Chapter 187
C187 – The Strawberries Are Ripe
The crowd was swept up in a wild celebration!
Word of the national treasure’s discovery spread rapidly.
But this was no ordinary treasure; it was proof of the imperial court’s ancient civilization!
Some foreign scholars had been spreading malicious lies about the imperial court.
They claimed that the imperial court’s civilization was only 2,000 years old, not 5,000.
This treasure could validate the imperial court’s 5,000-year history.
In essence, this damaged relic was the imperial court’s very backbone!
“Let me see it, quick!”
“Hold your horses!”
“Where did my watch go?”
“Who snatched off my wig?”
Chaos reigned at the scene.
“Silence!”
Old Master Tang gave his cane a firm thump, his frown deepening, his presence commanding.
With his words, the room fell instantly quiet.
Su Ming blinked, taking it in.
Old Master Tang was, without question, a heavyweight in the world of antiques.
No one would dare ignore his commands.
His influence was considerable.
For those who cherished such treasures, falling out of favor with Old Master Tang was tantamount to a death sentence.
“Make way, make way!”
Just then, a flurry of footsteps approached from outside.
The auction house’s security team sprang into action.
These guards were highly trained, as befitting an establishment that dealt in priceless antiques, artwork, and jade.
A skilled security force was essential to ensure the safety of the items up for auction.
They swiftly brought order to the pandemonium, cordoning off Old Master Tang and Su Ming from the rest of the crowd.
“Mr. Su, I can’t thank you enough for this.”
Old Master Tang reflected inwardly that he simply didn’t measure up to Su Ming.
His respect for Su Ming had grown from admiration to reverence, especially after Su Ming’s selfless donation of several national treasures.
He had always believed his talent for appraising antiques was nearly unmatched domestically.
Now he realized Su Ming’s expertise far surpassed his own.
“Old Master Tang, you flatter me. It was nothing more than a helping hand.”
Su Ming offered a modest smile.
“Mr. Su, rest assured, we’ll transfer the funds to your account.”
“Old Master Tang, it’s a mere trifle, just a few hundred thousand yuan. I did it for the country; I have no need for the money.”
Su Ming waved dismissively and glanced at the clock. “Old Master Tang, it’s getting late. I should be on my way.”
Old Master Tang nodded urgently. “Escort Mr. Su out through the back door, please.”
“Understood!”
Upon hearing this command, several security guards approached and began to lead Su Ming out the back.
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
So this young man is the enigmatic buyer?
He’s that impressive!
They couldn’t miss the chance to befriend someone of his caliber!
A cluster of onlookers prepared to intercept Su Ming at the back exit, eager to make his acquaintance.
Su Ming was clearly no ordinary man.
“Should anyone dare to hinder Mr. Su’s departure, I’ll burn his entire collection!” Old Master Tang declared shrewdly.
As expected, the crowd instantly fell in line at his threat.
The old man was a force to be reckoned with.
No one dared cross Old Master Tang, for the repercussions were dire.
Su Ming had two reasons for leaving: the chaotic scene was not to his liking, and more importantly, his strawberries should be ripe by now.
He was eager to see what sort of bounty they would yield.
Politely refusing the offer of a ride from the security, Su Ming hailed a cab and headed home.
Arriving at his farm, he inspected the strawberries under the glow of the streetlights. They were indeed ripe, their leaves a lush green, a sight to behold.
Excited, Su Ming rubbed his hands together and hastened to the nearest plant. Crouching down, he examined it closely.
What was this?
The strawberry’s fruit was actually a small, square box, red and modest in size.
Curiosity piqued, Su Ming grasped a box and tugged it free from the branch.
“Congratulations, you’ve obtained the Invincible Truth Pill!”
“Once consumed, the Truth Pill compels the speaker to utter only truths for a duration of ten minutes.”
Su Ming was astounded.
He was suddenly reminded of a film he’d seen where Professor Snape concocted a Truth Serum.
Different names, yet identical effects.
What a marvelous find.
Su Ming burst into laughter.
Then, the System chimed in: “You may dissolve your three thousand Truth Pills in water to create a spray, though the effect will last only half as long.”
This item was a pill, so for it to work, someone had to ingest it.
If it were turned into a spray, it would be much more convenient to use.
Su Ming was suddenly invigorated.
After taking a Body-stretching Pill, he tapped into his Stamina Talent to get to work.
He had five acres of strawberries to tend to.
Each strawberry plant bore a Truth Pill.
Su Ming casually grabbed a large bag from the warehouse.
At night, Su Ming diligently worked away.
It took him three hours to complete the harvest.
Once he stored the goods in the warehouse, Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief.
“Successful crop harvest. You’ve earned 25,000 experience points.”
“Congratulations on your level-up!”
“Congratulations, you’ve earned a chance at the lottery.”
Su Ming was astounded by the sheer number of experience points he had received.
Typically, an acre could support over 7,000 strawberry plants.
But due to the System, there were 5,000 plants per acre.
The five acres were valued at 25,000 experience points.
Su Ming realized that this was more experience than he had earned from all his previous plantings combined.
Farmer: Su Ming
Level: 6
Experience: 41,200 / 50,000
Farm: Level Two
Breeding: Level One
Skills: Blessing from Plants, Initial Scanning Ability, Stamina Talent
Above all, he had won a chance at the lottery.
Su Ming was eager with anticipation.
He thought to himself, “Let the lottery begin.”
“The System is now drawing.”
“Congratulations, you’ve won Immunity to Mosquitoes!”
“With this skill, mosquitoes won’t bite you.”