Chapter 98: Shi Ziyue’s Worries About Her Brother’s Future
After hanging up, Su Tao immediately went to sleep, hoping to wake up early and teleport to Panliu Mountain during the day to continue construction.
At night, the place was empty, and there were still piles of dead bodies in the underground garage. To be honest, it creeped her out.
She really wanted to clean it up as soon as possible.
The next morning at 8 AM, Su Tao woke up to her alarm without snoozing even once. She quickly fed the furry babies, then took Lin Fangzhi to the cafeteria for breakfast.
On the way back, she unexpectedly ran into Shi Ziyue—the girl who had left over a month ago for an extracurricular activity and had yet to return.
Shi Ziyue had just gotten off the school bus. With her backpack slung over her shoulders, she stared in shock at the completely transformed Taoyang.
Then, spotting Su Tao, her eyes instantly turned red with emotion.
“Sister Tao, I’m back!”
Su Tao quickly walked over and hugged her. “You’re finally back! You’ve lost so much weight, and you’re tanned.”
She had gotten at least two shades darker, and her skin was rougher.
Every year, Dongyang No.1 School organized outdoor training for students of all grades. Though military instructors supervised the trips, they were still dangerous.
The goal was to build endurance and unlock potential, preparing students for future ability awakenings.
The more Su Tao looked at Shi Ziyue, the more her heart ached. As they headed to the cafeteria for food, she introduced Lin Fangzhi along the way.
“This is my friend, Lin Fangzhi. He’s a few years older than you. He doesn’t talk much, so don’t mind him.”
Shi Ziyue immediately perked up, scanning Lin Fangzhi from head to toe. A deep sense of worry for her brother’s future settled in her heart.
Her brother was always out working, while Sister Tao had a young, handsome guy by her side every day.
How was her brother supposed to compete with this?!
Su Tao had no idea what was going through her head. Instead, she asked,
“Are there any teachers at your school looking to make some extra money? I need teachers for academic subjects—2 to 4 hours a day at Taoyang, with a free meal included. The pay is 150 Federation Credits per hour, plus unlimited snacks and drinks.”
Shi Ziyue swallowed nervously. “Sister Tao, do you think I would be a good fit?”
Su Tao lightly smacked her. “Just focus on your studies. Help me find someone. I need a teacher for Fangzhi, to teach him reading and writing.”
Shi Ziyue’s eyes widened. “For him? Ah… oh, okay, I’ll ask around.”
This guy definitely couldn’t compete with her brother. At least her brother was literate and had gone to school.
After eating, Su Tao helped Shi Ziyue get familiar with the new layout of Taoyang and told her to rest well in the next few days. Then, she headed back to her room with Lin Fangzhi.
As soon as she returned, her phone rang. Unsurprisingly, it was that Gu guy again.
“Hello?”
“Boss Su, do you have time now?”
“Just say it. I’m listening.”
“I heard Taoyang got a batch of surveillance cameras?”
Su Tao sighed. “…Boss Gu, your intelligence network is ridiculous. Nothing gets past you.”
Gu Mingchi ignored her sarcasm and replied indifferently, “I just have connections.”
“Alright, what do you want?”
“I want to buy 100 surveillance cameras. The Blood Scythe gang has been getting out of control lately. They killed four of my ability users, and by the time we arrived, they were already gone.”
Su Tao frowned. “That bad? What about the Western District?”
Gu Mingchi chuckled darkly. “Three kilometers outside the Western District, there’s a stationed army that uses human walls for defense. If anything happens, they’ll be the first to die. You should ask Pei Dong about it.”
Su Tao thought for a moment. “1,000 Federation Credits per camera. Also, you have to do me a favor.”
Gu Mingchi agreed without hesitation. “Alright, what is it?”
“I heard you have people stationed at a supply post near Panliu Mountain, correct?”
It wasn’t a secret. Gu Mingchi admitted directly, “Yeah, do you need manpower?”
Su Tao thought about the underground garage full of corpses.
“…Find me five adults—brave, efficient workers. Send them to the abandoned garage at the foot of Panliu Mountain. Have them clear out the bodies and clean the floors and walls.”
Gu Mingchi was confused. “Why do you care about that place?”
Su Tao answered bluntly, “I don’t want to tell you. Just give me a yes or no. If you can do it, the deal is on.”
After a long silence, he replied, “Deal.”
“Boss Su, can we meet in person sometime?”
Su Tao answered sincerely, “I think we’re better off as online acquaintances.”
Gu Mingchi chuckled. “Alright. But sooner or later, we will meet.”
After hanging up, Su Tao immediately received a full 100,000 Federation Credits.
Say what you want about Gu Mingchi—when it came to money, he was straightforward and manly.
Happily accepting the payment, Su Tao went to her system store and ordered 100 surveillance cameras, which cost only 60,000 Federation Credits. That meant she had just made 40,000 in profit.
More importantly, she got someone else to take care of the messy underground garage cleanup.
That afternoon, she packed up the cameras and sent them off with Gu Mingchi’s transport team.
Soon after, Gu Mingchi arranged for five workers to head out. They would depart at 6 PM and arrive at Panliu Mountain around 11 PM.
Su Tao thought for a moment, then ordered another 40 surveillance cameras. This time, she sent them to Pei Dong.
If Gu Mingchi needed them, the city defense army probably did too.
With that settled, Su Tao gave Lin Fangzhi some simple instructions and quickly teleported to Panliu Mountain.
For a moment, she felt disoriented. Then, as she opened her eyes, she was met with the sight of the sealed garage doors and the barren mountainside.
Suddenly, she had a thought—when Wu Zhen arrived, she should have him landscape the entire mountain.
That way, guests staying at the mountain lodge could look outside and enjoy a beautiful view.
Since it was still daylight, she first built a small gas station near the garage, installing only four fuel pumps.
Why not more?
Because she couldn’t afford it. Just these four pumps already cost her 60,000 Credits!
She only had around 200,000 left, and she needed to save up one million for upgrades.
Next, she browsed the system store and found multi-purpose charging stations. They could charge communication devices as well as electric vehicles—perfect for travelers making short stops.
Each charging station cost 4,000 Credits, so she ordered four and built a charging shelter right next to the gas station.
She then constructed a two-person security office near the two elevators, equipping it with: A double desk with chairs, a computer connected to surveillance cameras, a small sofa for short breaks and a water dispenser, so staff wouldn’t have to climb the mountain just to get water.
Now, she just needed to hire two workers to manage the entry/exit, fuel station, and charging fees!
Fees are a must!
Just thinking about the bustling supply station nearby—countless vehicles coming and going every day, bringing in who knows how much money—made Su Tao envious.
The construction at the foot of the mountain was nearly complete. Now, she needed to head up and build a room for herself—a cozy little place where she could stay whenever she visited. Maybe even spend a few days there from time to time.
If only she could bring Xuedao and Sesame cats along! They could run around and play freely on the mountainside.
Once her little home was built, she planned to go back and test whether she could teleport objects or even living beings along with her.
