paranoianovel Chapter 28: Work Points
Chapter 28: Work Points
Ron's lips curled up slightly.
Old Hall and Fanta both shivered at the same time.
"Very good, you've grasped the key to the work-point system." Ron drew another line on the blackboard. "Different jobs earn different work points. Tilling the land is physically demanding, so you get twelve points for completing one acre. Harvesting requires skill, so you get ten points for completing one acre. Gathering firewood, boiling water, and caring for the wounded are lighter jobs, and you get 0.5 points per hour. Skilled jobs are calculated separately: textiles, brewing, carpentry, blacksmithing—anything that requires skill gets double the base points."
He turned to old Hall and Towne.
"The standards will be set jointly by you. I have only one requirement: if you want to get ten points, you have to work your butt off. The guaranteed six points can't be too easy either; we can't let people think they can get the guaranteed points without even doing anything, otherwise the work point system will be useless."
Old Hall and Tang En exchanged a glance.
They had only known each other for a day, but that one glance conveyed more than a day's worth of conversation.
They were the two oldest and longest-serving officials in the territory. One was an old retainer of the Ashwood family, and the other was the old agricultural officer of the Wenger territory. They had just been testing each other, but now they had each drawn up a score sheet in their minds, just waiting to sit down and discuss it point by point after the meeting.
"Please leave it to us, Your Lordship." Old Hall's voice held a rare excitement. "We will definitely not let you down."
"The same goes for the guards and militia; they'll be paid by work points from now on." Ron looked at Fenda and Hilden. "Patrol, training, guard duty, and combat—each of these will be scored out of points. The standards will be coordinated with Old Hall to ensure that those who fight don't earn as much as those who farm. You'll have to discuss the specifics with Old Hall."
Fanta nodded.
A hint of surprise flashed in Hilden's eyes. He hadn't expected that on his first day at the meeting, he would be given the authority to participate in the formulation of military work point standards.
He knew the rules for surrendered generals, but this new lord didn't seem to follow them.
After arranging all this, Ron turned his gaze to the corner of the cave.
There were two people tied up there. One was a traitorous goblin, whose face was much gentler than the other goblins. He had no fangs, his hands were tied behind his back, and he sat on the ground with his head down.
The other was a woman rescued from the goblin camp. She was young, her hair was cut in a mess, and her clothes were tattered, but her expression was unusually calm, the kind of calm that comes from having suffered greatly and being fearless.
Big Goblin listened attentively throughout the entire meeting.
Clearly, it understands human language. Ron also noticed that when he wrote the words "work points system" on the blackboard, the big goblin raised its head and looked at the blackboard as well.
Ron walked up to it and squatted down.
How much of what you understand is correct?
The goblin stared at Ron for a moment, then spoke, its pronunciation awkward, as if it had a slight regional accent.
"I understand. My mother taught us that one day we would all be able to go home, back to the human world."
Ron nodded and asked, "Your mother was human, and she could read?"
"Yes, my mother was once the daughter of a lord. She knew a lot and taught me a lot. The breathing techniques I learned were also taught to me by my mother."
Ron sat down next to the big goblin and asked with interest, "Where's your mother? Do you have a name?"
"My mother got old and could no longer have children, so she was eaten by those wicked guys. My name is Thun, and my mother said I am a Treda person."
"Tuen!" Ron muttered subconsciously, "Why do so many people here like to use 'en' in their names?"
"Young master, Thun, in the province of Treda, also means hope!" Old Hall added at the right moment.
As for the fact that Thun's mother was eaten, he didn't react much. To goblins, a woman who has lost her fertility is not much better than a man.
Ron asked again, "Were the goblins who betrayed you back then all your brothers?"
"Yes, they are all children of one mother and another. When our mother was alive, she always taught us how to be human and told us one thing: we must return to the human world." Thun said, looking blankly at the ground.
After betraying and killing the goblin hero, he was completely bewildered.
He didn't know where to go or what to do. Although his mother often said that they were human, after seeing humans with his own eyes, he knew the difference between himself and humans.
"Have you ever eaten people?"
Upon hearing this, Thun immediately shook his head.
"My mother often told us that anyone who has eaten human flesh does not deserve to be a human being again."
Ron nodded with satisfaction: "Are you willing to submit to me? To become my followers?"
"Followers!" Thun suddenly remembered what his mother had taught him about followers, and his eyes lit up.
"Sir, do you acknowledge that we are human beings?"
Ron burst into laughter, a laugh that sent shivers down the spines of Old Hall and Fanda.
"Are you willing to follow me and wipe out all the filthy goblins of the Blackthorn Wasteland? To build a new world without goblins. You are only different in skin color, not inhuman. As long as you firmly believe in yourselves that you are human, then you are human; if you don't even believe in yourselves, how can others believe in you?"
"Kill all the goblins." Thun fell into deep thought, muttering to himself, "If you firmly believe you are human, then you are human..."
Ron gestured with his chin and asked, "Where is this woman?"
Mrs. Moriel said with a grim expression, "After this woman was safe, she started threatening to commit suicide. We were unsure what to do, so we came to you, young master."
Upon hearing that the woman wanted to commit suicide, Ron paused for a moment, then instinctively asked, "Was she originally a noblewoman?"
Mrs. Moriel thought for a moment and then nodded.
The madwoman glanced at Ron furtively, preparing to unleash another attack, when Ron spoke.
"Since they want to die, just dig a hole and bury them; consider it fertilizing the land."
Upon hearing this, the madwoman's body visibly stiffened.
Mrs. Moriel blurted out instinctively, "Young master, the other party is already so pitiful..."
"When you're a goblin, you can be used as a tool for goblins to vent their lust and for reproduction. You wouldn't want to commit suicide then. But now that you're safe, you're willing to live or die..."
Mrs. Moriel didn't say another word, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes. She turned around and made a gesture to the two strong women.
"Drag him down and use him as fertilizer along with the goblin corpses!"
Two robust middle-aged women immediately stepped forward and dragged the woman away menacingly.
At this moment, the woman dared not pretend anymore and hurriedly shouted, "My lord, I am from the Golden Lion Bruce family..."
The strong woman glared at her menacingly: "You cunning bitch!"
"I was wrong! No..."
Unfortunately, her pleas only made the strong woman tighten her grip even more.
Mrs. Morrill's gesture was as calm as instructing a servant in the kitchen to throw away spoiled vegetables. Only then did she turn and bow to Ron.
"My lord, it was my mistake."
Ron waved his hand: "It's irrelevant. Give these women a chance if they're willing to live well, otherwise send them to those bachelors and let them take care of them themselves."
Whether it's fair or cruel, those are not things Ron needs to consider right now.
The Blackthorn Wasteland is fraught with danger, and development is the top priority. As the lord, he wouldn't waste time on such matters.