67: Chapter 67 Eightfold Increase in Planting Area Acquired! Watermelons and Strawberries All Planted

The blue light spread across the planting area for a full thirty seconds.

When the light faded, Lin Wan's mouth was hanging wide open.

The original six half-meter square Simple Soilless Cultivation Boxes were still in place.

But around them, the space in the entire Starboard Planting Area had undergone a world-shaking transformation.

The walls had receded by one meter.

This meter of space was gained by compressing the partition wall between the living area and the cold storage.

The system had calculated the structural strength to ensure the compressed partition wall still met the safety standards of a Lv.2 camp-grade base.

In the extra space, a brand-new Large-scale Constant-temperature Hydroponic Planting System had fully taken shape.

Three layers of vertical planting racks stretched from front to back along the starboard inner wall, with a total length exceeding ten meters.

Standardized hydroponic troughs were lined up on each layer of the planting racks, filled with a white Nutrient Substrate that was finer than that of the simple cultivation boxes.

Beneath the substrate was a Nutrient Solution Circulation Pump System. Transparent flexible hoses wound through the framework of the planting racks, with a drip irrigation interface every thirty centimeters.

The overhead UV light strips had been upgraded from a single row to a three-row array, with broader spectral coverage and adjustable intensity.

The bottom layer of the planting rack was also equipped with an independent Constant-temperature Control Module, connected to the main heating system pipeline via a pipe to ensure the temperature of the hydroponic area could be regulated independently.

The planting area of the entire system was eight times that of the original six cultivation boxes.

Lin Wan stood at the entrance of the planting area, hands covering her mouth, her eyes welling up.

“City Lord...”

“Don't cry.”

“I'm not crying; I'm just happy.”

“Don't cry even if you're happy. It's a waste of water.”

Lin Wan burst into a laugh and wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.

She squatted down, her hands trembling as she stroked the inner wall of a hydroponic trough.

As her fingers slid across the surface of the white Nutrient Substrate, the texture felt delicate and dense, more than a grade higher than the grayish-brown substrate of the simple cultivation boxes.

“The breathability and water retention of this substrate are ridiculously good.” Her voice trembled, full of the excitement a professional feels when seeing top-tier equipment.

“City Lord, can we plant the watermelons now?”

“Plant them.”

“And the strawberries?”

“Plant them.”

“All of them?”

“All of them.”

Lin Wan pulled a small package wrapped tightly in multiple layers of oil paper from her inner pocket.

She gently unwrapped the oil paper, revealing the seeds inside.

Three Improved Watermelon Seeds, each a size larger than a normal melon seed, their surfaces shimmering with a pale green luster.

Five Cream Strawberry Seeds, as tiny as sesame seeds, but showing an extremely faint pink hue under the light.

These seeds had been stored in the grade a seed vault for who knows how many years, and their preservation state was perfect.

“City Lord, the growth cycle for improved watermelons is ninety days. They need ample light and a root temperature of at least 25 degrees.” Lin Wan held the seeds and looked up at him. “Can the hydroponic system's independent constant-temperature module be set to 25 degrees?”

Lu Chen checked the temperature control parameters of the hydroponic planting system on the holographic panel.

“It can be adjusted up to 30 degrees.”

“That's enough!” Lin Wan's eyes shone with heat.

“The growth cycle for cream strawberries is seventy days. Their temperature requirements aren't as strict as the watermelons'—20 to 25 degrees is fine—but they need independent hydroponic troughs to avoid root competition.”

She walked back and forth in front of the three-layer planting racks twice, gesturing constantly with her hands and muttering her layout plans under her breath.

“The bottom layer has the weakest light, so we'll plant sweet potatoes and potatoes there; those two don't need very strong light.”

“The middle layer will have Winter Wheat and Carrots, where the light is moderate.”

“The top layer has the strongest light, so we'll plant the watermelons and strawberries.” She reached out and patted the top rack. “And we'll leave two slots for Cabbage for a quick cycle.”

“The original six simple cultivation boxes will be kept as a seedling area. New seeds will sprout in the small boxes first and then be transplanted into the hydroponic system once they reach a certain size.”

She planned everything logically, her fingers pointing here and there on the planting racks, her movements extremely efficient.

Lu Chen leaned against the cockpit doorframe watching her work, sipping water from his thermos.

“City Lord, I'm going to start planting now!”

“Mm.”

“Just you wait. In three months, the variety of food on this vehicle will be more than you can imagine.”

After saying this, Lin Wan had already squatted in front of the top-layer planting rack.

Holding an Improved Watermelon Seed with her left hand, she used her right index finger to poke a small hole in the white Nutrient Substrate, the depth perfectly set for the seed's optimal germination.

She gently placed the seed inside, covered it with substrate, and then pressed around it with her fingertips to ensure the seed was in full contact with the substrate.

Her movements were incredibly gentle, for fear of damaging the seed coat.

The first watermelon seed entered the soil.

The second.

The third.

The three Improved Watermelon Seeds were planted into three separate hydroponic troughs spaced one meter apart, giving the roots plenty of room to stretch.

Then came the strawberries.

The five Cream Strawberry Seeds were planted into five independent small hydroponic troughs adjacent to the watermelons.

After planting the last seed, Lin Wan stood up and let out a long breath.

“Finished planting.”

She turned to look at Lu Chen, her face flushed, her fingers covered in white Nutrient Substrate powder, her whole being radiating a sense of devout satisfaction.

“City Lord, when the watermelons are ripe in three months, the first slice is for you.”

“I don't like watermelon.”

“Liar, who doesn't like watermelon?” Lin Wan put her hands on her hips. “Being able to eat fresh watermelon in this hellhole—you're not craving it?”

Lu Chen didn't answer the question.

His gaze swept over the hydroponic troughs on the three-layer planting rack where the seeds had just been buried, as well as the empty slots waiting to be filled.

“Arrange the other seeds as well. Plant the potatoes on the bottom layer, open two more slots for Winter Wheat, and leave two quick-cycle slots for Cabbage on the top layer.”

“Everything will go according to your plan; I won't interfere.”

“Got it!”

Lin Wan turned back to continue her work, taking more seeds from the grade a seed vault and sowing them slot by slot.

Lu Chen returned to the driver's seat and summoned the holographic panel.

[Current Truth Points balance: 1033 points.]

[Lv.2 Tech Tree Status:]

[Armament and Weaponry: Node 1, Node 2, Node 3, Top Core]

[Infrastructure Armor: Node 1, Node 2, Node 3, Top Core]

[Ecological Logistics: Node 1, Node 2, Node 3, Top Core]

[Power Engine: Node 1, Node 2, Node 3, Top Core]

Lit up: 8/16.

Remaining: 8.

Two more had been lit up since before the departure.

Ecological Logistics and Power Engine were no longer blank.

Lu Chen closed the panel and saved the balance of one thousand points.

No rush.

Save enough money before spending it—that was the fundamental principle of an infrastructure maniac.