However, as time went on, new problems gradually emerged.

Despite the "Golden Silk Miners' Team" bringing ample iron ore, and Lin Feng successfully forging a batch of iron tools several times stronger than before, and even beginning to try making some simple iron armor, the shelter's core problem—the limited food sources and ever-increasing consumption—remained fundamentally unresolved.

Although the women's careful budgeting had kept him able to maintain his stockpile of dried beast meat, it would eventually run out.

The small vegetable garden that Qin Lan and Su Wanqing cultivated under the influence of the Sun Wheel Wood energy produced a limited variety of fast-growing vegetables, and the yield could not meet the growing population's needs.

Lin Feng stood at the highest point of the shelter, his gaze sweeping across the basin illuminated by the glow of the sun-wheel tree.

The warm light brought a temporary sense of security, but it could not dispel the hidden worries in his heart.

The climate on this planet is unpredictable, with huge temperature differences between day and night. Especially after nightfall, the temperature drops sharply, and the air is filled with a biting chill.

The existing food supply is simply not enough to sustain the shelter through a full alien winter.

He needs a stable, sustainable food supply solution that is unaffected by external circumstances.

"It's time to consider farming."

Lin Feng's eyes became deep and resolute.

This idea wasn't new, but he had previously been busy fortifying the shelter's defenses and searching for more direct food sources.

Now, with the stable operation of the "Golden Silk Miners Team," he finally has the energy to look towards the more distant future.

On Earth, farming is the cornerstone of human survival.

But on this alien planet, it presents an unprecedented challenge. The planet's soil composition is complex, and its climate is harsh, making it impossible for ordinary crops to survive.

However, Lin Feng was not entirely clueless. During his previous explorations, he had noticed several unique alien plants whose tenacious vitality in extreme environments inspired him.

He thought of two plants he had occasionally encountered while collecting in the wild before—"Golden Fox Rice" and "Snow Potato".

However, to carry out large-scale cultivation in this frigid region, conventional methods are undoubtedly a pipe dream.

He needs a system that can simulate a warm environment and a device that can insulate against harsh external weather.

His gaze fell once again on the towering sun-wheel tree inside the shelter.

The radiance of the sun-wheel wood is warm and enduring.

It is not only a natural light and heat source, but the unique energy it emits also has an incredible effect on plant growth.

Qin Lan and Su Wanqing's vegetable garden is the best proof of this.

"The sun-ring wood is the key."

Lin Feng made up his mind.

He needs to cut down more sun-wheel trees, not only for building materials, but also to harness their light and heat to power his upcoming agricultural program.

As for materials to isolate the external environment, Lin Feng once had a bold idea.

During one of his expeditions, he discovered a peculiar alien vine. The vine's outer skin was translucent, tough yet elastic, and when peeled off, it retained its original shape and was translucent.

At the time, he just found it novel, but now it seems like it's just natural "plastic".

"Greenhouse!"

A complete plan gradually became clear in Lin Feng's mind.

He plans to utilize the energy of the sun-wheel tree and the properties of its transparent vines to build five large greenhouses where he will grow golden fox rice and sweet potatoes.

The implementation of this plan is undoubtedly a massive undertaking.

It requires a lot of human and material resources, and even more so, meticulous planning and execution.

But Lin Feng believes that this is the only and necessary path to take for the future of the shelter.

The next morning, Lin Feng summoned Qin Lan and Su Wanqing to his residence.

Seeing his serious expression, both of them felt a little uneasy. Lin Feng's emotions had been fluctuating a lot lately, which made them both cautious.

"I've decided to explore new food sources."

Lin Feng got straight to the point, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, his tone calm and firm, "We want to farm."

Qin Lan and Su Wanqing both showed surprised expressions upon hearing this.

"Farming? Mr. Lin, but... but this is an alien planet." Su Wanqing couldn't help but ask, "The temperature is so low, and the soil is different. Can anything grow here?"

Qin Lan added, "Our existing vegetable garden is barely enough to sustain us, and the variety is limited."

Lin Feng waved his hand, signaling them to be quiet: "The farming I'm talking about isn't farming in the conventional sense. I plan to build greenhouses to cultivate some special alien plants using the light and heat from the sun-ring tree."

He explained his plan in detail to the two of them, including the properties of Golden Fox Rice and Snow Potato, the use of Sunwheel Wood, and the idea of ​​that transparent vine.

Qin Lan and Su Wanqing were stunned. They had never imagined that Lin Feng was brewing such a grand and meticulous plan.

Although it sounded somewhat unbelievable, under Lin Feng's unquestionable tone and confident eyes, they gradually began to feel a glimmer of hope.

"But Mr. Lin, building five large greenhouses requires a lot of manpower."

Qin Lan reminded them, "Besides the 'Golden Silk Miners Team,' do we women all need to participate?"

Lin Feng nodded. "Everyone must participate. This is a project that will determine the future survival of the shelter, and no one can stand aside."

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "Of course, I know you have limited strength. I will arrange for the 'Golden Thread Miners' team to handle most of the heavy physical labor. You will mainly be responsible for some meticulous work that requires patience."

He glanced at the two of them, especially Su Wanqing: "Su Wanqing, you are knowledgeable and have some understanding of botany. I need you to be in charge of studying the habits of these alien plants, including their growth cycle, soil and water requirements, and the best cultivation methods. Qin Lan, you will be in charge of overall coordination, managing manpower allocation and resource allocation."

The two nodded immediately. Although they felt immense pressure, being able to participate in such an important plan gave them a sense of responsibility and trust.

"Then... what is the first step?" Su Wanqing asked.

"Cut down the sun-ring trees," Lin Feng said without hesitation. "We need a lot of sun-ring tree logs. I want to transplant them into the greenhouse to serve as a natural light and heat source."

His gaze sharpened again: "This work must be approached with utmost care. I will personally lead the 'Golden Silk Miners' team to the Sunwheel Wood Forest to select suitable trees for felling. You, on the other hand, will begin preparing tools, and... searching for that transparent vine."

The plan has officially begun.

Lin Feng assigned the task of logging the Sunwheel Trees to the "Golden Thread Miners Team." He personally led Wangcai and Meiying, with Lingfeng and Zhuiyue conducting aerial reconnaissance, deep into the Sunwheel Tree Forest to carry out a thorough survey.

He needs to carefully select target trees that will not affect the overall ecology of the sun-ringed tree forest, while meeting the needs of greenhouse construction.

Sunwood Forest.

The sun-ring trees here have huge canopies and lush foliage. At night, they emit a soft, warm orange-yellow light and radiate heat, enveloping the entire basin in a strange warmth.

After a day of careful selection, Lin Feng identified about fifty target trees.

The next morning, Lin Feng led the fully armed "Golden Silk Miners" into the Sunwheel Wood Forest.

Unlike previous mining scenarios, this time the tools were more diverse. In addition to sharp iron axes and iron saws, Lin Feng also specially crafted simple wooden wheelbarrows and ropes to assist in carrying the equipment.

The members of the "Golden Silk Miners Team" were already used to Lin Feng's command.

Although they are exotic beasts, under Lin Feng's combined kindness and strictness in training, they have become very obedient and efficient.

Their intelligence far surpasses that of ordinary wild beasts; they can understand Lin Feng's simple gestures and commands, and perform complex collaborative tasks.

"Cut it down!" Lin Feng pointed to a huge sun-ring tree and gave the order.

Several of the strongest golden "monkeys" immediately stepped forward, wielding iron axes specially made by Lin Feng, and precisely chopped at the roots of the sun-wheel tree.

The bark of the sun-wheel wood is tough, and the wood is dense, producing a dull, powerful "thump, thump" sound with each axe strike. However, the members of the "Golden Thread Miners' Team" possessed astonishing strength, embedding their axes deep into the trunks and sending wood chips flying.

Other "monkeys" used huge iron saws to cut the tree trunk on the other side.

The saw teeth rubbed against the wood, making a harsh "squeak, squeak" sound, and the unique fragrance of the Japanese privet filled the air.

They have a clear division of labor and work together seamlessly. Some are responsible for the main attack, some for clearing obstacles, and some keep an eye on the direction in which the trees are falling to ensure safety.

Lin Feng observed and directed from the side, correcting their movements from time to time or adjusting the logging strategy.

He ensured that each tree was felled while preserving its integrity to the greatest extent possible so that it could be used for the construction of the greenhouse.

With a loud "crack," the first sun-ring tree collapsed, its massive canopy crashing to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust and dead leaves.

After the tree fell, the golden "monkeys" immediately stepped forward and began to trim the branches with axes and saws, cutting the massive trunk into lengths suitable for transport.

The cut logs, with the cooperation of the "Golden Thread Miners Team," were bound together with thick vines and then transported towards the shelter using simple wooden carts made by Lin Feng, or by several "monkeys" working together.

The logs of the sun-wheel wood are exceptionally heavy, but these golden "monkeys" are very strong. They are panting heavily, but none of them show any sign of backing down.

Lin Feng and the "Golden Silk Miners" spent the entire day busy in the Sunwood Forest.

At sunset, the logs of fifty sun-ring trees were successfully transported back to an open space near the shelter and neatly piled into several small hills.

The surfaces of these logs emit a faint orange-yellow glow, and even during the day, one can feel the vitality and subtle warmth they contain.

Meanwhile, the women in the shelter, led by Qin Lan and Su Wanqing, were also working diligently on another important task—finding and collecting transparent vines.

This transparent vine grows in a damp valley on the north side of the shelter, and Lin Feng had described its appearance and characteristics to them.

While the women harbored fears about mining, they were far more enthusiastic about collecting this relatively lightweight material. After all, it concerned their own future.

With her keen observation skills about plants, Su Wanqing quickly identified the unique vine.

Its stem is translucent milky white, with faint green veins visible inside, and its outer skin is smooth and elastic. When they carefully tear off a piece, it can hold its shape in the air like a thin film and is translucent.

"This is it!" Su Wanqing exclaimed excitedly.

The women quickly got to work gathering the vines. They carefully peeled off large pieces of the transparent outer layer with small knives, then rolled them up and placed them in the prepared baskets.

Although the outer skin of this vine is tough, it is not difficult to peel off. With the right technique, you can get large, intact "films".

Tang Bao, Ruan Mengtian, Shen Jiaqi, and others demonstrated even greater efficiency and enthusiasm during this mission than when they were mining.

They handled each vine with utmost care, afraid of damaging this precious "greenhouse material." Qin Lan was responsible for planning the route, ensuring their safety, and coordinating the transportation of supplies.

Three days later, the open space of the shelter was piled up with transparent vine films rolled into cylinders. They shimmered with an unusual luster under the light of the sun-ringed trees, waiting to be made into plastic sheeting for greenhouses.

The first phase of material preparation has been successfully completed.

Next came the actual construction of the greenhouse.