Jing Shu had been staring for quite a while when Jun Bao finally said slowly, "Although it's still in the early development stage and there's a long way to go before we actually complete it, if it succeeds, the rewards will be enormous. Of course, it's also possible it'll stay in the research phase forever."
She blinked. Wait, was he seriously inviting her to join as a shareholder?
"Of course," Jun Bao said earnestly. "Only one percent, though. But you'll be responsible for providing the black and crimson liquids needed during the research phase."
He wasn't sure if the black liquid was useful or not, but as for the crimson liquid—one of the core ingredients—it was absolutely needed. Too bad Zhen Nantian had only handed over a small amount before. That was barely enough for anything. Every experiment had to be repeated thousands of times for just a few drops. Honestly, Jun Bao had been thinking for a while about how to get more of it, and if Jing Shu could provide it, that would be perfect.
Jing Shu's eyes lit up. "Then, once the research succeeds, I won't need to keep providing it in large amounts, right?"
As a reborn survivor, she knew perfectly well that in about a year and a half, this food would be officially released on the market. By then, it would flood the world. But Jun Bao didn't know that. He still had no idea when this research would succeed, and his tone carried both uncertainty and hope.
"If we manage to create it, we'll definitely be able to analyze its components, trace its source, and figure out how to cultivate it. Usually, that also means we can replicate its gene chains, so you won't need to keep supplying it in bulk anymore."
Her eyes sparkled even more. If that was the case, couldn't she try to collect more of these liquids in advance?
"No problem! Here, I'll give you a cup first. Is one cup enough? If not, there's more."
Jun Bao stared speechlessly. "..."
"When we get back, we'll sign the contract through the data system. As for how much we'll need, we'll only know once we're back."
"Alright, you guys go wait up there," Jing Shu said excitedly, rubbing her hands together. "I'll handle this myself. If Yang Yang wakes up and no one's around, that'll be trouble." She shooed everyone away.
At a glance, that puddle of water didn't seem like much, but it was actually a deep pit. Jing Shu first stored some into her Cube Space, then filled two large wooden barrels to the brim, even scooping up the muddy surface layer so she wouldn't waste a drop.
It must've been around two hundred kilograms total—less than the crimson liquid she'd collected before—but back then, it had taken her a whole month to gather that much. The mountain range was huge, so there had to be more pools like this elsewhere. Maybe she'd even find some in the muddy pits on her way back.
She carried the barrels up happily, but her joy didn't last long.
She knew the black liquid could upgrade her Cube Space, so she'd stored some inside right away. The space devoured it greedily like a starving beast… then went completely silent. Not a single reaction.
Frowning, Jing Shu poured in half a barrel more. Again, the Cube Space absorbed it instantly. Still nothing.
It was like feeding a bottomless pit. The familiar sense of hunger returned from within the space—it wasn't even close to satisfied.
Her heart sank.
She couldn't use up any more. The amount had to match what she'd promised, or Jun Bao would get suspicious.
"All done?" Jun Bao asked, noticing the gloom on her face. Just a minute ago, she'd been grinning like a fool, and now she looked like someone stole her lunch. Women really could change moods faster than flipping a page.
"Yeah, it's done. Let's go."
"So weird…" he muttered.
Jing Shu had already discussed things with Wen Jun and Xiao Wei. They'd first take one of the gastropods with them. The group's current goal was to find some people, then circle back to meet up with the bugs later. That way, Xiao Wei would know their route, and once they returned, the bugs could guide them through the mountains without getting lost.
"Let this battle-type red one go with you," Xiao Wei said. "It'll help if anything happens on the road."
"Thanks, you're a lifesaver," Jing Shu said with a grin, hanging the two large wooden barrels on the red bug's massive three-meter-long pincers. Then she grabbed the still-groggy Yang Yang and got ready to leave.
Before heading out, she waved. "Thanks for the leg hair! I'll bring you something tasty next time." She casually tucked the stiff red leg hair into her hair bun. Supposedly, with that hair, all the gastropods would obey her.
Xiao Wei had forcibly pulled that hair from one of her bug's legs earlier. It was tough as steel, and aside from commanding gastropods, it supposedly had other mysterious effects. But seriously, what kind of secret power could a single leg hair have?
The red gastropod seemed instinctively repulsed by the black liquid. It scraped at the ground with its thirty-six legs, moving awkwardly like a massive centipede. Its huge belly didn't make it look clumsy though—it looked more like it was carrying a living shield.
Gou Tou personally escorted Jing Shu with two of his men, acting overly polite the whole way. When they passed by the muddy swamp again, he even took a small boat to send them across, waving like a cheerful boss. "See you next time! Safe travels! If you need anything, just let me know!"
Across the river, Hong Bin and Lǚ Liu's jaws nearly hit the ground. "Wait, what's going on? Isn't that the same guy who robbed us earlier?"
Then they noticed the enormous gastropod behind Jing Shu's group and went speechless again. "What the hell, they left with compressed biscuits and came back with a giant bug?"
Jun Bao quickly explained the situation. Jing Shu tossed Yang Yang into the minibus, carefully secured the wooden barrels, then hopped back onto the gastropod and slid into the muddy swamp again.
These gastropods were practically born for this environment. Just like dung beetles, they loved burrowing into swamps, feeding on the mud inside, and only surfaced occasionally to breathe.
In moments, the bug's entire body disappeared into the mire, leaving only its head above the surface. Jing Shu stood carefully on its head as it stirred the center of the swamp with its pincers, scooping up mud and gulping it down like a hippo at lunch.
No wonder it was so huge—its appetite was monstrous. She couldn't help but wonder, once the swamps dried up later this year, would these gastropods still be able to survive?
She didn't have time to dwell on it though. Even now, the bug still hadn't reached the bottom.
Just how deep was this swamp?
The water was freezing, and she didn't want to wade in herself. But poking around with a stick didn't help either. After struggling for more than ten minutes without finding more black liquid, she finally gave up.
Frustrated but pressed for time, she marked the location for later. She still had to continue the journey and look for her seeds. With this many people around, she couldn't use her abilities freely anyway.
By then, Jun Bao had also wrapped up his discussions. "Let's switch to sea mode," he said. "We're already deep in the mountains, so it shouldn't be far now. Plus, we're running low on gas. We can't walk there on foot, right?"
Fair enough.
When Jing Shu climbed back into the minibus, Hong Bin was already stepping on the pedal, face flushed red from the effort. The minibus creaked forward slowly, inch by inch.
Jing Shu sighed. "How about… I drive?"