novelraw Chapter 34: Small Iron Mine
Chapter 34: Small Iron Mine
When the final day of the month arrived, as Li Wei handed a pheasant to Fila and successfully gathered the required two units of game, it essentially declared the end of his era as Family Head. The family's main tasks for this month had perfectly concluded.
Line after line of information silently appeared.
[Under your wise leadership, all family main tasks have been completed. The family's comprehensive wealth has significantly increased, and the family's ability to resist external risks has greatly improved. Due to your strong support, the family now possesses a crude and simple blacksmith shop. The tools and weapons used by the family have been upgraded and strengthened. The family residence has officially been upgraded to a Level 2 Camp. Population +1, total population five people.]
[You will receive a clearance evaluation +10% reward]
[You have obtained 12 Family Contribution points, currently at 42 points]
[Within twenty-four hours, two new players will join the family. Their identities will be determined based on the current family status and the family member who performed most outstandingly during the most recent task cycle.]
[The new players' identities are—George's fiancée Mixi, Fila's youngest son Leon. The new players' professions are unknown, initial attributes unknown.]
[Friendly reminder: After the monthly summary concludes, the family member with the highest Family Contribution can become the Family Head.]
——
Holy crap, my fiancée?Li Wei was slightly shocked, but he was more curious about what would happen next. The family camp would continue to upgrade, family members would keep increasing, and the family would grow increasingly powerful. Would everyone still operate independently then, frantically voting for Plot Kills, engaging in internal conflicts daily with nothing better to do?
"So what's the ultimate core of this game? Assuming this is a game."
Li Wei now had to contemplate this matter. However, it seemed things couldn't get much worse than they already were, because the game's administrator actually respected human rights—elimination through Plot Kill didn't result in actual death. It felt somewhat incongruous, hmm, which made him, as a qualified workhorse, quite uncomfortable.
[Professional Craftsman*** discovered a small iron deposit twelve miles from the family. She decided to donate this small iron deposit to the family. Because iron deposits are special three-star mineral resources in this world, she obtained one hundred Family Contribution points! However, she must guarantee providing the family with no less than 50 units of iron ore over the next six months. Unless due to irresistible reasons, otherwise the contribution points will be reclaimed.]
[Friendly reminder: Iron ore mined during this process does not affect experience gain or main task contribution acquisition.]
[Note: Such resources can only be discovered by corresponding professionals, such as precious medicinal herbs, precious trees, precious beasts, seeds produced from farmland, etc.]
Two pieces of information abruptly appeared, startling Li Wei into a daze, making his scalp tingle!
He couldn't help but look up at Penny. Over these past days, Penny had been like a ghost—leaving early and returning late, covered in dirt from head to toe, having visibly lost weight. Although he couldn't see how she had climbed mountains and crossed waters searching for the iron deposit, he could still tell how much hardship she had endured!
And in the end, she actually managed to pull off a massive move!
A small iron deposit, one hundred Family Contribution points—instantly crushing Fila, not to mention Li Wei. Damn, she really went all out!
Anyway, Li Wei was convinced, completely out of arguments. What was there left to compete for? Even if he donated his farmland, it would be useless.
Wait, hold on—why weren't Fila and Penny frantically initiating Plot Kills?
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind. Without another word, he immediately chose to donate his own farmland, which was about to mature and be harvested, to the family.
[You donated your farmland. Because the farmland contains crops about to mature, you have obtained 10 Family Contribution points. You currently possess 52 Family Contribution points.]
[Friendly reminder: Because your Family Contribution has reached 50 points, your identity has changed to Family Elder. Holding this identity exempts you from all regular Plot Kill votes and will grant you a 5% evaluation bonus upon clearance. Current cumulative 15%.]
[Family Elders can initiate special Plot Kills against each other. As long as a Family Elder makes a mistake causing obvious, severe consequences, then a special Plot Kill—impeachment—can be initiated against them. Each initiation requires consuming 50 Family Contribution points. Other family members will receive between 1 to 5 Family Contribution points for agreeing.]
[Friendly reminder: Exempting from special Plot Kill requires 50 Family Contribution points.]
——
So that's how it is. He became a Family Elder—this worked out well!
Li Wei felt relieved internally. Although Family Elders could initiate special Plot Kills against each other, this could only happen if someone made mistakes causing severe consequences—like when Fila failed the Family Head's main task last time, that would have qualified for a special Plot Kill.
Under normal circumstances, as long as he didn't compete for Family Head position, what opportunities would there be to commit serious errors?
Anyway, this was good.
Although Li Wei still wasn't qualified to compete for Family Head, he could now avoid Fila and Penny using regular Plot Kills to vote him out to the greatest extent possible.
Yes, that was completely possible if his Family Contribution wasn't high enough to become a Family Elder.
Next, Li Wei waited quietly. As expected, neither Fila nor Penny initiated any Plot Kill. Fila didn't even donate her personal property to increase her Family Contribution.
It seemed they had already accepted defeat.
However, Li Wei estimated that if Fila donated everything, her Family Contribution could even reach 70 points.
Anyway, it wasn't that she wasn't excellent enough—it was just that Penny was too ridiculously capable.
The Family Head position was now beyond any doubt.
"Mom, George, autumn is coming soon. We need to prepare for winter. Our house needs further expansion and better insulation. We need to stockpile more firewood for winter. If possible, the courtyard's perimeter wall also needs continued reinforcement. Plus winter food reserves, harvesting the wheat—all these are crucial. To survive this winter, we need to work harder."
"What do you think?"
Penny spoke, essentially setting the tone for the main tasks that the Family Head would issue.
Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief. Penny hadn't gone crazy insisting on concentrating all family resources on mining iron ore. For their family, winter would be an extremely brutal instance. Not preparing in advance simply wouldn't do.
Fila remained silent, lost in thought about something.
"I'll take responsibility for harvesting the wheat and planting the winter wheat. I'll also reinforce the perimeter wall. I can help with the house expansion, but you'll need to handle the specific work, sister. When I have time, I can also go hunt some game."
Li Wei spoke up, outlining areas he could handle. Anyway, he didn't want to go mining—and Penny probably wouldn't agree either, since that was her exclusive domain. The Craftsman profession and miner profession complemented each other perfectly.
"Oh, my dear brother, you're truly the family's pillar. Having you here is really wonderful." Penny revealed a big smile. Although the Family Head's main tasks were mandatory, if family members failed to complete them, creating a lose-lose situation, the Family Head would also suffer.
Especially this time, with two new family members added—Mixi being George's fiancée—so the work he was taking on actually covered two people's responsibilities.
"I'm not very familiar with farmland matters, George, so you handle that yourself. You can also manage reinforcing the perimeter wall. For the house expansion, just cut and bring back fifty small logs. That way, we'll also have our winter firewood."
"For hunting, follow this month's standards."
"Additionally, tool maintenance and iron arrowhead replenishment—I'll take care of all that."
Penny quickly defined the scope and quantity of work Li Wei needed to accomplish next month. It could only be described as heavy, but it was necessary. If they didn't work hard in autumn, once heavy snow sealed the mountains, it would be too late for anything.