met free Chapter 14 Trade and Control
Chapter 14 Trade and Control
Andy's words were like a heavy hammer blow, shattering Roger Castle's last bit of composure.
He bluntly told him that the place of death, which the Ironclad Brotherhood considered a forbidden zone and which had claimed the lives of twelve of their most elite warriors, was, in the words of this bald robot, just a backyard that needed "a little weeding."
And they weren't just bragging; there was a whole cartload of real grain right there.
What does this tell us?
This illustrates that the gap in strength between the two sides is no longer in the same league.
Andy's ability to move freely in that place and even engage in production means that even if the entire Rust Brotherhood rushed up there with their molten steel guns, they would probably just be sending Andy a bunch of scrap metal.
Roger is a smart man. Anyone who can rise to the top in the underworld knows when to be tough and when to kneel.
Since we can't beat them, and they're even willing to feed us, we might as well just obediently become their underlings.
The subsequent negotiations went so smoothly it was almost like playing house.
Roger didn't even dare to haggle; he did whatever Andy said.
One kilowatt-hour of electricity can be exchanged for one kilowatt-hour of grain.
The Rust Brotherhood provided manpower and materials to install two high-voltage power lines from the fission power plant to the shelter within two days.
In addition, Andy also asked the Brotherhood to provide three technicians with basic mechanical skills to help debug the production line at the shelter.
In return, Andy prepaid 500 kilograms of starch balls.
This 500 kilograms of food is enough to keep the Brotherhood members going through the toughest weeks, and it can even improve their meals a little by cooking some thick porridge.
The trade deal had been finalized, but Andy wasn't in a hurry to leave.
"Roger, take me to see that farm."
Andy hung the heavy logging gun back on his back, speaking calmly.
"That fungal farm that cut off your food supply."
Roger paused for a moment, a wry smile appearing on his face.
"Andy, there's nothing left to see there." Roger shook his head. "It's all mud and mold, and it smells awful."
"And... there might be poison there."
"It's okay." Andy pointed to his metal head. "I'm not afraid of poison. I just want to do a technical assessment."
Roger had no choice but to lead Andy deeper underground into the power station.
After passing through several rusty, airtight doors, we walked down a corridor filled with puddles for about two hundred meters.
Before he even entered the room, Andy's sensor was already red.
[Warning: Airborne spore concentration is dangerously high.]
[WARNING: Sulfur-containing organic toxins detected.]
Roger and Ben put on thick gas masks and held those old-fashioned Geiger counters in their hands.
Pushing open the last door, a visible plume of black smoke rushed out.
From the outside, this place should have originally been a huge underground reservoir, which was later transformed into a fungal culture room.
In dozens of long, narrow cement troughs, grayish-white edible mushrooms should have been growing.
Now, all that remains are puddles of black, sticky mud.
The walls, ceilings, and even the handrails in the hallway were covered with that kind of black, velvety mold.
The air was filled with a nauseating smell, like a dead rat that had been soaking in formaldehyde for three years.
"See? It's all over."
Roger's voice came through the gas mask, sounding muffled and filled with deep despair.
"Just last week, overnight."
"All the mycelia started to turn black and liquefy."
"We tried changing the water, spraying disinfectant, and even burning it, but nothing worked."
Andy didn't say anything.
He walked to a culture tank, stretched out his finger, and dipped it in the black viscous liquid.
The STC analyzer starts up instantly.
[Sample analysis: Complex organic fungi (deceased).]
[Cause of death: Cell wall lysis, protein denaturation.]
[Toxin residue: C12H18Cl2N2O...]
Sure enough, this was not a natural disease at all.
This is a symptom of poisoning.
Someone has thrown a powerful herbicide here that specifically targets the cell walls of fungi.
Moreover, this herbicide has a very stable chemical structure and can remain in the soil and water sources for a long time, ensuring that the land will be barren for the next fifty years.
Andy understood.
Can he save him?
can.
Although this toxin is very potent, the STC database contains at least eight hundred neutralizing agent formulations that can neutralize it.
It doesn't even need to be that complicated. Just replace all the soil here, filter the water several times, and sprinkle some resistant bacteria. Production can be resumed in a month or two.
But Andy didn't intend to do that.
He silently crossed out the option to "help the Rust Brotherhood repair the farm" in his mind.
The reason is simple: it's all about control.
The "Eden-class Species" in Andy's hand is not a perpetual motion machine with unlimited energy.
Although that thing was a cutting-edge technology from the golden age, capable of creating starch out of thin air, it still followed the law of conservation of energy.
According to STC's calculations, the high-energy bio-battery stored inside that original species could probably support the production of 10,000 to 20,000 tons of starch.
Once it's exhausted, it will turn into an ordinary stone.
When the time comes, Andy will have to take it back to that underground ecological park and use its unique high-energy ecological environment to recharge it.
This back-and-forth process is very risky and costly.
Therefore, every starch ball is a precious strategic resource.
If Roger and his crew could grow their own mushrooms, even if they tasted bad and had a low yield, at least they could have enough to eat.
Once people are full, they start to have ideas, they start to want to be independent, and they stop wanting to listen to Andy.
Only when they completely give up any hope, only when they realize that they would starve without Andy, will these tech fanatics obediently work for Andy.
That's how trade was established.
If you want to control your partner, the best way is to grab him by the neck and tell him you're helping him breathe.
Andy turned around and looked at Roger, who had a hopeful expression on his face.
Roger's eyes were like those of a drowning person looking at the last straw.
He was clearly hoping that this mysterious sage could perform another miracle and save this rotten land.
Andy shook his head, his movements resolute.
"It's hopeless."
Andy's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.
"This land is now abandoned."
"The soil structure has been completely destroyed, and the toxins have seeped deep into the rock layers."
"Unless this entire underground layer is dug out and refilled with soil, not even a weed can grow here."
Upon hearing this, the light in Roger's eyes went out.
He lowered his head and his shoulders slumped.
Deep down, he knew there was no hope, but he just wouldn't give up.
Now that even a legend like Andy has been sentenced to death, he's truly dead.
"Alright, stop thinking about it."
Andy patted Roger on the shoulder, dusting off his moldy leather jacket.
"That's fate."
"From now on, work for me. Even if this land turns to rubble, I guarantee you'll have food to eat."
This statement sounds very loyal, but in Andy's mind, it was just a simple supplementary clause in the employment contract.
Just as Andy was preparing to leave this toxic place.
An in-depth analysis report from STC caught his attention.
The toxin residue we just analyzed is C12H18Cl2N2O.
This chemical formula was matched to a source in STC's database.
Matching result: Military-grade fungal inhibitor (Model: Extinction-IV).
Manufacturer: Helios Pharmaceuticals Group.
[Purpose: To clean stubborn parasitic fungi from starship ventilation ducts, or for scorched earth tactics.]
Andy's electronic eyes narrowed slightly.
Helios Pharmaceuticals Group?
Military-grade model?
This thing isn't something those makeshift workshops in the bottom nest that mess around with flasks could produce; it's a strategic material under strict control.
Usually, only planetary defense forces or large families with franchises can obtain them.
How did this thing end up in a dilapidated fungal farm in the bottom nest?
If it were just a fight between gangs, they wouldn't use such high-cost methods.
Gangs will only send people to kill you, rob you, and then take over your land to continue growing mushrooms.
The fact that the person who poisoned the land shows that they didn't care about the land's output at all.
It could even be said that their goal was to completely destroy this land and make it impossible for the people here to survive.
Someone is deliberately clearing out the population of the bottom nest.
Why?
Is it to make room for something else?
Or is it to cover up some secret?
Andy was reminded of the gene-stealing cult marked as "extremely dangerous" on the STC map.
If these cunning individuals have already infiltrated the upper levels of the nest, then it is logically sound for them to use such methods to weaken the human resistance in the lower nest.
Or perhaps this was just a "low-end population cleanup" operation that the useless governor decided on on a whim?
In either case, this means that Andy's farming plan is not as secure as he imagined.
Beneath this dark lair, even deeper undercurrents surge.
Andy did not tell Roger about this discovery.
Telling him will only make him more panicked, and he might even do something stupid.
"Let's go."
Andy strode out of the farm that was filled with the aura of death.
"The air here makes me nauseous. Let's go back and sign the contract."