72: Hemorrhage tonight

How could there be so many Earthworms in a landfill like this?

Ye Tian frowned slightly.

Then he looked around.

It seemed he had made a new discovery.

He quickly took his stick and walked toward the distance.

After walking about ten meters or so, Ye Tian stopped.

Then he started digging again.

But this time, he dug for a long while without finding any trace of Earthworms.

"Brother Tian, what are you digging for now?"

"Liang Zi, take a close look. Is there any difference between the trash at the warehouse entrance and the trash over here?"

"Different? How come I don't see it? Isn't it all just trash?"

Zhang Liang paused in confusion, then kept looking back and forth between the two sides.

After a long while, he was slightly stunned.

He quickly ran back to the front of the warehouse.

"Brother Tian, it seems like there is a lot more soil in the trash over here. Also, why are there so many Earthworms?"

Ye Tian smiled slightly. He seemed to have a guess in his heart.

He lifted his feet and walked outside.

Before long, the two returned to the Breeding Farm.

Old Man Lu had already brought out the fish tank again and was feeding the Small Cockroaches inside. He looked very excited.

"Old man, were those Earthworms in the trash pile behind the warehouse door put there by you?"

As soon as he entered the door, Ye Tian couldn't help but ask the question that had been puzzling him.

Old Man Lu looked up and glanced at Ye Tian with some surprise: "Not bad, you actually discovered that."

"Old man, are you trying to use Earthworms to digest those decaying materials?"

Ye Tian continued to ask.

The old man's expression sank slightly: "That was the initial thought, but it's difficult! Although the characteristics of Earthworms allow them to convert decaying matter into soil, their conversion speed is limited. I originally released at least a hundred catties of Earthworms on that small patch of ground at the warehouse entrance, but after so long, the results have been minimal. That's why I turned my attention to black soldier flies, housefly maggots, and Cockroaches. I wanted to see if these species could be more effective."

As he spoke, Old Man Lu couldn't help but look down at the fish tank, his expression showing a hint of being moved: "Speaking of species, Little Ye, you have really given me a huge surprise. These mutant Small Cockroaches of yours are simply miraculous. I tested them all afternoon, and their feeding index actually reached 5. Do you know what that concept means? It's like a 100-catty person eating five hundred catties of food in one meal. A full five times! As far as I know, no species in the natural world can reach such an astonishing index. Furthermore, their conversion rate is also quite astonishing."

"Conversion rate?" Ye Tian asked, feeling a bit confused.

"You can understand it as growth speed. Do you remember how big they were when you brought them over? Now take a look again."

As he spoke, Old Man Lu stepped aside.

Ye Tian and his companion looked inside.

Their eyes widened slightly.

The largest batch of Cockroaches, which were previously the size of mung beans, had now completely turned orange-yellow with black stripes, and their bodies were about the size of a fingernail. The smaller batch was now the size of peas.

They were growing even faster than when they were in the dormitory.

"Old man, how are they growing even faster than when we raised them? It's only been half a day."

Ye Tian couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Old Man Lu gave him an annoyed look.

"You still have the nerve to ask? Do you call what you did 'raising'? Such a precious mutant species, and you actually fed them trash. It's fortunate that Cockroaches are hardy; otherwise, if something had gone wrong with the feeding, you wouldn't even have a place to cry. To observe the data today, I used professional nutritional substances that can truly promote the growth of larvae. That's why there is such an effect. It's a pity that there are only this many Cockroaches; otherwise, I would have wanted to use more potent methods for the experiment."

Old Man Lu said with some regret.

"Not enough Small Cockroaches?"

Ye Tian rolled his eyes thoughtfully.

Old Man Lu nodded.

"Yes, research on insects is not like other species; if the quantity is small, it is very difficult to draw truly effective conclusions. You only have two batches here. The quantity is not large, so I really dare not act recklessly."

"If that's the case, it's easy to handle. We still have quite a few unhatched ootheca in our dormitory. I'll bring them over tomorrow, and you can take your time researching them, old man!"

"There are more?"

The old man's face lit up with joy: "What about the adults? Are there any?"

Adults...

Ye Tian hesitated for a moment and shook his head. After all, the characteristics of the Strong-Grade Cockroaches were a bit obvious.

It was fine for those who didn't know the field, but for an expert like the old man, he really didn't dare to show them casually.

"What a pity. If there were adults, perhaps I could find the reason for their mutation. As it stands now, I can only wait for this batch of Small Cockroaches to grow up before researching further."

After finishing, Old Man Lu stopped asking.

He turned his head to observe the Small Cockroaches again.

Ye Tian took Zhang Liang and turned back to the landfill.

This time, there was an extra bottle in his hand.

"Liang Zi, help me dig up some more Earthworms."

"Earthworms? Brother Tian, are you going to do research again?"

Thinking of the insect gathering incense from before, Zhang Liang seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes lit up.

"Hmm, I feel that the old man's line of thinking is actually correct, but in terms of species, there might be some deficiencies. So I want to take advantage of these few days before the Breeding Farm gets busy to do some research. If I can accidentally cultivate another mutant species similar to Blade, it might really have miraculous effects."

Ye Tian nodded and said.

"Hey, that's a good idea. Our dormitory is upstairs, and I don't believe you can attract Earthworms to come upstairs, Brother Tian."

Zhang Liang chuckled, very much in agreement.

He quickly found a wooden stick.

And started digging with Ye Tian in places with soil.

It had to be said that the old man's scale was not small.

Before long, the bottle Ye Tian brought was filled with dense Earthworms.

And Ye Tian seemed to feel a bit unsatisfied.

He took the box down from the car again.

He placed it on the open ground.

He greeted Blade in his pocket.

A moment later, the landfill was in an uproar.

As the place most prone to harboring filth,

the Cockroaches here could simply be described as massive in number.

In less than ten minutes,

the box was burst open.

Frightened, Ye Tian hurriedly ordered Blade to stop the summoning.

He closed the lid.

Zhang Liang was full of confusion.

"Brother Tian, why are you catching so many Cockroaches?"

"It's not just that. Since we are going to do breeding, we need to prepare more. After all, relying solely on our mutant species, who knows how long it will take for them to grow up? Now that we have time, preparing some ordinary ones—even if we don't count on them breeding effectively—will at least help make up the numbers. Besides, using these ordinary Cockroaches as food for the mutant species is also quite good. It's cleaner and more convenient than kitchen waste, right?"

"Damn, Brother Tian, you really think ahead. Why didn't I think of that? Looking at it this way, this landfill really isn't useless. At the very least, it can provide a stable channel for Cockroach food."

Zhang Liang said with some excitement.

"Hmm, after we do more research in the future, maybe there will be other surprises waiting for us."

Ye Tian also nodded with a smile and picked up the box.

"Brother Tian, where are we going next?"

"To eat. We're going to spend big tonight, let's have a good meal. You've always been the one treating me, today I'll treat you to a big meal."

Ye Tian glanced at the box full of Cockroaches and said generously.