"Yeah, I also believe we made the right choice in joining Peach Blossom Base!" Jianghu agreed emphatically.
A few rice balls had actually caused Lin Mu’s and Jianghu’s impression of Peach Blossom Base to improve dramatically!
Just then, Si Youqin came back out. Seeing two rice balls were still left in the lunchbox, she asked quizzically, "Are your appetites that small? You couldn’t even finish these few rice balls?"
Lin Mu and Jianghu were stunned.
"We just wanted to conserve some food!" Lin Mu hurriedly explained.
Realization dawned on Si Youqin, and she smiled. "I see. You don’t have to intentionally conserve. As long as you aren’t wasteful, our base provides enough food to fill you up! Take these two rice balls out. I need to wash the lunchbox!"
The two men were stunned again. They quickly took the rice balls out of the lunchbox, and Si Youqin took it and left.
"What did she just say? We can eat our fill?" Jianghu’s face was full of disbelief.
Lin Mu nodded. "No wonder Peach Blossom Base dared to post a mission like that. They really do provide enough to eat!"
"Does that mean we won’t have to go hungry anymore?" Jianghu was incredibly excited.
"It should be that way, but we’ll have to wait until we get to Peach Blossom Base and see the situation for ourselves to know for sure," Lin Mu replied.
After an hour of travel, Qin Haonan had already piloted the speedboat through one fourth-level and two fifth-level wind sea regions, and had now arrived in a Second-level Wind Sea Region.
Next, they would head straight for the Seventh-level Wind Sea Region where Peach Blossom Base was located. Before that, following Ren Yuanyang’s instructions, Si Youqin went back onto the deck to confirm things with Lin Mu and Jianghu.
"Our boss said that you still have the option not to join Peach Blossom Base. Considering you brought us licorice, the base will provide you with a bamboo raft and three meals a day."
"No, we choose to join Peach Blossom Base!" Lin Mu and Jianghu said in unison.
If it weren’t for those rice balls, Lin Mu might have actually chosen not to join. But now, all he wanted was to go to Peach Blossom Base and see if they really could provide enough food to eat your fill!
"If you join Peach Blossom Base, it means you must obey the leadership’s arrangements and your freedom will be restricted to a certain extent," Si Youqin continued.
Jianghu hesitated for a moment, but Lin Mu tugged on his arm and said in a low voice, "I am willing to obey the leadership’s arrangements!"
Jianghu immediately caught on and said, "Me too!"
Si Youqin nodded. "Alright. Then make sure to fasten your seatbelts. We’re about to begin the journey back!"
The two men were slightly taken aback, then hurriedly agreed.
After Si Youqin left, Lin Mu and Jianghu immediately used the temporarily installed ropes—what Si Youqin had called seatbelts—to secure themselves to the railing.
"They’re going to restrict our freedom? Why did you agree so readily?" Jianghu asked, voicing his doubt.
Lin Mu smiled faintly. "The fact that Peach Blossom Base explicitly brought this up with us means there’s still some respect for human rights in this base! It’s much better than those who say nothing, abduct us, and then basically imprison us."
Jianghu was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in deep agreement.
As the two were talking, the speedboat began to rock violently!
"How did the wind and waves get so strong? This is definitely a Level 6 wind or higher!" Jianghu gripped the handrail tightly. "Why did they steer into a sea region like this?"
Watching the waves crash continuously onto the deck, Lin Mu speculated, "Perhaps Peach Blossom Base is located within this region!"
"What?" Jianghu’s eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? Even a large ship wouldn’t be particularly steady in wind and waves like these. Why wouldn’t they find a Second-level Wind Sea Region?"
Lin Mu shook his head. "Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll have our answer soon enough!"
After nearly an hour of being tossed about, they could finally see the Banyan Forest.
Lin Mu and Jianghu stared with wide eyes, their faces filled with disbelief as they looked at the massive forest.
’There’s land in a high-level wind sea region?’ The thought suddenly struck Lin Mu.
"N-No way!" Jianghu was so shocked he stammered.
Under their shocked gazes, the speedboat entered the Banyan Forest, and the wind immediately died down.
Aided by the light from the Fluorescent Cacti within the Banyan Forest, Lin Mu was shocked to discover that this wasn’t land, but a Banyan Forest growing on the surface of the water!
It was now seven in the morning, and Ren Yuanyang and the others were already waiting for them.
"Alright, stop gawking, you two. Let me introduce you. This is our leader—the ’Boss’ that Sister Qin and the others mention. He’s the supreme commander of our base. You can decide what to call him!" Qin Haonan said to Lin Mu and Jianghu.
"Sir!" Both Lin Mu and Jianghu chose the title "Sir."
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly. "We’re getting more and more people. We should probably standardize the titles. The management team also needs to have its responsibilities redefined."
"Hehe, I think ’Boss’ is a pretty good title!" Qin Haonan said with a cheeky grin.
"That title sounds a bit thuggish. We should change it," Lu Jiamei said, shaking her head with a smile.
"We can talk about this later. Give me the licorice plant first!" Ren Yuanyang stopped everyone from continuing the discussion.
Si Youqin immediately handed over a small pouch.
Lin Mu immediately raised his hand, indicating he had something to say.
Ren Yuanyang looked at him quizzically. "Do you have a question?"
"Before the flood, I specialized in botany. I’m the one who took these root and stem cuttings from that licorice plant. I can help cultivate the licorice!" Lin Mu began to volunteer himself.
’Based on what Ren Yuanyang and the others just said, Peach Blossom Base doesn’t have many people, which means it’s still in its startup phase. If I can snag some kind of official position now, I’ll be a bona fide founding member!’
’Besides, the way Qin Haonan and the others chat so casually with Ren Yuanyang shows he’s approachable, not some aloof, high-and-mighty leader.’
’Most importantly, a fledgling base like this actually discovered the start of the undercurrents before the Aircraft Carrier Base, even went and made a show of force at Dawn Base, and then retreated completely unscathed!’
’A base like this is bound to become incredibly powerful once it develops!’
’That being the case, I have to seize this opportunity!’
It had to be said, Lin Mu’s mind worked fast. Jianghu, on the other hand, still had a head full of mush.
Ren Yuanyang nodded slightly. "Alright. But let me handle this first, then you can start cultivating them."
’Even though I have the system and can get information on any plant, I can’t do everything myself. Having a botanist to help will save me a lot of trouble!’
’I can also hand over the crops to Lin Mu. That way, Hua Lingfang can focus entirely on medical affairs and experiments with the Evolution Potion!’
Hearing this, Lin Mu paused, then said cautiously, "Sir, I was worried about being discovered by Dawn Base at the time, so the cuttings I took are a bit short. It will be somewhat difficult to cultivate new plants from them. Perhaps you should let me handle it...?"
Hearing him say this, Qin Haonan and the others immediately burst out laughing.
Lin Mu looked at them, completely bewildered. ’Did I say something wrong?’
"Don’t worry," Qin Haonan said with a laugh. "As long as a plant has even a sliver of life left in it, it’ll survive in our boss’s hands. And it’ll thrive, too!"
Lin Mu grew even more confused.
"Alright, Haonan, you take these two and show them around the base. Give them a rundown of the basic situation. Arrange their housing next to Wang Feng’s, so they can keep each other company," Ren Yuanyang said, turning to leave with the few pieces of licorice.
"You got it!" Qin Haonan replied, leading them toward the western side of the Banyan Forest.
As Qin Haonan explained, the looks of shock on Lin Mu’s and Jianghu’s faces grew more and more intense, until they finally just became numb.
"Okay, this is your cabin here. The one next to it is Wang Feng’s. He got here a day before you two, so if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask him," Qin Haonan said with a yawn. "For now, you just need to remember one thing: without the boss’s permission, you are not to enter the center of the Banyan Forest. You’re free to move around the outer areas."
"Understood!" the two men replied in unison.
"I’m heading back to catch up on some sleep." Qin Haonan had not only fought personally in the recent battle but had also been in command, so it had been mentally draining. He was feeling quite exhausted.
He took two steps, then turned back to add, "For your three meals, go get food from the yacht on the east side of the forest. Your daily necessities should already be in the cabin. Go take a look for yourselves. When it’s mealtime, just follow Wang Feng once, and you’ll know the way."
"Okay!"
After Qin Haonan left, Jianghu couldn’t help but stomp on the Duckweed beneath his feet. "Is this really Duckweed?"

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