Apocalypse Rebirth: 3000 million won at the beginning

Chapter 2234 The situation worsened with each level of reporting.

Inside the greenhouse.

Ma Qian and Tian Fang were both baffled as to what was causing the dark brown spots on the edges of the potato seedling leaves.

Ma Qian's face was ashen as he stared at the vast expanse of potato seedlings, lost in thought.

Inside this greenhouse, one-third of the potatoes were shriveled, and the rest were starting to develop small spots.

Will other greenhouses experience the same thing?

Thinking of this, Ma Qian asked Tian Fang:

"You said that a similar situation has occurred in greenhouse number 79? Take me to see it."

Tian Fang nodded, got up, and led Ma Qian toward greenhouse number 79.

soon.

The two arrived at greenhouse number 79, where Tian Fang handed over a dozen sweet potato seedlings that had been placed on the open ground to Ma Qian.

Ma Qian examined the sweet potato leaves closely and found that the brownish-red spots on them were exactly the same as those on the potatoes in greenhouse No. 83.

Not an isolated case!

Ma Qian took a deep breath. The most urgent task was to determine the scale of this crop mutation, how large it was, and how wide the affected area was.

Thinking of this, he immediately took out his walkie-talkie and called over the other four junior agronomists under his command.

After receiving Ma Qian's notification, the four junior agronomists rushed over.

"Tian Fang, tell them what's going on," Ma Qian said to Tian Fang.

Tian Fang told the four people about the crop mutations he had discovered, and also gave them the mutated sweet potato and potato seedlings to study.

One of the junior agronomists, Zhao Dong, held a potato seedling and reached out to support the shriveled potato below.

He gasped. "This doesn't look like a common plant disease. It looks more like a mutation. Look, although this leaf has developed brownish spots, it's larger and thicker than a normal leaf."

Another junior agronomist, Xie Deming, rolled his eyes.

"Stop talking nonsense. Didn't Lao Tian just say that the most urgent thing now is to determine the extent of the impact?"

Ma Qian walked over, his expression serious.

"As you can see now, the situation has occurred in greenhouses No. 83 and No. 79 under Tian Fang's jurisdiction. I'm giving you a task: within two hours, check if any of the greenhouses under your jurisdiction have the same situation."

"Give all the tasks to the lowest-level technicians. Keep this matter quiet for now and don't tell anyone else."

Everyone looked at each other.

Don't make a fuss?

If a large-scale crop mutation really occurs, how can it be concealed?
But Ma Qian was, after all, their superior, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"Yes."

Afterwards, everyone left greenhouse number 79 and went to the greenhouses they were responsible for.

Since Tian Fang had already conducted a thorough inspection, there was no need for him to continue observing the five greenhouses under his supervision.

Ma Qian didn't return to the agronomist's office either. Instead, he stayed in greenhouse number 79, waiting for the others to finish observing the greenhouse and inform him of the results.

Tian Fang looked at Ma Qian inside the greenhouse, hesitated for a moment, and then said:
"Master Ma, I think this matter is beyond our control. Should we report it to our superiors as soon as possible?"

Ma Qian looked up at him and said, "I know what you're thinking. If similar situations occur in other greenhouses, I will naturally report it to my superiors."

"Right now, only two greenhouses have problems, and if we report it to higher authorities, it's very likely that it won't be taken seriously."

Tian Fang breathed a sigh of relief when he heard him say that.

He worried that Ma Qian was afraid of being punished by his superiors and was trying to cover it up by delaying the issue.

Delaying can only buy time; if they drag it out until things get worse, they'll all be finished.

Two hours flew by.

Ma Qian and Tian Fang waited anxiously in the greenhouse, and even when it was lunchtime, neither of them had any appetite.

Tread-tap-

Outside greenhouse number 79, a series of hurried footsteps could be heard.

Zhao Dong, Xie Deming, and the other three rushed in.

Among them, Zhao Dong's expression was the most unpleasant, but the expressions of the others were not much better.

"How is it? Have you found any crop mutations in the greenhouses you're in charge of?" Before the group even reached him, Ma Qian stood up from his chair and asked anxiously.

Zhao Dong, his face ashen, walked over and reported:

“Brother Ma, the plants in greenhouses 72 and 77 that I’m in charge of have been found to have mutations, exactly the same as the ones Lao Tian found here, all showing brownish-red spots.”

Upon hearing this news, Ma Qian's anxiety finally subsided.

Now we can be 100% certain that this is not an isolated case.

"Where are the others?" he asked, looking at the other three.

Xie Deming and the other two shook their heads. "We haven't found this situation in the greenhouses we're in charge of yet."

Ma Qian's expression improved slightly, but four of the twenty-five greenhouses under his supervision had already experienced this situation.

This is difficult.

Tian Fang, who was standing next to Ma Qian, kept looking at him. Ma Qian turned his head and glanced at Tian Fang, then at Zhao Dong.

He said in a deep voice, "Tian Fang, Zhao Dong, you two come with me to find Gong Gaonong."

The "Gong Gaonong" he mentioned is Gong Qingtian, a senior agronomist.

He was also Ma Qian's immediate superior.

In the agricultural sector of Dazhangshu, job positions are clearly defined.

At the lowest level are technicians, who are responsible for a single greenhouse and its specific affairs.

Then there are junior agronomists, who have five technicians under them and are responsible for five greenhouses.

The above lists intermediate agronomist, senior agronomist, master agronomist, and professor-level agronomist.

For example, being able to reach the level of intermediate agronomist is actually considered a mid-level manager in the agricultural sector.

Senior agronomists are considered to be in the middle to upper management.

Top-tier agronomists are definitely high-level executives; there are no more than 50 top-tier agronomists in the entire Great Camphor Tree faction.

As for professor-level agronomists, there are only a handful of them.

The wind and snow outside the greenhouse were biting, but the hearts of Ma Qian and his two companions were even colder.

Ma Qian, in particular, had been diligently responsible for planting camphor trees for many years and had never encountered such a thing before.

He deeply understood that the foundation upon which the camphor tree thrived was a stable grain output.

If food supplies become problematic, with such a large population and so many mouths to feed in Dazhangshu, riots are bound to break out.

When people are hungry, they're capable of anything.

He is afraid.

A dozen minutes later, he led Tian Fangyu and Zhao Dong to the agronomist's office.

Third floor.

He knocked on the office door of senior agronomist Gong Qingtian.

"Come in." Gong Qingtian's voice came from inside.

Ma Qian quickly pushed open the door and entered, followed closely by Tian Fang and Zhao Dong.

"What is it?" Gong Gaonong adjusted his glasses and looked up at the three of them.

Ma Qian looked at Tian Fang, signaling him to speak.

Tian Fang took a deep breath and began to recount how he first discovered the spots on the potato seedlings a month ago, continuing until he found that the same situation had occurred in all four greenhouses he had just discovered.

"Gong Gaonong, this is the current situation. Among the 25 greenhouses I am in charge of, plant mutations have been found in four greenhouses. From what I've seen, they don't seem to be diseases."

"Now I want Gong Gaonong to report this situation to his superiors, and try to get a senior agronomist to come down and take a look, to figure out exactly what this is." Gong Qingtian hadn't fully processed what they had just said, and his mind was momentarily blank.

Over the years, greenhouses have never had any major problems because, compared to outdoor open-air planting, greenhouses are more enclosed and controllable.

Especially after upgrading to the fifth-generation intelligent greenhouse, with refined planting, the crops in the greenhouse generally grow very well and are less prone to problems.

But now.
It's not a disease, but a mutation?

This was the first time he had encountered something like this since joining the Ministry of Agriculture.

"Take me to see this." Gong Qingtian was breathing heavily. He immediately got up, dressed, and went out.

Ma Qian was worried that taking the crops out would spread some unknown pathogens, so they did not take the problematic crops out.

To isolate the greenhouse from the outside world, each greenhouse also has an isolation zone.

Everyone entering or leaving the greenhouse must pass through this isolation area for disinfection and to change clothes.

The group hurried to the greenhouse where the plant mutation was first discovered, greenhouse number 83.

When Gong Gaonong took out a magnifying glass and wore gloves to carefully examine the spots on the potato seedlings, he looked puzzled.

Before the apocalypse, he was at least a researcher at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and he had a deep understanding of crop diseases and pests.

But the potato seedling in front of me had leaves with brownish-red spots along the edges and a metallic sheen in the center.

The small potatoes below the stem are shriveled, with only a thin layer of skin remaining.

He took a deep breath, squinted, and said in a deep voice:
"Temporarily seal off all the greenhouses with problems. In addition, collect all these plants and move them to greenhouse number 83. Also, collect the temperature, humidity, and ventilation data of these greenhouses. Furthermore, take soil samples from these problematic greenhouses and move them all to this greenhouse."

"Yes." After receiving his order, Ma Qian felt as if he had found a pillar of support.

"besides."

Gong Gaonong continued:
"Go and notify the other intermediate agronomists to conduct a comprehensive screening of the greenhouses they are responsible for to see if this problem has also occurred."

“Okay,” Ma Qian readily agreed.

Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Although Ma Qian is in charge of twenty-five greenhouses, he still has Gong Gaonong above him.

If something happens to him, Gong Gaonong will still be unable to shirk responsibility.

After quickly setting up the deployment.

Gong Qingtian walked back and forth in greenhouse No. 83, checking on the condition of these mutant plants.

Suddenly, he walked up to the greenhouse intercom and entered a password.

They made a call to the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters in the big camphor tree.

The big camphor tree serves as a buffer zone for the city.

Administrative region.

In this area, the headquarters of many of the functional departments of the large camphor tree are located here.

The headquarters of the patrol brigade, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry, and even the Ministry of the Interior were all located here.

However, military headquarters are still located in the outer city.

In addition, the administrative headquarters is located in the first outer city.

This administrative building is the headquarters of all functional departments, and the office of Li Yu, the chief of staff of the camphor tree, is located here.

Those who are able to enter the First Outer City Administration Building are basically personnel of Level Two or above.

As for Level 3 personnel, they can only enter and exit if they can obtain a temporary password issued from above.

Buffer City, headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Ye Shi, the person in charge of the greenhouse, is spraying water on several kumquat trees in his office.

Sudden.

The communicator rang.

She picked up the phone, "Hello, where is this?"

Upon hearing Ye Shi's voice, Gong Gaonong said excitedly:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ye, I'm sorry to bother you."

I am Gong Qingtian from the third group, a senior agronomist, and I am in charge of Area A of the No. 1 City Outside Plantation.

We've encountered a very serious situation, which is why we're reporting this to you, bypassing your direct supervisor.

Normally, he would have reported to his superior, a senior agronomist.

However, he felt that this matter was too big and that passing it up the chain of command would be too slow, so he simply skipped a level and reported directly to Ye Shi, the person in charge of the greenhouse.

Upon hearing this, Ye Shi raised an eyebrow.

"fine."

"What happened?"

Her tone was slightly serious; after all, for a senior agronomist to be so flustered, it must be no small matter.

A senior agronomist directly manages five intermediate agronomists, 25 junior agronomists, and 125 technicians.

They are directly responsible for 125 greenhouses, each covering an area of ​​10 mu (approximately 1.65 acres).

That's a planting area of ​​1250 mu (approximately 83 hectares).

This involves a planting area of ​​over 1,000 mu (approximately 67 hectares), and if problems arise, the impact on grain production will be significant.

Gong Qingtian quickly summarized the plant mutations he had discovered, highlighting the key points.

And it was also mentioned at the end:

"President Ye, I have never encountered this situation before, so I hope you can send our Ministry of Agriculture's top experts to conduct a detailed and comprehensive investigation."

I'm very worried that the impact might extend far beyond just a few thousand acres of land!

After hearing Gong Qingtian's words, Ye Shi remained silent for a moment.

His eyes showed a hint of seriousness, and he said in a deep voice:
"Okay, I understand. I will send someone over to investigate this matter immediately."

After hanging up.

She took a deep breath, her head buzzing a little.

After calming down, she quickly found Yao Ji, a top expert in greenhouses, explained the situation to her, and asked her to immediately bring several agricultural technology experts and pest and disease experts.

Bring the testing equipment and head together to Plantation No. 1 outside the city.

After giving the instructions, Ye Shi felt it wasn't safe enough. The matter was of great importance, and the Minister of Agriculture, Anya, should also know about it.

She then went directly to the office of the Minister of Agriculture upstairs.

But Anya wasn't there; she went to her destination only to find no one there.

Li Peizhen, who was passing by, saw her and noticed that she didn't look too well.

He inquired:
"What's wrong, Mr. Ye? Is there something you need from Minister An?"

Ye Shi nodded. "Where is Minister An?"

Li Peizhen pointed to the outer city and said:

"Minister An went to the administrative building in the outer city for a weekly meeting and is not expected to be back until 6 p.m.

Ye Shi checked the time; there were still several hours until 6 PM.

The weekly meeting is with the president and others, and it's not appropriate for her to rush over there now.

Thinking of this, he said to Li Peizhen:
"Peizhen, I've come to see Minister An because there's been an accident at the greenhouse—the greenhouse at Plantation No. 1 outside the city."

Li Peizhen followed An Ya for many years and worked at the Ministry of Agriculture for a long time, apprenticing under An Ya and agricultural giant Zhang Qiwu.

Now that she's the deputy general manager of the greenhouse project, she naturally has the right to know these things.

After hearing what Ye Shi said, Li Peizhen's expression changed slightly.

I'll go take a look too.