Chapter Four

“This old movie is pretty good.” It was ten o’clock at night, and Zheng Hairui, watching the TV, spoke just to fill the silence. It was a thirty-year-old television show, the picture quality rough, but the acting and plot arrangement were excellent.

“It really is,” Qin Yun replied with a smile.

The two chatted for a while, then Zheng Hairui left, hesitating to say something. Qin Yun closed the door carefully and lay straight on the bed.

———
Host name: Qin Yun.

Current mission: Activate Heart of the Farm. (5 days remaining)

System Points: 0
———

There were still five days left for the farm mission, and he had already made contact with the state. All that remained was to wait for Longxia’s arrangements.

Qin Yun glanced at the time and gradually drifted off to sleep.

Knock knock, knock! At four in the morning, Qin Yun was awakened by a series of knocks at the door.

He threw on a coat and opened the door. Two soldiers stood outside. Upon seeing Qin Yun, they saluted meticulously. “Mr. Qin, Commander Liu requests your presence.”

“Alright.” Qin Yun mentally prepared himself and followed them out.

Half an hour later, Qin Yun arrived at the Zhuhé government building. It was early morning, and the entire building was quiet. After several twists and turns, he was led to a remote room. Two soldiers stood guard outside. Adjusting his clothing, Qin Yun walked straight in.

The room was a small conference space of about a hundred square meters. Two soldiers stood on either side. On the central table sat a computer and a hoe. Beside them stood Zhou Yuanheng and a man in military uniform in his fifties.

Zhou Yuanheng and the man were examining the hoe. When they saw Qin Yun enter, Zhou Yuanheng waved with a smile. “Comrade Qin.”

“Academician Zhou.” Qin Yun greeted him calmly and respectfully.

“Let me introduce you. This is Commander Liu Wensheng of the 223rd Military District. He’s in charge of this matter,” Zhou Yuanheng said.

“Commander Liu!” Qin Yun saluted. Though he didn’t fully understand the military districts, he knew anyone introduced personally by Zhou Yuanheng held considerable weight in Longxia.

“Mm.” Liu Wensheng scrutinized Qin Yun and got straight to the point. “You have a Farm System?”

“Yes, it was left to me by my grandfather…” Qin Yun repeated his previous explanation.

“Qin Yun, graduate of Jinghe University’s Department of Architecture, native of Gaojia Ridge, Zhuhé County, Shenshui Province…” Liu Wensheng recited Qin Yun’s background, then looked up. “Mr. Qin, you have an impressive record. You must understand the consequences of deceiving the state.”

“I understand,” Qin Yun said solemnly.

“Now, tell me about your mission interface.”

Liu Wensheng leaned forward. He had already investigated Qin Yun’s background thoroughly—his life trajectory was normal, and aside from a mysterious grandfather suspected of being from a higher plane, there were no red flags.

Moreover, he had just had professionals examine the hoe. Though it appeared ordinary, it was made from a substance not yet discovered on Shuilan Star. This was one of the reasons he took this meeting seriously.

Qin Yun picked up a pen and paper from the conference table and carefully drew out the mission interface.

Host name, current mission, mission rewards… Soon, the entire mission interface was laid out on the paper in full detail. Liu Wensheng picked it up and examined it. It resembled the interface of a computer game, with everything clearly listed from host name to System Points.

“The current mission is to activate the Heart of the Farm?” Liu Wensheng asked, pointing to the task line.

“Yes.”

“What happens if you fail the mission?”

“Thirty-day mute penalty,” Qin Yun pointed to the third item on the page. The Heart of the Farm was a palm-sized green gem. He had originally wanted to produce it as proof of the system’s existence, but it was in a non-physical state and could not be retrieved.

“After the mute period, will a new task be issued, or will the Farm System be voided?” Liu Wensheng pressed.

“There should be a new task.”

Qin Yun speculated. In his past life, he once failed a corn-selling task and was punished with thirty days of tinnitus. When that punishment ended, the system issued a task several times more difficult. From the system rules he had studied, as long as the Farm System was bound, System Tasks would be issued continuously. He could refuse a task, but the Farm System would then disappear.

Seeing Qin Yun’s serious attitude, Liu Wensheng asked several more detailed questions before Qin Yun was escorted back to the hotel by the soldiers.

“Commander Liu?” After Qin Yun left, Zhou Yuanheng turned to Liu Wensheng.

“Academician Zhou, do you think he’s credible?” Liu Wensheng asked, pouring a cup of tea.

“I’m not sure.” Zhou Yuanheng shook his head. He was just reporting the situation and couldn’t make a firm judgment. After a pause, he glanced at the hoe and said, “If it’s fake, there’s no way to explain where the hoe came from.”

“Exactly.” Liu Wensheng sighed. If it was real, the concept of higher planes and the Farm System was beyond belief. If it was fake… then the surveillance footage and the strange hoe were completely inexplicable.

They chatted briefly. Liu Wensheng looked at the mission diagram on the table. According to the diagram, the current task was to activate the Heart of the Farm. The activation prerequisite: the host must own more than ten mu of land. The activation scope depended on the land area.

Liu Wensheng fell into deep thought and made a call to the central military command.

For a decision this important, guidance from Longxia’s top leadership was necessary.

……

Watching TV, chatting with Zheng Hairui, walking around the hotel…

In the following two days, Qin Yun’s life was extremely dull. Since the last meeting, Zhou Yuanheng and Liu Wensheng had not contacted him again. Were it not for the presence of special personnel monitoring the hotel, Qin Yun would have thought this was just an ordinary stay.

Over these two days, Gao Hongwei called twice to ask about his situation. Qin Yun simply replied that all was well and that he would probably return to the village in a few days.

While Qin Yun endured his monotonous days, Zhou Yuanheng and Liu Wensheng had been far from idle. Liu Wensheng investigated three generations of Qin Yun’s family and visited his social contacts. After confirming that Qin Yun was a true and loyal citizen of Longxia, on July 16, Liu Wensheng contacted him again.

……

“These are documents on state-owned lands in Longxia.” In a small room of the Zhuhé government building, Liu Wensheng laid out a stack of files.

Qin Yun accepted them. Gansheng, Dongsheng, Shenshui Province… The documents contained several hundred land parcels of varying sizes, scattered all across Longxia. Though the locations varied, they shared common features: vast land, sparse population, flat terrain, and low population mobility.

“What is this?” Qin Yun looked at Liu Wensheng.

“These are pre-screened locations by Longxia. Pick one to activate the mission.” Liu Wensheng waved his hand wearily.

He hadn’t had a peaceful two days. Since their last meeting, he had reported everything about the farm to Longxia’s leadership. Currently, there were two camps among the upper echelons. One believed Qin Yun was using sleight of hand with unclear motives. The other believed the universe was boundless and full of unexplored phenomena—cooperation was worth exploring.

After two days of discussion, the final decision was: activate the Heart of the Farm to verify whether the system truly existed.

Liu Wensheng was in charge of the current coordination because he was the one who reported the situation. If it all turned out to be a hoax, while he wouldn’t necessarily be dismissed, he’d become a laughingstock across the entire military district.

He took a sip of hot tea and looked at Qin Yun seriously. “You need to be clear about the implications of your actions.”

“I understand,” Qin Yun reaffirmed once again.

With three days left before the mission deadline, Qin Yun didn’t bother with sentimentality and ultimately chose: Fengshan in Gansheng Province.

It was a vast region covering fifty square kilometers. Like Longxia’s considerations, Qin Yun also focused on key aspects: sparsely populated, flat terrain, and low population mobility. Fengshan is located in the northwest of Longxia, a famously uninhabited area. The environment is secure and, most importantly, it has the largest area. As for the wind and sand in Fengshan… under the system’s support, none of that would be an issue.

“Confirmed?” Liu Wensheng looked at Qin Yun.

“Yes.” Qin Yun nodded seriously.

That afternoon, Liu Wensheng arranged a military helicopter and handed Qin Yun a freshly printed document titled: 《Gansheng Fengshan Plot 306 Land Contract Agreement》.

“This is land leased to you by Longxia. If the system doesn’t exist, you should know the consequences.” Liu Wensheng reminded him again. To avoid any chance of system manipulation, the Fengshan contract clearly laid out all terms from the lease to usage period—an official and rigorous contract.

“Thank you, Commander Liu.” Qin Yun held back his excitement and signed his name. In his previous life, he had struggled to obtain just fifteen mu of land, and now he was starting with fifty square kilometers… everything was different now.

Fifteen minutes later, the helicopter took off.

It was a military helicopter. Thanks to prior coordination with aviation teams across various provinces and cities, the flight was smooth and unobstructed. This was Qin Yun’s first time in a helicopter, and as he looked out the window, the vast and magnificent landscapes of Longxia unfolded beneath him. A surge of passion unlike anything he had felt before welled up inside him.

At 10 p.m. on July 16, the helicopter arrived directly at Fengshan, Longxia.

As soon as he got off, one feeling overwhelmed Qin Yun: desolation. He had read about the uninhabited northwest in online descriptions and knew it was mysterious and barren—but that was just pictures. Now, standing on the land of northwest Longxia, there was nothing in front of him but yellow earth, stretching endlessly.

“The temperature difference is big. Keep warm.” At that moment, Liu Wensheng got off the car and handed Qin Yun a military coat.

“Thank you.” Qin Yun wrapped himself in the coat. He was already slim and pale, and now looked like he was wrapped up completely inside the oversized coat.

“Commander Liu!” Two jeeps drove over in the distance. As they stopped, two soldiers stepped out and saluted. These were stationed troops in the Fengshan area. They stood tall and upright. Due to their long-term posting in the northwest, even at night, their cheeks were visibly red, and they carried a rugged, spirited demeanor.

“Commander Zhao.” Liu Wensheng returned the salute.

Before departing, Liu Wensheng had contacted the nearby troops in Fengshan. Everyone knew Longxia had a mission here, but the details were unknown.

As they spoke, another helicopter landed. Zhou Yuanheng got off in a down jacket. Although he was a wheat breeding expert, as one of the people who reported to the state, he was very concerned about the farm’s progress. After regrouping, Liu Wensheng borrowed two jeeps, and the three men, accompanied by five soldiers, headed toward the designated land in Fengshan.

Fengshan, or the Fengshan mountain range, runs east to west, stretching over three hundred li, with a peak elevation of 5,600 meters. The north and south sides are part of Longxia’s well-known uninhabited zones. The land Qin Yun contracted is located on the northern side of Fengshan. Due to its high elevation, apart from herders and occasional hikers, few people linger here.

The spot Qin Yun chose is a hundred kilometers from the nearest national highway. With the Fengshan range acting as a barrier, its geographical location is relatively hidden.

The two jeeps moved steadily.

“Will you need any help later?” Liu Wensheng asked inside the jeep. With two days left until the mission deadline, he was referring to the activation process.

“No need,” Qin Yun replied, shaking his head.

Half an hour later, the vehicle arrived at Plot 306, the land Qin Yun had signed for.

Qin Yun stepped out and looked around. Aside from the occasional howl of wolves, it was no different from what they had seen along the way.

“Ready?” Liu Wensheng asked.

“Yes.”

Liu Wensheng ordered the soldiers to set up the camera. Though he was still skeptical about the Farm System, by this point, his doubt was mixed with a trace of nervous anticipation. Zhou Yuanheng tugged his jacket tighter. There were now eight people on-site—if the Farm System really existed, this would be a discovery of cosmic proportions…

Amid the tension, Qin Yun opened the system interface.

————
Host Name: Qin Yun.

Current Task: Activate Heart of the Farm. (2 days remaining.)

Task Reward: Primary Selection Pack X2.

System Inventory: Heart of the Farm X1.
————
……

The system interface was concise. Qin Yun took a deep breath and clicked [Activate].

Three seconds later, Qin Yun froze.

“What’s wrong?” Liu Wensheng and Zhou Yuanheng noticed something off. From their perspective, Qin Yun was simply standing there, no supernatural phenomena around him.

“Activation failed?” Liu Wensheng frowned.

“No,” Qin Yun said helplessly. “It can be activated… but the area’s too big…”

He looked at the system interface—

【Maximum area for primary-level farm: 10,000 mu. The current land exceeds the limit. Please select accordingly.】

Fifty square kilometers equals 75,000 mu. Seeing the system prompt, Qin Yun had only one thought: this system isn’t so easy to exploit.