Xie Sen returned to his apartment, washed the wild fruit the Flying Eagle had given him, put it on a plate, and sat on the sofa eating while watching the news.
The headline at the top of the news was "Chili Peppers, New Life!"
Xie Sen thought of the reporter's question in the hospital parking lot, and a bad feeling crept into his mind. He clicked on it and quickly read through the article. The gist of it was that chili peppers really could increase fertility rates. Don't believe it? Just look at Xie Sen.
Xie Sen rolled his eyes. His pregnancy had absolutely nothing to do with chili peppers, okay? As for the 100% success rate, that was probably just a coincidence.
He scrolled down the comments. Many people were obsessed with chili peppers, discussing where to buy them. Some lamented that they couldn't get any, while others said there were scalpers who resold them, and the black market price had already exceeded 10,000 yuan per kilogram.
Xie Sen was shocked. That was too profitable! He had checked out the Rich Supermarket when the chili peppers went on sale; the supermarket price was 3,000 yuan per kilogram.
He was looking at the comments when his bracelet rang. It was Ma Qun's call. He answered, and Ma Qun's voice came through: "Ah Sen, did I disturb you?"
"No, is there anything I can help you with, Dean Ma?"
Ma Qun asked, "Did you eat chili peppers before you got pregnant?"
Xie Sen realized what he meant and affirmed, "Chili peppers are good for the body, but they have nothing to do with my pregnancy. What's being said online is too exaggerated."
Ma Qun sighed, "The birth rate is gradually declining, and we haven't found a way to improve it. Some antisocial people are proposing theories about human extinction to cause panic. At the press conference, I specifically mentioned that chili peppers contain components related to fertility to give the public confidence. I didn't expect them to be so enthusiastic about chili peppers."
Xie Sen glanced at his stomach. The public's attitude was probably related to his sudden announcement of his pregnancy.
He thought for a moment, "Dean Ma, compared to the total population of Brant Star, the research institute has too few people and too little land. Relying solely on the research institute to produce food is insufficient. Why not let the people grow plants as well?"
Ma Qun replied, "We tried it years ago. The land on Brant Star wasn't suitable for growing plants. The research institute was able to successfully grow them because they had special fertilizer. The fertilizer wasn't fixed; researchers observed the plants' growth daily and adjusted the fertilizer according to the changes in growth. It
's not something that can be widely implemented." Xie Sen smiled, "Things are different now. Perhaps the geology has changed? Didn't you say before that chili peppers could change the soil and grow even without nutrients?"
Ma Qun sighed, "We tried using currently mature chili peppers as seeds, cultivating seedlings in the lab, and then transplanting them to land outside the research institute. The planting failed. But thankfully, they can grow in the current chili pepper fields."
Xie Sen was taken aback, then understood. Only plants obtained through the system had super vitality and could grow in the harsh soil of Brant Star. The ones that grew there wouldn't work unless they were planted in land improved by the system's plants.
In this way, once a piece of land has been planted with the system's plants, it becomes equivalent to ordinary land and can be used continuously.
He opened the system panel; he had over 8,000 energy points. Each chili pepper contained dozens of seeds; exchanging for 100 seeds would yield several thousand seeds, enough to plant a considerable amount of land.
As he was thinking this, Ma Qun hesitated before speaking, "I have another matter to discuss with you. I'd like to collaborate with you. Your chili peppers are unique, incredibly resilient, and can improve soil quality. People who want to cultivate them can only do so using your chili pepper seeds."
He paused, "According to our experimental results, after planting the chili peppers you provided, that land and the surrounding land can grow other plants. We plan to auction off your chili pepper seeds within a certain area, selling them to agricultural product companies and maintaining long-term cooperation with them."
Xie Sen couldn't help but ask, "Are there agricultural product companies now?" They don't even have edible plants; even if they did, they should have gone bankrupt long ago, right?
Ma Qun smiled gently, "No, but soon. After discussing it with you, if you're willing to provide chili peppers, the government will issue an announcement soon encouraging the establishment of agricultural product companies, allowing people to produce plants themselves. Savvy businessmen will realize this is a huge opportunity, and many will definitely start companies."
Xie Sen thought for a moment and asked, "I'd like to start one too, is that alright?"
"Of course," Ma Qun smiled, "I was just about to suggest it to you. You're graduating this year, and you're still young, which is a great time to start a business. Plus, you're a botany major, so starting an agricultural product company would be perfect for you."
Xie Sen laughed, "I promise, I'll try my best to provide more chili peppers." He paused slightly to avoid surprising anyone, then added, "I've accumulated quite a bit over the years, and haven't eaten much, so this is perfect."
Ma Qun said, "Don't eat them! The research institute will send you ten catties of chili peppers every month, without fail."
Xie Sen smiled, "Don't worry, I'll keep them all."
Ma Qun asked, "About how many? The chili peppers you gave me before, each one had three..." "A dozen or so seeds are needed to guarantee a chili pepper yield of 300 jin (150 kg), which requires 500 seedlings, meaning each family needs 17 chili peppers."
Xie Sen calculated in his mind. Providing too many chili peppers at once would raise suspicion. "About 100 peppers, I think providing at least 1,000 seedlings to each family would be more attractive. I have 1,000 chili peppers on hand, enough to supply three families."
Ma Qun pondered for a moment. "Okay, I'll send out an official message right away."
After hanging up, Xie Sen registered an agricultural product company using his own identity. He thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a name. Finally, he decided to use "Peony."
The plant originated from the system, and Adan's true form was Peony, so this name was perfect.
After registration, he submitted the application for approval.
Next, he searched online for land for sale near his apartment. The apartment was located in the suburbs, and there were many vacant plots when he bought the land, but now they were all gone.
There was a large, contiguous plot of land close to the apartment, located between the apartment and the desolate forest, 30 kilometers apart on each side.
He checked the price of that land and found it was only 2,000 yuan per square meter, the cheapest land in Xingcheng. He checked the relevant information and discovered that the land had been on the market for almost three years, but no one had bought it because it was too close to the desolate forest.
Xie Sen laughed. He wasn't afraid of the forest, especially since it was so far away and there were troops guarding the border.
He calculated the price: the land totaled 52 acres, about 35,000 square meters, costing a total of 70 million.
He opened his streamer's backend; his account balance was over 500 million. He had spent a lot on building the house and buying equipment recently, and he had been using it regularly, but the money was still steadily increasing.
He thought back to when he first arrived in this world, he couldn't even afford to take a car and thought making money was so difficult. But after only a few months, he had become so rich and thought making money was really easy.
He touched his right shoulder, all thanks to Adan. If it weren't for Adan's affinity, he wouldn't have been able to befriend the contracted beast. Without Adan's energy, the contracted beast wouldn't be so smart and know how to start a live stream.
He didn't hesitate, and unlike last time when he only bought a portion of the land, he contacted the land developer directly and bought all 52 acres.
The other party thought he had misheard and repeatedly confirmed with him. Upon learning he was serious, and fearing he might change his mind, they swiftly transferred the land ownership, completed all the necessary paperwork, and Xie Sen paid the full amount in one lump sum.
After buying the land, Xie Sen had the Flying Eagle Beast take him on a tour. The soil was very hard, hardly suitable for growing crops. He thought for a moment, then contacted a construction company to build a fence around the land and have it completely overturned.
After making these arrangements, he rode the Flying Eagle Beast home.
The eagle-like beast landed in front of the apartment, spreading its wings and touching the ground with its wingtips. "Ah Sen, don't jump. Walk down along my wings."
Xie Sen ruffled the feathers on its back. "Thanks." He pushed himself up and stood on the eagle-like beast's back.
The eagle-like beast was enormous, over three meters tall. Xie Sen was even higher off the ground, making it look quite dangerous at first glance.
"Ah Sen!" Maine came out of the apartment and called out anxiously upon seeing this. "Don't move!"
He hadn't seen Xie Sen in the apartment and was checking his location as he walked out. He hadn't expected to see this scene as soon as he came out. He strode over to the eagle-like beast's wings and reached out to Xie Sen. "Slow down."
Xie Sen smiled. "It's okay." He walked down along the wings, and Maine followed him to prevent him from falling.
When they reached Xie Sen, Maine picked him up vertically and then lifted him by the knees, changing to a horizontal carry.
"Where did you go?" Maine asked as he carried Xie Sen towards the living room.
Xie Sen kicked his foot: "Put me down, stop carrying me around."
Mei Yin walked to the sofa and put him down, then poured him a glass of water. Xie Sen took a sip and told him about starting the company and buying the land.
Mei Yin looked at the photos of the land, pondered for a moment, and said: "The area is too large, manual planting is too slow and very tiring. There are almost no farm tools for sale on the market. Huo Feng should have some old farm tool designs. I'll improve them and try to achieve mechanized planting."
Xie Sen smiled and put his arm around Mei Yin's: "You and I are thinking the same thing."
If it's done manually, it's tiring and inefficient.
Mei Yin held his hand and gently squeezed his fingertips: "I'll follow up on the land situation. You'll do the specific planning. Remember to tell me when you go out next time."
Xie Sen rested his chin on Mei Yin's shoulder: "Okay."
The next morning at ten o'clock, Mu Lin and Gu Luo arrived at Xie Sen's apartment. Xie Sen personally welcomed them to the living room.
Mu Lin casually sat down on the sofa, and Gu Luo took out a series of instruments. Xie Sen looked at them curiously, but couldn't figure out what they all did.
Guro smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, we'll finish measuring all your values soon, um... but we'll need to draw a little blood at the end."
Maine frowned: "No way."
Guro smiled helplessly; he had expected this outcome. He advised, "Just one drop will do; it won't affect your body at all."
Maine was about to say something when Xie Sen tugged at his hand and then reached out to Guro: "Do you have a clean syringe?"
Mu Lin and Guro had helped him a lot, and they were representatives of contracted beasts, always advocating for the protection of contracted beasts. Their research was for the benefit of contracted beasts and their masters, so he didn't mind this small favor.
Gu Luo took out a new syringe, sterilized it, and handed it to Xie Sen. Xie Sen took it, pinched the needle tip, and carefully pricked his index finger. Then, pinching his fingertip, he squeezed out a bead of blood. "Hey, how do I collect it?"
Gu Luo took a small box and carefully collected the bead of blood from Xie Sen's finger. "Thank you."
Xie Sen smiled. "You're welcome." He returned the syringe, grabbed a tissue from the coffee table, and was about to wipe his hands when Maine pulled his hand over and put it in her mouth.
A warm touch brushed against his skin; Maine was licking.
Xie Sen's body trembled almost imperceptibly, his heart pounded, and his face flushed red. He tried to pull his hand back, but Maine grabbed his wrist. Maine looked at him, her eyes deep and unfathomable, until there was no trace of blood left, then she released his hand. Xie Sen
quickly withdrew his hand, feeling extremely embarrassed. He didn't dare look at Mu Lin and Gu Luo, and the more he thought about it, the more awkward he became. He kicked Maine's shin, moved to the edge, and distanced himself from her.
When no one's around, be sure to remind Maine not to flirt with him when others are present!
Mu Lin raised an eyebrow at Gu Luo, who glared at him before smiling at Xie Sen, "I'll take your measurements now. Don't be nervous, it'll be over soon."
Xie Sen coughed, "Okay."
Because there was no examination chamber, this examination was slower than at the research institute, requiring three different instruments to complete.
Gu Luo carefully noted down each value, then reviewed it again, smiling, "Your physical condition is excellent."
Xie Sen nodded. He himself felt it; aside from feeling a little uncomfortable from the impact of the bond's aura that day, he had been feeling very comfortable and energetic, much better than when he first arrived.
Gu Luo put away the instruments and sat down next to Mu Lin. Mu Lin casually put his arm around Xie Sen's shoulder. Xie Sen glanced at him but said nothing.
Xie Sen thought to himself, these two really are a couple.
Mu Lin said, "There's something else I need to remind you about. The Contract Beast Research Institute and the Plant Research Institute of Sun City and Moon City have both applied to come to Star City for academic exchange. The applications have been approved, and the exchange will be held on the 15th and last for five days."
Xie Sen immediately understood: "Is it because of contract beasts and chili peppers?"
Mu Lin nodded: "The Contract Beast Research Institutes of the two cities applied shortly after you started your live stream, but I rejected them. After the chili pepper press conference, the Plant Research Institutes of the two cities also applied, and it was an application issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the highest level, so I couldn't refuse."
Xie Sen nodded: "You specifically reminded me because you think they'll come looking for me?"
"They definitely will," Mu Lin said seriously, "You have too much affinity for contract beasts, and you always bring back contract beasts when you go out, and they're always healthy and defenseless. They've been curious about you for a long time."
He paused: "The three cities have stood side by side for many years, maintaining a friendly relationship, but each city is independent and doesn't share resources, so they might not be able to ignore you. " Xie
Sen understood. These three cities, which originated from the tribe, were essentially three countries, though called cities.
He nodded, "Thank you for the reminder, I'll be careful."
Mu Lin and Gu Luo didn't linger; they left after finishing their business.
Xie Sen accompanied Mei Yin upstairs. Mei Yin was improving the farm tool program, while Xie Sen sat on a stool nearby watching the live stream and browsing the news.
Just then, A Dan's hesitant voice sounded in his mind: "Ah, Asen..."
Xie Sen was startled, then quickly asked, "Are you alright? Didn't you say you could finish the self-check in fifty hours? You've already exceeded the time."
A Dan whispered, "I'm fine. I finished the self-check a long time ago, I just didn't contact you."
Xie Sen was puzzled: "Why?"
A Dan hesitated, "I don't know how to tell you," he paused, then his voice suddenly rose, "Asen, no matter what happens, you must stay calm, don't panic!"
Xie Sen became anxious: "Is there something wrong with my body? Has the safe time been shortened?" "
No…but it will have some impact," Adan stammered, finally bursting out, "I discovered another human energy entity within you before. I thought there was something wrong with me, but the self-examination results showed everything was normal."
"After the self-examination, I checked again and confirmed that there is indeed another human energy entity within you. I've thought about it, and there's only one possibility…you're pregnant."
At this point, it quickly added, "Asen, don't be afraid. I know you, as a boy, will find pregnancy difficult to accept, but your body is currently female. Pregnancy is actually very normal, and having a baby is something to be happy about!"
Xie Sen was deeply moved. Adan was always very direct, so his hesitation showed he was genuinely worried about him. "I knew the day before yesterday, I'm not afraid."
"What?" Adan exclaimed, "You knew the day before yesterday?"
"Yes, after your self-examination."
Adan cried out in frustration, "Ahhh, so all my worrying from yesterday until now has been for nothing? I'm so stupid, really!"
Xie Sen laughed, "You're just too concerned about me, thank you. Adan is very smart, not stupid at all!"
Adan was deeply moved, "Asen, you are the best master in the world, you are so good, beautiful, kind, and incredibly intelligent!"
Xie Sen: "...Don't praise me, I'm getting embarrassed. It's good that you're alright."
Adan giggled, "By the way, I have some good news, I sensed the remaining water energy."
Xie Sen's eyes lit up, and he switched to the interstellar map: "Where?"
Following Adan's description, Xie Sen traced the location on the virtual screen, finally stopping at a planet slightly closer than Bru Star, opposite the planet where the Yamu Continent is located, where there was a planet marked with a resource star—Mist Star.
Maine's voice came from beside him: "That's a resource star belonging to Moon City. Is there energy there?"
Xie Sen nodded. Maine put his hand on his right shoulder, puzzled, "All five petals are lit up. Is there still a lack of energy?"
Xie Sen shrugged: "The water energy is scattered. The remaining one-fifth is on Mist Star. If it belongs to Moon City, I don't know if there's any way to get there."
Maine: "You can't go."
Xie Sen turned his head: "Why?"
Maine's gaze fell on his abdomen: "Pregnant men are not suitable for interstellar travel. The huge shock during a jump will endanger pregnant men."
Xie Sen casually patted his belly: "From pregnancy to birth, it takes about a year. That's too long. I'm in good health now. It's perfect to go now." The
more he thought about it, the more sense it made. If his belly got bigger, it would be inconvenient to go out.
Maine grabbed his hand and said in a deep voice, "No, the baby is very vulnerable three months old. A collision could easily cause a miscarriage and also affect the pregnant man's health."
Shesen looked at him suspiciously, "You're talking nonsense, aren't you? How do you know? I feel incredibly healthy now, even better than when I left Brant Star last time."
He had withdrawn his wood energy and most of his water energy, and his physical condition had improved considerably.
Maine said earnestly, "I'm not talking nonsense," he lowered his head and kissed Shesen's lips, "I can't let you take risks."
He opened his bracelet, opened a folder, and Shesen glanced at it. The folder was called 'Pregnancy Precautions.' When Maine clicked on it, he was stunned; it was full of pregnancy-related information.
Maine skillfully clicked on the third video, watched it for two seconds, then scrolled back to the third of the way through and stopped.
In the video, a gentle-looking female said, "Pregnant men must be extremely careful during the first three months. The baby is very small then, and the belly hasn't changed much, as if you weren't pregnant at all. But the baby is very fragile at this time, and it's the easiest stage to miscarry. You must be very careful."
Maine paused the video and opened another text document. There was a hospital logo in the upper left corner. Maine clicked on a section of text that was marked. Xie Sen looked over and saw similar words to those in the video.
Xie Sen looked at Maine's serious expression, feeling both amused and touched. He leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then turned away and closed the interface. "So much information, you didn't read it all, did you...?"
Returning to the previous page, he saw the childcare tutorial next to the folder, paused, and looked at Maine in surprise.
Maine coughed lightly and turned off the bracelet. "I've read it all. You're not suitable for interstellar travel right now."
Xie Sen thought for a moment. There were still three years of safe period, and even after one year, there were still two years. As long as he knew the exact location, retrieving the energy wouldn't be difficult. Moreover, within a year, he could accumulate more energy to activate the plants, so he didn't need to worry about Adan not being able to sense the energy due to insufficient energy.
Xie Sen said, "Okay, I won't go now. I'll go after I give birth. In the meantime, I'll get the pass to Fogstar."
Maine hugged him gently, "I'll figure something out."
Xie Sen reached out and pinched his chin, looking him directly in the eye. "What's this childcare course all about? You want to take a course to learn how to take care of a child?"
Maine grabbed his hand and gently kissed it. "When I was researching, I saw some people say that taking care of a child is tiring, so I want to learn first," he said intently, "I'm too young and inexperienced, but I'll take good care of you and the baby."
Xie Sen couldn't resist. He thought, how could there be such a good man! He leaned in and kissed Maine forcefully. Maine wrapped his arms around the back of his neck and returned the kiss. After a long while, they finally separated.
Xie Sen was panting. Maine's fingers traced his lips, her voice slightly hoarse. "You seem more sensitive now."
Xie Sen's face flushed slightly. He felt it too. Just one kiss had made his body weak and hot. He couldn't help but complain, this female body is too submissive!
He turned his head, leaning on Maine's shoulder and holding his left hand, avoiding eye contact. "Maine, I'm so lucky to have met you."
Maine wrapped his right arm around his waist, lowered his head, and kissed his cheek, from forehead to chin. "I'm so lucky."
Sunlight streamed into the room, clean and bright, and the child curled up in the dark corner gradually faded away in the light.
Maine thought that if it weren't for Sherson, he would never have dared to dream that one day he would be embracing his lover, who was carrying his child, like this. It was a beautiful thing he could never have imagined.
Xie Sen calmed his racing heart. After a while, he sat up and patted Maine's face with a smile: "No need to look at so much information. We'll look at it together and learn together from now on."
That evening, the two sat side by side learning how to be parents. As they were reading, Adan's voice suddenly rang out: "Asen, the location of the water energy has changed."
Xie Sen was taken aback and opened the map: "Where is it now?"
Adan pointed to a location, and Xie Sen looked at it: "It's closer to Brant Star."
Adan: "Hmm, it's easier to sense now."
Xie Sen smiled: "That's perfect. I can't leave Brant Star for now, and the mobile carrier can't be too large. I'll sense the location every day, and I'll keep an eye on news from nearby planets to see if any special events have occurred."
Adan: "Okay, I'll sense it again tomorrow morning."