Chapter 285
“Of course, I have my own demands,” Zheng Fa added.
“I can make decisions on this matter, so feel free to speak up.”
“I want all the research data, and I also need you to help compile a set of teaching materials.”
“...Teaching materials?”
“Or rather, a set of breeding methods applicable to spiritual plants—experimenting while summarizing,” Zheng Fa elaborated.
With the recent reforms in the Jiu Shan Sect, the most pressing need is for teaching materials. Especially in agriculture, Master Qian is probably tearing his hair out right now.
“That’s easy!” Team Leader Yang replied quickly.
After a moment’s thought, she added, “I’ll report this to the higher-ups!”
It was clear that the usually composed Team Leader Yang was a bit excited at this moment.
“By the way, Team Leader Yang, besides this research direction, I have another idea for agriculture…” Zheng Fa continued, “The reason I was looking for agricultural experts was for another project.”
“What project?”
“I hope to conduct hybrid experiments on those peas, and even delve into genetic research,” Zheng Fa shared his thoughts.
Currently, cultivating spiritual plants in the Jiu Shan realm faces several major issues—there are no spiritual grains, and oh, no spiritual wheat either.
In other words, there’s no staple food for the cultivators.
Spiritual grains may seem ordinary, but for lower-tier disciples, they are one of the most crucial spiritual materials.
They are cheap, abundant, and can enhance cultivation.
The medicinal garden has various spiritual plants, but none that can serve as staple food—even in the Xuan Wei realm, there are no staple food-type Lei (Thunder) spiritual materials.
Zheng Fa’s current idea is to experiment with modern agriculture, particularly through genetic research, to see if this problem can be solved.
The simplest approach would be to crossbreed Huang Ya Mi (Yellow Sprout Rice) with some kind of Lei spiritual material to see if it can produce Lei spiritual grains.
This line of thought has one prerequisite—
Spiritual plants must be inheritable.
This brings genetics into consideration.
In Zheng Fa’s view, agriculture in the Jiu Shan realm, or rather, agriculture in the Xuan Wei realm, has two paths:
One is the study of ordinary crops in a spiritual environment.
The other is the study of spiritual plants.
Both are very important.
The first research is simpler, but Zheng Fa places more emphasis on the teaching materials.
By summarizing the agricultural processes in a spiritual environment through the breeding experiments conducted by Master Hou and the others in the nursing home, they can then promote it in the Jiu Shan realm.
The second is more challenging, as the only spiritual plant available for modern research is the pea seedling in the garden.
Zheng Fa isn’t even sure if the emergence of spiritual plants is genetically determined.
Team Leader Yang nodded and hurriedly walked outside, as if to report or allocate resources.
Master Hou couldn’t help but urge Teacher Tian to take him to the experimental field to observe the rice seeds.
Watching the eager and excited expressions on the two, the old man Bai stroked his chin and suddenly said, “I can’t shake the feeling that we’ll be calling ourselves the Academy of the Three Courtyards in the future…”
Tang Lingwu blinked curiously at him.
Old Bai began counting on his fingers, “Academy of Sciences, Academy of Engineering… Nursing Home?”
“Should we change the name?”
“…”
It was absurd, yet it made a certain kind of sense.
(End of this chapter)
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Chapter 265: Retirement and Reemployment
Old Bai and the others had accumulated a wealth of experience in these areas. Even if they couldn’t match the talents Team Leader Yang had brought in, communication wouldn’t be an issue. Zheng Fa didn’t fully trust Team Leader Yang and the others; collaboration was one thing, but their interests could never be completely aligned.
Old Bai and the others were the ones he trusted the most. With them overseeing certain projects and people, Zheng Fa felt more at ease.
“This workload…” Old Bai opened his mouth, clearly aware that this work wouldn’t be easy. He wasn’t disheartened, though; instead, he muttered, “I’m already retired!”
“You’ve been cultivating for ages; isn’t it reasonable to delay a bit?” Zheng Fa said with a smile.
“...I see you don’t lack talent in leadership!” Old Bai retorted.
Just as Zheng Fa was about to respond, he suddenly turned his head to look outside the nursing home.
…
“What kind of person is Zheng Fa, really?”
Aunt Ye listened to her husband mumbling anxiously and couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. “Didn’t I tell you? He’s Lingwu’s classmate!”
“You don’t understand!” Tang Lingwu’s father insisted. “Do you know how many leaders I’ve met this month?”
“I’m telling you, projects I could only dream of in the past are now being specifically directed at me!”
“Could he be an ordinary high school student? Lingwu knows Zheng Fa, and my business has improved tremendously.”
As her husband spoke, Aunt Ye couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious herself—she knew Zheng Fa was a bit special, but she had always thought of him as someone with some miraculous medical skills.
Now, with all these changes, she was at a loss about what was real and what was not.
“He was quite polite before, treating me with respect… he has a good temperament,” Aunt Ye remarked.
“Maybe he’s just hiding his true identity!” Tang Lingwu’s father countered. “Now he’s not pretending anymore… we shouldn’t think of ourselves as elders.”
After hearing her husband’s words, Aunt Ye slowly nodded, finding some truth in it.
“Besides, why has Lingwu always kept me from coming?” Tang Lingwu’s father frowned.
“Hmm?”
“Maybe she’s afraid we’d offend someone… or that this person doesn’t want to meet us. I’ve heard he has a proud personality.”
“…” Aunt Ye frowned. “That shouldn’t be the case, right?”
But Tang Lingwu’s father seemed to know something, his expression firm.
“…”
Just as they reached the entrance of the nursing home, Aunt Ye exclaimed, “Zheng Fa?”
Tang Lingwu’s father looked ahead.
His daughter was standing at the entrance of the nursing home with a young man, who was clearly Zheng Fa.
Recalling the recent events, Tang Lingwu’s father pursed his lips, feeling a bit parched.
The figure of Zheng Fa even seemed to radiate a glow.
There were some things he didn’t even dare to mention to his wife—
He had inquired about Zheng Fa’s background, asking a prominent figure he happened to know.
The result was that after a brief investigation, he was warned…
With just one sentence: some people find it difficult to even get a meeting with Zheng Fa, and he has even directly refused others.
The implications of this left Tang Lingwu’s father feeling quite apprehensive.
It made Zheng Fa seem all the more unfathomable in his eyes.
As soon as he got out of the car, he heard Zheng Fa say, “Aunt Ye, this must be Uncle Tang, right?”
His tone was quite friendly, and he even extended his hand.
Tang Lingwu’s father, a bit dazed, reached out to shake Zheng Fa’s hand.
“Welcome to our nursing home, please come in.”
Tang Lingwu’s father didn’t expect Zheng Fa to genuinely treat him as an elder…
He looked at his daughter’s small face with a strange expression, feeling a bit puzzled:
Did I give birth to a Daji (a legendary seductress)?
But she doesn’t seem that clever!
(End of this chapter)
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Chapter 266: Jiu Shan Computing Power Platform
Tang Lingwu led the way ahead.
Her steps were light, and her cheerful demeanor was evident even from behind—clearly, her parents’ arrival had put her in a great mood.
Seeing his daughter like this, Tang Lingwu’s father gradually relaxed, showing a very natural smile in front of Zheng Fa.
“We’re sorry for intruding this time…” he said to Zheng Fa.
“Uncle Tang, you and Aunt Ye are welcome to come anytime in the future,” Zheng Fa replied, noticing that he still seemed a bit reserved, and spoke generously.
Previously, Tang Lingwu had kept her parents from coming mainly for confidentiality reasons. Now that they were looking to collaborate externally, Team Leader Yang was eager to go up the mountain every day, so Tang Lingwu’s parents were hardly a concern.
Zheng Fa didn’t meet with certain people simply because he disliked trouble, but the relatives of those in the nursing home were naturally a bit special.
A few days ago, Old Bai’s daughter had just been transferred to the capital and had come by as well.
Zheng Fa even felt that Team Leader Yang and the others cared more about confidentiality than he did…
“Really?”
Tang Lingwu’s father was taken aback and asked.
Zheng Fa smiled and nodded, “By the way, this nursing home was built with Aunt Ye’s help.”
Hearing his sincere tone, Tang Lingwu’s father felt even more at ease.
“Well then, I’ll…”
Just then, Master Hou suddenly walked back from the field, seemingly heading to the laboratory, a smile on his face as he said, “We have guests?”
In recent days, Master Hou had been living in the nursing home, conducting experiments while also taking care of his health.
He was the first client of the nursing home.
The results of his recuperation were good; the waxy complexion he had before now had a bit of color.
“Master Hou?”
Seeing him, Tang Lingwu’s father was momentarily stunned. He had met Master Hou once before but hadn’t expected to see him here again.
“Who are you?”
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