Chapter Ninety: Orchid

“That dog is really beautiful, and it has an indescribable air about it.”

Lin Zhongqing drifted slowly through the air, speaking in his mind to Eastern Unity.

“Yes, it has great potential. Your eye has always been this good, Qing’er.”

“Unfortunately, it already has an owner.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll find you a pet a hundred times stronger than it.”

“Brother Dongfang, you’re so kind.”

“Hmm, I’ve got it. I found a book called the Divine Beast Canon. It can raise ordinary beasts all the way into beings from legend. Not only will they be absolutely loyal to you, but their looks and build can be shaped from the very beginning.”

“How much to exchange for it?”

“Twenty million.”

“Uh... expenses have been a little high lately.”

“Yes, that’s true. We still need to push development hard. With that golden rice in hand, and with puppet farmers working themselves to the bone, the Silver Chamber of Commerce will soon have more grain than it can eat. We can’t let others control us; we need our own food supply as well.”

“I heard they paid a huge price to deduce and find the existence of this golden rice...”

“I found a book called the Herbal Scripture too, one that allows directed cultivation...”

“How much to exchange for that one?”

“Herbs are much cheaper than beasts. Five million is enough. As long as we find a mutated plant, we can begin cultivation immediately.”

“All right. Since we’re already gouging them, let’s exchange for it.”

“Mhm, done very soon.”

...

September 2nd.

Fan Bei went to meet Da Bai and Xiao Bai. The one who drove them over was still that same arrogant driver from before.

In addition to returning the dogs, the driver also handed him a level-one VIP card and a safety-call contract, allowing him one free request for aid from the Silver Chamber of Commerce.

“Valley Lord Fan, this time you really came out ahead. You barely lifted a finger and still got all these benefits for nothing. Working with our Silver Chamber of Commerce will never put you at a loss,” the driver said loftily.

“Mm, mm. The Silver Chamber of Commerce is rich and powerful. A little bit spilled out would be enough for a small place like ours to live on.” Fan Bei couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

“Good that you understand. Also, let me tell you something,” the driver said, apparently in a fine mood. With no assignment to rush back for, he didn’t mind lingering a bit longer. “From now on, don’t keep planting food crops. They won’t sell for much. At most, within a year—no, actually, since it’s already September, in two months there’ll be a huge batch of grain sold at bargain prices.”

When Fan Bei heard this, his disgust for the dead Xie Bo deepened even more.

Xie Bo had once tried hard to persuade him to open up vast stretches of farmland in the outer valley. At the time, Fan Bei had thought it was a win-win arrangement. Now it seemed clear the man had been trying to lure him into a deep pit, waiting until he had invested heavily and lost everything, leaving him with no choice but to beg for help.

As for Lang Sheng and the others, they had simply failed to know the inside information. They had asked him to build a farming and livestock base for the sake of industrial planning.

But now it all seemed absurd beyond words. Lang Sheng’s castle had been sold, and his own farming and livestock base had come to an abrupt halt along with it.

This was the wasteland world. In a place like this, where was there any such thing as stable development? One careless turn from the giants, and the waves they stirred would crush you flat. No matter how much you planned, it was no match for a single thought from them.

Still, no one knew that he himself was the greatest crocodile lurking beneath the water.

That scheming Xie Bo probably still didn’t even know how he died.

Fan Bei gave the driver some gifts, then had Steward Huo entertain him.

The arrogant driver left satisfied soon after. Showing off a little was one thing; he had no intention of truly offending this valley lord.

Da Bai waited until Fan Bei had a free moment, then trotted up eagerly.

“Master, I brought you a local specialty: a white orchid, one that can speak.”

It pointed with a leg at the bag hanging from its neck and barked twice. There was some dirt inside.

Fan Bei nodded and bent down to untie the bag for it.

“Yes, far better than a stupid dog like you,” Xiao Bai said from behind. “All day long you only know how to go ‘woof woof.’ How many times have I taught you to use spiritual power to vibrate the air and make sounds, and you still can’t learn it?”

Da Bai whined, “Anyway, the master can understand me like this. Learning that stuff is too tiring for a dog.”

“Tch, you forgot that not long ago someone was looking down on you for not even being able to speak human language,” Xiao Bai taunted.

“I’ll learn, then.”

Da Bai gritted its teeth.

By then, Fan Bei had already found an empty plastic bucket, placed the orchid with its clump of soil inside, and poured a little water on it.

Its slender, firm jade-green leaves spread outward in all directions, like a poet embracing the sky.

Two or three stalks supported the buds, which had not yet opened.

“Can you talk?” Fan Bei asked curiously.

The orchid lifted its bud high and said haughtily, “Yes, human. I am a flower of wisdom, a rare sight in heaven and unique under heaven. Your ability to find me is a great blessing. Remember this in the future: greet me morning and evening, water me on schedule according to the seasons, fertilize me regularly, and sing to me...”

“Too bad. You’re just a flower, not rice or wheat. In this wasteland, something pretty but useless won’t live long,” Fan Bei said, ignoring it. He shook his head, then said to Da Bai, “Throw it out and bury it.”

“Ah...” The orchid was stunned, and both Da Bai and Xiao Bai were dumbfounded as well.

“Master, this thing is pretty rare,” Da Bai couldn’t help but say.

“Wait! Though I can’t be eaten, I’m very easy to keep, and I’m useful in many ways,” the orchid hurriedly begged. “I can ward off evil, remove formaldehyde, purify the air, improve your mood, help you sleep...”

“See? Talking like that sounds much more down-to-earth. All right, Da Bai, I’ll leave the job of taking care of it to you from now on.” Fan Bei nodded.

“Understood, Master. I’ll raise it plump and strong.” Da Bai raised a leg in assurance.

“Mm. If we can’t make a farming and livestock base, then a flower base will do just as well. After all, no one will fight over such a niche market.” Fan Bei spoke casually.

At this moment, he did not care at all what value the orchid might bring. It was merely an ornament for the eye—until he saw that book, the Herbal Scripture.

“Directed cultivation? Interesting. If I could cultivate orchids into sweet potatoes or potatoes, that would actually be somewhat amusing...” His imagination ran wild.

Having lived in the wasteland for more than a decade, he had long since developed an utterly pragmatic style. Entertainment and appreciation were all empty things.

“Still, this steward system has been a little too greedy lately. I need to learn moderation and cultivate things properly, so I don’t strip the sheep bare.”

After some thought, he warned the steward system that running a system required feeling; it had to truly think for the host. Mutual benefit was the only real path.

...

The next day, Fan Bei woke early in the morning to the orchid’s screams coming from the living room.

“You stupid dog, stop peeing on my head.”

“Huh? Didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted to be watered and fertilized regularly? This is a two-in-one deal: fresh urea and moisture. I held it in all night last night just to save it up,” Da Bai said, genuinely puzzled.

After a single night, Da Bai had actually learned to speak human language. It was obvious it had been pretending to be foolish all along. Without pressure, there is no drive.

“Get lost!” the orchid cried in fury. “That kind of raw manure will only burn plants to death.”

“Xiao Bai, it isn’t lying to me, is it?”

“I don’t think it is,” Xiao Bai said weakly.