Apocalypse Queen: My Space, My Rules Chapter 243: Salary Announcement

Mariella smiled faintly. "You'll get the weapons and gear you're supposed to have, and your salary won't be short either. As I've said before, if you do good work with me, you'll be treated fairly. That goes for everyone here."

Seeing how firm she was, Number One decided not to say anything more.

Everyone felt a surge of excitement, and even a quiet sense of anticipation.

Last time, their pay had come in the form of full tactical gear, long guns, sidearms, magazines, and ammunition.

What Number One said made perfect sense. If they weren't working for Mariella or had been lucky enough to move into No. 98, most of them would have already lost their lives in the apocalypse.

As long as she was willing to take them in, they would have stayed even without any salary at all.

However, if she insisted on paying them, of course, they would be excited.

They all knew that she wouldn't hand out cash that was now as worthless as scrap paper.

Whatever she gave them would be something truly valuable in the current world.

Mariella asked Matthew to bring out the payroll list. Every month, each team member would receive 100 pounds of grain, five pounds of cooking oil, five liters of diesel, one bottle of strong liquor, one packet of cigarettes, and one box of condoms with fifteen pieces. They would also get two pairs of socks, two pairs of underwear, two towels, two packs of toilet paper with twelve rolls each, one toothbrush, one tube of toothpaste, one facial cleanser, and two bars each of laundry and bath soap.

Male members would additionally receive a bottle of aftershave lotion, while female members would receive five packs of sanitary pads with ten pieces each.

Number One would get 150 pounds of grain, ten pounds of cooking oil, and ten liters of diesel each month.

Mariella didn't mention Chandler or Matthew's pay, since strictly speaking, neither of them worked for her.

Chandler was her storage space partner, and a third of the supplies stored in there belonged to him. As for Matthew, she regarded him like an older brother or father figure. She would provide whatever he needed without question.

She treated Serena like a daughter, so naturally, she was treated differently as well.

"You will all have free room and board. Your meals are covered, so you won't need to touch your personal food supplies, but you can do so if you wish to. If you don't need something right away, you can store it here with me. Just let Dr. Lester know whenever you want to claim it. And if you need any special supplies, you can trade items from your salary with me."

Mariella continued, "All ammunition, expendable gear, and combat supplies come from the team account, so you won't need to pay out of pocket. Any weapons, clothing, winter gear, or personal equipment issued to you belong to you. If you lose them, replacements will be deducted from the supplies you receive as salary. If you distinguish yourselves in battle or capture firearms or valuable resources, you'll receive fifty percent of the reward. Dr. Lester will keep track of contribution points, and those points can be exchanged for any personal supplies."

After she finished speaking, she looked around at everyone. "Any objections to this salary structure?"

This time, Number Two finally seized the chance to speak first, "No objections! Ms. Townsend, you're really nice to us! These benefits are better than working for the government!"

Over the past few days, they had gone out gathering firewood and making charcoal, meeting many other survivors doing the same.

Most disaster survivors were barely surviving from one meal to the next. Even government personnel weren't much better off.

It was the same for the police unit stationed at Celestine Ridge. Even Donald, who was the highest-ranking officer there, earned only 80 pounds of grain, five pounds of cooking oil, and five liters of diesel per month.

Ordinary officers received just 50 pounds of grain, three pounds of cooking oil, and two liters of diesel.

In comparison, the members of No. 98 earned even more than Donald. On top of that, they also received so many free daily necessities. It felt almost unreal.

The generous pay left them deeply grateful, yet secretly uneasy. It almost felt too good to be true.

Mariella gave a small nod. "Since no one has objections, then I have something to say."

Everyone tensed up, waiting.

"I've said this before, but I'm more than just your employer. We're teammates who depend on each other. You're not bound to me. You're free to leave anytime. If you ever decide to go, just tell me, and I'll settle whatever salary you've stored here and let you leave immediately."

As she spoke, her gaze sharpened, and her tone turned cold. "But I do not tolerate betrayal. Anyone who tries to stab the team in the back, like Number Four, Number Seven, and Number Ten, will end up exactly like them."

After speaking, Mariella went to the first-floor storage room and called Number Eight and Number Nine to help move supplies.

The items they brought out were all winter gear.

Based on each person's size, she distributed thermal base layers, down vests, cashmere pants and sweaters, fur-lined snow boots, wool-lined gloves, and thick military overcoats.

She also issued two units of high-powered electric heaters and portable radiant heaters for every dorm room.