Matrix Survival: I Get A Random Chest Every Day-Chapter 749 - 521: Leaf-Cutter Ants_2

The internal space of the Kang'er Botanical Garden was unexpectedly large; just the area where Li Zheng followed Kang'er covered at least eighty acres!

The eighty acres were divided into more than ten greenhouses of different sizes, each equipped with fixed sun lamps on the roof to provide necessary light for the plants.

In the corners of some greenhouses, other high-end equipment like temperature controllers, humidity controllers, and special gas controllers were also installed to meet the different needs of each plant.

Arriving at the entrance of a greenhouse, Li Zheng peered inside through the transparent outer wall and saw a plant surprisingly similar to a coconut tree. Its leaves were chewed off in bits and pieces, and the fruit at the top was more than twice the size of an ordinary coconut.

"Are these the new species you've cultivated?" Li Zheng examined closely and finally spotted a few ants with blue-tinted bodies on a tree.

Each leaf-eating ant was the size of a thumb, with long mandibles, moving effortlessly along the trunk.

"If possible, could you spare me a few live leaf-eating ants?" Kang'er hesitated for a moment and finally decided to be frank: "Although leaf-eating ants feed on plants, they also secrete a substance that can greatly accelerate the growth of plants."

This is also a skill that leaf-eating ants rely on to survive, speeding up plant growth with the secreted substance to ensure their food is not consumed too quickly.

Some botanical garden owners keep several nests to extract the secreted substance, accelerate plant growth, and increase yield.

"Grandpa!" Basil shouted urgently, "Leaf-eating ants are too dangerous; if mishandled, they can easily be life-threatening!"

The Vine Race itself is plant-like life, raising leaf-eating ants is as absurd as mice raising cats.

It's more dangerous than playing with fire next to a tank of oil.

Once, the Vine Race tried it, and the result was that during feeding, the leaf-eating ants burrowed into the body through the palm, necessitating expensive medical intervention to extract them.

Some leaf-eating ants sensed danger and erratically burrowed through the host, even resulting in fatalities on the way to the hospital from puncturing vital organs like the brainstem or heart.

"All investment behaviors have risks." Kang'er gently patted Basil, "But grandpa also believes that the higher the risk, the greater the potential reward."

"Several nearby botanical gardens have introduced leaf-eating ants; if grandpa falls behind, the market share he originally occupied could be taken over and devoured."

"Milk salt fruit is grandpa's hope. If this batch is ruined, I need to cultivate another batch before the delivery date, or I'll have to pay a huge penalty for breach of contract."

But conventional cultivation methods have too long a growth cycle, and he can't afford to wait.

Li Zheng furrowed his brow slightly: "Don't you have oxytocin here? That can also speed up plant growth and it's safer."

"Oxytocin..."

Kang'er shook his head bitterly: "That advanced stuff is only available in specific districts, and around here... the cost is beyond what we can bear."

Who wouldn't want to use something safe?

The problem is it's too expensive!

The commission for inter-district cargo transportation is too high, and opening a branch factory is even more difficult; after layers of agency, oxytocin reaches the botanical garden at an astronomical price!

Only a few botanical gardens are willing to buy a small amount for cultivating particularly precious and rare plants.

"How expensive is it?" Li Zheng asked curiously, casually.

"If you're asking about the price..." Kang'er extended a vine-covered finger: "One hundred grams of oxytocin extract sells for a thousand White Crystal Coins!"

"That valuable?!" Li Zheng was shocked; a hundred grams of oxytocin could barely supply a plant for just over an hour.

"A milk salt fruit tree takes twelve days to grow; using oxytocin throughout the process..." Kang'er shook his head: "I can't even bear to think about it!"

"So what's the enhancement level of the growth substance secreted by the leaf-eating ants on plants?" Li Zheng asked again.

"One point two five times." Kang'er thought for a moment: "But I heard that if you can find the formula, the substance can be made into a fertilizer to increase this figure to one point seven five times."

One point seven five times, still a bit less than oxytocin.

Li Zheng recalled when he first discovered the plant cultivation room left by Luo Aiman, he had obtained some ordinary cultivation liquid that had a twofold enhancement, even more powerful than the leaf-eating ants' substance.

"Actually, oxytocin also has a bit of a side effect," Kang'er said. "Using it directly on plants strains their potential; aside from the first fruit maintaining its original flavor and taste, every subsequent yield gets worse until it's worthless."

So those botanical gardens that buy oxytocin also choose to quickly produce a batch of fruit before stopping its use to let the plant recover and regain its original potential.

If oxytocin could be made into intermediate cultivation liquid, it would avoid this side effect."

Saying this, he sighed deeply again: "Unfortunately, the factory that produced intermediate cultivation liquid was destroyed, its formula lost; no one has been able to replicate it on the market so far."

Another factory destroyed?

Li Zheng felt a stirring inside; why was it that several items he found from treasure chests were from factories that were destroyed at some point?

Is it a coincidence?

Or is it...

"The first delivery date is just ten days away, and I have no choice but to risk using leaf-eating ants to make it." Kang'er pleaded with Li Zheng: "I beg you to save me a few live ones, please."

Just then, the tool person responsible for one-ring translation, Kota, seemed eager to show off and pounded his chest, assuring: "Old man, don't worry, I'll take care of this!"

Knowing the target was leaf-eating ants, which only posed a lethal threat to plant-like life, the tiger-man trio regained their confidence, their words becoming much bolder.

Li Zheng glared at him: "Is it your task or mine? Why are you butting in?"

"I'm sorry!" Kota was immediately scared stiff, apologizing awkwardly.

He got a bit carried away just now and forgot that his life was still in someone else's hands.

Even though Li Zheng had dispelled the Cold Ice Needle the moment he entered the botanical garden, Kota dared not be reckless, as he sensed subtle pressure from Li Zheng every time he thought of making a move against him.

It seemed as if this person always kept a part of his energy to monitor them.

Kota wasn't aware that not only he felt this way, but everyone present felt the same.

Including Kang'er and his grandson; otherwise, they wouldn't have been so polite to Li Zheng.

"Tell me about the weaknesses of the leaf-eating ants first."

Li Zheng did not immediately agree to Kang'er's request, "I'll consider leaving you a few once I start dealing with them."

"Thank you!" Kang'er was overjoyed and began to describe the weaknesses of the leaf-eating ants: "These insects fear high temperatures; other than that, you can only completely kill them by cutting them in half.

Moreover, among the leaf-eating ants, there's a soldier ant that is different from the rest, with more solid mandibles and even wings, capable of flying to attack hostile targets.

If you encounter soldier ants, be sure to protect your most vulnerable organs, or the consequences could be dire!

Other than that, there's not much else."

"Oh, right!" Kang'er remembered something and added: "Don't underestimate these insects; a lone leaf-eating ant has a Diamond Level close to Extraordinary strength, and if their numbers grow, even a Star Shining Level life could suffer from carelessness."

After Hu Er finished translating, his face changed, and he pointed at Li Zheng triumphantly: "Old man, don't worry about a few minor insects that aren't even Extraordinary; this Li Zheng from the King Level will handle it easily!"

"Right, right!" Hu San nodded vigorously: "Piece of cake!"

Watching his two silly brothers flatter Li Zheng, Kota covered his face, unable to bear the sight.

He's the enemy!

The enemy!

Our lives are still in his hands, yet you two are acting like you're his underlings?

"Kota!"

"Here!"

Li Zheng suddenly called his name, startling Hu Da, who immediately stood upright.

"The three of you, go in and kill the bugs for me!"

"!!!"

Kota suddenly remembered, it was their trio who were under someone else's control and almost forgot they had to help with the task.