Chapter 359: Chapter 343: A Waste Not to Use

Meanwhile, Huo Changzhou stared at the crops spurred on by the ability users, his expression grim.

He had, of course, noticed the same problem Qi Xiang had.

He was both shocked and terrified, even wondering, ’Is this a deliberate warning from Gu Xi? If so... I’m not going to be the one pushed out to take the fall.’

Intellectuals do love to overthink. Huo Changzhou’s expression shifted constantly as countless thoughts ran through his mind. After a long moment, he started walking toward Gu Xi, but just then—

"Gu Xi!"

A girl’s voice suddenly called out from behind him. Huo Changzhou instinctively turned to see a young woman leading a massive, swarming crowd of people running in their direction.

’Damn, there have to be several hundred people here, right?’

Huo Changzhou frowned. ’What is the farm’s security department doing? How could they let just anyone in? No one even notified me beforehand. Do they have any respect for me as the manager?’

Huo Changzhou was quite displeased, but then he saw the little girl in the lead run cheerfully toward Gu Xi...

’Looks like she’s an acquaintance of Gu Xi’s. No wonder she’s so brazen.’

Huo Changzhou suppressed his annoyance and discreetly took a step back, turning his head to whisper a few words to a staff member beside him.

"Gu Xi, these are all survivors from City A. Is this enough people?" Qin Yi’s sweet dimples appeared as she greeted Gu Xi, Qi Xiang, and the others. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she tilted her head and asked, "I’m not late, am I?"

"No." Gu Xi handed her a bottle of water. "Thank you for all your hard work." ’These people arrived at the perfect time.’

"It wasn’t that hard, it’s just..." Qin Yi gulped down half the bottle of water and wiped her mouth. "The journey here was a little chaotic."

Unlike Tang You, she had brought a large, mixed group of ordinary people, and the journey had been a constant clamor.

Of course, that was nothing. Qin Yi had always been a girl who enjoyed a lively atmosphere. What really annoyed her was that throughout the trip, people had been trying to cozy up to her to fish for information, while others hid in the background, fanning the flames and trying to cause trouble...

Qin Yi was completely sick of those people.

Qi Xiang sensed something was off in her tone and quickly pulled her aside to ask a few quiet questions. They needed to have a clear idea of who the spies in the group were; they couldn’t let Gu Xi worry about everything.

By now, many of the ability users had already grown a variety of vegetables, and the ordinary people Qin Yi brought could be put to good use—they were short-handed for the harvest.

Just as Gu Xi was about to arrange for these people to start working in the fields, another large group came running from a distance. They wore matching uniforms and appeared to be staff from Farm 0101.

Huo Changzhou led a few of the group’s supervisors over to Gu Xi. "Miss Gu, our farm’s production quota has always been the base’s top priority. Is it really appropriate to let these outsiders of unknown origin get involved?"

"What’s inappropriate about it?" Gu Xi retorted.

Huo Changzhou looked troubled. "It’s against regulations..."

"But isn’t City A short on food right now?" Gu Xi looked at him and said calmly, "I see nothing inappropriate about letting the survivors of City A work to provide for themselves."

Huo Changzhou’s expression stiffened, and he forced a bitter smile. "But those are the rules from the higher-ups..." ’There’s nothing I can do.’

He didn’t even get to finish before Qi Xiang cut him off with a grin. "Mr. Huo, no wonder my father always said you were inflexible. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Besides..."

She glanced at Huo Changzhou, then gestured toward Gu Xi, and said meaningfully, "If we’re talking about rules from the higher-ups... isn’t Gu Xi the highest decision-maker in City A right now?"

Her point was so sound that for a moment, Huo Changzhou didn’t know how to argue.

"But, but..." Huo Changzhou struggled for a moment before his eyes landed on the crowd of survivors, and he found a new line of argument. "But we don’t know anything about these people’s backgrounds, and we don’t know if they have sticky fingers. What if..."

Huo Changzhou lowered his voice. "Miss Gu, the food growing in these fields is ready to eat."

’I just saw several people pull radishes right out of the ground and start eating them.’

’This is safe food, completely free of X Energy! It would sell for a fortune. And these refugees... what right do they have to eat something this good?’

Huo Changzhou wished he could just rake everything in the fields into his own arms.

Gu Xi gave him a very strange look. "Mr. Huo, they’re just ordinary people. Even if they eat a little, how much could they possibly eat?"

"But..."

Huo Changzhou started to say more, but Gu Xi cut him off. "No buts. These vegetables were grown to be eaten, weren’t they?"

’This Mr. Huo is quite the character,’ Gu Xi thought. ’He had nothing to say when the ability users came to help plant, but now that ordinary people are here to help with the harvest, he suddenly has so many objections.’

"They are for people to eat, but..." ’But not for *them*,’ he thought. ’These refugees should be grateful if we just tossed them some of those old wild vegetable and coarse grain cakes.’

’Giving them the good stuff from the fields would be a complete waste.’

But under the gaze of Gu Xi’s calm, deep eyes, Huo Changzhou didn’t dare say that out loud.

He glanced at Gu Xi. "But... they’re eating *and* taking things." ’That older woman over there just stuffed several big, fresh radishes into her cloth sack. Don’t think I didn’t see it!’

’That’s my food! Mine!’

Huo Changzhou’s heart ached at the loss.

Gu Xi found this baffling. "Mr. Huo, you have to pay people for their labor. Surely you understand that simple principle?"

Hearing this, the older women who were secretly stuffing radishes into their large sacks all nodded in agreement, shooting Huo Changzhou a disdainful look.

’This Mr. Huo looks decent enough, but he can’t even part with a few radishes?’

’Don’t tell me... he’s trying to get free labor?’

Instantly, the looks the women gave him grew even more contemptuous.

A few of the feistier women even glared at him and huffed. ’Trying to get free labor out of us? Not a chance.’

Huo Changzhou: "..."

"...But there has to be some kind of system for it," he managed, struggling to find another excuse.

"A system?" Gu Xi raised an eyebrow. "Isn’t the most important ’system’ right now to grow vegetables and grain as quickly as possible for disaster relief?"

Huo Changzhou’s expression changed. He had no response to that.

"Mr. Huo," Gu Xi said, glancing at him before pointing to the people scattered throughout the fields. Her tone was firm and slow. "They are victims of the disaster in City A, too!"

Cold sweat instantly beaded on Huo Changzhou’s forehead. He instinctively avoided Gu Xi’s eyes and stammered, "Miss Gu, you’re right, but farm work requires a certain skill. Those people have no experience. I’m afraid they won’t do it well, and it would be a shame to waste the food..."

"How about we have our staff supervise and guide them?" Huo Changzhou made one last attempt. ’If there’s someone watching, those people who want to sneak a bite or stuff their pockets will have to restrain themselves a bit... right?’

After speaking, he looked at Gu Xi uneasily. ’If Miss Gu doesn’t agree, then I’ll just have to...’

But then he saw Gu Xi nod. "Go ahead and arrange it."

Huo Changzhou froze for a second. ’She agreed? Just like that?’

Gu Xi thought, ’There are tens of thousands of acres of good farmland here. The survivors alone can’t possibly harvest it all anytime soon. With free labor practically delivering itself to her doorstep, of course she wasn’t going to refuse.’

’Besides, she’s not the one paying them. It’d be a waste not to use free help.’