The New Plantation, located within Tianyue University, spans over a thousand acres.
All plant-related disciplines at the university are conducted here.
Lin Qianyi returned the hoverboard to the collection point and looked around as he stepped inside. The architecture of this place gave him the impression that it was alive.
And in fact, it really was.
It's said that the entire structure of the New Plantation is actually one giant, interconnected plant.
But it wasn't all wood—some parts had metallic elements, others looked like jade, and Lin Qianyi even spotted a glowing flower emitting electric arcs.
He felt he'd definitely come to the right place.
To make use of the special features of his farming space, relying on ordinary plants would be extremely inefficient.
This place was where real miracles could happen.
Following the map, Lin Qianyi arrived at a place marked Plant Evolution Guidance Studies.
The door was open, vines wrapped around it. There was no one inside. As Lin Qianyi stepped in, he noticed the floor was covered with some strange grass-like leaves—clearly alive—as they shifted subtly under his feet.
Aside from having more flowers and plants, the furnishings weren't too different from a standard office.
Well, the computers looked a bit more advanced, and there were a few items Lin didn't recognize.
Just then, a voice called out,
"I was just about to check if your transport pod had arrived so I could come get you. Didn't expect you'd come on your own. Young people these days—really know how to save trouble."
Lin Qianyi turned around and saw a man wearing sunglasses and a white hoodie standing at the door.
"And you are?" Lin Qianyi asked, puzzled.
"Gao Chen. Also a student here. You can call me Boss Gao or Senior Gao. You'll find my info on the official site. Honestly, not many dare to choose Plant Evolution Guidance Studies anymore. I admire your guts—hope you can handle it." Gao Chen waved him over. "Come with me, I'll take you to your place to drop off your things."
"I'm Lin Qianyi," he replied, after confirming Gao's identity on his phone.
He felt this senior didn't really seem like a struggling grad student—more like a rich young master.
"I've reviewed your file several times. The mentor really approves of you. To make it here from that kind of background takes luck, talent, and serious perseverance," Gao Chen said. "Still, I recommend switching majors. This field is just... inhuman. Graduating in five years is nearly impossible. Most people need more than a decade just to get their bachelor's."
As he rambled on, they arrived at an apartment building.
"Let's grab your keys from my place first."
They reached the elevator. Gao Chen took off his glasses, used facial recognition to unlock it, and stepped in.
"I live at 8-8, though I'm rarely home. My place has all the lab gear, atmosphere lighting, and surround sound. If you want to do experiments—or impress girls—I can rent it to you. 500 credits a day."
Lin Qianyi found this senior a bit... money-minded.
But seemingly easy to get along with.
They arrived and approached Gao Chen's unit. He scanned his wristwatch, the door unlocked, and a snap of his fingers lit up the room.
The living room was massive—at least 60–70 square meters—with full furnishings. What caught Lin's eye most was the giant TV that covered an entire wall.
Gao Chen opened a bedroom, filled with lab equipment and books. A cabinet inside held rows of small transparent boxes—clearly seed containers labeled in detail.
Gao handed Lin a translucent card,
"This is your room key—Unit 9-2. Big balcony. You can even see the beautiful female mentor from the next department. I wanted that room myself, but the number wasn't lucky."
Lin accepted the card and thanked him, though he felt this senior might be a bit of a clown.
"There'll be plenty of time for you to repay me in hard labor," Gao waved it off and went to the fridge. "Want something to drink?"
"Anything's fine," Lin said.
Gao tossed him a blue drink, plopped on the couch, and crossed his legs.
"Go put your stuff away. I'll show you around afterward."
Lin nodded, thanked him again, and left with his suitcase.
He found Room 9-2 and opened it with the key card.
It wasn't as over-the-top as Gao's place, but just as spacious.
Fully furnished: 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom—roughly 150 square meters in total. It had a fridge, AC, TV, computer, wardrobe, cooking machine, robot vacuum, washer, and all the basic furniture.
The balcony was indeed huge—it could almost be its own room.
Instinctively, Lin looked across the way.
Nothing. One-way glass blocked everything.
So much for the "beautiful mentor."
He realized Gao had just been messing with him. Classic prankster behavior.
Lin opened the drink, planning to chug it, but remembering Gao's quirks, took a cautious sip.
As expected—it was horribly bitter. Barely drinkable.
Yet surprisingly invigorating.
He glanced at the name: "Change of Heart."
He paused.
Was Gao subtly telling him it's not too late to change his major?
That sticking with this field would be bitter beyond belief?
This senior definitely had layers. There was a message in that gesture for sure.
But Lin had thought it through. This was the only field suited to him.
Even other botany majors couldn't help him use the full potential of his farming space.
Only here would he gain access to rare and extraordinary seeds.
Many of the supernatural plants had been cultivated and evolved by predecessors in this field.
So for Lin, this was where he'd thrive.
After settling in, he returned to find Gao Chen.
The door was open. Inside, the lighting had changed to "ambience mode," and the giant screen was playing a girl group dance video, the sound system thundering.
Lin arrived just as Gao was dancing along with the lead performer.
He turned off the music and said,
"My place still lacks some flavor. You should check out the VR Experience Center downtown—hyper-realistic, nearly 95% immersion below Tier 3. Just that the pods are crazy expensive, even the basic one starts at ten million credits. That's half a patent's worth. Otherwise, I'd have bought one already."
Lin couldn't help but reassess his understanding of Gao Chen.
Rich guy?
"Sweetheart, I'm heading out. Shut down the equipment for me," Gao said aloud.
A gentle AI voice replied,
"Got it, sweetheart."
Lin winced.
Who gives their smart AI pet names?
This guy... really is something.
They left.
In the elevator, Gao Chen said,
"Get ready. I'll let you try my limited-edition ride."
Soon, they reached the underground garage. Thanks to lax university regulations, there were all kinds of bizarre vehicles parked there. Lin even saw a hovercar shaped suspiciously like a certain meme-worthy cannon.
He really wondered how that thing flew... and who had the nerve to drive it.
Gao's ride was a motorbike—with actual wheels.
"Found this gem in a junk market. It's a relic from the last century. Practically a museum piece now—nobody makes these in Sky Domain anymore," Gao said as he mounted it and tossed Lin a helmet.
"Wear it. If we crash, at least your head will survive for resuscitation."
Lin didn't know how to feel, but still got on.
The engine roared, and they shot off—hitting over 100 km/h almost instantly.
Lin gripped the side bars tightly.
Tag for Gao Chen: [Madman]
In every sense of the word.
Plant Evolution Guidance Studies—definitely not for the faint of heart.
Soon, they began to slow down. The roadside was lined with transparent enclosures, inside which were various plants in different environments—clearly simulated for study.
"This whole area—from 3-7 to 5-2—is our territory," Gao explained.
"3-7 and 3-8 are the mentor's. High-level stuff. Stay away, not safe. 3-9 is the breeding zone. A mess. Senior Sister has 4-1 and 4-2—dangerous as hell. Second Senior has 4-3 and 4-4—good stuff there, especially that Nine-Leaf Ginseng. I'll sneak you some later—it's tastier than radish."
"4-5 and 4-6 are mine. 4-7's the test field. 4-8 just opened up—probably yours. 4-9 and 5-1 are client orders. 5-2…"
They arrived at 5-2.
It was full of weeds, and in the middle lay a little girl in green, her legs entangled by vines, looking helpless—like she'd been preyed on by a carnivorous plant.
"Who's that?" Lin asked.
"A damn old fossil!" Gao said with rare emotion. "That's a Mimic Vine—been alive 180+ years. Don't let her lure you in. Won't kill you, but she'll drain half your blood for sure."
At that moment, the girl "noticed" them, struggled, and weakly cried,
"Please... someone help... help me…"
Gao took off his glasses.
"Old hag, it's me."
She instantly dropped the act, the vines lifting her up like limbs. She smiled sweetly and said,
"Xiao Gao, need more Dao pattern sets? I've got premium Tier 2 goods. Just a hundred milliliters of your blood in return..."
"Ha." Gao flipped her the bird and said to Lin,
"See that? Stay sharp. Don't get tempted."
"She's a plant?" Lin asked, stunned.
He'd heard of mimic plants, but one that looked this human?
"You'll get used to it," Gao replied, slipping on his shades. "I've even seen plants in deep space that evolved human forms."
"I'll take you to the cafeteria next. Though I'm not a fan. The food printers there make tasteless crap."
"Thanks, senior." Lin nodded, then asked,
"What will I be doing next?"
Gao said,
"Wait a couple of days for the mentor to return. You'll meet, pick a basic Tier 1 Dao pattern, and get some starter projects. Learn as you go. If you can finish everything in five years, you'll be doing great. Entry-level jobs pay tens of thousands per month. But if you want the actual bachelor's degree, you'll need to cultivate a brand new Tier 1 plant... which is very hard. Could take decades."