I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 794: Going to the Middle East with a Money Printing Machine

Guo Tou wiped his sweat and looked up, only then spotting Jing Shu. He exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Sister Jing, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you make a sound? One of these can sell for seven or eight hundred Virtual Coins, right? We can sell about a dozen a day; the market here couldn’t handle any more. Besides, it’s not exactly the best-tasting meat."

"It’s enough to feed everyone in your village, but I’m afraid buying luxury goods will be tough. However, once the Wu City People arrive, if we continue to collaborate, the market will surely be large enough," Jing Shu nodded.

Unpalatable ’dark food’ was very cheap; one or two Virtual Coins were enough for a filling meal.

Slightly more decent synthetic meat cost ten Virtual Coins.

As for luxury goods like ordinary chicken and duck, a single one cost at least seven or eight thousand Virtual Coins. The steep premium was due to scarcity; ordinary domestic poultry were also delicate and difficult to raise.

Guo Tou chuckled, rinsed the slaughterhouse-like storefront with seawater, took off his apron, and said, "Sister Jing, today is Xiao Wei’s birthday. Shall we go to a restaurant in the wealthy district to get a Wenchang Chicken? Xiao Wei has been wanting to eat chicken for a long time but couldn’t bring herself to spend the money."

"Have we run out of the various foods we traded before the migration?" Jing Shu was surprised; before their departure, she had provided dozens of carloads of various foods, though a significant portion was synthetic meat.

"Hmm... Xiao Wei’s appetite keeps growing, and so does her physical size. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing," Guo Tou said, somewhat wistfully.

"It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Let’s go. There’s no need to buy from a restaurant; I brought plenty of tasty food," Jing Shu smiled.

"Ah, I knew you’d have lots of good food, Sister Jing!"

Leaving Dock Port and continuing south for 50 kilometers, Xiao Wei’s main camp was located in the South Sea District’s former cemetery. The place was deserted and would remain quite remote even after the Wu City People migrated.

In the pitch-black wilderness, several three-meter-long Abdominal Foot Worm workers scurried ahead, their thirty-six legs crossing and rotating like electric fan blades.

Jing Shu, sitting quietly inside Hulk, trailed behind. Despite swinging her arms, she couldn’t keep up with the giant insects, which seemed to glide as if on roller skates.

However, the Abdominal Foot Worms had to stop every few minutes to suck the rotten corpse insects from their thirty-six feet with their mouths; otherwise, they simply couldn’t run. There was no choice, as the entire wilderness teemed with rotten corpse insects.

The closer they got to the Insect Nest, the fewer rotten corpse insects there were. Upon arrival, they found the area barren for several kilometers around. Not even a trace of the cemetery remained, only a large, sunken basin in the ground. Inside were densely packed Abdominal Foot Worms.

Along the edge, several rows of earthen-mud houses had been built for the hundred or so villagers.

At the center, a wide, clean tunnel, much like a railway tunnel, led to the underground Insect Nest.

Giant insects came and went: some foraged for food, some specifically cared for Insect eggs, and others collaborated with the villagers to transport supplies.

The underground Insect Nest was quite large, resembling an underground palace. To facilitate the villagers’ access, the ground was reinforced with concrete for waterproofing, and intersections even had thoughtful signposts.

With his hair blown into an afro by the wind, Guo Tou proudly led the way, saying, "Wen Jun specially studied architecture to design this underground Insect Nest. He and the insects spent over a month building it."

Jing Shu gave a thumbs-up. This old nest was truly built with heart.

The old nest had a dedicated nursery, its four walls densely packed with Insect eggs. Guo Tou said, "Once the Wu City People arrive, we’ll hatch these eggs we’ve been saving for nearly half a year. After raising them to adulthood, we’ll sell them to you, Sister Jing. That should be just enough to clear our previous debts."

"No rush. I have another excellent use for them," Jing Shu smiled mysteriously.

Actually, visiting Xiao Wei today was part of her plan. Indeed, Xiao Wei was a crucial element, as Jing Shu intended to take her and the army of unhatched insects to the Middle East.

Jing Shu’s reasoning was as follows: First, not many adult giant insects could be transported by ship. It would be better to bring more eggs and gradually hatch them on the journey. By the time they reached their destination, the Abdominal Foot Worms would also be adults, resulting in a countless horde of giant insects! Feeding the Abdominal Foot Worms was also a simple matter. They originally lived in the Mud Sea, so after hatching, they could simply forage for rotten corpse insects in the sea.

As for why Jing Shu was bringing so many Abdominal Foot Worms to the Middle East?

Firstly, the Abdominal Foot Worm population represented a significant combat force. Most importantly, their existence was already officially recognized and sanctioned. Jun Bao had discovered Xiao Wei years ago, and she had subsequently gained merit by helping establish the tunnels. Consequently, Jun Bao wouldn’t dissect Xiao Wei for research; instead, he would protect her, her status acknowledged by Wu City. If vicious species like Abdominal Foot Worms and rotten mermaids existed, the vast sea likely harbored others. Should they encounter other dangerous and fierce species, or meet other major powers in the Middle East, having Abdominal Foot Worms operating openly and countless rotten mermaids in secret would likely turn peril into safety. This would provide cover for Jing Shu while ensuring her protection. Given Jing Shu’s mortal fear of death, she would undoubtedly bring a full complement of bodyguards. Hulk, in particular, would provide close protection, forming a veritable ’meat shield’ around her.

Secondly, since the trip was for acquiring goods, dealing with weaker groups would be straightforward. However, if they encountered an equally strong or friendly power, it would be a different story. Considering the extreme food shortages in the Middle East, how many resources could such a vast quantity of valuable, entirely edible insects command? Wouldn’t they fetch a much better price there than selling them locally?

Thirdly, suppose something happened at sea, like in the fourth year when thousands of people on the drifting skyscraper had no food. If the entire convoy of ferries ran out of supplies—and this time, Jing Shu didn’t happen to have millions of red earthworms on hand—wouldn’t the Abdominal Foot Worms be able to prevent starvation for the people on dozens, or even hundreds, of ferries? This way, she could also earn another batch of Township Government contribution points to exchange for secret weapons.

Therefore, taking the Abdominal Foot Worms to the Middle East was essential. Bringing them along as mobile combat rations meant that even if fighting wasn’t feasible, they could be exchanged for a large haul of resources—a guaranteed profit.

Moreover, with Xiao Wei, the Insect Queen, present, she could not only better manage the insects but also continue laying and hatching eggs during the several months of travel, constantly expanding their insect army.

Bringing Xiao Wei along was, in essence, like bringing a money-printing machine.

Xiao Wei resided in a vast, empty underground chamber. Her lower body was submerged in a large pool where she laid eggs, while her upper body was level with that of an average human; otherwise, people would have to crane their necks to speak with her.

The pool was lined with soft fluff. Her lower insect body, three to four meters long, had a greatly swollen abdomen from which she laid eggs almost every second. Fist-sized eggs rolled from the laying platform onto a conveyor belt, where designated personnel inspected and sorted them before moving them to the nursery.

Xiao Wei’s upper body had also become considerably plumper. She was currently propping her chin with one hand, yawning, while the other hand popped the last few chocolate beans into her mouth.

Her overall size was nearly half as large again as it was last year.

Seeing Jing Shu arrive with Hulk, her eyes lit up. She exclaimed excitedly, "Jing Shu, you’re finally here! Wen Jun! Wen Jun! Hurry and get the supplies! Jing Shu has brought us so much delicious food! I can already smell it!"