Chapter 71: Work Vouchers
At the construction site, everyone was hard at work.
Chu Feng paid well, and the Highland tribe worked with enthusiasm. The castle was already partially built.
“Big brother, are you going to the Crescent General Store later?” Shi You asked.
Shi Chui nodded. “Yes.”
Three days ago, the worksite began distributing “work vouchers,” with denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100.
Ordinary Highland workers received a 10-unit voucher per day. Foremen like Shi Chui got 20. Shi You, who was given special treatment by Chu Feng, received 50.
Shi You’s wages were much higher than average, but since he was a gifted individual, the others were envious but didn’t complain.
Shi Chui had inquired and found that ordinary Crescent Village road workers also got 10, while foremen got 20.
In the Dwarf tribe, Hughes received the highest—100—being both a master craftsman and a gifted one. The other two masters got 50 each. Everyone else got 10.
All in all, Chu Feng treated each tribe fairly.
Shi You said, “Bring me back a bag of chocolate candy beans.”
Shi Chui sighed. “Alright. The Crescent Store has everything. You really not coming?”
Shi You shook his head. “Nope. If I go, I’ll just spend all my vouchers.”
Shi Chui nodded, thinking: True. On the first day of voucher distribution, everyone was given a bonus 100. A trip around the store, and it was gone. With his higher pay, Shi You had already spent 300 vouchers to get a desk lamp. When he turned it on at night, the whole place lit up, making everyone in the tribe jealous.
The store had everything: all kinds of candies kids love, lighters, pretty hair ties, alcohol, jerky… you name it. The only downside: not enough vouchers.
“The store is great, just a little far,” Shi You sighed.
Shi Chui smiled. “Don’t worry. I heard Boss Chu plans to open a shop here too.”
Shi You looked stunned. “Really? Here?”
Shi Chui nodded. “Of course. This is where Boss Chu’s castle will be.”
This was Chu Feng’s real base. Crescent Village was just a temporary place—he’d move here eventually.
Shi You beamed. “If that happens, everything will be so much easier.”
Shi Chui nodded. “Exactly.”
Shi You hesitated, then asked, “Big brother, how many vouchers would it take to trade for Boss Chu’s motorcycle?”
Shi Chui froze, shocked. “A motorcycle? You really dare to dream!”
Everyone had been eyeing Chu Feng’s motorcycle, but nobody seriously thought about owning it.
Shi You scratched his head. “Just wondering. Don’t you want one?”
His higher pay had boosted his confidence, even compared to other workers from Crescent Village.
“Who doesn’t want one! That bike is awesome!”
Shi Chui thought: Wanting is one thing. Getting it is another. He was a bit jealous—Illya was close to Chu Feng and got all the benefits.
*
Dwarf Village
“Boss, you’re back!” Hughes greeted Chu Feng eagerly.
Chu Feng glanced at him. “The weapon you made is impressive.”
Hughes grinned. “It’s all thanks to you, Boss Chu. That blueprint you gave me was incredible. I didn’t even know weapons could be made like that!”
“You’re impressive too,” Chu Feng said. “A blueprint’s one thing, but turning it into reality takes skill.”
Hughes’s eyes sparkled. “That pistol is amazing! If we could mass-produce it, even young kids in the village could fight like adults!”
Chu Feng frowned. “That’s not such a good idea.”
Arming children would just lead to chaos. Plus, the guns the dwarves made had pretty strong recoil. If the user wasn’t strong enough, they could get hurt.
Seeing Chu Feng’s concern, Hughes quickly said, “It’s just a thought. We can’t mass-produce them yet.”
Chu Feng looked at him and smiled. “Take your time. No rush.”
Hughes nodded. “This weapon is just too powerful. Give me a bit more time, and I’ll come up with something even stronger.”
Chu Feng thought to himself: As weapon experts, the dwarves should be capable of extrapolating and innovating further.
Hughes looked at Chu Feng and said, “Boss, with this kind of weapon, we could rule the world!”
Chu Feng: “…”
He honestly had no interest in ruling the world. He just wanted to be a wealthy, laid-back salt fish.
Chu Feng smiled and said, “No need, no need. I’m not that ambitious. I heard there’s a beast tide in the winter around here. Let’s focus on producing a batch of pistols to prepare for that.”
Hughes nodded. “Alright.”
He hesitated for a moment, looking like he had more to say.
Chu Feng glanced at him and asked, “Something else?”
Hughes replied a bit aggrieved, “Boss, that rice wine dumplings you brought over was amazing, but you didn’t share it with us dwarves. We’re loyal to you, you know!”
Chu Feng rolled his eyes. “You dwarves turned it down yourselves—said the wine was too weak!”
Hughes chuckled awkwardly. “I’ve already scolded the idiot who said that.”
*
At the Crescent Village’s general store, Chu Feng had carefully selected Qinglan as the shopkeeper.
Qinglan, one of the most beautiful elf women in her tribe, wasn’t chosen for her looks. When Chu Feng announced the job opening, many applied. Unsure how to choose, he tested them on basic arithmetic. Most were only partially literate in math, but Qinglan quickly understood everything he taught and answered all his follow-up questions with ease.
Chu Feng thought that if she lived on Earth, she could probably be a top math student.
Under the envious eyes of many, Qinglan became the store’s manager.
Once the shop opened, it became a beloved spot in the village. Even those not buying anything liked to browse.
The store’s existence greatly boosted enthusiasm for earning work tokens, and everyone started thinking about how to earn more.
“Qinglan, got any honey?” Shaya asked.
Qinglan replied, “Yes. Do you have any work tokens?”
Shaya grinned sheepishly. “No.”
“No tokens, no honey.”
Shaya scratched his head. “I get paid in a few days. Can I buy on credit?”
Qinglan rolled her eyes. “Come back when you get paid.”
“Come on! Cut me some slack.”
“Go, go, go! If I gave credit to everyone like you, I’d be out of business!”
“I’m a foreman, you know!”
“Foreman or not—no credit.”
After failing to convince her, Shaya left in defeat.
Chu Feng then arrived on his motorcycle and parked in front of the store.
“Boss Feng!” Qinglan greeted him warmly with a big smile—very different from her demeanor with Shaya.
Her beauty and enthusiasm made Chu Feng a little embarrassed.
“Business is good, I assume?” he asked.
Qinglan nodded. “Very good. The dwarves are just complaining about the price of the alcohol.”
“They don’t like the cheap stuff, and the expensive stuff is too pricey—fine, I’ll bring some cheaper liquor next time,” Chu Feng said.
“Boss, is your motorcycle for sale?”
Chu Feng looked at her. “Why? Someone wants to buy it?”
“There are a few interested people… but don’t worry, they can’t afford it anyway.”
Chu Feng: “…”
*
As Chu Feng approached Illya’s house, he smelled something delicious from afar.
“Smells amazing!” Chu Feng said as he entered.
Gray glanced at him. “My brother is cooking stewed meat with potatoes.”
Chu Feng grinned. “His cooking is really improving.”
Not long ago, Illya had taken an interest in cooking. Chu Feng gave him a few recipes and basic condiments like soy sauce and vinegar. Though Illya couldn’t read the text, he understood the pictures and quickly improved through practice.
Gray nodded. “Yeah! Big brother’s smart—learns fast.”
Chu Feng nodded in agreement. “He really does.”
He turned to Illya. “Is it ready?”
“Almost,” Illya replied.
Chu Feng rubbed his hands eagerly, clearly excited.
The stewed tiger meat with potatoes was delicious. The tiger meat was chewy and made his whole body feel warm. Chu Feng suspected it had medicinal properties.
When it came to strengthening his body, Chu Feng never turned down an opportunity.
Gray glanced at him. “You’re eating a lot lately!”
Chu Feng smiled. “It’s fine, I can handle it.”
“That meat is really nutritious. Don’t overdo it—you’ll get a nosebleed,” Gray warned.
Chu Feng rolled his eyes. “Come on, I’ve built up my tolerance. I haven’t had a nosebleed in ages. The shaman’s medicine has raised my constitution to the adult level in this world.”
Gray puffed out his cheeks. “I was just saying. Duoduo got a nosebleed from eating too much tiger meat.”
“Duoduo? That rabbit ate tiger meat? Wasn’t he scared?” Chu Feng asked, puzzled.
Gray nodded. “He was scared of the live ones, but not the cooked kind. He thinks eating more tiger meat will make him braver.”
Chu Feng: “…”
Is that how it works? Eat tiger meat to build courage?
