Zhou Yi had outfitted himself with the new-style combat suit and was becoming increasingly proficient with Unit 2.
The only imperfection was that the two mecha suits could not be stacked but had to be switched between in order to use their corresponding skill sets.
Everything else was great.
The synchronization connection between Red Kestrel and Sea God had also been successfully completed.
Unlike Zhou Yi's situation, Red Kestrel could operate both the main unit and auxiliary units at the same time, which was an advantage of electromechnical life's mechanisms.
Zhou Yi was very envious of this, "If a higher-level electromechnical life had enough resources, they could store a large number of auxiliary units for use, making one person tantamount to an army, or perhaps a city."
"In theory, that's indeed possible, but it's difficult to achieve in practice."
Red Kestrel said, "Internally, the computational capacity of electromechnical life has its limits. If multiple auxiliary units are operated at the same time for different activities, it can easily lead to computational overload and serious damage."
"Externally, there's inherent risk in transmitting consciousness signals over long distances. It can affect the outside world and can also be influenced by it. If it encounters interference or countermeasures from some signal devices, even the main body could be in danger or fall into a situation of being completely controlled."
"Therefore, auxiliary units are basically used for the same type of work, to reduce computational requirements and complexity. For example, transport vessels or vehicles, conducting reconnaissance and exploration in various places, or repetitive processing that follows set procedures."
Zhou Yi nodded as he listened.
So, in that case, he and Unit 2 were more stable, belonging to two sets of consciousness systems within the same closed mecha body.
Then, Red Kestrel demonstrated the operation of the Sea God.
On the remote control screen, the black submarine slowly left the cave dock.
Its movements were initially slow and cautious, and after moving a distance it sank, touching the sea floor of the Dead Sea. Then, it rose to the surface and began to patrol the coast near Jade City.
The Red Kestrel also broadcast an amplified announcement in the air.
"All employees and residents, the company's 'Sea God' is patrolling at sea, please do not panic."
This was repeated several times.
The workers resting on the dam gathered at the edge to watch eagerly, whispering among themselves.
Red Kestrel went on to say, "I conducted a series of tests on the Sea God and connected internal data, confirming its current situation, and made a simple assessment."
A digital encyclopedia entry popped up on the remote control screen.
It was more extreme than the St. Petersburg, with all of its power focused on offense.
The drone explained, "The Sea God's flaw is its lack of defense, making it very susceptible to damage if hit."
"Apart from attack capabilities, another advantage is its speed; it can reach a top speed of 70 kilometers per hour in the Dead Sea. This is already excellent among Dead Sea vessels."
"Moreover, the Sea God can fire unobstructed at sea level and on the sea floor of the Dead Sea. Looking at its shooting and explosion patterns, it's a type of Death Light Torpedo. I can't decipher its Light Imprint Structure, but I have deduced specific damage data."
On the screen, a block of text appeared in front of the Sea God.
[B+ Grade Death Light Torpedo]
The Sea God's damage and range were both outstanding.
Red Kestrel added, "The Death Light Torpedo is powerful, but also consumes a lot; firing it once requires 2 Light Seeds or 20 Energy Packs."
Zhou Yi's originally happy face suddenly stiffened.
One shot would cost as much as a month's wages for the Agricultural Machinery Brothers.
The high-level weaponry was terrifyingly expensive.
No wonder sea lords had to manage their territories. Without strong logistical support, military equipment could not be sustained, and if the base industry was not solid, a single battle could break down a city.
It still seemed that the Flesh Guangna Species were more cost-effective—raising electromechnical life warriors was too expensive.
Zhou Yi changed his thoughts again.
Flesh Guangna Species, like Hunters, had no issues fighting in equal or superior situations, but they possess the biological instinct to seek fortune and avoid disaster. If faced with highly intense enemies, they might very well run away in the middle of a fight.
Electromechanical life was even more reliable in this regard; they would work until they could no longer sustain themselves.
There were pros and cons to each.
Regardless, the company finally had its first armed warship, now able to defend the nearby sea areas. St. Petersburg, no matter how strong or experienced as mercenaries, it was of course more reassuring to have one's own military unit.
With the company's maritime security secured, Zhou Yi shifted his attention back to the company's core area of production and development.
Since his return, the agricultural consultant Zheng Tao had repeatedly suggested one thing.
"Chairman, the company's farmland is too small; we need to expand the scale as soon as possible. Only through large-scale planting can we spread out the costs and produce a sufficient quantity of profitable crops."
"100 acres of land is only enough to feed 200 people; high initial investments for land reclamation and trial-and-error can be understood. But, farm output must generate profit or else it is unsustainable in the long term."
Now was the time to expand the land.
Zhou Yi, together with a recovered Zheng Tao, first visited the farmlands next to the Mushroom Forest.
After a month of soil rest and bean planting, the Agricultural Machinery Brothers were preparing for the next round of planting. Bone Man Sun Chonglai from the neighboring Mushroom Forest was also there.
Tie Ma fully agreed with Zheng Tao's proposal: "Chairman, we brothers think the same."
"The soil here is not rich or high-quality, but the terrain is very flat. From Jade City to the Oasis Side, extending to the Mushroom Forest, the entire region has over 2,500 acres of land suitable for cultivation."
"We brothers can handle this scale; sweet potato and peanut seeds are not a problem either, we can use the output of one round of fruit to select and produce."
"However, a substantial increase in land area also greatly increases the demand for fertilizer; we'll need to purchase some."
"There's also the issue that the land reclamation could affect the underground tunnels, so we need the sand rats to cooperate to avoid accidental damage."
As a seasoned professional in the food industry, Zheng Tao provided a solution on the spot: "Actually, this is not difficult. Fertilizers made in Mechanical City are effective, but too expensive; Human City mostly makes their own fertilizer. If we go to Chicken Head Town and Sand Port City, we can get a large amount of cheap dung with dried mushrooms, which is a specialized business."
"This dung, as long as it's heaped in deep pits mixed with grass, leaves, and water, becomes high-quality fertilizer suitable for planting."
"Additionally, we can add some Mao Valley Worms and larvae, which can hasten this process."
"Furthermore, Grey Mountain, just behind the original site of Mao Valley Town, also contains a significant amount of ash, which is an excellent natural fertilizer supplement."
Zhou Yi nodded: "That's good. Do you have any difficulties?"
"I think we should add new crops."
Zheng Tao spoke with a heavy voice, "Chairman, what do you think about Sweet Red Gourd?"
Red Kestrel provided the relevant information with pictures and text.
Zhou Yi realized it was actually a watermelon, known as Sweet Red Gourd in the Wasteland Era, and there was another kind called Sweet Yellow Gourd—referring, in fact, to cantaloupe.
Speaking of which, he hadn't eaten fruit for many years. The only thing he had were canned peaches and pears, but canned fruit always had the taste of sugar, lacking the flavor of fresh fruit.
Watermelon was almost a fruit without faults. On a hot summer day, chilling the watermelon and scooping it out to eat was what made the summer complete.
"Let's grow Sweet Red Gourd!"
Zhou Yi suddenly roared, startling Zheng Tao beside him.
The other man regained his composure and said, "Yes, Chairman."
"The temperature is rising now, winter is about to end, and spring is the right time to plant. The soil in Mao Valley Town area is naturally suitable for Sweet Red Gourd. Because of its long growth cycle and the ease of being damaged by various animals and Guangna species if grown in the open, and the necessity for long-term sunlight... This has always kept the yield of Sweet Red Gourd quite low, yet its trade value is very high."
"According to last year's market price, a 4-5 pound gourd could sell for 500 mushrooms, which is 5 copper."
Zheng Tao began to calculate: "Assuming we plant late-ripening Sweet Red Gourd, which are the best in appearance and taste and sell the most easily, after planting in spring they can be fully harvested in 4 months."
"Each acre of gourd field yields about 1000-1200 pounds. At 5 pounds each, every acre can produce 200 gourds. If we can expand to 500 acres, we can produce 100,000 gourds, earning 500,000 copper, which is 50 Light Seeds, with costs occupying at most a tenth of that. Considering damage and labor, 500 acres can at least earn 40 Light Seeds."
"There's a dock in Sand Port. For a high-quality fruit like Sweet Red Gourd that's in such high demand, many merchants would be willing to resell it."
He paused, then added: "If we increase production, with dried sweet potatoes, dried peanuts as staple foods throughout the year, and Sweet Red Gourd, we could directly break into the Sand Port Region's food market and gain a foothold. To make money, merchants of all kinds would wave our company's banner."
Zhou Yi hadn't thought that far.
Mainly, he really wanted to eat watermelon, having grown tired of the sugary canned fruits over the years—first to enjoy the freedom of eating melons freely.
Hearing that the fruit yield was decent, he was even more satisfied.
Finally, after a series of discussions, Zhou Yi decided to expand the farmland directly to 2,500 acres. Of that, 500 acres for growing melons, 1,000 acres for sweet potatoes, and 1,000 acres for peanuts.
Zheng Tao then suggested: "Chairman, although two Agricultural Machinery Brothers are sufficient for growing Sweet Red Gourd, the fruit itself is fragile and requires daily inspections, adjustments, and harvesting, so some manpower support would be more effective."
"I think we can hire retired farming team members for the care." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on noᴠelfire.net
"They are older and physically weaker, often living on a tight budget, but what's needed here is their rich experience. This also serves as natural advertising to the outside world; we welcome experienced and skilled farmers, which could attract more professionals to the company."
Tie Ma had no objections.
Zhou Yi immediately agreed: "Then leave this matter for you to handle."
In the Wasteland Era, farming had high demands on both technology and resources. One couldn't be hasty, had to continue investing, and needed to be on alert for all sorts of emergencies...
Fortunately, after a tough period of land-clearing, things were finally on the right track.