Cultivation: I Have Studied Abroad in the Modern World
Chapter 296 - 182: Be a God

Chapter 296: Chapter 182: Be a God

"Mr. Hou?"

Just after hanging up the phone, Zheng Fa saw Mr. Hou running towards him.

He was holding a rice panicle, tall enough to reach his shoulder, and as he ran, the grains kept hitting his smiling face.

Zheng Fa understood immediately what he wanted to say.

"Did it succeed?"

Mr. Hou nodded, handing the rice panicle to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa looked at it closely in his hand.

Mr. Hou’s idea was to use the retirement home’s rice as either the male or the female parent in crossbreeding with other varieties — the goal was to develop a new variety that not only possessed the retirement home rice’s taste and yield advantages but could also be cultivated on a large scale outside of the spiritual energy environment.

Now, it seemed that some initial results had been achieved.

Mr. Hou explained, "We’ve tried over fifty different plans, and it looks like this one strikes a balance between taste, growing environment, and yield."

"We’ve tested it in environments without spiritual energy."

"This variety produces over 1200 kilograms per mu, tastes better than nearly all the varieties on the market, and doesn’t have high requirements for soil fertility!"

The rice in Zheng Fa’s hand was a little smaller than the varieties previously grown in the retirement home but a bit larger than those currently cultivated on a large scale within the country.

The grains were round and long; heavy and fragrant to the touch.

Holding the rice seed, Zheng Fa’s heart suddenly calmed, a vague sense of solidity enveloping him.

"You’re a farmer too."

Mr. Hou looked at his expression and suddenly said with a laugh.

"Hmm?" As Zheng Fa looked up, he agreed, "I am a farmer..."

He was constantly aware that his early life had left a deep impression on him; he loved the land and the grains from the bottom of his heart...

Mr. Hou laughed heartily, a look of agreement in his eyes.

"Everyone has given me so much praise, but I know in my heart I am just a farmer... I’ve always had a bit of regret that after so many years of research, although the yield has gone up, people don’t like the taste..."

Zheng Fa nodded.

Having interacted with Mr. Hou for so long, he also understood a bit of the current status of hybrid rice.

Simply put, hybrid rice has not been widely promoted, mainly because most of it has been processed into rice products — the primary factor being taste.

On the other hand, Mr. Hou isn’t the only group working on hybrid rice; many other scientists are also striving.

Mr. Hou’s status as a forerunner means he is an explorer — exploring the limits of yield — but large-scale cultivation looks at the market and costs first, and the ultimate yield is akin to laboratory results; pushing to the market is another matter.

In the field of hybrid rice, his variety wasn’t the most popular one.

This led to a little regret for Mr. Hou — his hybrid rice variety was generally seen only as an emergency backup option and had yet to enter every household.

Mr. Hou, looking at the rice seedlings in Zheng Fa’s hand, showed a hint of tenderness and said to Zheng Fa, "People used to call me the father of this and that... but inside, I’ve always felt somewhat unworthy."

He paused, not continuing, but suddenly bowed to Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa supported him again.

But this time, the old man’s back was very firm, as if he would not rest until he finished.

Zheng Fa was surprised and let go.

Mr. Hou deeply bowed to Zheng Fa.

After standing up, Mr. Hou spoke, "Now I also know what it means to die without regrets..."

Old Man Bai and Tang Lingwu stood side by side under the eaves, turning to look at each other, both faces blooming with a smile.

...

"Is this the new rice variety?" At the dinner table, the visiting Group Leader Yang had a taste of the rice in her bowl and her eyes lit up with surprise, "This was bred?"

"Our retirement home’s work is done, we still have to wait for the next experiments."

Zheng Fa explained.

The rice variety was currently accelerated in growth by the Evergreen Talisman, the next step would naturally be to see if it could grow as well in a natural environment without spiritual energy.

But as Zheng Fa said, the part involving the retirement home was nearly complete.

The rest could be conducted by a general agricultural laboratory.

"Wait a moment, I need to make a phone call." Group Leader Yang suddenly put down her rice bowl and ran out.

Zheng Fa turned to Mr. Hou, saying, "Mr. Hou, we’ll have to count on you and Mrs. Tian for the next steps in cultivating Spirit Plants."

Mr. Hou nodded upon hearing this, and then added, "I’d certainly be willing, but when it comes to cytoplasmic inheritance research, I am not the expert..."

Zheng Fa understood in his heart.

Group Leader Yang made phone calls every day, but in fact, the confidentiality work was well-handled — someone like Mr. Hou, trusted immensely by higher-ups, would be informed of details.

For instance, this time, when Zheng Fa wanted to find some top experts related to nuclear engineering, the process was slower, most of the time spent on personnel assessment.

After a while, Group Leader Yang came back from outside.

She said to Zheng Fa:

"The grain company we mentioned before has now been officially established. The chairman is Ling Wu, right?"

Zheng Fa looked at Tang Lingwu, who nodded slightly, her expression full of determination.

"If you’re unwilling..."

Seeing her expression, Zheng Fa suddenly remembered when he first met Tang Lingwu, she said she didn’t like doing business — because she was a little socially anxious.

"I am willing!"

Tang Lingwu said.

Zheng Fa was startled for a moment, then nodded gently.

Suddenly, Old Man Bai turned his head and lovingly said to Mrs. Tian, "I am willing!"

Everyone was confused at first, but then immediately understood what Old Man Bai meant; Mrs. Tian smacked him on the back with a loud slap, "What nonsense!"

"I just thought, we never had a wedding, and what Ling Wu said was so touching! We never said that."

"Old couple like us, there’s no need for that, it’s what the young lovebirds do!"

With that said, Tang Lingwu blushed so fiercely it was undeniable, her social anxiety becoming apparent.

Group Leader Yang watched them finish joking and then added, "Also, there’s a national science progress award being considered by the authorities recently, and they wanted to ask you..."

She didn’t finish, but Zheng Fa and the others understood.

They seemed to be about to offer money and awards.

"This... isn’t the experiment still not finished?"

Old Man Bai said, puzzled.

"Intermediate achievements are also achievements." Group Leader Yang said with a smile, seemingly convinced that what he said made a great deal of sense.

Zheng Fa was rather indifferent to the matter.

He glanced at the other few people at the table.

Tang Mudao had been focusing solely on cultivation recently, and was absent-minded at the dinner table.

Tang Lingwu was clearly socially anxious.

Mrs. Tian didn’t seem much interested either.

Wait, not Old Man Bai... Old Man Bai, why do you look so eager to jump at the chance?

"Mr. Bai, I see that nobody else from the institute is available, so it’s up to you," said Zheng Fa. "If you’re reluctant..."

"I’m willing!"

Three words, uttered with determination, as if to say—Let me bear the filthy burden of fame and fortune!

Mrs. Tian slowly put down her chopsticks and looked towards Old Man Bai.

"Tian?"

"Why do I feel like you weren’t as sincere when you said that to me?"

"..."

"Say it to me again!"

"Weren’t you the one saying we are an old couple..."

"Say it!"

...

Two days later, Zheng Fa and others were squatting in Old Man Bai’s room, watching TV.

Today was the day Old Man Bai would stand in for the nursing home to receive an award.

The award ceremony was a big deal, it even got a short segment inserted into the daily news.

They watched Old Man Bai step onto the stage with excitement, receiving the prize money and certificate with a beaming face, then stepped down briskly—heaving a collective sigh of relief.

Zheng Fa was mainly worried that Old Man Bai might get a screw loose and take off on camera.

...

Down on the main road at the foot of the mountain, Group Leader Yang was personally driving a car, with a middle-aged man and a young man sitting in the back.

The car radio was broadcasting Old Man Bai’s interview with a national channel’s reporter:

"Under the wise leadership of Director Zheng from Rainbow Agricultural Research Institute..."

"This honor belongs to our director..."

"He’s a man not seeking fame or profit..."

Rainbow Agricultural Research Institute is one of the nursing home’s public facades.

The two passengers had different reactions upon hearing the news.

"Yang." The young man couldn’t help but ask.

"I am now Group Leader Yang," Group Leader Yang said with a smile.

"Group Leader Yang, I heard that this award was added at the last minute?"

The young man asked curiously.

The middle-aged man tugged at his sleeve, but evidently, the young man was somewhat stubborn.

"Yes," Group Leader Yang glanced at him through the rearview mirror, saying frankly, "I was the one who applied for it."

"..."

The young man moved his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

"Do you think it’s unfair?"

"I just think it’s... hasty... Other awardees have gone through more than half a year of selection."

Group Leader Yang quirked his lips and said, "Let me put it this way... perhaps in ten years, or twenty years, if this award ceremony is remembered at all, it will be because of this Rainbow Agricultural Research Institute."

"..." The young man fell silent, and after a long while, he finally spoke, "Group Leader Yang, is Cultivation really... real?"

Group Leader Yang nodded with a smile.

The young man looked as if his entire worldview had collapsed.

"Still don’t believe it?"

"Believe it, how could I not? With all this fanfare, how can I not believe?" The young man sighed deeply and then added, "If you just said it was Cultivation, I could accept that."

"But you said..."

"Immortals are playing with nuclear fusion..."

"That’s... a bit too scientific."

At this moment, the middle-aged man spoke up, "Isn’t there a saying? The end of science is theology."

"Wu? You...?"

The young man looked at his companion in surprise, feeling that the other’s acceptance was far too good.

"When I first started researching nuclear fusion, everyone said it would take fifty years..." Wu said, "Now twenty years have passed, and it’s still fifty years..."

"Actually, everyone understands that breakthroughs in key technologies rely too much on luck, they can’t be rushed, and no prediction will be accurate."

"But... do I have several more fifty years?"

The young man paused.

Then he heard the middle-aged man continue, "If he really has some method for nuclear fusion... I wouldn’t just say he’s into Cultivation."

"If he said he’s God, I’d accept that too."

The young man pursed his lips.

Then they heard Group Leader Yang say:

"Not just you... if this rice succeeds."

"In ancient times, they would have erected a temple for life for such a thing."

"If the method for nuclear fusion really works," Group Leader Yang turned to look at the two men, "if he really wants to be a god, who’s going to stop him?"