After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World - Chapter 172

Chapter 172: Factories
Althea cleared her throat. “Thank you for your blessings.” She said, “Now if you’ll excu—”

“Would you start hiring again soon?”

“Well, while my hiring of farm hands is already closed. My team and I are also developing other industries.

“There are also many people developing businesses, I’m sure more job opportunities will be open.

“We’re currently heading to the factories just built. If you’d excuse us….”

The people sparkled but they dared not harass her, lest they give her a bad impression.

And finally, they were free. Of course, some yells like ‘my name is (so-and-so) and I’m a very good worker!’ were thrown here and there.

There were also “My name is (so-and-so) and I can handle anything!”

“Please choose me! Remember my name is (so-and-so)!”

Harold and Althea looked at each other with amused faces, their pace increasing to escape the passionate crowd.

She and Harold got to the Industrial park after several minutes of walking, heaving a sigh of relief.

The industrial part was a gated area also with level 2 walls to prevent non-workers from entering. The road was a wide 6-meter wide carriageway in consideration of future population and productivity.

To date, there were already 10 factories completed in the industrial park. Five of which she ‘rented’ in her name, though one of them was in another zone and was ongoing construction.

One was the sauce and seasoning factory, with about a score of workers bound by contract. They were all capable of cooking and they even set up a system where the workers could suggest formulas.

In this system, her company would pay for the materials and apply to work within working hours, but if done well they would get a share of the proceeds.

Depending on the potential and uniqueness of the formula, the share of the worker ranged from 10 to 30%.

Two sauces had been produced this way, albeit they were still under production and were not yet available in the market.

One was the sour sauce made by an old woman named Loa. The taste was delicious, like a special type of vinegar.

Another was called the Floo powder by old chef Koko. It was a powder of questionable color that added a slight umami taste. Although it was not nearly as strong as what the MSG they were used to, it was the next best thing available.

She had also tested the formula, and it was still healthier than their conventional MSG.

And these were developed only after a week since they started the program. She was looking forward to what else could be developed given more time and resources.

They had a walkthrough of the factories, taking note of areas of improvement. They also spoke with the workers if they had suggestions.

“Hello, boss!” They greeted them with respect and admiration. They also couldn’t help but peek at the cuties in the stroller.

So cute!!

“Good work,” Althea said, looking at each one of them. The workers were extremely flattered.

“Well, we are thankful for the opportunity.”

“We were discussing about what we can improve, or perhaps products we can aim for. Do you have any suggestions?”

It was Koko who stepped forward, “Boss. I have received some requests and we were wondering when and if we have mustards?”

She blinked. She had not yet encountered a mustard plant so far but it was noted.

“Noted.”

The old man brightened at being heard and a few others said their piece. Someone even asked for a banana ketchup which was an odd choice but he said his town liked it a lot, and some dishes would do well with it.

In any case, she noted all of their concerns, promising to see what she could do before moving on to the next factory.

Harold did not come with her this time, as he stayed here to plan the other selection of sauce, as well as the determination of the most effective production lines.

The next factory was the plant mixing factory, where the medicine from the pharmacy (now predominantly handled by Lily) was being made.

There were only ten women for now because the consumption of medicine in the territory wasn’t that large yet.

Of course, it didn’t mean the profit here was smaller than the others. On the contrary, because the formulas were so special, the profit margin was quite large.

Especially her patented Bandade and Sprite. For her specially made formulations, they added the Brand Premium, making for even larger profits, ranging from thirty times the cost to a hundred.

The third was the processing plant for wheat, rice, and other future similar crops.

Other than the rice and flour, they have also developed starch and yeast. As well as rice wine and sake.

The fourth was food processing for some of the finished food products they took on such as pickled vegetables or dried meat.

There was also a large kiln for baking bread and biscuits, as well as frying food like instant noodles.

For the last factory, they chose one in another zone.

The industrial area was zoned into two: one half for edible items and the other for not. Their waste management and delivery were also zoned and handled accordingly.

Her last factory was in the latter zone. Five per type of factory had already been built and she only took one in the other zone. It was a factory reserved for her fertilizers.

When she got the chance to gather more Waul wood, she would also assign a factory for its products, like rubber, glue, and other derivatives of resins.

Speaking of which, more and more products would soon be available and her little grocery store wouldn’t fit the variety of items anymore.

She made a silent note to order the construction team to prioritize the supermarket next. In the name of the territory, of course.

Mentally taking notes of these things, she leisurely pushed the stroller along the paved road of the industrial park. After a few minutes, her green eyes caught sight of a group of people standing in a circle not too far away from her.

They had wide smiles on their faces, chatting about some interesting things.

As she went closer, she recognized who they were.

A few of them were still acquaintances. It was the team who rented the three factories in this area for their wood, leather, and other products—the team with the largest industry. Next to hers, of course.

Her emerald eyes zoned in on the person talking the most, looking very animated.

Baron Smith. Her Biggest Tax Payer.