Chapter 3: I Could Grow Morning Glories That Wouldn’t Be Worse Than The Devil Vine
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ge Bai woke up. This was a habit she had maintained for many years.
After changing clothes, she unfailingly went to the yard as usual, sat on the stone bench under the hard-leaf eucalyptus, and began meditation.
Today was different from usual. Before entering meditation, she closed her eyes and silently recited in her heart, activating the Spirit Plant Communicator state.
Accompanied by the rustling sound of a breeze sweeping through the leaves, a deep voice came from the hard-leaf eucalyptus behind her, “Little Ge Bai is meditating again.”
Hearing this voice, Ge Bai inexplicably felt her nose sour. It turned out that for these past ten-plus years, she had never been alone sitting in the empty yard meditating every morning. The hard-leaf eucalyptus would call her Little Ge Bai, greet her, and accompany her during meditation, even though she had never noticed.
She turned around, hugged the thick trunk of the hard-leaf eucalyptus, and pressed her face against the rough bark.
Last night wasn’t a dream; it was really the System. Having this System was truly great.
Ge Bai hugged the hard-leaf eucalyptus tightly, then turned back, sat properly, and began her daily meditation.
Two hours later.
“System, what is my Spiritual Consciousness Development Level now?”
“10.7%”
After completing meditation, Ge Bai felt that her Spiritual Power was flowing particularly smoothly through her body today, so she didn’t open her eyes directly. Instead, she asked the System about her progress.
The previously silent System readily gave the conclusion.
As expected, this progress was much faster than before.
Moreover, now she didn’t need to go to the testing center; she could more intuitively understand her own cultivation level. It was really convenient and saved money.
It must be known that testing Spiritual Consciousness Development Level was free only for the initial test of third-year juniors. Every subsequent test required paying 200 Alliance Coins, even after registering as a Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced Level War Beast Master or Spirit Planter.
200 Alliance Coins was equivalent to half a month’s food expenses for Ge Bai.
Satisfied, she opened her eyes and had just stretched her waist when she saw Wu Da Mi squatting on the ground not far away, poking ants with branches.
Liu Hao leaned against the trunk, sitting on a tree root protruding from the ground, seriously reading a book titled Complete Catalog of Pet Beast Species. A plastic barcode was stuck on the spine; it must have just been borrowed from the city library.
“Bai Bai, you finally finished meditating! I said we’d come find you at eight, but Liu Hao insisted on dragging me here an hour early to wait and wouldn’t let me call you. I was so bored waiting.” Wu Da Mi, as talkative as ever, threw down the branch in his hand and ran over to squeeze in and sit beside Ge Bai.
Liu Hao ignored Wu Da Mi, closed the book in his hand, walked over to the two, and stood still.
“Ge Bai, what are you planning to do today? Want to go check out the Spirit Plant Garden together? Da Mi also needs to contract a Spirit Plant.”
Ge Bai instantly realized that these two must have heard about her situation and were afraid she might do something rash, so they came specifically to intercept her early in the morning.
From the sound of it, Wu Da Mi also had Spirit Plant Affinity Attribute, while Liu Hao could contract a Pet Beast.
“Yeah, Da Mi and I will go together. Hao Zi, don’t worry. There are several Pet Beast Cultivation Centers, and there are way more Pet Beast species than Spirit Plant species. Don’t accompany us; hurry and pick one carefully.” Ge Bai had already adjusted by now, and her mood wasn’t low.
Wu Da Mi carefully observed Ge Bai and saw she seemed fairly normal, so he let out a long breath of relief, grinned widely, and was about to say something when Liu Hao ruthlessly interrupted him.
“No, I’ll accompany you to the Spirit Plant Garden first.”
Liu Hao was very firm, and Wu Da Mi nodded frantically beside him.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go together.”
Ge Bai didn’t insist. The few of them greeted Teacher Xiaolu and headed to the Bus Station.
The Blue Star Welfare Institute was in a remote location, so there weren’t many people on the bus. The three of them sat in the last row.
Liu Hao fidgeted left and right in his seat, looking extremely conflicted.
He wanted Ge Bai to advise him on what Pet Beast to contract.
After all, he knew best how much effort Ge Bai had put into Pet Beast research over these years.
But he really couldn’t bring himself to ask right now; asking at this moment would be like rubbing salt in her wound.
Ge Bai had originally been propping her head and looking out the Window, but with the three so close, she also noticed Liu Hao’s conflicted expression.
Plus, having grown up together since childhood, she knew exactly what Liu Hao was agonizing over.
Her heart warmed again.
“Hao Zi, what Pet Beast are you planning to contract?”
Ge Bai spoke first. Liu Hao instantly looked up. Seeing the girl by the Window with her hair lifted by the breeze, smiling very gently, he gradually relaxed.
Yeah, they had lived together for over a decade; they were already family. Helping each other as family was perfectly normal.
“I haven’t decided yet. I was originally thinking of contracting a Steel Fang Dog, but there was suddenly news recently that Steel Fang Dog evolution has a new fire attribute path. Now the cub price has risen to 350,000, which I can’t afford.” Liu Hao was somewhat dejected.
Spirit Beast and Spirit Plant purchase loans were quite common in this society. Ordinary families could mortgage their property and provide stable income proof to loan 900,000 to 1.2 million.
But children from the Welfare Institute like Ge Bai could only rely on government welfare loans, applying with community-issued no-criminal-record proof and personal aptitude details. Liu Hao and Wu Da Mi had already checked; they could only loan around 170,000.
Later, supplementing with work salary proof could increase it by ten or twenty thousand, but it absolutely couldn’t exceed 200,000.
They had to repay this money within five years.
Ge Bai’s situation was a bit better. With her Spiritual Consciousness Development Level at 10%, if she had Pet Beast Affinity Attribute, getting the maximum 500,000 welfare loan shouldn’t be a problem. But now, she wasn’t sure how much she could loan.
It wouldn’t affect much; she could check at the contract Window in the Spirit Plant Garden later.
Ge Bai thought for a moment and said very seriously to Liu Hao, “Do you like monkeys?”
Liu Hao was stunned: “It’s okay, nothing particularly like or dislike; I just haven’t paid much attention usually.”
“I suggest you contract a Ring-tailed Lemur or a Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey.”
Ge Bai continued.
“In the past two years, large ape evolution paths have frequently broken through, causing prices for all primate Pet Beasts to rise. But small monkey types are still okay. Ring-tailed Lemur is around 90,000, Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey around 120,000. Initial cultivation costs are also much lower than for carnivorous, metal-eating types like Steel Fang Dog. We can afford it.”
“Although small monkeys definitely can’t grow into large War Beasts that charge head-on like Longmao Black Ape or King Kong Giant Gorilla, their advantages in stealth, sentry, and reconnaissance are also very obvious.”
“They can also help out during part-time work. Later, if cultivated well, you could try switching to professional War Beast Master and go pioneering with War Beast teams. Scout-type War Beasts are still very popular. The risk isn’t small, but the returns are high. If you aim even higher, the Interstellar Corps recruits from society every year; enlisting would be even better.”
Ge Bai knew Liu Hao’s personality and tried her best to think of feasible plans for him.
After hearing this, Liu Hao let out a long breath: “Ge Bai, it has to be you.”
“I get what you’re saying, but are there any small monkeys cheaper than Ring-tailed Lemur?”
Ge Bai was somewhat surprised.
“There are, but their growth potential would also be lower. These two should be the most suitable. Don’t you two have 170,000 in loans?”
“Sigh, Hao Zi told me he wants to buy you a Devil Vine sapling. Your own loan definitely won’t be enough, so we’re spending less to free up quota for you.” Wu Da Mi was enthusiastic now and bluntly revealed the result of their discussion yesterday.
Devil Vine, an Auxiliary-type Spirit Plant, was also one of the rare Spirit Plants with some attack power. The Interstellar Corps always favored Spirit Planters who could cultivate Advanced Level Devil Vines during annual recruitment.
This was also the best Spirit Plant these two could think of.
The price was naturally outrageously high; an ordinary Devil Vine juvenile sapling required 700,000 to 800,000 Alliance Coins.
Liu Hao elbowed Wu Da Mi in the stomach, causing Wu Da Mi to cough repeatedly.
“Uh, no, mainly our loans would be wasted if we don’t spend them, so better to let you use it.” Liu Hao hurriedly explained, afraid Ge Bai would stubbornly refuse them.
Seeing the two like this, Ge Bai felt warm inside and smiled especially happily.
“You two don’t overthink it or worry about the money. Hao Zi, just pick one from Ring-tailed Lemur or Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. I haven’t decided what Spirit Plant to contract yet; we’ll see when we get there.”
“But…”
“Alright, don’t worry. I’m Ge Bai; even raising a morning glory vine won’t be worse than a Devil Vine!”
Seeing Ge Bai joking, the two didn’t continue.
At this time, neither of them imagined that what seemed like Ge Bai’s casual remark wasn’t a joke at all.
