Chapter 71: Unbelievable! A Shadow Cast Over the Heart!

After Chen Feng realized the importance of the sunflower grass and the special soil, he immediately set about making arrangements. Once the workers had finished excavating the soil, he found an excuse to have the employees mix the Atlantis soil with the dirt that had been dug up. The employees, of course, harbored no suspicions and didn’t think much of it—when the boss gives instructions, they simply follow them.

Next, he ordered the equipment for the two cultivation pools to be shut down, drained the water, and began laying the blended soil into the bottoms of the pools. Chu Lin observed everything from the sidelines, watching events unfold exactly as he had anticipated. The two pools weren’t very large, about half an acre each, so it wasn’t long before the workers had finished spreading the soil. The sunflower grass was then brought in. Chen Feng instructed that these grasses be planted separately in the two pools.

“I’ll go down and check on the planting,” Chu Lin announced to Chen Feng and Zhu Xin, making a show of climbing into one of the pools to inspect the workers’ progress with the sunflower grass. During this process, he stealthily pressed an Atlantis Blessing Stone into a clump of mud, memorizing the exact location. He repeated the same trick in the second cultivation pool, quietly placing another Blessing Stone.

Perfect.

“Lin, is there any problem with how they planted the grass?” Chen Feng’s attention was fixed on the sunflower grass, clearly anxious. From the materials he’d just read, he now knew not only the grass’s exorbitant value, but also how difficult it was to cultivate—so delicate, in fact, that it was on the brink of extinction.

“It all looks good,” Chu Lin replied with a smile. “Once the grass is planted, you can refill the pools with water.”

By the time everything was finished and the pools were filled again, it was midday. Seawater was introduced, but the visibility remained low.

Liao Hai had also returned by then and, seeing the pools, asked, “Lin, is it all done?”

Chu Lin nodded. “Now we need to get an aquatic veterinarian to attempt artificial breeding of the blue-ringed jellyfish.”

Chen Feng was in excellent spirits at these words. “Let’s book a private room at a restaurant to celebrate.”

“I’ll make the reservation!” Liao Hai volunteered at once. He still had the number for the restaurant where the Fisheries Bureau had hosted them previously, and it was conveniently close by.

“Book a large room and invite all the staff,” Chen Feng instructed.

Those employees, their hands and feet still caked with mud, couldn’t hide their joy—after all, who doesn’t enjoy a free meal?

After lunch at the restaurant, the group returned to the breeding facility.

Chen Feng walked over to the aquatic transport truck. “Lin, can we start putting the jellyfish and fish into the pools now?”

“Yes, we can,” Chu Lin replied.

The pools weren’t large, and the Atlantis Blessing Stones had been in the water for over two hours by now. With their powerful purifying effect, the conditions should be just right for the Atlantis creatures.

Encouraged, Chen Feng and his men unloaded the special breeding containers from the truck, unfastened the wheels, and began to wheel them inside.

But as they approached the pools, they all stopped short, dumbfounded by the astonishing clarity of the water. The bottom was clearly visible, each newly planted blade of sea grass standing out in sharp relief.

“This water…” Liao Hai gasped in disbelief.

“Is it really this miraculous?” Chen Feng could hardly believe his eyes. He’d witnessed the crystal-clear waters at Chu Lin’s breeding facility before, but he knew even the most effective purification systems required time—days, a week, or even longer. After all, these were just sea grasses!

But the scene before him shattered his assumptions. The water had been nearly opaque when they left for lunch, and now, after little more than an hour, it was as clear as glass. No wonder only the world’s wealthiest could afford to play with sunflower grass—this stuff was simply incredible.

Chen Feng attributed the miracle solely to this fact, convinced it was the reason for the grass’s international reputation. Of course, what amazed them even more was Lin himself. None of them had ever even heard of this kind of sea grass—after all, as privileged heirs, they had no access to such rarities. Yet Lin had managed to acquire it. Remarkable.

“Mr. Chen, how did the water become so clear?” one surprised employee asked, eyes wide.

The others were equally stunned by the transformation.

Chen Feng replied, “Remember what I told you to mix into the soil? Did you think that was just ordinary dirt? That was a special organic material—just a tiny bit of it is worth as much as a house. So is it any wonder the water is so pure?”

The employees burst out in excited conversation.

“So it was the soil that did it after all.”

“Mr. Chen said it’s organic material, not just soil.”

“Worth as much as a house!”

Their enthusiasm was obvious—they were thrilled to have witnessed something so extraordinary, and couldn’t wait to share the story with their friends.

Without wasting any more time, Chen Feng led the team in releasing the blue-ringed jellyfish and six Neptune groupers into the pools. Through the pristine water, their graceful forms could be seen gliding about.

“Lin, shall we call the vet now?” Chen Feng asked.

Chu Lin nodded and dialed Dr. Li, the veterinarian he’d already picked out for the job—after all, they’d worked together twice before, both times with excellent results and no trouble. Li was discreet and reliable, and Chu Lin had even considered poaching him.

Meanwhile, at Nana Aquatic Animal Health Center, Dr. Li had just returned from a farm visit and collapsed onto the floor, exhausted. The difference between bosses was staggering—today’s farm owner had clearly squeezed every ounce of work from him, and sent him off with nothing but a bottle of water. He thought back to the two fat red envelopes he’d received from Mr. Chu, each one worth more than a month’s salary. The disparity was simply immense.

When his phone rang and he saw Mr. Chu’s number, his fatigue vanished instantly. He answered with enthusiasm, “Mr. Chu, how can I help you? I’m at your disposal!”

“Come to my new breeding facility. I’ll send you the location on WeChat,” Chu Lin said.

“Right away, I’ll head over now!” Dr. Li quickly checked the message and, sure enough, found the location sent by Mr. Chu. His exhaustion forgotten, he left the animal health center and caught a cab to the facility.

Soon, Dr. Li arrived at Linfeng Aquatic Farm, where Zhu Xin, stationed outside, welcomed him and showed him in.

“Dr. Li, welcome!” Chu Lin greeted him warmly.

“Mr. Chu, you must have something important for me?” Dr. Li asked eagerly.

Chu Lin explained with a smile, “I have a batch of blue-ringed jellyfish that need to be selected for breeding and then artificially bred.”

Dr. Li replied immediately, “Leave it to me, Mr. Chu. I’ll just need to pick up some equipment first.”

Chu Lin nodded and turned to Chen Feng. “We should also buy two sets of that equipment for our own use.”

“Absolutely, Lin,” Chen Feng agreed.

Chu Lin then added, “By the way, we’ve invested tens of millions in this aquatic pet breeding facility, so we’ll need to set up a veterinary department. Let’s hire two regular vets and one chief veterinarian. The chief vet’s salary will be twenty thousand a month—they’ll be responsible for the department and recruiting staff. See if there’s anyone suitable in the talent market.”

Dr. Li’s eyes widened instantly. A chief vet salary of twenty thousand a month? That was more than three months’ pay for him! He was suddenly anxious—wasn’t he right here, the capable vet they needed? His heart cried out in silent desperation: Mr. Chu, please look at me!

Chen Feng, catching Chu Lin’s drift, glanced at Dr. Li. He knew Lin was angling to poach him, just not outright—if you approach someone directly, they might get cocky, but if you make them desperate for the opportunity, they’ll be far more cautious and value it all the more.

With a knowing smile, Chen Feng said, “Lin, isn’t Dr. Li from this field? Might as well ask if he has any recommendations.”

“If we offer twenty thousand a month, who wouldn’t come? Right, Dr. Li?”

Dr. Li opened his mouth but couldn’t get a word out, feeling a deep sense of anxiety. Had they noticed him or not?