Chapter 85 Urgency

Chapter 85: Chapter 84: Urgency

After that encounter, the people at Biyun Resort didn’t walk away empty-handed. Aside from gaining some information about West City, they also captured twenty different types of firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

When the meeting ended, the severely injured vice chairmen retired early to rest. Lin Qianqian stayed behind, lingering by Han Ning’s side. The two of them, along with a few Awakened, examined the pile of firearms on the table. There were several models, including standard domestic QB-19 assault rifles, Type 92 handguns, and QC submachine guns.

"Chairman Wu said you are everyone’s benefactor," Lin Qianqian said, gently patting Han Ning’s shoulder. "You get to pick first. Take as many as you want—even all of them if you’d like."

"Taking them all wouldn’t be much use. Without bullets, these guns are just a pile of scrap metal," Han Ning replied.

If there were enough bullets, Han Ning actually had a bold idea. He could use his vines to control dozens of rifles like an octopus and fire them simultaneously. A single person could unleash a terrifying metal storm, shredding everything in their path. It would be insanely devastating.

"If only someone could manufacture enough bullets," Han Ning sighed again.

His vines could whip out a large number of spikes in a short time, but the coverage area was small, limited by the vines’ physical reach.

Wait. At that moment, a flash of Spiritual Light suddenly crossed Han Ning’s mind. Since he couldn’t manufacture bullets, he wondered if he could cultivate plants that functioned like firearms and ammunition instead. Like Plants vs. Zombies? It was certainly a promising direction. He decided he would have a thorough chat with Professor Ye about it when he returned.

"How about it? Is there anything you want?" Lin Qianqian’s voice echoed in his ears.

Han Ning snapped back to reality. He grabbed a total of ten assault rifles and submachine guns, along with three handguns. Handguns weren’t as effective at close range as his vines, so he planned to distribute them to the rest of the team for self-defense.

Wrapping his vines around the weapons, he said, "I’ll just take these."

Back in the suite, Xu Ming was accompanying Xu Yinyin. They were lying on their stomachs on the bed, playing with building blocks. Professor Ye sat by the planting area in the corner of the balcony, using the dim light to jot something down in a small notebook. Su Mingke stood by the window, staring out at the boundless veil of rain, her silhouette looking somewhat lonely. Snow Cake lay on its side on the carpet in an alluring posture, occasionally casting a glance at Su Mingke with its brass-colored eyes.

Hearing the door open, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over. Han Ning placed the guns on the table and waved at Su Mingke. "Teacher Su, come out for a moment."

Outside the door.

Han Ning cut straight to the chase. "There is no issue with Professor Ye’s abilities, so you can return to the Agricultural and Forestry University. You should remember the way, so I won’t see you off."

Su Mingke froze. She had imagined many possibilities for her future—being detained long-term, used as a hostage to exchange for more resources, or even forced to participate in dangerous hunts. The only thing she hadn’t anticipated was Han Ning letting her go so straightforwardly.

Su Mingke pursed her lips as an indescribably complex emotion welled up in her heart. At this moment, she actually felt a bit hesitant. It was simply because the conditions here under Han Ning were too good—far better than at the Agricultural and Forestry University.

Here, they had a relatively comfortable living space, plenty of food, and many highly capable Awakened standing guard... not to mention that adorable little girl named Xu Yinyin. However, the faces of those who had fought side-by-side with her and supported each other at the Agricultural and Forestry University flashed through her mind—the colleagues and students who had helped her, and those she had helped in return.

Ultimately, the scales in her heart tipped toward the latter. She took a deep breath, suppressing her complicated emotions, and nodded. "Okay."

Su Mingke didn’t waste any more words and turned to walk toward the exit. Just as she was about to leave the stairwell, her footsteps paused slightly. She seemed to want to turn back and say something, but in the end, she merely straightened her back and disappeared into the dim corner.

Watching Su Mingke leave, Han Ning absentmindedly opened the door to the room. His mind was still occupied by the things the scrawny man had said. Leaving aside those already exceptionally powerful Otherworld monsters, knowing that there might be people stronger than him had planted a seed of urgency in his heart. He wondered what he would do if he ever encountered an existence far more powerful than himself—someone who coveted his ship, his supplies, or even the people around him... or someone who even wanted his life.

PHEW.

Han Ning shook his head, stopping his train of thought. He planned to increase his own strength as much as possible, outside of providing Support to Professor Ye’s crop research.

"Where is Teacher Su?" Xu Ming and Professor Ye asked curiously when they saw Han Ning enter the room alone.

"She went back to the Agricultural and Forestry University. She was just a hostage I captured in the first place, anyway," Han Ning said with a smile.

"She went back, huh..." Professor Ye looked somewhat melancholy. After all, they came from the same place and had endured the hardships of survival together for almost a month.

But with his rich life experience, Professor Ye quickly steadied his emotions. He picked up a notebook and said to Han Ning, "Mr. Han, I’ve outlined the crops we plan to plant in the future."

"Oh?" Piqued, Han Ning pulled up a chair and sat next to Professor Ye, ready to listen to his lecture.

"Based on our current conditions, spatial limitations, and the harsh lighting requirements of the ship’s environment, combined with the basic nutrients required for daily human survival, I’ve sorted things out. I’ve drafted a preliminary list of the most suitable crops to prioritize for cultivation on the ship," Professor Ye explained, tapping the first item in his notes. "First are leafy greens. I highly recommend spinach. It’s rich in carotenoids, vitamin C, and vitamin K, which are crucial for preventing scurvy and night blindness, and for maintaining electrolyte balance.

"Spinach is a semi-hardy vegetable with a relatively wide range of temperature adaptability. Some shade-tolerant varieties can grow normally under relatively weak lighting conditions as long as they’re managed properly. It’s perfectly suited for the cabin environment."

Professor Ye then pointed to the second item. "The second category I recommend is edible fungi, especially oyster mushrooms and pearl oyster mushrooms. They can provide us with protein. The growth of edible fungi doesn’t require sunlight at all; in fact, they thrive better in dark or extremely low-light environments. They’re perfect for the bottom of the cabin or the corners of the storage room. Furthermore, their cultivation methods are flexible. Mushroom bags can be stacked or hung, maximizing the use of vertical and corner spaces.

"The third category is sprouts. Soybean sprouts, mung bean sprouts, and radish microgreens all work. Their growth cycle is incredibly short. After soaking the seeds, beans only take three to seven days at a suitable temperature before they can be harvested for consumption. Radish microgreens only take seven to ten days. The entire planting process takes place entirely in darkness or low light, meaning their sunlight requirement is zero.

"Their nutritional value is concentrated, and during germination, the seeds are rich in vitamin C. Their space utilization is extremely high. Using a standard nursery tray or even a deeper plastic tray planted on multi-layer vertical racks, you can yield several kilograms of fresh, tender sprouts at a time. They can be grown hydroponically, which is clean and hygienic, requiring nothing more than spraying water once or twice a day.

"I’m not entirely sure if your abilities can replace the role of sunlight and other natural environmental factors. Hmm... but as for whether you can grow those crops in such harsh environments, it certainly seems possible at present.

"Just to be safe, I selected these specific crops. Their growth cycle is short, and they taste decent too. What do you think?"

"Not bad. For now, we’ll build cultivation containers based on these specific crops," Han Ning replied.

With Professor Ye around, he wouldn’t have to run around like a headless chicken anymore. Han Ning nodded in agreement. Then, recalling the inspiration he had just gotten from the firearms, he asked, "Professor Ye, do you know of any highly offensive plants? Preferably ones we already have in our seed bank..."