Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 18 Extraordinary Curse, New Opportunity!
Perhaps it was because he had absorbed too much information in one day, which had greatly exhausted his mind, or perhaps it was because he was no longer alone in the room, but rather there was a sense of warmth and community.

That night, Cheng Ye slept exceptionally well and soundly.

For the first time since I transmigrated to the wasteland, I feel like I've had a good night's sleep.

just.

"Why is it only 7:30?"

Cheng Ye sat up and took several deep breaths, quickly expelling the stuffy air from his chest.

Upon arriving in the wasteland, the original owner was physically weak.

Not to mention compared to their peers in the wasteland, even compared to modern people who eat takeout every day and lack exercise, they are far behind.

Two months have passed, and I only slept for five hours last night, but I feel refreshed.

This positive change filled him with joy.

"Awake?"

When Cheng Ye got up and walked out of the bedroom, Luo Xiaoxue, who had also gotten up early, was watering the plants with a watering can. She looked up and greeted him when she saw him come out.

The apartments allocated to inspectors by the chemical plant were mostly common two-bedroom, one-living-room units, but people in the wasteland world no longer needed to cook, and the kitchens were basically converted into multi-functional rooms.

For example, Liu Bi's family converted their kitchen into a small vegetable garden.

"Cheng Ye, you're awake! Come quick, come quick!"

Hearing Cheng Ye get up, Liu Yi quickly ran over from the living room.

Although the Happy City buffer zone is much more orderly than other parts of the wasteland, it still doesn't have the luxury of building a school.

Liu Bi and his wife were naturally reluctant to send their five-year-old daughter to a private school just for her education.

Therefore, since birth, Liu Yi's activity range has never been far beyond the entire chemical plant staff community, and the people she has come into contact with are basically adults of similar age to Liu Bi.

Cheng Ye was the first young man she had ever met up close.

Children are naturally less wary, and Luo Xiaoxue did not stop her from getting close to Cheng Ye.

After a night, Liu Yi had become quite familiar with this "brother" she had just met. At this moment, she was looking up with her rosy cheeks, tugging at Cheng Ye's sleeve and dragging him toward the living room, wanting to show off her vegetable garden.

"This is a large Chinese cabbage, this is a small Chinese cabbage, this is a round Chinese cabbage, this is a plump Chinese cabbage."

There were several flowerpots in the living room, filled with somewhat wilted cabbages.

Based on their different sizes and shapes, Liu Yi enthusiastically introduced them, classifying them into different categories.

Cheng Ye squatted down and brushed aside the vegetable leaves, asking curiously, "Hey, doesn't Yi Yi like growing other vegetables?"

"I like it, but Dad only brought back cabbage seeds!"

"Then next time I go on a field mission, can I bring you back some other seeds?"

"Okay, okay, thank you, Brother Chengye!"

When other vegetables were mentioned, Liu Yi's eyes lit up, just like a furry little animal that had found its prey.

Luo Xiaoxue, who was tidying up her vegetable garden, shook her head secretly upon hearing this and couldn't help but call out:
“Cheng Ye, don’t spoil her. You can’t grow vegetables around Happiness City at all.”

"Can't it be planted?"

"Go wash up first. The water has been prepared for you. You'll understand what I mean in a moment."

"it is good."

Cheng Ye agreed and turned to walk towards the washroom.

I don't know if it's because the water pipes in the suburbs are newer, but the water coming out of the tap is pale white and doesn't have the pungent chlorine smell of tap water from the city center.

When Luo Xiaoxue finished washing her face and came out, she found that she had already started boiling water on a simple induction cooker in the corner of the living room, with three broken cabbages next to her.

"Sister Luo, I'll just drink the nutritional supplement, there's no need to cook for me, is there?"

How precious are vegetables in Happiness City?

At least the original owner's memories of Cheng Ye were not found; it seems that everyone started drinking nutrient syrup from birth.

This includes the residents of the inner city, who have never eaten vegetables. Even on holidays, they only eat a few slices of synthetic meat or farmed chicken sandwiched in bread as a celebration.

"You're mistaken. This thing isn't actually valuable; it's just that it's rare around here."

"Don't rush," Luo Xiaoxue said as she tore the cabbages by hand and put them into the boiling water. After blanching them for more than ten seconds, she took them out one by one with chopsticks.

"Want to try some?"

"Then I'll really eat it."

We're already staying at someone else's house, what's one more meal?

In addition, after drinking nutritional syrup every day for more than two months, his mouth had become so bland that he couldn't help but swallow the sweet taste of cabbage. He picked up a chopstick and put it in his mouth.

But after chewing a couple of times, his expression changed.

First came surprise, then a frown, and finally, deep thought.

"Why doesn't it taste?"

Saying it's like chewing wood might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the actual taste is probably even worse than wood.

It felt like a handful of sawdust swirling in my mouth; not to mention the taste of cabbage, my tongue couldn't find even a trace of flavor.

"It seems you've eaten normal vegetables in the inner city. Cheng Long has really gone to great lengths for you, kid. These things are very precious when they're transported to our Happiness City. You need contribution points to exchange for them, and there's a limit to the number of people who can get them."

Turning off the induction cooker, Luo Xiaoxue said with a smile, "That's why I said we can't grow vegetables here. Whether it's cabbage, celery, or lettuce, as long as it grows in the soil, it will all taste the same."

"this?"

Cheng Ye put down his chopsticks and bowl, his brows furrowing into a deep frown.

Previously, in order to survive, he had no interest in these things; as long as he had something to eat and could live, that was enough.

Understanding the infected individuals only began after they were transferred to the North and South stations.

Where would anyone find the time or leisure to understand why no one eats vegetables but instead drinks nutritional syrup?
"Could it be because of superhumans?"

“You guessed right,” Luo Xiaoxue replied, somewhat sadly. “It’s not just Chuan City where we are; three-quarters of the land in the entire Shi Province has been polluted by a powerful superhuman. All plants lose their special qualities as they grow. Today it might be the taste, tomorrow it might be the flavor, and the day after tomorrow it might even lose its nutritional value. In short, the longer they grow, the more special qualities they lose.”

"What if we transport new soil from an uncontaminated area?"

Cheng Ye blurted it out.

If it's just about taste, then it doesn't matter; there are plenty of techniques for seasoning.

Add a spoonful of evaporated milk, and everything you cook will have a sweet and savory flavor.

However, if the nutritional value is lost, then the purpose of seasoning is lost, because eating it would be harmful to the body, and it would be better to drink a cheaper nutritional syrup.

“It’s no use.” Luo Xiaoxue shook her head. “Although that superhuman has long since perished, the source of infection he transformed into has remained permanently in a certain place in Shi Province, and it is still eroding the land. Newly transported soil will be assimilated within a few days. Not to mention the land, even the rocks will ‘get sick’.”

"However, what you just ate has simply lost its flavor, but it still has value for the human body."

"Is it?"

Cheng Ye asked a question in return, and even after leaving the chemical plant residential area, he was still thinking about this "explosive" news.

If something is affected as long as it is planted in the soil, does that mean that not only vegetables but also grain crops will be affected?

"I was planning to settle down and then set up a small place outside the city to grow vegetables. Now, they've nipped that possibility in the bud."

"No, what if the trading channels in Happiness City break down and the raw materials for nutrient syrup can't be transported from other places? Wouldn't there be a famine in the city?"

Besides natural disasters, there seem to be even more threats looming over all the residents of Happy City.

It is very possible that a single opportunity could detonate all these threats, instantly transforming them into a reaping knife.

However, just like its predecessor, many people are unwilling to understand, or even if they do understand, they are helpless.

"There are definitely more things in this world that I haven't been able to understand."

"interesting."

Cheng Ye walked quickly toward the bus stop.

For ordinary people, soil pollution means losing their most important productive capacity and having to rely on the nutrient slurry provided by the sheltered city to survive.

But he was different. After learning about the extraordinary pollution, his first thought was not despair, but opportunity.

If we could overcome the pollution problem, wouldn't the vegetables and grains we grow be able to sell for astronomical prices?
And what gives them the confidence to completely extricate themselves from Happiness City at crucial moments?
"There's no rush to study this now. I don't have much time left. I have to finalize the weapon today, and while I'm at it, I'll go to the library and read all the books on the first shelf."

Please vote for me, add this to your favorites, and keep reading! I'm a newbie setting up my bowl!
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(End of this chapter)