“What’s wrong with grain? Grain is very precious, it’s not like weeds,” Dean Tian retorted.
Dean Xu didn't argue with him. "Alright, alright, you're an expert in this area anyway, just bring it back and study it carefully. If you need any help, just let me know. I've also arranged for people to investigate, and I'll send you a copy when I have any news."
"Okay, thank you! For the future of Qinghua Kingdom, how about we temporarily put aside our competition, unite, and share resources?"
"no problem!"
Dean Xu also knew that with their comprehensive department involved, they often suppressed Lao Tian. The two sides were frequently in competition, but on matters of principle, both were clear-headed and knew that now was not the time to act childishly.
After hanging up the phone, Dean Xu went to report to General Manager Li.
When he walked in, beaming with joy, he was met with a big eye roll.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you being so reckless?" Chief Li looked up at the person who came in, then lowered his head to work on the documents again.
Dean Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "I was just too excited and couldn't stop myself."
General Li put down his pen, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What, do you know why the seawater disappeared?"
"No, but I have some fantastic news to share."
"What good news? Tell me."
Dean Xu took out his phone, opened the most popular topics of the day, and showed them to General Manager Li.
"Look, we've discovered a mutant plant in our Qinghua Kingdom, the kind with an incredibly high yield. The locals are worried it's caused by radiation and are afraid to eat it, so they took pictures and uploaded them online. I've already sent people to check it out, and it's confirmed to be real. If research proves that these plants have no toxic side effects, then if we promote their cultivation on a large scale, we'll never have to worry about not having enough food again!"
General Li's eyes lit up, his face full of surprise. But he remained rational and asked, "How can you be sure it's not because of radiation?"
Dean Xu rolled his eyes: "Isn't it obvious? If there were a nuclear leak somewhere, wouldn't you know? Besides, judging from the location, the mutated plants are spread across most of Qinghua Country, mostly in the suburbs. Even if they were affected by nuclear radiation, they couldn't be so scattered."
General Li nodded and said with a smile, "That makes sense. It would be wonderful if it could really be popularized."
Dean Xu also smiled and said, "Yes, Old Tian can finally put his mind at ease."
Because this news wasn't censored, people throughout Qinghua Kingdom, as well as some influential figures abroad, quickly learned about the mutated food. Shocked, they began searching for unusual plants in their vicinity.
In a short time, the research institute received many videos and photos, all requesting experts to identify whether they were mutated plants.
Dean Xu arranged for people to patiently answer questions, but only one-tenth of them were of research value.
But they did not give up and continued to mobilize the masses in the hope of finding more samples.
Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan were at work when they heard a gasp from the next office. After inquiring, they learned that "mutant plants" was a trending topic.
Shen Yanming pretended to be very surprised, then gave his wife a meaningful look. She had her eyebrows curved and her face was full of joy.
Shen Yanming suppressed a laugh, cheered with everyone for a while, and then accompanied his wife back to the lounge.
The first thing he said after closing the door was, "Are you relieved now?"
Bi Qiaoan nodded: "Of course, otherwise I always felt that they were not adapted to the environment and did not grow. Now it's great, Qinghua Kingdom has high-yield grain seeds again."
Shen Yanming shook his head with a smile: "Don't be too happy yet. It would be troublesome if it can't be inherited."
Bi Qiaoan didn't take it seriously: "Our scientists are so capable, they'll definitely figure something out. If it really doesn't work, I'll just..."
"Stop, put an end to your crazy ideas. This has been high-profile enough."
Bi Qiaoan pouted: "Fine, fine, let's leave it to fate, that's it."
Shen Yanming comforted him, "You've already done a great job, giving everyone a chance to survive."
“But the chance of survival is too small, and we don’t even know if it will be useful.” Bi Qiaoan took out her phone and glanced at it before asking Shen Yanming, “Do you think someone might confiscate the spiritual plants and keep them for themselves?”
"There should be some, but not many. The alliance has given a lot of compensation, and if you hand them over, the reward you will receive will be more than if you keep them to yourself."
Bi Qiaoan nodded: "I hope that by relying on the power of technology, we can popularize these spiritual seeds in the near future."
Shen Yanming thought it was unlikely, but he didn't discourage her enthusiasm.
By early September, the recruitment of contract workers had begun again.
This time, due to the unusual situation at sea, almost no one signed up to go abroad, but the number of people going to build shelters in the Kunmeng Mountains was overwhelming.
The alliance had to adjust its recruitment plan and discuss with foreign partners whether it could end the cooperation early.
The neighboring small countries would love to have this. Through a year of observation and learning, they have already grasped the basics of crop cultivation. While not experts, they can certainly grow cucumbers and tomatoes without much trouble.
They loaded the grain allocated to Qinghua Kingdom onto ships, airplanes, and trains, and waved goodbye to the guards and laborers who came to provide support.
As for the criminals and the agricultural experts, the former almost all chose to stay in the area and continue their lives of working from sunrise to sunset. The latter, however, declined high-paying offers and resolutely returned to their homeland.
They're not stupid. Although information isn't as readily available abroad, they can tell from the locals' terrified expressions and language that something big must have happened.
Faced with danger, it is still our motherland who is more powerful. If they want to save their lives, they still have to rely on Qinghua Country. What's more, their relatives, friends, and homes are here.
When the laborers returned home with the fruits of their year's labor, their parents, wives, and daughters were overjoyed. The alliance had kept its promise and shared a portion of the produce with the individuals. This was equivalent to them having several more acres of land. It was truly the envy of everyone.
But it's just envy; now no one dares to sign up for overseas support anymore. The ocean could unleash its fury at any moment, and going abroad now is practically risking your life for your future. So all you can do is silently regret not being bolder back then.
By late September, the recruitment process was complete. This time, Qinghua Kingdom directly recruited nearly a million laborers to build shelters in the Kunmeng Mountains. Those laborers who had worked there for a full year were finally able to return home.
Zeng's parents were heartbroken to see their son, who had become so thin he was practically skin and bones. But no matter what, he had come back alive.
"Son, quickly let your mother see if you are injured anywhere?" Zeng's mother looked at the scars on Zeng Yiming's hands and was about to take off his shirt.
Zeng Yiming quickly pressed his mother's hand and comforted her, "Mom, it's okay, it's very safe where we are. These are just accidental scratches, there's definitely no serious injury. Don't say I'm thin, I'm actually quite strong, my strength has increased a lot."
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