114: Chapter 114 Resource Support, Strengthening the Family Foundation

The wind from the high platform swept past, and the old scar on Chen Wuwang's right cheek felt faintly hot.

He didn't move; the red light on his terminal still glowed with the message: 'Artifact Refining Workshop: High-density Psionic Crystal Plate inventory only sufficient for seven days.'

Seven days.

Not three days, nor ten; it was a suffocatingly precise seven days.

He knew that no matter how powerful the technology implementation was, without raw Materials, it was all just spinning wheels.

He turned to leave, his steps firm. Three Worker Ant Mechas automatically lined up to follow him, their treads emitting a low hum as they rolled over the bluestone slabs.

The doors to the Main Administration Hall opened to reveal six people already standing inside. They wore the dispatch uniforms of various workshops, and pinned to their chests were newly made resource badges—bronze-based, engraved with a pattern of gears interlocking with a Spiritual Vein.

“You're here.” Chen Wuwang placed his terminal on the table, screen facing outward. “Let's begin.”

No one spoke.

These people were veterans pulled from infrastructure, Medicinal Fields, weapon forging, and patrols. Normally, they were experts at managing people and Materials, but none of them had ever done 'all-domain resource coordination.'

“Business first.” He pointed at the screen. “Crystal plates are insufficient, Ore isn't keeping up, and the crop rotation efficiency of medicinal herbs is stuck below thirty percent. We aren't playing small games anymore; this is a city of a hundred miles with thousands of people operating. Machines don't run on faith; they eat Materials.”

One person raised a hand: “Family Head, we've checked the abandoned mine shafts at East Mountain. The Spiritual Qi is thin; even manual mining would be a loss.”

“Who told you to mine manually?” Chen Wuwang looked up. “I've deployed two Worker Ant teams; they arrived at the mine entrance this morning, and automated drilling equipment is being assembled. You're Zhang Heng, right? You're the head of Mine Shaft Group One. By tomorrow noon, I want to see the first set of excavation data uploaded to the System. If you can't do it, I'll find someone who can.”

The man swallowed hard and nodded.

“Group Two, interface with the subordinate villages.”

He looked at another middle-aged man. “Your task isn't to collect tribute, but to perform 'surplus exchange.'”

“We will buy their unused low-grade Spiritual Plants, scrap Ore slag, and waste talisman paper at thirty percent of the market price, exchanging them for Medicinal Pills, lighting talismans, and basic protective gear. Make them feel it's a good deal, not charity.”

“But some villages don't trust Medicinal Pills refined by machines...”

“They don't trust them? Then let their children try one Qi Condensation Pill first. When they see results within three days, they'll naturally line up to deliver Materials to our door. Remember, we don't rob or oppress; we only exchange. If anyone uses their position to bully others, they'll be kicked out of the resource group immediately.”

The atmosphere tightened for a moment.

A third person spoke: “As for the Medicinal Fields, the rotation plan is set, but transportation can't keep up. The newly planted 'Fast-Growing Jade Pith Vine' needs its soil changed every half-month. Relying on manual labor now is simply too slow.”

Chen Wuwang nodded.

“Therefore, starting today, all resource entries and exits must be recorded in the Central Database. Register them on Jade Slips and synchronize in real-time. How many crystals the Artifact Refining Workshop takes, how much fertilizer the Medicinal Fields receive, how much steel frame the infrastructure group moves—it will all be on one sheet. If anyone misses a recording once, the group leader on duty loses three days of rations.”

He walked to the wall and tapped a mechanism.

The entire wall lit up, showing a Dynamic Resource Map with shifting colors: red represented shortages, yellow was a warning, and green was normal.

“See this? Right now, the entire Alliance is like a game of chess. You move one step, and everyone else has to adjust. If someone drags their feet, the whole board slows down.”

The meeting lasted for an hour. Tasks were assigned, responsibilities were placed on individuals, and deadlines were set in stone.

When the meeting adjourned, no one spoke, but their pace was noticeably faster.

Chen Wuwang didn't linger; he walked straight out and vaulted onto a Light Patrol Mecha. With the roar of the engine, he headed straight for East Mountain.

Dust flew at the mine entrance. Worker Ant Mechas were pushing drill bits into the rock strata, the roar making the ground tremble slightly.

He jumped down, walked over to the operator, and glanced at the control screen.

“Progress?”

“Family Head, the first stage of exploration is complete. At a depth of three hundred meters, we've found two micro-branches of the Spiritual Vein. The purity isn't high, but it's usable. Also... we've dug up a batch of waste crystal cores, likely discarded by other Schools in the early years. We're currently sorting them.”

“Recycle all of them and send them to the Purification Furnace.” He stared at the screen. “The daily excavation volume must be uploaded on time. I don't care what you say; I only care if the data is accurate.”

“Yes!”

He then went to the western Medicinal Fields. A simple rail track had just been laid there, and several small transport vehicles were undergoing trial runs. The herb boys gathered around, chattering away.

“Can this iron box really run by itself?”

“Of course. It has psionic guidance and can even avoid obstacles.”

He didn't disturb them, only saying to the coordinator: “The track must be fully operational by tomorrow, with two loading points for every Medicinal Field. Compress the rotation cycle to ten days; I want to see the first batch of 'Jade Pith Vine' transplants completed by the day after tomorrow.”

By the time he left the Medicinal Fields, dusk had fallen.

He returned to the Main Administration Hall, and before he could even sit down, his terminal vibrated.

[Mine Shaft Group One submitted the first day's excavation report]

[Medicinal Field transport track inspection passed]

[First batch of exchange Materials from subordinate villages entered inventory]

He reviewed them one by one and clicked confirm.

Just as he set down the terminal, another message popped up:

“Family Head, the Engineering Mecha Group is asking... can the two mechas deployed to the mine shafts stay for a few more days? The rock strata there is too hard, and the schedule can't be met.”

He narrowed his eyes.

Those two were heavy mechas specialized for defensive fortifications, originally only lent for seven days. But now that the mine had just opened, if production didn't ramp up, everything downstream would be bottlenecked.

He stood up and walked to the strategic map. The border defense line was marked with yellow lines; it was currently calm. But without Materials, even if the defense line was built, it would be for show.

“Approved.” He typed into the command bar. “Extend the work period by five days, but night vision modules must be installed for twenty-four-hour shifts. Return to construction immediately upon expiration without delay.”

Once the order was sent, he sat back in his chair and opened the draft of the first 'Resource Weekly Report.'

Three lines of large characters were listed on the paper:

1. High-purity crystals: Stock has dropped below the red line. East Mountain mine shaft is the only source of growth; priority upgraded to S-rank.

2. Spiritual Vein supply: The load on the three existing main veins has reached 87%; suggested initiation of the 'Leyline Diversion Plan.'

3. Renewable spiritual Materials: There is massive room for improvement in Medicinal Field rotation efficiency; proposed implementation of a 'Zoned Responsibility System,' with production quotas assigned to groups.

He read it through, picked up a pen, and wrote four words at the bottom of the page: “Execute immediately.”

Then he flipped to the next page.

Attached below was a hand-drawn map of the wilderness area on the outskirts of the Alliance, with several ridges that might hide minerals circled in red pen.

He stared at the map, his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flickering slightly as it called up the underlying data stream—it was the 'Resource Heat Map' that the family rise system allowed him to view, visible only to him.

On the map, deep within East Mountain, there was a small patch of dark red halo, very faint, as if obscured by something.

He memorized the coordinates.

But he didn't move.

Now was not the time.

He closed the report and looked out the window.

The plaza was brightly lit. Transport teams shuttled back and forth, the Medicinal Field tracks glowed with blue light, and the continuous sound of drilling came from the direction of the mine shafts. Everything was in motion, orderly and systematic.

He knew this was only the beginning.

When it came to resources, scarcity wasn't the fear; chaos was. Once straightened out, it was like water flowing into a canal—unstoppable.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip; the tea had gone cold.

At that moment, the terminal vibrated again.

[Artifact Refining Workshop Update Request: High-density crystal plate inventory remaining for six and a half days]

He glanced at it but didn't reply.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table three times in a short, rhythmic sequence.

Outside the door, a standby Worker Ant Mecha immediately started up and drove toward the warehouse area.

He knew that by this time tomorrow, the mine data would be more stable, the vine seedlings in the Medicinal Fields would have taken root, and the villages' wagons would be entering the city one after another.

And what he had to do was keep this System spinning.

Even if it slowed down a little, it must not break.

He reopened the resource map and quietly pulled the priority of 'crystal plates' to the very top.

Under the lamplight, the scar on his right cheek gradually stopped feeling hot.