Jade City, room 3101.

On the holographic projection wall controlled by the controller.

Atop the Pan Tree, Ah Qi and Ni Ge are chatting while eating.

"They don't look like lovers, more like friends. I thought they would be all over each other immediately."

Qian Su sips on a can of sweet orange juice, looking somewhat disappointed.

Zhou Yi doesn't mind.

Lovers or friends, that's Ni Ge's own business.

But seeing that the Mud Tree People finally made friends—not only with Ah Qi but also with the Tree Monster Ye Qing—gives him quite some relief.

Zhou Yi has also been encouraging Ni Ge to learn the local language and script to make friends more easily and integrate into life in the Wasteland World.

But he was always somewhat reluctant.

Until Ah Qi appeared, and Ni Ge immediately became proactive.

"She's such a beauty!"

"Strong shoulders! Long arms, very nimble hands, large feet, a good appetite, she looks so full of energy!"

"Among Mud Tree People, a woman like her is most popular—great figure!"

"Chairman, could you help me look into her background?"

"No problem..."

The beauty inspired a change in Ni Ge.

He took the initiative to start learning the common language of East Continent and even began to learn how to write.

With his strong memory and excellent physical qualities of an A-grade enhancer, the Mud Tree People quickly mastered the basic language.

While Ni Ge still stumbled over his words, Zhou Yi and Qian Su played the role of two anonymous friends.

They approached Ah Qi, opened up a conversation to avoid any misunderstandings due to language barriers.

"Now that there's no issue here, then Chairman, I'll set off tonight with the mission to redeem my two grandfathers in Heavenly Kingdom."

Qian Su flattens the pull-tab can and deposits it in the recycling bag nearby.

"The sooner you go, the sooner you'll return."

Zhou Yi says: "If there's anything you need, contact Red Kestrel."

Now with the Spring and Autumn Group's hangar services, long-distance communication can be maintained.

"Yes."

Qian Su descends the stairs, quietly driving a large truck into the Dead Sea and headed north.

She would be gone for half a month, encountering some unexpected situations and still stuck in the ransom payment process. The rescue would have to wait a bit longer.

The courier center, after one to two years of refined management, had already been put on the right track.

When Qian Su was out, she temporarily assigned center management tasks to Wei. He was Bone Man Jacob's roommate, had started from a Guangtai worker, and gradually moved over to the courier side, slowly gaining recognition and reuse.

Wei managed various tasks in an orderly fashion.

...

One day, as Zhou Yi was cleaning and maintaining his right arm prosthetic, a rapid knocking came from outside.

"Yuan Xiao, open the door."

Angel of Death opened the door.

The visitor came in with head bowed.

"Chairman, the Pan Tree, the Pan Tree has mutated!"

Ni Ge bent his tall body, his face unable to hide his excitement.

"Let's take a look."

Zhou Yi and he rushed together to the Pan Tree's location on the East Coast.

The mutated one was the very first Pan Tree planted.

Now it nearly reached thirty meters in height, with a broad and thick trunk. The coiled crown of the tree became even denser, forming circular path-like structures with a diameter of over a hundred meters, looking even more three-dimensional.

But from the outside look, there seemed to be no difference.

"It's the fruits, the fruits have changed."

Ni Ge points to the grayish fruits on the branches.

Zhou Yi then noticed that the Dead Sea Fruits were clearly larger in size, with the largest approaching the size of a human brain. Besides breaking the size limit, some of the fruits had different colors as well.

Three appeared a pale white, and one of the fruits was green.

Zhou Yi asked, "Is it the different colors formed by the reflection of Death Light?"

"Yes."

The Mud Tree People nodded: "This is the mutation, a common mutation in Mud Tree Civilization! Usually, only Sky-reaching Trees could achieve this! But I don't know why it happened!"

Another voice came from the crown of the tree.

"Sky-reaching Tree is a height mutation of the Pan Tree, but the Pan Tree itself possesses similar functions, only in a dormant state. The Sky-reaching Tree is a complete expression of that potential."

Zhou Yi discovered that the source of the voice was a Mistletoe on the tree.

"Ye Qing?"

"Yes, Mr. Zhou."

"The Tree Monster that had replaced its parasitic tree said, "Qian Su and I each played to our strengths and jointly cultivated this Pan Tree."

"Mud Tree Civilization's planting methods highly depend on the local environment. There are so many naturally grown quality trees over there, it's just a matter of selecting the right tree."

"This also means they are very backward when it comes to knowledge of fertilizers, irrigation, and deep soil understanding. They haven't developed a real agricultural system but have merely extended and developed vertically based on natural foraging."

Ye Qing then said, "However, the Mud Tree Civilization has a wealth of experience in the growth and grafting of various trees, far surpassing us here."

"I attempted to remodel the environment specifically for this Pan Tree on the scale of a super-large fruit tree, introducing artificial watering, enriching the soil with a large amount of fertilizer, pruning branches and leaves, and doing pest control…"

"This has also triggered the Pan Tree to enter a period of rapid secondary development and growth."

"Because I am in a symbiotic state with it, I can clearly examine and sense its specific condition."

The Tree Monster further elaborated, "Its growth rate is closely related to its nutritional intake, possessing a highly strong and stretchable microstructure. Without human intervention, indeed, it would need about fifty years to reach maturity."

"However, as long as the environment provides it with the various trace elements it needs, and water is supplied in a timely manner, this cycle can be drastically shortened. With ample energy, it also affects the enhancement and mutation of the fruit."

"In fact, every fruiting is like a gestation for it. Internal nutrients, hormone levels, and energy absorption; external factors like soil, temperature, light, fertilizer, pruning, and pest prevention all impact the fruiting of each branch."

"After our human intervention, the fruits are now obviously plumper and more mature, and more prone to complete mutation — rather than the incomplete mutation of the previous fruits."

Incomplete mutation is what activated certain human organs for a short period previously, endowing immediate strength like that of an enhancer.

Zhou Yi's eyes lit up, "So for a complete mutation, could it completely transform the human body?"

"You could say that."

The Tree Monster explained, "Incomplete mutation, is like an undeveloped egg; its own power can't be encapsulated, so when used by others, they can obtain its power, but once consumed, it's gone."

"Complete mutation gives the fruit specific stable characteristics and effects. Although this power isn't as exaggerated as becoming an enhancer, it's much more gentle and usable."

"Like the Common Sense Banana, which is a result of a complete mutation."

It's like losing a short-term special power and replacing it with a special fruit that's stable and usable in the long term.

From a safety perspective, the latter is more secure.

Zhou Yi looked at the four special fruits on the tree, "What are their effects?"

"These two fruits."

The Tree Monster propped up a mistletoe vine, pointing to the two Dead Sea Fruits reflecting a white glow: "They have extremely high nutritional value; if consumed over a long period, they can improve physical constitution."

"You can try one."

Ni Ge handed over a white fruit.

Zhou Yi noticed that once removed from the tree, the Dead Sea Fruits lost their luster and looked almost the same.

He cracked the shell with the small awl incorporated into his prosthetic right arm and chewed and swallowed the white flesh inside.

The taste was a bit richer.

Suddenly, Zhou Yi's gaze sharpened.

Life Value +20

This thing... can actually enhance life strength.

Zhou Yi looked at Ni Ge and Tree Monster Ye Qing, "Does every one of these fruits increase Life Value?"

The Tree Monster said, "Yes, very stable."

"This is a natural mutation. The Pan Tree, without grafting, only exhibits an increasing and thriving vitality after continuous growth; simple and stable."

"However, it requires some time to be fully digested."

Ni Ge then said, "We used to eat the fruits from the Sky-reaching Trees from childhood; that's why our bodies are better than the people from this world. No wonder the people here look so thin, and the women seem like children, so short."

Zhou Yi: "..."

So, it turns out the Mud Tree People not only have good nutrition but also have been popping pills since childhood, with their Life Value constantly rising. No wonder every adventurer has the strength of A-level.

Compared to the fertile tree world of the Mud Tree Civilization, the Wasteland era Earth might as well be considered an impoverished mountainous region.

"What about this one?"

Zhou Yi pointed to the Dead Sea Fruit emitting green light.

The Tree Monster said, "The same, just a higher intensity."

Zhou Yi picked a green fruit and again devoured the white flesh inside.

Life Value +140

Much more potent.

According to what the Tree Monster and Ni Ge said, the Life Value enhancement from the Dead Sea Fruits takes a longer time to digest and absorb. Depending on the individual's constitution, the degree of absorption varies.

But Zhou Yi absorbed it all instantly once he ate it.

He guessed that it was because of the White Suanni body, able to rapidly and completely absorb all nutrients.

Zhou Yi inquired, "What's the fruiting rate for these mutated fruits?"

"Hard to be certain."

The Tree Monster said, "Based on the current situation, the fruiting rate of white fruits is between 5%-10%, and the green fruits are even less likely. This tree has yielded 34 white fruits and 2 green fruits in its current cycle. However, further cultivation of the Pan Trees could increase production."

The chances are a bit low.

But this is a long-term cultivation.

Eight Pan Trees combined is no small number.

Considering 1 Light Seed can enhance 10 points of Life Value, then 1 white fruit is equivalent to 2 Light Seeds, and 1 green fruit is tantamount to 14 Light Seeds; their value is already significant.

"From today onwards, the company establishes the Mud Tree Civilization Department, and Ni Ge, you will be in charge as the minister, leveraging the unique advantages of your civilization. Ye Qing, you will be his assistant, and I will discuss it with the proprietor of Tree Huàn. Salaries will reference those of the Agriculture Department."

Zhou Yi immediately said, "The most important task for you two at the moment is to cultivate the company's eight Pan Trees well, so they can produce more white and green fruits! Work hard!"

"Yes, Chairman!"

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