Chapter 52 Fish Fry and Stream Territory Environmental Improvement

Lin Nanxing casually pulled a can of ice-cold beer from the box and handed it to Wu Fan next to him, speaking as if they had known each other for a long time: "Uncle Wu, here, have this. It's still within its expiration date."

Wu Fan was taken aback by the address "Uncle Wu," and then waved his hands awkwardly, saying, "This, this is too much trouble, Miss Lin. This beer is a rare commodity these days. If you don't like it, you can take it out and exchange it for money; that's a source of income."

He refused outright, but his eyes were uncontrollably fixed on the can of beer that was handed to him, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Lin Nanxing could easily see through his insincerity. She smiled indifferently and flicked her wrist, easily tossing the beer over: "Here you go. I didn't have to put in much effort to get it, so don't be polite with me."

Wu Fan was startled and hurriedly caught the can of beer.

Before he could refuse again, Lin Nanxing interjected, "Relax, this thing is nothing in our territory. It keeps respawning in the vending machine in the commercial district, and sometimes the residents of our territory can get a can or two when they go out to hunt monsters in teams."

"It's just a thirst-quenching drink, nothing that expensive."

Holding the cold metal can, Wu Fan suddenly realized that this was not the familiar, resource-scarce outside world, but rather the Star Territory, a desert oasis.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside him. He shook his head and chuckled, his expression a little depressed. No longer being coy, he pulled the tab on the can with a "click" and downed the entire can of beer in one gulp.

The cool liquid, carrying the aroma of malt, slid down his throat, making him even more determined to become a formal resident of this territory, no matter what!

Having shared a bottle of beer, the atmosphere between the two became noticeably closer and warmer. During their conversation, Lin Nanxing learned about Wu Fan and his group's background and their experience as merchants. She immediately understood why rescuing this team would trigger a hidden mission from the system.

A caravan with extensive experience, connections, and resources along multiple trade routes possesses a potential value far exceeding that of an ordinary combat squad.

Lin Nanxing's mind raced, and he took the opportunity to inquire about the situation in Chixia Town and Yunpei Town from Wu Fan, as well as whether there were any other villages or towns in the surrounding area with considerable strength that were worth befriending or that needed to be watched out for.

Having traveled all over the country for so many years, Wu Fan had his own way of judging people. He keenly realized that the girl in front of him was probably no ordinary person. After thinking for a moment, he told her about his knowledge of the area around Xingxing without reservation.

"That's about it. The territory is located in a very remote area, and there aren't many towns nearby."

Based on Wu Fan's introduction, Lin Nanxing became even more certain that Yunpei Town and Chixia Town could establish diplomatic relations as sister towns.

As for the third town, Wu Fan had no clue either.

The information about the man in front of him was very important. In return, Lin Nanxing casually revealed, "By the way, I heard that the territory will be reviewing a batch of applications for official residents in three days. There are quite a few slots available this time. Basically, anyone who has made contributions to the territory recently and whose character is not problematic can pass."

Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Wu Fanqiang suppressed his excitement and solemnly said, "Thank you for letting me know, sister. I accept you as my uncle!"

Lin Nanxing stayed by the swamp for nearly an hour with great interest. In addition to the case of beer that he caught at the beginning, which was a great start, he also caught a number of strange things.

A rusty kitchen knife, hmm, suitable for attacking people, but you might get tetanus from it.

A few bundles of damp but not rotten wood would be a good breeding ground for glowing mushrooms, and half a box of expired canned goods...

Of course, she disdainfully tossed the canned food back into the swamp.

Although most of them are small gadgets with limited practical value, the process itself is full of unknown fun and proves that the "swamp fishing" project has great development potential.

Lin Nanxing thought deeply about it. Besides being a form of entertainment, swamp fishing could also become an alternative means of acquiring resources.

After all, monsters rarely appear during the Eternal Night, and with a lack of a stable source of income, some players must be having a tough time.

Wu Fan watched her pick and choose, his heart bleeding with jealousy. He had been sitting there for three days without a single bite, while this person had caught four different things in just one hour.

Lin Nanxing had no idea that her actions were particularly hated. Having confirmed the project's feasibility and obtained valuable outside information from Wu Fan, she felt she had gained a lot and was satisfied, preparing to pack up her fishing rod and head home.

Just as she was about to lift the rod, the Swamp-Eating Rod in her hand vibrated again.

"Huh? There's more?" She exerted force on her wrist and suddenly lifted it upwards!

This time, what was caught was not a box, but a bucket filled with clear water, inside which dozens of tiny, silvery fish fry were swimming leisurely.

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully caught a bucket of 'unknown species of ornamental fish fry']

Almost simultaneously, another module of the system store interface in her mind was unlocked.

[Congratulations, host, you have acquired an ornamental creature and successfully unlocked the landscape module in the shop.]

Reward: Stream x1 (already in backpack)

The landscape module is now activated. You can visit the store to purchase related buildings, such as lawns, fountains, and city landmarks.

Please continue your efforts, host, and let's create a perfect territory together!

Faced with the system's sudden action, Lin Nanxing stopped carrying the bucket.

Wu Fan noticed something was wrong and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this bucket of stuff?"

Lin Nanxing suppressed his inner joy and shook his head, saying, "It's nothing."

It's not that her territory is devoid of fish. Since unlocking the livestock module, she can buy offspring of any edible animal, including various edible fish fry.

But this was the first time she had ever seen ornamental fish, and unexpectedly, it led her to unlock a new shopping module.

This is truly a delightful surprise.

Of course, compared to that, Lin Nanxing was more concerned about the reward he received. What did this 'stream' refer to?

She opened her backpack, and the system reward items were conveniently placed at the very front.

Clicking on the item unfolds the interface, and the detailed description of Xiaoxi makes Lin Nanxing gasp.

[Natural Landscape - Stream]

[Description: A small, crystal-clear stream with pristine water. It can be placed anywhere you like, and its layout allows it to expand and integrate into the local ecosystem.]

It's actually a stream that can be placed anywhere!

Lin Nanxing immediately thought of where to place this stream. Ever since the farm and breeding farm opened, it has been one of the places that people in the territory must visit every day.

Of course, there were some impolite people among them, who sometimes disrupted the normal operation of the farm and its livestock, and several people on the farm had reported this problem to her.

Zhou Qisheng has been worrying about this matter for the past few days. After all, he can't keep them all out, otherwise, how can he do business?

This little stream can be a great help.

A stream placed around a farm or breeding area can both deter impolite behavior from onlookers and not obstruct the view.

Of course, we must commend Zhou Qisheng here. When he was planning the new layout of the territory, he had already reserved the positions for placing barrier zones in each area.

"Uncle Wu, I have something to do, so I'll have to go now."

Wu Fan watched the girl, who was clearly in a good mood, skip and hop away. He pursed his lips in confusion, turned to look at his still motionless fishing rod, and silently put it away.

Having obtained the intelligence, there's no need to continue being a shameful air force fishing addict.

After receiving confirmation from Zhou Qisheng, Lin Nanxing did not delay and immediately pulled up the territory map, drawing a winding curve along the edge of the farmland area.

Should the "Natural Landscape - Stream" be placed in the designated area?

Lin Nanxing was in the rest pavilion that the farm had built for its employees. Looking at the bare cement ground in front of him, he clicked "confirm".

The moment she clicked "confirm," the ground in front of her began to sink at a visible speed, its texture changing from cement back to sand, and then back to soil.

Clear water suddenly appeared and flowed along the path Lin Nanxing had just drawn.

The gurgling sound of water broke the silence of the eternal night, and the splashing water attracted the coriander spirit who was supervising the work.

It curiously rubbed against Lin Nanxing's feet, poked out a leaf, stared at the flowing water in front of it, and was eager to try it out.

Lin Nanxing looked down at it and smiled as he gently touched its lush green leaves with his fingertips: "If you're curious, go in and play. Don't worry, this stream is very safe. It's just ordinary clean water with nothing strange about it."

Upon hearing this, the coriander spirit's leaves trembled excitedly, making a cheerful "splashing" sound. The next second, it took a step forward and jumped into the clear stream with a "plop".

The stream was only two or three meters wide at its widest point, and its depth was just enough to cover half of the coriander extract. Its roots instinctively extended downwards, easily sinking into the soft, fertile mud at the bottom of the stream.

The cool water enveloped it, making it comfortably shake its leaves.

Feeling absolutely safe, the coriander spirit became even more excited, and its leaves rustled again, as if summoning its underlings.

Since the coriander spirit adopted Lin Nanxing as its master, it has been eating well, sleeping well, and in a good mood. This good condition has led to more and more of its clover-like offspring.

Before long, a magical scene unfolded in the stream: clover stalks lined up and jumped into the water, surrounding the coriander spirit and taking root in the stream.

The slender leaves sway gently with the water flow, forming a small water meadow.

Lin Nanxing admired the stream that had suddenly become vibrant with life, feeling quite pleased. She then carefully poured the bucket of ornamental fish fry she had just caught into the stream.

"Since we can't eat it anyway, let's just stay alive in there and add some life to it," Lin Nanxing said quietly.

The ornamental fish fry were suddenly moved to a different living environment and immediately panicked and scurried into the clover bushes, which was the only place with shelter.

The clover plants were enjoying their spa treatments, oblivious to the tickling sensation at their feet.

Just as the fish fry adapted to their environment and began to curiously explore their new home, Lin Nanxing's system notification sounded again.

[Hidden Quest Triggered: Territory Environment Improvement]

[Task objective: Arrange five different scenic landscapes within the territory]

Current progress: 1/5

[Reward: Reputation Points +1]