Chapter 96 Calculation

"Isn't it a bit too much to make such a big fuss?"

The commanders of rescue teams from all over the country received the news at the first time. By the time the news of the train recruiting people spread among ordinary people, they had already had several rounds of arguments and drank several cups of tea in the conference room.

The weather in August is hot and dry, and it is difficult to dispel the restlessness in people's hearts.

Liu Xi took another sip of the heat-reducing chrysanthemum tea, pushed the empty cup forward, looked around, and asked, "So we're not going to be involved in the train recruitment this time?"

When they first heard that there was a train station in N City, they sent him as a pioneer officer to clear the way. Later, as more and more people came to the N City train station, in order to facilitate the management of the cleared area, they sent two more people over.

Now, they jointly managed the safety zone at the N City bus stop. Liu Xi was responsible for continuing to lead the team to expand the safety zone, while the two newcomers were responsible for the resettlement of the rescued people and the management of supplies.

As soon as this incident happened, the team member on duty at the guard post reported it directly to them.

From a little after five in the morning to a little after nine now, the three of them had been discussing this issue, in addition to dealing with some other things in between.

The previous upgrades to the train, adding carriages and stations were all done quietly by ourselves, so why are we suddenly recruiting people this time?

If a chef is needed on the train, Liu Xi doesn't think that a train with such advanced technology would not even have a robot that knows how to cook. In their current era, technology is not very advanced, but they already have robots that can cook a variety of foods, not to mention trains whose technological civilization is obviously more advanced than theirs.

But if they don't need it, then why are they hiring a chef this time? It can't be because they think food made by humans has more soul than food made by machines, right?

Considering that the train has never harmed any human being so far, Liu Xi did not share the conspiracy theories of some pessimists, thinking that the train was looking for an excuse to recruit people and then take the opportunity to conduct some cruel biochemical experiments. However, he was indeed puzzled as to the purpose of the train recruiting people.

When they first heard the news, the three of them were quite shocked.

Because they didn't understand the situation, their first reaction was to wait until they understood the details of the recruitment process. However, as the online discussion grew increasingly heated, and people everywhere were eager to try, they quickly realized that perhaps this incident was unstoppable. After all, no one could go against the boiling public opinion.

But as local managers, Liu Xi and the other two felt uneasy when they knew nothing and watched the people act impulsively on impulse.

After thinking about it, I was still worried and considering whether I should contact other cities to find out what others think, but I didn't expect the instructions from above to come down.

Although they were in charge of the safety zone at the bus stop, they did not hold the ultimate command in City N. After receiving clear instructions from above, the three of them finally had time to sit down and have another cup of tea.

Hearing Liu Xi's question, the other two also put down their teacups.

"Never mind, there's nothing I can do about it!"

"Besides, the higher-ups said to wait and see what happens!" one of them said, "I guess this was discussed with the other cities. Let's just wait and see."

…

As they guessed, other cities with stations did receive instructions from above and stopped interfering with the recruitment of passengers on the trains.

By noon, everyone in the nearby cities who knew about it had heard about it. Even some well-informed people in other resettlement areas had received the news.

"We need a chef. Did they specify what kind of chef we want? I've been running a restaurant for twenty years. Can I give it a try?"

"Yes, why not give it a try? It's free, and if you succeed, you'll be protected in the future!"

"Brother, what kind of guarantee? Do you have any inside information? Tell us more about it.

"I don't have any inside information, but you think if I really need you, I can't treat you unfairly. Apart from anything else, being a cook will always ensure you have food, right?"

"Wouldn't it be great if I could work on the train, travel to various places without having to pay for tickets, and have my own safety guaranteed on board?"

"That's what I think. I've already told my mom about it and want her to give it a try. She's been cooking since she was a child and has been doing it for over 40 years. The food she makes tastes just as good as what you get in restaurants. Everyone who's tried it says her cooking is great."

"My grandfather is in his sixties, almost seventy, and has always been the chef for weddings and funerals in the nearby village. I told him about it and asked him to give it a try."

"The old man is so old, and has long passed the retirement age. Can he still work?"

"Why not? My grandfather is in better health than me. The old men and women in our countryside work all year round and are very hardworking. Even if their children are filial, they can't sit idle. There are many people in their seventies and eighties who still work in the fields. I want him to go not because I dislike the elderly. I hope he can earn as much as possible. I just think it's safer in the car than at home, and it won't keep him sighing at home, as if he is a burden to us."

"If I only knew how to cook noodles, I would also like to try it..."

…

There are many similar discussions in life, and there are even more related discussions on the signal network in City B.

Since there's no age limit, I'm planning on having my whole family, from the oldest to the youngest, give it a try. If only one of them succeeds, that would be great!

My wife cooks delicious food, but she's hesitant about whether to go. If she goes, there'll be no one to look after our two children.

"If you can go, go. It's a rare opportunity. You never know if it will come back next time! Bro, if your wife is attractive, she can go to work and you can stay home to look after the kids!"

"Just try everything you can. You won't regret it. I was an executive chef at a hotel for 15 years, but then I changed careers. I never imagined that the end of the world would bring me back to my old job."

Why are you encouraging others to go? If more people go, won't your chances of being noticed decrease?

Even if I don't mention it, the competition is fierce. Anyone who can go will go, not just one person.

[That's right, as long as you have strong skills, you will be able to show them no matter how many people try.]

[I can't cook, but I've learned pastry cooking. I don't know if this will work.]

[We don't know much right now, so why not just give it a try if you have time? ]

My daughter is six years old, but she can make dumplings and steamed buns. Is it possible for her to try it, too? If she can find a job on the train, we won't have to worry about her safety every day.

…

Everyone who can go wants to go, and those who cannot go at other resettlement sites are also regretting it.

"They said the exam will start tomorrow night. Is it too late for me to go now?"

"I guess we won't be able to make it in time. They just sent a group of people there. If we want to go with the rescue team, we'll have to wait at least three more days."

"If I had known I would have gone with them when I signed up last time! Now I can only watch the opportunity slip away, ah!"

Some people regretted it so much that they beat their chests and stamped their feet, while others made up their minds and tried every possible way to go there on their own.

…

As soon as one notice was issued, everything started moving.

Other members of the Jiang family who knew the news ahead of time were also making preparations.

They knew the news earlier than others, but Jiang Qian kept it a secret, so they only knew it one night earlier than others.

When Jiang Qian told the news last night, the whole family was shocked.

Although they have always wanted to be able to get on and off the train freely, everyone knows in their hearts that this may be the price they must pay for being protected by the train, or it may be a permanent price.

Compared to being in constant danger outside, the thought of wanting to get out of the car to get some fresh air seems a bit ungrateful if someone hears it.

But while adults can still endure it, children’s desires cannot be hidden.

During the first half month they lived on the train, they could occasionally get off to get some fresh air when no one was around. But as the train became more and more famous and more and more passengers came, the opportunities to get off became fewer and fewer.

Their adults had gotten off the car before for various reasons, but the child Jiang Mingchen had actually been in the car for two months.

At first, the situation around us was unstable and my family was worried. But when the situation stabilized, there was no chance to get off the bus.

The child's desire to go outside is visible with his eyes. Even when Huang Liping and Ren Ru took the child to the car to look at the vegetables they planted and played with him, it did not affect his desire to go out at all.

But Jiang Mingchen was sensible. Although he wanted to go out, he knew that it would make everyone embarrassed, so he never asked. But it was precisely because the child was so sensible that it made people feel even more distressed.

If it were anything else, his family would have definitely found a way to satisfy him. But when it came to getting off the bus, no one had any idea. Unexpectedly, the wish that had been bothering them was about to be fulfilled by Jiang Qian.

In the carriage last night, Jiang Dong looked at Jiang Qian in amazement.

"You said you wanted to recruit people to the car?"

"Yes," Jiang Qian nodded and explained to her family, "The train's revenue balance is quite high now. I calculated that there aren't many stops and the number of passengers doesn't fluctuate much each day, so four carriages are enough for now, so I plan to exchange them for a dining car."

This was what she found in the mall. According to the system, although there are dining cars on the interstellar train, the food sold is generally ready-made by machines or robots.

With advanced technology, robots that can cook are common in the interstellar world. Exchanging for one is not difficult and does not cost many crystal cores. However, because Jiang Qian had other purposes, she only planned to exchange for a dining car.

"...The dining car has a kitchen, a warehouse for storing food, and a cold storage. I think this is an opportunity for us..."

Taking advantage of the recruitment opportunity, their family can stay and work on the train openly, and they don’t have to worry about being discovered and having to explain themselves when they want to get off.

"Trains are mostly autonomous these days, so drivers aren't needed very often. With more stations in the future, we'll only be getting more and more idle. Why don't we find something to do ahead of time..."

Jiang Qian told her family about her plans in detail.

"I roughly estimated that the train can carry at least two thousand people a day. As long as the prices in our dining car are not too high, there will definitely be many people willing to patronize it. Even if only one in ten people are willing to eat three meals a day, we can still make a lot of money..."

As the other members of the Jiang family listened to Jiang Qian's plan, their eyes gradually lit up.

Huang Liping couldn't help but slap her thigh. "It's a really good idea. Who wants to eat instant noodles when they can have something hot? They're not nutritious, not healthy, and the taste is bland. If this food truck really takes off, it might make less money than a vending machine."

Jiang Dong scratched his head. "But with all the passengers coming to the dining car, the sales of the vending machines must have dropped, right?"

"There's nothing we can do about it." Jiang Qian had also considered this issue. If the total volume remained constant, the growth of one would inevitably be accompanied by a decline in the other, but...

"I did some simple calculations. If a food truck can be run, although it might be a bit tiring, because the cost of raw materials is there, even if the price is the same as a vending machine and I only make a wage, the net profit of running a food truck will be higher than that of a vending machine."

"Making money isn't that important," Jiang Weimin said, tugging at the cigarette he'd been twirling around in his hand but never lit. "But isn't it a bit excessive to make such a fuss just so our family can get on and off the bus normally?"

【Author’s words】

Sorry for editing it a few minutes late.

If nothing unexpected happens, the next chapter should be out the day after tomorrow.

Thank you all for your support, love!