socalfunplaces Page 30
Page 30
"Let's start with plants!"
Han Ning made a decision.
Plant life structures are relatively simple, meeting the criteria of "high probability of optimization," and have the lowest cost.
His gaze swept over the various types of crops.
The apple tree... he simply abandoned it.
The growth cycle is too long, and the effects are slow to appear.
pumpkin?
It seems to be a miracle weight loss product, but it doesn't seem to work. It could be one of the options.
Chili peppers are mainly a condiment, and their cost-effectiveness is not particularly outstanding at this stage.
All that's left are potatoes and tomatoes.
Potatoes are high-yielding and high in starch, providing a quick energy boost, making them his current staple food.
Tomatoes provide vitamins, have a high water content, can be eaten raw or cooked, and have a relatively short growth cycle.
"These are the ones!" Han Ning decided.
He certainly wanted to try each one, but with limited spiritual power, it was difficult to try them all at this stage.
He stood up and walked to a pot of potato seedlings and a pot of tomato seedlings.
These two plants were newly planted by him and have not yet reached the fruiting stage.
The potato seedlings are about 30 centimeters tall, while the tomato seedlings are slightly shorter and have more tender green leaves.
"Try it first."
Han Ning focused his mind on the potato seedling, stretched out his right hand, palm facing the emerald green leaves, and silently recited, "Nature's blessing!"
A surge of spiritual energy, far greater than that released during his rapid growth, erupted from his body.
A vibrant green light instantly emanated from his palm. This light was not scattered, but rather condensed into a soft beam that precisely enveloped the entire potato seedling.
[Spiritual Power: 15/25 → 12/25]
Chapter 32: What Happens When Plants Receive Nature's Blessing? (Please Read On)
"Tsk..."
Seeing the consumption of Nature's Blessing, Han Ning couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
Just one release consumed a full 3 points of his spiritual power.
That's almost 1.5 times the power of an intermediate vine spell.
It's about twice as fast as the intermediate growth rate.
[Nature Blessing Proficiency (Beginner) +1, Current (1/200)]
"With such a huge investment... I hope the results will be worth the effort."
Han Ning suppressed his surprise and carefully observed the potato seedlings shrouded in green light.
The emerald green light slowly seeped into every leaf and every stem of the potato seedlings.
The potato sprouts' leaves have become visibly greener and more vibrant, as if they have been washed with water, and the veins are even more clearly visible.
The stems seemed to straighten slightly, and the whole plant exuded a vibrant vitality.
A few seconds later, the green light gradually dissipated.
Han Ning immediately leaned closer to examine it carefully.
The stem... is a little thicker?
The color hasn't changed much.
He reached out his finger and carefully touched the leaf; the texture seemed... to have changed nothing particularly.
He then carefully examined the stem and the soil near the roots, but found no abnormal signs.
"It seems... I've just become healthier and more energetic?"
He turned his attention to the tomato seedling next to him.
The same rich, emerald-green light beams lit up again, enveloping the tomato seedlings.
[Spiritual Power: 12/25 → 9/25]
[Nature's Blessing (Beginner) Proficiency +1, currently 2/200]
The tomato leaves greedily absorbed energy, turning bright green as well, and the plant trembled slightly in the windless environment.
The green light dissipated.
The result... was exactly the same as with potato sprouts.
The leaves are greener and the plant looks more vibrant, but apart from that, no other unusual changes have occurred.
"It really was a low-probability event, or perhaps quantitative change can lead to qualitative change?"
The two unsuccessful attempts had no impact on Han Ning whatsoever.
When it comes to surviving the apocalypse, patience is the one thing you have in abundance.
When he practiced vine techniques, didn't he also start with a soft, thin vine?
It took hundreds, even thousands of practice sessions to achieve its current power.
He set his sights on potato seedlings once again.
A green light shone brightly.
[Spiritual Power: 9/25 → 6/25]
[Proficiency +1, 3/200]
The leaves of the potato sprouts are a deeper green.
Then comes the tomato.
[Spiritual Power: 6/25 → 3/25]
[Proficiency +1, 4/200]
The four consecutive releases consumed a full 12 points of spiritual power, raising the proficiency of Nature's Blessing to 4 points.
Neither plant showed any particular sign.
The slight dizziness caused by the depletion of spiritual energy made Han Ning shake his head.
The portable gas stove was lent to Xu Ming, who quickly finished his lunch with some chocolate, bread, biscuits, and milk.
After resting for a while, he got up and went out, knocking on the door of 801.
"Please come in."
In the living room, Xu Ming was carefully wiping the furniture with a dry cloth.
Xu Yinyin sat quietly on the sofa, holding a small piece of chocolate given to her by Han Ning, licking it little by little.
Hearing footsteps, Xu Ming immediately turned around and greeted, "Boss."
"Hmm, how's the tidying up going?" Han Ning nodded, glancing at the relatively clean living room.
Xu Ming worked quickly, and had already cleared most of the dust and debris from the ground.
"That's about it, boss."
Han Ning walked over to Xu Yinyin and squatted down.
The little girl saw him, blinked, and called out, "Uncle Han."
Han Ning ruffled her hair: "Yinyin, is the chocolate delicious?"
Xu Yinyin nodded timidly and whispered, "It's delicious... Thank you, Uncle."
Han Ning didn't say anything more, but casually asked, "Where's your wife? Isn't she with you?"
Xu Ming's emotions suddenly changed:
"She...she went back to her hometown in the countryside to attend a relative's wedding before she traveled through time, and she wasn't with us."
Han Ning remained silent for a moment. He wasn't good at comforting people, so he could only say dryly, "At least your whole family is alive."
"Yes, it's already quite good that we're alive and able to protect Yin Yin."
The atmosphere was a bit heavy.
Han Ning sat down on the sofa, and gestured for Xu Ming to sit down as well, then changed the subject:
"Old Xu, I want to talk to you about something serious."
"Will there be any boats we can use in Egret Harbor? And sailboats...aren't those ancient relics from hundreds of years ago? Do people still use them now?"
Upon hearing Han Ning inquire about his field of expertise, Xu Ming began to speak at length:
"Boss, don't underestimate sailboats. They've never been obsolete. With the development of technology, materials and designs have been completely transformed."
He paused, organizing his thoughts as he explained:
“Modern sailboats, especially mid- to high-end recreational sailboats or ocean-going sailboats, are completely different from the old-fashioned ones you might imagine.”
"The hull is made of carbon fiber, Kevlar, or high-strength fiberglass, which is both light and strong, much better than wood."
"The sail is not a rag, but a high-tech composite material that can automatically adjust its angle according to the wind, making it very efficient."
“And…” Xu Ming gestured.
"Modern sailboats are basically equipped with auxiliary power, which is a small diesel engine or electric motor, used when entering or leaving the port, when there is no wind, or when emergency maneuvering is needed."
"The ship also has seawater desalination equipment, solar panels, and wind turbines, which can guarantee basic power supply and fresh water."
"The navigation system has GPS, radar, autopilot... Inside the cabin, there is a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. Some even have a small living room. The decoration is no worse than that of an apartment on land."
Han Ning was somewhat surprised: "So advanced? How much would that cost? Would Bailugang have a ship like this?"
Xu Ming nodded affirmatively: