Chapter 9
"So what if I'm ambitious? After the apocalypse, aren't there still a lot of ambitious people?"
"Yeah, we've been in the semi-occupied area of X City for so long. How many ambitious guys have we seen at the base who tried to strike out on their own? How many of them died?"
"Don't make a fuss. Maybe the boss has the ability to do it!"
"It's certainly possible."
The three of them talked and discussed a lot.
184 listened quietly and analyzed from their words how difficult it was to build a base.
It’s really not easy!
It may seem easy for its host to build a base, but it is capable on its own and can only successfully build a base with its help.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be that easy!
Thinking of this, 184 felt proud.
184 held his head high and walked with a cat-like gait into the backyard. Mingzhu was actually still awake at this time, washing up in the bathroom.
Speaking of this, we have to talk about the "weirdness" of the building.
After the construction was completed, the room was divided into a bathroom, with a toilet and a wooden tub for showering, but there was no furniture.
These need to be added manually.
However, it has only been a few days, and Mingzhu has only been able to make the stone bed. He has not yet had time to make stone tables, stone benches and the like.
However, Mingzhu has placed clean towels and disposable toothpaste and toothbrushes in the bathroom.
"184, there are not enough supplies." Mingzhu turned and spoke to 184.
"Also, can I build the restaurant in the special panel?" Mingzhu asked. "And if I build it, will it deliver recipes and NPCs?"
"Recipes can be given as gifts, but NPCs can't." 184 answered honestly: "If the host really wants an NPC who cooks, the system can give it as a gift. It can give the host a specific character identity card. The host can use the specific task identity card to summon the relevant NPC."
Mingzhu fell into deep thought, and after a moment, he asked a soul-searching question: "So now, why didn't I get a 'Special Person Identity Card'? Logically, since I built the hotel, I should be able to hire NPCs to act as cashiers and waiters."
"No!" 184 explained, shaking his head. "We don't issue specific ID cards for primary hotel construction, but the host can hire cashiers and waiters from the incoming refugees."
Mingzhu: "...184, it's really tiring to do it alone. I urgently need employees to help."
"But... the program is difficult to change!"
"Just because it's difficult to change doesn't mean it can't be changed." Mingzhu continued, trying to convince 184. "184, you forgot your data was lost. You're destined to have to modify tasks as you release them, and optimize your program. I requested the 'Specific Person ID Card' in advance, but only within a reasonable scope to help you fix the loophole."
184 followed Mingzhu's train of thought, and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He even felt guilty, thinking that he hadn't thought of it beforehand, and that he had to rely on the host to remind him. This was his fault as a system.
184 successfully pua himself.
He spoke with a guilty conscience. "Then, host, I will give you all the rewards for the mission."
"Wait, there's a mission reward?" Mingzhu's eyes widened in disbelief. "184, this is where you're wrong. How can you expect the horse to run without giving it grass to eat?"
No wonder he always felt something was wrong. He had previously thought that the base had not been named, but then he was told that he had completed the mission but did not receive any mission rewards.
Oh!
He was actually pitting his host against his will, unconsciously at that. He was indeed worthy of being the system he was bound to.
Blame him!
They are obviously very familiar with each other, so how could they forget the disappointing attributes of 184?
Although...it was just an unconscious pit!
Mingzhu sighed deeply and looked at 184 with his bright eyes.
184 felt aggrieved and under Mingzhu's threatening gaze, he fumbled and took out a 'Specific Person Identity Card' and four basic task rewards.
[Ding! Complete side quest 1, and receive a special character ID card as a reward.]
[Ding! Complete side quest 2 and receive a portion of spicy hot pot base as a reward.]
[Ding! Complete quest character 3 and receive a set of wooden furniture as a reward.]
[Ding! Complete side quest 4, reward: 10 kg of flax raw materials.]
[Ding! Complete side quest 5, and you'll be rewarded with 1 jin of cooking oil, 1 jin of salt, and 100 grams each of Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and other spices.]
Well, this reward is pretty good, but what about the compensation reward!
Mingzhu looked at 184, and 184 blinked and looked back at Mingzhu.
"What happened to the host?"
Mingzhu: "...compensation reward!"
"Oh, right! I forgot I should give you a compensation reward."
184 remembered that he had promised to give Mingzhu compensation and reward, and 184 was very distressed and handed Mingzhu another "specific person identity card".
"184 keeps his word, hmm!"
At the end of the story, 184 actually started crying sadly. The sadness that flowed like a river made Mingzhu laugh and cry.
Please!
Wasn't this his own promise?
Since the promise has been made, as the "Hantong", it must be fulfilled.
Mingzhu looked at 184's deflated look and didn't even bother to roll his eyes.
"I'm going to sleep now. We can talk tomorrow if there's anything."
"Oh, goodnight host."
"Goodnight 184."
It was another dreamless night. Mingzhu got up early and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
There's rice and millet, though not much, but it's more than enough for making porridge. And the crops from the four plots of farmland are ready for harvest in four days. Each plot yields 300 kilograms, more than enough to last for a while. That's where the seeds come from...
After making breakfast and serving it to the three people staying at the hotel, Mingzhu began to truly disappear. He was not in a hurry to summon the special person, after all, the three people staying at the hotel, Song Heng, had not left yet.
On the third day after the base was built, Mingzhu focused his attention on the production section, which was only open for primary production.
Primary production: You can build farmland, salt fields, poultry houses and thatched gardens!
There's no need to explain farmland and salt pans in detail. As the name suggests, they are farmland for growing crops and salt pans for producing salt...
Poultry houses, as the name suggests, are buildings where chickens, ducks and geese can be raised.
A thatched garden, as the name suggests, is a building that can produce a large amount of thatch.
Imperata cylindrica, also known as white imperata, is a perennial herb in the Poaceae family. It is named for the dense white hairs on its flower spikes and its spear-like leaves, hence the name.
It is found in many provinces of China. Its rhizomes are edible, the flower spikes in the bud stage can be eaten fresh, the leaves can be used to weave straw raincoats, and after drying, they can also be used to pave roofs and build thatched houses.
To make a thatch garden you need 500 wooden planks, 100 thatch seedlings, and 400 stone blocks.
There wasn't enough wood, stones, or even thatch in stock. Mingzhu decided to go and see how much material was needed to build the birdhouse.
100 units of planks, 100 units of wood, 50 units of stone, 200 units of thatch/weeds.
If there is no thatch, weeds can be used instead.
Mingzhu planned to build three poultry houses for the time being: one for chickens, one for ducks, and one for geese. He also needed to dig a pond in the area where the ducks and geese were housed, so they could easily move around.
"Host, you can build a fish pond at the intermediate level of production."
"You said you've reached the intermediate level of production, but I'm only at the beginner level. How can I build a fish pond?" Mingzhu sighed. "First, build a pond, plant lotus roots, and raise some snails, shrimps, and small fish so the ducks and geese can find their own food."
184's eyes widened again. "Is that so? Then shouldn't we adjust the production section?"
"Sure, as long as it doesn't affect you, you can adjust it however you want."
"Adjustments won't affect the system!" 184 replied happily. "Only adding options will affect the system. But it's okay. The system is the way it is now, so no matter how broken it is, it can't be any worse."
Mingzhu nodded to show that he understood, and after a short rest, he prepared to go out to collect the materials needed to build the birdhouse.
Coincidentally, Song Heng and the other two were also preparing to go out. Seeing Ming Zhu, who was wearing combat uniform and looked very imposing, Song Heng was the first to greet him.
"Boss, are you going out?"
Mingzhu nodded, and even told 184 to look after the house in front of the three of them.
184 nodded obediently, watched Mingzhu leave, and then began to adjust the production section of the system panel.
It is just an adjustment, not an addition, so 184 does not lose its own energy.
But 184, disguised as a cat, still adjusted the production section, and then lay lazily on the floor with his limbs spread out, like a cat biscuit.
The adjusted production panel looks like this.
Primary production: farmland, salt pans, poultry houses, thatched gardens, primary fish ponds...
Intermediate production: intermediate fish ponds, special vegetable gardens, orchards, kudzu gardens, flax gardens...
Advanced production: high-end fishing ponds, silkworm farms, tea gardens, pig farms, and what Mingzhu personally thinks is the most important multi-ecological grassland farm, which can selectively breed five edible animals: sheep, cattle, horses, donkeys, and deer.
The fish pond was simply divided into three levels, and the vegetable garden was converted into a special vegetable garden for growing special crops. No other changes were made.
At the same time, Mingzhu, who had driven a light-speed motorcycle for a long distance and had already left the area of City X, received a notice of adjustments to the "production section".
Mingzhu collected the light-speed motorcycle and checked the production section of the system panel. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. It seemed that even if 184 was damaged, it hadn't become artificially retarded.
At this time, Mingzhu was surprised to find that there was a large area of white grass growing only 10 meters away from him.
At this time, the white grass was in bloom, so Mingzhu took out his big knife and began to harvest the grass in large handfuls. After harvesting the large amount of grass growing on the surface, Mingzhu began to dig out the roots.
Thatch roots are not only edible, but can also be used for planting. Thatch roots are actually the thatch seedlings needed to build a thatched garden.
Mingzhu dug carefully and did not stop until almost noon.
"It's time to go back and cook."
Mingzhu stretched lazily and marked the large patch of wild thatch he had discovered. Then he took out his light-speed motorcycle and returned to City X at super-fast speed.
After arriving at the 'Taoyuan Base', Mingzhu looked at the time it took, which was exactly 5 minutes, and the total distance traveled was more than 10,000 kilometers.
"Thank goodness you're here."
Mingzhu patted the light-speed motorcycle under him and then put it away.
"Host, do you want to eat hot pot?"
Mingzhu: "? Don't you think you can't eat?"
"You can't eat it, but Tong can watch the host eat it!"
"There's no meat. Hotpot won't taste good without meat." Mingzhu felt it was a waste to use insect meat in hotpot, so he simply rejected 184's suggestion.
There were mushrooms, wild vegetables, thatch roots and thatch flower buds. Mingzhu simply used the thatch roots to make soup and stingily added a small piece of insect meat into it.
For thatch buds, take the flower spikes and stir-fry them with salt and oil. Chop the wild vegetables and cook them with rice to make wild vegetable rice.
Slice the radish I picked yesterday, add oil and salt and stir-fry over high heat.
After finishing the dish, Mingzhu changed the content of the wooden sign erected outside the restaurant.
Today's special: Breakfast (wild vegetable porridge); Lunch (imperata root soup, stir-fried imperata root flower spikes, wild vegetable rice, stir-fried seasonal mushroom slices); Dinner (special noodles).
Just as the content of the wooden sign was changed, Song Heng and the other two came back.
"Boss, this dish is pretty good!" Zhao Xiaoming exclaimed. "To be honest, Boss, I haven't eaten any fresh vegetables since the apocalypse. I can pick wild vegetables, but I don't know how to identify them. Plus, it's unsafe out in the wild, so I've started eating canned food."
"You can farm." Mingzhu said, "People with wood-type abilities can farm. If you want to eat vegetables, then farm."
"No, a wood-type esper alone can't farm. It requires the cooperation of earth-type and water-type esper."
"The Golden Triangle of Farming?"
"Yes, yes, it's the Golden Triangle of Farming!"
Zhao Xiaoming chattered away, sounding incredibly familiar. It was as if Mingzhu wasn't a particularly formidable person. Even though he'd lived in the interstellar world for years in his previous life and had rejuvenated himself after this time travel, his experience was still there, and he certainly looked much calmer than he appeared.
Mingzhu was a qualified listener and did not interrupt too much, but only said a few words occasionally and asked questions on key points.
"How many days do you plan to stay here?"
Mingzhu gestured to Song Heng and the other three to eat first, and asked them in the middle of the meal.
"We are mainly here to look for the Anshan base." Song Heng said, "We found it when we went out this morning, so we will leave after lunch."
Mingzhu nodded in understanding, without saying anything to keep him.
There was no need to keep them. If nothing unexpected happened, Mingzhu guessed that after Song Heng and the other three found those people in white coats, they would come to his place to rest for a while.
The 'Taoyuan Base' built by Mingzhu is currently just the 'Taoyuan Inn'. Since it is an inn, it must open its doors to welcome guests.
"Bon Voyage."
Mingzhu gave them polite blessings, and after Song Heng and the other two had a hearty lunch, he watched them leave.
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