

How should he put it?

The number was exactly in a very ambiguous range.

If he didn’t pay this amount, the other party probably wouldn’t subsidize their workers with that "extra" money to stimulate production. Then, even if these men in blue jackets didn’t slack off, they would likely struggle to work as hard as they did today.

Was it worth spending nearly a thousand CR per day on the so-called value-added services?

Or would it be better to maintain the current expenses and let the productivity fall to a "normal" level?

Chu Guang didn’t rush him, patiently waiting for the logistics director to think.

With furrowed brows relaxing and then tightening, seemingly having made a decision, Li De, with a stern face, stared at his holographic image and said,

"What about today’s value-added service? Do I have to pay extra for that as well?"

Hearing this, a pleased smile crossed Chu Guang’s face.

He knew this too well from his sales experience.

When clients keep asking about prices or nitpick, it means they are hesitant and might or might not buy, the chances being fifty-fifty.

But when a client stops discussing the deal itself and instead asks about irrelevant freebies, the deal is almost certainly secured.

All that’s left is to make the client feel they are getting a bargain.

"Well, there’s no need for that, today’s six hours are a trial period for the value-added service, free of charge."

Li De chuckled.

"You taught me a lesson... are you interested in corporate work? I can write you a recommendation letter and recommend you for a management position. Honestly, your talent is wasted in this godforsaken place."

Chu Guang humbly responded, "I dare not, I’m just trying to make sure my residents can survive this miserable world, so I tend to be very frugal."

He felt slightly better inside.

Li De sighed lightly, glanced at the sky, and slowly nodded his tilted head.

"Deal."

...

Spending an extra 1000CR a day wasn’t unacceptable.

After all, no matter what, human labor was much cheaper than mechanical labor here, and the efficiency of the latter might not necessarily be higher in complex environments.

1000CR amounted to five hundred kilograms of grain or a ton of monosaccharides or polysaccharides synthesized from "consumable air."

If they needed gunpowder rifles, that was even easier to negotiate, using leftover materials from machined parts was probably cheaper than crops that needed time to be cultivated.

At this time, several marines, drivers, and engineers, with arms around each other’s shoulders and backs, were walking back from the direction of the Residents of the Refuge camp, laughing and chatting.

"The mashed potato with goat horn was absolutely delicious!"

"How did they come up with that? They actually steamed the food! And it tasted so good!"

"From what I’ve read, people ate like that 300 years ago."

"300 years ago?! That’s really ancient."

"Yes, even more ancient than the Prosperity Epoch... but I do wonder, can just steaming really kill the microbes in the food?"

"Look at you, so clueless, the temperature of steam is much higher than boiling water!"

"That’s true... well, the only flaw I can point out is that it’s quite fuel-consuming; first, you have to boil the water and then use the steam to cook the food. Those guys in Blue Jackets really know how to live."

"Strange knowledge has increased again."

Today’s work had ended, and if there were no emergencies, the remaining time belonged to them.

One of life’s greatest pleasures was to knock off work on time after a busy day, comfortably take a hot shower, then head to the cafeteria for a cup of synthetic milk or hot cocoa, and go to the activity room to play a couple of rounds of billiards or poker with colleagues while chatting.

Oh yes, and sharing the joy of tasting delicious food with everyone!

For the cost of a bucket of instant noodles, you could get a bowl of fragrant mashed potatoes—what a bargain!

And tonight there was even pine nut and fish stew! I think that was the name.

I don’t know what herbs those Blue Jackets put in the soup, but they managed to reduce the fishy smell of the rotten mutant catfish. Biting into it was a sensation of full collagen, both the texture and the flavor were just superb!

Their usual diet was relatively bland, low in salt and oil, although nutritionally complete, it always lacked a bit in flavor.

The only drawback of those Blue Jackets’ "cafeterias" was that you had to bring your own bowl and chopsticks, as there were no disposable bowls.

But that wasn’t really an issue for them.

A few of them first consulted with an engineer from logistics production, quickly persuaded him with a bowl of mashed potatoes, and got him to operate a machining workshop tablet to produce some steel bowls as thin as paper and spoons for the soup.

These steel bowls were not pure steel but were made of polymer composite steel, mainly using leftover materials from cutting steel, mixed with some cheap synthetic resin. They were very cost-effective. They treated them as disposable dishes, tossed after use, saving even the effort of washing up.

"...Running around outside, while those lucky dogs sit in the office enjoying the warm air, it’s so infuriating!"

"Exactly, it would be a shame not to show off to them, especially after the Northwest wind we endured today!"

"Agreed, we absolutely must show off!"

"Hahaha, let’s make those dogs jealous!"

The group of young men reached a consensus and, laughing and chatting, stepped onto the elevator. This feeling was like discovering an oasis in the desert.

Meanwhile, Li De, standing not far away tallying supplies, and the engineer with the tablet wore baffled expressions, as if they sort of understood what was being said and yet didn’t.

"...?"

"?"