Chapter 5: Buying Seeds, Buying More Seeds

His only job opportunity had fallen through.

Cheng Hai watched the Succubi before him, who were savoring plain boiled noodles with gusto, and a wave of helplessness washed over him.

This was some of his last remaining food.

The Client still hadn't replied to his message, and he couldn't proceed with the drawing without their approval.

So, he had nothing to do.

What should he do?

The Succubi needed to work to support this household. But Cheng Hai himself was unemployed. How could he find jobs for these Succubi, who also lacked identification?

Could it be that he really had to follow Number One's suggestion and start farming?

Cheng Hai sighed heavily.

After returning from Old Man Huang's place, Number Two immediately informed the others of what had happened, including the final warning to separate from Cheng Hai soon.

This remark ignited the Succubi's fury. Now they refused to go to the garbage factory no matter what.

They even threatened to kill anyone who tried to separate them from Cheng Hai, calling such people villains.

Their words were terrifying.

Naturally, Cheng Hai didn't take the words of these whimpering Succubi seriously. But he knew that his plan to send them to the garbage factory for black market labor had failed completely.

"Cheng Hai, do you have any more noodles?" Number Eight leaned in, his voice soft. He was the hungriest of the succubi; Cheng Hai had seen him devour five full bowls. Yet his flat stomach showed no sign of distension.

Cheng Hai lifted his eyelids to survey the other succubi. It was a sorry sight. The noodles were gone, and they hadn't left a single drop of broth, lapping the bowls clean.

A pang of guilt struck Cheng Hai. He had bought them and couldn't return them. He had to embrace his duty as their Master!

"Number One, come here."

Number One obediently set down his bowl and approached Cheng Hai.

"How much do you know about farming?" Cheng Hai asked.

"I don't know anything about farming," Number One admitted honestly.

Fine! Fine!

Cheng Hai slammed his forehead against the table. He resigned himself to his fate.

Rising, he pulled a tattered book from the room and tossed it before the succubi. They crowded around, flipping through the pages with curiosity.

"This is a Planting Manual," Cheng Hai explained. "It details how to grow all sorts of vegetables."

This was the book Cheng Hai had acquired when he first arrived, hoping to grow vegetables, or perhaps Old Man Huang had found it in the trash and tossed it his way.

Unfortunately, all his attempts at gardening had ended in failure, so the book had ended up propping up the leg of his table.

Now, it seemed, it had been put to use again.

"Can you read?"

The one good thing about the ABO world was that, apart from gender and gender-related laws, everything else was identical to Earth, including the written language, which was still Chinese characters.

Number One, looking somewhat dazed, nodded. "I can read it."

Cheng Hai frowned, pointing to some English words in the book. "Do you know what these mean?"

Number One nodded again. "I do. It means that reasonable irrigation of vegetation yields corresponding results."

Hmph.

Cheng Hai looked at the other Succubi. "Can you all read it too?"

Ten identical faces nodded in unison, speaking in unison like copy-pasted text: "We can read it."

Strange.

They were completely clueless about so many things in life, yet they knew all about this.

Cheng Hai folded his arms across his chest, a vague sense of unease creeping in. But when he remembered it was the ABO world, he let it go again.

Whatever. Being able to read is better than being completely illiterate, right?

"Then you all study this first."

Number One looked at Cheng Hai in surprise. "Cheng Hai, are you suggesting we should start farming?"

Cheng Hai shook his head. "We can't be so narrow-minded!"

The Succubi looked at him in collective confusion.

Cheng Hai cleared his throat, his eyes darting back and forth as a new idea surfaced. "The most pressing crisis we face is the lack of food. Humans are iron, and food is steel—without it, we can't survive."

The Succubi nodded in agreement.

Cheng Hai continued, "And your biggest problem right now is the lack of identification. Without it, you can't even get a job! No job means no money, and no money means you can't afford food. Do you understand?"

The Succubi said in unison, "We understand—"

"So, we must farm and cultivate to get food. But farming isn't our only path! It's just the first step in our development. Our plan is to go to the big cities and make money!"

In truth, Cheng Hai just wanted them to earn more money in the big cities so they could give it to him, allowing him to buy up the surrounding area.

"Our ambition is vast. We can't just focus on the temporary gains from farming!"

The Succubi nodded in unison.

In their eyes, everything Cheng Hai said was right.

And so, the so-called "farming startup fund" was launched in this muddled way.

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Farming is also a technical skill.

At least, that's how it was for Cheng Hai.

He knew absolutely nothing about farming, but having already promised, he had no choice but to brace himself and take Number One to the market to buy seeds.

Calling it a "market" was generous; it was more of a sprawling street market where vendors hawked their wares.

The Lower City's environment was poor and resources were scarce. Everyone was equally poor, with no one significantly better off or worse off than anyone else. During the regular market days, the poor would grab old bedsheets and pillowcases from home, load up their goods, and set up shop along the streets. They'd spread out the fabric, start shouting loudly to attract customers, and thus the makeshift market would take shape.

It was similar to a rural fair.

Cheng Hai had visited such markets with his grandmother as a child, so he was quite accustomed to the scene.

Number One, however, was utterly fascinated. As a newly born Succubus who had never seen other people before, he was both curious and wary of the crowd, clinging to Cheng Hai like a kitten encountering a stranger.

Most of the people in the market knew each other. The moment Cheng Hai appeared, familiar faces started calling out to him.

"Hey, Cheng! You finally left the house today! Come check out my stuff!"

"Cheng Hai, come buy from me!"

"Hey, Cheng kid! Aren't you with Old Man Huang today?"

"Who's that trailing behind you? Your boyfriend?"

The din was so loud it felt like Cheng Hai's ears were about to burst. He knew these people weren't genuinely familiar with him; they were just trying to hustle customers.

He finally managed to slip past the crowd and reach the familiar seed shop.

Amidst the makeshift stalls selling sheets and trinkets, this was a proper, established shop.

After all, most Lower City residents still relied on the land for survival. Farmers and workers formed the two largest groups, and farmers, who needed large quantities of seeds, naturally led to the establishment of shops like this.

A young man stood inside, wearing square-rimmed glasses and holding a book. He looked mild-mannered and easy to bully.

Having known him for a long time, Cheng Hai was certain his personality was exactly as he appeared. If not for his formidable Alpha mother managing the shop, the young man would have run it into the ground and sold it off long ago.

Without a second thought, Cheng Hai grabbed Number One's arm and shouted, "Hey! Fang Chiyu, I'm here to buy some seeds!"

Fang Chiyu jumped at the sudden noise, nearly dropping the book in his hands.

When he saw it was Cheng Hai, he immediately stood up and walked toward him with a smile. "Cheng Hai! You're here! How did those seeds I gave you last time turn out?"

The mention of the seeds made Cheng Hai's face fall. He pouted. "Don't ask. I killed them again. I think I'm just not cut out for farming."

"Ah..." Fang Chiyu looked disappointed.

"But I still need to buy some seeds. Someone at home will help me plant them. Pick out a few that grow quickly."

"No need for him to pick. Cheng Hai, I can choose myself," Number One suddenly said. Cheng Hai didn't think twice. Since Number One claimed he could grow them, he waved his hand and let him choose.

It was only because Number One spoke that Fang Chiyu, who had been focused on Cheng Hai, finally noticed the stunning blonde with blue eyes standing beside him.

His dazzling appearance and the faint alpha pheromones emanating from her body.

The stunning beauty was acting very intimately with Cheng Hai, his body almost completely pressed against Cheng Hai's. Cheng Hai seemed accustomed to it, casually playing on his phone.

Fang Chiyu's heart skipped a beat.

He knew Cheng Hai was somewhat afraid of intimacy. He had spent two years persistently wearing him down, rain or shine, just to achieve normal communication and the ability to confide in him.

Who is this person...?

Fang Chiyu's expression darkened, and he forced a smile. "Cheng Hai, is this your boyfriend...?"

Cheng Hai paused at the question. After a moment's thought, he replied, "No, he's a friend."

Fang Chiyu's heart eased slightly at the answer.

"Oh, a friend. Your friend is really beautiful, like a foreigner."

Cheng Hai nodded in agreement. To be fair, Succubi are quite good-looking.

Though Number One claimed to be "selecting seeds," he remained pressed against Cheng Hai, casually pointing at several packets.

"Alright, Cheng Hai, let's just take these."

"Just these packets?"

Cheng Hai looked at Number One with a puzzled expression. He had glanced at the seeds earlier; they were ordinary grain seeds that required almost two growing seasons to mature. Moreover, because of the sheer quantity that would be harvested, the market would likely be flooded, driving down prices and leaving him with little profit.

"Yes," Number One nodded, pressing himself closer to Cheng Hai.

Cheng Hai had grown accustomed to the Succubi's constant need for physical contact. After all, they never listened to reason anyway. Besides, what did it matter if men got close? Since the Succubi were Omegas—a fact Cheng Hai remained steadfastly convinced of—they couldn't do anything to him.

Whatever.

Cheng Hai thought, I'll just keep these Succubi busy with something. If all else fails, I'll take on more commissions... worst case, I'll just draw a few more dicks.

"Don't you want to add a bit more, Cheng Hai?" Fang Chiyu asked, pushing up his glasses with genuine concern. "I can give you some high-yield, fast-maturing seeds."

Without waiting for Cheng Hai's refusal, he immediately bundled them together and handed them over.

"138, I'll give you a discount—130."

"Rounding up isn't how it works, and you still gave me so much."

"It's fine. We've known each other for so long. Just take it."

Cheng Hai couldn't refuse, so he accepted the seeds. But when he went to pay, he scanned 150.

"Hey, Cheng Hai!" Fang Chiyu said helplessly. "Why are you always so formal with me?"

Fang Chiyu pulled Cheng Hai closer and stuffed some fruit and grains into his pockets without explanation. "How have you been lately? How are the articles you've been getting?"

Number One, forcibly separated from Cheng Hai, instantly lost his sweet smile. His blue eyes turned sinister as he glared at Fang Chiyu.

Fang Chiyu, pressed close to Cheng Hai, had a faint blush of embarrassment under his eyes.

Cheng Hai didn't like being this close. He glanced around for help and immediately noticed Number One's expression was wrong.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing Cheng Hai look at him, Number One quickly hid the gloom from his face. He lowered his head, bit his lip, and put on a pitiful expression. Even the densest straight man would notice something was off.

"Is the smell here making you feel sick?"

Cheng Hai himself couldn't smell the chaotic pheromones in the market. Having grown accustomed to coming here, he'd almost forgotten that Succubi were delicate Omegas.

The mall was filled with many low-quality Alphas and Betas who struggled to control their pheromones, leading to constant leaks. It was these scents that were clearly making Number One uncomfortable.

Number One shook his head stubbornly. Cheng Hai guessed that he had caught the scent of another Alpha and was too embarrassed to admit it.

"Is he alright?" Fang Chiyu frowned.

For some reason, he didn't quite like this man, always finding his behavior strange.

Fang Chiyu didn't know that on Earth, such behavior would be called "playing the innocent act."

Cheng Hai glanced at Fang Chiyu, then at Number One.

He suddenly remembered that Fang Chiyu was also an Alpha. He had just been acting so gentle, unlike the aggressive Alphas he knew, that he'd forgotten.

"Cheng Hai, I'm not feeling well," Number One said. "Let's go home quickly. I'm hungry."

Cheng Hai nodded and bid farewell to Fang Chiyu. "He might be sensitive to the Alphas' pheromones here. I'll take him home now. We'll catch up next time."

With that, he hurried home with Number One.

Fang Chiyu froze, watching their figures disappear into the distance.

Why would he be sensitive to Alpha pheromones?

But that man... isn't he an Alpha himself?