Ren Yuanyang glanced at the image, and a system prompt sounded.
[Mandala: An annual tropical herb with an eight-month growth cycle. The entire plant is poisonous. Handle with caution...]
In the photo, Qin Haonan was holding up a Mandala leaf, apparently trying to get a clear, high-definition close-up.
Ren Yuanyang quickly warned him, "That's a Mandala! The entire plant is poisonous. Be careful!"
Hearing Ren Yuanyang's reply, Qin Haonan immediately took a step back.
"Boss, I just touched the leaf. I'm not going to die from the poison, am I?" Qin Haonan asked, sounding a little nervous.
"What? Scared now, are we?" Ren Yuanyang chuckled.
"Who's scared? I'm just worried I won't be able to get these tools and plants back!" Qin Haonan retorted stubbornly.
Ren Yuanyang chuckled and shook his head. "If it's just a regular plant, the toxin isn't that potent. You won't die from just touching it."
"Then what if it's evolved?" Qin Haonan pressed.
"Then wash your hands immediately and stay away from it!" Ren Yuanyang snapped.
'Actually, this Mandala has been in the hands of another survivor for a while now. It doesn't seem like there have been any accidents. That survivor was just talking in the regional channel a moment ago!'
'So, even if this Mandala is poisonous, it can't be that potent. As long as Qin Haonan is careful, there shouldn't be any problem!'
"Got it!" Qin Haonan immediately twisted open a bottle of water and rinsed his hands.
"How many more Second-level Wind Sea Regions do you have to visit?" Ren Yuanyang asked.
Qin Haonan glanced at the map and replied, "I have two more along my route. Add the six I visited last time, and that makes eight in total left to visit!"
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly. "Okay. Pick up the pace, stay safe, and come back soon."
"Yes, Boss!"
Next, Qin Haonan acquired five Lotus Seeds and a stalk of giant knotweed. The sellers of both had privately messaged him beforehand.
As for the six Second-level Wind Sea Regions he had visited previously, five no longer had any survivors. Qin Haonan was now on his way to the last one.
'Advertising on the regional channel really is more efficient!' Qin Haonan couldn't help but think.
Of course, he was also zipping between so many Second-level Wind Sea Regions to shake off anyone who might be tailing him.
Previously, their diesel supply was low and their self-defense capabilities were insufficient. Combined with the threat from the larger ships, Ren Yuanyang had avoided making public announcements on the regional channel.
But now, things were different. The winds had picked up, and geomagnetic storms had destroyed most advanced equipment. Furthermore, the base was now stable, with plenty of diesel and various plant-based weapons. Their security had improved significantly.
「Soon, Qin Haonan arrived at the final Second-level Wind Sea Region of his trip.」
It was almost 8:00 PM, and the heavy rain continued to fall. Qin Haonan switched on a high-powered flashlight and discovered a small boat and two wooden rafts, all tied together.
'There clearly aren't many survivors here. They probably don't have any plants, either!'
So Qin Haonan thought. But since he was already here, he might as well ask. He steered his speedboat toward the small boat, stopping about twenty meters away.
"I'm from Peach Blossom Base! Do you have any plants?" Qin Haonan shouted.
"No, but we want to trade something else for your Cherry Tomatoes!" a gruff, middle-aged man's voice called out from the small boat.
"Like what?" Qin Haonan asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Pigeon eggs," the man replied.
Qin Haonan paused for a moment. 'We don't have any eggs at Peach Blossom Base yet... wait, no, those two chickens should be laying by now!'
Although he was sure Ren Yuanyang would agree to trade Cherry Tomatoes for pigeon eggs, he still decided to check first.
"Boss, there's a survivor in this last Second-level Wind Sea Region who wants to trade pigeon eggs for our Cherry Tomatoes. Should we do it?" Qin Haonan asked, sending a video call.
At that moment, Ren Yuanyang and the others were eating dinner on their speedboat. Upon hearing Qin Haonan's question, Ren Yuanyang replied instantly, "Do you even need to ask? Of course, we're making that trade!"
Beside him, Hua Lingfang put down his bowl and chopsticks and quickly asked, "Ask him if the pigeon eggs are freshly laid or if they've been preserved from before."
"They can't be freshly laid, can they?" Lu Jiamei said, slightly taken aback. "People are struggling just to survive. Who would still be raising pigeons?"
"Not necessarily," Hua Lingfang explained, shaking his head. "Pigeons don't eat much—one pigeon only needs about a kilogram of feed per month. It's only been a little over three months since the flood. With just a few dozen pounds of feed, you could have easily kept them alive until now."
"Even so, when the great flood hit, who would bother bringing pigeons onto their boat?" Xin Wan still found it incredible. "You'd be better off using that space for more food. And their droppings would be a problem, too!"
"Regardless, pigeons provide meat and eggs, so bringing them aboard is understandable," Ren Yuanyang added. Then he asked with a smile, "Elder Hua, are you thinking of buying freshly laid eggs to hatch them into squabs?"
Hua Lingfang nodded slightly. "Just as you said, sir, pigeons can provide meat and eggs. If we can use this opportunity to start breeding them, we won't have to buy any from outside."
"Then why do we need to confirm that the eggs are freshly laid?" Lu Jiamei asked curiously. "As long as they're pigeon eggs, can't we try to hatch them?"
Hua Lingfang smiled and shook his head, then began to explain. "In the current temperatures, a successfully fertilized pigeon egg is only viable for about three to five days. After that, the embryo dies, and it won't hatch."
"What? There's a time limit?" Xin Wan asked, completely surprised.
Hua Lingfang nodded. "If the temperature is lower, they can be preserved a bit longer. But regardless of temperature, freshly laid eggs have the highest chance of hatching. The probability drops the longer you wait."
"Elder Hua, you really know so much!" Lu Jiamei exclaimed.
Hua Lingfang waved his hand dismissively. "I'm just old. I've seen a lot, that's all."
"That's what experience gets you. We young people don't have that," Ren Yuanyang remarked with a similar sentiment. He then gave an order: "Haonan, first ask them if they have pigeons and if they're willing to sell. Then ask about the eggs."
Qin Haonan acknowledged the order and immediately relayed the questions.
"Are you raising pigeons on the boat?"
The man on the other boat immediately grew tense. "What do you want?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. If I were going to rob you, I would've done it already," Qin Haonan said, clarifying his intentions. "If you really have pigeons, Peach Blossom Base would like to buy some."
"Sorry, the pigeons aren't for sale!" the man's tone was incredibly firm.
Qin Haonan paused for a moment before continuing, "Then are the pigeon eggs you have freshly laid?"
The man was taken aback for a second, but then he understood what Qin Haonan was getting at. He sneered inwardly. 'Even if these eggs are freshly laid, what's the use of hatching them?'
'Without crop milk, you can't raise the squabs!'
But he was under no obligation to warn the other man, so he simply answered truthfully, "The eggs I have were all laid in the last two or three days."
Qin Haonan nodded slightly. "How many do you have? We'll take them all!"
Hearing this, the man was clearly taken aback. He then replied, "One egg for a pound of Cherry Tomatoes. I have over twenty. Are you sure you want them all?"

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