Chapter 86 - 79: The Bamboo Culture Park Is Nothing Special?

Chapter 86: Chapter 79: The Bamboo Culture Park Is Nothing Special?

Zhang Lin hadn’t expected the farm could build something like this.

Fireflies really brought back memories. He remembered seeing them everywhere in the countryside when he was a child. He and his dad would catch them, put them in glass jars, and make little lanterns.

The next day, the fireflies would all be dead, and he would be heartbroken.

But now, you could barely see fireflies anymore. They were nearly extinct and had even been listed by the country as a protected species.

The new generation had basically never seen a firefly. They didn’t know they were beneficial insects; some ignorant people even called them pests.

That wasn’t even the saddest part.

When a person dies, they are forgotten before long. The very existence of fireflies was fast approaching the same fate.

People had even started arguing online about whether fireflies even existed.

When Zhang Lin saw these arguments, his scalp tingled. ’Is that something people really need to argue about?’

The younger generation simply didn’t believe an insect could glow. They thought fireflies were just something fabricated with special effects, adamantly insisting, "I’ve lived this long and never seen a firefly. If they’re not fake, what are they?"

There was no way to refute that, which was a tragedy of the times.

It was only normal for people to suspect something they’d never seen was fake.

It was just like how no one believed dragons existed anymore; they were all considered fictional. Even though we call ourselves "descendants of the dragon," what if, at some point in time, creatures like dragons really did exist, only to go extinct for one reason or another?

Thinking about this, he grew impatient.

’If I can breed fireflies and prove their existence to those who don’t believe, that would be a very meaningful thing to do.’

’When the time comes, anyone who doesn’t believe can just come to Li Yuan Farm to see for themselves!’

’The key is the atmosphere they create.’

’As long as there are enough of them, the ambiance will be absolutely perfect, incredibly romantic. It could even turn the entire farm into a fairy-tale world.’

’Besides, this would be a huge attraction for tourists.’

’You wouldn’t even need any special programs or facilities. Just letting the fireflies fly around would attract countless visitors.’

He recalled a news story about a scenic area that used fireflies as a gimmick and attracted a huge number of people.

But when the time came, things got awkward. The fireflies appeared, but there were only a few. The people who had been drawn in felt scammed and caused an uproar online.

This just went to show how much of a draw fireflies really were.

’But first, you actually have to have them.’

’The only problem is that the construction requirements for the Firefly Breeding and Cultivation Room are tricky.’

’Two mu of land and one million yuan are manageable. The tricky part is the 20 pairs of wild fireflies. It’s going to take some time to catch them.’

’The Firefly Breeding and Cultivation Room obviously relies on these 20 wild pairs for breeding. If I can’t find them, I’ll be in a tough spot.’

’I can’t just go online, post a bounty, and try to buy them.’

’They’re a protected species now. Getting reported would be a huge hassle.’

Zhang Lin remembered that his old hometown used to have tons of fireflies. Just last year, he’d seen a video of them an elder had posted in the village group chat. He checked the time. It would only take thirty minutes to get back to his hometown. He decisively called over Liu De, Lin Dayou, and Lin Dawei, and they left the farm in Huang Tao’s car, heading straight for his old village.

When they arrived at the village, Zhang Lin was struck by the silence, which was punctuated by only the faintest signs of life.

The young people had all left, moving to the nearby town or the county seat. The only ones left in the village were a few elders who couldn’t bear to leave their homeland, watching over a place that had once been so lively.

Zhang Lin remembered that when he was a kid, the village had been bustling from one end to the other, even at night. People would gather together and always find something to do.

Now, there was nothing but silence.

Zhang Lin parked the car on the road outside his old family house. Carrying a few clear plastic bags and using his phone’s flashlight for light, he and Liu De’s group headed up the mountain path behind the house.

He wasn’t worried about being unable to catch the fireflies, but about not finding any at all. As a child, he had been quite the expert at catching them.

However, he was older now and no longer that little expert. So, he had to rely on Liu De and the other two to do the actual catching.

Once they were in the mountains, Zhang Lin spent a long time searching. Finally, in the spot where the elder had filmed the video, he saw a faint flicker of light.

It was definitely a firefly.

’Good, as long as there are some here.’

Zhang Lin immediately grabbed a bag and went to catch the fireflies. In just a moment, he caught one. He continued in the same fashion, scooping the flickering points of light into the bag, getting a few scratches in the process.

But in total, there were only six fireflies. After he caught them, there were no more glowing lights to be seen in the area.

He looked around again. There were no more in this spot. He had no choice but to lead Liu De and the other two to search elsewhere in the village. After a long search, they caught another two.

In a village that barely had any people left, they had only managed to catch eight fireflies.

This made it clear that seeing a firefly in a bustling major city was practically impossible.

One village wasn’t enough. Zhang Lin led Liu De and the others to another village. Since they were already out, he was determined to catch enough fireflies, even if it meant pulling an all-nighter...

「Time passed.」

By midnight, Zhang Lin and his group had been to several villages. In one, they were almost mistaken for thieves trying to sneak in. Fortunately, they had managed to catch enough fireflies. To ensure he had a full 20 pairs, he even caught a few extra.

And, by some coincidence, every time he caught fireflies, the number he caught was always even. There were never any single ones left over.