◎Happy 117th Day: Savior Experience Card◎
Five tons of potatoes would have occupied only a few acres of land before the end of the world.
But now, if someone were to ask who could grow five tons of non-mutated potatoes, Jiang Muyun felt that this was nothing short of a fairy tale.
It's not that Jiang Muyun looks down on the South 1 Base. If the tens of thousands of people at the South 1 Base alone could obtain such a large amount of clean soil for planting, Captain Yu would not have traded potatoes, which are equivalent to grain seeds, at such a price, and the survivors' tables would not have only mushrooms and insects.
Captain Yu knew exactly what Jiang Muyun was surprised about. He gestured to his deputies to stand guard at the door, then said to Jiang Muyun and Chu Buwen, "These five tons were all grown at our base. They're the fruit of three seasons of maturity."
But even with this calculation, the potato harvest at the South 1 Base is more than one ton per season.
This is the harvest despite the extremely bad weather over the past year.
Based on the experience of Jiang Muyun and others in growing potatoes, Jiang Muyun believes that if the temperature is slightly normal, it will be no problem to double the yield.
The amount of clean soil required is not a small amount.
Although Captain Yu knew everyone here was one of his own, he subconsciously lowered his voice. "The soil used to grow these potatoes was mixed by Professor Chen himself. A considerable portion of it was contaminated by unknown substances."
"Are you serious?" Use contaminated soil to create soil that can be used to grow normal crops?
Jiang Muyun's breathing stopped for a moment.
The end of the world, what exactly is the end of the world?
Is it a series of natural disasters, or a man-made disaster after the collapse of order?
In Jiang Muyun's opinion, neither is true.
While the current natural disasters on Blue Planet are certainly horrific, not all the water on the planet has vanished, and humanity is not completely powerless to save itself. At least, haven't those of us standing here relied on our own strength to survive one disaster after another?
When it's hot or cold, people can just dig caves and cellars. When floods come, they go up the mountain. When there's a three-year drought, they migrate to the seaside. They stay away from volcanoes and earthquake zones, and they can always find a place to survive.
Unless the blue planet really shouts "We are tired, let's destroy it", and then starts spreading magma on the surface, or directly dissipates the atmosphere.
As for man-made disasters, that is even more difficult.
Unless someone can control a large number of missile silos at this moment and plow the entire blue planet back and forth several times.
If we rely on the rifles, guns, hand grenades in everyone's hands to bring about a world-destroying disaster, there is only one possibility, that is, everyone has gone crazy, so crazy that they kill everyone they see, and commit suicide if they can't see anyone.
Otherwise, even if the situation becomes as chaotic as Hai City, there will always be a day when everyone learns to stop.
What is now pushing the survivors to the brink of despair is the lack of food and water.
After the end of the world, no edible food can be grown in the polluted land, and the number of edible animals is extremely scarce and difficult to breed artificially.
The most they could hope for was mushrooms, which required a lot of water to eat and even more to grow.
And the cabbage worms attracted by the mushrooms.
It's okay during the rainy season, but what if the drought lasts for one or two years or even longer like it is now?
Where will they get enough water to grow mushrooms?
They may not even be able to get water to boil the dried mushrooms.
Chewing dried mushrooms every day is not something someone who wants to survive would do.
But what if the land could be restored?
Not to mention other precious varieties, growing potatoes all over the blue planet is easier, more water-saving, and has a more stable yield than growing and eating mushrooms.
More than three hundred years ago, a certain Western island nation survived nearly a century of human disasters by relying on potatoes. Not only did its population not decrease, but it increased eight times as much as before, making it the most densely populated country on the blue planet at that time.
Then potato fungal disease became rampant, and the huge reduction in potato production alone directly triggered a horrific massacre that would go down in the history of the Blue Planet. This shows how many people potatoes fed at the time.
The survivors of Blue Star now face continuous natural disasters and an increasingly harsh climate. They don't seek to increase the population by growing more potatoes, but simply hope that the remaining survivors can survive for the time being.
As long as it can be grown in the ground.
As long as the potatoes they grow are normal, not the kind that have mutated into strange shapes and will accumulate toxins in the body if eaten for a long time, they will be very satisfied.
Even such a simple wish is a luxury after the end of the world.
Because there is no soil.
All soils that have been exposed to acid rain, or even soil that has been exposed to acid rain, or soil that has been planted with mutant plants, will undergo irreversible changes in soil quality - at least until Jiang Muyun is reborn, this change is irreversible.
It has become impossible to grow plants that existed before the apocalypse.
The more you use the soil, the less soil there is.
If Jiang Muyun hadn't added some soil to the pots where he planted vegetables from time to time, the scale of their planting would have continued to shrink.
But now, Captain Yu told her that Professor Chen has found a way to restore the soil?
To Jiang Muyun, these words were no different from telling her directly that "the end of the world is coming soon."
Jiang Muyun couldn't help but be in a trance for a moment.
She seemed to be dreaming.
But then, Captain Yu's words brought her back to reality: "But Professor Chen said it was just a coincidence."
Jiang Muyun was a little confused: "Coincidence? What does coincidence mean?"
Captain Yu scratched his bald forehead. "Didn't you work with a team from Dawn Base before? It was to get rid of a mutant wolfhound, right?"
Jiang Muyun nodded, not knowing why Captain Yu suddenly brought up this matter.
Captain Yu frowned and said, "I'm sure you know how that dog mutated into that state, so I won't waste any more words."
They did discuss this matter at the time. The reason was that a strange piece of land appeared near the Dawn Base. The plants and earthworms growing in the soil contained unknown special toxins.
If people ate it, they would be poisoned, just like the red-faced patients Jiang Muyun and the others had seen. The mutated wolfhound they encountered, covered in poison, was suspected to have mutated after eating a poisonous plant or the corpse of a poisoned person.
At that time, Jiang Muyun and others thought that the symptom of redness all over the body was caused by some infectious disease. They were nervous for a while until they met people from the Dawn Base and learned the truth.
Jiang Muyun and others were all deeply impressed by this incident, and when Captain Yu mentioned it, everyone remembered it.
"Professor Chen has been trying to adjust the soil quality. I don't really understand things like acidity and alkalinity." Captain Yu's expression darkened as he spoke. "But as you know, we don't have many of the instruments Professor Chen needs right now. We can only help her collect various soils and let Professor Chen experiment."
"Anyway, Professor Chen uses various soils to grow things, and a few months ago she accidentally planted a field of normal potatoes. She mixed some of the special soil we dug up from the Dawn Base into the soil she was mixing."
When Captain Yu said this, Jiang Muyun also understood what he meant.
Jiang Muyun said, "So, that special soil has run out now, right?"
Captain Yu nodded and said, "When the first crops grew, everyone was busy storing water, so we specially allocated manpower to dig up a lot of that soil. Now the soil is gone, and there's sand outside. Professor Chen doesn't have the conditions to analyze the soil's composition. If we want to continue mixing normal soil, we can only dig it up as it is. Even the slightest improvement won't work."
Jiang Muyun was silent for a moment after hearing Captain Yu's calm words.
Jiang Muyun and Captain Yu confirmed, "Brother, you know that if Professor Chen truly finds a way to restore the soil, Professor Chen and everyone at your South One Base will be recorded in human history, right?"
Captain Yu spread his hands helplessly and said, "Of course I know. The problem is, this was just a coincidence. Professor Chen said that even if the soil we dug up this time and last time were from the same place, the elements inside wouldn't necessarily be the same. So she succeeded last time, but it's hard to say what will happen next time."
The directions and causes of the various mutations after the end of the world are all bizarre, and no one knows what the basis of their mutations is.
Just like that magical piece of soil, whether it is the mutation of animals and plants that has caused the soil to become different, or there is something wrong with the land itself that has nurtured a group of animals and plants with special mutation directions, this is still a mystery.
Even with the help of professional equipment, it is not certain that the mystery can be cracked, not to mention that they are in a situation where they have nothing.
Unless we know the reasons for the formation of that piece of soil, or analyze the specific conditions for improving the soil quality, this is a one-time deal. The biggest benefit is that the South One Base can grow more things, but it has no effect on the survival of mankind.
Judging from the current situation, there is a 99.99% chance that the benefits will only take effect on the South 1 Base.
How excited would Captain Yu be?
But we still have to dig.
Are you always afraid of that one thing that might not be right?
Jiang Muyun looked down at Xiaobai at her feet, bent down slightly and stroked Xiaobai's head twice: "So you want us to help you find soil?"
Captain Yu patted Jiang Muyun's chest and promised, "As long as you bring your Dabai and Xiaobai with us, regardless of whether we find Xiaofen or not, your daily expenses at the transfer station will be covered by our South One Base. If you do find her, all future transaction taxes at the Western Suburbs Transfer Station will be paid by our South One Base."
All transaction taxes are paid by the South One Base!
In other words, all future transactions completed in the name of Jiang Muyun and others will be tax-free.
Without considering factors such as expiration and deterioration, Jiang Muyun would just squat at the entrance of the transit station to contact the caravans for resale. Within two months, she would be able to accumulate enough supplies to last her a lifetime.
Jiang Muyun pondered for a moment and looked at Captain Yu with admiration: "You are really willing to sacrifice everything for humanity."
The reason why Captain Yu did not directly make a tax-free promise was because the transfer station was jointly managed by the South One Base and the North District Base.
If Captain Yu wants to offer tax-free conditions, he must discuss it with Meng San and others in the North District. The cost and risk of searching for Xiaofen this time will also be shared by the two bases.
Apart from the finished soil that he didn't know whether it could be made into a second batch, Jiang Muyun was not optimistic that Professor Chen could come up with any other results, such as the key ingredient that small powder plays in improving soil quality.
It is not easy to do scientific research.
If she really thinks she can easily produce results in such a situation where there is nothing she wants, then it would be an insult to scientific researchers.
Therefore, if the North Base is mixed in, the final result will most likely be a pile of normal soil.
There may not even be any soil.
However, if Professor Chen really produces some results, the North District Base may not be able to benefit much from it.
Will Meng San agree to such conditions?
Unless he actually has a heart that is willing to give everything for the human family.
So Captain Yu simply took the risk himself to save himself from a lot of trouble.
The more Jiang Muyun thought about it, the more she felt that Captain Yu had a noble character, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that this Captain Yu was different from the one she knew before.
Jiang Muyun pondered for a moment and then confirmed, "Could it be that I just found Xiaofen with Xiaobai and you buried me right after?"
Captain Yu was frighteningly honest about this matter: "No way, as long as you're smuggling legally and not too unethical, I definitely wouldn't consider stabbing you. The main thing is that I don't think you and Chu Buwen are good people. Who would stab whom in the end? I'm afraid too."
Jiang Muyun thought about the heavy weapons in her space, and she felt that this matter was quite feasible.
Captain Yu looked a little embarrassed after telling the truth. He continued, "The terrain there is low, and it's become a desert by now. Ordinary people can't even tell where they are. The mutant animals in our base haven't come into contact with people who died from poisoning. I let them smell the soil at Professor Chen's place, but they didn't seem to recognize it either."
Jiang Muyun interrupted, "If they can't recognize it, then Xiaobai is even less likely to recognize it. Xiaobai did encounter someone poisoned, but that was two or three years ago. Back then, there wasn't even a trace of the South One Base."
Speaking of this, Captain Yu said awkwardly, "That's not it. They can't recognize it, probably because they smelled the soil prepared by Professor Chen, not the individual powdered soil—oh, we gave that soil a name, calling it powdered soil, which is pretty cute, isn't it?"
Jiang Muyun's look towards Captain Yu was indescribable.
Little fans, you guys are so stupid to call me that.
Thinking about those people who died of poisoning and that mutant wolfhound, Jiang Muyun almost got goosebumps.
"We figured the soil was there anyway, we could dig it up whenever we wanted, so we had to quickly make it suitable for growing crops."
Captain Yu pretended not to notice the gazes of Jiang Muyun and the others, and said calmly, "After all, no one knew the sandstorm would last for so many days. When you told me it would last at least two months, it was already too late to send people to dig for samples."
Qin Shiwu suddenly interrupted, "That's impossible. You might have had some excuse for doing this, but Professor Chen couldn't have left a sample. There must have been mutant animals in your base that smelled the sample, but they couldn't find that place, right?"
Captain Yu choked.
Jiang Muyun looked at him without saying anything, but his attitude was very clear.
If we don't make this matter clear, they won't take any risks.
Are you kidding? That special soil is buried under the sand layer. Can it be dug out just by digging?
Besides, other mutant animals can’t smell it, but can her Dabai and Xiaobai find a way to do it?
If Dabai and Xiaobai could really find this place, then for the sake of making her future life better, she might even grit her teeth and make a trip there.
But if it is as Qin Shiwu said, even if she ventures out, the chances of finding it are very slim, then why should she take this gamble?
The risks and benefits are completely disproportionate, and Jiang Muyun doesn't have the great ideal of saving the world. She would be crazy to take risks with the people from the South One Base.
Eat as much as your bowl can hold. Jiang Muyun is just an ordinary survivor with a few more years of survival experience than others. She has nothing to do with saving the world.
Seeing that everyone had made up their minds, Captain Yu could only rub his hands and whisper, "An animal smelled it, a mutant dog, and it ate it directly."
"Eat it?" Jiang Muyun and others were shocked by the answer.
What's wrong? I've heard of dogs eating unspeakable things, but I've never heard of dogs eating dirt?
Having said all that, Captain Yu decided to go all out: "He ate it. He really ate it. At first, he didn't want to smell it, and kept avoiding it no matter what I said. Then, after much effort, I finally coaxed him over, but as soon as he got close, he barely sniffed twice before he slurped the whole thing up with his tongue. I couldn't stop him."
Jiang Muyun silently stood in front of Xiaobai: "And what happened to the dog now? Was it poisoned or mutated?"
Captain Yu was also puzzled when he talked about this: "Mutation... should secondary growth also be considered a mutation? Anyway, its shoulder height is now as high as my waist. It seems to be grinding its teeth or something these past few days. It's been looking for things to chew on all over the base. It almost chewed a hole in the concrete wall."
Captain Yu was not short, he was over 1.8 meters tall. The dog's shoulder height could reach Captain Yu's waist. It was really scary to think about it.
Captain Yu pitched the idea: "Our operation has low risk and high returns. We'll have someone to accompany you the whole time, so you won't have to do any physical labor. We'll even have dog sleds to help you get going—the kind that can pull your dog along as a passenger. If we can't find it, we'll just turn back immediately without any delays."
Captain Yu sincerely invited: "Please consider us, what if you can win the savior experience card?"
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