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Feeling the weight on his knee, Tong Zhanyan’s mind went blank, and so did his previously gloomy mood.

By the time he came to his senses, he had already pounced forward to hug the little tiger and give it a good rub. The fuzzy texture, the soft, warm body… “Kitties are so cute…”

Tong Zhanyan’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

Seeing Tong Zhanyan’s true nature laid bare, Qing Jiyue’s tense nerves finally relaxed.

In Tong Zhanyan’s arms, the little tiger rubbing against him looked utterly disheartened.

The departure of the guards left the base’s crew in a gloomy mood for over a week.

It wasn’t that everyone had let it go after a week, but rather that a week later, as the seeds they’d sown were ready for transplanting, the group was so busy harvesting and transplanting that they simply had no time to think about anything else.

With the departure of the guard squad, the base was even more understaffed; even though Tong Zhanyan had drawn the short straw, the schedule remained quite tight.

The only silver lining was that as the temperature gradually dropped, working no longer left them drenched in sweat like before.

Half a month later, as soon as the transplanting was finished, Tong Zhanyan immediately began thinking about increasing the workforce.

Newcomers would need time to learn the ropes, and if he waited until Gu Yunyang and the others left to make arrangements, it would be too late.

The base had previously been understaffed, so Tong Zhanyan planned to use this opportunity to reorganize things.

First were the people who had come after winning the “Frenzy Infection” lottery. Tong Zhanyan planned to continue holding the lottery and increase the number of participants.

Many people outside were already trying to treat their own frenzy, but even though the crop was now 61 credits per gram, there were certainly those who couldn’t afford it.

And since he was short on manpower, this would kill two birds with one stone.

Next was the “paid farm experience” he’d previously mentioned to Qing Jiyue—something many viewers in the livestream had been eagerly anticipating.

Tong Zhanyan had considered it before but abandoned the idea, as he was too busy clearing land, boosting yields, and driving down prices to have the energy for such a project.

Things are different now. Even if he doesn’t pay much attention to what’s going on outside, he knows from the occasional chatter among Gu Yunyang and his group that most people can now successfully grow crops.

If others can grow crops too, the pressure on him naturally eases.

With no pressure, if those people were willing to come and have some fun while helping him out a bit, why wouldn’t he welcome it?

Finally, and most importantly, there was the base’s official staff.

Although his base had over three hundred people, only the five led by Ning Langdong and the fifty-odd individuals who had chosen to stay after winning the Deep Infection Frenzy Lottery could truly be considered staff.

Among them, his primary assistants are limited to just the five members of Ning Langdong’s group.

If Old Xu and Old Wang were to leave as well, only Ning Langdong, Tian Xinqing, and Su Yanran would remain.

With over a thousand mu of land at the base—requiring farming, raising livestock and poultry, and attending to the people who came through the lottery—it’s simply too much to handle alone.

Therefore, Tong Zhanyan planned to have Ning Langdong, Tian Xinqing, and Su Yanran—who were already in charge of livestock, the livestreaming room, and backdoor operations, respectively—each select a portion of the fifty-plus people who stayed behind to form small teams. Together, they would assist him in managing the farming operations.

This way, once new arrivals came later, the four of them could serve as the primary leaders, focusing only on the big picture, which would make things easier for them.

As for directly hiring permanent staff, Tong Zhanyan had considered it but ultimately decided against it.

The main issue was that he planned to continue holding raffles and intended for those selected through the raffles to become the base’s core workforce in the future.

In that case, the current staff of over fifty people would already be sufficient.

With the plan in place, Tong Zhanyan later took the initiative to seek out Old Xu and Old Wang for a discussion.

Old Xu and Old Wang were already in their sixties and seventies. While they were still in good spirits, it was a fact that their bodies could no longer sustain long hours of farm work.

They knew this better than anyone else.

Upon hearing that Tong Zhanyan wanted to discuss something with them, both fell silent.

Tong Zhanyan said, “I think this is for the best.”

“There are many people farming now, and crop prices have been driven down to some extent, but the frenzy hasn’t been cured. As time goes on, the number of people in need will only grow.”

“The ideal situation would be for everyone to be able to eat crops—even to the point of completely replacing nutrient solutions.”

“That’s not something I can accomplish alone; it requires more people to get involved.”

Old Xu and Old Wang exchanged a glance, then both gave a wry smile.

For everyone to have enough to eat and completely replace nutrient solutions, Tong Zhanyan spoke as if he were simply remarking on the nice weather today. But to them, it was just as absurd as the “two yuan per jin” claim.

There were tens of millions of people inside the protective shield. Three meals a day, and enough to fill them up…

Had Tong Zhanyan actually calculated how many crops that would require?

They desperately wanted to ask, but didn’t even have the energy to do so.

Because the same thing had happened far too many times—so many times that they no longer had the strength to be surprised.

“What do you think?” Tong Zhanyan waited a long time for a response but received none, so he asked on his own.

“Let’s just go with it,” Old Wang nodded.

Old Xu also nodded. “Actually, we’ve been discussing this for a while, but we just didn’t know how to bring it up with you.”

“We’re truly getting old, even if we don’t want to admit it… Teaching at the Sidi Military Academy is, in a way, the last contribution we can make to this world.”

“You’ve already done a great job.” Tong Zhanyan’s words weren’t meant as consolation; he genuinely felt that way.

Old Xu and Old Wang might not have been the best at farming before, but they had truly been trying their best, and since he’d arrived, they’d done so much for him.

To achieve this much while in their position, Tong Zhanyan admired them from the bottom of his heart.

Seeing the sincerity in Tong Zhanyan’s eyes, Old Xu and Old Wang exchanged a glance, and both smiled.

Old Xu said, “During the busy farming season, we can bring those students over to help out—we’ll treat it as a practical training exercise.”

Old Wang added, “I think they’d be delighted.”

“Alright.” Tong Zhanyan thought it over and found the idea appealing—after all, it was free labor.

As the farm’s need for manpower grew, the bok choy and cherry radishes he gave away in prize draws now amounted to over a hundred square meters each time. Even though they grew quickly, they still required time to mature.

This couldn’t go on indefinitely.

That was the main reason he was willing to try out a “pay-to-play farm experience.”

After making arrangements with Old Xu and Old Wang, Tong Zhanyan spoke privately with Ning Langdong, Tian Xinqing, and Su Yanran the following night after work.

Since Tian Xinqing didn’t mention leaving, Tong Zhanyan didn’t bring it up either.

Tong Zhanyan hoped he would stay.

Upon hearing about Old Wang and Old Xu, Ning Langdong and the others weren’t surprised; they had already noticed the two were running out of steam.

When they heard Tong Zhanyan was planning to try out a “paid farm stay,” the three of them instantly perked up, because they could already imagine the reaction of the crowd in the livestream when they heard the news.

They’d absolutely go wild with joy.

Upon hearing about the squads, the three grew a bit more composed. They were still excited, but their excitement was now mixed with deeper thought.

Although they were currently assisting Tong Zhanyan in managing the base, they were essentially operating alone—at most, each had a specific area of responsibility.

But if each of them had a squad under their command, then they would truly become part of the management team.

Tong Zhanyan had asked them to help earlier when he was just starting out and short-handed, but that was different from actually making them part of the management now.

That wasn’t just trust; it was also recognition of their abilities.

“I’m in.” Ning Langdong was the first to speak up.

“Me too.”

“I’m in as well.”

Tian Xinqing and Su Yanran followed suit.

Knowing that Ning Langdong and Su Yanran were willing to stay, Tong Zhanyan breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, he glanced at Tian Xinqing.

Tian Xinqing looked a bit bewildered.

After reaching an agreement with Ning Langdong and the others, on the third day, Tong Zhanyan spoke with the fifty-odd people.

First, he confirmed whether they were willing to stay on. After all, crops were quite cheap now, so even if they returned home, they wouldn’t necessarily struggle to afford food as they had before.

No one asked to leave.

For them, this base was more than just a place of work.

Second, Tong Zhanyan discussed wages and benefits with them. Since crop prices had dropped, it no longer made sense to base their base pay on crops.

Tong Zhanyan planned to give everyone a raise.

He had paid them before, though not much.

The group’s reaction to this was quite strong; they felt things were just fine as they were.

They got to eat fresh food every day, learned a lot, and were happy with their daily lives.

Tong Zhanyan was quite moved, but he stood his ground.

Because these were two separate matters.

He might indeed have helped them, but friendship doesn’t put food on the table. Even if they themselves didn’t mind, they still had families to support.

Besides, he wasn’t short on money at the moment.

Apart from these two points, there was the matter of team assignments.

Although Tong Zhanyan wanted Ning Langdong and the other two to make the selection, he also had to respect the group’s own wishes.

Tong Zhanyan planned to let them think it over first and submit a preference form, then have Ning Langdong and the others make their selections, and finally reconcile the choices based on the situation.

The group had no objections and discussed it all the way back.

Once they had settled on their own plans, Tian Xinqing, Ning Langdong, and Su Yanran took the initiative to find Tong Zhanyan the next day.

The lottery side of things remained unchanged, but the paid farmstay was a completely new venture.

Since they had officially become managers, they had to take on the responsibility.

Tong Zhanyan didn’t have any particular requirements for the farmstay, as it was essentially another form of lottery rather than a money-making tool.

It’s just that, unlike the previous raffles where people would come for a day or two and then leave, guests could now stay for a short while.

As for meals, they could simply eat at the cafeteria.

After Tong Zhanyan explained his plan, Ning Langdong and the others went off to the side to discuss it.

Half an hour later, they presented a proposal.

Tong Zhanyan took a look; it actually bore an increasing resemblance to the rural homestays from his previous world.

Tong Zhanyan agreed.

With the plan confirmed, Tian Xinqing issued an announcement that night to share the news.

In the Live stream.

“It’s finally here…”

“Waaah, I’ve been waiting so long the flowers have wilted.”

“How do I sign up?”

“It hasn’t started yet—it’s just an announcement.”

“Aaaah—”

“I can’t even imagine how many people will sign up.”

“Wait, if too many people sign up, won’t we have to wait in line again?”

“I think they should charge a higher fee; that way, it’ll weed out some of the crowd.”

“But then wouldn’t it just be for rich people?”

“I don’t think our senior would do that—he’s our senior, after all.”

“I agree… but I’d actually hope he does. After all, if it comes down to speed and queuing, I’d guess it’ll be just as tough as the previous lottery—it is the seniors’ base, after all.”

“You guys are making me so worried.”

“Even though crop prices have dropped now, there’ll still be plenty of people wanting to go.”

“Please don’t. I really want to go take a look, even if it’s just to look…”

……

In addition to the announcement, Tian Xinqing also launched a new round of the lottery.

This time, he drew 100 people directly, which perfectly made up for the members of the guard squad who had left earlier.

When the guard squad left, they didn’t take those cages with them, so they’d come in handy now.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the farm stay; only a few people were discussing the new lottery, but that didn’t matter.

Two days later, Tong Zhanyan announced the winners.

Once the list was out, it was up to Ning Langdong and Tian Xinqing to handle things, so Tong Zhanyan turned his attention to the wheat in the greenhouse.

The greenhouse was temperature-controlled, and Tong Zhanyan had set it to between fifteen and twenty-five degrees.

This time, their growth rate was even slower than before; nearly two months had passed, and not even a bud was in sight.

Visually, their size was already indistinguishable from the ones in Tong Zhanyan’s previous world.

Tong Zhanyan had high hopes for them.

A week later, the group selected in the lottery arrived at the back door.

Tong Zhanyan merely glanced at them from a distance and did not go to greet them.

By the time they had settled in, the harvest of the crops in the fields had finally come to an end.

Ning Langdong and the others immediately began plowing and sowing, while Tong Zhanyan set to work on the soybeans.

With this round of sowing complete, the infection rate of the soybeans had finally dropped below 20%.

He planned to make soy sauce and vinegar.

Making these two items is both simple and difficult. It’s simple because the process isn’t complicated, but it’s difficult because he lacks wheat and rice malt.

To make soy sauce, if you have rice malt and wheat, you simply need to soak and steam the soybeans, mix them with the rice malt and flour, leave them in a cool, well-ventilated place until greenish-yellow mold grows, then ferment them in brine for three to six months.

Without them, however, he could only substitute corn flour, which contains a certain amount of sugar, meaning the probability of failure during the mold cultivation step would be very high.

That meant he would have to experiment again and again until he succeeded.

Since he didn’t know how many attempts it would take to succeed, while making soy sauce, Tong Zhanyan also began making corn vinegar.

Common vinegar is usually made from rice, but Tong Zhanyan didn’t have any rice here, so he had to use corn instead.

Making corn vinegar without rice malt is quite simple: mix the corn flour into a paste, cook it, then place it in a clean container to ferment naturally.

If all goes well, mold will grow, and a wine-like aroma will emerge within seven to ten days. At this stage, water is added, and after another half a month to twenty days of fermentation, it turns into vinegar.

The infection rate of the corn had already decreased, and the reason Tong Zhanyan hadn’t rushed to make vinegar earlier was precisely that he didn’t know how many attempts it would take to succeed.

In theory, if either soy sauce or vinegar succeeds, the mold produced during fermentation can be mixed into the other, allowing it to ferment successfully as well.

This saves a lot of time, and more importantly, it saves a significant amount of grain.

By the time Tong Zhanyan had prepared and bottled both for fermentation, half a month had already passed.

By then, the group of people selected in the later lottery draws had finally managed to emerge from their cages.

Tong Zhanyan went over to take a look.

They were all unfamiliar faces, and without exception, their expressions were filled with excitement and anticipation.

They had watched the process on screen more than once; now, their lucky day had finally arrived.

Tong Zhanyan entrusted the care of the fields—which the locals, including Ning Langdong, were familiar with—to them, especially since Old Xu and Old Wang were still there.

He headed to the greenhouse himself, as the wheat had reached the flowering stage.

With such a large crop this time, and the corn now towering taller than him, the fans were ineffective. So he ventured into the plants and pollinated each one by hand.

By the time he finished there, the crops planted further back in the fields had reached full bloom, with bees circling overhead all day long.

The temperature at the base had also dropped back to between fifteen and twenty-five degrees.

Since it was autumn, the air was dry and windy, which actually felt quite pleasant.

Meanwhile, Ning Langdong and the others had divided their team into squads and officially entered the acclimatization phase.

The group had long since become highly proficient at the farmwork, and now that they were divided into squads with rivals to compete against, each member was brimming with enthusiasm.

Watching them like that, Gu Yunyang and his group felt a pang of unease, for it was a stark reminder that their time at the base was running out.

Tong Zhanyan’s corn vinegar didn’t turn out right until his third attempt, but as soon as it succeeded, he immediately set to work on the soy sauce as well.

Once he was done, before the corn vinegar was even ready to eat, he started thinking about recipes.

Vinegar-stir-fried cucumbers, spicy and sweet potato noodles, spicy and sour cabbage, vinegar-stir-fried shredded potatoes…

Twenty days later, just as the vinegar was ready to eat, he had already lost count of how many times his mouth had watered.

On the very afternoon he confirmed it was safe to eat, Tong Zhanyan got everything organized early.

Just past five o’clock, with the sun still hanging on the horizon, Tong Zhanyan announced that dinner was served.

While the group lined up, Tong Zhanyan had already served himself, Qing Jiyue, and Qing Suifeng.

After Qing Suifeng received his portion, he served Qing Zhenhai a light, nutritious meal before returning to his own dormitory.

Qing Zhenhai still couldn’t go downstairs freely; the weakness caused by over a decade of intense frenzy wasn’t something that could be easily overcome.

In the cafeteria, Tong Zhanyan looked at Qing Jiyue across from him. “You’re definitely going to like the flavor this time.”

Qing Jiyue loved sour flavors.

Sure enough, Qing Jiyue’s eyes lit up instantly. “It’s sour.”

Tong Zhanyan ate his own portion while remarking with a hint of regret, “It’s a shame the soy sauce won’t be ready for another six months.”

With soy sauce, life would finally feel complete.

Unfortunately, MSG couldn’t be made just yet.

MSG could be made from kelp or dried shrimp, or from shiitake mushrooms and dried scallops, but cultivating kelp and shiitake mushrooms was difficult, and he was currently short on dried shrimp and dried scallops as well.

However, since everything else at the base was already up and running, these things were only a matter of time.

Qing Jiyue didn’t know what soy sauce was, but the vinegar certainly suited his taste; Tong Zhanyan regretted that he’d already devoured most of it in one go.

Seeing this, Tong Zhanyan quickly dug into his own portion.

After finishing their meal, the two went for their usual stroll by the lake.

The aquatic plants in the lake and the reeds along the shore were growing increasingly lush—so lush that they were actually becoming a bit of a nuisance.

Especially the reeds; there were so many that they were even blocking the little path they usually walked on.

As he walked, Tong Zhanyan pondered the possibility of finding an opportunity to have his chicken burn some of them down.

The roots run deep, and since they usually grow in large clumps, they’ll sprout back quickly unless the roots are completely removed.

Back when they couldn’t get anything to grow, these plants were treasures; now, however you look at them, they’re just a nuisance.

The patch of grass they often visited was still there, though.

The two of them sat there until dark.

After dark, they headed back; autumn nights were quite chilly, and one could easily catch a cold if not careful.

Once upstairs, the two went to Qing Sui-feng’s room next door to sit for a while, mainly to check on Qing Zhen-hai.

Half a year had passed, and the old man had gone from being emaciated to having put on some weight; his complexion had improved considerably as well.

When the two arrived, he was using a walker to move around the living room. He moved slowly, but his spirits were clearly high.

As he gradually recovered, the old man began to resemble Qing Suifeng and Qing Jiyue more and more. Watching them, Tong Zhanyan sometimes had the illusion of seeing both the middle-aged and elderly versions of Qing Jiyue at the same time.

“You’re here,” the old man greeted them.

“Mm-hmm.” Tong Zhanyan looked around. “Where’s Uncle?”

Qing Suifeng wasn’t in the room.

“In his office, handling matters with the Qing Family,” the old man replied, pausing.

Since both Qing Jiyue and Qing Suifeng were at the base, matters concerning the Qing Family could only be handled remotely; fortunately, there hadn’t been any major issues lately.

However, it had been nearly a year since the last beast tide, and in two months, Qing Jiyue and the others would have to return.

Qing Jiyue went inside to find Qing Suifeng to see what the matter was.

After spending a while in the living room, Tong Zhanyan went next door to wash up.

A moment later, when Qing Jiyue returned, Tong Zhanyan had already changed into fresh clothes and was lying on the bed.

“What are you thinking about?” When Qing Jiyue came back after washing up, Tong Zhanyan was still lying motionless in the same position as before; he was clearly distracted.

“I’m thinking about the field training,” Tong Zhanyan said.

When he’d mentioned wanting to go earlier, Su Yanran had joked that by the time he found the time to go, they might all have graduated.

He’d laughed along with his back then, but now it had come true.

The Beast Tide was approaching, which meant graduation was near.

“Then let’s go tomorrow,” Qing Jiyue said, reaching to open his terminal.

“Soy sauce can’t leave its owner,” Tong Zhanyan said with a wry smile.

Qing Jiyue paused.

“Besides, the autumn harvest is coming up, and after that comes the pre-winter sowing… This is our first winter sowing, so I need to keep an eye on it.”

Qing Jiyue looked at Tong Zhanyan helplessly.

Tong Zhanyan’s face was equally full of resignation.

Once the entire rotation cycle was over, he should have a bit more breathing room again. However, by then, Gu Yunyang, Old Xu, and the others would likely have left, and he wouldn’t be able to free himself from his duties anytime soon.

Qing Jiyue wanted to say something, but the words died on his lips.

Tong Zhanyan lay down on the bed, just as he was about to fall asleep, his phone buzzed—someone had sent him a message.

Tong Zhanyan glanced at it, and the moment he recognized the name, he was quite surprised, for it was Yang Hong.

Since leaving, Yang Hong had generally only popped up in the base’s group chat, and Tong Zhanyan rarely chatted there himself.

Yang Hong cautiously asked him about the spots for the paid farm stay; if possible, he wanted to see if he could reserve some.

He had some friends he’d known for several years but had never actually met in person.

They all liked Tong Zhanyan and loved the base, so if possible, he wanted to organize a gathering there.

The paid farm stay was still in the planning stages; Tong Zhanyan had originally intended to wait until Gu Yunyang and the others left before launching it.

When asked, Tong Zhanyan thought it over and agreed.

Since it’s a paid service, the rules will naturally have to change.

Plus, if it’s paid, it can stay open long-term—a few more or fewer people won’t make much difference.

Upon hearing the answer, Yang Hong—who had initially approached the idea with a “let’s give it a try” attitude—couldn’t wait to open his messaging app and find the small group of about twenty people that had existed when the Victims’ Alliance was first created.

He took a deep breath and posted in the group, “Let’s meet up in person.”

Changge: “Sure.”

Fish-Loving Kitten: “When?”

Midsummer Madness: “Where?”

Craving Hot Pot: “Count me in.”

Yang Hong’s lips curled into a wide grin. “At the seniors’ base.”