Chapter 240: System: Are You Exploiting a Bug With Me?

"Opening a freshwater clam while it's still alive? That's a bit too difficult, isn't it?"

[Old Liu's Seafood]: "I work in the seafood industry, so I know this well. Generally speaking, extracting a pearl from a freshwater clam will definitely kill it. Only when extracting pearls from saltwater clams do people act carefully to ensure the clam survives."

"Why is that?"

[Old Liu's Seafood]: "It's simple. Freshwater clams are highly productive and have short cycles. A single pearl clam can produce a whole ring of pearls. Since their intrinsic value isn't high, people just pry them open directly."

"To put it bluntly, they just aren't worth much."

The viewers discussed it animatedly.

Ning Fei looked at the Clear Water Clam King in front of him.

He first observed it carefully, making absolutely sure that the Clear Water Clam King was still alive.

If it were just an empty shell, things wouldn't be this troublesome.

"Pearls form when shellfish are irritated by the intrusion of things like grains of sand or parasites. The shellfish uses the foreign object as a core at its epidermis, embedding it into the connective tissue of its mantle. Then, the epidermal cells divide on their own to form a pearl."

"In other words, to a clam, a pearl is like a thorn stuck inside its body. Since it can't be removed, the clam just has to get used to it."

"If this Clear Water Clam King really has a pearl inside, taking it out will actually allow it to live a bit longer."

Ning Fei explained to the audience.

However, opening the Clear Water Clam King wouldn't be simple.

Clams didn't open up on their own initiative.

This kind of creature was like a thousand-year-old turtle—it didn't want to move a single muscle.

'System, is there any method to open a freshwater clam?' Ning Fei asked.

"The host can choose to redeem a Silver Draw item: Clam Feed (Low-Grade)."

'Clam feed?'

Ning Fei never expected the System to have such a niche item.

He had already unlocked the Silver Draw exchange function, which meant he could directly spend ten times the Popularity Points—10,000 Popularity Points—to redeem common items available in the Silver Draw.

A Silver Draw cost 1,000 points per pull, and most of the items drawn were low-grade seeds, feed, Fish Bait, and similar items.

'There really is clam feed.'

'Wait a minute, the items in the Silver Draw also include Fertile Soil (Low-Grade)!'

'If low-grade Fertile Soil and high-grade Fertile Soil are mixed, they all directly become high-grade Fertile Soil.'

'Then if I directly redeem a bunch of low-grade Fertile Soil and mix it with the high-grade Fertile Soil in the vegetable garden, wouldn't it all become high-grade?'

'In that case, the flower beds, the gardens, and all those other places can be covered with high-grade Fertile Soil too!'

Ning Fei thought to himself, struck by a sudden whim while browsing the Silver Draw items in the System.

Hearing his words, the System fell silent.

Are you exploiting a bug with me?

High-grade Fertile Soil was something that could only be obtained from a Platinum Draw. Its special effects were incredibly magical; plants grown in it would mature very quickly and boast excellent nutritional value.

Generally speaking, plants that normally took two to three months to mature would only need a little over half a month in high-grade Fertile Soil.

High-grade Fertile Soil was quite hard to draw. A Platinum Ten-Pull would usually only yield one portion. But now, by taking advantage of high-grade Fertile Soil's properties, Ning Fei only needed to spend 10,000 Popularity Points to redeem a portion.

One million Popularity Points could be exchanged for a hundred portions. That meant the Popularity Points required for a single Diamond Draw would be enough to cover the entire Qingfeng Temple in high-grade Fertile Soil.

'Why didn't I discover this earlier?'

Ning Fei marveled.

The System gave no response to this.

There was nothing it could do. It couldn't fix this bug, so it could only let Ning Fei have his way.

Next, Ning Fei controlled the Submarine to broadcast another area while he retrieved the redeemed clam feed from the System.

The so-called clam feed was just a type of green algae, looking no different from ordinary algae.

"Look, everyone. This type of algae is a clam's favorite food, and a freshwater clam as big as this one has a huge appetite for it."

Ning Fei explained to the netizens, grasping the algae in his hand.

He then gently placed the algae in front of the seam of the Clear Water Clam King.

Everyone immediately stared fixedly at the screen.

"Bloop!"

At this moment, the shell of the Clear Water Clam King actually opened a fraction. A small bubble emerged from its shell and floated upward.

"It opened! It really opened!"

The viewers were thrilled to see this.

"Over the long course of evolution, clams have lost their eyesight, but their central nervous systems are relatively developed. Because they can't see, they can only perceive things through smell and touch."

Ning Fei explained softly.

He held the clam feed motionless, his eyes locked tightly on the seam of the Clear Water Clam King.

Men always had a certain obsession with narrow gaps.

Even Ning Fei couldn't be certain whether there was actually a pearl inside this Clear Water Clam King.

The viewers were also peering intently into the clam's opening.

Ning Fei waved the algae around a bit, and the Clear Water Clam King slowly opened wider.

At this moment, everyone was tense.

"Is there actually anything inside the Clam King?"

"The chances of a freshwater clam producing a pearl are pretty small, right?"

"That's right. Freshwater clams don't usually produce pearls. Only certain mussels are an exception, otherwise, so many people wouldn't breed them."

"Saltwater clams are the ones with lots of pearls."

At that moment, Ning Fei seemed to spot something, and his expression shifted slightly.

The Submarine hovered near his hand, pointing the broadcast camera right into the body of the Clear Water Clam King.

The viewers finally saw it too. Inside the Clear Water Clam King, wrapped beneath a layer of soft pink tissue, was a round bulge.

"Is that... a pearl?"

Everyone held their breath, whispering the question.

Seeing the Clear Water Clam King open its shell, Ning Fei quick-wittedly scooped up a small stone from the lakebed and wedged it between the shells.

After all, a clam's bite force was nothing to scoff at. People often saw videos of long-beaked birds and clams clamped onto each other, which happened precisely because a clam wouldn't let go once it bit down.

With the stone wedged in place, the clam couldn't close its shell.

Next, acting with lightning speed, Ning Fei reached his hand into the opening of the Clear Water Clam King and gave the bulge a quick squeeze. Just like that, a perfectly round, white pearl popped out.

Watching the pearl being squeezed out of the flesh was incredibly satisfying, bringing a mysterious sense of relief.

Ning Fei retrieved the pearl and then removed the stone. The shell of the Clear Water Clam King snapped shut instantly.

"Sorry about that, but this is better for you anyway."

Ning Fei said to the Clear Water Clam King.

To the Clear Water Clam King, Ning Fei was like a surgeon who had just resolved a major bodily affliction for it.

Afterward, Ning Fei scattered the rest of the clam feed over the Clear Water Clam King's shell. He then swam forward while examining the pearl.

The Submarine zoomed in for a close-up of the pearl.

"He found another treasure! The Treasure-Hunting Physique is just unbeatable!"

"My god, can an expert tell us how much that pearl is worth?"

"So badass!"

[Medicinal Herb Merchant]: "Ahem, even though it's not a medicinal herb this time, I still want to ask Temple Master Ning if you'd be willing to sell that pearl to me."

"Holy shit, even the herb merchant came out. I remember he's a big boss in real life."

"If he wants to buy it, he definitely has the channels to sell it. Rich wives love this kind of stuff."

"I smell something unusual. This thing probably isn't cheap."

Everyone's gaze converged on the pearl in Ning Fei's hand.

From the close-up on the Submarine's broadcast, it was obvious that this pearl was massive, perfectly spherical, and had a fairly bright luster.

Ning Fei held the pearl in his hand. After looking at it for a moment, he explained to the viewers:

"Generally speaking, the rounder a pearl is, the better. Many freshwater pearls are oval or irregularly round, which greatly reduces their value. 'Round pearls and smooth jade'—only round pearls truly possess an aesthetic appeal."

"This pearl is completely spherical. Amazingly, I can't see a single flaw."

Ning Fei rolled the pearl around, showing it to the viewers from various angles, yet no irregularities could be seen.

"Next is the luster. Luster is a vital factor in appraising a pearl's value. Terms like 'pearly luster' or 'jewel light' all refer to the radiance of a pearl."

"Look at this pearl, everyone. The lighting at the bottom of the lake is quite dim, yet you can still see its shining white luster. This is top-grade."

"If it flashed with rainbow-colored light, it would be peerless. However, pearls like that can only be found in the vast ocean."

Ning Fei said with a slight hint of regret.

Ning Fei had always been fascinated by legendary pearls with rainbow luster.

If he ever had the chance to visit the ocean in the future, he would love to search for such a treasure.

"Finally, you look at the surface. Flawless pearls are exceptionally rare. Ordinary pearls will have varying degrees of spots or pits on their surface."

"I don't see any spots on this pearl for the time being, but it will still require a professional appraisal. Some blemishes can't be seen with the naked eye."

"Oh, right. This pearl is also quite large, so its value should go up even further."

Listening to Ning Fei's explanation, the viewers were all incredibly envious.

"Excuse me, is this Temple Master Ning's get-rich-quick stream?"

"Just how much money is that going to be?"

"This is just fate. He contracted South Lake, and there happens to be such a huge pearl right at the bottom. Who could you even complain to about how unfair that is?"

"So jealous."

[Medicinal Herb Merchant] also sent a bullet comment at this moment with a long sigh:

"I thought I could make a profit off Temple Master Ning by doing a deal with him since I spotted it early. I never expected Temple Master Ning to be so knowledgeable about pearls too."

"What a miscalculation."