Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

“So, the emperor can’t be trusted.” Talulah shook her head as she looked at the new Reunion cadres below, then glanced at Patriot, who nodded slightly, indicating that his attitude was not a concern.

"Even the internal guards can't be relied on; we have to rely on ourselves for everything here. However, it won't be so easy for the demons to invade our home."

These infected individuals from the Integration Movement have long regarded this place as their only home, because only here can they possess the most basic right to life. How long they live is no longer determined by the blacklist of nobles, but by the worsening of the disease.

“We have food, plenty of food…” Talulah held up one finger. As the CEO of the Xia Group’s Snowfield Farm branch, she knew exactly how much resources the Snowfield Farm had.

“We have mines, metals, and technology; we just lack enough workers and educated personnel. We also have our own tank production bases, we have ample logistical supplies, and finally, we have money…”

Talulah listed the resources everyone currently possessed. From any perspective, it seemed that as soon as Koschei died, they could instantly establish themselves as the Grand Duke of the North, provided that the issue of demons was not considered.

If we consider the demons, the Emperor would probably be laughing in his sleep if Talulah dared to raise the ducal banner. He could then recall half of the old guard, purge and reorganize them, and then send them directly to confront Koschei and a bunch of old guys. The Ursus Restoration Emperor would immediately emerge—with Deng Wan guarding the borders, wouldn't he be laughing his head off?

The reason that at least one passage has been opened now is because of Lao Xia's businesses in Longmen and Victoria. This has caused the emperor to worry that if he pushes the group too far, they will simply abandon their belongings and run to Victoria or Da Yan. Then the evil forces will advance unimpeded, multiply along the way, and eventually block Shengjunbao and devour it.

Even if he could escape, with most of the country falling into the hands of foreign tribes, how could he continue to be the emperor?

“So, with our current resources, we don’t need to worry about small-scale demons, but it also means that we will need to allocate a lot of resources to the northern defense line, and things won’t be as relaxed as they used to be,” Talulah said seriously as she began to plan.

"In other words, we'll soon be living a tight life for a while. Don't forget, Boss Xia also has a huge need for supplies, and his business can't be delayed."

Old Xia's company operates on an employment system, meaning these people are paid wages, and room and board are provided.

In other words, all food production is a surplus after deducting everyone's needs, somewhat similar to the state-owned enterprises in the early stages of socialism.

Profits and output are distributed among employees based on their contributions, positions, and seniority. Any surplus output is used to exchange for other resources with other companies. Of course, all profits are pooled together for collective use.

For example, expanding arable land, recruiting more farm workers, building workshops, and supplying production enterprises in Longmen.

Because money was rarely involved in this process, money, or Lungmen currency, was almost entirely used as a tool to measure the quantity and value of goods, much like the Soviet ruble.

This made it difficult for Ursus nobles and merchants outside the country to even offer bribes, as they couldn't use the money anyway.

Because all supplies are distributed from the Reunion Movement's distribution center, not purchased with money.

The internal tokens of the Xia Group that they possess are neither available to these businessmen nor can they be collected—because they are not physical objects and are all stored in the main computer of the old Xia workshop.

But if you were to bribe them with goods... Lungmen Dollars can be rolled up and stuffed into a roll, and that roll of Lungmen Dollars could represent several truckloads of supplies. So, to really get away with it...

It's probably harder than climbing to heaven. Besides, these people can't consume all the supplies they need. They'll have to exchange them with other departments or provide them as free aid.

After going around in circles, this isn't really poaching; it's more like selling your head for aid. And what's even more awkward is...

Whether it's Ursus's policies, the habits of local nobles, or the overall public opinion in Terra, these infected people are not well received; they can't even cash out and run away to become rich.

If you're going to run away, you can only go to Longmen, and you'll most likely only be able to buy a house in the old city. To sum it up, isn't it just that you betrayed the group and then ran to the chairman's territory while being chased by the CEO?

In a situation where there are no disagreements or conflicts between the CEO and the chairman, is this walking into a trap or courting death?

As for other countries, Kazdel is a war-torn land, who would go there to suffer? Syracuse is ruled by a mafia family and is extremely xenophobic. Colombia is courting death. Victoria—you offended your boss, and now you're hiding at his wife's house? Are you serious about this plan?

This means that, given the abundant supply of resources, both the personnel left behind by Boss Xia and Talulah's Reunion Movement are quite trustworthy in terms of their integrity. Not to mention, Patriot's Shield Guard and Yelena's Yeti Squad are not to be underestimated.

The former is an idealist and a shield for the Ursus infected, while the latter is born from the mines and the first batch of refugees, with a direct and loyal core group led by the group's young lady—neither of them are easy to fool, and they are both highly efficient at eliminating traitors.

With a highly pure decision-making team, enthusiastic staff, and a mountain of surplus resources, even if you put a dog in Talulah's position, let alone Talulah's formal aristocratic education and management skills, she could get things done.

Of course, simply tying up a dog won't do; she's a flag. It's this flag that can gather people together, just like Lao Xia's old city renovation plan. First, you have to bring out this pot and this flag before anything else can happen.

Others either lack prestige, are incompetent, or have other important tasks that prevent them from leaving. In short, "there are too few talented people!" Talulah's forehead was throbbing with pain.

The Reunification Movement has a lot of people who can fight and even wage war, including miners and farmers.

However, there are very few skilled workers, or even ordinary workers, who can work in the workshop.

Being able to manage a place, at the very least, prevents even the most intelligent warehouse managers from struggling to deliver goods A to goods B's warehouse area. If it weren't for the fact that the population's output was pitifully low, and that there were mountains of resources with enough surplus to send to Lungmen for Old Xia's use, Talulah would be ready to hang herself right now if it were a normal Ursus noble territory's financial situation.

"Hiring people isn't easy; the farm doesn't have that many low-level jobs available right now—"

Alina was also a bit troubled. High productivity meant that a large number of intermediate technicians were needed instead of low-level laborers, and 99% of the refugees and infected recruited from Ursus were low-level laborers.

"Alina, what about the school..."

"Don't even think about it!" The school has plenty of manpower. Most of the students have been studying for two to three years and have mastered some basic physical, chemical, agricultural, and mathematical knowledge. In theory, they can be immediately put to work.

However, theory is theory. After all, those still in school are the ones who were carefully selected from the Ursus infected, those with a certain foundation, and those who are smart and quick-witted. Their future should be in the group, or at least in the middle and senior management and senior technical positions in the farm. At the very least, they should become teachers and mentors, rather than being thrown into factories as ordinary laborers.

"Their knowledge is barely enough, but their experience and physical strength are seriously lacking. And as ordinary production technicians, don't you think it's a waste?"

“It’s a bit of a waste, but I have no other choice…” Talulah was also forced into a corner. Among the infected people on the farm, there were less than a thousand people who could read and do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division within 100.

Half of them need to work in the factory, at least as a foreman or record clerk. Even this job is often forced upon them, as you can tell from the mess in the warehouse and the various random scratches on the walls used for counting.

Of the remaining half, 80% belong to the Patriots Shield Guard and the Yeti team. Normally, things are fine, as neither of these teams are full-time military units. They are usually deployed wherever there is a need. Now, to defend against the demons, it means that the Patriots must be stationed in the north for a long time. Not only that, but the same goes for the "advanced technical soldiers" of the Titan Company.

Finally, the "talents" left for Talulah to use for her purposes are practically just a little bit left over. No matter how much she tries to find them, it's all for naught. She can only turn her attention to the boys and girls in the school.

"President, several carloads of people have arrived outside. They say they're from Victoria, and our security guards are currently in a standoff with them."

An infected member of the Reunion Movement ran in and reported that Talulah's new Reunion was officially named "Agricultural Reunification Mutual Aid Association," and that she was its president.

Strictly speaking, the Integration Movement was an agricultural production integration project she led and promoted, aimed at transforming the inefficient and outdated small-scale family farming of Ursus into more efficient, technologically advanced, and mechanized large-scale agricultural production. Therefore, the leaders within it generally called her "Chairwoman," rather than "Chief" or any other title.

"People from Victoria?" Talulah was filled with questions. Why would people from Victoria come to the heart of Ursus? How did they cross the border? Or has Horag stopped acting altogether?

At the edge of the farm, a long-haired girl codenamed Bagpipe, whose real name is also Bagpipe (Bagpipe is indeed a personal name, strictly speaking, a French name), leaned against the side of the transport ship. The vast plain before her reminded her of her hometown without a doubt.

To be honest, if she hadn't seen the icy deserts and erupting volcanoes of the north, she wouldn't have been able to tell that she was in a foreign land, a place known for its harshness and cold.

"Wow, look at that, it's so cool!" A tractor modified from a Titan chassis rumbled past, towing a flatbed cart with four pairs of heavy-duty tires, loaded with bags and bags of sugar.

Following behind were smaller Ursus-made trucks loaded with large quantities of leftover shells and bran, destined for fermentation workshops to produce alcohol. The sweet wine, made from molasses, industrial ethanol, and some raspberry berries, was considered a local specialty.

Unfortunately, industrial ethanol is usually not detoxified during production, so it contains methanol and other components.

Therefore, the locals quickly figured out the correct amount to drink; as long as it doesn't exceed 3 cups a day, they won't go blind.

Dr. Warfarin was furious and declared that anyone brought in suffering from methanol or ethanol poisoning would be hung outside Rhode Island after being saved! But to no avail—

"I thought we were going to a place covered in snow, ice, and desolation—"

These people are agricultural technicians from Victoria. Since Little Tiger wants to invest in Old Xia's Kazdale Farm, he must understand what his farm on the snowfield is all about in order to convince his relatives to spend money.

This is precisely what the Swire family urgently needs to know; when it comes to alliances, a necessary understanding of the capabilities of one's allies is crucial.

Otherwise, the headache of the last sugar-pressing season would occur again. The Swire family had arranged the price alliance and distributors, just waiting for Lao Xia's sugar rush to come and make a fortune—and then they were knocked to the ground before the first peak even passed.

The year before last, they planted 20 square kilometers, and last year they planted 400 square kilometers, covering all arable land near the farm. However, due to their eagerness for quick profits, they suffered a large-scale reduction in yield, so this year they only planted 10 square kilometers.

When Swire first received the news of the production cut, it was a little worried that this ally might not be able to supply normally. The price war slogans had been put out, and the distributors and various profit-sharing arrangements were all in place. They were just waiting for the food to be cooked, and then you tell me that you have reduced production?

Then, when it came time to harvest the sugar, it was discovered that the yield had decreased from 12-15 tons per hectare to less than 6 tons per hectare. A reduction of more than 50% is indeed considered a large-scale reduction in yield or even a complete crop failure.

But you have a full 400 square kilometers, a total of 4 hectares of land. You stuff 20 tons of sugar into one company every quarter, and nearly 1.5 tons of molasses to make raw liquor. After blending, at least 15 tons of liquor need to be sold.

The first flood peak knocked them down and left them lying on the ground. Last year's sugar harvest wasn't even sold out this year. The sugar crop companies and farmers in Syracuse and Qazimir... it's beyond tragic.

This is why only 2000 hectares, or 20 square kilometers, of land were sown this year.

On the one hand, last year's sugar beets were too fertile, and the farmers couldn't handle the intensive farming, so they had to let them rest for a year.

Secondly, if we increase the quantity further, we'll be engaging in a price war with ourselves. If this happens again, international sugar prices will plummet.

However, the worst off in this story aren't the sugar merchants; they can only complain of bittersweet joy, since sugar is practically a hard currency in Terra. The worst off are the breweries in Syracuse.

Fine and high-quality American wines are powerless against the simple, direct, and violent onslaught of 15 tons of over-distilled spirits.

Especially when the latter, as a byproduct of molasses, was being sold at almost the lowest price, the story became known as "sugar merchants fighting, and then the distillery died."

Although this is a good thing, Tiger felt that his heart wasn't big enough, so he would rather not do such exciting things too often.

Perfect timing! My daughter is planning to invest in my son-in-law's new business, and the Snowfield Farm needs a lot of technicians and professionals. Isn't that perfect?

Sending this group of people to the snowfield serves two purposes: firstly, it's a way to promote the future son-in-law; secondly, it allows them to assess the other party's production capabilities, which will inform future adjustments to the family's strategy; and thirdly, these skilled workers will certainly be useful for future investments in Kazdel.

The purpose of a marriage alliance is so that when the other party is eating meat, you can also eat meat. Even if the fattest meat is in the other party's mouth, lean meat is much better than bones!

Moreover, upon closer reflection, she only has one daughter, while Lao Xia is now confirmed to have an only son. As long as the marriage and everything else goes smoothly, their offspring will be the natural heirs to these two groups and families. Every penny sponsored now will benefit her family in the future, so there's no need to be stingy.

Tiger thought so, the elders of the Swire family thought so, and the people below also felt that this was a good opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

After all, the era of expansion for the Swire Group had long ended, and most people could only accumulate seniority. In contrast, the Xia Group was a rising star and was extremely eager to recruit talent.

However, both sides were certain before setting off that they were going to suffer on the snowfield, enduring wind and dew, lying on ice and climbing snow. Even Bagpipe, who was retired from the army and was preparing to return home to farm but was attracted by the Swire family's recruitment, was prepared to fight against the barren land, natural storms and rain and snow, and the unruly people and bandits on the northern plains.

Then a group of warriors, who had prepared themselves for three years of hard work and a meteoric rise to success, arrived at the field and saw a vast, pristine plain. Blackberry and blueberry bushes were planted in the fields, and tall trees made of fast-growing miscellaneous wood formed a barrier against wind, sand, and snow.

The dense cloudberry plantations on the hillside, under the still-bright morning sun, resembled a golden mountain covered in gold. Further away, the apple orchards were in full bloom. These improved crops seemed oblivious to the changing seasons, creating a breathtaking spectacle of blossoms. In particular, the alfalfa and other nectar-producing plants on the ground were also in bloom.

If the pasture hadn't just been harvested, it would truly be a scenic spot with lush green grass and blooming flowers. It's just that the "Flaming Mountain" in the distance on the side is a bit of an eyesore.

"Um, are we really here to suffer or to recuperate?" This question lingered until they were identified and entered the farm's temporary camp.

Well, they did come here to suffer, because a lot of front-line and second-line talents are needed here. The logistics department is especially eager for talent. Bagpipe was pulled away by the logistics department before she even had a chance to sit down properly. Who could blame her? She is not only good at farming, but also knows how to operate and even repair various agricultural machines.

The processing plant and farm manager almost came to blows over this. The maintenance and repair of agricultural machinery, and even its design and manufacturing, are currently the biggest shortcomings. Now that they have finally found a skilled worker, how could they possibly let him go?

Chapter Fifty-Six: Time to Go Home.

Chapter 56

This team from Victoria was not officially new employees of the Xia Group, but employees of another agricultural machinery company owned by Little Tiger. Their reason for coming here was business inspection and training. In addition to frontline staff like Fengdi who were lured here under the pretext of employee training, there were indeed inspection personnel representing the Dagu Group.

Since signing the unwritten, tacit agreement with the emperor, the safety of taking other routes has increased considerably, unless one detours from the direction of Longmen. The tacit understanding reached by both sides is that as long as the flag of the Snowfield Guerrilla is not carried and there are no infected people on the surface, the local garrisons that at least barely obey the royal family's orders will not obstruct them.

Conversely, the Xia Group cannot openly harbor infected individuals, nor can it occupy any Ursus towns by military means, and it still nominally belongs to the Ursus Empire.

This unwritten treaty was beneficial to both sides. The emperor maintained a semblance of stability and prevented the situation from escalating into a real civil war, while the nobles, as long as their cities were not attacked, did not oppose it too much or engage in open hostility—at least not after they were certain they would pay a heavy price for it.

As for Lao Xia, the talent pool he had was already stretched thin enough to barely manage a farm, let alone a government. Even for Schutzburg, the border town closest to the farm, to be brought under his control, he would need to train at least 2000 grassroots civil servants, more than 100 political officers capable of making political decisions, and more than 150 administrative officers composed of technocrats.

Any grassroots civil servant needs to learn basic literacy, grammar, and official document writing, and also needs to be familiar with their area, job duties, and specific tasks under the guidance of experienced veterans—this requires no less than four years of training, and this is only for the most basic grassroots staff.

Their ideological purity and work ability cannot be guaranteed; they can only be described as barely usable. The requirements for political officials who can truly implement and formulate policies are much higher.

As for technocrats who can take on specific management responsibilities, Lao Xia currently has almost none of them.

In other words, it would take him at least 6-12 years to cultivate the first batch of qualified bureaucrats to control a city of no more than 20 people, and to control Ursus and bring it to the level of execution and mobilization capabilities of a modern state—

Therefore, even if we can rapidly increase the number of talents through mentorship and by establishing night schools and schools at all levels, it would still take more than 15 years to cultivate enough talents.

Besides, night schools and regular schools aren't easy to run, and qualified teachers can't just be created out of thin air.

Therefore, whether it was Xia Lin, Talulah, or the Patriots, after transitioning from a state of de facto banditry to one of governance, they all realized that this was not something that could be accomplished in a short time.

In other words, it would be quite difficult to transform Ursus into a modern constitutional monarchy similar to Victoria within a generation, let alone into a modern regime like Rembitox.