Interactive Fiction: The Right Choice After Unemployment

Chapter 142 It's Good to Have Subordinates
Option two is 22.2%, option three is 55.6%, and option four is 22.2%.

……

【Option [-]】

[Search town materials + grind/corrode some of the searched materials]

……

In Zheng Zhuo's impression, he rarely assigns tasks to others.When he was still working in the company, the nature of his work determined that he was usually the one assigned tasks by others.

Therefore, when the two [loofah flowers] taller than him obediently lowered their heads, waiting for his instructions, he felt uncomfortable all over, as if he had rubella.

Think of it as an early appointment to management.

Zheng Zhuo repeated it to himself several times in his heart, forcing himself to adapt to the status quo.

"Cough, cough."

He cleared his throat a few times.

On the heads of the two loofah flowers, 【Snake Vine】waited for him quietly.

Searching for supplies is important.In addition, processing also takes a lot of time.

"Search for supplies. And...processing."

He gestured with his hands and feet while speaking slowly.

"Barrels, bottles, cans. All containers with liquid inside are collected here. All small items—things with a shape within 1 meter by 1 meter by 1 meter, are also collected here."

Zheng Zhuo gestured to the approximate size of the snake vine.Snake Vine cannot use 【Appraisal】, so he used an order that is easier to execute.

"..."

Snake vines don't make a sound.It keeps listening.

Can you understand it?
Zheng Zhuo had doubts for a moment.

However, he soon saw two loofah flowers stand upright.

thump... thump...

The hard shells under the feet of the loofah flowers made a dull sound.They staggered away.

"...Are you okay?"

Looking from a distance, Zheng Zhuo felt a little uneasy about the working ability of his new subordinates.

……

No matter how uneasy you are about the abilities of your subordinates, you still have to do the work that needs to be done.

Zheng Zhuo watched the tall loofah flower disappear into the houses in the town.This scene is a bit weird.

In a sense, they have successfully invaded.

"Do business."

Zheng Zhuo brushed away those distracting thoughts.He put his backpack back on and picked up the weeding saw.

After handing over the affairs of the town to Loofah Flower, there are only two things left for him to do.

Trim the fence.Also, keep going deeper into the forest.

Zheng Zhuo came to the stone wall with the weeding saw.Sure enough, the fence wall was weaker in load bearing than the stone wall.The top has faint signs of being bent by the vegetation that grew last night.

Zheng Zhuo made key pruning and reinforcement here.

It didn't take much time.Because the plants heavily covered the path he opened yesterday.

It took more time to restore the trail, but it was worth it.The path is basically consolidated, and from now on it only needs to be trimmed like a stone wall.

During this period, he communicated with Chu Huairen.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Tell me."

Always being able to reply in a timely manner has been a huge help.A rare and valuable quality in a working partner.

"I have something to care about."

Zheng Zhuo asked Chu Huairen.

"I learned from Zhuang Yusheng...another participant that a new plant has been cultivated in the farm. The plant is bigger than all the plants near the farm, with a fruit-shaped head."

"From your aerial view, can you see this plant?"

"... Difficult. The forest near the farm is thicker again. The spores in the air are also obstructing the view."

"Is that so..."

"However, if there is only one plant in the forest that has a big movement, then I have a general idea in my heart."

Oh?
Not all clues.

"Tell me." Zheng Zhuo said hastily.

"Within about 20 plots outside the farm, sometimes there will be a group of trees shaking and falling at the same time." Chu Huairen said, "Some large objects must have passed through that area."

"I see."

Zheng Zhuo was lost in thought.

……

【The situation of the small town】

[Small town plot]: 22 grids

[Forest Lot]: 80 grids

[Town manpower]: 1+2
[Town facilities]: Docile and improved loofah flowers manipulated by snake vines x 2, small buildings with vines x 1, mill, blacksmith shop, stone-fence mixed wall

……

Forest tiles have 80 tiles.And Chu Huairen said that the farm is in the last 20 grids.

In other words, the distance between myself and the farm is now 58 squares.

A new type of huge strange plant that travels outside the farm plots. Its range of activities is 20 plots.

Then, the distance from yourself is 38 squares.

"It's not too far away. However, it's still difficult to reach within one exploration."

Zheng Zhuo thought, sooner or later he would encounter this strange thing.

……

Zheng Zhuo hung up the communication after finishing the work of pruning the plants.

He took a brief rest, supplemented his diet and drinking water, and then continued to march towards the forest.

Cha, cha.

The sound of the weeding saw cutting the plants continued, just like yesterday.

But the speed of progress is much faster than yesterday.

Because Zheng Zhuo changed his course of action: he wanted to try how many squares he could advance the fastest.

Cha, cha, cha.

The sound of the weeding saw continued.

Zheng Zhuo did not widen the road like yesterday, but only cut out the place where he could set foot.

Cha, cha, cha.

He keeps going.

I don't know if it was because the snake vine brought all the nearby loofah flowers yesterday, Zheng Zhuo pushed forward smoothly.By the time he set aside to return, he had advanced 6 squares.

……

[Town plot (+ advance road)]: 22 grids + 6 grids

……

"If you start in the morning, you can go faster... Maybe you can advance 10 blocks a day."

Zheng Zhuo stopped.He wiped the sweat from his brow, thinking.

But the lack of widening of the road presents a disadvantage.That is, when he goes back today, the road will be covered with vegetation again at night.

In other words, tomorrow he will cut the distance he cut today again at the same speed.

"Is there any solution..."

Just when Zheng Zhuo was thinking.

Long.

The ground shook violently.

Zheng Zhuo almost fell down!He quickly stabilized his figure——

All he could see was trembling trees.

In the distance, tall trees were falling one after another.They hit the ground with a deafening noise.

"Could this be... a large strange plant?"

Zheng Zhuo quickly contacted Chu Huairen.

"Swaying trees were indeed observed. It's on the line that connects the town to the farm."

His conjecture was confirmed.

……

Chu Huairen didn't observe the huge monster plant beyond the range of 20 squares, but Zheng Zhuo didn't dare to guarantee his life.

In case that thing sounds good, it's screwed.

He immediately turned back the same way, and reached the town at dusk.

As soon as he climbed over the stone wall, he saw two loofah flowers waiting quietly in the field.

"—."

Zheng Zhuo's heart almost stopped beating.

He hasn't gotten used to the fact that there are strange plants in the house.

"...sorry. Well done. Well done."

These are just kind of scary looking dogs.That's right, that's it.

Zheng Zhuo was doing psychological construction for himself and approached them.

Then, I saw their feet.

They did bring back a lot of things.

"Water... wooden sticks... white grass... wood glue... sacks..."

A lot of common things are collected.

"Wheat flour and lime flour."

[Lime Powder] is the first time to obtain it.It should be the product of the loofah flower grinding the lime block.

Zheng Zhuo had never found limestone in the town before.Where did loofah flowers come from?

In addition, it found...

"Short steel."

The loofah brought back a lot of handles and trinkets made of steel.Corroded with their corrosive liquid.

very critical.Zheng Zhuo needs steel very much.

besides……

"Motor oil."

The loofah flowers have collected a large bucket of [motor oil]!
This is also a key alchemy material.

Zheng Zhuo immediately opened the "Dictionary of Alchemy" and searched for keywords with [lime powder], [steel] and [engine oil].

……

[Engine oil] + [hard shell fragments] + [sack] = [broken bomb]: a bomb that can cause small-scale fragments to attack and burn.

[Water] + [Wood Glue] + [Rhizome Mucus] + [Steel] + [Weeding Saw] = [Weeding Hacksaw]: Greatly improve the efficiency of weeding.The efficiency will be tripled, and it will be able to cut through harder trees.

[Water] + [Wheat Flour] + [Rhizome Mucus] + [Wood Glue] + [Plant Ash] + [Barbed Wire] + [Steel] = [Trap]: A trap made of glue, net and strong spring clips made of steel.Plants that stand on traps can be caught.

……

Fragmentation bombs can now be crafted.Also, quite a few servings can be made.

The Weeding Hacksaw can be upgraded.

Traps can also be crafted.

However, Zheng Zhuo saw that there were upgraded versions of the broken bombs and traps.

In addition, there is another alchemy product that he cares about.

……

[Engine oil] + [hard shell fragments] + [lime powder] + [wheat flour] + [ribs] + [sack] = [explosive bomb]: a fragment attack that can cause a large area (within 2×2 plots) and explosion effect bombs.The killing effect is extremely strong.

[Water] + [Wheat Flour] + [Rhizome Mucus] + [Lime Powder] + [Spine] + [Wood Glue] + [Plant Ash] + [Barbed Wire] + [Steel] = [Injury Trap]: use glue, net and Trap made of strong spring clips made of steel.The added lime powder will slowly burn the captured plants, causing them to slowly wither and die.Plants killed this way are more likely to leave seeds behind.

[Corrosion liquid] + [lime powder] + [plant ash] = [repellent powder]: Sprinkle on the ground to slowly change the pH of the soil.For a period of time (30 days), the ground will not grow grass.

……

These three finished products are all very good, but what they have in common is that they all use a lot of [lime powder].

This made Zheng Zhuo fall into deep thought.

[Explosive Bomb] can inflict heavy damage on huge monster plants, or kill them directly.

[Damage trap] can make the town gain more population.

[Turning and avoiding fans] You can keep the road you have already explored and greatly shorten the exploration time.

"Can you bring back some [lime powder]?"

Zheng Zhuo looked up and asked about the snake vine.

"...?"

Snake Vine seems to be unable to understand the requirements of such a strong man... strong and difficult.

……

【problem】

[Lime powder is limited.Next, what kind of refinement should be carried out first? 】

【Option [-]】

【Explosion Bomb】

【Option [-]】

【Damage trap】

【Option [-]】

【Tend to avoid powder】

　After [Option 1], [Option 1] and [Option [-]], you can leave a message in the form of [this chapter says]. A message under [-] id counts as [-] vote.

　　票数统计截至至2023/1/11日晚20：00.
　　Finally, please recommend tickets~
　　
　　


(End of this chapter)