Dai Fa sighed and said, "We'll figure something out when the time comes. The authorities can't just seize property arbitrarily. Besides, right now, it's just wishful thinking. I don't know if the banknotes I have on hand can be exchanged. If they can't be cashed, I won't even have money to hire people to open the mine."
Gu Qingcheng wanted iron ore because she wanted to smelt iron herself and upgrade her yacht, preferably sooner rather than later.
Because the flood disaster would continue for a very long time, boats would become the primary mode of transportation after the torrential rain.
If she didn't want to be stranded on a solitary island, having one or even several powerful yachts was essential.
If she could produce iron herself, Gu Qingcheng's yacht could be easily upgraded, and she wouldn't have to search for iron all over the world.
With this idea in mind, Gu Qingcheng decided to go south with them.
So she said, "Uncle Dai, I have money. I'll invest and fund your search for minerals. I'll cover all expenses until the mine is found. After the mine is found, I'll take forty percent, and you'll have sixty percent. However, when I need iron, you must prioritize providing it to me, and I'll pay the market price. How about that?"
"Ah? That's great!"
Although Gu Qingcheng was young, her demeanor and actions were extraordinary, making her seem like a young master from a prominent family.
Now, when discussing investment, she appeared confident and assured, making it impossible for Dai Fa not to believe her.
The two then reached a preliminary agreement.
After everyone had gone to sleep, Mi Guo secretly asked Gu Qingcheng:
"Sis, aren't we going home? Haven't we been out for a long time? Don't you miss home?"
Gu Qingcheng replied, "I do miss it, but going out to do business is also about finding opportunities. Since we've found one, we must pursue it further. We also need to build up our reserves to avoid being caught off guard and helpless if something unexpected happens."
Mi Guo nodded understandingly and said, "I'm afraid Mom and Dad will miss you."
"They definitely will, but they will absolutely support me."
Hearing this, Mi Guo didn't say anything more.
Gu Qingcheng had actually maintained contact with her parents. Every day, her parents would retrieve items from the storage cabinet, partly for daily necessities and partly to check on her well-being. They could only retrieve, not deposit, but before Gu Qingcheng left, she had an idea: she could leave letters in the storage cabinet to report her progress daily. Although only a few sentences, it would reassure them.
The supermarket had paper and pens for writing, and she would write a few sentences before sleeping, placing them in the storage cabinet to ease their worries.
Today was no different. She mentioned her plan to go south to find iron ore and placed the letter in the storage cabinet.
Before falling asleep, Gu Qingcheng noticed that her letter was gone from the storage cabinet, and shortly after, a bag of instant noodles was also missing. This indicated that her parents had agreed to her plan. She had agreed with her parents before leaving that if they approved of her idea, they would take a bag of instant noodles. Taking away a piece of gum would signify disapproval. Although the method was a bit crude, it was direct and effective.
Seeing that a bag of instant noodles was missing, indicating her parents' consent, Gu Qingcheng slept soundly.
However, she still had a very important task before sleeping: replenishing supplies at various supply points. These supply points numbered in the hundreds, and Gu Qingcheng could only control them remotely; otherwise, completing so many supply drops would be impossible. One-third of the supplies collected with her family during the extreme cold disaster had been gradually deployed. Once these supplies were depleted, most of the refugees would have moved on. Those who didn't leave were simply stubborn; she couldn't control them.
After finishing this, she calculated her accumulated "joy points," which now totaled 23,280. With joy points in hand, she felt no panic. Although not a large sum, Gu Qingcheng felt relatively at ease.
The next day, Gu Qingcheng woke up early. Seeing that everyone was still asleep, she got up and went outside to gather firewood. Since she planned to go south with them, she had to consider herself part of the team and contribute something.
A short while later, Mi Guo came out, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He found Gu Qingcheng, helped her gather firewood, and asked, "Sis, if we can settle in the south now, why don't we bring Mom and Dad here?"
Along the way, Gu Qingcheng had gradually told Mi Guo about the possible future natural disasters. Mi Guo was beginning to understand that their previous efforts were all in preparation for future calamities.
Seeing Mi Guo's confusion, Gu Qingcheng smiled and said, "Mainly, until the future disasters truly happen, no one knows what they will be like. It's relatively stable at Ya Mountain now, so Mom and Dad can enjoy their peace. If they were to come to the south rashly now, I can't guarantee whether the upcoming natural disasters will occur as predicted or become even more terrifying. Therefore, it's better for them to stay at Ya Mountain for now. During this time, we'll explore the south. If conditions permit, we'll establish a survival base there, and then we can bring them here."
Mi Guo's doubts were cleared. In any case, he would listen to his sister.
They possessed great strength. Even strong men would struggle to carry the firewood they gathered, but they did so with ease. The two carried the firewood into the house. It was still dawn, so Gu Qingcheng didn't wake Dai Fa and the others. She added firewood to the stove, making the fire burn hotter, which was very comfortable. She couldn't sleep anymore, so she built a simple stove with stones nearby and placed a pot to boil water. She filled it with mineral water from the supermarket and boiled it. Once the water was boiling, she brewed a pot of Fo Shou tea to refresh herself. Fo Shou tea has a rich orchid fragrance, and a sip instantly invigorates the senses. As the saying goes, no matter the circumstances, one must strive to find joy, even if it's just a fleeting moment of happiness. As Gu Qingcheng sipped the tea, she understood why her father loved drinking tea so much. Drinking alcohol was lively, making one feel exhilarated and requiring conversation and interaction to be enjoyable. Drinking tea, however, was a solitary pleasure, allowing one to enjoy their own company even amidst liveliness. She drank three pots of tea consecutively. Mi Guo brewed a cup of Jin Jun Mei, a type of rock tea that he liked for its longan-like aroma. They each had their preferences, but the aroma of the tea woke up Dai Fa and the others. Gu Qingcheng generously gave each of them a plain white paper cup, changed the tea leaves, and poured them all a cup of tea. Dai Fa, though a wealthy merchant, had not lost his taste despite the disaster temporarily stripping him of his wealth. He immediately recognized it as excellent oolong tea and praised it profusely. Gu Qingcheng took out meat patties, and Mi Guo began to grill them on a frying pan, two per person, including portions for Dai Fa and his companions. This made Dai Fa uneasy. He said, "Young Master Gu, this is such a precious food; you should eat it yourselves. We have steamed buns." At this time, food was more valuable than gold, so their apprehension was understandable.