Seeing the rice enhancement options provided by the system, Ren Yuanyang pondered for a moment and asked inwardly, ’Can I enhance it in two directions at the same time?’
[Yes. It will consume more Mental Energy.]
"So, you’re saying if I have enough Mental Energy, I can apply every single enhancement option?"
[Yes.]
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly and gave the command, "Enhance the rice in three areas: growth cycle, environmental adaptability, and yield."
[Based on calculations, the host’s current Mental Energy can only enhance three kilograms of rice. Proceed with enhancement?]
Lu Jiamei had brought about five kilograms of rice, which meant two kilograms would have to wait to be enhanced later.
"Yes, enhance it," Ren Yuanyang confirmed.
[Enhancement successful.]
[Rice Seeds (+3): Can be planted in various environments. Growth cycle halved. Yield doubled...]
Reading the description of the enhanced seeds, Ren Yuanyang couldn’t help but marvel.
’This Enhancement System is just too powerful!’
Countless agronomists had toiled for years, pouring their hearts and souls into their research, just to increase yields by a small fraction. Yet with a single enhancement, he had doubled the output outright.
And that wasn’t even mentioning the insane perks of adapting to multiple environments and having a halved growth cycle!
However, Ren Yuanyang didn’t plant the enhanced seeds right away. He was still unsatisfied with the growth cycle.
According to the system, the rice seeds Lu Jiamei had procured had an eighty-day growth cycle. Even halved, that was still forty days. Ren Yuanyang felt that was still far too long; he needed to enhance them several more times. His goal was to shorten the growth cycle to just five days.
Given his limited Mental Energy, he estimated it would take several days to complete the process.
Ren Yuanyang shook his head with a sigh, grabbing a bottle of purified water and taking a few large gulps before pulling out a piece of bread to eat.
’If only there were a way to increase my Mental Energy,’ Ren Yuanyang muttered to himself.
As he looked at the rice awaiting enhancement, a thought suddenly struck him. He quickly asked the system, ’After I plant the enhanced rice, will the grain I harvest also be enhanced?’
[No. The harvest will be ordinary rice.]
Ren Yuanyang froze for a second. ’So it’s forcing me to keep enhancing things, huh?’
The system met his question with silence.
Ren Yuanyang shook his head. His next priorities were to gather more food and find tools for making a fire to cook with.
In addition to the three semi-evolved bream he’d caught, the rice he planned to grow would also need to be cooked before eating.
But on this boundless ocean, finding tools to cook with felt like a pipe dream.
Ren Yuanyang had used nine stalks of bitter grass to secure the Round Duckweed under the container and the boards he had moved outside. He only had two stalks left: one to hold Lu Jiamei’s plank in place, and the other for salvaging supplies.
As a result, his efficiency at salvaging supplies was back to square one.
’I really need to find more of that grass,’ Ren Yuanyang thought with a sigh, swallowing the last of his bread and heading outside.
The shipping container was very stable, but it was also exceptionally dark. Staying inside for too long started to feel oppressive.
If he had the right tools, the very first thing Ren Yuanyang would do was cut a few windows.
Then there were his damp clothes. He had no idea when they would finally dry, or if he’d ever find a change of clothes.
Ren Yuanyang felt he was lacking so many basic necessities; his needs for food, clothing, and shelter were all falling short.
Reaching the opening of the container, he simply picked up a small, round table he’d assembled and held it over his head like an umbrella.
Fortunately, the new material it was made from was extremely light. He didn’t feel too tired holding it up; it was only a bit heavier than an actual umbrella and perfectly manageable.
Without a raincoat, Ren Yuanyang had to make do.
When Lu Jiamei saw Ren Yuanyang step outside, she quickly emerged from her tent.
"Boss, are there any orders?"
Ren Yuanyang waved his hand. "Just taking a look. By the way, during your daily patrols, keep an eye on the container’s distance from the edge of the Duckweed platform. We’re keeping it at about the width of one leaf from the edge. If it drifts, you have to let me know immediately."
"Yes, sir!" Lu Jiamei replied, standing at attention.
"Once we find enough Duckweed, we won’t have to worry about this anymore," Ren Yuanyang added.
"I understand. I’ll do my best to gather any plants I find nearby," Lu Jiamei said with a nod.
For now, Ren Yuanyang could only pace a few steps near the container’s opening. With a limited number of Round Duckweed, there simply wasn’t much room for a stroll.
After pacing back and forth a few times and finding nothing, Ren Yuanyang had no choice but to return to the container, taking a seat on a chair just inside the opening.
The sky slowly darkened. It seemed Ren Yuanyang’s luck had run out; the container was his only discovery for the entire day.
"Boss, you probably need the flashlight more inside the container! I put it on the Round Duckweed, just pull it over!" Lu Jiamei shouted toward him.
"Alright!" Ren Yuanyang called back. He then controlled the stalk of bitter grass to pull over the Round Duckweed they used for transport.
After a moment’s thought, he used the other stalk of bitter grass to pull Lu Jiamei’s plank until it was about four meters from the container.
Feeling the plank beneath her move, Lu Jiamei let out a startled cry.
"AH!"
Ren Yuanyang spoke up at once. "Don’t be alarmed. It’s me. I’m pulling you a bit closer so we can better look out for each other."
"Oh! Thank you for looking out for me, Boss!" Lu Jiamei said with a smile, quickly realizing what was happening.
’That one meter isn’t just a physical distance,’ she thought. ’It means his trust in me has grown.’
Ren Yuanyang said no more. He switched on the flashlight and walked deeper into the container.
He found the large bed he had assembled earlier and lay down. It was hard, but it felt much more comfortable than sleeping on the water.
’Not even a quilt. I’d settle for a simple blanket,’ Ren Yuanyang grumbled, rolling over.
"Boss, we’ve got a situation!"
Lu Jiamei’s voice suddenly called out from outside.
Ren Yuanyang immediately sat up, grabbing the pistol and flashlight from his side and rushing toward the container’s opening.
He hurried to the opening and asked in a low voice, "What’s wrong?"
"I spotted some glowing objects to the left of the container!" Lu Jiamei replied instantly.
Ren Yuanyang held up the round table and stepped cautiously out of the container, looking to his left.
Rising and falling with the waves were five or six points of light, flickering in and out of view. They would have been difficult to spot without looking carefully.
’Could they be some kind of glowing fish?’ Ren Yuanyang frowned, then controlled his thrice-enhanced stalk of bitter grass, directing it toward the lights.
Lu Jiamei was taken aback. "There are fish that glow?"
"Of course. There are many kinds, like lanternfish, beacon fish, emperor tetras, and so on," Ren Yuanyang explained.
Lu Jiamei was surprised. "Wow, you know so much!"
"I was just curious about them, so I looked them up online before," Ren Yuanyang replied, his attention now fully fixed on the distant points of light.
By now, the runner of the bitter grass had reached the vicinity of the glowing lights.

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