Chapter 28: Accelerating Crop Growth

Chapter 28: Accelerating Crop Production

"The merging of two worlds, with the other side suffering from famine."

"The series of actions taken by the authorities recently suddenly become clear."

Upon hearing this news, the first reaction of some netizens was: "Can it be stopped?"

Who wants a fusion!

Thinking about it is terrifying.

"It's obvious that it can't be stopped. If it could, the authorities wouldn't have spent so much manpower and resources in advance to quietly start preparations."

"It's like a meteor shower; can you stop the meteorites from falling? The difficulty of stopping the world fusion is clearly higher than stopping a meteor shower."

"I now regret not taking the emergency preparedness drills seriously before. When the instructor criticized me during the drills, I was still defiant.

I graduated many years ago, and yet I'm still being treated like a student.

Now thinking about it, being scolded like a student is no big deal. Fortunately, the instructor didn't let me pass, so I still have the chance to make up for the drills."

"Is there a famine over there? No wonder the country has suddenly become stricter about food supplies.

My family left the front half-acre of the yard unplanted. After harvesting the vegetables last time, we cleared the land for the kids to practice riding bicycles.

But the village secretary kept visiting us every day, annoying my grandfather so much that he and my grandmother planted the land that very day."

"Yesterday, I threw away half a sandwich loaf.

I suddenly felt very guilty.

The bread was too sweet, eating half of it made my teeth ache, so I had to throw it away. I didn't think much of it before, but now... I hang my head in shame."

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"Wow, I'm genuinely impressed, someone's mind is turning so fast, already starting to advertise now.

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...

Likely because the authorities had prepared in advance, everything was proceeding in an orderly manner. Feeling sufficiently secure, the public wasn't too panicked.

Since they didn't know what to do, following the government's lead was the correct approach.

Thus, it's crucial to promptly inform the authorities of the exact time of the world fusion.

With the exact time, many things can be arranged more calmly by the authorities.

Sheng Qingquan wasted no time, his consciousness once again jumped via the plants to the leader's courtyard.

Upon reaching the pear tree, Sheng Qingquan was surprised to find that many new shrubs had been planted in the courtyard. All were roughly human height, perfectly suited for his 'possession.'

They were just the right height for him to communicate face-to-face with the leader after 'possessing' them.

Additionally, these shrubs were arranged around a soft, flat sand pit.

The thin sandbox was clearly an enlarged version of a sand table.

It somewhat resembled the sandboxes used for long jumps, but the sand inside was thinner, making it more suitable for writing than jumping.

If Sheng Qingquan wished, he could freely transfer his consciousness into any of the plants and use their branches and leaves to write or draw on the sand.

Sheng Qingquan also noticed that in the room, the leader's office desk, and the reception room table, where ornaments once stood, small potted plants now took their place.

In front of the potted plants, there was also a small sandbox.

The potted plants weren’t tall, but when placed on the table, they aligned perfectly with the eye level of someone seated on the sofa.

Sheng Qingquan’s consciousness instantly shifted from the pear tree to the potted plant.

"This is just too good!"

The leaves swayed, and even without wind indoors, a faint rustling sound could be heard. But more noticeable than the rustling of the leaves was the clear sound of a bell ringing inside.

A small bell was hung on a branch. It was a way for the silent tree to signal his arrival to those inside.

Sheng Qingquan extended a thin branch and left two words on the sandbox.

[Thank you!]

He deeply appreciated the leader’s thoughtfulness.

"Writing on the sandbox is far more comfortable than on rice paper, and it demands much less precision in controlling the pressure."

"No more worrying about tearing the paper by pressing too hard while writing."

"And without calligraphy practice, there’s no risk of smudging the ink into a messy blob."

"It’s eco-friendly, reusable, and just perfect!"

"This is what we should do." In truth, Xu Tianan would sense Sheng Qingquan’s arrival as soon as his thoughts resonated, even without the bell. But out of respect, Xu Tianan had prepared a small bell.

Not only was there a bell on the indoor potted plant, but outdoor trees also had a small bell for signaling.

Sheng Qingquan could use a branch to strike the bell to alert the people around.

"Truly thoughtful and considerate!"

Hearing the bell, the leader quickly rose from his desk, walked over, and upon seeing the thanks on the sandbox, Xu Tianan smiled and waved.

"It’s nothing. We can’t have you come all this way and still adjust to our height."

[I have found a way to determine the exact date of the world fusion.]

Sheng Qingquan’s branch swept swiftly across the sandbox. After ensuring the leader saw his thanks, he quickly erased the words and wrote down the three scenarios he had finally found on the sandbox.

"I see. Just a moment." The leader nodded to a guard behind him, who then turned and left the room. About ten minutes later, the guard returned and said, "It’s August 9th."

August 9th. Hearing the date, even as a tree, Sheng Qingquan shivered, making the bell on the branch jingle rapidly with a sense of foreboding.

"Luckily, I double-checked. Otherwise, assuming it was on the Qixi Festival day would’ve been a huge mistake!"

"August 9th is the day right before the Qixi Festival."

"Even though it was initially thought to be around the Qixi Festival, it seems there won’t be an issue?" "Thank you for your hard work," the leader said enthusiastically, "you’ve been a tremendous help once again."

"With the exact timing, our people won't be on alert too early or too late, avoiding unnecessary exhaustion of our manpower."

"Keep in mind that human attention and energy are limited. If we’re on alert too early, fatigue sets in by the time the event happens, making it easy to miss critical details. And during the world fusion, negligence is the last thing we can afford."

As for the consequences of being on alert too late, it is obvious. We would inevitably repeat the mistakes from the plot.

Sheng Qingquan happily swayed his branch-like form, feeling the joy of being praised by a teacher for good performance as a child.

Besides this matter, Sheng Qingquan actually had another purpose for coming here.

It only occurred to him when he was using plants to travel here.

After acquiring that leaf, his ability to control plants reached an almost unimaginable level.

So, could he use this to do something?

"Do you want to try speeding up the growth of crops?" Xu Tianan asked.

Actually, the officials had already thought of this. Even though the national grain reserves are more than enough, you can never have too much grain, especially now. The officials simply didn’t want to pressure Sheng Qingquan into doing something he wasn’t comfortable with.

This young man had already done more than enough for the country.

[I want to give it a shot.]

Sheng Qingquan wrote firmly.

"If we can produce more grain, it would greatly benefit the disaster victims. Plus, Tianlan Star wouldn’t risk food shortages while helping the disaster victims."

He was on the same page as the chief leader.

"You can never have too much grain."

"Just do what you can," Xu Tianan said finally.

A guard carefully picked up the small potted plant where Sheng Qingquan resided and took it to the nearest planting base.

Unlike most places that grow quick-harvest vegetables and fruits, here they focus on staple crops.

The previous rice harvest had just been completed, and the fields were now filled with recently transplanted rice seedlings.

Normally, the harvest wouldn’t be ready until at least late October.

This was all in preparation for the future. Grain is a critical issue and can’t be ignored.

Even after the world fusion, once the immediate crisis passes, there will still be countless people to feed.

Not only the disaster victims but also the people of Tianlan Star rely on rice.

That’s why staple crop cultivation can’t be taken lightly. Not only can it not be relaxed, but it must also be managed more tightly than before.

During times like these, everyone in the know feels a deep anticipation for the lands yet to merge.

Once the land expands, we’ll have even more space to grow crops!

What crops would thrive best on those lands?

What’s the soil quality like? Is it fertile?

Fertilizer factories have been working around the clock during this time. Thinking about the areas that need to be developed next, everyone is gearing up to showcase their skills.

But now, the one showcasing his skills is Sheng Qingquan.

In Baojing Community, Sheng Qingquan closed his eyes. Originally, his main focus was on the potted plant, but he still kept a part of his attention on his original body.

It was kind of like using a computer and a phone at the same time.

However, to better utilize his abilities, Sheng Qingquan put the phone aside and focused on the computer screen.

The small rice seedlings swayed gently in the breeze, and energy surged out.

In the next moment, these thin seedlings suddenly thickened and shot up.

The main stem sprouted more branches. The leaves began to grow taller.

Normally, more tillering in rice isn't always better. To avoid spreading nutrients too thin and reducing yield, tillering is usually controlled.

But this time, these rice plants had more than double the usual number of tillers.

The rice ears sprouted, and tiny rice flowers burst into bloom. The scent was subtle but refreshing.

The flowers bloomed and quickly faded, as the rice ears swelled and filled out.

The rice ears drooped under their weight.

The rice shifted from lush green to a vibrant golden yellow.

The rice plants had matured, and the entire process took less than twenty minutes from start to finish.

Rice that usually takes months to mature was now ready for harvest in just minutes.

"This is nothing short of a miracle!"

"This is beyond belief!" Seeing this firsthand left everyone speechless.

The farmer responsible for planting the rice had been holding his breath, afraid that even a heavy breath might disrupt Sheng Qingquan's abilities.

"Who's being so rude?" Suddenly, the farmer saw a figure rushing towards the rice field, reaching out to grab the rice ears, and instinctively scolded.

But when he looked closer, he recognized the face.

It was the agricultural expert who often inspected these fields.

"It's ripe—truly ripe!" The agricultural expert ignored the farmer's scolding. He examined the handful of rice ears he'd grabbed, then chewed a grain carefully to taste it.

"It's just like normally matured rice, if not better in quality!"

The agricultural expert pocketed the remaining grains and eagerly eyed the potted plant in the guard's hands.

He reached out to snatch the potted plant, but the guard nimbly dodged. Unfazed, he continued to approach, his face full of smiles: "This must be the one who manipulates plants."

"Thank you for your hard work. Uh..." The agricultural expert rubbed his hands somewhat sheepishly, then took a large bag from a student who had just caught up, panting.

He poured the seeds inside onto a large tray: "Could you help me germinate these seeds? I want to study the principle behind this."

Before Sheng Qingquan arrived, the leader had asked if it was necessary to clear the area. Sheng Qingquan thought it unnecessary, as even if the area was cleared, the changes in the field would not escape the notice of those responsible for its care.

[After all, no one knows who I am.]

Relying on this, when the leader asked if people could come to observe, Sheng Qingquan readily agreed.

When faced with the expert's request, Sheng Qingquan was more than willing to provide assistance for such research. With a wave of a branch, all the seeds sprouted instantly.

The agricultural expert looked at the large tray of sprouted seeds, then at the small tree in the pot, his eyes sparkled as if he were looking at a treasure, so delighted that he could only thank him repeatedly.

Meanwhile, farmers had already brought harvesters into the fields to start harvesting the rice.

Accompanied by the rumbling sound of the machines, rows of rice were cut down, leaving behind neat stubbles.

Everyone's face was lit up with the joy of a bountiful harvest, but Sheng Qingquan wasn't particularly happy.

He had originally thought that the biggest limitation of mass-producing crops might be his ability.

Forcing growth too often could drain his strength.

But now, Sheng Qingquan clearly felt that forcing the growth of so much rice used up very little of his energy.

However, he still couldn't repeatedly force crops to grow on this land.

"The land's fertility can't keep up."

"After harvesting, plowing and fertilizing the land can help somewhat. But it's only enough for normal planting."

"It's not possible to force growth like this repeatedly in a short time. Continuing to do so would affect the land's fertility. The loss outweighs the gain."

Unlike the pear tree and the potted boxwood he borrowed, the pear tree and boxwood wouldn't lose anything. In fact, they might even thrive from the overflow of energy caused by his presence, growing even better.

What he did to the rice was a different kind of control.

This control, rather than being mutually beneficial, was more like exploitation.

Exploiting the vitality of the seedlings, exploiting the fertility of the land.

Sheng Qingquan regretfully noted this on the sand table, informing the guard.

The guard took out a phone, turned on the speaker, and the leader's warm, firm voice came through: "Even if we can't repeatedly force growth, being able to do it once on a piece of land is already a great help."

The leader comforted.

"You're right!"

Sheng Qingquan regained his spirits.

"You should be content with what you have!"

Thinking this, Sheng Qingquan became happy again.

Next, under the escort of the guard, he forced the growth on all the nearby lands before leaving.

After withdrawing his consciousness and returning to himself, Sheng Qingquan opened his eyes and wearily fell onto the bed to sleep.

More than physical exhaustion, it was mental fatigue.

He slept soundly, and the next day, Sheng Qingquan was awakened by a knock on the door.

"Hello, delivery of supplies."