Tree Monster Territory's integration had an immediate impact.
It began by supplying a large amount of lumber to other regions of the Alliance at relatively low internal prices.
Wood is a very important raw material. Even without considering its use as fuel, it is an indispensable part of construction, vehicles, and various types of equipment; not to mention household items like basins, buckets, boxes, and cabinets, which are mainly made of wood.
This drove the boom of the carpentry industry and also improved the tool quality of various cities.
Ships that were modified for use as ice storage were bringing ironware, textiles, medicines, and all sorts of food into Tree Monster Territory, and then transported fruits and fish back, once again expanding the residents' menu of the Development Alliance.
Food diversification is also a fundamental safeguard for human health.
A large number of export goods were internally consumed in bulk, and the increased demand for fish and fruits allowed Tree Monster Territory to expand breeding and planting scales without concerns.
Zhou Yi saw all of this happening.
The company also began to breed grass carp and small silverfish, not for large-scale farming, but to use Zhanjiang Bay No.1's unique directed breeding capabilities to select for better fry.
Zhou Yi's requirements remained the same.
The focus was on [fast growth] and [disease resistance].
He finally got to enjoy fresh grilled fish in this Wasteland era.
With onions and mushrooms, though lacking a bit of ginger and garlic, the grilled fish seasoning packet could solve this problem.
He had always been annoyed by the abundance of bones in grass carp, but now it had become a rare delicacy.
After a taste test, the flavor was good.
Zhou Yi grilled two fish consecutively, sending one to the busiest courier center for Qian Su, and another to Yalong Bay Cave, for the repeatedly meritorious Li Mo and Heavenly Dog.
Only after the third fish did he start to eat with rice himself. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NoveI★Fire.net
Initially wanting to taste the food he missed, Zhou Yi unconsciously began to change; he wished for everyone to taste the delicacies he found delicious.
Food is indeed more enjoyable when shared.
While eating, Zhou Yi thought to himself.
He still needed to find rice; it would be great if they could produce their own rice.
He took out his notebook and wrote down:
— Grow rice, eat rice.
That was his next goal.
Red Kestrel returned with a report: "Qian Su really liked it. Li Mo cried from the spiciness, and Heavenly Dog got a fish bone stuck in its throat; Li Mo accompanied it to the hospital for surgery."
Zhou Yi didn't understand: "Why?"
"Because Qian Su had eaten fish before and knew to eat slowly, Li Mo and Heavenly Dog never had fish and thought they could chew it quickly like chicken meat."
This was a lack of experience; they needed to eat and practice more.
Luckily, both were unharmed.
Da Vinci commented that the fish bone removal surgery was very successful.
As Zhou Yi was clearing up the bowls and chopsticks, Red Kestrel suddenly said, "Zhou, good news!"
"Holy Mountain sent the latest news, two drugs with Wise Mushroom as the main ingredient have passed clinical trials and have been approved for medical use."
"One of them, [Awakening Brain Powder], has a low dosage and is a health supplement that can be taken long-term, with the effect of invigorating the mind and calming nerves."
"The other, [C-4 Anesthetic], is a strong anesthetic used for anesthesia during surgery, and can be used upon patient consent after explaining the risks."
"Check your account."
Zhou Yi did some calculations.
The patent application for Wise Mushroom and its developmental lead by Holy Mountain has been two years in the making.
The speed from research to marketable drug was already quite fast.
He logged into the company account and saw a balance of 940,000 Light Seeds.
The most recent entry showed:
"023rd Period Dividends: 70,642.15"
It had soared to 70,000!
Zhou Yi used to regularly check the backend bills, particularly for Wise Mushroom updates.
However, after an initial peak, the following months saw only two to three thousand Light Seeds deposited each month, with no significant fluctuations.
Da Vinci explained that since the drug research was incomplete, all sides would not continue to increase investment; only when the drugs were proven to be effective and obtained relevant qualifications would they be cultivated, produced, and processed on a large scale.
Red Kestrel explained, "Normally, it takes ten years of clinical trials before a new drug can be brought to market. But this time, because Holy Mountain is leading the research and clinical trials, many procedures and steps have been condensed. Additionally, Guangna Species patients were chosen for the trials, which greatly shortened the timeline."
The key was the backing behind the medicine.
Holy Mountain, being a leading authority in the medical field, could fast-track projects it led.
Even within Mechanical City, there was no absolute fairness.
"Zhou, even if the revenues from Wise Mushroom decline slightly later on, they will still be much higher than before. It will remain in a relatively stable profit peak period for at least eight more years," Red Kestrel said.
Zhou Yi considered for a moment: "Withdraw all these Light Seeds."
"Withdraw?" Red Kestrel immediately understood, "Are you worried that sanctions later might prevent you from extracting Light Seeds?"
Zhou Yi made no secret to his partner, "Since I've invested in the Mechanical Knight Order's project, it's inevitable to have conflicts of interest with Mechanical City. Although I'm not sure about the form of sanctions that may come, withdrawing the cash now can reduce risks."
The drone immediately said, "Sooner rather than later, I'll go now. But this amount is huge, so have Condenser come along with me for safety."
Zhou Yi arranged for both to withdraw the money.