Chapter 87: Automated Assembly Line Feeding Equipment!

After taking Dahuang and Erhuang for a walk, Chu Lin also went to inspect the breeding farm.

The oysters that Dr. Li had inseminated by artificial means had long since spawned, and many of them had already developed into soft-shelled forms, carpeting the bottom of the ponds so densely that the pace was unquestionably far beyond that of ordinary oysters.

This should have been due to the growth-acceleration trait of the Atlantis oysters.

At this rate, he estimated that in about half a year he could raise a full batch of Atlantis oysters. Under normal circumstances, oysters could never be cultivated this quickly.

Moreover, once these oysters’ soft shells hardened into hard shells, they could simply be scooped up and tossed into the bay to grow naturally, without any need for feeding.

After all, oysters could survive on the organic matter produced by seagrass and algae, as well as the plankton in the sea.

That was the advantage of oyster farming.

The underwater prairie in the bay was the finest habitat for oysters.

By then, he could have Dr. Li continue artificial insemination of the Atlantis oysters, since the breeding environment of the five-hundred-acre bay would not be saturated by this first batch alone.

Afterward, he checked the other ponds as well. The Atlantis egg-bearing shrimp he had taken out from the game map had basically all hatched, and the earliest hatchlings were already about due for feeding.

That, too, would become a problem.

Once all these shrimp fry needed feeding, one person would certainly not be enough.

If done by hand, five hundred acres would likely require fifteen people.

With that many people at the farm, it would be inconvenient for him to enter and leave the game, and it would easily lead to trouble.

There was only one solution: automated feeding equipment.

In that case, even if Liu Fa and Liu Xiao, father and son, had to stay busier, they could still manage it. The father and son would be a little tired, but if he raised their pay, they should be very willing.

With that in mind, Chu Lin went to the office and used the computer to look up the prices of automated production-line aquaculture equipment.

He would not have known if he had not looked; one glance was enough to startle him. To cover these five hundred acres, such automated feeding equipment would cost more than four million.

No wonder so few farms used equipment of this kind.

After all, fifteen workers at six thousand a month each only came to a little over a million a year, which would pay four years of wages, not even counting daily electricity consumption and the like.

Most importantly, aside from large-scale aquaculture plants, very few people would make preparations for a breeding operation that long, when they could not even be sure it would make money.

But Chu Lin was different. He needed an environment where he could come and go freely in the game, and not every employee could be as trustworthy as the father and son, Liu Fa and Liu Xiao.

So Chu Lin would rather spend more money on a fully automated aquaculture system.

He directly contacted a fairly well-known equipment company, placed the order without hesitation, and paid the deposit.

No sooner had he finished than his phone rang. Seeing that it was Huang Bin, he answered at once.

Huang Bin’s laughter came through the line. “Chu Lin, from now on I’m the manager of Eightfold Guest. This time, I really owe it all to you.”

“So Zhao Sheng is finished?” Chu Lin asked with a smile.

Huang Bin laughed. “He’s been fired. But our company’s chairman values that premium White Dragon Saliva a lot. For safety’s sake, he was even thinking of buying it from you first.”

“He’s dreaming,” Chu Lin said bluntly.

The reason he had taken out those three jin to sell was also to connect with the circles of wealthy people who could use premium White Dragon Saliva, so that the remaining saliva could later be sold as favors.

Besides, who knew when the Atlantis map might generate more White Dragon Saliva.

Huang Bin also laughed. “He was just anxious. I subtly told him that selling your goods might mean you’re trying to open a new channel, and he gave up on the idea. Now it just depends on when you want to meet the client, and I’ll report it upward.”

“Tomorrow, then. There should at least be some breathing room,” Chu Lin said with a smile.

“Yes, some breathing room is necessary, or it would seem too deliberate,” Huang Bin said, naturally understanding. Then he laughed again. “In that case, to celebrate my promotion, I’m treating you to dinner tonight at the Zizhen Restaurant. After dinner, I’ll take you to a bar to have some fun!”

“That works,” Chu Lin agreed with a smile. Huang Bin’s promotion to manager really was a pleasant surprise, and it was worth celebrating.

Huang Bin then said with a slightly lewd tone, “So tonight, are you bringing Li Qian, or should I have Lin Nian ask two girls out? Or, over at the Ultimate Bar, they posted another batch of fresh talent in Moments. I checked the profiles, and there are two real stunners.”

Chu Lin was somewhat tempted.

Sometimes some of those fresh girls really were exceptional—beautiful and young, perhaps even just out of high school, tricked out of the school gate, or newly fallen into that world for some reason.

In the past, they had only been qualified to look at such top-tier beauties. Good stock had basically been reserved by rich men; even if the rich did not go to the bar themselves, they would have people air-dropped to them every night.

Ordinary players could not take such women away unless they were richer than the rich.

As for the leftovers, they were usually the ordinary sort, not even as good as the quality of the women they could arrange themselves.

Now that he had money, he could appraise these top-tier fresh faces. If luck was on his side, it would only cost some money.

Men, after all, always liked trying toys they had never played with before.

Time passed, and night quickly fell.

Huang Bin had only booked a small private room at Zizhen.

By the time Chu Lin arrived, there were only Huang Bin and Lin Nian there; he had not invited anyone else.

During the meal, Chu Lin also learned something from Huang Bin: the people wanting to buy the premium White Dragon Saliva were several big-name tycoons from the Fujian Chamber of Commerce. For that reason, the chairman of Huang Bin’s company wanted to use this opportunity to build a connection, so those men could recommend them into the chamber of commerce.

Huang Bin also grumbled, “That idiot Zhao Sheng was still hoping to use this chance to become the company’s vice president. Now he’s just been kicked out.”

“He really is an idiot,” Chu Lin said, shaking his head.

Given how much the chairman valued this matter, even if Huang Bin was the one who had completed the business, as his superior’s assistant he still had considerable credit. On the contrary, it made him seem broad-minded.

Huang Bin reminded him, “Chu Lin, once you meet those Fujian Chamber of Commerce tycoons, we have to leave contact information. It might come in handy later.”

Chu Lin nodded, naturally understanding.

The two discussed a few more matters. Seeing that the time was about right, they left Zizhen and prepared to go to the Ultimate Bar.

After settling the bill, Chu Lin was still wondering whether to have Lin Nian arrange some girls, or to see those two top-tier fresh faces at the Ultimate Bar.

As for Li Qian, the Fourth Road was still coated with penicillin ointment, so drinking would not be good; one had to know how to take care of a girl.

Just as he was thinking this, he saw a beautiful figure in a sexy red short dress walking toward him. Was it not Zizhen’s young lady, Cai Yao?

He was just about to greet her when the young lady actually walked up to him and took his arm.

That left him a little dazed, but the young lady gave him a pleading look.

When he saw a handsome man in a suit and glasses approaching, he seemed to understand.

Damn it, the young lady was using him as a shield again.

“Ma Han, this is my boyfriend, Chu Lin. I don’t know what my brother and my father told you, but I have something to do and need to leave with my boyfriend now,” Cai Yao said, not even giving Ma Han a chance to speak, and directly dragged Chu Lin out of Zizhen.

Seeing this, Huang Bin opened his mouth, momentarily bewildered.

Chu Lin quickly got into his Panamera and teased Cai Yao in the passenger seat. “Miss Cai, was that an arranged match from home just now? He seemed to have pretty good conditions, and he was quite handsome.”

“A playboy. I hate seeing this kind of scum,” Cai Yao said angrily. Thinking of being deceived by her own relatives, and thinking of how no matter how much she did, her family would still treat her differently, her mood turned very bad. She said to Chu Lin, “Mr. Chu, find a place. I’m treating you to a drink.”

“?” Chu Lin was stunned.

Miss Cai, you say you hate scum when you see one, and now you want to invite another scumbag to drink?

Why does it feel like you’re being a little unfair?