160: Chapter 160: Six and a half tons of wheat harvested! 30,000 people will eat noodles tonight.

6:00 AM.

Third-level Greenhouse.

The Fast-growing Wheat on the ten sets of Hydroponic Racks glowed with a pale golden light under the full-spectrum LED lights.

The ears were filled to the absolute limit, each grain round and plump, heavy enough to bend the stalks.

Lin Wan stood in front of the first set of Hydroponic Racks, a crescent-shaped harvesting sickle in her hand.

Nineteen Agricultural Technicians stood behind her, divided into two groups.

Song Ya led the second group in front of the sixth set of Hydroponic Racks, also holding a sickle.

The communicator rang.

"Lin Wan." Lu Chen's voice.

"City Lord, we are ready."

"How far along is the grain filling?"

"Ninety-seven percent. It's ready for harvest."

"Begin."

Lin Wan adjusted her breathing.

She bent down, and the sickle swept across the base of the stalks.

The first stalk of Fast-growing Wheat fell and landed in her palm.

The weight of the ear was heavy.

She placed the ear of wheat into the collection basket behind her.

The second stalk.

The third stalk.

The sickle moved quickly across the Hydroponic Rack, making a rustling sound as it cut.

The Agricultural Technicians behind her bent down to harvest in rhythm with her, each responsible for one row.

The sound of rhythmic harvesting echoed through the greenhouse.

"Song Ya, have you started on your end?" Lin Wan shouted without looking up.

"I've started," Song Ya's voice came from the sixth set of Hydroponic Racks. "The grains are incredibly full, better than any crop I grew in The City-State's agricultural zone over eight years."

"Stop reminiscing and keep cutting."

"I am cutting."

Chen Li's voice came through the communicator.

"City Lord Lu Chen, harvesting has begun at the greenhouse."

"I know."

"City Lord Lin Xiao asked me to check when the first batch of flour will be ready."

"Lin Wan said it needs to air-dry for six to eight hours after harvesting, then it'll be ground using the Synthesizer's modified grinding mode." Lu Chen paused for a beat. "The first batch of coarse flour will be ready tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

"City Lord Lin Xiao says thirty thousand people have been waiting for this ration for too long."

"Tell him that once the first batch of flour comes out tonight, make a pot of noodles first."

"Who is it for?"

"For the Engineering Team. Han Zhengqing's people have been working for ten days; they deserve a hot meal."

"Good, I'll pass it on."

In the greenhouse, the harvest continued.

Two hours later, all the Fast-growing Wheat on the first through fifth sets of Hydroponic Racks was harvested.

The collection baskets were lined up, filled to the brim.

Lin Wan wiped the sweat from her forehead and stood up.

"First through fifth sets, estimated dry weight is three and a half tons."

She pressed the communicator.

"What about Song Ya's side?"

"Sixty percent of the sixth through tenth sets are done, expected to finish in another hour. Estimated dry weight is three tons."

"Six and a half tons total."

"Consistent with the estimate."

"Good. Once the harvest is finished, spread it all out on the Air-drying Racks. Raise the greenhouse temperature by two degrees to speed up evaporation."

"Understood."

Lin Wan put down the sickle and walked to the nearest collection basket.

She reached into the basket and picked up an ear of wheat.

The golden grains gave off a soft luster under the lights.

She peeled open a grain with her fingernail.

The endosperm inside was white and full, emitting the fragrance of wheat.

She placed the grain on the tip of her tongue and bit down gently.

Sweet.

A faint sweetness.

This taste didn't belong to Nutrient Bars, Synthetic Protein, or any processed food.

This was the taste of real grain.

The taste of something grown from the soil.

Even without soil, even if it was forced by nutrient solution on Hydroponic Racks, the moment she bit into it, it was exactly like the grain of wheat she had stolen and eaten in the City-State Level 6 greenhouse when she was eight years old.

The communicator rang.

"City Lord."

"The first harvest is complete."

"Total yield?"

"Six and a half tons, dry weight."

"Enough to feed sixteen thousand people for a day."

"Yes."

"When will the second batch be sown?"

"We'll clean and disinfect the empty Hydroponic Racks this afternoon and sow tomorrow morning. The sowing area will be expanded to over seventy percent."

"The second crop will be harvested in seven days."

"Yes, subsequent yields will double, to twelve or thirteen tons."

"Full production starts with the third crop."

"Correct."

"Lin Wan."

"In."

"After the flour is ground tonight, save a bowl of noodles for me too."

Lin Wan was quiet for a second on the other end.

"Alright."

"No need for meat, just noodles boiled in plain water."

"Add some salt?"

"Add some salt."

"Good."

The communicator hung up.

In the greenhouse, twenty Agricultural Technicians were moving the collection baskets to the Air-drying Racks.

The golden ears of wheat were piled like small mountains in the baskets.

The lights shone on them, reflecting a miniature wheat field.

Lin Wan stood there and watched for three seconds.

Then she bent down and continued moving the baskets.

Six and a half tons, the first crop.

From a single Cabbage seedling to six and a half tons of wheat.

She placed a basket on the Air-drying Rack and turned toward the next one.