Chapter 294: Universal Planting System (Volume Finale)

"Pick twelve of the large ones from the Trial Garden peaches... No, let's make it twenty! Let the extra ones be taken back to school by Tingting for the teachers to have a taste."

"Also, get twenty of the black-gold apples that soothe mental power."

"Are there any ripe premium honey melons?"

Xie Yang was in the new area orchard directing employees to pick fruit.

This orchard was established twelve years ago, which was after Xie Ting successfully underwent his Secondary Evolution and was specially recruited into the Gene Warrior preparatory military academy by the Interstellar Army.

At that time, Xie Yang had already saved a considerable amount of Star Coins and fenced off a fairly large piece of land to become a Manor Owner.

Xiya's family and the group of underlings from the Red Tiger Gang had all successively become her employees, and to make life convenient for them, she built a row of staff dormitories on the edge of the manor.

With many hands, the work was light; within a few years, the entire manor was surrounded by flowers, grasses, melons, fruits, and vegetables common to the Habitable Star.

She brought a few bees out from the Universal Planting Space and made a batch of beehives herself; these bees made a home in her manor, and from then on, there was no shortage of Honey to eat.

With Honey, there were many more replicated Earth delicacies.

Aiming for this taste, the employees scrambled to work for her even if they didn't want a salary.

Later, seeing that the bees were too prolific and that more and more employees were coming to apply for jobs by reputation, Xie Yang simply opened up another piece of land to build an orchard.

A sign reading "Trial Garden" hung at the entrance of the orchard; it was a testing base she used specifically to cultivate special melons and fruits.

The effects of the melons and fruits produced by the Universal Planting System were too heaven-defying, but the effects of some of them made her eager to try.

Therefore, after the name of "Planting Master" was spread through the success of the little cub's Secondary Evolution, she simply opened this Trial Garden, collected fruit tree saplings from various Habitable Stars and Agricultural Reclamation Stars, and grafted the native saplings with those produced by the Universal Planting System.

If the effect of one grafting was still too heaven-defying, then she would perform a second or third, eventually cultivating a batch of special melons and fruits that were good for the body when eaten, but whose effects were not too heaven-defying.

And so, after ten years of grafting and cultivation, the orchard finally ushered in a bumper harvest.

It happened to be her son's birthday, and since his internship had just ended and he had a ten-day vacation, Xie Yang specifically asked him to invite his close classmates to play at home, planning to hold a proper coming-of-age ceremony for him.

Her son had come of age, and her Task for this plane was thus successfully completed.

Even if the channel to the next plane had not yet opened, at least she had no psychological burden and could go on a Set Off Immediately interstellar trip at any time.

She even began to plan: after her son finished his vacation and returned to the military academy, which planet should be the first stop?

Should they go to a vacation star where the ocean covers 90% of the surface to eat all kinds of interstellar seafood? Or go to an Industrial Star full of technological vibes to watch various Robot competitions?

"No matter where you go, take me with you."

Xing Lan had arrived by her side without her knowing when.

Xie Yang glanced at him and twitched the corner of her mouth.

Who could have imagined that a man who was so cold, aloof, and noble when they first met would simply stop pretending after she saw his beast form while he was fighting Che Yin'an over a dozen years ago, and would constantly transform into his beast form for her to pet; after being petted too much, he latched onto her, insisting that she was his lifelong partner, and he wouldn't listen no matter how she explained it.

When she explained too much, he would show an accusatory expression of "You are such a scumbag."

Xie Yang: "..."

What could she do!

It was she who had offended him first.

But then again, after winter arrived, especially once the temperature control system malfunctioned, the feeling of cuddling a furry creature on a cold night wasn't bad at all.

But there was no need for him to follow her on an interstellar trip, right?

"You are, after all, the person in charge of the First Legion; isn't it bad to always be running out before you've even retired?"

"I am also your First Responsible Bodyguard; wherever you go, I go—that is my primary job."

"..."

Seeing that she remained unmoved, Xing Lan took advantage of the moment the fruit-picking employees went out to get baskets to transform into his beast form in a second, lazily prostrating himself at Xie Yang's feet, his slightly curved triangular ears of the Azure Sky Wolf rubbing against her calves.

Xie Yang was both annoyed and amused, and she kicked him lightly: "Don't always use this trick."

"As long as it works."

"Xing! Lan! Change back for me right now!"

"But you like it very much."

"..."

"Ah! Young Master is back! Why aren't you going in? The boss is inside picking the fruit you like to eat, and she even baked you a big, multi-layered cake. Thanks to the Young Master, we have a treat today, hehe..."

Hearing Jin Dawei's voice, Xie Yang suddenly looked up and saw her dumbfounded son and his group of teammates.

Looking down, the person who had been prostrating at her feet and trying his best to tease her was now also frozen in his beast form.

If she weren't afraid of him being too embarrassed, she would really want to let out a string of "Hahaha."

She only found out after the fact—

Before the little cub's Secondary Evolution, this guy had transformed into his beast form more than once to secretly tease him, claiming to be his father because he, like him, possessed a pair of triangular ears and a furry body.

The little one believed it at the time and really chased after him calling him "father" for a while.

It wasn't until he was eight years old, when he successfully underwent his Secondary Evolution and was specially recruited into the military academy to study knowledge related to Gene Warriors, that he learned that the beast form genes of Gene Warriors were hereditary, and that an Azure Sky Wolf could not possibly give birth to a leopard Zai Zai, and only then did he stop.

Therefore, even though her son hadn't been on a formal frontline battlefield yet, he had seen his beast form, and more than once.

Let's see how he talks his way out of this awkward situation.

Who knew that Xing Lan wouldn't play by the rules; after being stiff for a moment, he naturally transformed into human form, and with a cold temperament, he nudged his chin toward Xie Ting and the group of youths: "Show me your transformation speed."

"Ahhh! Major General Xing! It's actually Major General Xing!"

"Is Major General Xing going to instruct us on transformation? Great! I have many questions I want to ask."

"Xie Ting, what is Major General Xing to you? Why is he at your house? I'm so envious of you!"

Xie Ting twitched the corner of his mouth: "..."

Heh!

You probably wouldn't believe it if I told you!

Not only does he come to my house often, he even wants to be my dad!

Xie Yang watched with a half-smile as Xing Lan calmly instructed the group of hot-blooded youths who had just come off the internship battlefield on how to transform at the fastest speed on a battlefield where every second counted, winning the trust and admiration of all the young warriors except Xie Ting in a matter of minutes.

It was as if the person who had been groveling at her feet just minutes ago, acting all flirtatious and coquettish just to go on an interstellar trip with her, was not him at all.

"Mom."

Xie Ting took advantage of the moment Xing Lan was surrounded by his little friends answering questions and solving their doubts to sneak up beside Xie Yang.

Even on her tiptoes, Xie Yang could not reach her son's head; she could no longer ruffle his hair like she did when he was little, so she patted his shoulder with a sigh: "How come you look like you've grown taller again? The food at the military academy seems pretty good."

"That's also thanks to Mom." If Xie Ting were to transform into his beast form right now, he would definitely be wagging his tail wildly, "If Mom hadn't taught the Canteen chefs how to make those delicious natural foods, we would be just like the garrison troops at other bases, having to rely on Nutrient Solution to fill our stomachs. They are so envious of us; they all want to transfer to our Oxygen Bar Star."

Just like every holiday in the past, he reported all sorts of things that happened at the military academy the moment they met, and at the end, he took out the small Space Button assigned to every student by the military academy, which contained some green plants or seeds he had collected while out on internship Tasks.

And Xie Yang would empty out the green plants and seeds inside, then fill it with all kinds of food, snacks, and little treats she had prepared for her son.

This time was different from the past: Xie Yang had also baked two four-layer cakes, one for his birthday celebration at home, and another packed into the Space Button for him to take to school to share with his teachers and classmates.

For his twentieth-year coming-of-age ceremony, besides the cake, fruits, and a table full of her signature dishes, Xie Yang also brought out a jar of fruit wine that had been buried for ten years.

"The alcohol content isn't very high, at most it will make you tipsy, you won't get very drunk, everyone can have a taste."

Xie Yang poured a little for everyone.

As it turned out, the children didn't get drunk, but a certain someone did.

In the quiet night, Xing Lan, having transformed into his beast form, lay prone on the rug beside her bed; his fur, gray with a streak of black-gold, was soft and smooth.

The indoor fresh air system seemed to have malfunctioned again, and the room temperature was a bit low.

Xie Yang comfortably pressed against his warm fur and pinched his ears, but there was no reaction.

Was he really drunk?

She didn't believe it and continued to pinch downward.

When she pinched his abdomen, she was wrapped up by his large, furry tail.

Then, with a pounce, he flipped her over, falling into the classic position of the man on top of the woman.

"I knew you weren't drunk!" Xie Yang pinched his chin, annoyed.

He refused to admit it, his low, hoarse voice lazily retorting: "Drunk."

"I don't see it."

"Really drunk."

He transformed into his human form and buried his face in the crook of her neck, the hot breath he exhaled tangling with her own: "Deeply intoxicated by you."

"..."

Who did he learn these cheesy pick-up lines from?

It couldn't be one of those "one hundred lines for one Star Coin" downloads from the Star Net forums, could it?

"Once Xie Ting returns to school, shall we go on our trip?" While working hard to please her, he finalized the subsequent itinerary.

Xie Yang poked his firm chest: "It's me going on a trip; you haven't retired yet, I wouldn't dare abduct you."

"It doesn't matter, I'm happy to be abducted by you."

"That won't do either, you have a military position; let's talk about it when you retire one day."

"I'll go handle my retirement tomorrow."

"..."

Is this guy crazy?

Facts proved that men can be very impulsive when they are love-struck.

The next day, he really went to the Military Department to handle his retirement.

It's just that his superiors didn't approve it.

However, relying on his thick skin, he managed to get a protection order, which meant his accompanying her on an interstellar trip was an official duty.

Being paid to accompany her to play, eat, and... *cough*, sleep. And he gets a salary on top of that? What kind of god-tier job is this?

Xie Yang: "..."

It truly made her envious.

Damn it! She has to pay out of her own pocket to go out and play, yet this guy can actually travel at public expense! No matter how you look at it, he's the one profiting.

"Don't be depressed! I'll reimburse you!"

He shoved an Infinite Star Card printed with the head of an Azure Sky Wolf into her hand.

Inside was the sum of all his personal assets, including the vacation star, mining star, and several valuable or worthless asteroids under his name.

Xie Yang stared at him intently; does this guy know what doing this implies?

He, however, scooped her up and easily leaped onto the Flying Vehicle.

A flash of bright Silver, like a dagger, cut through the firmament, leaving a silver trail in the azure sky...

{End of Volume}