The chloroplasts within the mesophyll cells were particularly noteworthy. They were not only more numerous but also larger, with more developed internal photosynthetic structures, like miniature, high-efficiency energy conversion factories.
The cuticle on the leaf's surface was also slightly thicker, allowing it to retain moisture and resist pests and diseases better, all without affecting gas exchange.
The most important change, however, was the accumulation of active substances within the leaf cells' vacuoles and certain specific organelles. Far surpassing those in ordinary mountain tea, these substances possessed a unique energetic fluctuation.
These substances must be the alkaloids and flavonoids mentioned in Yu Chengbang's report, which had undergone "targeted enrichment and transformation."
