Planet Baiji was scattered with many outposts, forming a massive surveillance network that monitored the state of the entire planet.
Although it was still not perfect, as planet Baiji's position on the development sequence changed, Shanta would surely upgrade the surveillance network. He might add more outposts or strengthen the construction of some outposts.
Fang Zhao had also heard yesterday that planet Baiji might be building a secondary base soon. In the past, they had been poor and had not been able to build anything, but now Shanta did not have to worry so much. The secondary base would surely be on the agenda very soon.
Among the numerous outposts, some outposts were purely used as sentries and did nothing else, but there were also some outposts that, because of their geographical location and environment, were used as experimental sites for research projects. For example, Outpost 23 was one such outpost. According to Fan Lin, there was an experimental plot there, but the experimental plot was not open to the public. Thus, apart from a portion of planet Baiji base personnel, the general public simply did not know that there was an experimental plot there.
Kevin Lin also knew that this place had been highly confidential in the past. This time, the experimental plot was going to produce results. From what Fan Lin had said, it was going to be made public. They could be considered lucky to be able to get firsthand information.
However, Outpost 23 was not allowed to film casually. Even on the way from the base to Outpost 23, Kevin Lin only filmed the scenery along the way and stopped when he neared Outpost 23. The deployment of the outpost could not be made public. In the few days he had been here, he already knew what could and could not be broadcast. Even if he secretly filmed a video and sent it to the editor at the newspaper, it could not be sent out. Live broadcast? If he really broadcast something that should not be broadcast, his career would be over, and he would even have to go to jail.
Fang Zhao looked down from the sky. Outpost 23 used to be a part of the jungle, but after the outpost was set up, the surrounding area was all land and erected protective nets.
Overall, Outpost 23 was like a shrunken base. The surrounding high fences and the protective nets above isolated the outside world from danger.
From the sky, they could clearly see the plots of farmland. On the way here, although Fan Lin had mentioned that there was an experimental plot here, Fang Zhao had thought it was just a small plot. After all, it was just an outpost, not a base. But now, it seemed that Fan Lin had been really modest.
Fan Lin saw that Fang Zhao and Kevin Lin were looking at the experimental plots below, and his face revealed a pleased expression. He explained to them, "These experimental plots have all been cultivated over the past 30 years. The construction cost has already been in the hundreds of millions."
His words left everyone speechless.
From Kevin Lin's point of view, a few hundred million was already a huge investment. A few hundred million over 30 years was an investment of tens of millions every year. On planet Baiji, which had been at the tail end of the development sequence, this was indeed a huge investment that was hard to come by. It was no wonder that the people on planet Baiji treated Fan Lin and the others so well. With a dedicated team and flying transport escorts, it was obvious that this was not the first time.
However, after spending so much money, would they be able to recoup their losses? Kevin Lin was doubtful.
Fan Lin was not the least bit worried about this. He had spent all the research funds here and had even contributed quite a bit himself. Baiji base only provided manpower and not money. He still had to subsidize the soldiers at the outpost who helped look after the fields. Of course, all this was expected. The soldiers at the outpost were also happy to have some extra income, so all this was permitted.
However, as long as his products successfully hit the market, he would definitely be able to recoup his losses within three years.
The flying transport arrived at Outpost 23 and landed on the tarmac.
When the cabin door opened, Fang Zhao saw a few people in combat uniforms jogging over.
"Professor Fan, you are here! Quite a lot of stuff has been moved over this time. Looks like you will really be staying on planet Baiji for a long time. " The person in the lead boarded the flying transport and enthusiastically called out to the people at the outpost to help move the stuff. His gaze quickly swept over Fang Zhao and Kevin Lin.
"Little Yan, you didn't go hunting today?" Fan Lin teased.
"Cough, what are you talking about? The number of times we can go hunting outside is also strictly limited. The higher-ups have stipulated that we are not allowed to hunt wantonly. More than three times is considered poaching, and there is a limit for each hunt. Today, we will still be drinking nutrient drinks."
Yan Biao felt a little gloomy. Why did this Professor Fan keep staring at their hunting? Could it be that he wanted to catch them by their shortcomings? Once, they had accidentally stepped on a few of his experimental seedlings. They remembered it to this day. At that time, Fan Lin was still not here. He was just a small researcher. In the end, the researcher turned around and complained to Fan Lin. He even deducted their monthly allowance. However, seeing that Fan Lin's experimental projects had brought them quite a bit of benefits, Fan Lin did not bicker with this person.
Fan Lin did not care what Yan Biao was thinking and introduced him to Fang Zhao. "Little Fang, this is the captain of the outpost, Captain Yan Biao. Little Yan, this is Fang Zhao, the one from Project Starlight and the discoverer of Baiji ore."
Just as Fan Lin finished speaking, the outpost personnel who had been moving the equipment on the flying transport stopped what they were doing and looked at Fang Zhao as if they were sizing up a rare species.
Their outpost was cut off from information. Other than orders from the base, they basically did not hear anything from the outside world. They also did not know what was going on online. Even for Project Starlight, they only knew a little from reporting to the higher-ups. Every day, all they read was military news from the base. They did not know anything about entertainment news. They could only hear bits and pieces from the researchers here. However, the majority of the researchers did not pay attention to matters of the entertainment industry. They were so severely face-blind that they could not even recognize popular singers and movie stars standing in front of them.
Actually, Project Starlight did not affect the people at the outpost. Everyone knew that conscripts would definitely be assigned to the base. Over here, they could do as they pleased. However, everything had changed with the discovery of Baiji ore.
The equipment at the outpost had been upgraded with the arrival of the new batch of troops. The resources allocated had also increased, and living conditions had improved by a notch. How could they not know who Fang Zhao was?
"Haha, it's an honor to meet you at last!" Yan Biao was even more enthusiastic than he had been with Fan Lin.
"Hello, sorry to disturb you," Fang Zhao replied.
"Not at all, not at all! Quick, enter the outpost and rest for a while. Dezi, make some fruit tea! "
Although he valued Fang Zhao more, Yan Biao did not forget about Fan Lin. "Professor Fan, you should also go and rest. I will help you move the things to the laboratory first."
Fan Lin only shook his head and smiled. He was not angry. "All right, you guys continue moving the things. Be careful not to knock anything. I will go take a look at the laboratory first."
"Hey! Don't worry! "Yan Biao happily instructed the people to move the things.
Kevin Lin moved closer to Fang Zhao and whispered, "Why do the people at the outpost seem a little different?"
Fang Zhao glanced at the outpost personnel walking in front of him and replied, "It's alright."
Kevin Lin thought to himself, What's alright? In comparison, the soldiers at the base were much more proper, but when he thought about it, no one usually cared about the outpost. Here, Yan Biao was the boss. Looking at his bootlicking manner, one look and you could tell he was not a good person.
However, Kevin Lin only said this in his heart. He would not say it out loud. If he did, it would lower his own status. He was a reporter. If he had any opinions, he had to speak with facts. There was no evidence, so he could only think about it in his heart.
As they passed by the experimental plots, Kevin Lin glanced over. "Professor Fan, the 'arrow sunflower' that you said will soon hit the market, where are you planted? The two plots at the very edge? "Other than the two plots at the very edge, there were no flowers in the other eight plots.
"No, it's the exact opposite. Other than those two plots, the other eight plots are all," Fan Lin said.
Kevin Lin looked at the experimental plots and turned back in disbelief. "Didn't you say that it has been planted for two months and is just waiting for germination? There is nothing on the ground. "
"Yes, there is nothing on the ground, but there is something underground. Just waiting for it to germinate. According to the monitoring data, it will germinate tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I wouldn't have brought you all here," Fan Lin replied.
Kevin Lin stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean? Are we going to stay here until tomorrow? "
"That's right." Fan Lin had a "why are you so slow to react?" expression on his face.
"You didn't say we were going to spend the night here!"
"Then you didn't ask."
Kevin Lin: "..." This professor is even better at acting like a scoundrel than us.
Fan Lin did not intend to say much to Kevin Lin. He strode over to the laboratory, where there were still other seeds he had planted in the culture medium.
"Aiya, my little vegetable seedling ~" Fan Lin was so excited as if he had been reunited after a long time that his voice floated as he spoke.
Kevin Lin shook off the goosebumps all over his body and turned to Fang Zhao. "Is there something wrong with this person? He's in his 80s, but he looks like he's over 100 years old. His tone is like that of a child. What 'little vegetable seedling'... "
However, Fan Lin's students seemed to have gotten used to Fan Lin's child-like style. They calmly installed the experimental equipment and reported the data.
Kevin Lin was speechless. What's wrong with this bunch of people? Weren't they rather proper back at the base? Could it be that they were not on Earth, far away from the base, and there was no one to supervise and control them, so the soldiers didn't act like soldiers and the professors didn't act like professors?
Fang Zhao glanced at Fan Lin, who was talking to the little vegetable seedling in the culture medium. He smiled. "He looks old, but he lives young."
Speaking of which, Fang Zhao rather admired Fan Lin. Fan Lin, who looked over 100 years old, sometimes seemed more like a young man than Fang Zhao, who looked like he was in his 20s.
As for Fan Lin tricking them into spending the night at the outpost, Fang Zhao had already guessed it. He glanced at the water tank he was carrying and saw the "rabbit" that was starting to glow again. He tossed in a piece of feed.
"Fang Zhao, the two of you, hurry up and come in! Look, isn't it cute?! " Fan Lin waved his hands from inside and impatiently picked up a small bottle. Inside the solid culture medium was a green seedling that was only the height of a pinky finger and had only two leaves.
Kevin Lin: "... Hehe." I can't understand the aesthetics of you botanists.
Fan Lin carefully placed the bottle in the cultivation box and turned to ask Fang Zhao and Fan Lin, "Do you know when a plant is at its most beautiful?"
"At its most beautiful? That is naturally when it blooms, "Kevin Lin replied.
Fan Lin smiled amiably, secretly pleased. He knew he would get this answer. He had already prepared a bowl of chicken soup for the soul. He loved to pour "chicken soup" on young people.
Fan Lin glanced at Fang Zhao. "What do you think, Little Fang?"
"When it sprouts," Fang Zhao replied.
Fan Lin: "..."
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