Chapter 33 Promotion

Chapter 33 Promotion

"The factory is already under construction. It's expected to be a 10,000-worker facility, built entirely by the Powered, and will be completed in a month." Zhou Qin reported the progress to Ji An. "The boss is worried about delaying production, so he’s already gathered some people to start a small workshop for pilot production."

Ji An nodded. The nutrient paste was urgently needed—the sooner production began, the better. Selling it even a day earlier might save countless lives.

Wan Xueying blinked her beautiful big eyes and said, "The auction is about to begin. Representatives from various bases are arriving one after another, and they’ve all brought high-value goods. As the host, our boss naturally can’t fall behind. While one spatial storage device is enough to steal the show, the nutrient paste can make a grand entrance as the mysterious finale—it’ll definitely shock everyone!"

Kong Zhongcheng cackled at the thought of those country bumpkins being stunned. "I guarantee it—one spatial storage device and one nutrient paste will leave them utterly bewildered. They’ll think we’ve leaped into the Star Trek era just because they haven’t visited our base in a few days!"

The Star Trek era? Ji An chuckled. "Maybe by the time they come next, we really will be!"

The group laughed and celebrated. Though they all knew Ji An was extraordinary, none took his words too seriously.

Recently, West City had been bustling. A while ago, someone had come recruiting volunteers for an experiment, offering a 100K credit payout—an amount so high it could buy a life in this post-apocalyptic world. Many swore it must be some kind of black-market lab testing.

Even when rational voices argued that the government’s research projects would never involve unethical human testing, no one listened. People only ever believe what they want to believe.

Yet, the volunteers returned on schedule—not only unharmed but in better shape and well-fed, bringing back a hefty sum of money and astonishing news: a product called the nutrient paste, costing just one credit per dose, could keep you fed for an entire day. This sent the gossip firestorm, which had just quieted down, into overdrive again.

"There’s no way such a thing exists! Do they think this is a movie?"

"I told you—the base must have some angle. Otherwise, why would they be so generous, offering 100K credits to us 'trash' who haven’t awakened any powers in the eyes of the Powered?"

"Those volunteers must’ve been bribed to peddle that crap!"

"Nutrient paste… sounds like a good thing. One credit per dose—if only it were real!"

Before these discussions could settle, the base authorities arrived and purchased 500 acres of land in the most desolate, not even rats would touch part of East City to build a massive factory employing thousands.

The most unusual part? The factory was hiring mostly ordinary people—up to 80% of the workforce. The remaining 20% were Powered individuals, all in managerial roles.

This structure made management easier. After seven years of the apocalypse, ordinary people had developed a knee-jerk fear of the Powered. A single Tier-1 Powered could effortlessly whip a crew of dozens.

Tier-2s could serve as workshop supervisors, while Tier-3s acted as production managers. This upward-compatible model maximized efficiency in recruiting Powered personnel.

Job postings for the factory were posted up everywhere in East City, drawing crowds wherever they appeared.

"Base salary of 1,800 credits, 300 for perfect attendance, performance pay with no upper limit. One meal provided per day—unlimited." Someone at the front read aloud for those behind.

"Unlimited?" Those two words captured everyone’s attention. In this apocalyptic world, food was scarce. Many factories didn’t provide meals at all, and those that did usually offered just one stale ration bun—hardly enough to fill anyone up.

Yet even that was better than nothing. Countless people couldn’t even get their hands on a single stale bun.

"Is this for real? Unlimited? I could down ten buns in one sitting—would they really let me?"

"How about a hundred, then? Ten? Dream on. Two at most."

"Even that’s fine. If both my wife and I get in, we’d each get one bun—that’s two saved for the elders and kids at home."

"If they really give out two buns, that’d be amazing."

In another factory, workers whispered as they labored:

"Did you hear? The base is setting up a factory here, hiring mostly ordinary people. The pay’s about the same as ours, but they promise unlimited meals!"

"Seriously? Unlimited? How much food would that take?" A worker kept up his pace while replying, "If they let hard laborers like us go hog wild, they’d eat them out of business in two days."

"That’s what the flyer claims, but I doubt it’s true. Once people start eating freely, someone’s bound to steal. One person does it, others follow—no factory could sustain that." "Now that you mention it, that makes sense. I was ready to jump ship—all-you-can-eat! I almost quit to go there. But forget it. Might just be a bait-and-switch."

"Don't you go stirring up trouble. Jobs are hard to come by these days, especially for us ordinary folks. It's not easy to find work, so cherish what you have."

"Exactly. My brother’s factory doesn’t feed its workers—they have to fend for themselves. Even though our factory only gives one steamed cornbread a day, he’s jealous as hell."

The workers' chatter didn’t escape management’s ears. The workshop manager reported to factory owner Li Mingcai, "Boss, people have been restless lately. Everyone’s talking about that base factory, saying they provide unlimited food."

Li Mingcai scoffed. "Ignore them. A bunch of ordinary people can’t cause any real trouble. Anyone who doesn’t want to work here can just get the boot. These days, as long as people get fed, they’ll take whatever they can get."

"Yes, Boss." The workshop manager couldn’t help but ask, "Boss, that base factory claims they provide unlimited food—do you think it’s true?"

Honestly, if it were real, even he’d be tempted.

"Pfft, you believe that?" Li Mingcai shot him a sidelong glance. "How much food would it take to let those people eat their fill?

"And you managers—almost all of you are superpowered. One of you eats as much as ten regular people. You think this is before the apocalypse, when food was everywhere?"

Li Mingcai snorted. "Now the land’s polluted, the water’s poisoned. Growing crops or getting clean water depends on superpowered folks. But superpowers aren’t infinite—they have limits. There’s only so much food they can produce. How could anyone eat their fill? Live on thin air? You really buy their lies?"

"Boss Li, what’s got you so cheerful?"

Li Mingcai’s heart skipped a beat. That voice sounded familiar—like those idiot inspectors.

He turned around and broke out in a cold sweat. It really was an inspector from the base’s monitoring department.

"Director Tian, didn’t you just finish this month’s inspection? What brings you here this time…?" Li Mingcai hated these inspectors. Every time they showed up, he had to offer tribute just to get them to leave peacefully.

Tian smiled. "No need to worry, Factory Manager Li. We’re not here for an inspection—we’ve got a proposition for you. Let me introduce you to Xia Jianzhou, head of the promotion department for the base’s new factory investment."

Li Mingcai was suspicious. Why would the base factory come to him? Were they trying to sell him something? He wasn’t interested.

He was cursing inwardly, but kept a pasted-on smile on his face.

"Director Xia, nice to meet you." They shook hands.

"Likewise, Factory Manager Li." Xia Jianzhou pretended not to notice Li Mingcai’s fake smile and said warmly, "Actually, I’m here to discuss a deal with you."

Li Mingcai immediately grew wary. "I’ve got no money. Everything’s tied up in the factory—my pockets are cleaner than my face."

Xia Jianzhou barely suppressed a cough but played it off. "It’s a small matter. I heard your factory has eighty workers—just eighty credits a month."

"Eighty credits? That’s manageable." Li Mingcai nearly sighed in relief. He’d thought the base factory was here to shake me down.

If they had been, he wouldn’t have dared refuse—you can’t fight city hall. But eighty credits a month? He paid more than that in bribes to higher-ups.

"So, Boss Li, shall we sign the contract?"

"Sure, sure." The amount was trivial, so Li Mingcai agreed on the spot.

"You’re signing without reading the contract?"

Li Mingcai waved it off. "No big deal. It’s such a small sum—if I lose it, so be it."

"I’d advise you to take a look, Boss Li. You wouldn’t want to overstock on food next month and end up with leftovers."

"Leftover food? Director Xia, what kind of joke is that…?" Li Mingcai grumbled but scanned the contract anyway—then almost yelled in shock.

"What the—nutritional supplement? One credit per tube, and it sustains you for a whole day?"

"Exactly. This is our base’s latest breakthrough—nutritional supplement, the main product of our factory." Xia Jianzhou said, "Since your factory is our first partner, the introductory price of one credit per tube is locked in permanently. Even after we return to regular pricing, you’ll still enjoy this discount."

"I remember, Boss Li, you're a superpowered individual, right? Let me give you a few nutrient packs for superpowered individuals."

Because of their superpower evolution, superpowered individuals undergo dramatic changes in physical constitution, requiring far more nutrients than ordinary people, and their basic nutritional needs are entirely different.

Li Mingcai stared intently at the ten plain, flat, strip-shaped packs lying in Xia Jianzhou’s palm, made of the most ordinary PVC material. On them was only a single line of small text: "Nutrient Pack for Superpowered Individuals," followed by "Apple Flavor" and a simple nutritional composition table.

"So what those people said was true? These nutrient packs really exist?"

"Of course, Boss Li. Try one and see for yourself."

Li Mingcai immediately drank one. The moment it touched his tongue, he tasted a faint apple flavor. It had been years since he last ate an apple, and he never expected to taste that flavor again today. He was deeply touched.

Li Mingcai licked his lips, then suddenly realized something was off. That morning, he had been in such a hurry to go out that he skipped breakfast. He had been feeling hungry earlier, but after consuming that tiny nutrient pack—less than ten milliliters—he now felt completely full, as if he had devoured ten bowls of rice.

His business sense immediately recognized the value of this product. "Minister Xia, I'd like to place a personal order for a hundred units. Same price, one credit per unit?" he said, already preparing to transfer the payment.

But Xia Jianzhou stopped him. "Manager Li, these are nutrient packs for superpowered individuals, not the same as the ordinary ones. One credit per unit is the price for standard nutrient packs. You know, a superpowered individual's appetite averages ten times that of an ordinary person. Condensed into a nutrient pack, the portion may look the same, but the nutritional content is ten times higher—so naturally, the price is different."

Xia Jianzhou concluded, "Nutrient packs for superpowered individuals cost ten credits each."

Li Mingcai found the price acceptable, especially since it was the apple flavor he hadn’t tasted since before the apocalypse. "Fine," he agreed.

But then Xia Jianzhou added, "Ten credits only buys you the most basic flavors—sweet potato, sorghum, potato, and the like. The apple-flavored one you just tried is a fruit, a luxury item. That price doubles—twenty credits per unit."

Twenty credits to cover a full day’s meals while tasting the rare apple flavor? Li Mingcai thought it was worth it. "Alright, I’ll take a hundred apple-flavored ones."

"Sorry, apples are scarce. I only have two left—you just drank one, so there’s only one remaining."

"What other flavors do you have?"

"For fruits, there’s still banana and pear. For meat-flavored nutrient packs, there’s braised pork and red sausage..."

Li Mingcai’s order expanded to a hundred units per month. The standard nutrient packs came in basic flavors, while the superpowered ones had ten staple flavors, with the rest being various premium flavors.

After the factory’s sales reps visited various factories, 70% placed orders, while 30% chose to wait and see. Even some factories that previously didn’t provide meals ordered a batch.

By then, small-batch nutrient packs had already made their way to the command center’s mess halls and the research institute.

At noon, staff from both departments noticed their canteens had changed.

The previous self-serve buffet had been replaced with trays, each holding flat, rectangular packs. Small labels on the trays read: "Corn Flavor," "Sweet Potato Flavor," "Sorghum Flavor," "Steak Flavor," "Honey Fries Flavor," "Mint Flavor," "Braised Pork Flavor," "Milk Flavor," and more—over twenty varieties in total.

Having only heard rumors about nutrient packs, the staff were finally seeing them in person and were eager to try.

"Apple flavor? Let me try—I’ve really missed this. Haven’t had an apple in years," one researcher said, picking up a pack, twisting it open, and drinking it. His eyes widened in surprise.

He had expected the apple flavor to be faint, but instead, it was incredibly rich and pure, leaving an aftertaste of apple sweetness in his mouth.

"Delicious," the researcher said, reaching for another, only to be reminded that each person was limited to one.

The canteen supervisor smiled. "One nutrient pack provides all the basic nutrition a person needs. Any more won't be absorbed properly and could lead to nutrient buildup, turning into fat—strictly one per person."

Though phrased politely, everyone understood the rule: strictly one per person.

The research department had also switched to nutrient packs that day. For them, these had been nothing but rumors until now.

Finally seeing the real thing, they were even more curious and enthusiastic than the command center staff.

"Is this thing really so small that just one pack can keep you full for a whole day?"

"Of course it can!" Wu Youyang had come with his students for lunch. It was the first day the nutrient packs were being served, and he had to show his support—after all, he’d had a hand in their development.

Han Yaokun’s group all turned to watch as Wu Youyang strutted over proudly with his students behind him.

Rong Fan pulled out a red-braised pork-flavored nutrient pack, grinning with a mix of pride and excitement. "I always liked this flavor. Never thought the cafeteria would have it too."

Wu Youyang chuckled. "As for me, I prefer apple. Real fruit costs an arm and a leg now, and back when I wasn’t making much, I couldn’t even afford it. Now, I can indulge with these meal replacements—and actually fill my stomach too."

Deliberately making a show of it, Wu Youyang unscrewed the cap and drank the entire pack in one go, smacking his lips afterward. "Tastes great—and really fills you up! Just a minute ago my stomach was growling nonstop, but now I’m completely stuffed after this."

"Ah, Researcher Shi Jun is here too," Wu Youyang said pointedly, clearly seizing the moment. He hadn’t forgotten how Shi Jun had once cornered and humiliated him in the research institute hallway. Back then, he had kept quiet because the nutrient packs hadn’t completed clinical trials yet and couldn’t be discussed publicly. But now, finally, he could turn the tables and revel in victory.

"I remember your salary used to be about the same as mine, Shi Jun. I bet you couldn’t even afford fresh fruit either. Well, here—there are plenty of fruit-flavored nutrient packs. Take your pick, any flavor you like."

Shi Jun’s face contorted, barely managing to hold back his fury. Wu Youyang was clearly getting revenge for those past humiliations. Yet this time, Shi Jun had no comeback. These nutrient packs were a game-changer for millions—what could he possibly say against them?

Clenching his jaw, Shi Jun could only hope the packs weren’t as miraculous as claimed, so he could find some flaw and get the upper hand.

But after trying one, his expression darkened further. Despite its tiny size, the pack delivered an incredibly rich flavor—the honey-glazed fries taste spread through his mouth like he’d just stuffed himself with a real serving of fries. His taste buds were satisfied, and his stomach felt comfortably full, leaving him energized.

No matter how hard he tried, Shi Jun couldn’t find fault with it. Trashing it without proof would only make him look foolish and arrogant.

With a tight-lipped smile, he muttered, "Not bad."

Wu Youyang strutted like a rooster that had won the fight, puffing up his chest and shaking off his colorful feathers. "Students, let’s go! We’ve got space research this afternoon—we can’t afford to lose any time!"

"Yes, Professor!" Rong Fan rallied the others enthusiastically.

When they had first followed Wu Youyang to Ji An’s team, many had mocked them behind their backs, calling them fools for following some untested upstart who hadn’t even grown into his full potential yet. They said they’d ruin their careers.

But now? Nutrient packs—something that could change the lives of billions!

Wu Youyang and his students left in high spirits, leaving behind a room burning with jealousy.

The murmurs started among the remaining researchers.

"I never thought they’d actually pull it off. Nutrient packs—I wouldn’t have dared to imagine such a thing."

"Plenty of people laughed at Wu Youyang before. Now they’re swallowing their pride."

"Honestly, I kept my mouth shut, but privately I thought Wu Youyang was making a mistake. Turns out I was the short-sighted one. He was the one with real vision."

"This time… I wonder how many will be defecting to their side." Two researchers exchanged glances, not daring to say more.

Among the students, Meng Changan wore a complex expression—half envy, half bitterness.

One student whispered, "I thought Rong Fan was throwing everything away by following Professor Wu Youyang. I figured he’d end up a nobody, far behind us. But now? He’s going to leave us behind for good."

"Did you hear what Professor Wu said? His students are already involved in space research—and actively contributing. Meanwhile, we’re still scratching our heads over it while they’ve moved on to new breakthroughs."

"Meng Changan, if only you’d gone with Professor Wu back then. Sure, he favored Rong Fan a bit more, but you were both his star pupils. They were desperate for hands on deck—you’d have been given important work too."

"Now? No chance. You watch—veteran researchers will be lining up to join them. Even if you wanted to go now, you’d never get the same recognition as Rong Fan."

Meng Changan knew it himself—one misstep, and the gap would only widen. Rong Fan would surge ahead, leaving him far behind, forced to watch from the sidelines.

Frustrated, he clenched his fists tightly, helpless to do anything. Just as everyone predicted, Wu Youyang was waylaid as soon as he stepped around the corner outside the cafeteria. "Researcher Wu Youyang, congratulations! With the success of the nutrient packs, you must’ve landed a massive payout."

Wu Youyang let out a hearty laugh and gestured with his fingers, showing a number. The questioner sucked in a sharp breath, enviously remarking, "That much? That's even more than what a project leader would get as a bonus! The base is really splashing out this time."

Wu Youyang replied casually, "My boss isn't under the base’s jurisdiction. This is a personal bonus from him—chump change, really. One of my students, Rong Fan, is already pulling in this much just by taking on extra work."

The questioner was stunned—a student was pulling in more than him.

But it didn’t end there. Wu Youyang dropped another bomb: "Though, that’s still small change."

Now he was really laying it on thick. The questioner gave a forced smile.

Wu Youyang feigned nonchalance. "The real money is in space technology. My boss has too much going on and loves chasing the next shiny thing. Once he’s done with an experiment, he loses interest, so he pushed space tech onto my plate. It has me running ragged every day—I wish there were seventy-two hours in a day because there's just not enough time!"

Money for nothing! Everyone knew space was a goldmine!

The questioner stared wide-eyed as Wu Youyang continued, "Now that the nutrient solution is finished, my boss—who’s always after the next new thing—has tossed it all aside and left it to me. I'm spread thinner than butter on toast; one moment I’m doing technical guidance at factories for the nutrient solution, the next I’m buried in space tech. I can barely keep up. I’m thinking about handing off space tech to my student Rong Fan and just taking a percentage."

"Wait, no—give it to me! I’ll handle it!" The man edged closer, slipping Wu Youyang a bag of dried meat. "Old Wu, you know I’m skilled and experienced. Put in a good word with your boss—get me hired, and I’ll take care of space tech for you. Don’t worry, you’ll get your cut."

Wu Youyang hesitated. "You know my boss is getting swamped with offers right now. So many top talents want in—he’s got options coming out his ears. But fine, I’ll put in a word for you. Just remember, if it doesn’t work out, don’t blame me."

"I won’t, I won’t," the man assured him eagerly. "Just for helping me, I’m grateful. Whether it works or not, I’ll take you out to eat."

"Alright." At the thought of restaurant food, Wu Youyang licked his lips. It had been a while—he was really starting to crave it.

They parted ways, but hadn’t gone far when Wu Youyang was stopped again. "Old Wu, is Boss Ji still hiring? How about putting in a good word for me..."