After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World - Chapter 96

Chapter 96: The Farmers
[25 days of Protection Period]

The first day of various job openings started, and a lot were quite unsure of what to expect. There were some who were already quite shocked almost as soon as they timed in.

The hired farmers couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful pregnant woman in front of them, a stupid-looking dog with a perennial smiley face right beside her.

She was the boss of their farmers?

Where was the stereotypical burly farming boss with a booming voice that they expected?

Althea only smiled at their dazed looks and began to explain the scope of their work. “These ten farms would be dealing with local plants necessary for human consumption.

“You should be familiar with this plant,” she said, raising a sheaf very common in the area. “This is locally known as the Flute plant. On Terran, it should be close to wheat.”

The ten people looked at each other in surprise. It was a common plant and they sold everything to the village center!

“We will be planting these, and also breed it in a way that would improve its quality and output.”

“That’s amazing…”

“I didn’t know that was how it was used for…”

Althea allowed them to chat a bit as she released another sheaf and held it up on her left hand.

They stared at it very curiously. If the previous one was equivalent to wheat, this one…

“This is a plant similar to another essential crop.” Her ability didn’t name it so this was one of the undiscovered plants. “We’ll just call it… rice.”

The 10 people brightened at this, “Rice?!”

“Yes, but it’s still an experimental crop because we don’t really know exactly how this strain differs from what we know.

“Also, don’t ask me where I found them. A teammate got lost and brought it back, but it’s probably within the territory. I analyzed it and determined it had a strong likeliness with wild rice.”

She didn’t speak for a while after that, letting the farmers absorb the information with bright expressions.

Wheat and rice, both very very important crops which they didn’t think they’d even encounter in this place, let alone propagate themselves.

She observed them all and her eyes zoned in on one man advanced in age, who had the brightest eyes of them all.

This man’s name was Gru Gilbert, and she knew of him from his hundred of theses.

Gru was an agricultural expert, who was teaching agriculture in the top university in an adjacent country. He was near them because he was in Eden doing a seminar when the disaster happened.

She first knew of him from science magazines.

He was also a green-tagged talent who probably just arrived.

To think he’d end up a farmer…

“Your name is Gru, yes?”

“Yes, boss.”

“I know you. You’re an agricultural expert. Known best for the doubling of the production of the Vivi Plant.”

Viví Plant was a rare plant required in cancer treatment. Not many people outside the field were interested in this though.

Gru knew this and looked at her deeply. “May I know your name boss?”

“Althea Witt.”

The man gaped, disbelieving, but shook his head in the end. His old face brightened and extended his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you Ms. Witt, I have long heard of your name.”

“Likewise.” She said with a smile, “It would be a waste of your talent to just farm.

“Ah nonono. I’m happy with living like a human being again.”

She smiled at the humble old man; she liked him already.

“You will be in charge of this, increase your salary by 20 copper.”

The old man gaped at her and she continued to speak with a smile.

“You can plant these seeds with different conditions. Report to me what is the most productive.”

“T-Thank you, boss!”

“This is actually wronging you. Your skillset could be much more useful somewhere else…”

“It’s my honor to study this, Ms. Althea. It has been a while since I’ve been excited!”

While the other farmers looked at him in envy, someone had a more farsighted brain and looked at Althea.

Hesitating for a moment, he gathered his courage to ask. “Boss, if you don’t mind us asking, how much were the fields?”

“You can’t really buy the standalone fields. It’s just rented out, only at 50 silver per month and 10% tax is automatically deducted.”

The farmers looked hopeful, only 10 people were hired this time so their teammates could still get some, but they hesitated on reacting.

After all, wasn’t this just thinking of doing your own competing business after leaving your boss?

Althea laughed at their expressions. “Don’t worry, you or your respective teams can rent your own farmlands. As long as you produce efficiently and don’t take my stuff, I don’t mind.”

Gru couldn’t help but admire Althea. Only less than two days and she had already figured out so much about the territory.

Gru was very thick-skinned and didn’t hide his thoughts at all. “As expected of Ms. Althea… always so amazing.”

His teammate Dennis, a farmer he met on the way here, rolled his eyes and couldn’t take this prideful guy’s grovelling appearance.

He stepped forward and looked at Althea eagerly. “Then, can we buy seeds from you, boss?”

Althea blinked for a moment, and smiled. “After the first harvest, sure.”

Everyone were relieved and very very happy. “Thanks, boss!” They exclaimed, very inspired, and they worked even harder farming than they ever thought they would.

For the next half day, Althea watched the ten people passionately fill up a couple of fields with the wheat and rice seeds according to her requirements.

There were some differences in their methodologies like their spacing, the depth of the seeds, etc. However, with the blessing of the system farms, she was confident most of them would grow well.

She could already imagine the beautiful upright sheafs following the wind, signifying the promise of a great lifestyle ahead.

How nice!