The news of Li Aiguo's return stirred the Ku Mountain for two days before it subsided.
This was because Li Aiguo seemed to have become an invisible man, rarely appearing, and Hu Hongju also remained hidden at home as before.
However, after staying at his parents' for a few days, Li Aiguo returned to his own home.
He seemed to have started raising chickens and rabbits too, appearing to live an honest and diligent life.
Tian Jing paid no attention to this matter. She needed to prepare for her meeting with Ma Weite and was busy entering the labyrinth to concoct the 'antidote.'
Zeng Jingrong accompanied her in the labyrinth for three days and submitted a report on the seedlings from the nursery.
The investigation report showed that a small portion of the seeds sold in Ku Mountain had flowed overseas, and the amount of fruits and vegetables grown from these seeds that went abroad accounted for half.
Among several foreign countries, the country where Ma Weite was located purchased one-third of the total, through many channels, including the businessman who was previously suspected of buying Ginseng Vitality Pills.
This meant that Ma Weite's backers had not yet been fully revealed. However, it didn't matter. Tian Jing smiled and said:
"Let's release the bait of the 'antidote' first. Once the sales volume of the 'antidote' increases, we will proactively attack the United States."
...
The meeting with Ma Weite took place in the county government's external conference room as before.
This time, Ma Weite brought only one subordinate, while Tian Jing had Zeng Jingrong and Li Weixin on her side.
Ma Weite's gaze towards Tian Jing was no longer filled with fear, but rather with a sense of determined possession.
Tian Jing didn't know what gave him the courage. As she released her aura, she immediately suppressed Ma Weite and his subordinate, pinning them to their chairs, unable to move.
Ma Weite was not alarmed. Instead, he revealed a smile: "Captain Tian, stop bluffing. No matter how high your rank, your combat power is insufficient. Because you are the weakest among wood-element ability users, the planting system, you have no combat power without a symbiotic plant."
Tian Jing relaxed her aura of suppression. "Alright, you're right. But no matter what, you need me now, so lower your posture."
Tian Jing withdrew her pressure, and Ma Weite's posture became even higher. He took out a long, sealed plastic object the size of a test tube:
"This is the serum you mentioned last time. I know your overall strength is low, and your highest-ranked ability is merely auxiliary. So, let's make a deal?"
Tian Jing smiled. "Tell me about it."
Ma Weite dangled the serum in his hand. "We'll trade one for one. One vial of serum for one vial of antidote."
"Heh."
Tian Jing sneered. "Have you lost your mind? You know it's an antidote. An antidote can save an ability user's life."
"I believe you both love and hate the serum. You love its energy, but hate its imperfections."
"No one can guarantee 100% that they won't go berserk after taking the serum."
"So, if you want the antidote, you'll need ten vials of serum plus five thousand yuan for one vial. Otherwise, we have nothing to discuss."
"Captain Tian."
Ma Weite's smile faded. "Ginseng Vitality Pills are only two thousand yuan per pill."
Tian Jing tapped her fingers on the table. "Then go buy Ginseng Vitality Pills. Why are you talking to me, a ginseng planter?"
Ma Weite's air of determined possession vanished once the negotiation officially began.
His subordinate spoke up. "Captain Tian, five thousand yuan is too high. Lower it a bit."
Tian Jing looked at the subordinate. "Do you know the price difference between hundred-year-old and thousand-year-old ginseng in China?"
"If you want cheaper, I have that too. The ginseng is only a few decades old. Ten vials of serum plus one thousand yuan can get you one vial."
"However, you'll need to take two doses of this to achieve the effect."
In other words, twenty vials of serum plus two thousand yuan for a set.
The subordinate looked at Ma Weite.
Ma Weite shook his head. "The serum is also very expensive. One vial of antidote for five vials of serum plus one thousand yuan."
Tian Jing "thought" for a long time before nodding.
Ma Weite said he would trade for five sets to test first.
Tian Jing agreed.
The business deal was considered successful. Zeng Jingrong and Li Weixin would handle the follow-up, while she needed to return to planting ginseng to provide more antidotes.
Tian Jing returned directly to Ku Mountain.
In the afternoon, Zeng Jingrong called her. "I feel Ma Weite is in a very good mood."
"Of course."
Tian Jing smiled. "He's always cared about money, not the serum. He has already exceeded his mission of delivering serum into our country, and they have long since used the serum to surpass us by a great deal."
"As long as the antidote is effective, they can enhance themselves recklessly and surpass all countries in the world."
"In the future, they might even use force to compel me to provide them with more antidotes. Because he believes I'm just an auxiliary."
"All team members are not allowed to take leave unless it's an important matter. Everyone will enter special training. This training period will still be half a month."
"After the special training, those who haven't advanced a level will be immediately eliminated and assigned to administrative positions."
Zeng Jingrong asked, "Are you coming?"
"No."
Tian Jing refused. "You can assign the work to the team leader."
Although she said she wouldn't go, Tian Jing did visit because the labyrinth gate required two captains to open.
...
Li Weiyan was called back for special training. Li Wanzhen and her mother-in-law discussed contracting the nursery and planting base's yard to set up a chicken farm.
Ouyang Meihua agreed. Her eldest son had returned to the team, and it was good for her eldest daughter-in-law to find something to do. It was better than sitting at home and depleting their savings, and she and her husband were also bored.
There were no fruits and vegetables to transport this year. They had intended to sell the large truck, but now they didn't have to. The large truck also had a purpose.
Tian Jing removed the iron sign from the first planting base. Ouyang Meihua hung up the 'Farm' sign carved from wood by her husband. After some renovations to the large greenhouses inside, and after obtaining the relevant permits, Li Wanzhen's business began.
She nervously and excitedly followed her in-laws, learning from them, showing no arrogance of a Beijing girl.
Ouyang Meihua was very satisfied.
On May Day, the Ku Mountain scenic area was opened.
Tourists who came to visit saw that Zhangshan Village and Zhonghe Village had been completely leveled and felt it was a pity that the market and grape picking gardens were gone.
However, upon learning that the original sites of the two villages would be turned into a large amusement park and a farm and ranch, they felt the demolition was for the best.
In June, a new bridge was completed over the Ku River. Fruits and vegetables from the planting gardens were continuously transported out, and the men were happily busy.
Tian Jing entered the special team to make antidotes, as Ma Weite had ordered 200 sets.
Zeng Jingrong asked Tian Jing when she planned to take the initiative.
Tian Jing smiled. "No rush, we've only sold this little bit of antidote."
Zeng Jingrong was a little worried. "Aren't you afraid Ma Weite will decompose the substances in the antidote?"
"Impossible."
Tian Jing shook her head. The 'prohibition' and 'fall' in the antidote were cultivated within the ginseng, inseparable from the ginseng essence. The two substances themselves had no data, and with the addition of other drugs, it would be strange if they could analyze it.
Yulia used one.
The two drops of liquid given to Zeng Jingrong for testing were her cultivated independent entities:
"Even if they analyze it, who among them can grow thousand-year-old ginseng? Otherwise, Ma Weite wouldn't let me set the price."
"I'm not afraid of them messing around. If they can refine the concentration, that would be even better."
Zeng Jingrong felt a bit guilty, as if he were a thief. After all, the antidote was both an antidote and a poison. Since Tian Tian was not afraid, he changed the subject. "What should we do with those serums?"
Tian Jing didn't know how to deal with them either. The special team didn't tinker with laboratories like foreign ability users. She didn't trust other domestic laboratories.
"Let's store them in the dungeon for now. It's safer there."
...
In July, the sauerkraut factories of Village One and Village Two were established. The villagers rented large greenhouses to grow Chinese cabbage and long beans.
From August to September, 'Green Oxygen' fruit and vegetable supermarkets appeared in many small and medium-sized cities across the country.
The fruits and vegetables in Green Oxygen supermarkets were a bit expensive. Ordinary people were reluctant to buy them, but some young men, to save face, took their girlfriends in and bought cherry tomatoes.
After buying and eating them, their eyes immediately widened, and then they bought several pounds each to take home.
Some housewives, after being forcefully fed a cherry tomato by their prodigal sons, immediately inquired about the address and went to buy some with money.
Upon seeing the fruit and vegetable supermarkets, they found not only cherry tomatoes but also cucumbers, beans, and eggplants, vegetables that frequently appeared on the dining table. Although the prices were a bit high, considering the deliciousness of the cherry tomatoes, the housewives decided to buy some to try.
Once they tried them, they became loyal customers of Green Oxygen fruit and vegetable supermarkets.