149: Chapter 149 A Bumper Harvest of Pregnant Breeding Stock! Zhou Yuan Exchanges Wheat Ears for Blueprints

2:00 PM.

Lu Chen stood at the entrance of the first-floor livestock farm for five minutes.

The airtight door was open; from inside came the low mooing of livestock and the mechanical hum of the automatic feed distribution troughs.

Liao Dacheng squatted by the fence of the cattle pen, his left hand grasping a cow's hind hoof while his right thumb and index finger carefully inspected the gap between the hooves.

"The hoof cuticle is intact; no signs of soft hoof disease."

He muttered to himself, his voice raspy and low, every word carrying a coarse texture.

Lu Chen walked inside.

Hearing footsteps, the old veterinarian looked up, released the cow's hoof, stood up, and wiped his hands.

"City Lord."

"Finished the inspection?"

"All finished. Thirty pigs, twelve cows, forty sheep."

Liao Dacheng pulled out that livestock manual with the worn-out cover from the cloth bag at his waist and flipped to a page marked with dried grass.

"The report is written—handwritten, so the handwriting is a bit messy."

He handed the manual over.

Lu Chen took it and flipped through.

The handwriting was messy, but the content was detailed.

Every head of breeding stock had its ID number, weight estimate, coat color characteristics, health score, and dietary observations all listed in a table.

A summary was written on the last page.

Breeding stock health status: Excellent.

Breed purity: pre-civilization standardized breeding lineage, no signs of crossbreeding.

Swine: Yorkshire Large White Pigs, 22 boars, 8 sows. 3 of the 8 sows are in the mid-to-late stages of pregnancy, expected to give birth successively between day 60 and day 65. Estimated 8 to 12 piglets per litter for the first farrowing.

Cattle: 4 Holstein Dairy Cows (lactating), 8 Angus Beef Cattle. Estimated daily milk production for the 4 dairy cows is 60 liters once at full capacity.

Sheep: 40 Merino Fine-Wool Sheep, 1 confirmed pregnant, expected delivery around day 63.

Feed assessment: The quality of the system-allocated feed is extremely high, with protein and fiber content far exceeding The City-State standards. It is recommended to connect the greenhouse agricultural waste pipes as soon as possible to achieve feed self-sufficiency.

Lu Chen closed the manual.

"The report is acceptable."

"City Lord, I have two more questions."

"Speak."

"First, when will the greenhouse agricultural waste pipes be connected to the livestock farm?"

"The first crop of fast-growing wheat will be harvested in four days. The straw and root residue after harvest will be the first source of feed."

"Four days, I'll be waiting."

"And the second question?"

"The second one."

Liao Dacheng rubbed the mud stains on his hands.

"I've already figured out this farm's fully automated system; feed distribution and waste disposal don't require any human concern. But there's one thing the system can't manage."

"What is it?"

"Breeding."

Lu Chen glanced at him.

"The system generated the breeding stock, but subsequent reproduction requires manual observation of estrus cycles and mating times."

Liao Dacheng spoke seriously.

"For pigs, it's easy; the Large White pig's estrus cycle is stable at twenty-one days, just keep the boar nearby. But cows and sheep require precise timing for the breeding window; being off by even a day results in a missed pregnancy."

"Can you do this?"

"I've raised animals for thirty years; this is what I'm best at."

"Fine, you are in full charge of the breeding plan. No approval is needed; just give me a reproduction progress report every week."

"One report per week, no problem."

"Anything else you need?"

Liao Dacheng thought for a moment.

"I need an assistant. I can't handle the physical labor of moving feed buckets and cleaning the pens anymore; my back is shot."

"Ask Zhao Tiezhu for someone."

"Alright."

"Liao Dacheng."

"Yes."

"You once raised three pigs in The City-State, but they didn't survive."

A bitter look appeared on the old veterinarian's face.

"There wasn't enough feed, and the temperature in the greenhouses on the sixth floor of The City-State was unstable. The piglets couldn't survive the negative ten-degree nights."

"That won't be a problem here."

"I know."

Liao Dacheng looked up at the eight-meter-high ceiling and the surrounding breeding space lit with warm yellow lights.

"City Lord, this place is many times better than the testing area where I stayed for twenty years on the sixth floor of The City-State."

"So don't let them die again."

"I won't."

Liao Dacheng's voice was raspy, filled with determination.

Lu Chen turned and walked out of the livestock farm.

When he returned to the second floor, he passed the kitchen.

The thermos on the stove had been washed and returned to its place.

The cup was empty.

Lu Chen paused for a second, picked up the thermos, walked to the water dispenser to fill it with hot water, and placed it back on the stove.

He continued walking toward the cockpit.

The communicator rang.

"City Lord."

It was Zhou Yuan's voice.

"What's the matter?"

"Zhao Tiezhu has finished the inspection of the iron wall. The engine is in good condition, and the track wear rate is twelve percent, which is within the safe range. The total capacity of the main and auxiliary fuel tanks allows for a nine-hundred-kilometer range, exceeding the seven-hundred-kilometer requirement for a one-way trip through the Iron Curtain Frozen Sea."

"What about the fuel for the return trip?"

"A one-way trip consumes seventy-eight percent of the total fuel; the remaining twenty-two percent is enough for two hundred kilometers. Fuel for the return trip will need to be supplied by the Dawn Legion."

"And if they don't provide fuel?"

"Then we won't be able to make it back."

Lu Chen tapped on the armrest.

"Take spare fuel drums."

"The iron wall's cargo hold can fit eight standard diesel drums, two hundred liters each."

"Fill them up. How far will eight drums—one thousand six hundred liters—get you?"

"Enough for an additional four hundred kilometers. Combined with the two hundred kilometers remaining in the main tank, that's six hundred kilometers total."

"Six hundred kilometers to cover a seven-hundred-kilometer return trip?"

"Still short by one hundred kilometers."

Zhou Yuan's speaking speed remained unchanged.

"The route from the Iron Curtain Frozen Sea to the Rustwind Wasteland passes by the edge of the Ash Rift Valley. There are ruins of abandoned pre-civilization gas stations in the rift. The City-State patrol scavenged there last time, but some residual oil remains."

"Can residual oil be used?"

"It can be used after filtering. The iron wall's engine isn't picky."

"You've already planned the route?"

"I have."

Zhou Yuan's pace was steady.

"The outbound trip will take the northern route to bypass the Ash Rift Valley; the road conditions are flat, but the distance is fifty kilometers longer. The return trip will take the southern route through the edge of the rift; the distance is shorter, but the road conditions are poor."

"Stability for the outbound trip, fuel efficiency for the return."

"Correct."

"How will you handle communication?"

"The iron wall's communication tower has limited power; the signal weakens beyond three hundred kilometers and is lost beyond five hundred."

"In other words, you'll lose contact with us halfway through."

"Correct."

"How long will the total blackout last?"

"Eight to ten hours for the outbound trip."

Zhou Yuan calculated quickly.

"Adding the stay at the Dawn Legion and the blackout segment of the return trip, the total blackout time is estimated at thirty-six to forty-eight hours."

"Two days."

"Two days at most."

"What if the Iron Hoof Legion makes a move within those two days?"

"That is my biggest concern."

Zhou Yuan's voice dropped half a pitch.

"But if we don't go, when the Iron Hoof Legion rolls over us in forty days, we won't have a single ally."

Lu Chen didn't speak.

The cockpit was silent for five seconds.

"Zhou Yuan."

"Yes."

"Depart the day after tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow? One day earlier?"

"Since the steel has been moved, there's no need to wait for the third day. Zhao Tiezhu will move the last batch today, the iron wall will be fueled and equipped tomorrow, and you'll leave early the day after tomorrow."

"Understood."

"Who will take over the Staff Department after you leave?"

"My deputy, Chen Li. He came from The City-State's Staff Department and has been with me for three years; he can handle daily affairs."

"Give me his communication frequency."

"Sending it now."

A new communication frequency code popped up on the panel.

Lu Chen recorded it.

"Zhou Yuan."

"Yes."

"I'm going out to hunt tomorrow."

"Where to?"

"Fifteen kilometers north, the Factory Ruins."

"Hunting what?"

"Mid-level Mutant Beasts. I'm short by one hundred and sixty-five points to unlock the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System."

"One hundred and sixty-five points; hunting one should be enough."

"Correct."

"Do you need the iron wall to assist?"

"No, I'll be back within half a day."

"Alright, I'll update the field records."

"One more thing."

"Yes, City Lord?"

"After you reach the Dawn Legion, besides negotiating intelligence exchange and joint defense regarding the Iron Hoof Legion, there's one more thing to test."

"What is it?"

"Whether they have any pre-civilization research blueprints they are willing to trade."

Zhou Yuan was silent for two seconds on the other end.

"You want to exchange blueprints for Truth Points."

"Blueprints are the most efficient source of Truth Points, faster than hunting or decomposing wreckage. One high-level blueprint is worth dozens of Mutant Beasts."

"The Dawn Legion is a research-oriented faction; their stockpile of blueprints should far exceed that of the Black Rock City-State."

"Yes, but they might not be willing to hand them over."

"I'll try."

"What will you use for the trade?"

"Finished samples of the fast-growing crops."

Zhou Yuan answered quickly.

"I'll take a bag of mature wheat ears from the fast-growing wheat so they can see the seven-day ripening grain with their own eyes."

"What does seven-day ripening wheat mean to a research-oriented faction?"

"It means they would be willing to trade ten blueprints for the technology."

"But you won't give them the technology."

"Correct. Only the finished product, not the principles. Let them know we have it, but they can't buy it."

"Good."