The next morning, Xie Sen and Mei Yin had just finished breakfast when Long Teng and Bai Jiao came to help them move. Moving with a space backpack was incredibly convenient; everything was packed into the backpack, and the four of them were still empty-handed.
Xie Sen thought back to the days when he lugged his luggage around moving dorm rooms in college and felt incredibly relieved!
Mei Yin contacted the landlord, checked out, and after completing the formalities, the four headed to their new place.
Setting up the house took a while, but fortunately, Mei Yin and Long Teng were strong enough to place the furniture wherever they wanted and move it wherever they felt uncomfortable.
In less than two hours, Xie Sen and Mei Yin's new home was furnished. Seeing that it was still early, Xie Sen took out the plant seeds he had obtained from the Yamu Continent and selected seeds for tall trees.
Long Teng asked curiously, "What are you going to do with this?"
Xie Sen explained the layout of the adjacent land: "I'm going to plant these tree seeds first." Thinking about the poor soil quality, he also took out some watermelon seeds.
Once the plants in the system grew, they could improve the soil quality, allowing the trees to grow successfully.
Hearing this, Long Teng, curious, followed Bai Jiao outside with them.
Xie Sen used white lime powder to mark the area, Mei Yin dug holes, Xie Sen threw the seeds into the holes, and Mei Yin covered the seeds with soil. The two worked together very well.
Seeing their casual manner, Bai Jiao couldn't help but ask, "Will these really grow? Why don't I take the seeds to the lab to germinate them and then bring them to you to plant?"
"No need," Xie Sen shook his head, "This is fine."
The wood energy had been withdrawn, and watermelons had been planted nearby, so he wasn't worried about the growth of the green plants at all.
The four of them worked very efficiently, finishing planting the seeds by noon.
At noon, Xie Sen prepared a sumptuous lunch at the new apartment and invited Xu Da over to thank him for helping take care of the contracted beast. After lunch, Xu Da and the other two said goodbye and left, while Xie Sen and Mei Yin went to the Plant Research Institute.
Ma Qun had granted Xie Sen access, and Xie Sen could swipe his bracelet without any problems. After asking the staff, he went directly to the cultivation base to find Ma Qun.
Entering the plantation, Xie Sen's eyes immediately lit up. Not far away, rows of chili pepper trees grew lushly, their green leaves contrasting beautifully with the red berries.
Several people stood among the trees, walking back and forth along the paths, occasionally bending down to inspect and make notes.
"There," Maine said, pointing to the herd of horses in the distance.
Xie Sen pulled Maine along the path beside the chili pepper trees to find the horses. He walked and looked at the chili pepper trees, his delight growing with each passing moment. The trees were laden with chili peppers, a mix of green and red, roughly equal in number.
"Dean Ma," Xie Sen greeted as he approached, pointing to the chili pepper plant. "The red ones are ripe; you can pick them."
Ma Qun, who was bending over testing the plant, straightened up upon hearing his voice, his face beaming. "This half is for seed, to let it grow longer. The other half will be harvested starting tomorrow."
Xie Sen laughed. "Then I'm in for a treat!"
Ma Qun chuckled. "The first batch of peppers is for you; you'll get your share. The yield is much higher than we expected. In half a month, the green ones will also grow, and the flowers will bear fruit by then." Ma Qun
finished speaking and beckoned to Xie Sen. "Come with me."
Xie Sen pulled Mei Yin along, and the two followed Ma Qun to the edge of the chili pepper field. When they reached the edge, Xie Sen exclaimed joyfully, "Tomato trees! You've succeeded!"
The tomato trees were only about two fingers long, but they grew vigorously. There weren't many; at a glance, there were only about twenty or thirty plants. But as long as they were successfully cultivated, the number didn't matter!
Once these trees grew, they would bear a lot of fruit, and the seeds could be used for mass planting.
Ma Qun nodded, looking at the tomato tree with a relieved expression for a while, then looked at Xie Sen: "I have to thank you for this."
Xie Sen waved his hand: "This has nothing to do with me. The tomato tree was brought back by Researcher Li You, it has nothing to do with me."
Ma Qun said: "Even if we don't talk about saving him, I still have to thank you. Do you remember when I mentioned the tomato cultivation failure?"
Xie Sen nodded: "Yes, you did."
Ma Qun's expression became serious: "When I contacted you yesterday, I said I had a new discovery," he looked at the chili pepper bushes, "Since the chili pepper trees were transplanted into the ground, we have been very careful, doing [something] every day..." "Various data tests."
His gaze fell on Xie Sen's face: "We discovered that as the chili peppers grew, the soil in the area continuously changed, becoming increasingly suitable for plant growth."
His eyes gleamed: "Later, we tested the soil nearby, and the results showed that it was also affected! We discussed it many times, and to confirm this, we deliberately planted tomatoes in the location closest to the chili pepper field, and it worked!"
Xie Sen immediately understood. Adan had said that planting plants could change the soil quality, but the research institute was able to discover the problem so quickly because of their meticulous work, which he greatly admired.
Ma Qun looked at him: "Afterwards, we tested all the land where we planted the crops. Only the chili peppers and potatoes you provided changed the soil quality; the other plants still didn't work."
He asked excitedly, "Where did your plants come from? Did they grow from your contracted plants?"
Xie Sen laughed: "Dean Ma, don't forget, you mentioned two kinds of plants. How could contracted beast plants grow two different kinds of plants? The chili peppers are my contracted plants, and the potatoes were found in the wild."
Ma Qun pondered: "What did you do after you got the potatoes?"
Xie Sen shook his head. Ma Qun frowned and muttered to himself, "That's very strange. Why can they change the soil quality like the chili peppers?"
Xie Sen laughed: "Perhaps you fertilized them?"
Ma Qun shook his head: "No, we've been applying various fertilizers to the land all along. " "It provides nutrients, but the soil loses them, and the plants can't absorb them. The chili peppers and potatoes you gave us, the soil where they were planted, and the surrounding soil all retain nutrients that the plants can absorb. They grow very well even without fertilizer."
Xie Sen blinked. "Ah, that's amazing!"
Ma Qun looked at his bewildered expression and smiled. "You really don't know why?"
Xie Sen said, "I didn't know either!"
Ma Qun thought for a moment. "Do you have any other plants?"
Xie Sen nodded. "Yes, I found a lot of plants on this trip, and I'm going to give them to you."
Ma Qun's face lit up. "Come on, let's talk in the office."
In the office, Xie Sen took out the seeds and fruits he brought back from the Yamu Continent, the watermelon seeds from the system, as well as rice and dragon fruit.
Ma Qun called over two researchers to separate the seeds. The researchers were excited and carefully placed the seeds away.
Ma Qun wrote down all the seeds: "Should we handle it the usual way or give you a bonus?"
"The usual way." Xie Sen replied without hesitation. For him now, plants were more attractive than money, and the profit-sharing method was definitely more cost-effective in the long run.
Ma Qun nodded and quickly drafted a contract, which both parties signed.
Xie Sen smiled and said, "Then I won't bother you anymore. Contact me again if needed."
"Wait a moment," Ma Qun raised his hand, stopping him from leaving. "There's one more thing."
Xie Sen looked at him questioningly. Ma Qun said, "After the chili peppers are harvested tomorrow morning, the research institute will hold a press conference at noon to announce the chili peppers' discovery. As the discoverer, it would be best if you showed up."
Seeing Xie Sen hesitate, Ma Qun continued, "I've considered it. You're already a public figure, so you're not afraid to show up. Besides, you're a botany student, and July is the month for graduating students
' professional assessments. If you attend the press conference, you can get full marks on the assessment." Xie Sen almost forgot that he hadn't received his graduation certificate yet. Recalling the comprehensive graduating criteria, he knew he needed to pass the exams in March, the internships from April to June, and the professional assessments in July to receive his graduation certificate in August.
The entire month of assessments in July—he didn't even know how they would be conducted. What if he had to go around identifying plants? Wouldn't that take a lot of time?
Thinking it over, Xie Sen immediately agreed. He'd already seen it many times in the livestream, so he wasn't worried about people knowing his appearance: "Okay, I'll come tomorrow."
Ma Qun said, "The press conference will be held in the lobby of a building. Just go there at 10 am tomorrow."
Xie Sen agreed, said goodbye to Ma Qun, and left the research institute with Maine.
Back at the apartment, Xie Sen went to find his contracted beast, while Maine went to the workspace. After Maine arrived at the workspace, he first turned on the livestream, projecting the screen onto the wall opposite him. Only after seeing Xie Sen did he begin designing the program. As soon as
Xie Sen entered the living area, he heard the gift announcement: "...Giant Crocodile Beast is awesome! Come to the center of the camera!"
Xie Sen raised an eyebrow, wondering what the Giant Crocodile Beast had done. He glanced around and immediately saw the Giant Crocodile Beast. The Giant Crocodile Beast was crawling quickly, with Little Silver lying horizontally on its flat, broad back, being carried around by it.
Little Silver seemed very excited, its shell constantly open, like a giant, moving colored light.
When Little Silver saw Xie Sen, its shell opened and closed, and the light flickered instantly. The giant crocodile beast quickly turned around and ran to Xie Sen's side.
Xie Sen stroked the giant crocodile beast's head, asking about its condition. The beast flicked its tail, the thick tail striking the ground with a loud thud: "I've recovered!"
Xie Sen glanced at the ground; thankfully, there were no cracks. He tapped the crocodile beast's forehead: "Doesn't it hurt?"
The crocodile beast: "No, it doesn't hurt. I didn't use any force. I can show you."
"No," Xie Sen quickly stopped it, "This is your home, you must take good care of it!"
The crocodile beast said: "Yes, Black Panther told me, I will protect our territory!"
Xie Sen smiled, then reached out to stroke Little Silver. Little Silver's voice was soft, its tone exceptionally excited: "Ah Sen, I've explored the whole place! Haha, my new friends are all so amazing, I can go wherever I want."
Xie Sen smiled: "If you like it, that's good."
He then went to look at the giant bear beast, which was learning to dance with the giant tiger beast. Xie Sen watched the two behemoths twisting and turning, silently rubbing his forehead.
The chat was filled with "hahaha," and someone even sent a gift, specifically commenting, "Hahaha, the streamer's expressions are hilarious! Let them learn to dance, don't stop them!"
Xie Sen smiled helplessly. The two stopped and simultaneously reached out their paws towards him. He touched one in each paw, and the giant tiger beast said, "Hahaha, the giant bear beast is very clever! It dances just like a human, it's definitely our dance king!"
Xie Sen burst out laughing, "Where did it learn that?"
The giant bear beast covered its face with one paw, but its mouth was wide open as it laughed heartily, "Haha, I still need to study hard. The dance king I watched this morning danced much better than me." The giant tiger beast
said, "We don't talk about modesty here! You are the dance king, didn't you hear what that person said? He's been learning for over ten years, and you've only been learning for an hour!" The giant bear beast
immediately said, "That's right, I am the dance king!"
Xie Sen: I'm a bit too addicted... Seeing the giant bear beast like this, he didn't even ask about its health; he could tell at a glance it was perfectly fine.
Just then, two giant leopards strode over with elegant steps. The black leopard raised its paw, and Xie Sen rubbed it. "What's wrong?"
The black leopard turned to look at the gate. "We want to go out. I saw it when I came; a large area here is fenced off. It's all your territory, right?"
Xie Sen: "..." The word "territory" sounded a bit strange. He said, "Yes."
The black leopard said, "Then can we go play on your territory?"
Xie Sen thought for a moment. The land he and Maine bought had a high wall around it, making it a relatively enclosed area. The contracted beasts were highly intelligent and obedient, so going out wouldn't be a problem.
After all, the contracted beasts were used to living in the forest and always stayed indoors. Even if the area was large, it wasn't as comfortable as being outside.
He nodded. "Okay, but don't go outside the fenced area. There are a lot of seeds planted in the field outside, so be careful not to step on them."
"No problem." The black panther nodded its large head, tilting it towards the door. "Let's go!"
Xie Sen smiled and walked towards the door, with two giant panthers following behind him. The other contracted beasts, seeing him open the door, quickly ran over from all directions. Hearing the commotion, Xie Sen turned around and saw them all.
He chuckled; it seemed they all really wanted to go outside!
"'Little Spotted Guardians' showered the streamer with watermelon rain! Ahhh, streamer, where are you taking them?! They're about to go out of the camera's view!"
Xie Sen said, "They want to go out for a stroll. Hmm, they might go out often in the future. I'll have someone install cameras outside later, so it won't affect future live streams." After
he finished speaking, he told the contracted beasts the precautions, then opened the door wide to make it easier for them to come and go.
The contracted beasts, seeing the spacious, open land, cried out excitedly and rushed straight out. Xie Sen quickly stopped them, teaching them to identify the seed-planted land to prevent them from stepping on it.
The contracted beasts scattered, avoiding the seedbed, running around joyfully.
The giant crocodile beast, carrying Little Silver on its back, ran for a while before returning to Xie Sen's side. Little Silver opened and closed its shell, and Xie Sen placed his hand on it. Little Silver softly said, "Ah Sen, could we build a pond outside? I want to sunbathe in the water."
The giant crocodile beast's tail curved, the tip lightly touching Xie Sen: "Me too!"
Xie Sen looked at the expanse of land, pondering for a moment. He thought that once the trees grew, a river running through the thicket would look even better, and watering would be more convenient, while also meeting Little Silver's needs.
He nodded: "Okay, I'll arrange it."
He looked around and quickly made a decision: to extend an artificial river from the living area's waterway to the diagonal top of the wall—the maximum span.
This would make watering the saplings convenient, and Little Silver and other water-loving animals could use the artificial river to travel between the outside and the living area.
After deciding, he immediately contacted the construction company and the camera installers; both parties said they would come as soon as possible.
Twenty minutes later, Xie Sen's bracelet rang; it was the doorbell's alert. The scene outside was also displayed on his bracelet, and at the same time, the doorbell rang.
The giant python, closest to the door, was coiled in the shadows of the wall. Hearing the sound, it raised its head and peered out, its head resting against the wall.
"Ah..." Instantly, several screams rang out.
The giant python blinked its jade-green eyes, then withdrew its head and stretched towards Xie Sen.
Xie Sen, who had originally planned to open the door remotely, had no choice but to run over and tap the giant python on the head. The python whispered, "I didn't mean to."
Xie Sen smiled and said, "It's alright." He stepped forward and opened the door.
Some of the five people at the door looked terrified, while others were excited. These feelings intensified when they saw the other contracted beasts curiously watching them from inside.
Xie Sen said, "Please come in. Don't be afraid. As long as you don't have any malicious intent, they won't attack you."
The five people snapped out of their daze and entered. Xie Sen closed the door and first told the camera installer his requirements: "I want the entire area to be captured on camera."
The staff member said, "A spherical global camera can do that, but it's a bit expensive, at least 200,000."
"That's it," Xie Sen immediately agreed. The staff member accepted, inspected the area, selected the central location, and began installation.
Xie Sen then told the construction company about his plans for the location of the artificial river, and made his requirements: "At least three meters wide, with white tiles inlaid on the riverbed and walls. How long will it take to complete?"
The foreman replied, "If we work quickly, we can finish it today, but we'll need to call more people. Simultaneously starting construction on the water diversion and drainage facilities and the river channel will speed things up considerably."
Looking at the gathered contracted beasts and seeing the workers' tense yet excited expressions, Xie Sen immediately said, "Then call more people, finish it today."
Without delay, the foreman called ten people, each driving an excavator, dump truck, and other tools. He efficiently assigned them tasks, one person responsible for a section, and they all started working simultaneously.
Seeing this, Xie Sen finally understood why the construction team was so efficient.
The foreman scanned the workers, checking their progress, when his gaze suddenly stopped: "My God, what's that?"
Xie Sen looked over and saw a giant armored beast digging a hole with a rapid, plopping motion. It was incredibly fast, digging a small section in no time. Xie Sen chuckled, "It's a giant armored beast, it likes to dig."
The foreman looked on with envy, "I wish I could work for our company!"
Xie Sen smiled and walked over to the giant armored beast, "Take a break if you're tired." The giant armored beast nodded, buried its head, and started digging again, its tail swaying happily from side to side.
Xie Sen watched for a while, but couldn't stand the sun any longer, so he told the staff and the contracted beasts he was going to return to his apartment.
The foreman was startled, "This, this won't do! There are so many high-level contracted beasts here, what if... what if something happens?"
Xie Sen reassured him, "Look, they're all playing by themselves, nothing will happen. As long as you don't hurt them, they won't hurt you."
He returned to his apartment, and as he entered the lobby, Maine was coming down from the second floor. Xie Sen told him about Jianhe.
Maine
put her arm around him and sat him on the sofa, pouring him a glass of water: "Rest for a while." The next day at ten o'clock, Xie Sen and Maine arrived at the lobby of the Botanical Research Institute on time.
Xie Sen swiped his wristband to enter, and was taken aback when he entered. The lobby was very large and full of people, many of whom were holding professional photography equipment. Xie Sen subconsciously pulled his hat brim down. He and Maine had each worn a baseball cap when they arrived, covering most of their faces, and hadn't been recognized by anyone along the way.
"Ah Sen." A person walked over quickly. Xie Sen looked up and saw that it was Li You, and quickly greeted him with a smile.
Li You smiled and said, "This is the reception area for reporters and lottery-drawn audience members. Follow me, I'll take you backstage."
Backstage, Xie Sen saw Dean Ma, who was clearly dressed up specially, and several familiar researchers. They greeted each other, and Ma Qun said, "Don't be nervous, the press conference will be over in an hour. When I call your name, go out and say hello."
Xie Sen nodded. Just then, a staff member called out, "Dean Ma, it's your turn to speak in two minutes."
Ma Qun stood up, straightened his clothes, and pointed to the wall backstage: "You can watch the live stream here. Watch for a while, then stand next to me when you come out." He then quickly walked out.
Li You gestured for Xie Sen and Maine to sit down and watch the live stream together.
Xie Sen looked at the popularity in the lower left corner—over 52 million, and still rising rapidly. He exclaimed in surprise, "Is this the real-time number of viewers?"
Li You nodded: "The live stream is broadcast to the entire planet Brant, not to other planets, so the number of viewers isn't very high."
Xie Sen was stunned. This wasn't a high number?
The host gave a brief opening speech, then said, "Next, please welcome Dean Ma Qun of the Institute of Botany to give a detailed introduction."
Ma Qun stepped to the front of the stage, with his usual refined smile and bright eyes: "Welcome everyone. Today, we are announcing a new type of vegetable—chili peppers. This vegetable was quite popular in the past and is also used as a condiment."
The live stream immediately praised him: "Dean Ma, well done! Straight to the point, no beating around the bush!"
"Dean Ma looks so handsome today!"
Ma Qun paused slightly, then continued: "Through meticulous data analysis, our results are very encouraging. Chili peppers are rich in vitamins and trace elements, among which vitamin E is closely related to fertility rates. We optimistically anticipate that it may improve the current problem of a rapidly declining birth rate."
Instantly, a huge murmur of discussion erupted from the crowd at the press conference. Everyone's face was filled with excitement, and the live stream, which was set up with intelligent live comments, was flooded with them.
"Really? My God, put them on sale quickly, I want to buy them!"
"I want to eat them! I can eat a hundred pounds!"
After the audience quieted down, Ma Qun continued, "Currently, the research institute has many other plants under research and cultivation, which will be available to everyone soon."
His tone was full of passion: "I believe that the day when we can eat vegetables and fruits anytime is not far away. One day, we will return to a normal diet, no longer needing nutrient solutions, and all newborns will be healthy and strong!"
The audience echoed his sentiments, and the live chat was flooded with comments like 'The Plant Research Institute is awesome!'
Ma Qun said, "This is the result of everyone's hard work over the years. Many people have given their lives for this. I deeply thank everyone who has contributed to the plant cause."
He paused, then said, "Now, I will introduce the discoverer of the chili pepper—Xie Sen. Thank you to him."
Immediately, thunderous applause erupted.
Maine shook Xie Sen's hand, and Xie Sen's tense mood suddenly calmed down. He turned his head and smiled at Maine, then got up and walked out.
Stepping outside and facing numerous cameras, he couldn't help but feel nervous, forcing a standard smile: "Hello everyone."
Whispers arose from below; Xie Sen, hearing the words 'live stream' and 'contracted beast,' was unsurprisingly recognized.
Ma Qun thanked him again and said, "That concludes the information about the chili peppers. Next is the Q&A session."
The reporters' questions primarily revolved around the chili peppers, with the biggest focus on their nutritional value. Ma Qun answered concisely and efficiently. Xie Sen didn't need to worry much; simply nodding in agreement was almost an unconscious action for him.
Suddenly, Ma Qun asked, "Ah Sen, can you cook?"
Xie Sen nodded.
Ma Qun said, "Okay, finally, as is customary, let the chili pepper discoverer demonstrate how to cook it!"
Xie Sen raised his head, stunned. So, a cooking demonstration?
Ma Qun asked, "What do you want to make? What ingredients do you need?"
Xie Sen watched as the staff moved the kitchen equipment onto the counter, and thought for a moment: "Bring over some tender fish, preferably sliced."
Soon, someone brought over a large bowl of fish slices. Looking at the chili peppers and salt, Xie Sen felt acutely that there were too few seasonings.
While heating the oil, he wondered how vinegar and soy sauce were made. They seemed to be made from food too; perhaps he should ask a culinary student? Having food but no seasonings was truly tragic!
Boiled fish with limited seasonings was surprisingly easy to make. He stir-fried the chili peppers to make chili oil, added salt, water, and fish slices, and the spiciness quickly filled the venue.
The reporters and audience members craned their necks to see the pot, their mouths watering at the spiciness, silently swallowing. Someone couldn't help but shout, "It smells so good! Dean Ma, I want to try it!"
"Me! Me!" Reporters and audience members raised their hands eagerly.
The camera zoomed in on the pot; a layer of red chili oil floated on the white fish slices, looking exceptionally vibrant and delicious.
The screen exploded with comments: "Dean Ma! I'm at the research institute entrance, let me in!"
"I want to go too! Looking at everyone's expressions, I'm so curious! What does it taste like?!"
"Dean Ma is drooling too, I saw it!"
"Tell me! When do they start selling? If I can't get one, I'll chop off my hand!"