In the Live stream.

“I’ve posted the photo in the comments section. The infection rate really is only 37%. And judging by the size and quality, these definitely came from Senior’s base—you can’t fake this stuff.”

“But I remember Senior’s last batch of crops had an infection rate of around 48%?”

“That’s what I got back then, too. I even remarked at the time that the seeds needed to be nurtured, but then the infection rate went back up.”

“Maybe there were some in the last batch with an infection rate below 40%, but you just didn’t get them?”

“That doesn’t make sense either. This is Senior’s fifth batch of seeds. If it’s in the 30s now, wouldn’t the first batch have been around 20%? Most people wouldn’t be able to get seeds with that low an infection rate, and Senior seemed to be struggling in the early stages…”

“Check the comments—someone just posted their certification. This batch’s infection rate is only 34%.”

“34%? Then the first batch’s infection rate must have been under 20%?”

“Something feels off about this…”

“Senior must have gotten a batch with a lower infection rate earlier, but didn’t mention it. It’s not like the infection rate actually dropped.”

…

Watching the heated discussion in the comment section, Tong Zhanyan took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

The next moment, he continued setting up the giveaway.

Twenty people, for one day.

After announcing the giveaway, Tong Zhanyan went to the warehouse, dug out the cameras that had arrived earlier, and deployed five more around the base.

With that, the base now had a total of seven cameras—six new and one old.

The new cameras were placed in the pig pen and the orange grove, near the chicken coop and the small building, and four in the fields.

As for the old camera, whether he had set it up incorrectly or there was a system glitch, it spent most of its time circling the tomato plants.

Tong Zhanyan didn’t count on it.

Planting Alliance, Second Branch.

Shen Ye and Tang Xin, their eyes bloodshot, looked at Old Xu, who was frowning as he examined the appraisal report Gu Yunyang had just sent over.

It showed large swaths of crops with an infection rate over thirty percent.

After the first batch of crops was appraised, Gu Yunyang had contacted him immediately; several days had already passed.

A moment later, Old Xu looked up. “How is it?”

Shen Ye’s expression was strange. “We’ve gone through all the videos of his harvesting, seed saving, and planting from the previous batch over the past few days. For the same seedling, aside from the few fruits set aside for seeds, he sold all the others.”

“We paid extra attention to the harvesting and sowing footage, but we didn’t see him mix in any other seeds.”

To facilitate their research, they had been recording every moment of Tong Zhanyan’s livestream.

Among the cherry tomatoes sold in the previous batch, they hadn’t detected any with an infection rate below 40%.

There were two different prices for those below and above 40%; they couldn’t have made a mistake.

“Could it be the low-infection-rate seeds we sold him later?” Old Xu asked.

Tang Xin replied, “No, that’s impossible. When he sowed this batch of seedlings, the seeds we sold him hadn’t even been harvested yet. Besides, if only one or two seeds had been mixed in, there’s no way the infection rate would be over thirty percent.”

Old Xu rubbed the bridge of his nose, remaining silent for a long while.

If it wasn’t a mix-up with the seeds, then…

He pulled out the heart medicine he carried with him, poured out two pills, and popped them into his mouth.

Two days later, the base welcomed a new batch of lucky spectators.

Feeding the chickens and ducks, Tong Zhanyan directed them to move the boxes out to the fields ahead of schedule.

Just as they were busy, Boss Bai arrived with Old Jin and the others.

Old Jin and the others were still excited, but behind the crowd, Boss Bai watched him with unusual silence.

Boss Bai knew better than anyone else what kind of seeds Tong Zhanyan had.

When it came time to harvest, Tong Zhanyan had originally planned to divide the group into teams so they could work on multiple fronts simultaneously and finish faster.

But the lucky visitors looked at him with a pout; having made the trip all the way here, they wanted to pick every single variety.

Tong Zhanyan had no choice but to let them have their way.

With so many people, it didn’t actually slow things down.

After the harvest, Mr. Bai, Old Jin, and the others carried the produce outside, while Tong Zhanyan packed gifts to give away.

He was packing the newly ripened cherry tomatoes.

This piqued everyone’s curiosity.

Lately, everyone in the livestream had been discussing the infection rate of these cherry tomatoes.

Tong Zhanyan didn’t explain directly; he merely gave a vague response when they speculated that the seeds might naturally have a low infection rate.

This batch of crops had just begun to be harvested, and things were already going to be busy. If an outbreak occurred now, the situation would only become more chaotic.

After seeing the group off, Tong Zhanyan breathed a sigh of relief.

No sooner had he exhaled than the live stream exploded with heated debate again the very next day.

The eggplants and cucumbers picked yesterday also showed a decrease in infection rates.

This time, the proportion wasn’t as high as with the cherry tomatoes, but quite a few people still posted inspection reports showing figures like 42%—numbers that were clearly off.

“Could the seeds have been mixed up?”

“Mixed up again? How careless is that? ”

“Is there a possibility… that he did this on purpose?”

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying Senior Tong is playing games?”

“I’m just speculating.”

“What’s the motive? Views? Does he need more views? Sensationalism? Who doesn’t watch his livestream these days?”

“Then how else do you explain it?”

“……Could it really be that the infection rate has gone down?”

“If that’s the case, it’s great news—why wouldn’t he admit it?”

“Could there be some unspoken reason?”

“Those people living at the base! Could they have discovered this long ago, which is why they’re trying to control the senior?”

“Don’t scare me, you up there?”

“Don’t say it, but that’s actually possible. If the senior really can lower the infection rate of the crops, then…”

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to say this for a while—don’t you guys think the long-haired guy among the five looks a lot like Qing Family Head Qing Suifeng?”

“Him?”

“No way?”

“Besides those five, isn’t there also a younger guy with long hair who’s always running up to the small building? There are plenty of men with long hair, but this combination of an old man and a young guy…”

…

Once the crops start ripening, they ripen quickly.

Less than two days after the second harvest, a large patch of cherry tomatoes had turned red again—and this time, even more than before.

As more and more fruits grew, the vines were all bent over under the weight.

Tong Zhanyan had no choice but to seek out Qing Suifeng and the other four.

Unlike before, Yang Hong and the others didn’t light up with joy the moment they saw him; instead, their eyes were filled with concern.

Tong Zhanyan’s livestream had long since surpassed ten million followers. With the harvest in full swing, the online viewership never dipped below 300,000, and during midday and evening hours, it easily hit 500,000.

This made the discussions about the infection rate all the more alarming.

Especially the more extreme comments—even they, who remained unfazed even in the face of beasts, found them somewhat unsettling.

After all, that was hundreds of thousands of people.

Tong Zhanyan, however, had long since grown accustomed to it.

Besides, he had known this day would come.

Seeing that Tong Zhanyan showed no reaction, the others didn’t feel comfortable saying anything more.

For the tomato trellises, Tong Zhanyan still used the single-pole method to prevent the plants from falling over. It was easy to set up; the six of them finished the job in just over half a day.

Having come to help after such a long time, Yang Hong and the others were quite happy.

Their appearance also sparked a new wave of discussion in the livestream chat.

Qing Suifeng’s identity had been fully confirmed, and the identities of Yang Hong, Tang Shijin, Chu Yi, and Wang Yanzhou had also been nearly pieced together.

He knew the situation regarding Yang Hong, Tang Shijin, and Chu Yi, but he was quite surprised to hear that the Devil King had once been a figure on par with Yang Hong—it was the first time he’d heard of such a thing.

Faced with this, Tong Zhanyan was quite at a loss.

After hesitating for a while, he gave up on the raffle and went to find Qing Jiyue instead, asking him to lend him the other ten people and those guards for a bit.

Before Qing Jiyue could even speak, the eyes of the crowd nearby lit up.

Especially the guards—they’d been there from the start but had never been able to help. Now, their turn had finally come.

Qing Jiyue was well aware of the situation in the livestream and agreed readily.

He hadn’t actually experienced it himself yet.

Two days later, Tong Zhanyan organized the harvest.

The livestream was bustling with noise, but countless people were still waiting for the giveaway.

However, no one expected that Tong Zhanyan wouldn’t hold a giveaway; instead, he rounded up a group of people from somewhere and just got started.

That made quite a few people start to feel uneasy.

If Tong Zhanyan could find people from the real world, would he stop holding giveaways altogether from now on?

After all, having to teach them from scratch every time was quite a hassle.

“No, please, Senior, look at us…”

“My heart is broken.”

“Waaah…”

“Tell us what we did wrong. Don’t do this—I’m scared.”

“Senior, don’t abandon us.”

“Crying myself unconscious in the bathroom…”

…

This time, the quantity of cherry tomatoes was greater than the previous two harvests combined. A group of over sixty people pitched in, and it took a full half-day to pick them all.

In addition to those, the second batch of eggplants and cucumbers was also larger than last time, which took up another half-afternoon.

With the remaining time, Tong Zhanyan organized the picking of string beans, carrots, and chili peppers as well.

Since this was their first harvest, the yield was relatively small, but they still managed to fill over ten crates.

Combined with the cherry tomatoes, the total this time came to over seventy crates.

The volume was too large for the tricycle, so Mr. Bai had to make six or seven trips.

By the time the last load was transported away, it had already grown completely dark.

Tong Zhanyan turned on the lights in front of the small house.

That night, Tong Zhanyan cooked dinner right there in the small house.

Yang Hong and the others ate the vegetables with a low infection rate, while the guards, Qing Jiyue, Ning Langdong, Mr. Bai, and the rest of the group ate the regular ones. Tong Zhanyan went out and picked a few plants with a low infection rate himself.

Under the dim yellow light, a large courtyard filled with people—some sitting, some squatting, some standing—all wearing happy smiles after a day’s work, each with a big bowl of steaming vegetables…

The atmosphere was incredibly warm and cozy.

The live stream was flooded with screams.

“Aaaah, food cooked by Senior himself—”

“I want to eat that too.”

“Senior, look at us—look at your adorable fans!”

“Waaah, I feel like we’re really going to be abandoned.”

…

After adding salt to his own portion, Qing Jiyue passed the shaker to Tong Zhanyan beside him.

Tong Zhanyan immediately backed away.

He’d finally managed to get some decent food, though it was bland without oil or salt; at least it was edible.

Qing Jiyue, don’t ruin it for us.

Qing Jiyue looked at Tong Zhanyan, then at the salt. “It tastes better with salt.”

“I don’t eat synthetic stuff,” Tong Zhanyan said.

Qing Jiyue looked at the synthetic salt again and silently set it aside.

“What are you planning to do about those people in the livestream?” Qing Jiyue asked.

Although the previous two batches of crops were plentiful, their combined yield didn’t match this one.

Once this batch is shipped out, the livestream will definitely get even livelier.

“We’ll stall for now. We’ll deal with it when we absolutely can’t hold off any longer,” Tong Zhanyan said.

The drop in infection rates was old news to him—something from months ago.

What was giving him a bigger headache now was the fact that these crops could also be effective against those who had fallen into a frenzy.

He sensed that if handled poorly, it would trigger a massive storm—one even Qing Jiyue couldn’t contain.

After all, their cultivation and their efforts to lower the infection rate were ultimately aimed at treating the frenzy.

Qing Jiyue thought about it but ultimately said nothing.

After eating and drinking their fill, the group lingered for a while before heading back to the rear.

That night, Tong Zhanyan went to bed early.

Since there were no more raffles, he didn’t check the livestream for the next two days. Instead, he tested the cherry radishes and baby bok choy from the two plots that had ripened one after the other.

This was the third time the Alliance’s low-infection-rate seeds had been sown. Logically, the infection rate should have started to drop by this stage, but that wasn’t the case.

The infection rate was still rising.

After this round, the infection rates were mostly over 20%, with the highest reaching as high as 23%.

At first, Tong Zhanyan thought he might have collected too few samples, so he tested four additional trays. When he still couldn’t find any with a significantly lower infection rate, he had no choice but to give up.

In stark contrast stood the plants grown from his own high-infection-rate seeds.

Although this was their seventh planting, while the proportion showing a decrease in infection rate remained at 30%, the majority of those with reduced infection rates had already reached around 35%.

Tong Zhanyan even detected one with an infection rate of 29%.

From 50% to 29%—that’s a 21% drop.

Tong Zhanyan even had a feeling that with a few more plantings, the rate might drop to single digits.

After testing them, Tong Zhanyan called over Yang Hong and four others to fertilize all the crops.

This time, he used manure from the septic tank under the pigsty.

Some of that manure was over a month old, while some was fresh; after Tong Zhanyan brought it back, he let it ferment for nearly another two weeks, so it was now ready for use.

Two days later, they harvested again.

This time, they harvested only the cherry tomatoes, because by now they had fully entered the peak harvest season; if they didn’t harvest them separately, they wouldn’t be able to finish in a single day.

In the livestream.

Seeing that Senior Da Liu really wasn’t planning to hold another raffle, and watching the cherry tomatoes they’d been longing for get picked away bit by bit, the crowd’s hearts were nearly breaking.

“I want to cry. Are they really not giving us even the slightest chance?”

“Waaah…”

“Senior, just look at us one more time…”

“Why do I feel like we guessed right, and that’s why the Qing Family doesn’t dare let him have any contact with outsiders anymore?”

“Is it confirmed that it’s the Qing Family?”

“It’s confirmed.”

“Both the Qing Family and Sidi Military Academy have confirmed it.”

“So what do we do?”

“We have to save him, of course!”

“Don’t act rashly. Check the comments section first.”

“The comments section?”

“Go take a look. A lot of people are saying that seniors’ crops have amazing effects when eaten.”

…

The group practically flooded the comments section immediately.

The comments section presented a completely different scene.

Following countless posts showing certification documents, many people had now started sharing their shopping receipts.

And the reason they were posting them was all for one purpose: to prove that people around them were actually eating the crops Senior had grown, and to prove that what they were saying was true.

“I said it when the seniors’ last batch was harvested—the effects are really better than what others grow.”

“My brother is nearing the advanced stage. He’d been eating crops all along, but by this stage, they had no suppressing effect at all. Our whole family had mentally prepared ourselves, but ever since he started eating the seniors’ crops half a month ago, his condition has clearly improved…”

“I can vouch for it, too. I’ve been eating them myself. I didn’t notice much in the first few days, but after two weeks, those sudden outbursts of anger and irritability have become much less frequent. I used to eat other people’s crops too, but honestly, I didn’t feel much difference—at most, I knew that people who ate them long-term would have milder symptoms than those who didn’t…”

“In my family, it’s my dad…”

…

Related comments had long since gone viral, with some threads racking up thousands of replies.

Faced with this, the group—who had been quite angry just moments ago—was left somewhat dumbfounded.

They’d heard such claims before, but back then, no one had believed them…

So is this true?

Are the seniors’ crops really more effective than those grown by others?

Everyone’s hearts began to race.

But if they’re all crops, why are the seniors more effective?

Because they’re of higher quality?

The seniors’ crops are indeed of higher overall quality, but you can still pick out a few good ones from a batch grown by others. Wealthy people might specifically buy the best ones, but they’ve never heard of anything like this.

They knew that crops with lower infection rates were more effective, but the seniors’ crops didn’t have low infection rates either—

Almost immediately, everyone thought of the same thing: there was something off about the infection rate of Senior Da Liu’s crops.

It seemed to have gone down?

Their hearts began pounding, and blood rushed to their heads in an instant.

The next moment, some opened the comments section while others returned to the live chat, then began typing as fast as they could.

“Could it be that the infection rate of Senior Da Liu’s crops has actually gone down?”

“Because the infection rate is lower, the results are better?”

“Very likely.”

“It must be that—”

“Has Senior Da Liu really been lowering the infection rate with each crop?”

“Aaaah—”

“What do we do now?”

“We have to save him immediately! Are we just going to stand by and watch him get controlled?”

“Are the higher-ups stupid? If the senior gets controlled, will we even be able to buy his crops anymore?”

“What do you mean?”

“If Senior is controlled by the Qing Family—and the Qing Family are the bad guys—do you really think they’d just let these crops get out there?”

“Don’t forget, Senior’s crops aren’t even allowed to be sold at a premium.”

“If they really wanted to do something, wouldn’t it be simpler to just shut down the livestream? They could control the crop shipments, too—why let us catch on?”

…

The day after the cherry tomatoes were harvested, it was time to harvest again.

It was the third harvest of eggplants and cucumbers; there were quite a lot of them, and since they were all bigger than the tomatoes, they filled over sixty boxes.

On top of that, the string beans, carrots, and chili peppers filled another ten-plus boxes.

After Boss Bai and his team hauled these away, Tong Zhanyan went out under the cover of night to check on the corn and pumpkins.

Both were nearly ripe.

The corn, in particular—from the third planting—stood taller than a person, with each ear exceeding three fingers in width and every kernel plump and full.

The sight made Tong Zhanyan crave some fresh corn.

After finishing his inspection, Tong Zhanyan was about to head toward the small building when Ning Langdong ran over to him.

“You’ve got to check the livestream right now,” Ning Langdong said urgently before even getting close.

Tong Zhanyan hurriedly opened his terminal.

As more and more people came forward to confirm the decline in infection rates, the livestream’s viewership reached a new peak, with the current online audience nearing one million.

Faced with this bombshell, the crowd grew increasingly excited and agitated as they discussed the matter, while also becoming more determined to figure out what was really going on.

Since he hadn’t come forward to respond, and the Qing Family had remained silent as well, the crowd came up with a plan: they decided to select a team to represent all of them and come to the base to ask questions face-to-face.

That team was now in the process of selecting members, and in another hour, they would be storming the base gates.

Tong Zhanyan couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

He let out a sigh.

The next moment, he posted a brief announcement stating that he would provide an explanation in half an hour.

After posting the announcement, paying no heed to the reactions of the crowd in the livestream, he dismissed Ning Langdong and began circling the plot of land under the cover of night.

Corn stalks, their broad leaves as wide as long swords and taller than a person, supported by trellises, with cucumbers and string beans growing beneath them like a dense forest path.

Pumpkins planted by him along the edge, their vines guided toward the uncultivated land nearby.

The sweet potatoes were already sprouting numerous slender vines.

And the small tomatoes, freshly picked, their fruits a mix of green and red.

…

The moonlight was hazy.

The farm was quiet, and the air was slightly cool.

Having timed it just right, Tong Zhanyan returned five minutes early.

Qing Jiyue, Yang Hong, and a group of over ten people had arrived at some point and were gathered in the courtyard, waiting.

Seeing him return, the group all turned to look.

Tong Zhanyan smiled at them and entered the main hall.

He sat down in front of the sofa, then summoned a camera.

Qing Jiyue and the others didn’t come inside; they just watched from the courtyard.

Ning Langdong had been inside, but upon seeing this, he came out.

The camera that approached was the same old one from before.

Tong Zhanyan had it pointed directly at him, then opened the light screen.

He expanded the light screen to its full size, making the people inside appear life-sized alongside him, which allowed him to see the dense stream of comments scrolling by even more clearly.

The number of online viewers had already surged to over 2.3 million in just this half-hour.

Over 1.3 million new viewers in just half an hour.

Everyone was waiting.

As the clock struck the hour, Tong Zhanyan cleared his throat and spoke, “Hello everyone, I’m the host of this livestream, Senior Da Liu.”

“First of all, I’m not being controlled by anyone. Qing Jiyue is my friend; he’s been protecting and helping me all along. It’s thanks to him that I was able to secure this base.”

“Second, just as you all suspected, the infection rate among the crops in my base has dropped.”

Through the camera, Tong Zhanyan’s words instantly reached over 2.3 million people.

The crowd fell briefly silent, then discussion erupted like a bomb going off.

Over 2.3 million people spoke at once. Even though they weren’t in the same place, and even though their voices weren’t loud, in that moment it still felt as though the entire world was shaking.

The chat stream also exploded with messages at that moment.

Tong Zhanyan couldn’t even see himself on the screen, let alone catch a glimpse of the corners of his own hall.

Tong Zhanyan waited a moment, giving the crowd a chance to process what he’d said.

Two minutes later, as the online viewership surged past 2.5 million, he continued.

“Crops with reduced infection rates do indeed have a better effect on those in frenzy. They can even suppress those who have entered a deep frenzy state but haven’t fully undergone beastification.”

“The five people who’ve been staying at my base were invited to assist with testing—”

Tong Zhanyan couldn’t finish the words he’d long prepared, because the live stream had already exploded with chaos.

The crowd couldn’t help but go wild.

The information revealed in Tong Zhanyan’s brief remarks was simply too much—enough to make their scalps tingle.

They had already noticed and understood that crops with reduced infection rates were effective.

But could it also work on people who had already entered deep frenzy but hadn’t fully undergone beastification?

Up until now, let alone those who had begun deep frenzy, they hadn’t even been able to handle mild cases; their discussions and understanding were still stuck at the stage of shallow frenzy.

Yet Senior Da Liu was telling them at this very moment that those crops could even work on those who had started deep frenzy?

And those people were there to assist with testing?

Those people have been living at the base for over two months. If they were there to assist with testing, doesn’t that mean the drop in crop infection rates happened over two months ago?

At that moment, everyone felt their heads spinning.

This was completely beyond their comprehension.

After a brief pause, as the flood of comments gradually subsided, Tong Zhanyan spoke again, “The infection rate of the base’s latest batch of cherry radishes and bok choy has dropped from a peak of around 50% to 29%. I’ve already identified the cause of the decrease and figured out how to replicate it—”

Tong Zhanyan didn’t finish his sentence.

The live stream was once again swallowed by a tidal wave of text.

Meanwhile, the number of online viewers had approached three million.

From 50% to 29%—that’s a 21% drop.

They’d only just learned about the infection rate dropping in the past few days, yet Senior Da Liu was now telling them that his infection rate had already dropped by 21%?

And he’d even figured out how to replicate the results?

Doesn’t that mean he’ll be able to keep farming in the future—maybe even grow more, or even fill the entire base with crops?

In front of the small building, in the courtyard, Yang Hong and his group also showed a slight change in expression.

They had known about the drop in infection rates for some time, but the fact that the latest batch had dropped to 29% and that Tong Zhanyan already had a way to replicate it, they had only just found out.

Qing Jiyue simply watched the people inside the house in silence.

He wasn’t surprised, because he had always believed Tong Zhanyan could do it.

Tong Zhanyan said, “I’ll continue growing the crops, and I’ll sell them just as I did before. You don’t need to worry about the price—I definitely won’t lower it, and I certainly won’t raise it.”

This time, Tong Zhanyan didn’t give the crowd a chance to argue, continuing in one breath: “Research on the medication has already begun under Qing Jiyue’s supervision, and I will do my utmost to cooperate throughout the process.”

“Furthermore, in addition to the regular raffles, I will also select a few individuals who have entered the deep infection stage but haven’t fully mutated to stay with me for a while. During their stay, I will provide crops that reduce infection rates.”

“I’ll do everything I can, so I don’t want anyone to disturb me…”

Hardly anyone was listening to the rest of his words, as the crowd could no longer contain itself and had plunged into a heated debate.

Will the crops still be sold?

Will the price not go up?

And what does “lowering prices without raising them” mean? Did Senior Da Liu actually consider lowering the price?

They’d been struggling for over fifty years and still hadn’t managed to develop crops that clearly reduce the infection rate for those in frenzy—and he actually wanted to sell them at a discount?

Was research on a cure already underway?

So there really was hope?

And they were going to select some people who had entered the deep infection stage but hadn’t fully gone into frenzy yet to stay at the base?

And provide crops with reduced infection rates throughout their stay?

If before they were just buzzing with confusion, now they’ve completely lost the ability to think.

They had a million things they wanted to say, but in that moment, not a single word came out; all that remained was an intense urge to express something.

It drove them mad, making them want to run dozens of laps around the building.

Tong Zhanyan silently turned off the holographic screen and directed the camera back to the fields.

The reason he hadn’t explained it earlier was that he was actually waiting for the right opportunity to lay everything out at once.

And now, that opportunity had arrived.

A simple reduction in infection rates is one thing; the fact that crops with reduced infection rates are even more effective against the frenzy effect is another matter entirely.

He could back up the former with data, but the latter required them to discover it for themselves; otherwise, his claims would lack proof and might even be dismissed as mere sales talk.

Time would eventually verify everything, but each crop batch typically took two or three months to harvest.

Tong Zhanyan stood up and walked toward the door.

In the courtyard, Yang Hong and the others were watching him in silence.

The base was too far from the city; the lights and sounds from the streets didn’t reach this far, leaving the base in complete silence.

The lights in front of the small building were dim.

Yang Hong and his group looked at him with complex, moved expressions.

Tong Zhanyan didn’t say anything; he just smiled at the group before turning to Qing Jiyue. “I’m going to trouble you again.”

He had been considering the idea of having people come to the base for a short stay for quite some time.

He had a very good impression of Yang Hong and the others.

Usually, all it took was a little food, and they’d come running when called to work. Compared to the hassle of having to go through a lottery several days in advance every time, he found this arrangement much more convenient.

Once this batch of crops was planted and the next batch of fields needed tending, there would be too many tasks to handle all at once; he would need someone to help shoulder the load.

If they stayed for a while, they’d have time to learn and practice gradually.

Yang Hong and the others were exactly right for the job.

Although they weren’t yet skilled and often hesitated, he no longer had to keep a constant eye on them for simple tasks like applying fertilizer or digging the soil.

As for the risk of frenzy, it certainly exists, but it is manageable.

Beyond that, this is also a way for him to appease those outside.

He didn’t want to be disturbed, but the stakes were simply too high; it was no longer a matter that could be decided by any single person.

Rather than confronting them head-on, it was better to offer hope.

He didn’t need to confront them head-on in the first place; those willing to help were prepared to do so.

Qing Jiyue gazed quietly at Tong Zhanyan, his eyes deep and inscrutable.

Tong Zhanyan said, “Since the crops with reduced infection rates are useful for Yang Hong and the others, what about those who are in a state of frenzy? Should we give it a try?”

Previously, he had few crops, and he had to budget every bit just to feed Yang Hong and the others.

Things were different now. Although there still wasn’t enough to cover everyone in need, there was certainly enough to set aside for an experiment.

Ning Langdong couldn’t help but take a step forward.

Qing Suifeng’s lips parted slightly.

Unexpectedly, Tong Zhanyan brought this up at this moment. Yang Hong and the others were all taken aback, then fell into deep, complex thought.

Crops with inherently low infection rates would yield better results.

Crops with decreasing infection rates perform even better.

But what about crops that already have a low infection rate and are still seeing that rate drop?

Many people, unwilling to give up hope, chose to send their loved ones to quarantine facilities or lock themselves away, some of whom have been confined for five or even ten years.

If there were a cure…

Qing Jiyue’s expression also shifted rapidly.

Perhaps because he saw a glimmer of hope, his father hadn’t mentioned leaving again recently, but the problem remained.

If his grandfather could be cured…

Qing Jiyue took a deep breath, then said quickly, “I’ll make the arrangements as soon as possible.”

With that, Qing Jiyue turned and headed toward the back door.

Tong Zhanyan had already done everything he could for him; now it was his turn.

After taking a few steps, he turned back to look. Yang Hong and the others would have to go back with him.

Although, as time passed, they were increasingly able to feel the effects of the crops, that didn’t mean they were completely cured.

Tong Zhanyan’s earlier words had struck a nerve; they might lose control and enter a state of frenzy at any moment.

Yang Hong and the others exchanged glances, then cast a lingering look at Tong Zhanyan before following him.

Tong Zhanyan stood at the doorway, watching them until they were out of sight before turning back.

Ning Langdong was watching him.

Tong Zhanyan smiled. “If you’re willing, you can have your mother try it too when the time comes.”

Ning Langdong’s lips visibly trembled; his face had turned an alarming shade of pale.

He had chosen to change careers to help out, and he had indeed harbored this hope—the hope that one day he might see his mother again.

But he hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

How many months has it been?

Four months?

Or three months?

“Don’t overthink it. Get some sleep.” Tong Zhanyan patted his shoulder and headed inside.

He went upstairs, washed up, and lay down on the bed.

After a long day of running around and a night of mental strain, Tong Zhanyan fell asleep almost as soon as he lay down.

That night, however, no one in the livestream chat could sleep.

Senior Da Liu had turned off the screen and distanced himself from the matter after speaking, but his words continued to echo in their minds for a long time.

The infection rate has dropped to 21%, experiments, a giveaway…

One moment, they were still in shock at the possibility of the infection rate being lowered; the next, they were told it was true—and that was far from the whole story.

Was this really not a dream?