Chapter 1227: Territory Alliance Soil Research Department

"Next, let us welcome our new ally — Number One Lord, Luo Pei!"

"Clap clap—" The allies applauded vigorously.

This meeting was held in Qi Fu's living room, unafraid of being discovered. Because after this meeting, the Northern Region One Territory Alliance would shift from underground to public!

Luo Pei stood up, his voice gentle, his manner proper, his words concise, "Many thanks to the Alliance Leader for giving me the chance to join. Fellow allies, Territory Number One will, just like everyone else, abide by all the regulations of the Territory Alliance. We'll share information, help one another, farm the fields well together, and survive together."

"Good!"

Tang Huai, Hearing Zhu Li, Shi Du, Watching Huo Zhun, Zhao Ze and others applauded vigorously. Number Six Lord Kuang Qingwei and Number Ten Lord Shi Zhong did not dare clap too loudly, afraid of disturbing the Number Seven and Number Eight Lords seated among them. Especially Kuang Qingwei — he had been careful the whole time, terrified that any movement on his part might be too large and bump into the big shots beside him.

Third Brother's build — if he accidentally knocked into him and broke a bone, Kuang Qingwei would die a hundred times over and still not have paid him back.

When Zhang San clapped a few times and lowered his hands, the applause in the meeting room immediately stopped.

Qi Fu picked up his speaking notes and continued reading, "Next, we move to the second agenda item of this meeting — the resolution on establishing the Territory Alliance Soil Research Department. Alliance Leader Xia Qing, please speak."

Tang Huai, Tan Qi, Hearing Zhu Li and others raised their hands, but upon noticing the big shots had no intention of applauding, obediently lowered them again.

Xia Qing nodded, "This time, the evolution of anaerobic soil bacteria into hostile forms has brought disasters to the territories beyond just the potatoes turning aggressive. The rice stubble in the fields that hasn't been cleared has already shown symptoms like red blight and black root disease. If we don't improve the soil in time and restore the balance of the soil microbial community, even if we plant this year's overwintering wheat, there will be no harvest — it will only waste high-quality seeds and fertilizer…"

The lords all calmed down and listened attentively. Seeing Xin Yu, who had been keeping her head lowered, raised her somewhat pale face.

After finishing the introduction of the necessity of establishing the Soil Research Department, Xia Qing began to introduce the department's location, "Taking into comprehensive consideration the basic conditions of each territory in our alliance, I suggest building the Soil Research Department within Territory Number Twelve…"

Originally, Xia Qing had planned to establish the research department within Territory Number Six, because Territory Number Six was closest to Territory Number Seven.

But Tang Heng had moved quickly. After confirming it was a soil problem, he had already purchased equipment and set up a soil testing laboratory within Territory Number Twelve. Upon learning of Xia Qing's plan, Tang Heng immediately communicated with Xia Qing, wanting to compete for the soil research lab.

After Xia Qing finished her introduction, Qi Fu spoke up, "Does anyone have other opinions regarding the site selection for the Soil Research Department?"

Everyone looked at one another, no one speaking.

Luo Pei had no opinion on where the soil research lab was built, because Territory Number One, apart from farming, also took on part of the combat team functions and was not suitable for a research lab.

Zhang San also had no objections. Once the site was decided, it was time to assemble the research department's research team.

Because when the meeting notice was sent out, it had already been proposed that, in order to reduce the sampling tasks of the research department traveling to each territory, every territory was required to have someone join the Soil Research Department. For each territory, this was a rare opportunity to learn alongside the big shots, so naturally no one would pass it up.

The big shot spoke first, "Territory Number Seven will have Zhang Tao and Zhang Xiaoxu participate in the research department's research projects. Zhang Tao is a crop promotion and planting research officer, having successfully promoted 16 high-quality crop varieties; Zhang Xiaoxu is a graduate student majoring in Soil Science at Red One University, currently interning at my research institute."

The eyes of Tang Huai and the others lit up at once.

A student who could intern at Territory Number Seven must be no ordinary student. Why does this person's name have an extra 'Xiao' — could there be someone named Zhang Xu within Territory Number Seven?

Also, why do all the research officers in Territory Number Seven have the surname Zhang and don't use their real names…

The magnetic field fluctuations in the meeting room were too strong. Seeing Xin Yu, expressionless, raised her hand and wrote down the names Zhang Tao and Zhang Xiaoxu in her notebook. After Zhang San finished his introduction, she followed up:

"Territory Number Eight will have Yu Zhongshen and Xie Xiaoqin participate in the research department's projects. Yu Zhongshen is the head of the Microbial Agent Development Division at Territory Number Eight's bacterial powder factory. Before the catastrophe, he was a professor in this field at a key university in the location of Hui Two. In the years prior, he conducted related research at the research lab of the Chonglian Group; Xie Xiaoqin is an employee of the Microbial Agent Development Division, having graduated from Bai Yi University with a bachelor's degree in Evolutionary Microbiology in the tenth year of the catastrophe."

Luo Pei followed up, "Territory Number One will have Kuang Yuanxiong and Lin Quan join. They are both technicians in the Planting Division of the Azure Dragon Combat Team. Before the catastrophe, Kuang Yuanxiong was a teacher at an agricultural college; Lin Quan is the apprentice he took on."

During the catastrophe years, the words "apprentice" and "student" carried different meanings.

Students are those educated through formal schooling; apprentices are those who learn by following practitioners in the trade. So many apprentices, and even their masters, do not hold professional qualification certifications, but an apprentice's ability is not necessarily inferior to a student's. Apprentices are not rare in these territories: Jiang Ying of Territory Number Fifteen is the apprentice of Lord Huo Lei of Territory Number Eleven; Xia Qing is Luo Pei's apprentice; Wen Nengjie is Tang Huai's apprentice.

Tang Heng followed, "Territory Number Twelve will have myself, Qin Ziping, and Zhang Zheng participate in the soil research project. Before the catastrophe, Qin Ziping was an agriculture professor at Hui One University. After the catastrophe, he has been working in my family's planting zone. Zhang Zheng is a graduate in Seed Science and Engineering we brought in last year. I completed my undergraduate courses in Finance and Management online and obtained my degree certificates, so I can take on the work of organizing materials and conveying information."

Hearing how impressive the people from the other territories were, Lord Huo Lei of Territory Number Eleven felt a little embarrassed to speak, "Territory Number Eleven will have Watching Huo Zhun and Di Ming participate. Di Ming is a brain-domain evolver, he learns things very quickly; Watching Huo Zhun can run errands and carry things for everyone."

Sitting behind Lord Huo Lei on small stools squeezed together were Shi Du and Watching Huo Zhun, who only had elementary school diplomas — the pressure was immense.

Lord Huo Lei had spoken, so Tan Qi, seated beside him, followed up, "Territory Number Fifteen will have myself and Uncle Ye Yang participate. I can run errands and transport samples, and I also want to learn knowledge from all the teachers here. Uncle Ye Yang is a military academy graduate majoring in Electronics and Communication Engineering. After his health improved somewhat, he has been studying farming knowledge online, and is now responsible for the fertilizer fermentation work in Territory Number Fifteen. Territory Number Twelve and Territory Number Fifteen are not far apart, so he can ride his electric wheelchair over."

Phew…

Number Ten Lord Shi Zhong spoke, "Territory Number Ten will have my wife and Shi Du participate. My wife has previously studied under Teacher Zhang Tao and knows how to take samples and test soil. Shi Du will help everyone run errands and carry things."

Number Six Lord Kuang Qingwei spoke, "Territory Number Six will have my wife Hearing Zhu Li participate. My wife is an auditory evolver and can hear the movements of bugs in the soil. She also has a strong capacity for learning."

Qi Fu of Territory Number Five followed, "Territory Number Five will have the two of us participate. We're both roughnecks — all the farming knowledge we have was figured out bit by bit in the fields."

Zhao's mother of Territory Number Four spoke, "Territory Number Four will have Zhao Ze participate. He studied engineering management, isn't much good at farming, but can do errands, document organization, and data statistics work."

Xia Qing spoke, "Territory Number Three will have me participate. The Ninth Center will have Mao Chuntai, the head of the Planting Division, and employee Li Sha participate. Before his retirement from the military, Mao Chuntai worked in the planting department of the army and has extensive farming experience. Li Sha is his apprentice."

Finally it was Tang Huai's turn, "Territory Number Two will have myself and Ma Hai participate. My specialty is the same as Hearing Zhu Li's. Ma Hai is a refugee who fled the hardships of Gui Three. He studied veterinary medicine and holds a veterinary qualification certificate. Before the catastrophe, he ran a pet shop. After the catastrophe, he worked as a community disinfection worker in the outer city of the Gui Three Base safe zone. He is now raising insects in my territory."

Zhang San was very satisfied with this research team. "A team composed of personnel from different professional backgrounds can inject innovative vitality into soil microbial balance research and provide more research perspectives and solutions."