Han Ning shared his ideas based on firearm mechanics and Plants vs. Zombies.
Considering the gaunt man had mentioned the overwhelming numbers of the Black Serpent Monsters, it would be too much for him alone to face such a tidal wave of creatures. The saying "enough ants can kill an elephant" came to mind.
But what if they cultivated some combat-capable plants?
"Plants vs. Zombies? I've heard of it. I've even seen my students playing it in the lab during breaks," Professor Ye said, setting down his notebook and stroking the short, stiff stubble on his chin as he pondered.
"Let me think... Offensive plants—we should have some in the seed bank. But they'd need targeted cultivation and enhancement based on your abilities." He walked over to the sealed seed containers and began expertly searching through them.
"Plants vs. Zombies categorizes them into long-range, close-range, and defensive types, right?"
"Exactly!" Han Ning was surprised Professor Ye seemed so familiar with it—had he played the game himself? "Professor Ye, are there any plants in nature similar to the Pea Shooter?"
"Pea Shooter?" Professor Ye paused, then instinctively replied, "When pea pods mature, the thick-walled cells inside create tension, causing the pod to twist and burst open, ejecting the seeds. This mechanism helps spread seeds farther."
"But compared to peas, I can think of a better alternative."
Soon, Professor Ye held up a small transparent bag containing tiny seeds.
"Here it is—the Squirting Cucumber."
"When its fruit ripens, high-pressure liquid and mucus build up inside. The slightest touch causes the stem to snap with a 'pop,' launching the pulp and seeds like a cannonball. The force is significant—it can shoot several meters, even over ten meters. Far more effective than pea pod bursts."
"With your abilities, we could try making it shoot faster, farther, and more precisely—maybe even alter the projectiles to carry corrosive or paralyzing effects."
Xu Ming, who had been playing with building blocks and his daughter on the bed, noticed Professor Ye's lecture and brought Xu Yinyin over to listen.
"What about close-range options?" Han Ning asked eagerly.
"For close combat, I think the Venus Flytrap would work well. Its trap can snap shut in fractions of a second, secreting digestive fluids to immobilize prey. It's strong enough to trap small insects. The seed bank has preserved specimens, including varieties with larger leaves and stronger traps."
"Though it's very light-dependent—we'll have to see how your abilities handle that. If not, we can pick something else."
He picked up another small bag containing a dozen black seeds smaller than sesame grains.
The seeds brought from the cultivation lab weren't limited to crops—they included various wild plant species too.
"Mm-hmm, please go on." Just the first two suggestions already aligned perfectly with Han Ning's vision.
. Defensive Plants and Expansion Plans
"As for purely defensive structures or barriers, thorny vines—such as certain species of grass or prickly climbing plants from the Rubus genus—fit the requirements."
"Their mutation direction could involve forming dense, tough, thorn-covered vine walls in an extremely short time."
"If we can further guide the strengthening of their xylem fibers to achieve hardness and toughness comparable to steel, along with some self-repair capability, they would become incredibly powerful barriers."
"For example, they could be arranged on the surface of ships to prevent other creatures from boarding."
"Such plants should be found in the seed bank's wild resources or the classification of climbing plants."
Professor Ye stopped searching and looked at Han Ning:
"These are just preliminary ideas based on the existing seed bank resources. Whether they'll work and to what extent—that requires experimentation."
Han Ning listened with burning enthusiasm.
The plants Professor Ye proposed followed a clear logic.
Ranged, melee, defense—even control—were all covered. All that was needed was his ability to amplify their potential a thousandfold.
"Good!" Han Ning immediately decided. "Professor Ye, we'll proceed with experiments based on your direction."
"Boss, our current space is too cramped. Mixing ordinary crops with these special plants that have mutation potential—and possibly aggressive plants in the future—isn't ideal."
He picked up a pen and quickly sketched on paper:
"We need to divide two separate functional zones."
"First Zone: Basic Crop Cultivation Area."
"This zone will mainly grow urgently needed leafy greens, sprouts, edible fungi, and some root crops. They have relatively low light requirements and can be managed more loosely. The goal is rapid food production to solve hunger issues."
"At the same time, a small section of this zone should be dedicated to growing our already successfully mutated 'Yellow Jade Potatoes' and 'Crimson Mist Tomatoes.'"
"Their growth patterns are relatively stable, but we need to observe their long-term growth traits, yield, and stability."
"Second Zone: Mutation Research and Special Crop Cultivation Area."
"This zone will be exclusively for plants planned for directional mutation experiments—such as squirting cucumbers, Venus flytraps, thorny vines, and any other potentially useful special plants we might discover in the future."
"Boss, to realize this plan, our current balcony space is far from enough."
"Before we leave this place, we need a larger, more independent area—preferably a full room or a small warehouse—where we can cultivate plants entirely according to our needs."
"I understand. I'll handle the space issue," Han Ning said decisively.
Planting space was a minor concern. This resort area had no shortage of it.
On the east side of the fifth floor was a small, rarely used banquet hall.
Originally, it was cluttered with miscellaneous items and discarded furniture.
Han Ning went to Chairman Wu, who readily arranged this large space for him.
The first floor would have been ideal, but with rising water levels, it was nearly submerged.
However, since they weren't growing large vegetation and had mastered composting techniques, cultivating small crops on the fifth floor would suffice for now.
Professor Ye surveyed the spacious area and immediately began directing the layout.
"Use these wooden boards and waterproof cloth to divide the middle of the hall into two large sections, left and right."
"The left side will be the basic crops area, and the right side will be the mutation research area."
"For the basic crops area, make full use of the space by using those discarded shelves to build vertical planting racks, arranging the planting pots in layers."
"Leave the area near the window for leafy vegetables that need slightly more diffused light."
"The mutation research area must be heavily reinforced for isolation—lay the waterproof cloth multiple times and seal any gaps with tape."
"Inside, divide it further into smaller sections using wooden boards to separate different experimental groups, such as the squirting cucumber area, Venus flytrap area, thorny vine area, and a reserved area. Each section should be labeled for easy record-keeping."
Under Professor Ye's direction, Han Ning, Xu Ming, Yu Na—the helper Han Ning had brought—and the little troublemaker Xu Yinyin, who had tagged along, worked enthusiastically.
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