The shed was filled with the constant clucking of hundreds of chickens, and the distinct smell of the chicken farm1
hit Zhao Linong as soon as she stepped inside. She carefully made her way through the chickens, unfazed, and sent a message: [I’ve arrived.]
Moldy Gas Tank: [Keep following the automatic feeder. I’m at the very back.]
Zhao Linong followed the directions until she reached the far end of the shed, where she finally spotted a short-haired girl leaning on a cane, standing near a couple of chickens.2
Hearing footsteps, the girl turned and greeted her, “Farmer Xiao Zhao”
Zhao Linong nodded in acknowledgment. “Senior, I’m here to buy some chicken manure.”
Wei Li slowly shifted to the side with the help of her cane. “Come with me.”
They walked over to the storage area where the equipment was kept. As Wei Li bent down to grab something, her crutch slipped, nearly causing her to fall. Zhao Linong reacted quickly, catching her just in time.
Zhao Linong picked up the crutch and handed it back to Wei Li. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you,” Wei Li replied, trying to keep her composure as she steadied herself on her crutches. “The chicken manure isn’t processed yet. You’ll need to wait a bit.”
“No problem,” Zhao Linong replied as she opened a nearby window. “Just let me know if you need any help.”
Wei Li awkwardly started the manure scraper using her crutch. Soon, the strong smell of chicken manure filled the air as it was extracted.
“…I’ll need you to take care of the rest,” Wei Li said, a little embarrassed.
Zhao Linong didn’t mind at all. She had plenty of experience helping out her seniors in the breeding department and was quite skilled at tasks like this.
While waiting for the manure to dry, Zhao Linong noticed Wei Li’s injured left foot and asked cautiously, “Did something mutate with the chickens?”
Having never seen an animal mutation, she couldn’t quite imagine it, but she wondered if they grew rapidly like the plants.
After a brief pause, Wei Li explained, “A cow from the neighboring class escaped yesterday. I happened to be nearby and got hit. My leg broke.”
Zhao Linong remained silent for a moment, then offered, “…Senior, please take care of your injury.”
Once the chicken manure was dry, Wei Li filled two bags for Zhao Linong. After a moment’s hesitation, she added, “If you could come back in three days to help me clean the coop, I won’t charge you any points for this manure, and I’ll even give you 500 points.”
The base routinely recycles manure, but they have to dehydrate it first, using the machines in the shed, which are free to use.
However, with her broken leg, Wei Li had trouble moving around. The chicken coop needed to be cleaned every three days, but now she couldn’t do it alone.
Not only would Zhao Linong get free fertilizer, but she could also earn some points for her effort. It was a deal she gladly accepted.
Zhao Linong brought the chicken manure back to her field, planning to turn it into compost. She also gathered some rice husks from her seniors, mixed them with the manure, and piled everything together. Now, it was just a matter of waiting.
The compost would be ready once the internal temperature of the pile dropped and there was no lingering odor.
He Yuesheng hadn’t been to the field that day. When he noticed the materials piled nearby, he asked curiously, “Why not just spread them out?”
“If you use it directly, the high fermentation temperature of chicken manure will damage the crops,” Zhao Linong explained, adding with a touch of uncertainty, “At least, that’s what I’ve heard.”
“Alright…” He Yuesheng shrugged, “You try it out first. If it works well, I’ll do the same next time.”
Zhao Linong planted the seeds she had bought at the trading market. Since the tomatoes didn’t need immediate attention, all she had to do was attend classes on time. However, after the second month, the teacher stopped focusing on planting and started teaching them how to identify mutated plants.
“Mutated plants can proliferate, sometimes in just seconds,” Kang Anru told the class. “If you can detect a plant’s mutation a few seconds before it happens, you might survive.”
“Does anyone know the signs of a plant mutation?” she asked.
The class remained silent, and Kang Anru wasn’t surprised. She continued, “Plants are rooted in the soil. When they mutate, their roots grow deeper while the stems and leaves shoot up quickly. If you’re sensitive enough, you might feel a slight tremor underfoot.”
Zhao Linong listened carefully, captivated by the topic.
“But this only applies to mutant plants below level C,” Kang Anru added. “Ordinary people can’t sense the movement of mutant plants above level C.”
At that point, a student raised their hand. “Teacher, what are the levels of mutant plants?”
“There are six levels, from A to F. C-level mutant plants are highly dangerous and can grow up to 20 meters long. They regenerate quickly and can only be destroyed by the guards’ guns. D-level mutant plants grow a bit slower, up to three meters tall, and can be killed by cutting off the roots,” Kang Anru explained, showing pictures of typical mutant plants. “F-level mutant plants are mostly weed mutations. They don’t grow taller than two meters, and you can avoid them if you’re quick.”
Zhao Linong remembered the first mutated plant she had encountered, Zeqi. It was also a weed but classified as a C-level mutant plant.
“Teacher, what about levels B and A?” another student asked.
Kang Anru, whose injury had almost healed, leaned on the podium and replied, “You don’t need to worry about those levels. As long as you stay within the base, you won’t encounter them.”
Someone asked, “Does the base post road count as outside the base?”
“Not really,” Kang Anru said. “The base regularly sprays fire protection liquid on the post road, so no plants appear. Even if there are mutant plants, they’ll only be C-level, like this time.”
“Only researchers are allowed to leave the base to study high-level mutant plants,” Kang Anru added, pausing briefly. “I’ve never seen an A or B-level mutant plant.”
Zhao Linong noticed that when Kang Anru mentioned this, she lowered her head and pulled her hands away from the podium. Her expression was a mix of relief and regret. Perhaps it was because she had failed to become a researcher and now lived in relative safety, but deep down, she still yearned to see what those high-level mutant plants were like.
Most students didn’t catch on to this, as the class became more lively with discussion.
“Teacher, did Researcher Luo Fanxue go outside the base?”
“Of course, Ye Changming is with her too.”
Kang Anru tapped the podium to bring them back to attention. “Alright, Researcher Luo will encounter high-level mutant plants, but that’s not something you need to worry about. Focus on understanding mutant plants of level C and below.”
The class was long, but Zhao Linong found it extremely enlightening. It was her first systematic introduction to mutated plants. However, after Kang Anru’s lecture, she also realized that plant mutations were far more unpredictable than she had imagined.
“If the Central Base could lower the mutation level of seeds to F, the death rate among agricultural students at the Ninth Base would drop significantly,” He Yuesheng remarked casually. Noticing Zhao Linong’s gaze, he touched his stomach and added, “I’m hungry. Let’s head to the Second Canteen for some food.”
The two made their way downstairs, and Zhao Linong used her communicator to check on Tong Tong’s whereabouts.
Tong Tong: [I just got to the cafeteria and grabbed us a table. Hurry up!]
The cafeteria was bustling, so having someone secure a spot ahead of time was a real bonus.
As soon as they entered the second cafeteria, He Yuesheng gave Tong Tong, who was holding their table, a thumbs up. “You’re a lifesaver!”
Tong Tong grinned. “Go grab your food now before it gets even busier.”
Zhao Linong and He Yuesheng went to the food counter, picked up their meals, and returned to the table. The three of them sat down, eating and chatting. As usual, He Yuesheng dominated the conversation, talking about all sorts of gossip.
“I went to buy some rose nutrient solution today, and I saw something hilarious on the way,” Tong Tong said, suddenly recalling an amusing incident. “A group of people were chasing a pig that had escaped from the lab. They were going crazy, and one senior even ended up riding the pig.”
“What happened next?” He Yuesheng asked, eyes wide with excitement.
“Well… the bus I was on drove away,” Tong Tong said with a frown, trying to remember. “But as we turned a corner, I think I saw them loading the pig onto a tricycle.”
“It’s the folks from the breeding department,” He Yuesheng said confidently, then sighed, “Those livestock students have it good. They’ve got all kinds of gear and never have to buy anything themselves—Dean Zhou takes care of everything.”
Although the Ninth Agricultural Science Base had “agronomy” in its name, it lacked top-tier technology and planting officers.
Most skilled planting officers would do anything to get into the central base, hoping to work under a researcher and eventually be promoted to that position.
Noticing the worried expressions of her friends, Zhao Linong reminded them, “Let’s eat.”
“Right, let’s eat!” Tong Tong straightened up, took a big bite of rice, and mumbled through a full mouth, “Maybe one day, our base will have an amazing agricultural researcher too.”
As they ate, the conversation shifted to their plans for the next day.
He Yuesheng said, “I’m planning to take someone shopping.”
He had a lot of connections and often traded information with others, earning a profit like a broker.
Having almost finished her meal, Zhao Linong put down her chopsticks. “I’m heading to East District tomorrow.”
…
The next morning, Zhao Linong went back to East District 4-52 to collect chicken manure.
“Senior?” she called out, not seeing Wei Li. She was about to send her a message when she heard the sound of wheels on the ground behind her. Turning around, she was shocked.
This time, Wei Li wasn’t using crutches; she was sitting in a wheelchair with both feet in casts.
Zhao Linong’s eyes widened as she looked at her legs. “Senior, are you… okay?”
“It’s fine,” Wei Li replied flatly. “I just got hit by a pig yesterday.”
Zhao Linong immediately recalled the story Tong Tong had mentioned at the cafeteria the day before and blurted out, “Were you… the one chasing the pig?”
Wei Li slowly raised her head. “No.”
Zhao Linong coughed, doing her best to suppress a grin. “Alright then.”
