Chapter 80: Boss Su, Whether We Win or Lose, I’ll Stand by You
As they spoke, a flashy modified vehicle drove out from the base. A chubby man got out and eagerly approached Shi Zijin, who was leading the convoy.
While the two talked, others guided the convoy into the Shou’an Base, one vehicle at a time.
Su Tao sat back in the car and took out her communicator to check for a signal. Sure enough, there was one.
She quickly called Zhuang Wan to let her know she was safe, then dialed Old Mei.
When Old Mei answered, he let out a big sigh of relief. “Tao girl, you’ve arrived at Shou’an?”
“Yes, I’ll start looking for Grandpa Wu Jianyi as soon as I get inside the base.”
“No rush, that’s secondary. You must take care of yourself. I’ve heard Shou’an hasn’t been very safe lately—lots of people have died.”
Su Tao agreed, then shared her current dilemma in detail.
After a long silence, Old Mei finally said:
“Tao girl, my suggestion is to pause all construction spending in Taoyang for now. Keep the money and prepare to take over Dongyang’s plantation.”
Su Tao was stunned. “Take over the plantation?”
Elder Mei explained, “You might not have seen the news on the road, but Dongyang’s plantation suffered a massive fire last night. More than half of the mature crops were destroyed, and 46 employees died.”
Su Tao’s heart almost leaped out of her throat. “What happened? Is Aunt Qian okay?”
Elder Mei sighed. “Aunt Qian is fine. She wasn’t at the plantation that day and escaped the disaster. The temperature was too high, and with flammable materials around, no one noticed until it was too late. By then, the fire was out of control. They only managed to save a few technicians and some seeds.”
“Dongyang has now completely lost its foundational industry. If no one takes over before the stored food runs out, they’ll either have to buy expensive grain from other bases or let a batch of people starve.”
Su Tao broke out in a cold sweat.
Elder Mei continued:
“This is just a suggestion. You have to decide based on your actual situation. If it’s not feasible, don’t force it. I believe the old commander must have a backup plan too, so don’t feel pressured. Of course, if you succeed in taking over, Taoyang will gain a pillar industry, which will be immensely beneficial for future development.”
After hanging up, Su Tao took a moment to think calmly.
A full takeover was impossible—she didn’t have enough money, and Taoyang didn’t have extra land.
However, taking over a part of the plantation and gradually transferring it to Taoyang as it expanded could work.
She decided to call the old commander later to see if this plan was feasible.
Money, land—these were truly the two things she lacked the most.
As she pondered, Su Tao and her group were already settled into the Shou’an guesthouse.
She shared a room with Guan Zining, and Shi Zijin was in the room next door.
Before dinner, Shi Zijin came over and said:
“Eat something simple on your own. Don’t bother with that reception banquet. The people at Shou’an aren’t good folks. They’re trying to keep Jian Kaiyu from me, demanding water and fuel in exchange.”
During the last mission, Jian Kaiyu was severely injured and couldn’t return to Dongyang with the main force. Shi Zijin had to send him to the nearest Shou’an for recovery.
This time, his primary goal at Shou’an was to retrieve Jian Kaiyu, but these people had seized on his vulnerability.
Guan Zining’s face immediately darkened. “Major, let’s take them down! What kind of trash dares to threaten us?”
Shi Zijin urged her to calm down. “You stay with Su Tao. I’ll handle this.”
He then turned to Su Tao. “I’ll ask around about the man named Wu for you. Don’t worry about it. For the next couple of days, wherever you go, you must inform Zining. You two need to stick together—you can’t go anywhere alone. And always bring Xuedao with you. Understood?”
Su Tao understood the seriousness of the situation and nodded firmly.
She knew she didn’t have many skills, but at the very least, she could avoid being a burden to the team.
After Shi Zijin left, Su Tao worried for a while but soon realized there was nothing she could do to help.
She couldn’t just throw money at Shou’an and say, “Take all the water and oil you want, as long as you release Jian Kaiyu.”
That would be far too weak.
What they needed now was to slap Shou’an in the face, hard, to make them afraid enough to release their hostage obediently.
But the violent approach was best left to Shi Zijin—this wasn’t her area of expertise.
After the three of them finished their instant noodles, Su Tao called the old commander and briefly explained her intentions.
The old commander sounded exhausted and sighed deeply:
“If you can take over, that would be ideal. But you need to understand, this won’t be easy. Aside from four technicians and a pile of unsprouted seeds, there’s nothing left of the plantation. Restoring operations will be difficult, time-consuming, and labor-intensive.”
Su Tao took a deep breath, her resolve strengthening. “I want to try. Even if I fail, I won’t regret it.”
Seeing her determination, the old commander didn’t hesitate further and gave her the contact information for the four technicians and two former managers:
“Child, the rest is up to you. I hope you can bring back a patch of green for the people of Dongyang.”
That night, Su Tao reached out to Aunt Qian, hoping to rehire her as the plantation manager—not for Dongyang, but for Taoyang.
On the other end of the communicator, Aunt Qian covered her mouth in disbelief. After a long pause, she finally spoke:
“…Boss Su, this is a complete mess. With the high temperatures, nothing good will grow. The yield won’t be enough, and if the crops fail, people will curse us.”
Su Tao chuckled. “It’s precisely because it’s a mess that I have the opportunity to take over. If everything was running smoothly, it wouldn’t be my turn, right? I’m getting four skilled workers, two capable managers, and a batch of precious seeds—all without spending a dime.”
What seemed like a thankless task turned into a blessing in her eyes.
Aunt Qian felt a deep admiration. After a moment’s hesitation, she gritted her teeth and said:
“Boss Su, if you believe it can work, I, Qian Lin, will follow you. Whether we win or lose, I’ll stand by you.”
