novelraw Chapter 131-2: To Be Or Not To Be a Plant Owner, That Is the Question (2)
Chapter 131-2: To Be Or Not To Be a Plant Owner, That Is the Question (2)
[You fail to notice that a towering figure has appeared behind you.]
[Due to your laziness and idling on the job, the overseer, a Knowledge-Seeking Intermediate Worker of the Smelting Plant, has arrived…]
[The surrounding junior workers all show expressions of amusement, clearly enjoying the spectacle…]
[It stands behind you, and the refined copper club in its hand slams down mercilessly toward your skull!]
[Thunk! Your head is nearly split into pieces…]
[…]
[You feel a wave of dizziness, but nothing serious…]
[Furious at the sneak attack, you retaliate on instinct, pulling out a chunk of brass ore and chucking it at the overseer, the Knowledge-Seeking Intermediate Worker of the Smelting Plant…]
By normal plot logic, this should have been the moment he got a free trip back to his Resting Page.
The game clearly tried to screw him over, but failed.“…Assaulting a superior? That’s bold!”
Lin Xun wasn’t fazed at all. He didn’t even bother switching to another shell to fight.
Thanks to the effect of Visage of the Leader, the junior worker shell had gained 9 levels, now reaching Level 34.
On top of that, it had a 60% power boost from a relic.
[You defeated the Knowledge-Seeking Intermediate Worker of the Smelting Plant. Experience slightly increased.]
[You obtained Rough Large Copper Ore (Junk) *5]
[The surrounding junior workers burst into shocked whispers, not daring to meet your gaze. They quickly bowed their heads and resumed working.]
The system quickly displayed the victory report.
Thanks to Lin Xun’s possession enhancements, it wasn’t surprising that a junior worker could beat down an intermediate one.
[You look at the bruised and bloodied intermediate worker shell lying on the ground…]
The compatibility of the intermediate worker’s shell was also high, easy to possess.
Lin Xun discarded the junior worker and switched to the intermediate worker shell.
Upon opening the Shell Panel, he saw the skill list had changed.
[Shell Skill: Intermediate Refined Copper Smelting Technique (Common+ Grade), a skill honed through thousands of ore-melting sessions in the Refined Copper Smelting Plant. With this skill, and using a furnace, brass ore can be refined into refined copper material.]
[Do you wish to continue exploring the smelting plant?]
He once again chose ‘No.’
[You shout at the nearby junior workers, ordering them to speed up and increase the smelting output…]
[The workers, curious about your apparent resurrection, could only bow their heads and continue working under your command.]
[You walk up to the large furnace and personally begin the smelting process…]
[Shell Skill: Intermediate Refined Copper Smelting Technique activated!]
[Soon, the molten copper inside the furnace is poured into molds, cooled, and set…]
[You obtained Large Bricks of High-Quality Refined Copper (Material) *100]
Lin Xun’s eyes lit up.
So being an intermediate worker came with benefits like this?
Becoming an intermediate worker let him collect refined copper materials for free. No wonder the game kept trying to push him away.
Unfortunately, the intermediate worker’s smelting technique could only produce High-Quality refined copper.
It was probably still a long way off from Ultra-Grade copper.
[The junior workers finish their tasks and prepare to leave…]
[Do you wish to make them work overtime?]
So they were clocking out this early?
Back in the Doll Factory, he’d spent a good deal of time grinding monsters.
Lin Xun glanced out the window, dusk was already falling. It didn’t seem that early after all.
Since overtime was an option, then he absolutely had to squeeze it for all it was worth.
It’s not like he was the one paying wages. Without hesitation, he hit ‘Yes.’
“Exploiting monster labor doesn’t make me a capitalist, right?”
[You shout at the junior workers to get back to work, declaring that as long as they’re not dead, they’ll work themselves to death!]
[The workers turn their heads toward you, pale faces filled with anger. They gather into small clusters, whispering among themselves.]
[Soon, countless gloomy faces turn your way…]
[The Knowledge-Seeking Junior Workers of the Smelting Plant are attacking you…]
“Hell! These monsters actually know how to resist exploitation?”
Lin Xun quickly switched to the Dancer shell and activated his stealth skill.
[Seeing you vanish, the workers head back toward several small rooms at the edge of the plant, these are their dormitories.]
[Do you want to explore deeper into the plant, or head to the worker dormitories?]
Having narrowly avoided being strung up on a streetlamp, Lin Xun chose the latter.
The little mobs not only refused to work overtime, they dared to resist.
When a problem arises, the first step isn’t to solve the problem, but to solve the person who brought it up.
He was ready to farm these mobs, collect ores. Even mosquito meat was still meat.
[You stay hidden, silently following the workers into the shared dormitories.]
[Inside the dorm are rows of bunks, where the workers quickly fall asleep under ragged linen blankets…]
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes, hunt time!
[You creep up to the beds, a blade snapping silently from your hand…]
[You have defeated a Knowledge-Seeking Junior Worker of the Smelting Plant. Experience slightly increased.]
[You obtained Rough Large Copper Ore (Junk) *2]
[You have defeated a Knowledge-Seeking Junior Worker of the Smelting Plant. Experience slightly increased.]
[You obtained Rough Large Copper Ore (Junk) *3]
—
Two minutes later, not a single monster in the dorm remained alive.
Lin Xun exited the room and moved on to the next dormitory…
After tireless overtime efforts, he soon cleared out several dorms full of small mobs.
His inventory now contained nearly a hundred Rough Large Copper Ore.
[Do you wish to explore deeper into the plant?]
[You arrive at the end of the current plant section. A large passage connects to the next facility…]
[You step into the passage and enter the next section…]
[Inside this area, a massive cylindrical furnace stands, with a huge bellows at its base. The nozzle of the bellows is aimed directly into the furnace.]
[Beside the furnace, the conveyor belt still runs, though no refined copper material is visible upon it.]
[Dozens of Knowledge-Seeking Intermediate Workers of the Smelting Plant are operating the bellows, forcing a constant stream of air into the furnace…]
The intermediate workers haven’t clocked out yet?
Lin Xun’s thoughts stirred as he read the text.
He switched to the intermediate worker shell.
Then casually walked up to observe the other workers’ processes, thus beginning his slacker-tour.
His idle wandering quickly stood out among the busy crowd, drawing the attention of a supervisor, an Advanced Worker.
As before, the higher-up’s sneak attack failed, and Lin Xun snatched its shell instead.
Rinse and repeat. With the boost from Advanced Refined Copper Smelting Technique, he acquired:
[Large Bricks of Superior Refined Copper (Material) *50]
He also discovered he could throw his previous High-Quality Refined Copper Bricks into the furnace to refine them into Superior Refined Copper Bricks.
However, after processing, the count was halved, from 100 down to 50.
Presumably because the refining process discarded the impurities and kept only the essence.
He continued his nesting-doll journey, wiping out the overtime-refusing intermediate workers and entering the next section…
His shell changed from Advanced Worker to Smelting Plant Technician, and his skill evolved from Advanced to: [Master-Grade Refined Copper Smelting Technique]
With this technician shell, he freeloaded another 25 Large Bricks of Elite Refined Copper.
After refining previous bricks, the number of Elite Refined Copper Bricks reached 75!
Now all that was left was the final stretch, to the next plant section, for Ultra-Grade copper!
[You step into the passage and move on to the next facility…]
[You have reached the end of the Refined Copper Smelting Plant.]
[You have entered the Smelting Plant Owner’s Office!]
???
Lin Xun had fully intended to keep nesting, aiming for that Ultra-Grade refined copper.
And the game hit him with this.
[The office is extremely spacious, filled with refined copper decor. Behind the desk, a leather chair spins around, revealing a small, shriveled figure…]
[It wears a spotless black tailcoat. Its pale face is covered in densely packed eyes, so many that its head can’t contain them, and the eyes extend down its neck and torso…]
[You behold the form of the Knowledge-Seeking Smelting Plant Owner for the first time. The countless eyes make your skin crawl. A wave of dizziness hits you as your soul is flooded with chaotic knowledge.]
[You have acquired knowledge. Knowledge stat +500! Current Knowledge: 800/1100]
[The Knowledge-Seeking Smelting Plant Owner asks you about today’s smelting operations.]
[Impersonating another, how will you respond, Apostle?]
[1. ‘Everything in the plant is normal. Refined copper output is as usual, abundant and steady. No need for concern, Lord Plant Owner.’]
[2. ‘A thief appeared in the facility and looted all the refined copper bricks.’ The Plant Owner must take control of the situation.]
[3. Switch to a different shell and tell the Plant Owner directly that you’re here to purchase refined copper, however much he has, you’ll take it all.]
[4. ‘The Plant Owner position rotates, this year, it’s my turn.’ Stop pretending, kill the Plant Owner, and take his place yourself.]
Lin Xun stared thoughtfully at option four.
To be or not to be the Plant Owner, that was the question.