"Open your eyes."
Early morning. Li Fei, dressed in a nightgown, cupped Grace's face with one hand while dripping eye drops into her eyes with the other.
Li Fei had made good on her promise and lavishly rewarded the teammate who had fought shoulder to shoulder with her—this should, by rights, have been a lovely thing.
But there was no helping it: Grace was overly enthusiastic about "PCR testing," and Miss Top Courtesan, in turn, found her heart fluttering at the poker-faced young lady's pear-blossoms-in-the-rain, tear-streaked face.
This caused the awards ceremony to spiral out of control for a time.
The most direct consequence was that, at this moment, Grace sat obediently at the edge of the bed with red-rimmed eyes, waiting for Li Fei to apply the eye drops; and Li Fei, for her part, was sucking on a throat lozenge, her voice muffled.
This round of rewards couldn't be called mutual destruction—only mutual understanding.
One point not to be overlooked was that, in order to let Grace's foster mother witness her daughter's happiness, the mourning hall had also become one of the venues for the award-giving, which caused Miss Top Courtesan's Morality Value to slide yet again.
Morality: -26
Charisma: 432
The benefit of Transcendent potions was that they took effect quickly and rarely had side effects. Li Fei expertly brushed onto herself a layer of medicine to dispel the "mechanical purpura," then drank down the medicine to prevent her belly from swelling, and once again became full of vim and vigor.
"I keep feeling like… I'm turning into a walking medicine jar."
Li Fei muttered, taking Grace by the hand and heading toward the living room, where the maid had already prepared breakfast.
It wasn't up to the standard of the fare at the villa, but it wasn't bad either—noodles, runny-yolked soft-boiled eggs, cold-dressed vegetables, and sausages grilled until they split open, with sweet-and-sour Serpent-woman scales being absolutely indispensable.
Slurping at her noodles absentmindedly, Li Fei's attention was instead fixed on the System Panel.
The good news was that, thanks to the fairies' tireless efforts, her level had risen once more, reaching Level 22.
But there was bad news too: by the end of the month, owing to the Mettis family's "breach of contract," the Viranean ecological engineering contract signed with the city hall would be voided.
This meant that the good days of lying around every night doing nothing while her experience points racked themselves up were coming to an end.
Not only that, but Li Fei also discovered that with every ten levels gained, the experience required to level up jumped up a tier—going from Level 22 to Level 23 required a full eighteen thousand experience points!
Even if every Moonlight Wolf in the wolf den were to collectively resurrect right now and let Li Fei slaughter them all over again, the experience reaped wouldn't be enough for even a single level-up.
Of course, none of this was the most important thing.
Li Fei stared at the Achievements column, lost in thought.
Achievements: Wolf Den Exterminator; Angel of the Forsaken Isle; Spell Encyclopedia (Command +2; 20% discount on Knowledge Books purchased from the store; 20% reduction in the proficiency required to raise spell levels).
She remembered very clearly that the second achievement she'd obtained at the very beginning had been named [Beautiful and Kind-Hearted].
But as the renown of the "Angel of the Forsaken Isle" spread and became widely known, although the achievement's buff effect hadn't changed, its name had.
Not only that, but after Li Fei took the championship and Miss Spell Encyclopedia rose to fame, a new achievement had also quietly surfaced.
This was enough to prove that achievements depended not merely on what one had done, but were also tied to prestige and fame!
You didn't necessarily have to truly be beautiful and kind-hearted—so long as others believed you were beautiful and kind-hearted, there was no problem.
Put that way, there was a great deal of room to maneuver…
A bold plan took shape in her mind. Li Fei curled the corner of her mouth, poked the tip of her chopsticks through the runny yolk, stirred it together with the noodles, and slurped away, enjoying her breakfast.
After the meal, Li Fei met with the ever-more hale and spirited Yusura, and with Kenan, whose face wore an expression of profound, woebegone bitterness.
"Morning."
Li Fei offered a warm greeting, and along the way inquired about the recent operational status of the timber mill and the mine.
Yusura gave an affirmative reply.
Under his bold, sweeping reforms, the two experimental plots could only be described as thriving and flourishing.
The felling of cheap timber had been scaled back in cultivation, and large-scale planting of precious tree stock had begun; relying on Miss Top Courtesan's connections and strict quality control, the high-grade timber had no trouble selling at all.
Not only that, but work such as performance management and ideological education was also being rolled out in full swing. For certain core talents, Yusura, after consulting with Li Fei, had even brought out the perk of equity incentives—the more the mill earned, the fatter the bonus packets at dividend time.
Of course, to keep the managers from doing anything like killing the goose for its eggs—passing off shoddy goods as good for short-term gain, then "bolting" the moment they pocketed a hefty dividend—Li Fei, after consulting with Yusura, had also devised corresponding countermeasures of restraint:
Half the dividend bonus would be paid out at year's end, and the remaining half would not be disbursed until five years later.
Not only that, but their immediate family members could also enter the mill as interns on a priority basis; if their performance was up to standard, then once those core talents stepped down, their relatives could inherit their posts and dividends with priority.
But what if they dared to bolt, or were so fond of short-term behavior that it blew up in everyone's face some years down the line?
Hee hee.
The ever-mounting sunk costs were no different from a pair of handcuffs forged of solid gold and silver, binding the core talents firmly to the war-chariot of the timber mill and the mine.
As for the rank-and-file workers, the brainwashing of "blessing theory," performance assessments, and the selection of advanced individuals were quite enough to make them grind away while howling for more.
The only regret was that, although the turnover was climbing steadily, recent expenditures on recruiting talent, purchasing technical equipment, and buying up tree stock and growth-promoting potions had driven costs ever higher with the rising tide, so that profits had not yet improved by much for the time being—but if things could develop along this momentum, Li Fei believed it wouldn't be long before these two enterprises became an indispensable boost on her and Grace's future road to Transcendence.
"You've done well—done splendidly!"
Li Fei praised him.
Yusura truly lived up to his reputation as a figure who had conquered his own little corner of the world; he handled matters quite reliably, smoothly putting into practice the strategic framework that Li Fei had cobbled together by "tracing a tiger to draw a cat," and running the business booming and prosperous.
Still, having come all this way, she certainly couldn't just listen to a report and call it done. Li Fei clasped her hands behind her back and, led by Yusura, inspected the enterprise.
The warehouse had been completely transformed, looking neat and orderly; the newly planted trees in the tree farm were also in Flourishing Growth, already taller than Li Fei—praise be to magic!
With a dazzling array of spells and Transcendent potions, one could shorten a plant's growth cycle; so long as you were willing to spend the money, you could even make a sapling grow into a towering, sky-piercing tree overnight.
Of course, production work had always to strike a balance point between efficiency and profit; under the care of the druid gentleman they'd hired on, most of the precious timber could maintain a shipping frequency of once a month.
What pleased Li Fei most, however, was the attitude of the workers. The slogans posted everywhere—"Labor Is Most Glorious," "Six-to-Nine Is a Blessing," and the like—had not been pasted up in vain; the great throng of half-orcs whom Yusura had hoodwinked into the mill chanted their slogans in fervent fashion, their fur soaked with sweat, yet their eyes full of vigor—a far more invigorating sight than that lot of lifeless, dispirited slaves.
At the thought of that earlier batch of slaves, Li Fei said with a kindly, amiable expression:
"Have those slaves been properly settled?"
"You know me—I most of all can't bear to see others suffer."
——Did you sell them off or not?
Yusura, likewise wearing the posture of a benevolent, kindly-browed old man:
"Rest assured. I found them a good employer—working at the Mercury Workshop, which is far easier than their previous job."
"Very good."
Li Fei nodded with satisfaction, the honorary-citizen medal on her chest gleaming all the more brightly.
The Mercury Workshop—though the work intensity there was relatively lower, the slave mortality rate inside was notoriously high; damp, high heat, toxic fumes… every one of them was lethal.
But that didn't matter. Li Fei once again reiterated the importance of corporate culture and ideological work:
"Training and education are very important. We must repeatedly stress that everyone at the timber mill is one family, instill a sense of collective honor, and get them to establish a master-of-the-house consciousness…"
——Let everyone vie to be a spiritual shareholder, forgetting the fact that they're merely hired hands.
While they were talking, the workers also paused their tasks one after another and gathered before the group.
"You've all worked hard."
Li Fei turned her face and called out warmly and amiably: "It's hot out—I've prepared some cold drinks for everyone. Have a sip and take a rest."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Kenan unloaded crate after crate of frost-wreathed beverages from the cart.
Two-liter wooden barrels, brimming full of sugar water, with even fruit juice and food coloring added; one portion cost a mere three copper coins—excellent quality at a fair price, perfectly suited for buying people's hearts.
Faced with this boss who was lovely as a celestial maiden and quite renowned in Loxibrook, the workers—mostly half-orcs—seemed a little reserved, coming forward one by one to collect their drinks, while she smiled and said nothing.
Li Fei amiably handed the drinks to them bottle by bottle, her smile radiant and sweet.
When the last worker had collected his sugar water, Li Fei keenly noticed that one half-orc had swallowed at the sight of the drink, yet hadn't opened it—he only cradled the wooden barrel carefully, savoring its icy coolness.
"Why aren't you drinking?"
Li Fei walked up to him, her face showing a look of concern.
"Ah… my kid likes this… don't usually buy it for him much…"
The half-orc seemed awkward and nervous, stammering in accented common tongue.
——Having kids is a good thing! Only workers who have a family to feed will toil uncomplainingly and won't be thinking all day about grabbing a bucket and bolting!
Li Fei turned, and with great largesse fished out a silver coin and slapped it into Yusura's hand, then took out another barrel of drink, opened the lid directly, and shoved it at him without brooking refusal:
"It's on me—everyone gets a share!"
"Those with children can collect an extra bottle!"
This gesture easily won the workers' goodwill.
And Li Fei, striking while the iron was hot, walked up to a tall, burly half-orc whose face looked honest and simple, and extended her hand of her own accord:
"Grom, right? Kenan mentioned you to me—said you're the hardest worker of all! Keep it up, and aim to take the honor of 'Monthly Advanced Worker' at the end of the month!"
According to the management system, the employees rated most outstanding in the performance assessment could earn honors such as Advanced Worker and Excellent Worker, awarded publicly.
Though there was only a token bonus, for workers whose lives were dull and dreary, winning such an honor was a thing that gave great face, enough to keep them happy for a long while, and could also serve a role-model effect, spurring on the other workers.
But more ruthless still was that six consecutive months of being rated outstanding could earn a permanent pay raise—a thing of incomparable allure to the workers, enough to make them grind away ferociously.
And the excellent workers who stood out would also be utterly bound to the mill by that slight pay raise, loath to seek any other way out.
Facing this fairy-like boss and her flawless, snow-white hand, Grom flushed crimson and mumbled haltingly:
"My, my hands are dirty…"
Li Fei's smile didn't waver as she shook his hand of her own accord and even patted his shoulder:
"A laborer's hands are the cleanest of all!"
Then she glanced around at the workers and gave a self-deprecating shrug:
"To be honest, I'm no different from you. Two or three months ago, I was still carrying plates in a restaurant, earning only ten coppers a day—and I was even targeted by an arrogant, domineering noble…"
As an up-and-coming prodigy of the new generation riding high of late, the tale of "Li Fei, raised up from the marketplace" had become a topic the residents of Loxibrook relished discussing; even those who didn't read the newspapers had more or less heard of Li Fei's past experiences in places like taverns——the restaurant of Aunt Roslyn, where dish prices had nearly doubled, yet customers still came in an endless stream.
And that one month's experience of working as a hired hand had become her entry point for erasing class differences and winning the workers' identification.
Li Fei recounted her processed life story eloquently, and after laying it on thick and selling a round of woe, her tone gradually rose:
"But no matter what hardship I met, I never chose to give up on myself!"
"I worked like my life depended on it, and studied under the streetlamps… and so, I changed my own fate."
"And it's not just me—I believe every person who works hard will, in the end, receive the reward they deserve."
Under the workers' unwavering gazes, Li Fei drew her five fingers together into a fist, her resonant tone brimming with bewitching power:
"Right now, the opportunity lies before you."
"So long as you labor hard, you can earn more bonuses, get raises, get promotions—and even become one of the bosses!"
"Is your wife still complaining that your pay is too low? Then work hard!"
"Are your children clamoring to eat meat, while the money on you is only enough for coarse grain? Then toil hard!
"After clocking off, do you want to order a cool mug of ale at the tavern, but there's not a single spare copper left in your pocket? Then work like your life depends on it!"
"I believe that, in the not-so-distant future, when those diligent, excellent workers are enjoying delicious, juicy meat cutlets at a restaurant with their children, a prettily dressed-up wife seated at their side, those lazy, unambitious fellows will only be able to go hungry, envying you through the window!"
The half-orcs' breathing grew ever more rapid.
And Li Fei paused, then declared in ringing, weighty tones:
"As I see it, there is nothing noble whatsoever about laziness and poverty."
"You can choose to be an idler, or an excellent worker who grows rich through labor."
"But as for me… no matter how many times over, I would choose to seize a bright future with my own two hands!"
"Get to work! Labor! Let me see the other timber mills tremble at your roar!"
"Raaargh!!!"
The half-orcs were whipped into a frenzy. Eyes bulging like a mob of rioters, they raised their arms and bellowed, gulped down their sugar water, and rushed back to their workstations without pause, the steel saws gnawing at the timber all but striking sparks.
Yusura, witnessing all this, couldn't help clutching at his chest:
Urgh——my, my kinsmen…
And Li Fei walked toward him with a smile, saying amiably:
"Old Yu, you've had it hard these past days…"
Yusura didn't take up the conversation, gazing with sorrow and pity at that crowd of half-orc kinsmen working themselves to death to add ten more stories onto Li Fei's villa.
"In a couple of days I'll be able to join the War Academy. By my treatment standard, I could apply for a free Sequence 8 promotion elixir… what a pity, though—I won't be able to use it."
Li Fei said with a bright, radiant smile: "Do you have any use for it?"
Yusura, who a second ago had been grieving bitterly for his kinsmen, instantly changed his expression and tossed his fellow half-orcs straight to the back of his mind:
"I shall surely carry through the spirit of arduous struggle and implement the performance management system."
He imitated Li Fei's tone, pledging without the slightest hesitation.
——The old fellow's ideological awareness really is high.
Li Fei nodded with satisfaction, then knit her brows and released a Cleanse at the right hand that had just shaken hands with the half-orc.
Considering the idea that had just bubbled up from the bottom of her heart that morning, she very much needed a reliable, clever subordinate who could do the dirty work for her.
She decided to up her stake on Yusura.
Miss Spell Encyclopedia did not miss the morning's classes, and what she reaped was not only knowledge but also the hundred credits that Teacher Melodia awarded her, on the grounds that she had taken the championship in the exchange match and brought glory to the class, in hopes that everyone would take Li Fei as a model and strive in their cultivation.
Fair and reasonable—fair and reasonable indeed.
After class, she counted out goldsmith's vouchers totaling twenty-five thousand gold coins and bought the [Stone-to-Gold Gloves] from Klein; then she went to the Dean's office and mooched a Dean's meal.
Of course, she didn't dare eat too full at lunch, because starting today, Miss Witch of Depravity was going to be hard at work for her Sequence 7 Ascension Ritual.
"Let's start from here…"
Hefting a great barrel of the "belly-swelling prevention" potion, Li Fei licked her lips, and like an assassin about to go gallantly to his death, bearing the solemn resolve of "the wind howls bleak, the Yi River cold," she strode into the Secret Garden without the slightest hesitation.
Not her own one.
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