Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Almost a Miracle
Professor Zhang didn’t really mind the delay of a day or two. In fact, upon hearing what Chi Wan said, his immediate reaction was delight. "Staying a couple more days is great! Come on, come on, let’s head to the experimental field and check on our last batch of seedlings."
He had a feeling that if Chi Wan really did go to Beijing City, she might not be back for some time. Her staying for a couple more days meant she could help him cultivate several more batches of experimental seedlings.
Seeing Professor Zhang’s eagerness, Chi Wan smiled and agreed.
However, it wouldn’t be convenient for others to see this, so Professor Zhang decided to give everyone in the lab half a day off.
Although no one understood why, seeing the professor’s secretive demeanor, they guessed he might have a new discovery he wasn’t ready to publicize. They handed their ongoing work over to Zhou Huaijin and left to enjoy the rare time off.
Little did they know what a huge surprise awaited them when they returned the next day.
Professor Zhang gazed at the field before him, at the rows of wheat seedlings planted not long ago. "My greatest wish," he said with a sigh, "is to cultivate a high-yield wheat variety that is drought-resistant, heat-resistant, and possesses equally excellent disease resistance."
"We’ve poured our hearts and souls into this crop of winter wheat as well, but until it’s fully grown, no one can predict how it will turn out."
"We’d be incredibly lucky if even one seedling out of a thousand meets our requirements. To be honest, I’m not afraid of failure. Every failure brings us one step closer to success."
"What I worry about, however, is the cost in time. I can’t afford to keep losing it to failure."
It was as if Professor Zhang was muttering to himself.
But the look in Chi Wan and Zhou Huaijin’s eyes as they watched the professor was one of heartfelt respect.
The old man had never married or had children. He’d worried he couldn’t handle the responsibilities of a family, so he chose to dedicate himself to his career.
He had spent nearly his entire life on a path of trial and error, dedicating all his youth and dreams to this land.
Now, in his twilight years, his sole wish remained unchanged: to cultivate what he considered the perfect wheat variety, so that his country, and indeed the entire world, would no longer be plagued by food shortages.
His profound love for the land was enough to move anyone.
Chi Wan said no more. Instead, she handed Professor Zhang the Superpower Items that Li Xingye had prepared for her. Each was about the size of a fist and had a slight curve, as if designed to fit snugly against something.
"The superpowers contained in these devices are all different," she explained. "The green one is the Wood Ability, which can help the seedlings grow quickly."
"The blue one is the Water Element, but it’s also fused with some Ice Ability. The red one is the Fire Element. They’ve all been modified to directly raise the temperature in a localized area, which will make it easier for you to experiment with various extreme weather conditions."
"To use one, just press it against the center of your forehead. You can then use your thoughts to control the intensity and range of the superpower. If you’re unsure, you can always test it on a patch of weeds first."
With a trembling hand, Professor Zhang took the devices from Chi Wan. To him, they were nothing short of miraculous.
Pressing the device with the Wood Ability firmly to his forehead, Professor Zhang faintly sensed a strange power. It felt as though he could command it with a single thought.
Under Professor Zhang’s control, the seedlings that should have taken until the following year to mature began to shoot up. Strangely, however, most of them only grew leafy stalks, not the golden ears of wheat Chi Wan had expected.
Zhou Huaijin explained softly, "This batch of wheat was crossbred with several herbaceous plants known for their strong disease and drought resistance. The biggest challenge is increasing the wheat’s yield while preserving that inherent resistance."
It was no simple task. In fact, Zhou Huaijin had begun this work even before he started studying under Professor Zhang.
They had faced repeated experiments and repeated failures. To ensure the new wheat variety could inherit those superior genetic traits, they had tried everything, searching far and wide for suitable plants to crossbreed.
It was just as Professor Zhang had said: what he feared was the cost of time lost to failure.
But now, with the superpower devices Chi Wan had provided, the time needed for trial and error would be drastically reduced. Professor Zhang could experiment with different hybrid genotypes with much greater peace of mind.
Gazing at the patches of wheat before him, which grew like weeds without bearing any grain—some even withering away from disease—Professor Zhang felt an unprecedented sense of calm.
Because he knew he now had time.
But his calm was broken by Chi Wan’s sudden gasp. "Professor! Look over there!"
Professor Zhang and Zhou Huaijin both turned to look where Chi Wan was pointing.
There, in the distant "thicket of weeds," a single, plump, golden ear of wheat was faintly visible. As if weighed down by immense expectations, it hung its head low, its stalk bent. It trembled slightly among the leafy blades as the wind swept over it.
Professor Zhang’s eyesight wasn’t what it used to be, so he couldn’t see it clearly. But Zhou Huaijin recognized it in an instant.
He grabbed Professor Zhang’s arm. Though he tried to control himself, excitement flooded his voice. "Professor! It looks like one of the wheat stalks over there has produced grain!"
Professor Zhang’s body trembled with excitement. "Let’s go! Let’s go take a look!"
Forgetting all about Chi Wan in their excitement, the professor and his student hurried toward the wheat stalk.
When they drew near, Professor Zhang couldn’t stop himself from reaching out. He gently caressed the lone stalk and its plump grains, his eyes welling up with tears. "This is it... Huaijin, this is it! We actually did it!"
Zhou Huaijin remained silent, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed his own turbulent emotions.
"Professor, this proves our current approach is the right one! With this specimen, we can cultivate more wheat that meets our requirements. Professor, your wish... it might be fulfilled very soon!"
The scene unfolding before her made Chi Wan’s own eyes grow warm.
She sniffled softly, her voice filled with joy. "From now on, the research will surely go more and more smoothly! With Brother Xingye’s... I mean, with the Wood Ability, you won’t have to worry about time anymore. You can test any results immediately."
"Professor Zhang, Huaijin, I’ll be the first to congratulate you on making even greater breakthroughs in your research!"
Professor Zhang seemed to snap out of a daze. He wiped his face. "Look at me. At my age, I have less composure than a youngster."
Chi Wan and Zhou Huaijin exchanged a smile. "That’s because you’ve put in so much effort, Professor. It’s only natural to be more emotional when you finally reap the rewards."
Professor Zhang looked at Chi Wan with a particularly gentle expression. "Wanwan, thank you for bringing us this miracle. I believe that on the day our new wheat variety becomes widespread, not only will our country no longer be constrained by issues of food imports and exports, but more people around the world who are suffering from hunger will also see a new hope for the future."
