Gene from the 13th Department of Bright City

At many food exchanges near the eastern farm, many mountain workers sit on the street in twos and threes, waiting for the merchants who gather at the entrance of the 12th Section Agricultural Station. Since the past few days, the work of many mountain workers has been reduced.

At this time, several mountain workers were discussing whether to lower the price and grab the business directly. One of the tall ones shook his head.

"Aren't you looking for trouble? Everyone has been out of business these days. If you lower the price, how will the price go back up when normal food is shipped out of the warehouse?"

Many mountain carriers have lost their patience and want to lower the price of transportation to quickly get business. However, some mountain carriers are still more rational. When they see some friends around them wanting to lower prices, they dissuade them. Once the normal transportation market is destroyed, In the end, it is the mountain workers themselves who are unlucky about prices.

"Everyone, please go back. The food will not be shipped out today. Please come back at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning."

Many businessmen waiting in front of the 12th Section Agricultural Institute started making noises. Some businessmen had not received food for many days in a row. During this time, the food had been distributed by the food distribution in the barrier zone without any conditions. Wholesalers took away a large amount, and even large companies' food shipments have been reduced.

Many individual businessmen who have finally obtained grain wholesale licenses are now suffering. Some businessmen open restaurants and food wholesalers, and many businessmen have to use the grain raw materials they have stored.

The food market has been moving very strangely in the past few days. The same goes for the food market at the bottom. Food is not available unimpeded. The food market at the middle level has begun to increase prices in recent days and will soon reach the legal limit. The highest price stipulated by law.

There are even many secret grain transactions, and the price is more than three times the normal market price.

Many businessmen in the management office of Section 12 walked out disappointed. After the door was closed, many businessmen began to discuss privately, hoping to buy some grain from those who still had storage capacity to maintain operations.

It seems like food suddenly became less available overnight. This is how many people feel.

In a crop laboratory located on the fourth underground floor of Section 12 Headquarters, Gene sat quietly in front of a large row of experimental crops with a translucent film ecosystem. Each crop was labeled, some were mature, and Some are still green seedlings.

Next to them were light and shadow screens with a large amount of experimental data. Gene carefully looked at these analyzed and unanalyzed crop genome series.

"Even if you show me these, I can't give you an accurate conclusion, Xiaoye!"

Gene said and Ye Chunwang nodded. Only he and his secretary have permission to enter this top-secret research room.

"I just want to ask for your opinion. After all, no one in the city knows more about genetic engineering than you."

Gene smiled and shook his head.

"I have almost forgotten all that knowledge."

Ye Chunwang looked at Jean with contempt.

"Forget about it, can you be more diligent like the other six? Your major is obviously genetic engineering. The meat and crop gene synthesis cultivation in Brilliant City would not be possible without you."

"Is that so? Isn't it you?"

Gene smiled and blew out a puff of smoke. Ye Chunwang was breathless, and then Gene put away his smile.

"I have taught you everything I can teach you. Besides, the reason why I was interested in this aspect 200 years ago was because I wanted to rely on the genetic material on the asteroid to resurrect Ellie. People always have to have someone. Only strong thoughts can lead to strong action. I did it, and now I have handed it all to you 80 years ago. If you ask me now, I can't give you any answers or opinions."

Ye Chunwang became a little angry, and Gene chuckled, took a puff of cigarette and looked at it seriously.

"I'm just talking about small leaves. Among the new cold-resistant crops developed by AI5, my opinion is the hibernation mechanism."

"I see."

Ye Chunwang understood instantly, and Jean nodded. He leaned over in surprise and sat next to Jean.

"Some gene sequences, which I have seen during previous research, are hibernation mechanisms in certain animals. During the evolution of life, in order to resist the harsh nature, especially when food is scarce in winter, many animals have found ways to hibernate. This method is used to cope with the challenge of survival. When the temperature is lower than 10 degrees, this kind of rice will produce a layer of high molecular polymerization density coating on the surface, locking the internal moisture and temperature, and the flow of nutrients will also change. It will grow slowly, just like animals hibernating. There are still 2381 genome sequences that have not been analyzed. Xiaoye, if you want to achieve a reliable safety level that can control this winter wheat for human consumption, make an NDA structure. The recombination experiment is done, use the most original method and prepare at least 1,000 samples."

Ye Chunwang looked at Jean with some confusion.

"This primitive method is very slow and cannot be tested on samples."

Jean said after thinking for a long time.

"In a few days, come with me to Section 10. Some of the current new technologies can be tested, but they are not yet stable. You have relied too much on machines in the past few years, Xiaoye."

Ye Chunwang glanced at Jean and said angrily.

"How old am I? I'm almost 130 years old. Gene has limited energy, so I won't go there. I'll leave it to Larry. He is my successor. I have found a miracle in the recovery of the land. ."

Jean said as he squinted at Ye Chunwang who was smiling.

"I no longer intend to continue with the research. Recently, I feel more and more that my thinking is starting to slow down. After all, people have to obey the old Jean. As long as I can see the land in the barrier area recover and the sun shine on the farmland in my lifetime, It’s fine here, I still want to enjoy my old age.”

Gene smiled and nodded.

"When you retire, I will often go to your house to have a drink."

Ye Chunwang stared at Jean walking towards the door.

"Jean, what I just said was not a joke to you. Continue genetic research. With your talent, if you are willing to study it seriously, you can benefit more people."

Gene shook his head and looked back.

"Sorry Xiaoye, compared to these studies, what I like more is wandering around the city. Maybe I can find someone who can help the city. But one day the city no longer needs 13 subjects, everyone While everyone is bathing in the sun, I should continue to start research. In the past few days, the Food Association, the Clothing Association, and the Film and Entertainment Association have purchased a large amount of grain, preparing to hit the bottom market. Blindly restricting grain exports is not the answer. ."

Ye Chunwang nodded.

"I am planning to interview food wholesalers in the near future. Section 9 is also actively preparing to try to reduce the impact on the market to the minimum harm. Section 2 will send us daily crisis reports on possible future crises in the past few days. Let’s quickly come up with something that works.”

"Don't you already have a method?"

Gene said with a serious face, Ye Chunwang nodded.

"There are nearly 50,000 people who have been working in the agricultural sector for a long time. Human work cannot keep up with machinery. But if their work is replaced by machinery, these 50,000 people who have been working for a long time will be pushed to the edge of eviction. The city will The last vestiges of mercy for those who have fallen to the bottom will soon disappear.”

Gene nodded. Since more than 30 years ago, the Agriculture Department has basically banned machinery. Instead, harvesting is done manually. The efficiency is much slower than that of machinery. According to the calculations of the 2nd Department, if the mechanized planting and harvesting are fully invested, then , the amount of food shipped out of the warehouse will be 1.5 to 2 times larger than now.

The level of sophistication of today's robotic arms has long been comparable to that of the human hand, and is even more precise and flexible than the human hand.

“If the situation at the bottom level really gets better, you can implement it step by step.”

Gene said and Ye Chunwang nodded. The total number of people working irregularly in the Agricultural Section is 200,000. Excluding 30,000 criminals, at least 150,000 people need to solve their problems. This means that the bottom class must be able to solve the problem in a short time. Only by providing 2,000 jobs in each district can agricultural mechanization of planting and harvesting be realized.

Because the harvesting cycle after the crops mature can take up to a week at the fastest, and you have to work overtime at what time every day. If machinery is used, harvesting and sowing can be completed in up to 2 days, plus some manual planting is required during the growth period. If crops are not managed properly, the growth cycle will also be increased.

The machinery can work 24 hours a day and only requires electricity, and those who work here need to be provided with room and board, three meals a day, and even a minimum monthly salary of 500 yuan.

"How about making up a lie first?"

Gene said as Ye Chunwang frowned.

“Is it true that we claim to have completed research on land revitalization and crop cultivation in barrier zones?”

Gene nodded.

"That's all we can do, intensify research, let the land recover first, and build some facilities in the barrier area. The sun will rise in the barrier area. After we go out, once we find the supplies, I will let Tang Rao use the best method to Sent back quickly.”

"You are really innocent. You said so many things, which sound very beautiful."

Wu Qun looked at the green drink in the cup and took another sip. The taste was still very complicated. Le Xiao expressed a lot of her thoughts in one breath, but many of them were unrealistic.

"Then tell me, didn't you make it easy? What exactly are the middle and upper classes lacking?"

Le Xiao really couldn't figure out what the middle and upper classes lacked. They had something to eat and things to play. They were many times better than those at the bottom. Everything was produced and sold by people.

The only better part of the lower level is the several large areas in the north connected to the middle level, which are all factories. Most people at the bottom can only find factory jobs there, but they are temporary, and most factories do not have contract workers.

Le Xiao looked at the diagram that Wu Qun took out for her to see. It was a structural diagram with three floors of intensive commerce on the upper, middle and lower floors. After a few glances, she lost much interest. She felt that the fat man in front of her was just here to fool her. , or want to get something out of yourself.

"Did you take a good look at this business chart?"

Le Xiao glanced again.

"What's the use of this? You can tell me what the middle and upper classes lack."

Wu Qun shook his head.

“I don’t know either, because some at the bottom and the middle and upper classes have them, but some at the middle and upper classes may not have them at the bottom.”

"Aren't you talking nonsense?"

Wu Qun patted his belly with a smile and looked at Le Xiao with interest.

"Although your ideas are naive, most of them are closest to the essence. I've been talking to you for a long time, but you still don't have any ideas?"

Le Xiao shook her head, curled her lips, and looked at the chart again. Most of the commercial-intensive areas are concentrated in the 60 districts in the middle and upper classes, while the 60 districts at the bottom, where commerce is more dense, are only in the center of each district. There were only a few streets, and the rest was deserted.

"Then let me ask you another question. In your eyes, what kind of life should the people at the bottom lead to be considered a good life?"

Le Xiao felt excited and nodded with a smile.