The Billion-Value Lands Are Just For Farming

C314 – The Black Plum Matured

​Su Ming arrived back at his home. He changed into his work attire, which consisted of a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, both made of cloth, along with a pair of cloth shoes. One might wonder, “Isn’t he too hot in that?” But actually, it’s necessary to wear long clothing when working in the fields to avoid sunburn from prolonged exposure to the sunlight. Despite appearing somewhat warm, Su Ming had grown accustomed to it over time. Under his coat, he wore a tank top to soak up the sweat and topped it off with a hat, completing his farmer’s ensemble.

He gathered some herbs and ground them into powder using a blender, then mixed this with the fertilizer. He applied the mixture to the black plums, watering each one thoroughly. The black plums had grown tall and would soon be ready for harvest. This time, they still radiated a green glow. Excellent. He was confident that this harvest would be bountiful, for the System never misled him.

​Covering five acres, he devoted the whole afternoon to watering and fertilizing each black plum. Come evening, Su Ming stepped out to grab some fast food. He shed his long garments and sat down in the field, eating his meal while watching the bustling traffic. Once he finished, he resumed his work—pruning branches, organizing the soil, and weeding. He even attempted hand pollination.

After completing the day’s tasks, it was already past 8 PM. Su Ming quickly made his way to the chicken coop, where he fed the chickens, provided fresh water, and cleaned their living space. He even played music for them. By the time he finished, it was well past 11 PM. Bedtime had arrived.

Stretching out his tired muscles, Su Ming pondered the upcoming harvest. If his calculations were right, he could harvest the black plums the next day. He checked his data panel; he was just over 70,000 experience points shy of leveling up. With tomorrow’s harvest, a level-up was certain. Filled with anticipation, he collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Su Ming bolted out of bed and dashed to the fields. Wow! The black plums had indeed ripened! But something was amiss. Su Ming had expected each black plum tree to yield an abundance of fruit.

But now, he noticed that each black plum tree bore only a single fruit.

Every tree had a sizable green orb of light dangling from its branches.

What in the world was this?

Su Ming approached with a look of curiosity.

He extended his hand, seized a light orb, and yanked hard.

Accompanied by a sharp sound, the green glow vanished instantly.

What? Su Ming blinked in surprise.

A share certificate?

He was momentarily taken aback.

He hastily opened it to inspect the contents.

Holy smokes! It was actually a share certificate!

And not just any shares, but those of a major local financial company.

The certificate indicated that Su Ming owned 51 shares.

What in the world!

He had become the chairman in the blink of an eye!

Su Ming blinked again in disbelief.

The System was incredibly generous!

Could it really accomplish such feats?

“Ding! System Notification: The shares you have acquired were bought on behalf of the Host through the System’s virtual financial operations. All transactions are traceable and completely legal!”

At this point, the System began to explain with thoughtful detail.

Su Ming eagerly reached for another.

What? Shares in a local Michelin company!

Even though Michelin was an international franchise, each store had its own independent shares.

That was excellent!

Su Ming extended his hand to grab another.

To his astonishment, these were shares of the car sales service store he had previously booked!

Su Ming was utterly amazed!

This was simply incredible!

He quickly reached out again, picking up another item.

This time, it wasn’t the share certificate he had expected.

Instead, it was a small golden pouch, embroidered with the words “brocade bag.”

Could the System actually produce such items?

A brocade bag? Might there be some ingenious strategy inside?

Yet, it seemed he had no use for it.

Why would the System generate this?

It was truly bizarre!

Su Ming opened the brocade bag without hesitation.

What was this? A set of puzzles?

He paused, taken aback.

He pulled a piece from the bag.

Su Ming couldn’t be certain it was a part, but if not a part, he had no idea what else it could be.

Typically, parts were items like screws, nuts, or wires—things manufactured in a factory and assembled into a final product.

But the part in Su Ming’s hand seemed as though someone had taken a large knife and sliced a car twice horizontally and twice vertically.

Then, he picked up one of the objects and exclaimed, “Look! This is a part!”

Yet if it was a part, it certainly didn’t resemble the usual ones.

And if it wasn’t a part, what could it be?

That was exactly what Su Ming was holding. It was small, roughly the size of a glass ball.

“Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Smart Assistant Fragment 1/400! Collect all the fragments to activate it!”

What? A Smart Assistant?

What on earth was this?

I’ve never come across anything like this before!

“System, what is this Smart Assistant?”

“Ding! Host, you must discover the answer on your own. Once unlocked, you will be able to access some of its functions.”

Some of its functions!

That meant this device could be upgraded!

Su Ming’s mind raced to Iron Man.

The AI in that film was named Jarvis.

Could this eventually evolve into a suit of armor?!

Armor!

That’s the ultimate dream for many!

Su Ming’s excitement surged.

This was more thrilling than gaining shares in a company.

He had a total of five acres.

There, he had planted 500 black plum trees.

Su Ming started harvesting the fruit with fervor.

He toiled away in the fields with intense dedication.

Meanwhile, the corporate world in the city was in a frenzy.

Inside one such company, a man who owned 35% of the shares sat in a room.

He reclined in a specially crafted executive chair, cradling a cup of expensive tea.

He grinned as he admired the Top Grade Orchid he had just received.

Suddenly, “Bam!” the door was forcefully flung open.

The man’s secretary rushed in, his face etched with distress.

Startled, the man snapped, “Secretary Sun, what’s the matter? Why are you so panicked? I’ve told you time and again, a man must remain composed. Like me, even if the Himalayas were to crumble before me, my expression would remain unchanged. Now, what’s the issue?”

“Chairman, a mysterious buyer has just snapped up the shares of six shareholders. He now holds a 51% stake and has become the new chairman of the company!”

“What?” The man’s face blanched with shock.

He rose to his feet, but in his haste, he knocked over his cup of tea.

“Ah!” He winced as the hot tea scalded him, flailing his arms and legs in discomfort.

Upon witnessing the scene, the secretary couldn’t resist rolling his eyes.

What happened to your promise of “I won’t change my expression”?

Where’s your composure now?

Is this your idea of maintaining calm?

Inwardly, the secretary snickered at the spectacle.

But he understood that it was perfectly natural for the chairman to be taken aback.

Actually, it was the former chairman who should be surprised!

The former chairman had dedicated five to six years and a considerable amount of effort to acquire a 35% stake in the company.

Despite his pleas, the other shareholders wouldn’t budge on selling their shares to him.

Yet, this enigmatic buyer had accomplished it with ease.

This indicated that the individual’s background was anything but ordinary.

He could very well be a heavyweight from an ultra-affluent dynasty!