Chapter 139

The [Sprouting Tree of Hope] was an early reward from the Farm system. Since the day it was obtained, it had been planted on the southern side of the Farm. Neither Qin Yun nor the Farm had ever imagined that the Hope Tree would one day bear fruit capable of significantly impacting the Farm’s progress.

Ten minutes later, a staff member brought over a ladder.

Qin Yun climbed up.

“Item: Advanced Hope Tree Fruit. Pick it?” the system prompted.

“Yes.”

Qin Yun plucked the fruit. It was the size of a pomelo, noticeably larger than before.

He tapped to use it.

“Congratulations, Host has received an advanced reward: Heart of Purification.”

[Heart of Purification]: Purifies 2 million square kilometers of ocean area. (Note: Usable only in the current sea region, non-persistent.)

The Heart of Purification was a crystal-clear gem, shimmering like water. After examining it, both Qin Yun and Liu Wensheng immediately thought of another Farm reward: the Purification Gem.

“Any DEBUFFs?” Liu Wensheng asked.

The [Purification Gem] had been a gift from Qin Hai when Qin Yun returned home. While the Purification Gem could cleanse ecological zones, it came with a critical caveat: it was not a material native to this dimension. There was a 30% chance it would cause malignant mutations in plants, and a 100% chance of regional ecological degradation.

According to Longxia’s analysis team, using the [Purification Gem] would inevitably trigger global ecological changes. Examples included three-hundred-meter-tall trees, fanged rats, and rabbits three meters high. While it purified the ecosystem, it also brought about widespread, uncontrollable mutations.

After Liu Wensheng asked, Qin Yun opened the detailed view for the Heart of Purification.

The purification interface was clean and straightforward, with no DEBUFF warnings.

“None!” Liu Wensheng exclaimed in delight.

Half an hour later, members of the Biology Group arrived. With Xiang Qingchuan currently conducting research in the Arctic, the group was temporarily led by Academician Ji Fengqing. At fifty-three, Ji was a senior academician in Longxia. After reviewing the item, he wasn’t overly optimistic. “The Heart of Purification has no DEBUFFs, but there’s one major drawback…”

He pointed to the note under [Purification]: “The Heart of Purification is limited to the current sea region and is not permanent.”

The Heart of Purification was an ocean purification reward. Since it targeted the ocean, global ocean currents had to be considered. Longxia’s ocean territory covered five million square kilometers, meaning the Heart of Purification could cleanse half of it. But after purification… there would be no lasting effect.

It was like dropping a bottle of mineral water into an inkwell. No matter how clean the water was, it would eventually be tainted.

“Is there any chance of an exception?” Liu Wensheng asked, troubled.

“No,” Ji Fengqing shook his head.

According to the Heart of Purification’s description, even if it were used, the cleansed sea would be polluted again within five years.

“Ah…” Liu Wensheng sighed heavily. It was like possessing a powerful sword that, given the current circumstances, had no opportunity to be unsheathed.

At 10 p.m., Liu Wensheng reported the findings to the Longxia Team. After analysis, the Heart of Purification was merged into the Purification Gem project.

Although the Purification Gem had never been used, Longxia had spent the past two years researching its functionality. It was a process of building from nothing, and the entire project had been extremely difficult.

“Have some hot water.” Qin Yun poured a cup for Liu Wensheng. Perhaps due to the Acid Rain Sickness, Liu Wensheng had looked increasingly worn out in recent months.

“I was too eager for results,” Liu Wensheng said, accepting the cup. Since the beginning of the year, Longxia had been facing one crisis after another. The Longxia Team had fought hard to resolve them, but ocean pollution, deforestation, and air contamination continued to plague the world.

As of 6 p.m. that evening, there had been 327 deaths nationwide due to Hugua. Each number wasn’t just a statistic—it represented a family. The Hugua Mask could block the virus, but it couldn’t eliminate it. With so many crises, his nerves had been stretched thin for a long time.

“Don’t overthink it,” Liu Wensheng told Qin Yun. He realized he had been too tense and had passed some of that anxiety onto Qin Yun.

Qin Yun smiled faintly.

In truth, it wasn’t just Liu Wensheng who had been on edge. Qin Yun had also been living under constant pressure.

After chatting for a while, Liu Wensheng returned to his office to handle work. Qin Yun wandered around the Farm. The place was brightly lit, and the researchers were diligently analyzing data. Due to the Hugua H1 threat, everyone wore Hugua Masks. No one could be sure whether the virus had infiltrated the Farm, but this was the safest precaution.

Half an hour later, Qin Yun reached the edge of the Farm. This was the boundary between the Deep Uninhabited Zone and the Shallow Uninhabited Zone. Beyond the Farm’s perimeter, the surroundings were barren and desolate.

Qin Yun sat down on the ground and opened the System Interface.

Host Name: Qin Yun

Current Mission: Cultivate one billion mu of Off-site Seeds (75% complete), restore 10% of national green coverage to pre-disaster levels, return all national soil to normal condition.

System Points: 2.57 billion

…

Due to the impact of Hugua H1, the planting of Off-site Seeds had slowed. The “Global Recovery” metric had yet to show a percentage because the restored area was still too small.

“Rustle—” As Qin Yun scrolled through the interface, a faint rustling sound came from behind him.

He turned around to see a sleek, muscular adult white wolf. Its forelegs were covered in bits of leaves. The wolf stared at Qin Yun, and Qin Yun stared back.

After three seconds, Qin Yun tentatively asked, “Little White?”

“Rrrruuu…”

The white wolf lowered its guard, its eyes filled with joy.

“Little White!” Qin Yun threw his arms around the wolf.

It was indeed Little White. Two years ago, after a torrential storm hit the Farm, Little White had left with its pack. In the years since, as the Farm’s protective boundaries expanded, animals rarely ventured inside. Qin Yun had often come to the edge of the Farm, hoping to run into Little White. But despite all those visits, he had never seen it.

Until now. He had finally found it.

Qin Yun rubbed Little White vigorously.

“Grrr…” Little White rolled on the ground, letting out a contented purring sound.

“Do you want to come back?” After playing for a while, Qin Yun hesitated as he asked. During their roughhousing, he had noticed that Little White’s back and hind legs were covered in wounds, some old and scabbed over, others more recent. The most serious was a ten-centimeter gash on the right side of Little White’s face, a sharp claw mark just half a centimeter from his eye.

“If you want to come back, you can,” Qin Yun said softly, heart aching. In his mind, he could still picture the little ball of fluff Little White had been when he was born.

“Grrr…” Little White seemed to understand, licking the back of Qin Yun’s hand with his tongue.

“Commander Liu is a good man,” Qin Yun continued. During a recent conversation, Liu Wensheng had specifically asked about Little White, hoping he might return to stay at the Farm. But ever since Little White had gone off with the wolf pack into the Deep Uninhabited Zone, sightings had been rare. In the past two years, the Farm’s drones had only once captured a distant image of the pack, and it wasn’t clear if Little White was among them.

Just as Qin Yun was about to extend the invitation again, he noticed five white wolves approaching from a distance. The wolves growled lowly, wary as they stared at Qin Yun.

“Growl!” Little White let out a commanding bark, and the wolves immediately quieted, their tension dissolving. Qin Yun observed them carefully and noticed one of the wolves had a grayer coat—it was the former wolf king.

Before Qin Yun could react, he felt a warm, wet sensation on his cheek.

Looking down, he saw Little White had licked him, eyes full of reluctant affection.

Qin Yun was about to say something, but after a moment’s thought, he simply said, “Stay safe.”

He understood now. Little White had come to reminisce, but he wouldn’t be returning to the Farm.

“Woof woof.” Little White licked Qin Yun twice more, then turned and walked toward the wolf pack. As he approached, the other white wolves instinctively stepped back, a clear sign of submission.

Little White rejoined the pack, gave Qin Yun one last deep look, then turned and ran off without looking back.

Under the bright moonlight, the wolf pack disappeared into the night.

Qin Yun watched them go. After half a minute, he murmured to himself with a touch of melancholy, “He’s become the wolf king…”

Little White had always had excellent lineage, and now he clearly embodied the best traits of his parents. Qin Yun had hoped he would stay at the Farm, but he knew the Uninhabited Zone was Little White’s true battlefield. Still, with this parting, he wasn’t sure if they would ever meet again.

At 2 a.m., Qin Yun returned to the Tulou. Half the lights were still on, the other half off. This kind of round-the-clock operation had become the norm at the Farm. Qin Yun thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep, but the moment his head hit the pillow, he was out.

The next morning, Qin Yun arrived at the Tulou office.

The room was filled with soil data from various regions across Longxia. Now that the pesticide research had succeeded, the next step was implementation.

The Acid Rain Pesticide could restore vitality to the soil, making the term “pesticide” somewhat misleading. On October 23rd, after thorough analysis by the Longxia team, the Acid Rain Pesticide was officially renamed “Vitality 01.”

The name “Vitality 01” symbolized the rebirth of soil across the nation. The “01” might seem simple, but it represented a new beginning, a fresh start for the land.

Over the following week, Longxia coordinated with biotech companies across the country. The main ingredient of Vitality 01 was locust carcasses, which not only helped restore Acid Rain Soil but also served as an excellent fertilizer.

After careful planning, the domestic rollout of Vitality 01 was divided into three phases:

1. Land in uninhabited mountain forests would be sprayed at the government’s expense.

2. Scenic mountain areas and other commercial tourist sites would be sprayed with funding from local tourism departments.

3. Private land under ten mu would be subsidized by the government, while commercial land over ten mu would be funded by the owners.

…

Between 3030 and 3033, Vitality 01 would be sold at a subsidized price. After 3033, pricing would be adjusted according to market conditions. In addition to domestic policies, Longxia had already signed cooperation agreements with several countries regarding Vitality 01. Since it involved agricultural planting and had broad implications, further negotiations were ongoing.

“The soil I dug up before is useless now. I want to plant flowers!”

“My family has twenty mu of land. So the first ten mu are free, and the rest at cost?”

“We have a small garden at home that’s been dead for two years. Please release it nationwide!”

…

As soon as the news broke, countless netizens flooded the comment sections. According to information released by the Longxia Agricultural Network, depending on usage, the cost per mu of Vitality 01 ranged from 300 to 500 yuan. Those who had previously used Improved Fertilizer could reduce the dosage, bringing the cost down to 50 yuan.

Three years ago, land was almost worthless. Now, three years later, it had become the most valuable asset.

“Dongshan Technology pledges to donate 2,000 tons of Vitality 01 to Longquan County, Su Province.”

“Hualong Pharmaceuticals pledges to donate 1,000 tons to Gantian City, Yun Province.”

“Snow Mountain Sports pledges…”

…

On the evening of October 23rd, at 7 p.m., as the nation celebrated the success of Vitality 01, donation announcements began flooding the trending lists.

With the Hugua H1 virus still rampant, Longxia had just completed the production of 800 billion masks for the entire population. Combined with infrastructure investments, the government was not yet able to provide Vitality 01 entirely free of charge. According to the current plan, commercial bases would pay cost price, while unclaimed and smallholder farmland would be fully subsidized. If soil recovery did not meet expectations, further budget cuts would be made to push for full coverage.

While the revitalization policy was still under negotiation, major corporations had already begun donating voluntarily. This wave of donations was not only a nationwide movement, it even caught Longxia off guard.

“No cotton for clothes anymore, we need to restart planting!”

“Hope this brings down pharmaceutical costs. Tired of rising prices for medicinal herbs.”

“Let’s get the economy back on track…”

…

Businesses had always been profit-driven, and few had paid much attention to ecological economics. But after three years of crisis, everyone had experienced the same vicious cycle: vegetation loss led to rising costs for timber, cotton, and medicinal herbs, which drove up product prices, weakened consumer spending, and caused economic decline for businesses.

It was a painful loop.

Now that Vitality 01 had been successfully developed, both Longxia and its citizens needed national soil recovery. Businesses needed it even more.

At this point, companies weren’t just donating money. Many had started building locust farming facilities and organic biofactories. They all shared the same goal: restore the ecosystem, revive the economy.

Bound by shared national interests, on November 5th, the first batch of Vitality 01 was officially released nationwide.

According to the plan, Vitality 01 would first be applied in forest-rich areas such as the Longbei and Longnan protected zones.