Wasteland Development Diary

After returning to the company's base, Zhou Yi led the team to go fishing in the sea every day, leaving in the morning and returning late at night.

The Agricultural Machinery Brothers also parked next to the container house for temporary repairs.

The clawed pig employee Ye Zhao was also formally introduced to everyone by Zhou Yi, indicating that it was also an official employee of the company, a part of the collective.

This made the two human employees a bit nervous at first. They were locals from Mao Valley Town, and wild clawed pigs had attacked humans often; getting along with such a colleague was still somewhat daunting to them.

Fortunately, Ye Zhao was quick-witted. It took the initiative to help Ajin lay gravel outside the container house, accompanied Gong Zheng to Mao Valley Town for trade, and carried items back and forth.

Just as it had promised Zhou Yi,

"Master, I will get along with our people, you can rest assured."

The injured Tianjin Knight, Cui Mao, remarked on this, "Your company really is full of talent, not confined to any species."

"It's just that there is something I don't understand."

"Mr. Zhou, because of the differences in language and customs, wouldn't this make management inconvenient?"

Zhou Yi said, "Our company focuses on self-discipline, and employees need to have good self-management skills. At the start of the company, there will certainly be various problems, but we will solve them one by one."

He, of course, had no problems.

However, with a life form like Ye Zhao that had its own language system and couldn't directly converse with Ajin and the others, they had to find a solution to this pain point, because there might be new other-language speakers joining in the future.

Red Kestrel mentioned that Recursive City sold similar translation devices, capable of translating many species' languages, even some more primitive forms of expression, such as samurai crab shell-tapping conversations, and specific Guangna Species birds internal chirping, could also be translated.

However, this device was not cheap, either; a universal model required 40 Light Seeds, and while language updates were free later on, maintenance and hardware upgrades required extra expenditure.

That's almost the price of half a house.

But the advantage of the translator was that it acted more like a mainframe, from which many transceivers could be connected and used simultaneously within its coverage area.

These accessories also required additional purchases.

In short, it required money.

Red Kestrel also needed money for updates.

So Zhou Yi went all out in fishing, trying to fill his Guangna Box as much as possible.

Bone Man and his team toiled for a full four days with Jade City before ultimately giving up.

Mushroom Forest did not give up because of his advice, still making the utmost effort.

Unfortunately, in front of Jade City, all of these were meaningless.

Without reaching a purchase agreement and homeowner recognition, all outsiders would be expelled.

And because building life-forms could not communicate in the conventional sense, this resulted in a chicken-egg dead loop.

Zhou Yi looked at the high-altitude footage provided by Red Kestrel.

Bone Man, along with the Black Hand Mushroom, was evacuating on a large scale, but there were still some Black Hand Mushrooms hidden in some floors, either due to irrational hope or outright disbelief.

Ultimately, when Jade City began to move, enveloped in radiance, those remaining Black Hand Mushrooms were instantly melted away, becoming smoke and dust blown out from within the structure.

This scene caused the ground Black Hand Mushrooms to scatter in horror, fleeing from the awakened giant Alien.

Zhou Yi's gaze was fixed on Jade City.

It raised itself from the ground with steel root-like reinforcements, forming a vast hollowed-out metallic support foot, moving with a light and silky motion.

Jade City took steps that reminded Zhou Yi of videos he had seen of astronauts walking on the moon, as if gravity had become very weak, allowing the Dead Sea Alien's large body to become as light as a butterfly.

The giant's spacewalk-like floating steps, each landing still subjecting the ground to immense pressure, it trod a path through the dense Mushroom Forest, striding in a straight line towards the Eastern Dead Sea under the night sky.

Zhou Yi stood at the front outside the container house, slowly drinking a can of cola.

As Jade City slowly approached, the sense of oppression it brought increased.

The employees one by one looked alarmed, but seeing the chairman standing in the front, they didn't dare to back away, only bracing themselves.

The Eastern brothers maintained their Guard on the other side.

One step, another step.

The body of Jade City, riddled with holes, became clearer and clearer.

Even the chirping of insects and birds disappeared.

When it came to a stop just one step away from Zhou Yi, its legs contracted and sank down, the body slowly transitioning into a stationary state fixed to the ground, bringing another round of tremors.

Zhou Yi walked alone under Jade City and entered the unit door.

He placed his left palm on the wall, his right hand holding the Guangna Box.

"Come on, hand over the property."

"Here are 204 Light Seeds, payment in full for the house, plus 10 years of prepaid property management fees."

The voice of Jade City also arose in his mind, "Do you choose to purchase 3101 or 3102?"

There was no real difference between the two rooms; both were partially damaged.

Zhou Yi said offhand, "3101."

"Then, let us begin signing the purchase contract and formally recognize your homeowner status."

No sooner had he finished speaking, Zhou Yi suddenly noticed two cameras emerging from the wall, one behind the other, each projecting a green light onto his chest and back, performing a scanning-like recording.

The voices of Jade City resonated non-stop.

"Facial recognition complete."

"Body scan identification complete."

"Please set your verification password."

...

"Binding complete."

"Property owner Zhou Yi has completed registration, permissions updated, and the equity relationship has been successfully established."

"Unit 1, Phase 2 of Jade City, ownership of Unit 3101 has changed to property owner Zhou Yi."

"Respected property owner, you will enjoy all the rights and interests of a Jade City property owner, including calling homeowner association meetings and proposing suggestions regarding property management... electing committee members of the homeowner association, and enjoying the right to be elected... having the right to know and supervise the use of common areas, facilities, equipment, and related spaces..."

Zhou Yi inquired about the specifics.

Then he discovered an opportunity: "Now that I'm the only property owner, I request to convene a homeowner association meeting."

"This is your right."

"Good, then convene the homeowner association meeting immediately! Elect committee members of the homeowner association."

"Inviting homeowners... Invitation complete, 1 homeowner should attend, 1 is present."

Zhou Yi's eyes lit up.

It was viable!

"I nominate myself!"

Without any competition, Zhou Yi went through the process and became a member of the homeowner association committee.

The most important right of this position was to supervise, guide, and constrain property services.

Put simply, to oversee the function of the still operational Jade City itself.

In the era Zhou Yi had come from, truly implementing this was fraught with various hindrances. But now, with Jade City itself becoming the provider of property services, adhering to protocols made things straightforward and clear.

The crumbling skyscraper announced, "Jade City accepts your supervision and guidance, committee member."

Through this procedural pathway, Zhou Yi curved his way to salvation, gaining de facto control over Jade City.

He couldn't help but wipe off some sweat.

It seemed that in any era, snapping up a necessity property was a matter of quick action.

Inside Unit 3101, dust lay everywhere; without the sealing of a Dead Sea light membrane, the various pieces of furniture had decayed beyond recognition.

Soon, Zhou Yi discovered the conveniences of the Wasteland Era.

"Jade City, clean the room!"

"Yes, committee member."

...

Half an hour later, Zhou Yi stepped out of the apartment building's unit door, waving at the stunned crowd outside: "Come, let me show you around inside."

Ye Zhao was the first to follow.

Then came Ajin and Gong Zheng, who was using a crutch.

Cui Mao, with his arm in a sling, was pale in the face.

Unlike the others, he knew exactly what the Dead Sea Alien represented. The more he understood, the more he was aware of just how dangerous this indescribable monstrous entity was.

He clenched his left fist tightly and, still gritting his teeth, followed them.

Zhou Yi pressed the elevator button and introduced the somewhat anxious group.

"This is Jade City."

"It's now an employee of my company, so don't worry. In the future, it will not only be a strong support and new force for my company but also the protector of our farm."

These words left Ajin and Gong Zheng with faces full of excitement, their lips quivering with emotion.

Beside them, Cui Mao's face was a mask of horror: "This, this... Mr. Zhou, how did you accomplish this?"

He immediately realized it was inappropriate.

"I'm not prying into your secrets, but how is this possible... I've never heard of Dead Sea Aliens being employable. They are a completely uncommunicable and incomprehensible group of mythical creatures." Cui Mao was somewhat incoherent, his lips dry.

"Well, actually, it's not a secret."

Zhou Yi rubbed his fingers together: "Pay them, they also need Light Seeds."

"Ah?"

"Employment issues only have one reason for rejection, and that's not enough money."

Zhou Yi smiled slightly, giving a thumbs up: "As long as the price is right, even language barriers can be overcome."

Cui Mao was dazed, murmuring to himself.

"So that's how it is... but how much is enough? How much do these Dead Sea Aliens want... tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands, or millions..."

Zhou Yi shrugged: "That's a matter of personal skill in negotiation, isn't it?"