Chapter 117: Corruption

According to the little girl’s account, half a month had passed with no change, which definitely meant it wasn’t working.

“Have some lunch. Later, I’ll come with you to take a look. If it really doesn’t work, we’ll add an extra meal tonight.”

After lunch, Fang Xia followed the little girl to the ranch, trailed by Jingru, who had come along out of curiosity.

The territory was bustling with activity along the way, busy and lively.

Some people had rented tents from Fang Xia, while others were here to sell or buy supplies at the business market.

“Hello, Commander.”

Whether it was the young ladies from Fang Xia’s own group or members from the other two squads, everyone uniformly addressed him as “Commander” upon seeing him. This was one of Rudy’s clever strategies.

He had firmly tied himself to Fang Xia’s side, making it clear to all that Rudy was Fang Xia’s man—so Fang Xia wouldn’t abandon him.

The trio arrived at the place where the wild beasts were raised.

On the left side, a few chickens strutted proudly, heads held high, leisurely wandering about. Occasionally, they hopped onto some pigs, showing off their agility.

The wild boars, however, lay lazily on the ground, indifferent to their antics.

Two wild bulls dominated the right side of the area.

Fang Xia didn’t know when these bulls had been captured, but he personally led the capture of the chickens and the two wild boars. It had been over half a month, and it seemed there was truly no change.

“Who’s currently in charge here?” Fang Xia asked.

“The people Guo Yu assigned. They were under him when he was a captain with Chen Gang’s group,” came the reply.

When Guo Yu arrived, he brought a group of people with him—those close to Guo Yu and all quite competent.

One of them was responsible for this area.

“Call him over. I have some questions.”

The little girl nodded and immediately went to summon someone.

Not long after, she returned with a young man.

“Commander Fang, I’m Wu Qihao, managing this farm and animal enclosure.”

He looked to be in his thirties, honest and straightforward in appearance, and his tone was steady—no wonder Guo Yu entrusted him with this responsibility.

Though this place was just a patch of land with some wild animals, its value was immense.

“Are your people the ones feeding these beasts? According to what standards?”

Upon hearing Fang Xia’s question, Wu Qihao immediately sensed something was wrong and answered respectfully.

“In the first few days, I fed them myself. Before the apocalypse, I was a rural cattle herder and knew animals well. It only took a few days to understand their appetites and habits. After that, others took over the feeding.”

Fang Xia nodded and continued.

“Don’t you find it strange that after half a month, these animals haven’t changed at all?”

Wu Qihao visibly grew nervous. He wasn’t foolish and knew exactly what Fang Xia meant.

So many upgrade crystals had been spent, yet the animals showed no sign of growth. Anyone would be suspicious.

“Although these animals’ genes have somehow upgraded, their growth cycle still requires time. Ten days isn’t long; no significant change is normal,” Wu Qihao replied, forcing a confident tone.

If it had been anyone else, they might have been fooled, just like the little girl was.

But Fang Xia was different—he could hear Wu Qihao’s inner thoughts.

[Why is Commander Fang suddenly checking on these beasts?]

[They only need eight upgrade crystals a day to be fully fed; they definitely can’t grow that fast.]

Eight upgrade crystals? For all the animals?

Fang Xia’s expression darkened. The little girl’s standard was different—ten crystals per pig daily.

By that calculation, nearly ninety upgrade crystals were being embezzled daily here.

That was no small number. In Dawn City, ten upgrade crystals a day sufficed for a normal life with food, drink, and shelter; twenty crystals could even fund some entertainment.

Ninety crystals daily—over half a month, he could have bought a single room all to himself.

Housing in Dawn City was scarce, with fewer than a hundred thousand units, many shared by several people pooling money to afford a single room.

Wu Qihao didn’t understand why the normally amicable Commander Fang’s expression had suddenly changed. He thought his answers had been flawless.

“How long until they start showing growth?”

“Commander Fang, I’m not sure either. This is the first time I’ve seen such upgraded animals. We can’t compare them to pre-apocalypse creatures.”

Hearing Fang Xia’s question, Wu Qihao breathed a sigh of relief internally.

[So Commander Fang was just annoyed that upgrade crystals were wasted without rapid growth. Still too young—easily fooled.]

[But it looks like this cushy job is ending. They eat but don’t grow; no one can afford that.]

[What a pity. If only I’d reported fewer animals initially, I could have kept feeding them longer.]

Of course, Wu Qihao hadn’t expected the scale to expand so quickly.

At first, he thought a few chickens and two pigs would only earn about twenty upgrade crystals daily.

But the operation rapidly multiplied several times over.

Fang Xia’s group’s wealth impressed him; crystals were sent without question at the original rate, leaving him powerless to adjust.

He had no choice but to earn ninety crystals daily through gritted teeth.

He had planned to work for a few months, then buy a house at the city lord’s mansion and quietly disappear.

Once the fuss died down, he could live comfortably.

But it was only half a month in, and luckily this so-called Commander Fang wasn’t very sharp—easily fooled. Still, this pleasant job was likely over.

“How many people do you have here now?”

Fang Xia suddenly asked a question Wu Qihao did not expect, though it wasn’t difficult to answer.

“Fifty total, working in shifts around the clock to prevent unauthorized access and to keep the beasts calm.”

“Well arranged. Since you’ve been working hard, and these animals eat so much, I’m not going to keep raising them.”

Fang Xia’s expression turned wistful, as if he felt sorry for them.

“Tomorrow morning, gather your men here. We’ll stew these gluttonous beasts on the spot and have everyone taste some fresh meat.”

Saying this, Fang Xia patted Wu Qihao on the shoulder in approval.

Wu Qihao was overwhelmed with gratitude, pounding his chest in promise that the men would be ready to welcome Commander Fang tomorrow.

[The treasure pot is gone, but a free meat meal isn’t bad.]

Though reluctant to see the animals die—they had been earning him money daily—Wu Qihao understood.

Turning away, Fang Xia’s lips curled into a faint, cold smile.