Chapter 366

The top three grain varieties entered the peer review phase; next planting season, peers will form a review panel to reproduce the planting data of these varieties.

Du Binqi knew he was finished; without doubt, his grain variety would be under intense scrutiny, and the peer review was likely aimed directly at him.

Ang's data could be reproduced—and even showed increased yield—entirely within the simulation array, so peers could simply run the simulation again.

But his planting data couldn't be replicated; yield dropped. If everyone's yield dropped, and Ang's dropped more than his, it wouldn't matter—it'd just be normal fluctuation.

But now the problem was, only his yield dropped, while Ang's increased. The simulation challenge was initiated by him—he'd inevitably face stricter review, like picking up a rock only to smash it onto his own foot.

Though the peer review results wouldn't be announced until after next planting season, Du Binqi knew he was done; peer reviews were troublesome and costly, and they wouldn't be held unless someone disputed the data.

After all, the true purpose of the Grain Variety Contest was to find high-yield varieties, not to rank them. Does a first-place variety mean second-place varieties aren't high-yielding?

Perhaps later varieties, not chasing extreme yields, excel in other traits—more valuable for promotion: drought-resistant, flood-tolerant, cold-resistant, acid-alkali-tolerant, even child-resistant.

At least in Ang's eyes, swamp rice adapted to marsh environments held more value than Du Binqi's high-yield rice.

Ultimately, the Grain Variety Contest seeks "more" high-yield varieties, not just "the most." So as long as those who placed have no objections, no peer review is held.

Now someone has challenged the data; once next year's review results come out, Du Binqi is finished—but even now, his standing isn't much better.

Final rankings are determined by virtual duels.

"Champion, Salted Fish Team, 1, 50 jin per mu; Runner-up, Elf Seedling Team, 1, 20 jin per mu; Third place, Master Du Binqi Team, 1, 70 jin per mu."

"Thank you, Masters, for your brilliant performances and high-yield grain varieties—the world is more wonderful with you."

"The XXth Grain Variety Contest has now ended perfectly. Please exit in orderly fashion—no rushing, no shoving women or children, maintain discipline. That bastard on the right bleachers, one more shove and I'll throw you out."

Ang received his championship prize: a badge with built-in space, a collection box of historical contest grain specimens, and a magic crystal card from the Mage's Guild worth one thousand magic crystals.

The badge was simple—a symbol combining "Grain" and "Champion," signifying the championship title, highly commemorative; the built-in space, however, was useless—Ang owned any number of space accessories larger than it.

The Mage's Guild magic crystal card was a fixed-amount, non-named card; anyone holding it could exchange it for the equivalent value in magic crystals at any Mage's Guild branch in any city.

Champion: one thousand, runner-up: five hundred, third place: three hundred, others: one hundred.

Ang naturally didn't care about a thousand or so magic crystals, but for southern Hedgehog teams, this was a substantial sum—they happily went out and bought another pair of shoes.

He didn't care about the badge or the card, but he adored the grain specimen collection; each specimen in the bound volumes contained only three or five grains, meant as mementos with little monetary value, yet collecting them all was extremely difficult.

Moreover, the grain specimens were alive and could be planted, so Ang immediately tore open the collection, found a patch of land in his space, and planted each one separately.

In a flash, Ang gained a large batch of high-yield grain varieties.

These were the visible rewards; invisible benefits soon arrived—commercial partnerships.

"Deputy Chairman of the Gnome Guild, Stenson, requests an audience." Back at the Death Star Tower, someone had already been waiting and handed a business card to the undead maid, hoping to meet Ang and his party.

"Gnome Guild? Probably here to discuss commercial cooperation. Perfect—I'll handle them myself." Huang Tong rubbed his hands together.

Ang shook his head, closed his eyes for a moment, pulled out the Heavenly Scepter, opened a portal, and soon, Yin Bi stepped out, stunned.

"Wow, incredible! I crossed one light portal to Heaven, then another back—and here I am. What's the principle?" Yin Bi exclaimed.

Nai Ge Li sighed weakly: "It's just a transit point. A gnome from the Gnome Guild is here to discuss cooperation—go deal with them."

Nai Ge Li was crushed. Ang would rather cross dimensions to recall Yin Bi than send him out. His own business talents had been completely ignored. Kua Ba Da.

"Oh, the Gnome Guild? What kind of cooperation?" Yin Bi's eyes lit up, rubbing his hands eagerly.

Nai Ge Li explained the situation; Yin Bi quickly grasped the core: "Our goal is to promote new grain varieties? Then profit isn't the primary concern—scale is. So we can't cooperate with the Gnome Guild; those damn gnomes care only about gold coins."

Yin Bi spat out, entirely forgetting he himself was a gnome.

"We can't rely solely on them. We need more partners. Let me think—where's the profit margin we can offer? Any policy support?"

"Yes! Lord Anthony already controls two major dioceses? Perfect—we now have leverage. We can offer policy incentives, targeted subsidies, and audit taxes of those who refuse to cooperate."

Yin Bi muttered to himself rapidly, making Nai Ge Li break into cold sweat. Kua Ba Da—this kind of scheming was truly gnome expertise.

"Alright, I know what to do. I'll meet the Gnome Guild people now. What's their name? Let me see if I recognize them." Yin Bi rubbed his hands, eager.

"Stenson? Oh, an old acquaintance! He joined the Gnome Guild? Perfect—I won't feel a shred of guilt screwing him over." Yin Bi rubbed his hands, nearly wearing them raw—clearly, he'd been stifled for too long in the Abyss, his scheming skills long unused.

Many had forgotten Stenson, but Yin Bi hadn't. When he returned with the Holy Essence Liquid and reorganized the caravan, Stenson had leveraged his elf connections to quit the guild outright.

Unexpectedly, Yin Bi later monopolized trade with the elves using the World Tree sapling, cutting off Stenson's business. Now he'd joined the Gnome Guild.

"Deputy Chairman of the Gnome Guild" was just a self-styled title to puff up one's status; the Gnome Guild had hundreds of deputy chairmen—anyone who could raise an independent caravan could claim the title.

For this loose commercial alliance, real value lay in supply chains, markets, pricing power, and information.

Yin Bi spoke with Stenson for two hours. When he left, Stenson looked as if he'd lost a loved one, nearly in tears: "Damn gnomes—eyes only on gold coins."

Yin Bi returned smiling like a fox who'd stolen a chicken.

Nai Ge Li, in a foul mood, asked: "What did you get out of it? Why are you grinning like that?"

Yin Bi quickly replied: "Nothing, nothing—I was just thinking of something else. Didn't Lord Anthony say the exclusive grain distribution rights were given to me? I was wondering—should we swallow the Gnome Guild?"

PS: Still writing—don't know if I'll finish it