That's why Jin Tianci hadn't noticed anything off. The joke had already passed, but he still praised Jin Baba again, finally letting the heavily battered man recover a bit of dignity.
When the topic of awards came up, Jin Tianci looked at Jing Shu with mild surprise, smiling warmly. "I know you. I once chatted with you through that girl Mary's WeChat account, remember? The honeysuckle thing."
"Hey, and I was watching that video call from the other side too!" Zhou Bapi said proudly. Back then, he was in Guangdong looking for Mary and didn't believe anyone could raise honeysuckle that well.
Jing Shu's jaw dropped. Of course she remembered how strange Mary had acted that time. She just hadn't known that a bunch of sleazy old men were actually watching from the other side. Not only them, there had also been a bald one-eyed guy and Mary's father in on it.
Jin Tianci suddenly got interested and turned to Jun Jia. "So, what conditions did you mention when donating supplies? Make sure she's satisfied, and carry them out properly. Even if it's difficult, find a way. Pull some strings if you have to."
Jun Jia felt a bitter taste in his mouth. What a great deal for Jing Shu—he'd basically just helped her get a free ride. Still, he smiled and said, "It was a bit tricky, but since you've spoken, I'll find a way."
"Tell me," Jin Tianci said, raising an eyebrow.
"President Jing wants to rent a large piece of land. She's got her eyes on a factory site out in the new district suburbs, about twenty acres big—roughly two football fields. She plans to open a feed factory there. The problem is, thousands of people are already living in that area, so we can't start construction unless we relocate them. Besides, both the land and the equipment are privately owned. We wanted to requisition them earlier, but they refused to move unless they sold off their machines first. We're not that unreasonable, right?"
Yeah right, Jing Shu rolled her eyes. You? Reasonable?
"Whose factory is it?" Jin Tianci asked directly.
"The deputy's," Jun Jia coughed. For those with connections, it's called negotiation. For those without, it's called confiscation.
Jin Tianci went silent for a while. Jin Baba, on the other hand, nearly exploded. "Why her? Why does this woman get to take such a huge piece of land for free?" In the apocalypse, usable land was even more precious than before. Sure, industries had collapsed, and factories had shut down, but still.
Jing Shu, meanwhile, was thinking about her plan. Renting that land hadn't been her original intention, it just happened by chance. But she wanted that spot because she planned to turn it into her second post-apocalypse shelter.
That's right. If her villa had been a safe haven for the first five years, then once she returned from migration, that land would become a golden zone. Based on what she knew about the coming years, that "golden zone" would survive multiple disasters without harm and later become one of the main gathering places.
It was just like playing a battle royale game. If you already knew which area would be safe once the circle shrank, wouldn't you camp there early to ensure survival? Also, if she wanted to stop the Tyrant from seizing Xingfu Shiyuan in year five, she'd need that factory for her own plan. That golden land was crucial. Even if she couldn't get it now, she'd find a way to secure it before the tyrant came to power, with a proper contract signed.
After a long pause, Jin Tianci asked, "Why rent it? Why not just buy the land outright?"
Jing Shu blinked. "Didn't you just say I could sign a ten-year lease, with the first three years free? Buy it? That'd be too expensive. I can't afford it." Before the apocalypse, investing there would've cost billions. How much virtual currency would that take now?
Besides, buying land during the apocalypse was just like buying a house. If a natural disaster wiped it out, you wouldn't even have a place to cry about it. And she only knew what would happen for the next ten years—anything beyond that, she couldn't guarantee.
"How about this," Jin Tianci said. "You buy the land and the factory equipment outright. The setup's already there, and it comes with a seventy-year leasehold. I'll be the middleman and give you a half-price deal. That way, even if I'm no longer in office, the lease can't be voided."
He was worried that if he died, the rental agreement might not be recognized later and the land could be reclaimed. Who knew what kind of person the next one in power would be? If that land became valuable, they could easily take it back or raise the rent to the moon. This half-sale, half-gift solution was his way of protecting her.
Jing Shu felt touched, even tempted. "How much virtual currency are we talking about? I don't have that much."
"Just cover half as a down payment. I'll arrange a loan for the rest. But let's make it clear: the down payment can be in virtual currency, but every monthly installment must be paid in goods or food of equal value. It's to prevent inflation."
"Alright."
"Brother-in-law, you're amazing. You just traded an old factory lot and scrap equipment for a mountain of food in a few minutes."
"It's a win-win-win deal, everyone benefits. Go help President Jing with the paperwork."
"Got it. Come on, Baba, stick with me and learn a thing or two. You'll need it later."
Jun Jia left with Jin Baba, and Li Yutian followed to handle the transactions. Soon, the huge living room was empty except for Madam Jin, Jin Tianci, Jing Shu, and Zhou Bapi.
Zhou Bapi grumbled under his breath. "Finally done. Can we talk about my business now?" Then he glanced at Jing Shu. "This girl's got guts! It's the apocalypse and she still dares to take out a huge loan? What's she thinking? There are so many abandoned factories, but she insists on picking the one with political connections. What, is that place blessed by the gods or something?"
Even Jing Shu was a bit dazed. At first, she'd only wanted to get her supplies back. Then greed got the better of her, and she thought about renting that golden zone for ten years as her family's backup base, with a long-term plan in mind.
But she never expected this twist. In the middle of the apocalypse, she'd somehow taken out a massive loan to buy an abandoned factory larger than a football field! Even Jin Baba's stash, worth four million virtual coins, would all be poured into it.
To her, virtual currency had always been just numbers. But now, those numbers weren't just gone, she was in debt. She'd have to make monthly payments in goods, becoming a true negative-asset survivor. Of course, she still had plenty of supplies, especially what she'd brought back from the States, but it'd be a waste to use them. Better to pay with the cheapest stuff—red nematode patties.
Technically, property and land should've been worthless after the apocalypse. But the natural disasters had been too devastating. Half the cities were underwater, earthquakes had flattened countless buildings, and usable land and housing had been cut by more than half. Some real estate developers had even started secretly building makeshift houses for cheap rent. Otherwise, you'd be stuck in a government-assigned room, packed with over a dozen people, unless you had money or connections to get your own.
===
Sometimes author write Su Mali's name with this variation: 玛丽苏 (Mǎlì Sū) and 苏玛丽 (Sū Mǎlì).
Maybe you can already guessed but Su Mali is reference to Mary Sue. That the reason why sometimes she also called by 'Mary'.
A Mary Sue (and the male equivalent, Gary Stu or Marty Stu) is a term for a fictional character, often in fanfiction but now in all genres, who is overly idealized and seemingly perfect.
Key Characteristics of a Mary Sue:
Unrealistic Perfection: They are exceptionally skilled, intelligent, powerful, and beautiful without having realistically earned it. They might be the best fighter, the smartest mage, and the most beautiful person in the room, all at once.
Lack of Flaws: Any flaws they have are either superficial ("clumsy") or are actually endearing qualities in disguise ("too trusting" or "works too hard").
Instant Likability: Every "good" character in the story loves them immediately and unconditionally.
Central to the Plot: The entire universe seems to revolve around them. Stories and conflicts bend to suit them.
Bends the World's Rules: They can solve problems that have stumped experts for years with ease, or they possess unique abilities that no one else has, breaking the established rules of the story's world.
This also cemented by many things that we already know in this novel about Su Mali. Such in previous chapter when Jing Shu compared Hao Yunlai's luck with Su Mali:
"Hao Yunlai's luck wasn't like Su Mali's. His ability to dodge danger always came at a cost, while Su Mali was truly blessed by the heavens. She lived in a constant state of happiness, and anyone who tried to harm her usually ended up dead. Thinking about it now, Su Mali was terrifying."
Heaven-Favored (天眷之人): The universe itself is on her side.
Lives in Happiness: She faces no real, lasting consequences or hardships.
Enemies Die: Conflict is automatically resolved in her favor without her needing to lift a finger. The world bends to protect her.