Chapter 60: Sisters "Contending"
Seeing that Bai Feng didn't mind her blunt words, Ying Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. Then she said, "The Fruit Trees here are growing very well, but the Soil Fertility seems a bit lacking. You must have been using Homemade Fertilizer all this time, right?"
"That's right." Bai Feng nodded.
"Homemade Fertilizer is sufficient for low Energy Level Fruit Trees, but if it's continuously used on high Energy Level Fruit Trees, it can easily lead to insufficient Soil Fertility. How about this, I'll recommend a store to you. You can buy Special Fertilizer from them. This Special Fertilizer uses Pure Natural Materials and has no Industrial Components. It can both significantly improve Soil Fertility and not affect the taste of the Fruit."
Ying Zhou thought for a moment and said. Very few people actually knew about this store because they usually only cooperated with fixed Customers, such as major financial groups like the Sasaki Family. Ordinary people couldn't even get their contact information.
It seemed inviting Ying Zhou to visit was indeed the right choice. Bai Feng was pleasantly surprised upon hearing this. He said gratefully, "Then thank you, Miss Ying Zhou."
Ying Zhou nodded and added, "That store rarely cooperates with outsiders. Remember to mention my name when you contact them."
Hearing this, Bai Feng joked, "It seems I've latched onto a big leg! Thank you, Miss, for lending a hand!"
"Naughty!" Ying Zhou was finally amused by Bai Feng and laughed. She continued, "You don't need to apply Special Fertilizer often, once a month is enough. This Mountain of yours has been cared for quite well, and the Soil Fertility loss isn't severe."
Hearing this, Bai Feng adopted a humble and receptive attitude, taking the Opportunity to ask Miss Ying Zhou many Questions, which she answered one by one.
Next, the three of them roughly toured the entire Fang Xing Mountain. Afterwards, Ying Zhou exclaimed again, "Bai Feng, I really can't imagine that you cultivated such a large Quantity of B-Grade Fruit Trees in just a few years. It's truly too..." She wanted to say 'terrifying', but felt it wasn't appropriate.
After thinking for a moment, Ying Zhou suddenly spoke to Bai Feng with a very serious expression, "Bai Feng, I now formally invite you to join the Sasaki Family on behalf of the Sasaki Family."
Bai Feng's Talent was too terrifying. Even someone with a calm personality like Ying Zhou couldn't help but be moved and wanted to pull him into her faction.
Without waiting for Bai Feng to speak, Ying Zhou continued, "You might not know about our Sasaki Family. The Sasaki Family is one of the top major families in the Kanto Region, having made their fortune through Berry Tree Cultivation. Today, they have achievements in various industries. With your Talent, as long as you join the Sasaki Family, the family's resources will definitely be heavily tilted towards you. Not only will you be able to cultivate Fruit Trees as you wish, but you'll even have the Opportunity to come into contact with Grade A and even Grade S Fruit Trees. Perhaps before long, you yourself will be able to cultivate Grade A Fruit Trees..."
Ying Zhou introduced the vastness of the Sasaki Family and the various benefits of joining the Sasaki Family to Bai Feng, speaking clearly and deliberately. Her attitude appeared sincere and solemn.
At this point, Hua Cai was dissatisfied. She glared slightly at Ying Zhou and said, "Ying Zhou, you're too unkind! You're trying to poach him right from under my nose when I brought it up first!"
Ying Zhou replied expressionlessly, "It's just fair competition."
Hearing this, Hua Cai could only say to Bai Feng, "Little brother Bai Feng, what's so good about the Sasaki Family? Why not join our Yulong Family? Our family has a much longer history than the Sasaki Family. Everything they have, we have, and we even have things they don't..."
Bai Feng had already known that Ying Zhou was from the Sasaki Family, but this was the first time he heard that Hua Cai was from the Yulong Family. He was immediately a little surprised. He knew Hua Cai was a young lady from a prominent family, but he didn't expect her Origin to be so significant.
How terrifying!
But what about the deep sisterly affection you two talked about? Now you're "turning against each other" just to "contend" for a man?
Although Bai Feng was complaining internally, he saw that both Ying Zhou and Hua Cai were sincere in their attitude and genuinely wanted to invite him to join their respective families. Therefore, he didn't joke around but spoke to the two of them seriously:
"Thank you, both Misses, for thinking so highly of me, but I still feel more comfortable on my own."
"Sigh~~" Hua Cai sighed regretfully, "It's very hard to struggle on your own. Little brother Bai Feng, you're so young and already have such strong abilities. It's only right to focus on researching Berry Tree Cultivation. Why waste Time on struggling?"
Ying Zhou, on the other hand, felt both disappointed and that it was only natural after hearing Bai Feng's answer.
With Bai Feng's ability, it was only a matter of Time before he carved out his own path. It was just that he was too outstanding, and Ying Zhou couldn't help but want to try. As expected, she was rejected.
Seeing that Hua Cai still wanted to keep chattering, Bai Feng quickly interrupted her, saying, "Alright, let's go take a look at the other Mountain. I'm currently researching and cultivating Grafting Fruit Trees there, and I was just hoping to ask Miss Ying Zhou to help me take a look!"
Hua Cai's words were interrupted, and she glared at Bai Feng in dissatisfaction. However, she also knew that Bai Feng didn't want to continue this topic, so she could only shut up and stop talking.
Led by Bai Feng, the three of them then arrived at Fang Cun Mountain.
Compared to Fang Xing Mountain, Fang Cun Mountain was slightly more desolate. The Grafting Fruit Trees hadn't fully grown yet, and the newly transplanted Fruit Trees were still just Saplings.
Bai Feng led Ying Zhou and Hua Cai into the Forest of Grafting Fruit Trees. Most of the Grafting Fruit Trees here had died, with only a small portion surviving. Therefore, the entire Fruit Forest looked sparse.
"The survival rate of your Grafting Fruit Trees here doesn't seem very high." Looking at the sparse Fruit Trees before her, Ying Zhou said doubtfully.
The Grafting technique for Fruit Trees in the Pokémon World was already very mature. The survival rate for Grafting Fruit Trees by a typical Berry Farmer could reach around 80%. However, observing the actual Situation of this Fruit Forest, Ying Zhou felt that the survival rate here was probably less than 40%.
"That is indeed the case." Bai Feng looked troubled. He asked Miss Ying Zhou for advice, "If Fruit Trees originally lived in an environment with extremely high Energy Concentration, how can their survival rate be guaranteed when transplanting them now?"
Ying Zhou replied, "That's not difficult."
Not difficult? Bai Feng was startled. So it wasn't difficult after all?
Then he heard Miss Ying Zhou say, "You just need to plant them in an Ecological Simulation Plantation."
Bai Feng had heard of Ecological Simulation Plantations, but weren't such Plantations meant to simulate special environments, such as extreme heat or extreme cold? Could they also simulate high Energy Concentration environments?
Thinking this, Bai Feng voiced his doubts.
The truth was that they could indeed simulate such environments. Bai Feng didn't know simply because his perspective was limited. It was just that the cost of such special Plantations was too high. Ordinary people wouldn't build them at all, so naturally, not many people knew about them.
The Sasaki Family had such a Plantation, and they only had one. What was planted inside was their family's most precious treasure—Grade S Fruit Trees.
The Money spent each year to maintain the operation of such a Plantation was almost incalculable. However, for the Sasaki Family, it was all worth it. Grade S Fruit Trees were the foundation upon which their family's existence relied. Berries of this Grade were already existences that needed to be protected regardless of the cost.
In fact, not only the Sasaki Family, but the Yulong Family where Hua Cai belonged also had Similar places. Grade S Fruit Trees were one of the important reasons why a major family could continuously produce powerful Trainers, and powerful Trainers were the foundation for a major family or large power to stand firm in the Pokémon World for a long Time.
After hearing Miss Ying Zhou's explanation, Bai Feng immediately felt numb. He might as well just go wash up and sleep. What Ecological Simulation Plantation? It was all fleeting clouds. He couldn't even afford to build a regular Plantation, let alone anything else.
How was this not difficult? It was simply too difficult! Of course, if you had Money, nothing would be difficult, but the key was that he didn't have Money!
(End of Chapter)