Fu Haoran stared at the Mid-Hive renovation plans for three seconds, then rejected them outright.
"This renovation is moving too slowly."
Yuri rolled his eyes. "You think this is slow? What, did you think you were building with blocks?"
"If they have to wait ten years to move in, why should the Under-hivers risk their lives for me?" Fu Haoran tapped the plans. "The whole point of the second phase is to give them hope they can see right now."
The Machine Cult's proposal called for the entire renovation project to take ten years!
Ten years? By then, the day would be long gone!
Fu Haoran hated hassle, and he hated waiting even more.
"Don't worry about it. Tell the Machine Cult to tear down every non-load-bearing wall. I'll handle the rest."
Of course, Fu Haoran wasn't about to tell them he planned to return to the 2K World to find a solution.
"Fine, fine. You're the governor, so it's your call."
"Ah, just think of all the kickbacks I'll miss out on," Yuri muttered under his breath, apparently not worried in the slightest that Fu Haoran might hear him.
A flash of white light.
Back in the 2K World, Fu Haoran contacted a domestic manufacturer of Mobile Space Capsules.
The phone rang for a long time before someone finally answered. "Hello, who's this?"
The voice on the other end sounded listless, with not a trace of customer-service enthusiasm.
Before Fu Haoran could speak, the customer service representative added, "If you're calling to collect a debt, call my boss's personal number. If you're waiting for the balance, get in line. Even a court summons won't do you any good right now."
Fu Haoran: ...
Clearly, this large domestic Mobile Space Capsule manufacturer was on the verge of going under.
Not wanting to waste time, Fu Haoran decided to ask anyway. "How much stock do you have? I don't have time to wait."
"As much as you want. Half the payment upfront, shipping costs extra. Take it or leave it."
The customer service representative was still rude, but Fu Haoran decided to inspect the stock first. "All right. I'll send someone to inspect it. If everything checks out, I'll need at least 2,000 Mobile Space Capsules."
Huang Xiu, the owner and customer service representative, thought the request was utterly absurd.
"Two thousand? Are you crazy? Even twenty would be enough to run a bed-and-breakfast at a tourist attraction!"
"Get lost, scammer. You're not fooling me!"
Huang Xiu hung up.
"Who was that?!" her husband asked from nearby.
"No one. A scammer."
Huang Xiu didn't give it another thought.
An hour later, a Toyota Alphard minivan pulled in.
Huang Xiu said nervously, "Honey, could that be a debt collector? You'd better hide."
Her husband glanced at the vehicle and said dismissively, "You don't know anything. That's a Toyota Alphard, worth over a million. Do you think our creditors can afford a car like that?"
"True. Come on, let's go see."
Huang Xiu and her husband went out to greet them. They found a group of people dressed in suits. Another vehicle had pulled in behind them, and a whole team climbed out and immediately got to work setting up various pieces of equipment.
"Hello, everyone. You are...?"
The suited man at the front produced a business card and introduced himself. "I'm Li Yao from International XXX. I'm here to conduct an inspection on behalf of an overseas client."
"An inspection?" Huang Xiu had never heard of that sort of financial-world jargon and wasn't sure what to make of it.
Li Yao didn't explain. After confirming that the livestream setup was ready, he said to Huang Xiu and her husband, "All right, please show us your model units. My boss is in Amerikan and will be joining us shortly. His time is precious, so please don't keep him waiting."
Hearing that the buyer was from Eagle Nation, Huang Xiu and her husband's eyes lit up.
"Of course, of course. This way."
Huang Xiu led the group to the warehouse behind the factory, where dozens of Mobile Space Capsules were stored.
A few years ago, motorhomes had been all the rage at tourist attractions.
Later, people realized that Mobile Space Capsules were a better option.
They cost much less and offered more space. They came with a large window, bunk beds, a sofa, a color TV, a Fridge, and an open-plan kitchen and bathroom—everything you could need.
They had heating and running water, too. Small but fully equipped.
But the trend had come and gone as quickly as it had arrived.
Since last year, the market had become saturated, and Huang Xiu's factory couldn't sell its inventory.
"Everyone, that's the basic rundown. Our interiors use the best materials available domestically, and our products offer the best value for money."
"Fifty thousand per unit may be a little pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for. The picture window is bulletproof, the door is burglar-resistant, and the walls are very soundproof..."
Huang Xiu rattled off her sales pitch, but Li Yao didn't give her a nod until his team had finished taking measurements. Then he spoke to the phone's camera.
"Mr. Chen, all the specifications meet the requirements. They comply with ISO 9000 standards."
A somewhat familiar voice came through the phone. "Good. I'll take them all. I also want a batch of custom Mobile Space Capsules to use as shops and utility rooms. Have them build those according to the specifications I sent."
"You can handle all the details."
"Make sure delivery is fast."
After the call ended, Li Yao spoke in a strictly businesslike tone. "Here are the contract and specifications. You'll need to deliver 2,000 Mobile Space Capsules within two months. Is that a problem?"
Huang Xiu's hand trembled when she heard "2,000."
"Wait... that phone call earlier... was that your boss?!"
Her voice changed. "I thought... I thought you were a scammer. I'm so sorry, sir! I was blind to your status. Please don't take it to heart!"
Li Yao remained expressionless. "Are you signing the contract or not? My boss doesn't have time to wait."
Huang Xiu nodded frantically. "Yes! Yes, I'll sign right now!"
"An order for 2,000 units is practically going to save our factory!"
"I'll call all the workers back right away. Even if we have to work through the night, we'll deliver on time!"
Huang Xiu took the order sheet, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
They wanted nothing but top-of-the-line models, they weren't bargaining, and the deposit had already arrived. It was the kind of dream deal she'd never dared to imagine.
"Our factory gets fewer than a hundred orders a year. With this order, I... I can bring all my workers back."
The factory started up again that very day. Huang Xiu called in everyone she could.
Her son was still in elementary school?
She pulled him out of school to help tighten screws!
Her mother-in-law was visiting her family?
She fetched her back that very night and put her in charge of cooking!
Old Li from the neighboring factory had been unemployed for half a year?
No need to look for another job. He could come work for her!
Machines roared through the factory as Huang Xiu's husband shouted through a megaphone, "Keep your spirits up! If we get this shipment out on time, everyone's getting double the year-end bonus!"
Two months later, Fu Haoran brought the first batch of Mobile Space Capsules back to the Warhammer World.
When Ronan got the notice, he was holed up in a Capsule room in the Lower Hive.
A family of four crammed into eight square meters, with bunk beds packed tight enough that even turning around was difficult. It was much like the cage homes of Hong Kong during the 2K era, only more dilapidated, dirtier, and darker.
That was a very common housing arrangement in the Lower Hive.
"Company Commander Ronan, you can move now."
Ronan stood there in a daze for several seconds before he finally understood. He grabbed his wife and their two four- or five-year-old children, called his parents, and hurried out.
"Where are we going?" his wife asked, confused.
Ronan didn't look back. His voice caught in his throat. "To the Mid-Hive!"
He led his family of six to the Honeycomb Building, unconsciously slowing his steps.
Behind the reinforced alloy doors stood the building's security office.
"Ronan, your new place is on the 66th floor, unit 1910."
As the elevator climbed, his wife clutched his sleeve, and the two children pressed themselves against the elevator wall without daring to speak. The two elderly people were even more ill at ease.
This was the Mid-Hive, a place they wouldn't have dared dream of visiting.
And now they were being told they had a new home here?!
The elevator doors opened. Ronan pulled out his residence permit and scanned it at the entry panel.
"Beep."
The door opened, and Ronan could hardly believe his eyes.
The spacious, 38-square-meter room was arranged neatly.
The high ceilings were beyond anything he'd imagined, and the place was countless times better than the cramped pigeonhole they'd lived in in the Lower Hive.
The main bedroom had a double bed, with a wardrobe and desk underneath!
The second bedroom was a Z-shaped children's room. Though it was all one room, the spaces were separated.
Finally, there was a room for the elderly, with a fold-down bed mounted on the wall.
During the day, it folded up to make room for activities. At night, it could be lowered, and all they had to do was put down some bedding to sleep.
Storage cabinets lined the upper walls. A folding dining table was tucked in the corner, and there was even a separate bathroom with a wet-dry partition.
His wife stood at the doorway, too afraid to step inside.
The two children timidly touched the wall. It was smooth, unlike the concrete in the Lower Hive, which was always damp and moldy.
"Son, is this really your new home?" Ronan's father asked in disbelief.
"Yes." His voice was hoarse. "We'll never have to go back to the Lower Hive."
At those words, the two children couldn't hold back any longer. They rushed to the window and pressed their faces against the glass to look outside.
The 38-square-meter apartment didn't have a big window, but they could see the street outside and the lights.
"Dad, there are lights outside!"
Ronan went over and put an arm around his wife's shoulders as they looked out the window.
Leaning against his shoulder, his wife said softly, "Honey, I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Ronan shook his head.
Being able to give his family a safe home in this life made working for the governor worth it.
At the same time, Fu Haoran received a system notification.
[Completed Lord Series Mission — A Place to Call Home (Stage One)]
[Provide some Lower Hive residents with excellent living conditions and make them follow you wholeheartedly]
[Reward: Universal Points +666, Free Attribute Points +1, Hive City Security +6, Soldier Loyalty +50]
[Unlocked Hive Community management permissions. You can view community occupancy data, assign defense posts, and access other information]
[PS: Give people at the bottom hope, and they'll risk their lives for you. But don't celebrate too soon! When some people see hope, others see a threat.]
[New Mission Triggered: The Old Guard Strikes Back]
At the same time, the lights in the Upper Hive Noble Council stayed on all night.
One noble spoke up first. "That traitor Victor! He sold the layout of our warehouses and the deployment of our private forces to that upstart governor, then told the rabble in the Lower Hive to loot us!"
"Now he's using Mid-Hive residence permits to win them over, too!"
Another noble slammed a fist on the table. "And the worst part is, he's set up a tax system to launder dirty money!"
A noble's expression darkened as he clenched his fist. "Fu Haoran is using housing to win over the rabble in the Lower Hive, too! If this goes on, we'll end up in the firing line sooner or later!"
"What are you panicking for?" At last, Planetary Defense Force Navy Commodore Valerius spoke up.
"Blow up his arms factory and cut off his supply of weapons. Without guns and cannons, what can he use to challenge us?"
The nobles' eyes lit up at once.
"Exactly. An upstart governor dares to throw his weight around over us? It's time we taught him a lesson."
Before you continue