Chapter 242: Tao Chi Commercial Building
Even when the 3 million arrived, Su Tao still found it hard to believe. “Your friend… is really rich?”
She actually wanted to ask if they just had money with nowhere to spend it.
She had never seen someone voluntarily raise the price like this.
Huishu grinned. “Just a small token of appreciation. We’ll be relying on Boss Su to take care of our brothers after they move in. They’re all young, and their tempers might be a bit hotheaded. If they cause you any trouble, just let me know.”
Su Tao looked at him suspiciously. “You’re talking like the entire East District is moving here.”
Hui Shu’s smile stiffened. “No way…”
Su Tao waved her hand. “Whatever. I don’t care who your ‘friend’ is, as long as they pay rent on time.”
Hui Shu nodded. “Of course, of course. It’ll be about 800,000 to 1 million Federal Credits per month, though the amount of crystal cores may vary. Hope Boss Su understands.”
Su Tao had no issue with that.
After leaving behind the land development requirements, Hui Shu took his leave.
Su Tao brought their requirements to Old Mei and then prepared to claim the land using the 12 crystal cores.
But before that, she needed to relocate the refugees and survivors occupying the area.
This was a tricky task, as these people had been living near Taoyang for quite some time.
The land was covered with their belongings—some had even built makeshift houses using stones, broken construction materials, and plastic.
One family had somehow dragged in a scrapped car, which was barely holding together with a gaping hole in the roof. Yet, it was their only shelter.
When Meng Xiaobo led a team to persuade them to leave, this family resisted the most.
“We’re not leaving.” The skeletal-thin father shielded his wife, two children, and their ‘home.’ His sunken eyes made his eyeballs seem as if they would fall out as he glared.
The woman wept as she pleaded, “Please… If we leave, we’ll have nowhere to go…”
The two filthy children clung to their parents’ legs, sobbing in fear, too afraid to look at the burly Meng Xiaobo.
The other survivors in the area shrank back into their makeshift homes, not daring to show themselves.
Meng Xiaobo scratched his head and pointed at the battered car. “How about I move it for you? That should be fine, right?”
The woman’s face turned even paler. “No, no! You can’t move it—it’ll fall apart!”
This was the only thing keeping their family sheltered.
Not wanting to scare them further, Meng Xiaobo called over a small-framed surveillance officer to inspect the car.
After checking, the officer returned, looking embarrassed. “Yeah… It really can’t be moved. If we try, it’ll collapse—it’s already rotting away.”
The woman nodded furiously. “Yes, yes…”
The man remained on high alert, ready to fight if anyone dared touch their home.
Meng Xiaobo scratched his head again. Director Qi had specifically told him not to use force.
But they couldn’t delay Boss Su’s plans just because of a broken-down car.
Unable to come up with a solution, he reluctantly went back to report to his superiors.
Qi Yunlan sighed after hearing the report. “We’ll have to let Boss Su handle this.”
At that moment, Su Tao was engrossed in designing the Tao Chi Commercial Building based on Old Mei’s blueprint.
She was quite excited. Once completed, Taoyang’s commercial trade and supply operations would reach new heights.
Customers coming to purchase supplies would have a more convenient and secure experience.
The layout of Tao Chi was simple:
Upon entry, there was a parking lot. Due to space limitations, it could only accommodate one or two convoys.
Following the main road inside, a three-story building stood at the end.
Behind it was a small warehouse designated for vending machines—breakfast machines, bento fridges, instant noodle dispensers, hygiene product machines, and more—making it easier for Lin Fangzhi to prepare orders.
She planned to assign two stock clerks to assist him.
Across from the building’s main entrance were small flower beds on both sides. Wu Zhen could plant flowers there later.
Inside, the first floor housed the reception hall, complete with a front desk. Customers looking to buy supplies would be received here first.
Public restrooms were on both sides of the first floor, accommodating up to six people at a time.
Taking the elevator to the second floor led to a lounge area with sofas, small tea tables, and chairs.
Old Mei had specifically designed a large blank wall on this floor, meant for a big screen or projector to display images of the available goods.
Customers might sit there, get tempted while watching, and end up placing a few more orders.
The second and third floors had offices on both the left and right sides—four in total.
Lin Fangzhi could choose one that suited him best.
In the middle of the third floor was an open terrace furnished with tables and chairs. With the protective shield in place, it wouldn’t be too hot, and they could enjoy a cool breeze while resting.
Lastly, Su Tao also installed a teleportation gate to make it easier for Lin Fangzhi and the others to travel back and forth.
Once everything was built, Su Tao was quite satisfied. Just as she was about to refine some details, Qi Yunlan arrived and explained the difficulties they were facing in relocating the survivors.
Su Tao let out a soft sigh. “Forcibly evicting them isn’t ideal. How about this? Have Xiaobo and the others prepare some water at the water station. Anyone willing to move will receive a barrel of water as a gift from Taoyang.”
Qi Yunlan chuckled. “That’s a good idea. Water is scarce now, and they desperately need it. They’ll agree.”
Sure enough, as soon as the news spread, the family living in the broken car stood there in a daze. The woman was the first to react, licking her cracked lips and asking,
“A barrel? How big?”
Meng Xiaobo had someone bring over a barrel for them to see. Filled to the top, it held around 15 jin (about 7.5 kg) of water.
The woman’s eyes lit up.
Other survivors who had been hiding nearby started peeking out, stretching their necks and listening intently.
The man remained skeptical. “What kind of water?”
Contaminated water was still called water. Gray water was also water. Even urine could technically be called water…
Meng Xiaobo had one of his security guards fetch a bucket of crystal-clear, ice-cold water from the water station.
The moment it appeared, chaos erupted.
Some survivors, parched for days, lunged at it with red-rimmed eyes, making incoherent noises as they scrambled forward.
The security guard reacted swiftly, lifting the bucket away.
Meng Xiaobo narrowed his eyes and fired a shot into the ground. The area fell silent in an instant, and those with ill intentions quickly settled down.
He raised his voice. “Anyone living in this area who voluntarily moves will receive a barrel of water. And don’t worry about ending up with nothing—we at Taoyang aren’t that stingy. The sooner you move, the sooner you get your water!”
Some people believed him, others remained doubtful.
The woman from the broken car immediately decided to move.
The man hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and agreeing.
But they hadn’t eaten in days, had no strength, and couldn’t push the car no matter how hard they tried.
Seeing that other families had already dismantled their shacks and received their water, their anxiety grew.
Meng Xiaobo scanned the area, rolled up his sleeves, planted his feet firmly, and effortlessly lifted the broken car.
The crowd gaped in astonishment.
Feeling smug, he barely had a second to bask in their admiration before—
Clatter! Crash!
The car crumbled apart in his hands.
All that remained was a single wheel.
The rest had shattered into scattered pieces on the ground.
