I failed again

Chapter 247 Something Happened in the Planting Area

"Didn't you notice that there are very few wood-type psychics going out with us on missions? All those who can go out with us are mid-level wood-type psychics." Yun An said, "The beginner wood-type psychics are all in the planting area to help plants grow."

Jiang Ruoyuan nodded with a look of sudden enlightenment, "I wouldn't have noticed this if you hadn't mentioned it. So the base has divided the work among you wood-type ability users. The beginners will go to the planting area, and the intermediate ones will go out to carry out the mission together. The division of labor is quite clear."

"Yeah." Yun An nodded and added, "But we will go over to help out occasionally when we are not busy or when the planting area is short of manpower."

He hasn't been to the planting area for a long time. He has been on missions recently. Let's see if the base will send any missions tomorrow. If not, he will go to the planting area to check.

Jiang Ruoyuan observed Yun An's expression. Seeing that he wanted to go to the planting area, he felt relieved and said, "If we follow this model, if a beginner wood-type mutant is promoted to the intermediate level, he will be transferred out. Sometimes there will indeed be a shortage of manpower."

"This situation rarely happens." Yun An said, "The base will consider whether to transfer people out based on the grain production in the planting area. The situation you mentioned rarely happens."

"There is a shortage of manpower because there are not enough psychics at the front to resist the zombies. We urgently transferred some psychics from the planting area to provide support. This is why this situation occurs. But it doesn't happen often. It has only happened once since the base was built."

Jiang Ruoyuan nodded to show that he understood, and then talked about other things.

During the chat, Jiang Ruoyuan intentionally or unintentionally led the topic to the planting area, determined to leave a deep impression in Yun An's mind and make the other party think of the planting area when he has no tasks tomorrow.

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The next morning, Yun An did not receive any mission assignment from the base. Thinking that he had not been to the planting area for a long time, he went there.

Yun'an stayed in the planting area until nightfall before returning.

Jiang Ruoyuan hid in the house all day and didn't come out. When Chu Yunze came back, he came out to report the progress of his task.

"Brother, Yun'an went to the planting area today." Jiang Ruoyuan said.

"Yes, I know." Chu Yunze said, "Let's wait for news from the base tomorrow."

The next morning, when Chu Yunze was on his way to the administrative building with Feng Linxi, he suddenly ran into a staff member from the planting area who was running over in a hurry.

"Commander, this is bad." The staff member looked at Feng Linxi and said anxiously, "Something happened in the planting area!"

Feng Linxi asked, "What happened?"

"All the plants in the planting area died overnight. We tried to replant the plants, but none of them succeeded." The staff member said solemnly, "We now suspect that the soil is contaminated."

"Have you found the source of the pollution?" Feng Linxi asked as he walked towards the planting area.

Chu Yunze really couldn't wait a moment. Yun'an had just gone to the planting area yesterday, and problems occurred in the planting area today. He was really quick.

“Not yet, but we have asked researchers from the research institute to come and help investigate,” said the staff member.

"Find out as soon as possible." Feng Linxi asked, "How many days can the base's current food reserves last?"

"If the base doesn't increase its manpower, it can last for five days at most," said the staff member.

Feng Linxi frowned. Five days was far from enough.

Moreover, if the base is suddenly blocked and no longer accepts survivors, it will be easy for the zombies to notice that something is wrong.

Feng Linxi suddenly thought of the Zombie King beside him. Well, even if the base was not blocked, the zombies would know.

"Block the news and don't let the people in the base know." Feng Linxi said.

If the news of the accident in the planting area gets out, the base will be in chaos even without the zombies attacking.

As they were talking, Feng Linxi and the others had already reached the planting area.

As soon as I walked in, I saw that the plants that had been growing well in the planting area had all withered and fallen listlessly on the dark purple soil.

Not far away, three researchers were discussing something in front of a blooming orchid. When they saw Feng Linxi coming, they hurriedly greeted him.

"Commander, we've found the source of the soil contamination." One of the researchers pointed to the orchid in front of them and said, "It's this orchid. The toxins it carries have contaminated this piece of land, causing all the plants in this planting area to die."

"Aren't orchids harmless?" Chu Yunze asked in confusion.

"Ordinary orchids are indeed harmless." The researcher said, "We initially suspect that this orchid is a mutant plant, which is why it carries toxins. The specific situation will not be known until we take the orchid back for research."

Although they knew that in the apocalypse not only humans but also animals and plants would be contaminated and mutated, this kind of orchid that carried toxins and could pollute the surrounding soil was the first time they had seen it, so they knew nothing about it.

"Given the current level of soil contamination, it will be impossible to grow any plants on it in the short term," said the researcher.

"Okay, I understand." Feng Linxi said, "You guys take this orchid back to the research institute for research first, and tell me as soon as you get the results."

"Yes, Commander," said the researcher.

"Commander, we have to pick out a new piece of soil quickly, otherwise, the base's food supply will soon be a problem." Chu Yunze said.

"At present, each area of ​​the base has its own function. I can't think of any place that can be vacated as a planting area for the time being." Feng Linxi frowned and thought, "Forget it, I'll go back and discuss it with Bai Ci and the others later."

After saying that, Feng Linxi asked the staff to clean up the withered plants, and asked them to keep their mouths shut and not spread the matter of the planting area, then he hurriedly left with Chu Yunze.

On the way, they met Bai Ci, Tang Yuxuan and Yun An who were rushing over.

Before Bai Ci could ask, Feng Linxi said, "Go to the office first."

There are so many people here, it's not a good time to talk.

Arriving at Feng Linxi's office, several people sat down, and Feng Linxi briefly told them about the planting area and the researchers' speculations.

"Why would a mutant plant suddenly appear in the planting area?" Tang Yuxuan asked, "Could it be that some evildoers have sneaked into the base?"

"It's possible." Bai Ci nodded, "We still need to investigate it thoroughly."

Yun An nodded in agreement, and suddenly felt something was wrong. How could something go wrong in the planting area? Especially when he had been to the planting area the day before.

Yun An always felt that this matter was not simple.

"I suggest that we investigate all the people who have entered and left the planting area recently to see if there are any unfamiliar faces," said Tang Yuxuan.

Except for those with special abilities, all other staff members in the planting area are fixed, and those with special abilities are also registered, so Tang Yuxuan feels that it is very easy to find out who is causing trouble.

"That's what I think too." Feng Linxi agreed, "Let Yunze take over this task."

"Yes, Commander." Chu Yunze said, "I will definitely find out who is behind this."

"Investigate secretly and don't make it public." Feng Linxi instructed, "The news of the accident in the planting area must not be spread."

"Don't worry, Commander, there will be no mistakes if you give this mission to me." Chu Yunze assured.

"Well, I believe you." Feng Linxi said.

"What about the food supply of the base?" Bai Ci interrupted the two people who were acting out of turn and asked, "It is not only difficult to open up a piece of land in other areas to grow food in a short period of time, but it is also easy for people in the base to find out. By then, the news blockade will be meaningless."

"Bai Ci, what do you think?" Feng Linxi asked.

"My idea is to first open up a piece of land in the villa area to grow food for emergency use." Bai Ci said.

The villa area can be said to be the only area with vacant land at present, and it is heavily guarded. Ordinary people will not go there unless necessary, and it can also prevent accidents in the planting area from being discovered.

"The problem is that the land in the villa area has not been improved. I'm afraid the grain production will drop significantly." Bai Ci said worriedly, "It's only treating the symptoms but not the root cause."