Chapter 012 Dating Again

Bai Su felt a little ashamed being looked at like this.

But after much hesitation, he decided to shamelessly ask, "Your Majesty, how long does the enchantment of gold last?"

"It will last until the day you leave this world." The Son of God said with a smile.

But Bai Su always felt that he saw the words "until you die" in Garcia's eyes...

"Well, farmer, I think Captain Keos can answer your question." Garcia gestured for the attendant to see him off. "It's time to pray. If you don't mind, please—"

Following Garcia's gesture to see them off, Baisu and Keos were driven out of the palace by the servants waiting on the side in an unyielding manner.

The two stood at the door, looking at each other.

Bai Su scratched his head and smiled embarrassedly: "I think I annoyed him."

Keos smiled.

He always felt that the Son of God was not really angry with Bai Su. Instead, there was a faint sense of harmony between the two of them.

And privately, Keos didn't think anyone would really dislike this enthusiastic and cheerful young man.

So he followed the Holy Son's advice and said, "Your Majesty is right. If you have any questions, you should ask me. I am very familiar with Boeing Town."

…

They came to Benjamin's restaurant again.

"Blueberry foie gras cone, caramelized onions, grilled prawns with white asparagus and mango curd, grilled pork and black truffle sandwich, goat milk bavarois, and a pitcher of iced pomegranate juice." After Koos skillfully ordered the meal, he handed the menu to Bai Su.

Bai Su shook his head, indicating that Keos had already ordered a lot.

"Okay, that's all, thank you Lisa." Keos returned the menu to Lisa who was winking at him.

Lisa raised her eyebrows, said "The date went well", and walked away arrogantly.

Bai Su took a sip of the barley tea and glanced at the calm Keos - neither of them mentioned Lisa's words about a date.

No admission, but no denial either.

Bai Su secretly thought that the centaur in front of him was so tall and handsome. He had the face of an FBI agent in an American TV series, and his body was as perfect as an athlete.

If this were a date, I'd be the one getting the upper hand.

Thinking of this, Bai Su curled his lips happily.

"Well, tell me about your problem?" Seeing the black-haired young man seemed to have thought of something and laughed happily to himself, Keos gently suggested, "Perhaps I can help you solve it."

Bai Su supported his face with one hand and thought for a moment before saying, "Well... actually, I don't have many questions. To be honest, everything is going well at this stage. In fact, the germination rate of the seeds has far exceeded my expectations. I always feel that with the blessing of magic, the rice will grow amazingly."

"Maybe soon we can realize our dream of hybrid rice covering the entire world!"

Bai Su's face broke into a huge smile as he thought of that vision.

Although Keos didn't know what it meant to sit under the shade of wheat, he was also infected by the youth's energy at the moment.

"Is this your dream?" he asked.

Bai Su said very seriously: "In my hometown, enjoying the coolness under the rice plants is the lifelong pursuit of every agricultural worker."

"What do the fruits of this hybrid rice look like?" Bai Su's strong recommendation made Keos extremely curious about this crop that he had only seen once. He found it difficult to imagine what kind of magic that golden rice ear had that could make the black-haired young man in front of him like it so much that his eyes lit up.

Bai Su was a little distressed: "Let me think about how to describe it to you?"

How can I instill the concept of staple food into someone who has never eaten rice? Bai Su suddenly felt that he regretted not having read enough books when he needed them.

At this time, Lisa was pushing a food cart and delivering the food they ordered.

Plate after plate of country stew was served on the table. Bai Su looked at the simple Western food that had disgusted him and suddenly got an inspiration.

He pointed to the plate of caramelized onions and said, "Look, Keos, this plate of caramelized onions is very small."

"Yes," Keos explained, "This dish is delicious, but it's heavily seasoned. It's only suitable as an appetizer. Eating too much will make you thirsty."

"But everything will be different with rice!" Bai Su clapped his hands and said excitedly.

"The fruit of hybrid rice, after simple processing, becomes a food called rice."

"Rice has a light flavor and pairs perfectly with just about anything you can think of! For example, with this caramelized onion dish, I'll take a small bite of the caramelized onion and then a big mouthful of rice. It's not only not greasy, but also feels really sweet!"

"If you eat wheat bread every day, you'll get tired of it after a while, but if you pair rice with different vegetables and meats, you'll never get tired of it."

"Most importantly," Bai Su said mysteriously, "rice has high nutritional value, is abundant in production, and is cheap. This means that anyone, even a poor person, who may not be able to afford wheat bread, can certainly afford rice. Rice is the most simple crop, and it can save everyone from hunger."

While eating the white people's food that made him feel unfamiliar, Bai Su missed the sweet rice in his memory.

"It will save everyone from starvation?" Keos repeated in disbelief.

Keos lives in the capital of the Wenk Empire. He holds a high position of power and has considerable personal assets. He enjoys all the superior material things that his status allows him to access.

But he still remembered that more than ten years ago, when he lived with his tribe in the dark forest, there were many poor people in the surrounding towns who were unable to get enough food and could only eat tree bark and wild fruits to fill their stomachs.

As a wise centaur, Keos knew that the gap between the rich and the poor had always existed. The nobles and the rich always had endless money, while the common people, especially the poor, could not even afford a piece of butter.

"Yes!" Bai Su affirmed, "You only need a bowl of rice, paired with a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes or shredded potatoes, and you'll feel full and nutritious, enough for a person to do a whole day of physical work." After thinking for a moment, he explained, "Rice is a bit like wheat, but both the production method and the price are much cheaper. If you try rice - I'll invite you to my house for a meal after the harvest, and then you'll know..."

"...You will realize that the dishes in front of you are not delicacies at all." Bai Su said in a low voice, fearing that the restaurant staff would hear him and kick him out.

Keos was amused.

He was previously immersed in shock at the food called rice, but now he was completely attracted by the young man's cute and innocent appearance.

Keos asked him, "When can I taste the rice you grow?"

"This is exactly what I need to solve today." Bai Su said seriously.

He leaned forward, closing the distance between himself and the centaur, his warm black eyes seeming to be able to see into people's hearts at a glance.

Keos felt like his heart had just finished a marathon, beating wildly and uncontrollably.

The handsome young man with pure black hair smiled and said, "Great Captain Keos, please take me to the largest free market in town. I need to hire some people to work for me."

…

After the meal, Keos insisted on paying.

He said: "Bai Su, I am also a man. I can't let you pay every time after eating."

Bai Su was a little confused. He didn't understand the necessary connection between the fact that Keos was a man and that he had to pay, but he still respected Keos's wishes.

Moreover, he secretly felt that rather than being a man, Keos gave him the feeling of a loyal and gentle horse.

Bai Su always had an inexplicable awe for the fantasy creature called Centaur, and it was difficult for him to look at Keos as a man.

After all, I am gay - Bai Su tried to use this reason to achieve logical consistency.

After checking the bill, the cashier read out a number: "Hello, your total purchase is 150 copper coins."

"What?" Bai Su was shocked.

The last time they came to this restaurant, they only spent twenty copper coins. How come they spent so much today?

Bai Su asked the cashier, "Are you sure it's one hundred and fifty copper coins?"

Bai Su found it ridiculous. If converted into the currency system of his original world, the couple's meal three days ago cost two hundred yuan, while this one today cost fifteen hundred yuan.

Not to mention copper coins, even Bitcoin cannot increase in price so quickly!

The cashier was obviously of good character. He still maintained a polite smile and told Bai Su with certainty that the bill was exactly one hundred and fifty copper coins.

Keos paid the bill without blinking, and left the restaurant with Bai Su, who was still in shock. When they reached the open area of the square, Keos said slowly, "Bai Su, this price is indeed not a problem."

He explained almost helplessly: "Haven't you noticed? Food is getting scarcer and more expensive."

Bai Su still found it hard to accept: "But...but this price is too outrageous." He sighed deeply, "Is the entire continent like this? Are all the small towns in the East and West Continents like this now?"

Keos nodded. "Food prices have gone up almost everywhere. Even if they're not as extreme as in Boeing Town, they're still not cheap."

As the capital of the Wink Empire, Boeing Town has always had high prices. In addition, there are not many farmers here and all food is imported. During the precursor to this food crisis, the price increase was the largest.

Bai Su looked extremely uncomfortable.

But Keos continued, "As you can imagine, civilians in many small towns outside can barely afford to eat." He then changed the subject and continued, "But your hybrid rice can save many lives."

He took two steps forward, turned around, and made a gesture of invitation to Bai Su.

"Now, let me take you to see the free market in Boeing Town, which is also the most prosperous and bustling free market in the entire empire."

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The author has something to say:

Bai Su: As long as hybrid rice can still grow, I will not allow anyone to go hungry under my nose!