Chapter 155

“Can I take off my mask?”

“Yes, you can.”

“But Teacher Xinxin said we can’t take off our masks where there’s no oxygen machine…”

“It’s okay now.”

…

On March 9, 3039, Xiang Doudou hesitantly removed her mask. She was seven years old, born in 3032. For as long as she could remember, she wasn’t allowed to take off her mask when going outside. She had to carry an oxygen tank at all times and couldn’t stay in places without an oxygen machine. That’s what her parents and teachers taught her, and it was a rule all the kids followed.

Yesterday afternoon, her grandfather, who was always away on business trips, told her he was taking her somewhere and that she didn’t need to wear her mask today. She thought he was joking. But it turned out to be true.

“Daddy?” Xiang Doudou looked to her father for help.

“Trust Grandpa. Daddy’s not wearing a mask either.”

…

With her father’s encouragement, Xiang Doudou reluctantly lowered her mask.

“Doudou, come in and change into your dress,” her mother called from the bedroom.

“Mama!” Xiang Doudou ran inside on her short little legs.

Watching her run off, her father said, “Kids these days aren’t used to being without masks.”

“When you were born, no one wore masks,” Xiang Qingchuan said with a sigh.

Xiang Qingchuan was an academician at the Longxia Academy of Biology. After developing the Hugua Vaccine in 2036, he returned to the country with his team.

Yesterday at noon, Longxia released a news bulletin: [According to monitoring by the Shuilan Alliance, global oxygen levels have reached an average of 21%. The world has officially left the Oxygen Depletion Era.]

The moment the news broke, the world erupted with excitement—

“Ahhh! We finally don’t have to wear masks anymore!”

“Nine years! I was going insane!”

“Does this mean we can go out normally now, without wearing anything?”

…

In the past two years, as global oxygen levels steadily increased, many regions had already started removing their masks. But now, with the global announcement, it meant that people everywhere could safely and officially go outside.

Nineteen hours had passed since the [Global Announcement], and in that time, businesses launched promotions, tourist attractions waived entrance fees, and restaurants offered discounts. Every industry across the country was celebrating oxygen freedom in its own way.

At 8 p.m. last night, Fengshan Farm posted an announcement: [To celebrate oxygen freedom, Fengshan Farm will be open to visitors from March 9 to March 31. For visiting rules and ticket purchases, please log in to the Longxia App…]

This was the first time Fengshan Farm had ever opened to the public. As soon as the announcement went live, tickets were snapped up nationwide. Xiang Qingchuan had seven contribution tickets and planned to take the whole family to visit the farm.

Half an hour later, Xiang Doudou came out dressed and ready to go. Her eyes were red—she had clearly been crying.

“What happened?” Xiang Qingchuan was startled.

“Mama won’t let me wear my Pressure-Resistant Suit,” Xiang Doudou said through sniffles. The suit could automatically adjust to external pressure and, like the oxygen mask, had been an essential item.

Xiang Qingchuan felt a pang of sympathy. “We don’t need them anymore. No masks, no suits, no oxygen tanks. We don’t need any of it.”

“But Teacher Xinxin…”

“Grandpa will call Teacher Xinxin and explain.”

Xiang Doudou didn’t throw a tantrum. She just fidgeted with the hem of her dress.

At 10:10 a.m., the family of four got into a taxi. Their flight was at 11, and they planned to spend two days at the farm.

In the taxi, Xiang Doudou pressed her lips into a tight line, her little face flushed red. It was her first time going outside without any protection, and she didn’t dare breathe normally.

“Relax. Try breathing through your mouth,” Xiang Qingchuan coached gently.

Xiang Doudou slowly opened her mouth and took a few tentative breaths. Gradually, her breathing became more natural.

“How is it?” Xiang Qingchuan asked.

“It’s more comfortable than the oxygen mask!” she said with delight.

At a red light, the taxi driver chimed in, “These days, it’s not just kids—even adults aren’t used to going without masks.”

Kids born after 2030 had it rough. From birth, they faced the Hugua H1 outbreak and the oxygen crisis. Something as simple as breathing open air had become a rare and precious experience.

“Not anymore,” Xiang Qingchuan said, gazing out the window.

Their home was in the third ring of Qin Province. The roads there were lined with blooming violets. When the wind blew, the flowers swayed like a sea of purple.

Now that the air was back to normal, the world would slowly return to normal too.

…

“What time does the shuttle leave?”

“Every thirty minutes.”

…

At 3 p.m., in Lushui Town, Jiangcheng, tourists listened attentively to the visitor guidelines. Tickets to Fengshan Farm cost 188 yuan. From March 9 to March 31, the farm would admit up to 100,000 visitors per day. Lushui Town, the closest town to the farm, had been welcoming tourists from around the world since yesterday afternoon.

At 3:20, Zhou Sheng stepped off the “Jiangcheng–Lushui Town” shuttle bus. “It’s really lively here.”

“Yeah, it is,” Zheng Yunjie said as he followed.

Zhou Sheng owned the flower shop next door. Five years ago, he had planned to sell the shop and retire to the countryside. But on the day of the contract signing, he backed out. As he put it, after spending a lifetime in Kunshan Market, retiring to the countryside just didn’t feel right.

To make up for delaying the buyer by a week, he helped find another shop of equal value. The buyer was very happy with the new location, and now the three of them occasionally met up for drinks.

Last night, Zhou Sheng and Zheng Yunjie snagged tickets online and immediately booked the next available flight.

At 3:50, the “Farm–Lushui Town” shuttle arrived, and the two boarded.

“The grasslands outside are beautiful.”

“Just like in the movies.”

…

On the bus to Fengshan Farm, the tourists were buzzing with excitement, snapping photos.

Fengshan Farm was located in the uninhabited zone of Gan Province. Ten years ago, not a single blade of grass grew there. But with the use of Vitality 01, the land had come back to life. Now it was lush and green, a transformation so dramatic it felt like the desert had turned into a southern paradise.

The distance from Lushui Town to Fengshan Farm was 100 kilometers. Halfway there, someone shouted, “Look! Antelopes!”

Everyone turned to look out the window. Outside, herds of antelopes were running across the plains, and flocks of wild geese circled in the sky.

According to the Shuilan Alliance, between 2030 and 2035, the global animal population declined by 72%. Although many countries had established animal sanctuaries, the damage to the global ecosystem had been catastrophic. It wasn’t until 2037, when Acid Rain Algae began to take effect, that the animal food chain started to recover.

“They’re beautiful,” Zheng Yunjie said, snapping a few photos.

He hadn’t watched nature documentaries in years. But seeing the large antelopes leading their young, he found them breathtaking for the first time.

At 4:40, the bus arrived at the farm.

“This place is so high-tech.”

“Just like what you see on TV.”

…

As the tourists stepped off the bus, the first thing that caught their eyes were twenty irrigation machines. Painted in alternating shades of silver and gray, they exuded a sense of power and mechanical beauty.

“Ka-ka—”

After passing through security, the tourists boarded the Farm shuttle bus. As it drove along, they saw enclosed farmland, laboratories, research facilities… a wide array of buildings came into view.

As they passed by the Seed Laboratory, a sign stood out front displaying the research projects and their respective years. One of them, Longfeng-01, dated back eleven years. Looking at the image of Longfeng Wheat, it felt as if it had only just happened yesterday.

“This is the Longfeng-01 lab. Longfeng Wheat was developed right here.”

“This is Zhongzhi-02…”

“Vitality 01!”

…

Although the Farm Laboratory was off-limits to visitors, everyone was still visibly excited.

Zheng Yunjie and Zhou Sheng got off the bus and stood in front of a signboard, taking a photo together. The sign featured an image of the Zhongzhi Sweet Potato. After snapping the picture, they exchanged a smile.

They were reminded of the crop rotation reform in 2028. Both of them had witnessed the rise of the Zhongzhi Sweet Potato firsthand.

After touring the Farm, the group moved on to the Farm Granary.

“This is the Longfeng Wheat storage facility, which uses the latest vacuum preservation technology,” explained a guide at the granary.

The Farm Granary spanned 100,000 mu and housed 300,000 large-scale grain silos, each meticulously categorized to store a variety of grains and cereals.

Safety.

That was Zheng Yunjie’s first impression upon seeing the granary. He recalled the years of the Food Crisis. It was Longxia’s unwavering commitment to food security and its abundant grain reserves that gave its people an unprecedented sense of safety.

“Amazing.”

“Incredible Longxia…”

…

At that moment, two voices of admiration came from nearby.

Zheng Yunjie turned to see two middle-aged men with blond hair and blue eyes, busily snapping photos with their cameras.

Noticing Zheng Yunjie’s gaze, the two quickly explained in broken Longxia language, “Hello, we are journalists from Canpesheng…”

They did their best to clarify that they had purchased their tickets online and meant no harm.

“It’s fine,” Zheng Yunjie replied with a smile.

Ten years ago, he might have been wary of foreign visitors’ intentions. But with Longxia’s elevated global standing, he no longer worried. The fact that Longxia allowed foreign guests to visit meant it was confident in its own security. He trusted Longxia’s judgment.

And Farm had every reason to be confident.

At that very moment, inside Farm Tulou, Qin Yun opened the System Interface.

Host Name: Qin Yun

Current Mission: None

Mission Reward: None

System Store: Unavailable

…

A month ago, after the completion of the Global Ecological Mission, the System Interface had displayed a prompt:

[Congratulations, Host, on completing the Global Ecological Mission. The Farm System will shut down in 24 hours. Please organize your inventory accordingly. Note: Existing items will not be affected after shutdown.]

At that moment, Qin Yun had opened the System Interface.

Host Name: Qin Yun

System Inventory: Heart of the Farm, Heart of Peace, Heart of Purification, Purification Gem, Heart of Nature…

System Points: 2.7 billion

Note: Host is the sole administrator of the Farm. Host privileges cannot be altered.

…

The system message was brief and to the point. Clearly, the system was “shutting down.”

Before the shutdown, the System Store had been fully unlocked.

Without hesitation, Farm immediately began cataloging all System Items and launched a detailed analysis. At the same time, it took advantage of the remaining time to “strategically” sell off Farm’s grain reserves.

Countdown: 3:12:00

Farm Points: 73.2 billion

With three hours left, Qin Yun began purchasing according to the team’s procurement list.

System Energy Stone, Cosmic Star Map, Damaged Cell Repair Technology…

These were all high-level items previously unavailable. After a nonstop buying spree, Farm had acquired 1,732 items. Due to the large quantity, the items would need to be unlocked in batches.

Unlocking rules—

Basic items: Unlimited per month

Intermediate items: Up to ten per month

Advanced items: One per month

Farm had purchased 960 advanced items. At one per month, it would take eighty years of continuous unlocking.

After reading the system rules, Qin Yun had only one thought: lifelong laborer.

He grumbled, but the truth was, these items were invaluable assets to both Farm and Longxia.

Since the Farm upgrade, it had lifted all user restrictions and removed the DEBUFF function.

The team carefully analyzed the inventory and unlocked the first item: the Farm Anti-Theft System.

The Farm Anti-Theft System was a high-spec security system capable of fully safeguarding Farm’s confidential data. Its features included alarms, automatic tracking, exit prevention, and wireless eavesdropping protection…

The system used Shuilan technology and was considered uncrackable. This was the foundation of Farm’s confidence in opening to the public.

The reason for Farm’s full public access was simple: to celebrate oxygen freedom and inspire confidence among Longxia’s citizens.

Currently, Cybera was focused on economic development. Natal was facing three to five major protests each month due to Acid Rain Algae, and its government was overwhelmed by the economic downturn. After a year-long standoff, Mali had finally abolished the coastal chemical contracts signed with major powers.

“Green and sustainable” had become the global theme.

On August 7, the world ratified the Shuilan Environmental Joint Treaty. The treaty included clear penalties for pollution, with one goal: to use the eleven-year crisis as a warning and protect the Shuilan environment.

By now, Qin Yun had finished organizing the data. Liu Wensheng glanced out the window. “Looks like there’s quite a crowd outside.”

Farm was only open from March 9 to March 21. With such a short window, many residents had come just to check in. Statistics showed around 90,000 visitors today alone.

Qin Yun was itching to go out.

“Come on, let’s take a look,” Liu Wensheng said with a wave of his hand.

Qin Yun followed him out.

Due to the number of restricted areas, Farm had set up an Agricultural Technology Exhibition Zone in the southern open field to enhance the visitor experience. The exhibition featured agricultural tools, tech products, and experimental agricultural items—all of them unreleased prototypes. Because of their complexity, Farm wasn’t worried about other countries deciphering them.

The two of them strolled around and eventually arrived at the Technology Exhibition Zone.

From the east side of the tech expo came a professional voice explaining, “This is the Lele-37, developed using multiple pumpkin gene technologies such as Longnan No.1 and Beibei No.3. It’s one of the key research projects of the Agricultural Lab…”

“Wow!”

“Can you eat a pumpkin that big?”

“It’s huge, bigger than the desks at school!”

…

The surrounding visitors were full of amazement.

Two people walked over.

This was the pumpkin exhibition area. At the center stood a massive round table five meters in diameter, and on it sat a pumpkin three meters wide. It was a typical yellow-skinned pumpkin, oval in shape, with a ring of safety ropes cordoning it off.

“They actually brought this one out,” Liu Wensheng said with a chuckle.

Lele-37 was a pumpkin variety independently developed by the Agricultural Group. It weighed 1,200 kilograms, a full 100 kilograms heavier than the world’s largest known pumpkin. Despite its size, the taste was astringent and bitter. The Farm was currently working on improving its flavor. If successful, it could become an excellent agricultural resource.

Click, click!

As the researcher continued explaining, visitors eagerly snapped photos.

After the photos were taken, a second-grade boy leaned over and said, “I’m going to study hard so I can grow a giant pumpkin too!”

“Me too!”

“Me too!”

…

The other kids quickly joined in, raising their hands.

Parents stood nearby, smiling as they filmed on their phones. Ten years ago, “ideal farming” might have seemed like a dead-end path, but everyone had survived the Great Disaster. Back then, farming meant food, and now, having enough to eat and drink felt like true happiness.

Qin Yun and Liu Wensheng watched for a while. Just then, a little boy dropped his yogurt bottle.

He picked it up, gave it a shake, then tossed it into a nearby trash bin. Today, the Farm had over ninety thousand visitors, yet the cleanliness was as pristine as the day it first opened.

After eleven years of crisis, people’s environmental awareness had significantly improved.

Liu Wensheng followed the boy’s actions with his eyes, then turned to Qin Yun. “How old are you this year?”

Qin Yun replied helplessly, “Thirty-five.”

Liu Wensheng’s expression grew a bit complicated. “You’ve worked hard.”

Qin Yun had been with the Farm for twelve years, and his contributions were no less than those of the researchers.

“Serving the people,” Qin Yun said with a smile, lightening the mood.

They chatted for a bit, then Liu Wensheng asked, “Anyone you like? The Agricultural Group is holding a mixer next week…”

Qin Yun quickly cut him off. “No need.”

Over the years, Liu Wensheng had brought up marriage several times. Whether in his past life or this one, Qin Yun had never given it much thought. Now that the world was getting back on track, all he wanted was to grow with the Farm.

“You…” Liu Wensheng knew Qin Yun was resolute by nature. The two talked a bit more before changing the subject.

At 10 p.m., the Farm closed for the day.

Some visitors returned to Lushui Town, while others set up tents outside the Farm to enjoy the night view. Thanks to prior preparations, the surrounding environment was very safe.

Qin Yun wandered around the Farm for a while before arriving at the Hope Greenhouse.

The Hope Greenhouse had been upgraded into a high-level laboratory. Inside were the Purification Gem, the Heart of Purification, and the Heart of Nature. The Heart of Nature could boost global ecological vitality by 20%. After careful consideration, the Farm decided to activate it.

Now, like the Hope Tree before it, the Heart of Nature had dissolved into the environment. No one could see or touch it, but at the moment of activation, the air had become noticeably fresher.

The Purification Gem carried a negative buff, while the Heart of Purification could purify 200 square kilometers of ocean. Since it wasn’t urgently needed, the Farm decided to reserve both for further research.

Half an hour later, Qin Yun arrived at the small hillside where he had once found Little White. The grass had grown to half a meter tall. He lay down with practiced ease and dozed off. In his half-sleep, he heard faint footsteps behind him. When he opened his eyes, only the empty night surrounded him.

Looking around, he noticed a purple tulip near his right hand. The flower was vivid and fresh, with two strands of Little White’s fur on it. Little White had brought it here.

He had seen Little White once last year, hunting with a wolf pack. Agile and strong, Little White had already become a true wolf king.

Standing on the hillside, Qin Yun gazed into the distance. The moonlight was bright tonight, and golden specks shimmered faintly on the ground. Only he could see them. It was the golden light released when the Hope Tree dissolved. Nourished by that light, the earth was now far more vibrant than it had been a decade ago.

Qin Yun stayed on the hill until dawn. Then he tucked the tulip into his pocket and headed back to the Tulou with a relaxed expression.

The moonlight was gentle, and the Farm’s evening breeze was soft and pleasant.

———END———