Chapter 19: 019
Mu Qingzhou didn’t usually go shopping, but he used a search function to find a street with a good reputation for selling plants. The two teleported together to District Central 37.
As soon as they arrived, the previous night turned into day. The sky was clear, and the sunlight was bright. The air was filled with a fragrance unique to plants—rich and complex. Cries of street vendors rang out constantly; it was bustling and lively.
“Selling synthetic plants! Wholesale prices: 10% off for 1 pot, 50% off for 5 pots, 90% off for 20 or more!”
“Unpolluted soil for cheap! Only 20,000 for 100g, lowest price on the entire network!”
“100 vases for 199 Star Coins! Not 300, not 200, only 199!”
Seeing an entire street dedicated to things related to plants, Zhu Ran’s eyes instantly lit up, and his tone became a bit more cheerful.
“I’ll go take a look over there.”
After saying that, Zhu Ran jogged to the front of several shops. He looked here and there, his face full of curiosity. Mu Qingzhou followed silently behind him, not making a sound to disturb him.
Zhu Ran first spent 20,000 Star Coins on 100g of unpolluted soil and 20 Star Coins on 500g of untreated soil. He intended to use the two types of soil as a control group for an experiment in soil-cultivating plants. Although Freesias, Daisies, and most natural plants could grow in water, they were more suited for soil.
Zhu Ran also observed the decoration styles of the shops selling genetically synthesized plants. He had intended to use them as a reference for his own shop, but after seeing a few, he abandoned the idea.
How to put it… the decoration styles of most shops had absolutely nothing to do with nature; they were entirely high-tech. Not only were the colors highly saturated and vivid, but the entire shopfronts were covered in metallic sequins as if they cost nothing. Sequins were bright enough on their own, but under the sunlight, they were practically like strobe lights.
Zhu Ran looked away uncomfortably. He really… couldn’t quite understand the aesthetic of the interstellar people.
After touring most of the shops, Zhu Ran finally entered a shop selling synthetic plants with slightly simpler decorations. Since natural plants couldn’t adapt to the interstellar environment, genetically synthesized plants had gradually replaced them as household decorations. This was also the first time Zhu Ran had observed genetically synthesized plants up close.
The appearance of synthetic plants was easily distinguishable from natural ones. Their overall volume was large—one flower was about as big as Zhu Ran’s head, and the stems were as thick as his wrist. They grew very tall too, most of them reaching Zhu Ran’s shoulder.
The colors of genetically synthesized plants were also very garish. Bizarrely colored stems and leaves—red, ink-colored, black—petals with high saturation and a pearlescent sheen, and stamens so red they looked black, like they were poisoned… They looked completely different from natural plants at a glance, exuding a high-tech vibe everywhere. Moreover, the synthetic plants emitted a scent like synthetic essence; even with the senses dulled in the holographic world, one could tell the fragrance was fake.
“Achoo!”
Zhu Ran frowned and sneezed. He couldn’t quite adapt to the scent of synthetic plants.
“Selling flowers! Cheap flowers! Young man, would you like to buy some?”
A clerk who looked like a minor saw Zhu Ran lingering for a long time and took the initiative to approach him. “Do you need me to introduce some flowers suitable for winter? Are they a gift or for yourself?”
“For myself. Please give me an introduction.”
“Sure thing! This is the Star-Red Flower.” The clerk pulled out a plant with a deep red stem and red fruits the size of fists. “This was bred using the genes of the natural plant Fire Thorn. After genetic modification, an excellent variety was produced…”
Zhu Ran stared at the fist-sized, hairy red fruits in confusion. This was modified from Fire Thorn? That fruit, which was originally about the size of a pomegranate seed, had been turned into… fist-sized… and hairy?
What a wild imagination.
The clerk then pulled out a black flower growing in water that was even bigger than Zhu Ran’s head, with petals that had a texture like scales. “This is the Fish-scale Narcissus, a combination of narcissus genes and fish genes. The scales on the petals emit a faint light at night; it’s very beautiful. Fish-scale Narcissus is very popular in the stars this year. Last month, this variety sold for a large four-figure sum, but the price dropped this month to only a few hundred Star Coins. It’s a great deal right now.”
Zhu Ran continued to blink. A black… narcissus bigger than his head? And it has scales. Truly imaginative.
Afterward, Zhu Ran witnessed the ‘Fairy-feather Camellia’ with green leaves growing bird feathers, the ‘Silver-butterfly Winter Jasmine’ with petals like butterfly wings, and so on and so forth. By the time Zhu Ran finished looking at these synthetic plants, he almost forgot what the word ‘plant’ even looked like.
Ultimately, Zhu Ran bought a Fire Thorn and a Fish-scale Narcissus, spending 800 Star Coins. Looking at the plants that exceeded his common sense by too much, he asked, “Are these plants safe?”
The clerk boy replied, “Of course they’re safe! It’s not like they’re mutated plants; it’s not like they can kill people.”
Unlike genetically synthesized plants, which were artificially selected and bred to be absolutely non-aggressive and safe for the interstellar environment, mutated plants grew wildly and possessed immense lethality. Most lived on the outskirts of F, D, and C-rank planets, or in the botanical gardens of higher-ranked planets.
With the clerk boy’s mention, Zhu Ran remembered that mutated plants were also a category in the stars. He felt he might need a few for self-defense, just as he had used mutated plants as weapons and defensive barriers during the apocalypse. They gave him a great sense of security.
“Are there shops in Xinggou that sell mutated plants?”
“The danger level of mutated plants is B-class or above. Xinggou doesn’t have the business qualification for B-class products, so you can’t buy them here. But physical stores sell them. If there’s a plant you want, you can also hire someone to collect it.”
“Alright, thank you.”
“You’re welcome~” The clerk boy smiled sweetly.
Mu Qingzhou had been following behind Zhu Ran, only speaking after Zhu Ran finished buying the plants. “Find what you wanted?”
“I’ve had some gains.” Zhu Ran nodded slowly, his expression still a bit dazed, having not yet recovered from the shock of ‘what interstellar synthetic plants look like.’
Seeing Zhu Ran like this, Mu Qingzhou’s eyes rippled with a faint smile. He handed Zhu Ran a glass of hot fruit milk. “Have some.”
Zhu Ran took the milk and had a few sips; only then did his wandering thoughts gradually return. “Thank you very much for accompanying me here today. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known Xinggou had a street specifically for synthetic plants.”
“Don’t mention it. Do you have ideas for the shop decorations?”
“Yes, I have an idea.” In any case… he would absolutely not decorate it in a colorful high-tech style.
“That’s good,” Mu Qingzhou said, bidding him farewell. “It’s getting late; I’ll go offline and rest.”
Zhu Ran smiled. “Goodnight. Sweet dreams.”
Returning to reality from the optical computer, the words “goodnight” echoed in Mu Qingzhou’s ears, the corners of his eyes lifting. Chating with this shop owner was very pleasant. The other party wouldn’t be overly respectful or cautious because of his status or family background. They were completely equal.
It was now 1:20 AM. Mu Qingzhou’s usual bedtime was midnight. Since age 15, his schedule of sleeping at midnight had never changed. His life was arranged as precisely as an AI’s; not a second could be off.
And yet today, Mu Qingzhou had once again broken his routine. He had specifically waited for the owner of [Zhuying Anxiang] on Xinggou. Originally, he just wanted to say congratulations to Zhu, but he ended up helping him pick a shop and even went shopping with him for a while. It felt very relaxing.
But… Mu Qingzhou lowered his eyes, his hand inadvertently stroking the leaves of the Freesia on the table. It wasn’t hard to tell from Zhu’s words that he wasn’t familiar with Xinggou, otherwise he wouldn’t even know the famous District 19. And… he seemed to not know much about genetically synthesized plants either. Mu Qingzhou hadn’t missed Zhu Ran’s shock when seeing them.
“So… Zhu likely opened the shop on a whim. There’s a risk of him closing shop and disappearing at any time.”
“He lacks common sense; I suspect he lives in a remote area. It’s also possible he’s not very old and only recently reached adulthood and gained the right to go online independently.”
In Mu Qingzhou’s mind, the image of the gentle young man in the virtual world was gradually replaced by a more youthful one.
“Since Zhu can sell natural plants, he might work in a research institute. No… no one in the institute would be bold enough to sell natural plants privately.”
“The spiritual power carried by the plants he sells has two characteristics: peace and vitality. A life-attribute ability? Or… plant-type?”
With a few hours of contact, Mu Qingzhou had quickly guessed much of Zhu Ran’s information.
“He seems interested in mutated plants; I can find one for him. That way, I can establish a closer relationship with him.”
Thinking this way, Mu Qingzhou leaned down and sniffed the petals of the Freesia. The fragrance had faded significantly, becoming elusive. It had been nearly a week since he obtained the first Freesia. The vibrant green leaves that were once full of life were now withered and yellow. The small flowers had also drooped their heads as if exhausted, the originally pure white petals turning into a shriveled yellow.
Mu Qingzhou had asked Zhu and searched various records, trying to extend its blooming period. However, because natural plants were too delicate to adapt to the interstellar environment, the Freesia still entered the process of withering.
A bit of icy blue solidified in Mu Qingzhou’s black eyes. His spiritual power condensed, and a piercing, bone-chilling ice formed within his sight. Frost enveloped the entire Freesia. The ice layer was crystal clear, emanating the chill of midwinter, also making the preserved Freesia appear even more pure white and delicate.
Mu Qingzhou thought that although he couldn’t keep the Freesia blooming forever, it didn’t matter. He could make the Freesia stay at its most beautiful moment.
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