Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

Or did something go wrong when applying for funding? Or perhaps some rock crabs escaped and caused a bloodbath? You know, rock crabs are one of the biggest pests on Terra, just like locusts on Earth.

Theoretically, it's edible, but nobody would eat it; it has absolutely no economic value.

However, Doumiao is the kind of person who doesn't believe in superstitions. She has tried to train a variety of docile and completely different wild rock crabs, and has also bred edible rock crabs—although they don't taste very good and have too little meat.

The rock crabs from the pea shoots weren't as bad; they were just a bunch of rock crabs without shells. "Did you knock out the genes for shells?"

"Hmm," Doumiao said shyly. She hadn't understood much of the complex gene manipulation theory, let alone the equipment and procedures. However, the only thing she had learned was how to remove the parts she didn't want.

As for how to glue it back together or insert other parts after it's been finished, she was completely clueless—

Frankly speaking, this is not a job that a young student under twenty should be undertaking or performing.

Learning how to knock out unwanted genetic segments without killing the embryo already comes with textbook guidance and the selfless instruction of a bunch of older, experienced seniors.

On Earth, if you were surrounded by twenty or thirty industry leaders and professors giving you pointers, and you only learned this much from a step-by-step textbook, you'd probably be expelled from school. Of course, the probability of having such an opportunity is probably even lower than finding a golden meteorite on the street.

"Hmm, look, this is the right way to do agricultural science. Things have to be done step by step. You want to run before you can walk," Xia Lin praised the bean sprouts' achievements, seemingly not realizing at all that they were just vegetables.

The older students could only bow their heads and agree, since their work had been criticized as worthless. No matter how proud they were, they didn't think they were any worse than the youngest junior sister.

However, when the assignments I submit are covered in red crosses and have the teacher's corrections, and the key is that I can't even say what the teacher said was wrong, it's quite difficult to say anything defiant when I don't even have time to take notes.

It's like a math homework assignment where you use a bunch of fancy tricks like calculus and matrix functions, but you still get the answer wrong. Meanwhile, the junior student next door gets it right using only basic arithmetic. When you get a severe scolding from the teacher, you can only lower your head and suffer in silence.

"The removed shell genes still have growth limitations and haven't been transferred into anything new, so what about gene stability?"

"There's no problem for now. I only thought of this because I discovered that it's possible for deformed offspring without shells to be born from rock crabs." Doumiao scratched her cheek a little embarrassedly.

“Since such deformed children can be produced in the natural environment, it means that knocking out these genes will not affect the normal inheritance and growth of rock crabs. Although it would be better to adjust to dominant genes, but…” But she wouldn’t.

"Why not breed them to be homozygous? That way, every generation of rock crabs wouldn't have a carapace?"

"Because it affects meat quality and meat yield. Although the gene is not expressed or not fully expressed, other parts are also at work. It's not that they don't have a shell, but that the shell is too thin and too small, and there is a problem with chitin secretion, which makes the shell soft and it will fall off quickly," Doumiao explained. Of course, the real reason is that if it is simply artificial breeding, you won't get credits in the course "Introduction to Genetic Manipulation"!

"In addition, I knocked out a portion of the genes that support the skeleton, and then my senior brother helped me transfer a useless fragment to support it, so that these rock crabs won't run around when they grow to a certain size."

If they don't run around, they won't burn too many calories. Then, they just eat and don't move, so they naturally and quickly gain weight. In addition, the genes that limit growth have been knocked out. They don't need to go through the process of constantly shedding their old shells and growing new ones as their bodies grow, like most rock crabs do. They also don't need to fight because of the growth and shedding of their shells.

In other words, this new rock crab is not only docile and doesn't run around much, but it also grows quickly and is very tolerant of roughage. Essentially, it's a scavenger that can eat almost anything.

Of course, to improve the feed conversion ratio and growth rate, it is best to process the biological waste before feeding. The feces can also be used as a soil binder to prevent soil desertification.

“Very good. You need to design a systematic breeding process for this kind of thing, including the slaughtering and processing procedures…”

"I'm all set..." Doumiao replied immediately. She studied this major to improve the rock crab and return home as the founder of Terra's number one rock crab farming industry to make her father admit defeat.

When Bean Sprout, born in Colombia, proposed raising rock crabs, he was ridiculed by his entire family. To Colombian farming families, this was simply unorthodox and outlandish. But this guy refused to give up and was determined to raise useful rock crabs and create a new industry for rock crab farming.

Besides the fact that the major itself is useful, the reason she recklessly enrolled was because she was interested in being able to openly use the school's funds for her own purposes. After all, her family had cut off her source of income, so this was the only way she could raise rock crabs.

"Very good. You lot are all getting on in years, how come you're not as steady as young girls in doing things?"

Instead of being overly ambitious, they successfully knocked out the genes that should have been removed based on their observation and breeding of natural rock crabs.

Although the action was small, it was a precise and valuable genetic manipulation, and a follow-up treatment and cleanup plan was formulated based on the operation.

Although the technology used was a bit rudimentary, this matter is like performing surgery. The goal is not to dismember the patient, but to remove the lesion with the smallest possible incision.

"Yes, yes, we were wrong..." The old men bowed their heads one by one to admit their mistakes. In terms of technical difficulty and the angle of showing off their skills, their work was obviously better, perfectly and ingeniously using every bit of what Old Xia had taught them.

However, in terms of actual results, the bean sprouts were the best, even though she used the simplest technique from beginning to end.

"Then, the Xia Group can make an additional investment so that you can quickly improve your crab farming experimental farm. If there are no problems afterward, you can proceed to the food testing environment and safety testing stage."

"Great!" Doumiao was overjoyed. She thought that she would be criticized by a group of big shots for making such a low-level product with such low-level technology. But she never expected that her senior brothers would be the ones being criticized. What did they do? Their faces turned green.

After some time, the experimental product, dubbed "Meat Crab No. 1," was placed in front of the PhD and a group of bigwigs. "Is this thing really edible?"

"Yes, I've tried it. The meat is okay, though it doesn't taste as good as other meats, but it's edible," Doumiao loudly vouched for her creation.

"Hmm, indeed, it's a bit bland." It lacks the aroma and freshness of crab. Perhaps the genes that accumulate certain flavor compounds have been knocked out, or perhaps it grew too fast, causing the flavor compounds to be distributed.

"The texture is good, with a bit of fiber. If we add seasonings, it should be able to improve. What about the meat-to-material ratio?" The bland taste is actually an advantage for synthetic creatures, since the amount of work involved in seasoning later is much smaller.

"It takes at least 20 to 25 pounds of feed to grow one pound of meat, but there's absolutely no problem!"

正常的料肉比有5:1就差不多可以考虑从人工养殖场开除出去了，超过10:1几乎没有什么普及价值，超过20:1毫无经济价值，这个肉的成本会涨到没几个人吃得起。

"Because they are all raised on garbage and waste, I tried using specialized feed, but it seems to be limited by the crabs' absorption efficiency, resulting in a higher feed conversion ratio..."

"Cultivation time?"

"It takes about 200 days for a single crab to reach its maximum size. However, it can actually be harvested after 120 days, because although it continues to grow after that, the growth rate is very slow, resulting in a lot of wasted feed..."

"Yes, it's suitable for vertical farming. Breed the second generation as soon as possible. You could consider modifying their growth hormone secretion and various synthesis efficiencies to grow more meat at the fastest speed. If that's inconvenient, you could also consider improving their disease resistance to achieve the goal of intensive vertical farming..."

Old Xia quickly suggested that this organism is suitable for vertical farming, which can be used to consume biomass waste produced by other aquaculture and agriculture.

If that's the case, a poor feed conversion ratio isn't a problem; on the contrary, the higher the better, which means you can save a lot on waste disposal costs.

"I suggest we join the mountain agriculture improvement program..." It just so happens that rock crabs can be raised in the mines. Rock crabs are burrowing creatures, and they are most suitable for raising in mountain mines and caves. In addition, with the structure of three-dimensional farming and cleaners, various kinds of processed household waste and biological waste can be used for breeding.

As for whether it tastes good or bad, it doesn't matter. After all, the meat is minced, seasoned, sterilized, and safely processed before being used as a filler.

Soon, a large number of free canned food distribution points appeared on the streets of Victoria and Lungmen. How to complete food safety testing at the lowest cost?

The Covenant's approach is to drop the food on low-level civilization planets with similar diets and amino acid chirality, which is equivalent to animal testing. Only then will they consider finding volunteers for Phase II testing, and finally, human testing.

However, Terra doesn't have that capability. Animal experiments have been conducted, and so far, it appears to be non-toxic and edible. They've also tested it themselves to see if it tastes good, and it's barely palatable.

The difference is that at the Longmen pick-up point, a waiver must be signed, and participants must participate as volunteers. If any problems arise, the Xia Group will be responsible for compensation and follow-up inspections and medical care.

Victoria's Swire Group and its other partners are simply inhuman.

If it weren't for the requirement that it could only be distributed for free, they would even be prepared to mark it down to a low price, but definitely not free, for the workers to sell.

However, this inhumane behavior earned them the utmost praise from the lower-class workers, who almost spontaneously promoted them as conscientious capitalists of Victoria.

After all, other food companies would rather throw away their products or even mix them with rat poison than let the poor have access to them.

And the fact that some people are even giving away canned food for free means that a large portion of the cost of living is being freed up for food consumption. When faced with the need to spend money, people will naturally choose these "conscientious groups".

As for the taste, it's not a problem at all. The bland taste and the crumbly texture don't stop it from being real meat. Just put it into the bean paste.

After drinking it, your stomach and intestines, along with your spirit boosted by the fat and protein, will tell you more clearly than your tongue that this is meat!

As for food safety issues, for lower-class workers in Victoria at that time, food was fine as long as it didn't kill someone on the spot.

After all, the sausages they usually buy from cheap food stores are not only expensive, but they may also be made from dead rats and rotten meat, or even dead human flesh, and they might even find cockroaches or other maggots in them.

At least these free canned goods don't have these strange ingredients; they're really just filled with finely chopped meat, and maybe with some vegetable oil to enhance the flavor.

For those lower-level workers, they naturally didn't care about the potential dangers; they just wanted to get food first. Who would care about tomorrow when they didn't even know what tomorrow would bring?

Instead, they are fiercely protesting why the distribution is limited to only a few neighborhoods and locations, and why the number of recipients is restricted. This is obviously because the experimental bean sprout farm has a very limited output!

Chapter 87 As long as we keep moving forward

Chapter 87

Even though Theresis tried her best to stop it, it was to no avail. The troops stationed at the canyon fortress were gradually withdrawn, initially only some second-line troops were transferred back to suppress the rebellion.

However, as the starving people in the rear transformed from a mob into an organized uprising, even the elite frontline troops were being drawn away.

However, the lack of organization and coordination quickly turned the orderly mobilization into a disorderly retreat, which eventually devolved into a chaotic rout, as if a magnificent castle had collapsed into a pile of rubble without a single soldier or bullet being fired, all under the watchful eyes of two divisions in the north.

Before the evacuation, some genius came up with the idea of ​​setting fires all over the fortress and detonating some of the ammunition and supplies that couldn't be taken away, as if this would prevent the enemy from occupying the fortress.

This behavior then triggered systematic looting, creating a scene reminiscent of a house falling apart. Every unit was frantically plundering the remaining military supplies, those who had chosen to obey orders had already left, and those who remained were fighting for money.

These military supplies are very useful whether you sell them or use them yourself to establish your own stronghold.

Faced with this situation, the doctor had no choice but to launch an attack before the internal situation was fully resolved.

Otherwise, the trouble these guys cause will be hundreds of times greater than the trouble they cause him on the battlefield.

Once these armies lose control and organization, and rely on these military assets to evolve into warlords and bandits of all sizes, the difficulty of cleaning up the South afterwards will be hundreds of times greater than that of the North.

After all, the North is primarily a pastoral region with relatively few cities and industries, while the South is more prosperous, which also means that various relationships are more intertwined.

"The order has come down: full speed ahead! We must reach the capital of Theresis before Midsummer's Day!" In other words, the separatist regime of Theresis must be destroyed within three months.

The mountain divisions, acting as the vanguard, swiftly advanced towards the nearest fortified canyon. They were tasked with capturing various strongholds and defensive nodes within the canyon, paving the way for the subsequent land fleet and armored divisions to pass through, while other light infantry divisions followed closely behind.

The hasty attack, launched before the army had fully reformed and reorganized, also threw the doctor's side into chaos. Many units had not completed their re-equipment, and some were assigned almost impossible marching missions without supplies or vehicles.

The entire journey was a chaotic mess, full of all sorts of antics. If their enemies hadn't been even weaker, and hadn't already brought about their own downfall, this military operation would have become the Doctor's ugliest battle ever.

Along the way, they could see lost soldiers who couldn't find their units and supplies abandoned by the roadside because they couldn't pass through. Fortunately, reinforcements kept coming in and gathered these people and supplies until they passed through the canyon with almost no resistance and entered the southern plains.

Rhodes Island, serving as an aircraft carrier and headquarters, struggled through a canyon corridor not much wider than itself, followed by two other land-based ships serving as mobile command centers and forward air hubs.

Although their current air power is not yet sufficient for anti-ship warfare, the Doctor and his team have already prepared for the transition to the next generation, since their enemies are not aware of shipborne air defense.

The Rhodes Island deck was bustling with activity. Ground crew members were checking the aircraft fixed to the deck one by one, and trailers pulling fuel tanks were going back and forth. The orderly preparation scene surrounded rows of "Falcon" attack and reconnaissance aircraft that were ready to go.

These turboprop-powered drones, larger than the Hummingbird, can carry over 500 kilograms of munitions or other payloads into the battlefield.

They are faster than hummingbirds, but also more unpredictable. For aviation mages who operate them remotely, more precise coordination and experience are required to complete safe takeoffs, landings, and combat attacks.

Therefore, most aviation strategist teams are currently only responsible for operating these large drones to carry out reconnaissance missions, while dive bombing and attack missions can only be successfully carried out by a very small number of elite teams.

"First group enters the runway." Two Falcons were towed to the ends of the two auxiliary decks on the side of the Rhode Island main deck with the help of trailers.

Rhodes Island's deck is divided into three sections. One section is the main deck, which is also the highest flat deck. However, since catapults and runways cannot be installed here, and a large number of elevators and cargo platforms are installed, it is only used for vertical take-off and landing aircraft such as the Hummingbird, and also serves as the hangar elevator entrance.

There are two lower auxiliary decks on both sides, helicopter platforms at the front and rear, a section in the middle that can be used as a catapult runway, and hangar openings on the sides that allow aircraft to be pulled out directly from the hangar.

Of course, during docking, these two secondary decks serve as bridges and wharves for unloading, docking, and vehicle transportation. The entire structure is designed to be quite complex and multifunctional, and it is unknown what the ancestors originally intended to do with this ship.

"Group 1, prepare for takeoff." The ground crew checked the catapult clamps and the transceiver module at the rear of the cabin again and found them to be normal.

"Ejection countdown begins..." The first green lights illuminate on both sides of the runway, indicating that the power generation module is releasing energy to the first set of capacitors.

At the same time, the drone's battery and energy self-checks were completed. The aviation sorcerers used their Originium Arts, with the help of the giant gain antenna array on Rhodes Island, to project their consciousness into continuous waves within the Originium effect field onto the drone's control components.

The second green light illuminated, and the drone's wing flip test confirmed the aviation wizard's control was correct. The last green light illuminated, and the little witches responsible for operating the two drones took a deep breath, preparing to withstand the impact.

Although this method of operation by sorcerers does not physically subject them to G-forces, the mental stress they experience during aircraft dives and rapid ejections, as well as during high-difficulty maneuvers, can still be greater than that felt by pilots of manned aircraft.

"Go!" The capacitor released energy into the orbital booster assembly, and with flashing arcs of electricity, the two 7-ton aircraft shot out like cannonballs, their engines ignited, accelerating further and gaining altitude.

"First group, enter the airspace; second group, prepare!"

"Hummingbird Squadron, take off!" A dense array of Hummingbird drones and small drones soared into the air, resembling a black cloud rising from the ship, or a swarm of buzzing wild bees flying towards the front line.