"Yes, that's true. The plants around the yard aren't very big. Do you see them over there on the ground?"
Following the direction Cheng Shaolin pointed, there was a clump of plants growing at the base of the wall outside that courtyard.
It looks a bit like chives, with long, thin leaves that hang down like hair.
“Oh, that one? I know it. It’s just a regular Chunlan.” Shao Jie blurted out immediately.
He recognized it immediately because there was a flower bed near his house where it was planted.
Cheng Shaolin nodded, "Yes, that's it. Look at it, how does it look? In this environment, it should be like other plants. It should be growing more lush and robust."
That's true. It looks almost the same as before the apocalypse, just a tiny bit better and a little bigger.
“Its growth is not right,” Xiao Peng asserted.
"Yes, that's right. It seems a bit unusual." Shao Jie thought so too.
"But why is this happening? Have you ever thought about it?"
Everyone lowered their heads and fell into deep thought.
Something's clearly wrong; it's unreasonable for them to be tall and big. But in the current environment, it's even more strange to find some who are small and not strong.
“In the past, I’ve only seen places where there are mutated plants, and the other plants around them don’t grow well. But it wasn’t this bad before; at least they grew lush and healthy. But here, it’s very different.”
Yu Yanbin observed the surroundings and realized something was wrong.
"Is it like it's absorbing nutrients, but there are no other nutrients around to absorb?" Li Xiao tried to recall her experience growing vegetables.
I've heard people say that you need to fertilize and weed when growing vegetables or planting crops. Even though you don't need to in your own space, that's just how it is.
If there are too many weeds, won't they absorb all the nutrients from the planted vegetables, causing them to grow poorly?
Could the same principle apply here, since they are both plants?
After she said that, everyone's eyes lit up.
Yes, if it grows so big, it must have plenty of nutrients. If the cactus has a lot of nutrients, then the plants next to it will have less.
"Then what does this mean?" Tian Tian asked, puzzled.
Shao Jie patted Tian Tian's head. "Silly girl, this means the cactus has absorbed all the nutrients around it. Look around, look at the ones near it, none of them are growing well. Except for it." He pointed to it for Tian Tian to see.
There was only this one tall plant around, which looked quite out of place.
Unlike other mutated plants, it can provide nutrients to other plants in the vicinity.
This plant didn't grow at all; it was tall and strong, while the surrounding plants were all thin and short, barely growing at all.
Since the apocalypse, the plants they've seen have always been somewhat different, always had some unique features. But the plants surrounding this cactus all seemed perfectly normal.
"The fact that it can absorb so much and still grow so big means it must be very strong, having absorbed all the nutrients from its surroundings."
Tian Tian stared wide-eyed at Shao Jie, who was speaking eloquently.
“Yes, Shao Jie is right, that’s exactly the point.” Yu Yanbin nodded approvingly.
"oh."
Tian Tian then noticed that the Cymbidium goeringii by the courtyard wall, the spider plants on the balcony doors of the opposite building, the roses, and the climbing roses that couldn't be seen from inside the courtyard, were all almost the same as before the apocalypse. Some were even thinner and smaller, as if they were malnourished.
Centered on this courtyard, all the houses within a ten-meter radius are exposed, with even the walls and roofs spotless.
He seemed out of place.
"So, it's going to be difficult to deal with?" Tian Tian asked Shao Jie in a low voice.
"Yes." Shao Jie nodded firmly.
After listening, Tian Tian turned to look around. Everyone looked unwell and tense.
That's true; if the houses look intact, there's likely to be more supplies there.
However, looking at the towering cactus, Tian Tian sighed.
To get inside, we need to deal with this problem outside first. Everyone thinks this cactus is very strong, so what should we do?
"Brother, what should we do? I think we should be careful. Bananas have special methods, and this one looks even more powerful. It must have even more methods."
Cheng Shaolin understood this as well, "Yes, definitely."
Li Xiao's eyes lit up. "Brother, do you think its thorns could be weapons?"
The thorns on the cactus are particularly thick, like steel needles, and some are as long as chopsticks. The cactus leaves also have quite a few, not densely packed, but close enough.
If it were a weapon, how painful would it be to pierce someone?
Everyone couldn't help but shiver.
"Holy crap, no way, that could kill someone!" Shao Jie exclaimed.
Yu Yanbin glared at him. "If it's an accident, it could be fatal."
Shao Jie hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Uh, hehe." He was at a loss for words and awkwardly scratched his head.
"Look how careless you are, being so young." Tian Tian pouted at him.
"How could that be? If you dare to be careless, you must have a death wish."
"It's best to know." Yu Yanbin looked at him sideways.
"No, no, how could I be upset about such a good life? I have plenty to eat and drink every day, and I'm so comfortable. I can't bear to give up such a good life." Shao Jie practically patted his chest to assure him.
"This one might be tough to deal with, so be careful. Shaolin, you'll lead the attack with me."
"Okay, sure."
"You guys provide support."
They were referring to Meng Yang, Qiu Fengyu, and Shao Jie, who were with them.
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