CHAPTER 663: CHAPTER 611: GRAND FINALE (PART ONE)

It must be said, many current projects are derived from the Space Device.

He Xiuyu knew the importance of the Space Device better than anyone.

The car rode on the asphalt road, He Xiuyu looking serious, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, thinking that Qiao Qingyu and her group should be arriving soon.

...

Indeed, Qiao Qingyu and her group had reached the site, specifically the deepest part of Jiudao Ridge, occupying an area of roughly 2000 square meters on the hillside.

There were no high mountains here, just one hillside after another with a gentle slope. Although close to the desert, the soil quality was still suitable for planting Barley Grass.

After five years of effort, the area had already turned lush and green.

The incoming winds from the north were also effectively blocked by rows of Willow Wood. Along the way, the willow trees had matured and showed no unusual changes.

The grassland under their feet was normal Barley Grass, but as they moved forward, everyone had to stop in their tracks.

Many people carrying equipment were also behind them, almost twenty in total, who were now standing in the center of two distinct patches of grassland.

The grassland beneath their feet was normal, while the one ahead was mutated.

The mutated Barley Grass had broad leaves, and the plants were twice as tall as normal Barley Grass. On one side was the lush, mutated Barley Grassland with not a single wildflower for decoration, while the other side was covered with wildflowers in a myriad of colors, looking very beautiful.

Lu Ye said to everyone, "This is what I’ve been telling you about, the mutated Barley Grass. We’ve already taken measures to protect the area selectively and have collected soil samples to send to Beijing for research."

Chen Tianliang walked ahead, and the crowd began to disperse.

Chen Tianliang was now one of the heads of the Desert Management Committee.

Under Lu Ye’s leadership, the two initially had some friction and disagreements, but now they got along quite well.

This time, it was Chen Tianliang who first discovered it and then reported the matter to Lu Ye. It was after this that Lu Ye informed Qiao Qingyu, assembled a group of people, not quite an expedition, and gave soil and samples to the Tenghai Research Base.

Several experts and professors were also examining it closely.

But from the moment Qiao Qingyu stepped into the area with the mutated Barley Grass, she felt somewhat restless. Additionally, the mole on her finger felt warm, which made Qiao Qingyu look very serious.

Lu Ye asked on the side, "Have you discovered anything?"

Qiao Qingyu shook her head, "Nothing."

"This area has been protected, and it’s off-limits to grazing cattle and sheep," Lu Ye said, pointing ahead as he explained, "But there shouldn’t be any major issues. Plants are inherently varied, and it’s not unusual for them to change due to certain specific factors during their growth."

Qiao Qingyu’s heart stirred, and she glanced at her finger before quickly shifting her gaze away. She then looked again towards the Barley Grassland in front of her and agreed, "You’re right. If the research finds that Barley Grass is harmless to humans and livestock, we can definitely collect the seeds for widespread use."

"We had a meeting before coming here, and our ideas are similar to yours. We’ll make a decision after the research reports from Beijing and the Tenghai Research Base are out."

At this moment, Qiao Qingyu’s finger warmed up again, prompting her to end the conversation with Lu Ye and walk towards the front.

Lu Ye also turned to whisper something to another expert.

Some people took soil samples on the spot and began their research back in their vehicles. Others began to pull up the grass to study its roots, which were clearly much more developed here than the patch of original Barley Grass they had first stepped into.

The roots were as thick as fingers, seemingly filled with abundant water content.

Some roots extended over a meter, an astonishing feat for Barley Grass.

Therefore, pulling them out proved to be quite an effort.

Since it was just the beginning of summer, the weather wasn’t too hot, and there were no fierce sandstorms. If it weren’t for the research purposes, it would have felt like a spring outing in the wild.

Suddenly, Qiao Qingyu noticed a strange phenomenon: there were no wildflowers in the mutated Barley Grassland.

She wondered if anyone else had discovered it.

Qiao Qingyu shared her question with the person next to her.