The Cubs Can’t Possibly Be This Well-Behaved! – CH91

Chapter 91

The crates used by Base 26 to transport fruits and vegetables were entirely metal, equipped with temperature control and the ability to filter out certain levels of pollutants. Only the top portion was made of transparent, see-through glass.

Thus, when the little monkey, squatting at the edge of one such crate, finally couldn’t resist reaching for the corn inside, it was unsurprising that its small hand was stopped by the barrier.

The little monkey blinked, its round, shiny black eyes filled with confusion.

Tilting its head, it ran its small hand along the glass, trying to figure out a way to reach the neatly stacked, delicious-looking corn inside.

After some time, it pulled its hand back and, undeterred, hopped onto another crate. But when it again failed to touch the contents, the little monkey finally gave up.

It turned around and only then noticed—the back door of the truck had somehow been closed.

Hopping off the crate, it bounded over to the door and pressed its little hands against it, trying to push it open—but it wouldn’t budge.

After a few more attempts with the same result, it didn’t panic. Instead, it crouched by the gap in the door, trying to peek outside. But there was nothing to see.

Scratching its head, the monkey glanced back at the crates, staring at them for a while before yawning.

Rubbing its eyes, it dropped to all fours and slowly climbed to the top of a crate. Curling up in a corner, it nestled into a little ball and began to nap, completely unconcerned about its uncertain fate.

The truck carrying the little monkey continued driving forward, passing through rows of buildings in Base 24 as it headed toward the airfield located on the outskirts of the base.

At the entrance to the cultivation garden, Su Ci and A-Yan stopped.

By the time they arrived, the little monkey had already left. Based on its increasing speed after leaving the garden and its constantly changing direction, it was clear it had boarded some kind of vehicle.

Judging by the speed, it was likely a hover bus. As long as it remained within Base 24, finding it wouldn’t be much of a problem.

For now, Su Ci chose not to continue pursuing it. Instead, he turned his attention to the cultivation garden, his brow furrowing slightly.

Inside the garden, the middle-aged man didn’t notice Su Ci and A-Yan. After the truck from Base 26 departed, a young man standing just inside the garden’s entrance walked out.

He looked at the middle-aged man with mild dissatisfaction and said, “That’s supposed to be our base’s secret weapon. How could you just give it away like that? What if someone from another base figures it out?”

The potent smell emitted by the garlic sprouts and their outstanding ability to dispel pollutants made it nearly impossible to hide their existence from the rest of the cultivation garden’s staff.

Zhuang Shisong and Wei Ming had also chosen not to conceal their findings. After drawing initial conclusions from their research, they had reported the results to Wu Yunqin.

Wu Yunqin immediately set aside her research on the three withered Star Chain fruit plants and mobilized all key personnel to collaborate and maximize the potential of the garlic sprouts in the shortest time possible.

She understood just how critical a mutated plant capable of dispersing the Red Mist could be, especially now that monsters had begun actively invading buildings.

Moreover, if the Red Mist could be dispersed, could the monsters lurking within it also be driven away?

Although there was no direct evidence to support this theory, monsters had always appeared alongside the Red Mist. Therefore, the likelihood of this theory being correct was significant.

This tiny garlic sprout had opened up numerous research topics, with three standing out as the most important:

1. The effect of garlic’s odor on dispersing pollutants.
2. The effect of garlic’s odor on monsters.
3. The impact of pollutant-free conditions on crop survival rates and quality.

If the third point could be achieved, abandoning research on the rapidly growing but withering Star Chain fruit trees wouldn’t matter much.

The primary limitation on crop yield in the cultivation garden was the pollutants. If there was a way to eliminate them completely, current cultivation technology would ensure ample yields without any worries.

This was precisely why Wu Yunqin decisively shifted the research direction upon learning about the garlic sprouts’ abilities.

As for the water source issue, after investigating underground rivers and analyzing water samples from other buildings, researchers found no significant differences compared to the past.

It seemed that only the water quality in the cultivation garden had changed. While the cause remained unknown, this change in water quality had clearly benefited the crops, visibly improving their growth after irrigation.

Tests confirmed the water contained no harmful substances for humans, so it continued to be used as the community’s domestic water supply.

In just a few days, the atmosphere in the cultivation garden had become noticeably more harmonious. Everyone’s mood had improved, and even the strong smell of garlic didn’t dampen their spirits.

Because of these benefits and the lack of available personnel to spare for further investigation, the inquiry into the water quality issue was temporarily set aside.

The “perfume” that the middle-aged man had just handed to the tall young man was, in fact, Wei Ming’s latest product.

Though its smell was overpowering, its ability to disperse pollutants was highly effective. Now, they awaited extreme weather conditions to see how it would perform against monsters.

All of this research was being conducted under strict orders of confidentiality from Director Wu.

The cultivation garden staff understood that if the garlic sprouts’ capabilities were discovered by other bases, it would be nearly impossible to continue their research in isolation.

Everyone had come to Prison Star specifically to study mutated plants. They were people who could endure harsh environments and had the patience for agricultural experiments. Understanding the rarity of mutated plants, they all kept their findings tightly under wraps.

Naturally, the middle-aged man’s decision to give away the “perfume” had sparked the young man’s dissatisfaction.

In response to his complaints, the middle-aged man thought for a moment and asked, “What do you think is more important: research or human lives?”

The young man froze, opening his mouth as if to respond but ultimately falling silent.

“Base 26 has helped us a lot. When have they ever failed to lend a hand in our times of trouble? If Xiao Fan were to encounter extreme weather on the way back and something happened to him, could you live with yourself?”

The young man was left speechless, while the middle-aged man chuckled, patting him on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry. Director Wu already has plans to collaborate with Base 26…” he lowered his voice and continued, “That garlic sprout is about to finish its flower bud differentiation phase and will soon enter the bulb differentiation phase.”

This meant that they would soon be able to harvest more mutated garlic cloves and cultivate additional sprouts with the same properties!

At that point, there would no longer be a need to keep things so secretive.

However, this phase was critical. If the plant didn’t receive adequate nutrients, it might develop into a single-bulb garlic instead of producing multiple cloves. If that happened, obtaining more garlic sprouts would become much more challenging.

As a result, the cultivation garden had already halted over half of its regular vegetable production. Apart from the vegetables needed to supply the base itself, the rest were no longer replanted after harvest. All available fertilizer and nutrient solutions were being redirected to the garlic sprout.

Hearing this, Su Ci decided not to listen any further.

He and A-Yan flashed into the cultivation garden and went directly to the greenhouse housing the garlic sprout.

At this point, it was no longer appropriate to call it a “garlic sprout.”

What had once been a regular-sized garlic plant had now grown to over a meter in height. Its bulb had expanded to the size of a bowl and was placed in a specialized cultivation tank, where its dense roots soaked up nutrient-rich solution.

At the same time, it released an overpowering garlic odor. The smell was so intense that it would be difficult for ordinary people—or even other plants—to survive in its presence, let alone thrive.

As a result, all other plants had been removed from the greenhouse, leaving only this increasingly pungent garlic sprout.

A-Yan had barely entered the greenhouse when he instinctively held his breath, while Su Ci, who already had his brows furrowed, frowned even deeper.

“So—angry! So—angry!”

The garlic plant radiated waves of anger, continuously releasing a concentrated garlic scent to attack anything that approached it.

This behavior was the reason for Su Ci’s frown.

Spiritual plants were generally mild and friendly, rarely exhibiting aggressive tendencies. For a plant like this to persistently launch scent-based attacks was highly unusual.

Such behavior was typically associated with demonic plants.

Thankfully, the garlic’s scent attacks were not particularly harmful, but this was precisely why it continued to intensify its scent concentration.

Once it surpasses the critical threshold, it’s highly likely to transform into a demonic plant. At that point, its scent will no longer target pollutants alone but could become a weapon of indiscriminate attack.

Most crucially, spiritual plants generally return spiritual energy during their growth, as seen with the two small spiritual pear trees.

However, in this greenhouse, Su Ci could barely sense any spiritual energy, which was highly unusual.

As Su Ci frowned in thought, the previously irate little garlic paused in its emotional outbursts, suddenly showing a hint of confusion.

The intensifying scent it had been releasing also began to stabilize, leveling off at a more moderate concentration.

Finally, the little garlic realized something—

“Yiya! Yiya!” Its emotional waves shifted, becoming cheerful. The meter-high leaves gently quivered and extended slightly toward Su Ci.

It had sensed the presence of the Earth Spirit!

And now, it believed itself to be the most impressive being in this space!

The little garlic’s emotions became a mix of joy, pride, and a hint of eagerness to please.

Su Ci noticed the change and relaxed his furrowed brows slightly. Reaching out, he touched the outstretched leaf with his fingertips.

The moment he made contact, the little garlic trembled shyly, pulling its leaves back instantly.

It emitted a stream of “Yiya, Yiya” thoughts, almost like it was singing.

Su Ci’s previously relaxed expression turned thoughtful again.

This little garlic’s emotional fluctuations were unusually intense and rich, far more active and stubborn than any other spiritual plant he had encountered.

He had initially assumed that even if it were upset by his absence, it would calm down quickly. He hadn’t expected its anger to persist for so long, pushing it to the brink of going berserk.

After a brief moment of reflection, Su Ci understood the cause.

This garlic sprout wasn’t originally a spiritual plant grown from a spiritual seed. It had gained spirituality after mutating from an ordinary plant, and this spirituality was inherently impure.

Because the little garlic had grown up in an environment filled with resentment and pollution—similar to A-Yan—its body had accumulated a certain level of contaminants.

Clearly, its ability to repel pollutants didn’t work effectively on itself, which made its emotions, particularly negative ones, prone to spiraling out of control—just like the cubs in the nursery.

Resolving this issue was relatively simple.

A faint glow formed at Su Ci’s fingertips. With a light flick, the glow landed on the little garlic.

Gu Qingshen’s purification spell, when performed by Su Ci, transformed into divine magic.

As the soft glow touched the little garlic, it spread rapidly over the plant, bathing it in a gentle light.

Under the effect of this light, the pollutants within the little garlic were gradually purified and eventually dissipated entirely.

“Yiya… Yiya…”

The little garlic’s thoughts grew quieter and quieter. By the time the faint glow completely faded, it had fallen into a peaceful slumber.

Unlike A-Yan, the little garlic sprout had not been growing for long—no more than a month at most. As a result, the amount of pollutants accumulated in its body was relatively low. With a single purification spell, Su Ci was able to completely eliminate its hidden dangers.

The residual purifying energy was then converted into growth energy for the little garlic sprout. Receiving such pure energy all at once, the plant needed time to absorb it, which was why it had fallen into a deep sleep.

When it awoke again, while it wouldn’t undergo a complete transformation, its grade would likely improve significantly.

Its emitted scent should also become less aggressive. The direction of its development from there, however, was beyond Su Ci’s control.

At the very least, it would be better than its current state.

As the little garlic sprout radiated soft light, several researchers wearing gas masks and protective suits rushed into the greenhouse.

Among them were Zhuang Shisong and Wei Ming.

Even through their gas masks, Su Ci could sense their exhaustion, though it was accompanied by an indescribable excitement.

For now, their main emotions when facing the mutated garlic sprout were concern and caution.

Not wanting to reveal himself, Su Ci, satisfied that the little garlic’s issues had been resolved, quickly took A-Yan and disappeared from the greenhouse.

Outside, Su Ci didn’t leave right away.

He gazed at the greenhouses, now emptied after each harvest, and his frown deepened.

This was precisely why he didn’t want to see too many spiritual plants being cultivated. Spiritual plants required significantly more nutrients than ordinary plants. In a situation with limited resources, humanity naturally prioritized supplying spiritual plants.

This approach, however, conflicted with Su Ci’s vision of fostering more abundant life on the planet.

“Su Su…”

Seeing no one around, A-Yan cautiously called out to him.

Su Ci exhaled slowly and reached out to ruffle A-Yan’s fluffy ears. As he did, the irritation in his heart gradually dissipated.

Haste makes waste.

How could he not understand this principle?

The crops grown in human greenhouses were primarily short-cycle plants designed for quick growth and harvest. These crops served as food supplies to meet humanity’s immediate needs.

By their nature, such plants didn’t align with Su Ci’s goals.

What he needed were long-cycle plants—those that grew slowly but could gradually and effectively transform the soil and environment over time.

Of course, short-cycle plants weren’t entirely unsuitable. Hardy plants, such as wild grasses that regenerate even after being burned, could also be valuable. Once conditions allowed, they could seize every opportunity to grow, surviving even in harsh environments.

Moreover, grasslands were excellent at retaining water. Once established, they could provide habitats for other life forms, creating a thriving ecosystem.

Plants with these two characteristics…

At least among the seeds Zhuang Shisong had provided for selection, Su Ci hadn’t found any. Figuring out how to obtain such seeds would likely become a problem he’d need to solve next.

However, as his mood improved and he looked toward the distant greenhouses, Su Ci began to shift his perspective.

From another angle, the plants cultivated by humanity were grown using soilless cultivation techniques, meaning their nutrients weren’t sourced from the planet itself.

So regardless of how much they planted, it was ultimately beneficial and harmless to him. Why force things unnecessarily?

With this thought, Su Ci lowered his gaze and looked at A-Yan, whose hair was now a mess from being ruffled. He smiled gently and said, “Let’s go find the little monkey.”

A-Yan nodded, completely unconcerned about his messy hair—after all, as long as Su Su was happy, he could ruffle it for as long as he wanted!

Still, before they left, Su Ci used his fingers like a comb to gently tidy A-Yan’s hair.

A-Yan tilted his head back to look at him, his black-red eyes sparkling with warmth and joy.

Finally, Su Ci held his hand, and together they disappeared from the spot.

The size of Base 24 was neither too large nor too small.

Without a prison to manage, its primary focus was the nursery and the research institute. Consequently, the number of spaceships and warships stationed at Base 24 was far fewer than at other bases.

Furthermore, with limited personnel in the action teams, the large base area often made timely support difficult.

For these reasons, aside from a few supply ships and combat vessels allowed to dock directly within the base, most other types of spacecraft—including those from other bases—had to land at an airfield located on the outskirts of Base 24.

The hover truck from Base 26 left the cultivation garden and continued onward until it stopped in front of a 20-meter-tall metal wall.

This wall, built years ago to defend against monsters, offered limited protection against creatures like giant spiders that excelled at climbing.

As the team leader, Fan Hao leaned out of the driver’s seat. After facial recognition verification, a large gate in the metal wall automatically opened, revealing a passageway wide enough for the truck to enter.

Fan Hao sat back in his seat and drove the truck into the wall, with the long convoy of vehicles behind him automatically following.

Inside the wall was a three-meter-wide road—the wall’s interior was hollow.

Due to the monsters’ tendency not to attack structures from the inside, the outer defensive walls of the base had been constructed with tunnel-like interiors that also served as emergency shelters.

However, with monsters now attacking buildings, even this area could no longer guarantee absolute safety.

After entering the tunnel-like road within the wall, Fan Hao’s nerves relaxed slightly. At least being surrounded by the inner wall offered a sense of security compared to the exposed outdoors.

Still, he remained vigilant.

The real challenge lay ahead—only when this shipment was safely delivered to Base 26 would it truly be secure.

Inside the tunnel-like inner wall, light and shadow flickered continuously. Near the ceiling, beyond the reach of the overhead lights, something seemed to be moving slowly.

Occasionally, a faint reflection revealed a pair of enormous eyes.

The eyes swiveled, observing the approaching convoy of trucks. As the lead truck drew closer, two serrated, spiked forelimbs emerged, poised to strike at the perfect moment.

Finally, the first truck—the one carrying the scent of fresh human blood—came directly beneath the forelimbs.

The sharp serrations glinted menacingly under the lights.

In the last truck, the little monkey, who had been napping with its eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide in terror. It stared toward the front of the convoy, as if seeing something.

The monkey began squeaking and shrieking in alarm.

Unfortunately, its cries were far too faint. Moreover, as a spiritual entity, no one could hear its warnings in this place.

Fan Hao, sitting in the cab of the lead truck, remained oblivious to the imminent danger.

Still within Base 24’s boundaries, he felt relatively at ease. He had even switched the truck to autopilot mode and pulled a small spray bottle from his pocket.

He recalled the words of the middle-aged man who had given it to him:

This stuff will wake you up…

Though it was incredibly pungent, Fan Hao had been feeling an unexpected wave of fatigue and drowsiness. After hesitating briefly, he pressed the spray nozzle.

Compared to making a critical mistake or losing his life during the return journey, enduring the intense garlic odor seemed like a small price to pay.

A pale yellow liquid misted out of the spray bottle. It quickly evaporated, filling the cab with an overpowering scent that even permeated through the vehicle’s compartments and spread outward.

As the potent garlic smell enveloped the cab, Fan Hao involuntarily shuddered. Whether it was psychological or not, he actually felt…

This stuff really hits hard!

Meanwhile, the serrated forelimbs did not strike the lead truck. Instead, they remained suspended in midair.

The creature that owned them hesitated, unable to bring its scythe-like limbs down to harvest the life within the truck carrying the scent of fresh blood.

After the convoy of trucks had passed, a massive figure with a pair of wings on its back suddenly fell from the tunnel’s ceiling.

The creature flipped onto its back, exposing its segmented abdomen and trembling legs.

Its reaction resembled that of a creature poisoned.

In the last truck, the little monkey, who had been screeching warnings and preparing to witness a tragedy, paused in confusion.

“…”

The little monkey scratched its head in bewilderment. Seeing that the crisis had passed, it quietly settled down again.