There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

"Ellie, are you alright?" I asked with concern.

"Hmm... I'm just a little tired..." Ellie said with a smile, but her other hand was trembling involuntarily, like Parkinson's syndrome.

"Then tomorrow..." I asked tentatively, "will you come and help again?"

Ellie's smile froze: "I have something to do at the hospital tomorrow! Next time! Next time!"

I nodded disappointedly and turned to Karen: "Karen, are you coming to help again tomorrow? I'll buy you a drink!"

Karen gave me a resentful look, then stood up: "I just remembered that tomorrow is my day of fasting, and I need to stay home and pray devoutly! We can drink next time! Next time I'll definitely drink you out of house and home!"

Why is it always "next time, for sure"?

And when did you become a believer?

Does the religion you believe in allow you to drink alcohol and assault people so casually...?

Would you mind introducing me to the team?

"Popuri, you'll come to help, right!" I had no choice but to turn to the girl at the chicken farm for help. But the pink-haired girl shuddered and hesitated, saying, "Tomorrow...the chicken farm needs my help tomorrow! I'm sorry, Marcus~ I'll definitely help you next time~"

Hmm... there's only one person left in the plan...

I turned my gaze to Lin, who was sitting to the side.

Lin gripped the broom, her mind racing. Work tomorrow? But her workplace was a bar! Go home to help? Her dad was home alone, stuck at the bar! Fasting tomorrow? What good were those excuses?

After thinking for a while, Lin couldn't find a reasonable excuse, so she said in a tearful voice:

"Dad! Marcus is bullying me!"

Boss Dart laughed and patted Lin's head, "With me here, no one will dare to bully you." Then he turned to me and said, "Marcus, it seems you also need to think of a solution, otherwise this cafeteria will have to close down."

I'm at my wit's end.

I never imagined the town's food needs would be so urgent. Normally, even hungry rats can't be found at Dart's tavern, but now, due to the food shortage, the entire island is filled with people on the verge of starvation.

It seems my plan, while considering food reserves, didn't take into account the labor shortage. Even with four girls helping, we couldn't keep going; what about tomorrow...?

"Boss, why are you looking at me like that?!"

Gray, who had been chuckling to himself in the crowd, suddenly felt uncomfortable when I stared at him with a sharp gaze.

What?

Get to work!

"I've already decided, you'll be the handyman!"

"No way! I'll be exhausted if I do the work of four people!"

"No discussion! Superheroes cannot back down!"

"But even superheroes can't be worked to death in a shady workshop!"

With a look of utter despair, Gray tentatively asked, "Can I promise I'll do it next time too?"

I shouted angrily, "Next time for sure? I doubt it!"

Mr. Dart smiled at us and said, "Marcus, don't worry about it. I've thought it all out for you. I'll help you cook tomorrow. Everyone will bring their own ingredients and utensils, and Gray will handle the bill. That should solve the problem."

I clapped my hands and said, "Brilliant! Boss, you're so experienced! If you had figured it out sooner, this little tavern would have been upgraded to a grand hotel by now!"

Mr. Dart's face darkened, and he became so angry that he stopped talking to me.

Tch, what a petty person.

Suddenly, a weak voice rang out.

"Excuse me……"

Everyone on the field turned their heads and looked in the direction from which the sound had come.

A young man, slightly older than Gray, stood at the doorway. He seemed flustered by everyone's gaze and spoke in an even lower voice.

"I heard there's food and lodging here. Excuse me... is there any food available?"

Want more food? Want me to work overtime? No way!

I said irritably, "Bread and water, no returns or exchanges."

The young man said shyly, "Bread will do... I'm new to this island, is there any work I can do?"

Ok?

Judging from his tone, he's a newbie?

Boss Dart picked up the conversation and asked, "Young man, are you also a newcomer to this mining town? What kind of work are you looking for?"

Boss Dart still took on the responsibility of entertaining the newcomers, speaking to them in a gentle tone.

The new young man said uneasily, "I've run out of money... I'll take any job..."

"You need to have some special skills," Mr. Dart said somewhat disapprovingly. "What kind of work have you done before?"

"In the past?"

The young man scratched his head sheepishly. "I actually work in pest control. I only came here a couple of days ago because I received an order. But I couldn't get in touch with the client no matter what I did. When I called, a strange woman yelled at me..."

He looked at us with sincere eyes.

Do you know what happened?

Chapter 263 Pest Expert

Of course we know what's going on!

The day after Mr. Dick paid to invite "a well-known pest expert from the federal government" over, I learned about the situation from Mr. Dart.

In fact, Mr. Dick had no money at all. He only paid a small deposit and asked the pest control company to send someone to deal with the pests as soon as possible.

His idea was that as long as the pest expert could solve the problem, then Mineral Town and the surrounding towns would have to launch a donation drive to pay the money.

If pest control doesn't work... then there's even less reason to pay for it, right?

With this rogue idea in mind, Mr. Dick generously used other people's money to call the most famous pest control company in the federal government.

Then the problem is coming...

Where did Mr. Dick, who was heavily in debt, get the money to pay the deposit?

After all, a company that dares to claim to be "the best in the Federation" must have a deposit that isn't a small amount.

After analyzing the situation, Mr. Dart concluded that his wife had likely misappropriated his savings. The next day, when Mr. Dick came for drinks, he had scratches on his face from a woman's fingernails.

This explains why this guy couldn't contact his customers.

Because his client has probably lost the right to even get near the phone, and has even been kicked out of the house by his wife these past two days and is sleeping in the wine cellar. If he calls now, what can he expect besides a furious scolding from the woman of the house?

"I'm not quite sure... Sir, are you really a pest expert?"

But judging from the current situation, has Mr. Dick also been fooled?

This young man looked to be in his early twenties, with an innocent face and no apparent expertise. He seemed like a greenhorn who had just started out in his career, and could hardly be a pest expert!

Adhering to the principle of keeping one's abilities hidden, I still asked cautiously.

Seeing that everyone was also interested in this matter, the young man said reservedly, "No need...no need to be so polite, just call me Cliff. I am indeed a technician from Hamfries Pest Control Company, and this is my identification."

He pulled out a certificate stamped with the seal of the federal health and medical institutions. His name was indeed on it, along with the scope of his professional expertise: environmental management (eliminating breeding grounds for pests); physical control (using equipment and tools for protection and killing); chemical control (using different types and formulations of chemical agents to kill pests); and biological control, etc.

Mayor Thomas emerged from the crowd, took the certificate, examined it for a moment, and nodded, saying, "This certificate is genuine, and the serial number is correct. And this serial number is quite early on. Young man, oh wait, Cliff, I didn't expect you to actually be an expert!"

Cliff quickly replied, "Yes...yes. No need to call an expert...do you have a pest infestation that needs to be treated?"

I nodded: "That's right! But you seem to have come to the wrong place... The infestation isn't in Mineral Town, but in the neighboring Twin Town!"

"what?!"

Cliff exclaimed in shock, his hand trembling as he dropped his bread: "But the person who brought me here said the person I'm looking for is right here! That Captain Hoan also told me the Mineral Town route is extremely difficult and the tickets are very expensive! He took all the money I had on me!"

Huo An? Who is that?

I was still wondering when I saw Mr. Dart and Mayor Thomas next to me with expressions of realization, smiling without saying a word.

"What's going on? Father-in-law, please introduce me!" I hurriedly asked Mr. Dart, but he glared at me.

"Don't call me father-in-law! Cough cough, Huo An is one of the few merchants on this route besides the Navigators' Alliance. His personality... is rather greedy..."

I remember now! Boss Dart mentioned a cunning merchant named Hoan who once fought a powerful duel with Jeff, the town's other cunning merchant, and even slightly won. In short, he's a vampire who wouldn't even care if he were shot!

I glanced at Baqir, who was still drinking, and wondered: Are these tech people all lacking in emotional intelligence? Or is it that their intelligence is all devoted to researching theories and technologies, so they don't care much about these things?

A pest expert from the federal government was swindled out of all his money by a shady businessman and now has to make a living by doing odd jobs.

"Cliff, don't be discouraged." Seeing that he was in just as bad shape as I was when I first arrived on the island, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him and comforted him, "Although you were cheated out of the boat fare, you weren't cheated out of the fact that there's a pest infestation here."

In my kindness, I concealed a detail: Mr. Dick's offer to pay him to treat the pests was actually a complete lie. I remember the expert in Jurassic Park 3 was also lured to the island and risked his life under a bad promise, right?

It's best not to tell him this harsh reality.

Mr. Dart also said, "Yes, you can stay here with me tonight. There are two empty rooms upstairs."

Is it true that there are "just right" two empty rooms?

It's obvious that no one has ever lived here!

“I’ll take you to find Zack tomorrow. You can take the morning boat to Twin Town,” Boss Dart kindly explained. “That’s where the disaster is most severe, and they definitely need your help. Someone there will surely pay you to work!”

Cliff's eyes lit up instantly: "Great! This town is full of wonderful people!"

Of course he's a great person... because you've already been ripped off by all the bad guys in town, and the rest are all great people compared to them!

There really aren't many people like me who have such strong principles and a sense of justice!

I remarked with admiration, "Boss Dart's plan is excellent! If you can control the pest infestation, the surrounding towns will all thank you for your help!"

I never said I would receive the money!

Don't come looking for me if you don't receive your money!

"Boss, I'm about to leave too. Please look after this new employee. I'll come back tomorrow morning. Keep the cafeteria running and see how long it can last!"

A cheer immediately erupted in the tavern.

"Long live Marcus!"