Chapter 13
Xiyue didn't wait too long. At nightfall the next day, the pollution level displayed on the remote control changed.
——Level 4 pollution.
This shows that her speculation is correct. As the countdown accumulates, the pollution level will rise accordingly.
However, Level 4 and Level 5 are the most common contaminated areas in the interstellar space. According to Starnet news, dozens or even hundreds of them appear every day. This made Xiyue curious. Could it be that there are other people holding remote controls and opening contaminated areas everywhere?
Sounds like a mysterious villain organization.
Unfortunately, she didn't have the energy to investigate right now. Furthermore, even if such an organization existed, Xiyue didn't think it would be wise to contact them rashly. What she was most looking forward to now was when the pollution level would be raised to level one.
With each level increase, the destructiveness of the pollution increases exponentially. Once she reaches level one, she can consider repaying Shi Liheng's debt.
After all, Shi Liheng is the commander-in-chief of the 32nd Legion, and an ordinary contaminated area may not be able to deal with him.
As she was thinking, Xipo came over and looked at her light brain, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.
My eldest sister went out yesterday and brought back a lot of supplies. Food, clothes, a water filter... and three modified optical computers. She explained where the money came from, but Xipo was always worried about the optical computers.
It's not about questioning whether it can deceive the optical computer system, but being shocked that someone actually developed such equipment to deceive the system.
After all, the optical computer system controlled and dispatched everything in the entire interstellar system. Cheating the system? Most people wouldn't even think of such a thing.
He had already discussed this topic with Xiyue, who stopped him with one sentence: "Is there a better way?"
At this point, Xiyue simply avoided the topic: "Have you found a good place?"
"...Yeah. This place is close to the edge of the southern district. Going further south, there are basically no people. It should be possible to cultivate farmland."
As Xipo finished speaking, Fernhead emerged from the house, his face brimming with excitement. "Agricultural land? You want to grow food here?! Great, great! I wholeheartedly agree! Even though not even a blade of grass can grow in the ditch."
Xi Yue was amused by his turn of events and raised her hand to slap him on the head.
"Tell me, why can't it grow?"
Fernhead crossed his arms over his chest, stepped on the ground with his toes, and tilted his head up at a 45-degree angle. Before he could answer, he suddenly heard Xipo's low shout.
“Stand still!”
He stood up straight with his arms tightly pressed against his sides, a standard military posture.
Xiyue looked at Xipo in surprise.
Xipo coughed lightly and explained in a low voice: "He said he wanted to be a mecha warrior, and I offered to help him train using the Legion method."
This would actually leave clues that would expose my identity, but... never mind, I'll remind Xipo about it later.
Xipo asked, "Now report, why can't it grow?"
"Sir! My dad said it's because of malnutrition and lack of sun exposure!"
"Lack of sunlight" means lack of light, which is understandable. As for "malnutrition", is it because of poor soil?
Fernhead couldn't explain it clearly, and Xipo couldn't give a textbook answer either. Fortunately, there was a computer. After some research, Xiyue roughly understood the meaning of malnutrition.
The soil was indeed barren, but it was different from what she understood as barren: the soil in the garbage star zone was severely lacking in metal elements. As for the reason, it was closely related to pollution.
On the one hand, metals can be made into mechas or psychic weapons through spiritual smelting. For thousands of years, metal mines in various star regions have been over-exploited, especially in garbage star regions.
On the other hand, almost all the abandoned garbage star areas were due to super-pollution outbreaks. The purification guns used to cleanse the pollution had a strange consumption of metal elements, resulting in a serious lack of metal elements in the land after the pollution areas were eliminated.
When the two reasons are combined, a third reason emerges: since the star region has been abandoned, the soil is simply used to extract metal elements, which causes the soil in the garbage star region to completely lose its vitality.
Xiyue now understood why such a large underground shelter was formed in Star Sector No. 29.
Because the soil of the entire star region has been turned over, refined and then filled in, and combined with the ruins of buildings, one "cave" after another has been formed.
Fern Head was attracted by Xiyue's light brain and gradually lost his straight military posture. He peeked around and was slapped by Xiyue again.
"Go, play with my little sister."
Fernhead was always unhappy, but when he thought of the compressed food in Xiyao's hand, he immediately went into the house happily: "Okay! Little sister——"
Xiyao's suppressed laughter came from the door: "Did you call me little sister?"
"Isn't it? That's what they all call it."
"I have compressed vegetables."
"Beautiful sister——"
Xipo closed the door and his voice became quieter.
He looked at Xiyue: "Do you really want to grow crops here?"
Xi Yue replied, "It's not a good idea to always eat compressed food. We have some money to build a house and live a good life, but in a place like this, it will quickly cause hatred of the rich."
Xipo pondered: "You mean..."
Xi Yue nodded in agreement and asked him, "If a place wants to develop without any foundation, what is the first thing to solve?"
"...food and clothing." Xipo answered, then thought for a moment. "After my father bought the other garbage star regions, his first step was indeed to determine the crops he wanted to grow there, and then to water the entire region with the corresponding growth solution. No, even before the growth solution, he repaired the survival barrier."
Soil is the foundation of crop growth, and a suitable climate is the prerequisite for everything, whether for people or things. The temperature and light energy of all star regions come from the survival barrier.
For Sector 29, the survival barrier had long been broken, and the underground shelters could barely maintain a certain temperature and humidity. For planting, the most pressing issues to be addressed were, as Fernhead had mentioned, sunlight and poor soil quality.
The former requires a survival barrier solution, while the latter relies on plant growth fluid rich in metal elements, both of which can be bought on the market.
Seeing Xi Yue start searching for the survival barrier, Xipo shook his head and said, "No need to check. The annual maintenance cost of the survival barrier is at least hundreds of millions, not to mention repairs."
Xi Yue projected the light screen into the air: "Who said the survival barrier must cover the entire star region?"
On the screen was a picture of a survival barrier with the words "Small barrier, for planting only" written underneath.
Xiyue didn't want to go out at first. After carefully checking the information about the survival barrier, she immediately decided to go to the neighboring star area No. 28.
The economic structure of this world is a bit strange. Shopping malls or second-hand markets seem to be flourishing, but the more high-tech they become, the more signs of monopoly they show.
For example, there is only one company that produces survival barriers - Photosynthesis Technology, and it has set up a distribution station in Sector 28 that specializes in selling small barriers.
This time, Xiyue left the pistol to Xiyao and took Xipo with him.
The two walked towards the North District anchorage and slowed down when they saw the Dome Police Station.
The contaminated area, which had been exposed yesterday, was cleared that afternoon. Aside from the moss on the walls, which had completely vanished, there was no trace of contamination at the site. Even the residents of the nearby North District have returned, continuing to live there.
It seems that although the people in the interstellar space are afraid of pollution, they have long been accustomed to it.
The person in the public security station has been replaced.
One of the two security guards had a sullen look, while the other had a playful smile. Although there was a bit of scrutiny in their eyes, it was much better than their previous impatient expressions.
"When applying for a card for the first time, you need to deposit at least 500 star coins, right?" asked the smiling security guard, who was obviously in a good mood.
Xi Yue: "I know, sir."
"Okay, then you guys do it yourself."
While they weren't paying attention, Xi Yue rolled up her sleeves and pulled out the bio-loader from the side of the computer. Yi Bu must have considered similar situations during development; the size of the loader perfectly matched the fingertip groove on the computer's wall.
After a beep, a picture popped up on the computer.
"Authentication completed
Name: Ji Mingshu
Account number: 3****81
I successfully tricked the system. It seems that the 7 million star coins were not wasted.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the application process, then hand the money to the security guard, who will operate a few times on the computer and approve the application.
Seeing that the other party was in a good mood and had a good attitude, Xi Yue deliberately asked, "The two officers look unfamiliar. What is the appropriate way to address them?"
"I just got back, so of course I don't recognize him. His last name is Chen, a private, and my last name is Chen, a corporal."
The smiling security guard said, nudging his companion with his elbow: "Brother, say hello."
His companion glanced at him with a world-weary look.
They were actually brothers, and it seemed that the younger brother's rank was higher than that of the older brother. The former was a corporal, while the latter was just an ordinary private.
There is no direct flight to Sector 28, so you need to transfer in Sector 31.
Star Region 31 is small, with a population of just under 100,000. It's a small star city. There's only one anchorage, and the crowds are crowded.
Xiyue glanced at the long line and asked Xipo, "Is number 28 also a Big Star City?"
So many people are queuing.
Xipo's expression was gloomy. "It's just that Star Town... Father originally planned to upgrade it to Star City within two years."
Xiyue then remembered that the 28th star zone was originally under Xihai's jurisdiction. It was no wonder she forgot, as the main star zones were all numbered, making them difficult to remember.
She asked, "If it's just Xingzhen, why are there so many people going there?"
"Because it's the second-largest food wholesale market in the Orion Belt. Except for No. 33, all of the seven garbage star districts my father bought have started with agriculture. No. 28 was built the latest and has the best foundation, so all the crops produced in the other six star districts are sent there for sale."
There are a total of 100 star regions in the entire galaxy, evenly distributed in four star belts, each of which contains 24. Although the remaining 4 are also located in each star belt, they were forcibly removed to form the central star belt, collectively known as the central star region.
Xiyue patted Xipo's arm and said, "Didn't you say that father originally wanted to build the 29th star zone? Don't worry, we will take care of it from now on."
Xipo looked at her and held back the words that were about to come out of his mouth: It's easier said than done.
Sure enough, after arriving at the Photosynthesis Technology Distribution Station outside the food wholesale market, his worries became a reality.
"Miss, are you kidding me? 1.5 million can't even buy a micro-Juhe core, let alone the light-emitting pipes, oxygen production equipment, and rainwater recycling equipment required for the survival barrier..."
After only ten minutes, the two of them came out in silence.
The roof of the building was covered with a small survival barrier, with white clouds floating one moment and torrential rain the next. Unfortunately, the cycle happened to be in the torrential rain phase, which soaked the two people to the bone.
Xipo hurriedly pulled her out of the range of the survival barrier and tried to comfort her: "It's okay, big sister..."
"It's okay. Let me buy the growth solution first. I didn't buy it last time." Xiyue suddenly said with a smile, "It will come in handy after all."
The rainstorm woke her up.
There are obvious ways to make money quickly, so why suffer and be poor?
It's General Ishigami, right? I'll be back to pay my debt soon.
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