Chapter 65: The Power of the New System, Zhao Wuji Was Numb!

The implementation of the new system was not as smooth as expected.

Although the miners mouthed phrases like “The Chairwoman is wise and brilliant,” their hearts were uneasy.

Another set of rules again?

Now there were KPIs and weightings—it already sounded like a headache.

Could this be yet another way to deduct their bonuses?

Most people adopted a wait-and-see attitude. They worked a bit more cautiously than before, but no one truly took that so-called “Safety Innovation Reward” seriously.

Propose a solution?

They were just a bunch of rough miners—how would they know such things?

What if their “idea” went wrong and they ended up being punished as troublemakers? That would be a loss, not a gain.

Murong Xue saw all of this but did not rush.

She knew that the introduction of any new concept required a “breakthrough point”—a model case that allowed everyone to see real benefits.

She waited.

And the opportunity soon came.

That afternoon, a commotion broke out in Tunnel No. 7.

It turned out that a wooden support frame at a corner of the tunnel, after years of being soaked by groundwater, had rotted and now looked dangerously unstable. No one dared to pass underneath.

According to the old procedures, the issue would be reported to the steward, who would then report it to Zhao Wuji. Zhao Wuji would then write a request to the finance department to obtain funds for new timber. After all the back-and-forth, it would take at least three to five days to resolve.

During that time, the tunnel was essentially half-abandoned.

The team leader in charge of Tunnel No. 7 was sweating profusely. Seeing that today’s output target might not be met, his monthly bonus was now hanging by a thread.

At that moment, an old miner named Li Ergou—usually quiet and reserved—stared at the decayed support frame for a long while before suddenly saying to the team leader:

“Boss, I… I think I might have an idea.”

“If you have an idea, then out with it!” the team leader urged.

“I used to be a carpenter back in my hometown.”

Li Ergou scratched his head uncertainly.

“I think the main structure of that frame isn’t damaged—just the mortise-and-tenon joints have rotted. If we can find a few discarded pieces of hard ironwood, shave them into wedges, and reinforce it from the sides, it should last another year or two. It’d save us both time and money compared to replacing the whole thing.”

The team leader’s eyes lit up, but he hesitated:

“Will that really work? What if it collapses? Who’ll take responsibility then?”

Li Ergou hunched his shoulders, not daring to speak further.

Just then, Murong Xue—who was inspecting the tunnels—happened to witness the entire exchange.

She walked over, her cool voice sounding out:

“Repeat what you just said.”

Li Ergou saw it was the Saintess Chairwoman and was so startled that he stammered through his explanation once again.

After listening, Murong Xue carefully examined the frame. Though she didn’t understand carpentry, with her cultivation she could easily sense the structural strength of the wood.

She found that what Li Ergou said was indeed feasible.

“Very good.”

Murong Xue nodded slightly, then said in front of everyone:

“Your proposal is very constructive. As the Chief Risk Control Officer, I hereby approve it!”

She immediately ordered the team leader:

“You—take your men and carry out his plan at once! Everyone involved in the reinforcement work will be credited with two hours of extra labor time!”

Then she turned to Li Ergou, who still stood frozen in disbelief, and took out a jade token, instantly transferring fifty contribution points to him.

“This is your ‘Safety Innovation Reward’—fifty contribution points, credited immediately. Also, announce this across the entire mining area as a commendation!”

“Boom!”

The news spread like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a storm throughout the entire mining area!

Fifty contribution points!

That was equivalent to fifty lower-grade spirit stones!

For these miners, that was nearly half a month’s base salary!

All because… he came up with an idea?

And he was personally commended by the Saintess Chairwoman in front of everyone?

In an instant, every miner’s eyes turned red.

So… the new system was real!

So, giving ideas could actually earn money!

Holding the jade token that displayed his new balance, Li Ergou’s hands trembled. His face flushed with excitement, and he could barely speak. At last, with a thud, he dropped to his knees before Murong Xue:

“Thank you, Chairwoman! Thank you, Chairwoman!”

“Rise.”

Murong Xue said calmly, “This is what you deserve. I hope that, from now on, more ‘Li Ergou’s’ will stand up.”

After that day, the atmosphere of the entire mining area completely changed.

It was as if the miners’ brains had been collectively awakened overnight.

They were no longer mere tools that only knew how to dig. They began to examine every detail of their work with a new perspective.

“Report! I’ve found that the handle design of the mining pick is unreasonable. Long use causes blisters and reduces efficiency! I suggest wrapping it with beast hide!”

“Approved! Reward, ten contribution points!”

“Report! There’s moss on the water delivery path by the canteen—it’s slippery! I suggest assigning daily cleaning duty and laying anti-slip mats!”

“Approved! Reward, fifteen contribution points!”

“Report! I found that Captain Zhang Daniu’s shouting during roll call is too loud. It causes mental disturbance and affects our Dao hearts! I suggest—”

“Rejected! Captain Zhang’s shouting is excellent and full of spirit! Do not make such non-constructive suggestions again!”

Soon, the threshold of Murong Xue’s office was nearly worn down.

All kinds of “innovation proposals” flew in like snowflakes.

As for Zhao Wuji—he was completely numb.

He realized that as a “Director,” he had now become nothing more than decoration.

In the past, miners came to him to complain when there were problems.

Now, when they had problems, they skipped him entirely—to propose suggestions to Murong Xue and collect rewards!

His daily work was reduced to just three things: attending the morning meeting, listening to Murong Xue announce new regulations, and wandering around the mining area like a ghost, watching miners rack their brains for contribution points.

He felt as if the entire world had abandoned him.

A week later, the mining area’s production report was released.

When Zhao Wuji saw the numbers on the jade slip, his eyes nearly popped out.

That week, the mining area had not only achieved the feat of zero safety incidents, but the total ore output had actually… actually increased by five percent compared to the previous week!

That woman named Murong Xue—using a set of moves he couldn’t even comprehend—had somehow managed to strengthen both safety and efficiency at the same time!

Zhao Wuji sat in his chair, staring blankly, his mind a complete void.

Outside the window, the woman in white—pure as snow—was attentively listening to a miner’s suggestion, occasionally nodding her head.

At that moment, he suddenly realized—this woman, just like that demon surnamed Chu, was something he could never understand.

They were both monsters—creatures from another world!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep