Chapter 79: Steel, What Steel?

Yang Shuo pondered for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Wasn't this issue already settled the time before last?"

Liu Mu placed her arm, wrapped in thick bandages, onto the office desk; her face was also covered in blue and purple bruises, and there was a scabbed wound at the corner of her mouth.

"Uncle Yang, don't look at me as if I'm young; I've been doing business for quite a few years now. Let me put it this way: what you're giving me now is, in the end, no different from a bounced check. Every time we go out to find supplies, we're risking our lives. Just look at my injuries..."

As she spoke, tears actually welled up in Liu Mu's large eyes.

The two deputies accompanying her remained silent, a heavy sense of gratitude and guilt rising in their hearts simultaneously. Who could deny it? With the current state of the Base, talking about building a Barrier—who knows how many years or months it will actually take to finish? They couldn't just keep fleecing Boss Liu just because she was a good person.

They looked at Yang Shuo, but the supreme leader showed little emotion this time; he only silently pulled out the fountain pen hanging from his breast pocket, opened the cap, and began to write *swish-swish-swish* on the work memo in his hand.

Finally, he finished signing, and handed both the paper and the pen to Liu Mu, "Sign it. Afterward, coordinate with the Logistics Department and the Construction Department."

Liu Mu took a look; it was, shockingly, an appointment letter for Deputy Minister of Commerce of the Haicheng Barrier.

The subject of the appointment was naturally Liu Mu herself, and the key was that the priority acquisition rights for supplies she had previously used to bluff people were also included.

Besides this, there were two other rights: one was the right to seek protection from the official military at any time. The other was the commercial development rights for the Barrier.

Although the latter was general, as far as she knew, the series of laws and regulations recently promulgated by the Barrier contained detailed interpretations of commercial development rights.

This so-called commercial development right was not much different from the "merit of following the dragon" she had previously envisioned for carving up the dynasty's spheres of influence.

As for the empty title of Deputy Minister of Commerce, it was the smallest benefit to her.

Having obtained what she wanted, Liu Mu finally opened her mouth to drop a bombshell.

"Uncle Yang, leaders, actually, I have also collected some scrap steel."

"What?"

"Steel? What kind of steel?"

The expressions of the few men changed; even Yang Shuo, whose main focus had previously been on military affairs, became grave.

One must know that they had almost scoured the entire Haicheng, mobilizing the survivors to collect it, yet even now, they didn't have much usable steel on hand.

"Tell me the details," he said, interlacing his hands on the table to hide the surging waves in his heart. "It isn't the kind pulled out of ruined buildings, or stainless steel window frames, is it? Those aren't very usable."

In modern society, what is truly precious for building a city is no longer cement and bricks, which have low technical content and diverse solutions.

It is steel!

Various specifications of H-beams, rebar, steel plates, even down to steel wire and screws... all of this requires steel!

Liu Mu had previously had the idea of running her own Steel Factory, but she had to face several major difficulties.

The first was equipment; getting a complete set of steelmaking and rolling equipment was almost impossible with her personal capabilities. Even though she had managed to get some machines from the factory before, they were already ruined and unusable.

The second was talent and technology; even if one had talent, it had to be specialized. Li Gang hadn't been able to scrape together a production line despite lurking in the Base for so long. Not to mention the technical gaps among these talents...

Finally, professional matters must be left to professional people.

As for her, it was good enough to make a big profit by grasping a certain lifeline, such as coal or scrap steel.

As for how long she could make money?

Once strength and capital were accumulated, would it be difficult to build her own Steel Factory?

The next day, Liu Mu's convoy came to the Barrier again.

This time, even without the flashy support of the Military Dog Niu Boyi, it was still more flashy than any previous time.

Those large steel ingots and brand-new steel coils made the surviving veteran masters of the steel factory weep with joy.

They finally had a place to shine and contribute; perhaps they wouldn't have to pick through trash in the ruins anymore.

Not to mention them, even Yang Shuo was stirred with emotion; the white hair on his head even showed signs of turning black. In just the last half-year, he had truly been plagued by endless worries.

The steel was delivered, and according to the agreed price, it was ten Contribution Value points per ton.

Yang Shuo's leadership team was also very efficient; with the steel, they immediately built blast furnaces on the cleared ruins. The entire county town spewed thick smoke into the Black Rain, and even the night was illuminated.

Looking from afar, it really had the bustle of the Great Steelmaking movement of the 1950s. However, once the steelmaking furnaces were up, the demand for fuel became urgent.

On this side, Liu Mu had the convoy in the Barrier go to the Scrap Station to haul steel. With Xu Xiaofeng and Luo Sanlin's people watching, plus the count in her own system, there wouldn't be any major problems with redeeming Contribution Value.

She herself took He Qizheng and the others into the mountains once more. Last time she came out, it was a truck of coal and a truck of people, but this time she brought back three trucks of people and one truck of grain.

These people were all recruited from the Barrier.

In the apocalypse, there were truly few jobs that provided room and board just for putting in the effort. Coupled with the reputation Liu Mu had built up wave after wave, the line for recruitment was incredibly long.

This batch, in addition to young and strong men, also recruited over a dozen women.

This was mainly out of consideration for the women already in Yang Family Town; with a larger number, besides helping with chores like cooking and laundry, they could also look out for each other.

As for who wanted to sleep with whom, as long as it was consensual and didn't involve messy relationships, she didn't have many strict requirements.

She had been gone for five days; including travel time, she returned to the Mine in the early hours of the sixth day.

The Black Rain was naturally still falling. Liu Mu was still wearing her black Raincoat, her upright posture appearing somewhat heroic against the backdrop of the coat. With the hood of the Raincoat covering her head and two machetes crossed on her back, she looked mysterious and exceptionally sharp.

She jumped down from the driver's seat of the large Truck, which was as tall as a person, and a huge shadow lunged at her.

"Stand still!"

There was no need to think; among those who dared to approach her so unreservedly now, there was no one else but the Military Dog Niu Boyi.

Liu Mu habitually swung a palm, swatting away Niu Boyi's large head, and immediately handed over a special meat sausage as thick as a thigh.

"A prize from Big Sister. Have you been watching the Mine well lately?"

"Woof woof woof, woo~ Big Sister, I love Big Sister the most," Niu Boyi said, holding the meat sausage in his mouth, his drool flowing several feet long. "I've been dutiful, Master! I'm so amazing; all the Mutated Animal nearby have been killed by me, the doggy!"

"Very good, go eat. There will be more later," Liu Mu didn't mind the dirt, rubbing her large palm on the dog's nose and letting it find a place to eat the meat sausage.

As the temporary manager of the Mine, Liu Fugui had been waiting on the side early on. As soon as Niu Boyi left, he stepped forward to report on the situation at the Mine.

"Uncle Fugui, arrange for people to unload the supplies first, and take these people to get out of the rain."

As soon as Liu Mu spoke, Liu Fugui immediately waved his hand behind him. The old man Cai Hongfa and several young men acted as if they already knew what to do, coming out to unload the trucks and welcome the people.

For a moment, it was actually quite lively.

Liu Mu saw a few women poking their heads out from the houses, but she didn't find it strange. She even lifted her hood and waved at them before continuing to chat with Liu Fugui about recent matters.

The nearby houses had clearly been repaired; the holes and collapsed areas had basically been blocked, and the interiors were kept as windproof and rainproof as possible.

The two walked into the building where Niu Boyi was located; Liu Fugui said that he and Li Gang each spent one night staying with those townspeople, and the other night they stayed here with Niu Boyi.

"Very good, you need enough rest," after entering the house, Liu Mu took a document out from under her raincoat and handed it to Liu Fugui, "Uncle, please help me look over this contract first."

This was an employment contract signed with the Haicheng Base; Liu Mu had no experience in this area before, but Liu Fugui had run a shop for many years, and the dozen or so employees he had in his hands had all signed contracts, so it was more reassuring to let him look at it.

Liu Fugui read it through carefully, "It's fine; the biggest requirement over there is to ensure the safety and basic living conditions of the hired workers. The Barrier is equivalent to the old Labor Bureau, possessing the power of dual-sided supervision and protection."

"That's fine, then we will recruit people from the Barrier one after another later," Liu Mu pointed to the group of people who had already gotten off the vehicle, "These people's bodies are a bit weak; let them adapt for two days before going down to the Mine."

"That works too; we have only cleared out one Mining Tunnel so far, and haven't found any traces of Mutation animals or plants," Liu Fugui finally gave a simple report on the work of the past few days.

It wasn't that he wanted to claim credit, but letting the Boss know they were doing work was very important.

Besides, Liu Mu, this Boss, had iron-blooded methods toward the outside, but she was truly good to her own people.

Liu Fugui took a bite of the Steamed Bun Liu Mu had just pulled out; it was actually still a bit warm, "Xiao Feng, this girl, really cooks well; haven't eaten it in a few days, I really miss it."

"Yes, I brought a freezer this time, enough for you all to eat for a few days," Liu Mu pointed to the truck, "It's plugged in inside the vehicle; you all heat them up and eat them quietly, don't let them get snatched away."

"This," the filling in the Steamed Bun in Liu Fugui's hand was truly solid, and he felt wonderful both in his heart and mouth, "How embarrassing."

In this apocalypse, people were so hungry they were skin and bones; even if the Mine had no one, there were only two large loaves of bread a day, but they... actually had a freezer full of Steamed Buns; what kind of standard of living was this?

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt a warmth in his hand; when Liu Fugui was startled, half the bun was gone.

"Hey, you brat, you're even snatching something that's barely a snack?"

Niu Boyi tilted his head, imitating Liu Fugui's appearance, squinting his eyes in refusal, and even shook his head in intoxication.

It angered Old Man Liu so much he cursed a couple more times; if it weren't for the fact that he couldn't beat him, he would have almost used his hands.

Liu Mu simply stuffed the whole bag of buns to him, "You eat first, I'll go check on the Mine."

Taking the troublemaker Niu Boyi away also allowed Liu Fugui to eat his fill alone.

Liu Mu rode the dog and headed straight for the Mine amidst the surprised and envious gazes of the new personnel.

Li Gang's leg could basically walk now as long as he didn't run or jump; he wasn't going down to the Mine, but today it was his turn to keep watch outside.

Inside a small house built of bricks, he held a large tea mug in his hand, slowly drinking hot water.

A thick coat was draped over his shoulders, his eyes looking toward the direction of the Mining Tunnel from time to time.

He looked just like an old man guarding the gate.

"Brother Gangzi," Liu Mu got down from Niu Boyi's back, and Gouzi finally received the order that it could go out to play, putting the person down and running off happily.

"Boss, you're here?" Li Gang saw her and asked with a smile, "Did my little sister Xiao Feng make meat pies this time?"

"I knew you all would be thinking about it," Liu Mu handed over another bag of Steamed Buns, "Eat this first; I brought meat pies too. I've already told Uncle Fugui; you all heat them up and eat them quietly yourselves."

At this moment, the workers on duty were all in the Mining Tunnel, using small carts to transport coal slag out one cart at a time.

"Sigh, little sister Xiao Feng is the one who cares about us," Li Gang was even less polite than Liu Fugui; the palm-sized bun was half gone in one bite, and he didn't forget to talk, "We can clear out the second Mining Tunnel today or tomorrow, and then we'll start digging. There's no mechanical equipment now, it all relies on manpower; coal output is slow."

Liu Mu had anticipated this long ago, so she wasn't in a hurry.

Liu Mu nodded, "Just transport it out bit by bit; the coal consumption at the Barrier is limited right now, and it can't be refined, so burning it directly is still a waste."

From this kind of raw coal, many things could be refined, such as coal gas, coal tar, asphalt, and so on.

It was just that there were no conditions for it now, so she could only wait for the Barrier to set up a few more factories before making plans.

Hearing that the Barrier had already set up a blast furnace, Li Gang was a bit excited, thinking that he could be considered a steel worker of over two months, and if he went back, he might be able to return to his old trade.

When he said this to Liu Mu, the latter disagreed, "Brother Gangzi, there are plenty of opportunities for you to shine. I came this time to ask how you've considered the matter of Mutation?"

In this short time, three Steamed Buns were gone, and Li Gang picked up the fourth, "As long as it can be done, any time is fine!"

It just so happened that it was his turn to stay in Niu Boyi's small building to rest tonight, so Liu Mu said they would start in the evening.

With the experience of the few young people who mutated last time, Liu Mu had let the system calculate it carefully over a dozen times in the past few days; although she still couldn't accurately control the direction and depth of the Mutation, she could still achieve a certain degree of guidance.

This day, for the first time, two large pots of meat were stewed at the Mine; whether it was the original miners or the newly recruited ones from the Barrier, everyone ate with tears in their eyes.

The latter had the deepest feelings; after getting slightly familiar with the locals, they spoke one after another about the bitterness outside.

After eating their fill, Liu Mu returned to the small building nearby with Li Gang.

Still on the second floor, under Li Gang's firm and unregretful gaze, Liu Mu took out a small bottle of red gas.

The bottle was made of material that isolated space; having had the concerns about taking out the Giant Sun Fragment last time, Liu Mu had switched to using this kind of small transparent bottle afterward.

"This is 1.5 milliliters; according to my calculations, this amount can complete the first Mutation. If your body can withstand it, and you can absorb more over time, you can undergo a second upgrade."

This theory was very simple, but Li Gang still didn't quite understand, "Sister Mu, are you saying that one can still upgrade after Mutation?"

Being called 'Sister' by someone older than her for the first time, Liu Mu only raised her eyebrows slightly and continued, "It's not certain whether one can upgrade; among the mutated creatures I've seen, except for Niu Boyi, there are almost none that can further upgrade. We can try and see; after the Mutation is successful, we'll talk about other things."

She didn't talk about herself, only using the experience accumulated in her previous life to persuade Li Gang to think twice.

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Boss."

Although he hadn't seen others mutate on the spot... Liu Mu was the one who poisoned them that time, "It's no trouble; this all depends on whether the Bodhisattva protects you,"

"Then let's start; don't be nervous, it's just that the process might be a bit painful. How exactly it hurts varies from person to person."

The red mist was brought under Li Gang's nose, and he inhaled every last bit into his body.

At first, he didn't feel anything.

However, just like Liu Mu and the others, in less than half a minute, he clutched his abdomen and sat on the ground with a deathly pale face.