Era: I was a farmer at the foot of Yaoling Mountain

Time flies.

The annual spring planting season has officially begun.

Pan Lianhua designed a small bamboo item when she had nothing else to do, and it unexpectedly became a hit. The company received a large number of orders and suddenly became the sales champion this year.

Unlike his wife, Fang Wei was not so smug. He went to the county and the region twice to be questioned before he could explain the so-called "high commission" issue.

The county and region support scientific and technical personnel to become wealthy through their labor. Moreover, Fang Wei's achievements are remarkable, so this small commission is really not much.

Even though the relevant departments have made clarifications, the rumors have already begun to spread widely and cannot be stopped.

Fang Wei was too lazy to refute the rumors. He wasn't a government official, so why should he care? As long as the higher-ups determined that he hadn't broken the law, that was enough. What others thought was none of his business.

He inspects the fields almost every day. He doesn't need to worry about the specific production issues, but he needs to have first-hand information.

Meanwhile, good news came from the project team: they had selected three corn varieties and could proceed with the next stage of hybridization trials.

Upon receiving the news, Fang Wei rushed to the experimental field. The relevant personnel from the Crop Research Institute and the Research Institute were all there, and they were all very excited, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

This is certainly encouraging, as research on hybrid maize has taken another step forward.

"Secretary Fang, these are the experimental planting records, please take a look."

The head of the breeding team came over with the planting records and handed them to Fang Wei.

Fang Wei took it and examined it carefully, finding no problems. He then checked the three selected corn plants, which appeared to meet the requirements.

“Secretary Fang, we have tested all three corn varieties and found that they have strong complementarity with inbred lines. We hope to obtain even better varieties through hybridization and ensure stable inheritance.”

After reviewing the records, Fang Wei, the project leader from the Crop Research Institute, smiled and added a comment.

The previous testing work went very smoothly, and it allowed members of the research institute and the breeding team to witness the practical application of biotechnology for the first time.

With this technology, many things will become more intuitive, and it will no longer be entirely a matter of luck.

"Secretary, we must thank the comrades from the Crop Research Institute. They brought us new technologies, which have benefited us greatly."

The researchers at the institute spoke the truth: China lags far behind other countries in biological gene research. Without the hands-on guidance of the colleagues at the Crop Research Institute, they would not have been able to master the advanced measurement methods so quickly.

Fang Wei smiled and nodded, saying, "Then let's start cultivating hybrid corn, and then conduct the final selection."

The next step is the pairing test. After the screening and testing, the target number has been reduced to the vast majority, leaving only three varieties, which greatly saves time and costs.

The project has reached its most critical moment, and its success or failure will soon be revealed.

After spending half a day at the experimental field, Fang Wei went to the office with the head of the research institute. The institute needed to purchase some instruments, and Fang Wei, taking advantage of his good mood, quickly got the other party to sign off on them.

"Secretary, I'd like to recruit a few more talents in the field of biological genetics. The comrades at the Crop Research Institute are indeed very good, but they are from other units after all. In addition, if conditions permit, I suggest that we start research on transgenic technology."

He Qingyun is 63 years old this year. He retired early and has worked at the breeding research institute for many years.

The research institute was initially established through joint investment from several organizations. After the company was formed, it was acquired by Yaoling Agriculture, which significantly increased its investment.

Because the company's breeding technology is unparalleled in China, the Crop Research Institute has a long-term cooperative relationship with the Breeding Research Institute, and has even shared its latest technologies without reservation.

He Qingyun, the director of the research institute, had more ideas, so he took this opportunity to mention them to Fang Wei.

"Genetically modified technology?"

Fang Wei is not opposed to genetically modified technology. This technology is still in its early stages at this point in time, but it will soon become a trump card for international giants.

Opinions on this technology are mixed, but it's certainly not as sinister as the legends of the past made it out to be, to the point that it was almost regarded as a monstrous threat.

Genetically modified technology and hybrid breeding technology are two different technological paths. Fang Wei chose hybrid rice and hybrid corn, but that does not mean he will completely abandon the other technology.

"Director He, we can conduct preliminary research on transgenic technology, but we need to take it slowly. After all, research is very expensive, and we have chosen different technological paths."

Fang Wei agreed to He Qingyun's request and asked him to go back and write a report for Cai Tong, which the company would review.

Personally, he supports preliminary research on genetically modified technology, but he will not invest heavily in it for the time being.

He then signed the purchase list and took his leave.

"Secretary Fang, this is the meeting notice. Please take a look."

Fang Wei was about to go back for lunch when a staff member brought her a meeting notice.

It was time to go to the capital for a meeting again. He went back to pack his things and set off for Chenzhou the next day. Taking the train from Chenzhou to Beijing was the fastest route.

Because it was only shortly after the New Year, he wasn't in a hurry to visit Binbin. Instead, he met up with Wu Tianming and other familiar representatives.

"Secretary Fang, you're really lucky, you've escaped another disaster."

Seven or eight people were having dinner at the hotel restaurant when one of the representatives made a joke.

"They were doing good things for the country and the people, but they almost got caught. It's simply incomprehensible. Fortunately, the higher authorities relaxed the land transfer policy in time, and now Secretary Fang can finally realize his grand ambitions."

Wu Tianming had been paying close attention to this matter, and he quickly followed up with his opinion, welcoming the policy that allowed land transfer with open arms.

While land transfer may have its problems, the benefits outweigh the issues. For example, advanced enterprises like Yaoling Agriculture can multiply the value they create once they own sufficient land.

"That's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore. My proposal this time focuses on the security of domestic seeds, and we must firmly grasp food security in our own hands. What do you all think?"

Fang Wei didn't want to talk too much about the past, because it was pointless.

He successfully changed the subject, and everyone's attention was indeed focused on seed security and food security.

It turns out that at this stage, people don't have much of a concept of seed safety; they are only focused on increasing grain production and don't care what kind of seeds they use.

If foreign seeds work well, we'll use them; if local old seeds don't work well, we'll discard them. Isn't that normal?

“Secretary Fang, your proposal is a bit ahead of its time. We can talk about other things after our grain production increases.”

Wu Tianming's words were subtle, but in reality, he disagreed with the other party's proposal.

Because he can't see what will happen ten, twenty, or even several decades from now, he won't understand the importance of self-reliance and control. This is a limitation of the times; after all, many projects that continued from the 1970s have been shut down in recent years.

Fang Wei listened to everyone's opinions but did not argue with them. After the meeting began, he still submitted his proposal as planned, but the proposal did not attract much attention. The prevailing view at the time was to learn from the West's advanced technologies and management experience, and then follow the path of introduction, digestion, and absorption.

Therefore, many industries have been severely impacted, and some well-known domestic brands are gradually disappearing from now on.

After the meeting, Fang Wei went to the school to visit Binbin. He wanted to invite Tingting out for a meal, but Tingting had gone abroad again, so the father and son ended up having hot pot together.

"Dad, why did Sister Tingting go abroad to study?"

"I don't understand. My workplace says I'm going for further studies, but I don't know if it's for a master's degree or as a visiting scholar."

Fang Wei and her son talked about Tingting, and they both felt that Tingting's job seemed a bit mysterious.

Not only is he busy with work, but he also frequently travels abroad. This time, he went abroad to study, which is said to take one or two years.

He could now understand Tian Guihua's complaints a little better. Having such a daughter made almost no difference compared to not having one, since she was rarely seen anyway.

"Does Sister Tingting do some kind of special job?"

"How could that be? You've been reading too many novels."

The conversation between the father and son ended there, but Fang Wei was also very suspicious. However, there was no way to verify such things, and he always believed that Tingting was not an ungrateful child.

There are often many helpless situations in this world, and he is willing to believe that Tingting was just helpless.

Back in the village, Fang Wei immediately began inspecting the spring planting work. Now everything is ready except for the final step: rice transplanting will begin, and then the spring planting will be completely finished.

This season is the highlight of the year, as it involves large-scale rice cultivation, so everyone in the company attaches great importance to it.

The 200,000 mu of paddy fields in Yangshan are all planted with [Nanguang No. 5] rice. Fang Wei had designated those lands in advance and included them all in the [planting area].

The days slipped by in a rush, and Fang Wei only had time to relax after the rice transplanting work was finished.

Taking advantage of a lull in his schedule, he settled his previous earnings.

The company has grown significantly, but for Fang Wei, the points he's earned are still unsatisfactory. He received 17 billion points this time, but it's still not enough to cover the costs of upgrading.

Overall settlement, points +1700000000

Total Points: 2893481400

With approximately 29 billion points currently at hand, Fang Wei considered for a moment and decided to upgrade the research institute first.

[Affiliation Facility] → [Production Facility] → [Breeding Research Institute]

[Facility Level: (Level 16, 0/5 billion points)]

[Facility attributes: Improve research efficiency, enhance research quality, improve equipment operational efficiency, improve learning efficiency, and increase the success rate of project research.]

Conducting research within this building grants an additional 160% to all attributes, +1 to Flash of Brilliance, and +1 to Ingenuity.

Total points: 2726814740.

Since the research institute hadn't been upgraded, Fang Wei directly upgraded the [Breeding Research Institute] from level 1 to level 16.

He had previously thought the research institute wasn't very important, but now that biotechnology and genetic engineering had been introduced, its importance would gradually become apparent. The institute had made significant contributions to these successful breeding efforts, so their compensation would be different.

During the upgrade process, Fang Wei received two big gift packs.

[A flash of inspiration] In research work, inspiration may suddenly burst forth, and new ideas or thoughts may be the key to success.

[A stroke of genius] In research work, an unintentional act may directly contribute to the success of the research.

Both of these attributes are incredibly powerful, especially in scientific research, where they often bring unexpected gains. Therefore, Fang Wei was very satisfied, particularly since the research institute was actually his [affiliated facility], which delighted him beyond measure.

From this point on, the institute's research work will be greatly accelerated.

As if on cue, Fang Wei had just brewed a pot of tea when Director He walked in with the application report.

The research institute was determined to start researching genetically modified technology. Before submitting the application report, it had already been submitted to the company. Cai Tong and others held a meeting to discuss and approved the institute's request.

Now, all Fang Wei needs to do is sign his name, and the research institute can receive a research grant.

Fang Wei took the report, read it through, signed it without saying a word, and then handed it back to He Qingyun.

"Director He, please forward the report to the finance department, and they will allocate funds promptly."

"Okay, thank you, Party Secretary."

He Qingyun left happily, determined to overcome the challenges of genetically modified technology and leave a significant mark on the latter half of his life.

Fang Wei felt that the research institute still had a long way to go. Domestic research on genetically modified organisms was clearly lagging behind, and achieving results would be a long and arduous task.

Fortunately, the company is financially strong and has ample cash flow, so it is not afraid to spend money.

Time flies.

All three varieties of hybrid corn have been harvested. After careful screening, seeds that meet the standards have been selected for a second round of breeding.

Hybrid corn is a new corn variety that combines the best traits of the male and female parents to create a high-quality product.

The challenge lies in resilience; otherwise, the seeds obtained will undergo phenotypic segregation when planted, rendering all previous efforts futile.

Currently, the number of seeds selected from the three hybrid maize varieties varies, and the final result cannot be determined yet. Only after repeated breeding will the superior hybrid maize variety be finally identified.

At this point, the breeding is basically considered successful.

Given the powerful attribute bonuses from the planting area, the final selected corn varieties can undergo second-generation conventional breeding. This is Fang Wei's ultimate weapon; no other technology can bridge this gap.

However, corn seeds obtained using second-generation conventional breeding can only be planted with first-generation seeds. This generation also has the strongest performance in all aspects, including resistance, yield, taste, quality, etc.

If the seeds are saved for further planting, there is a high probability that phenotypic segregation and degeneration will occur, so it is not feasible.

"【Genetic Stability +1】is used in this way. For breeding work, this is simply an amazing attribute."

Fang Wei felt victory was within reach, and it seemed unlikely that New Cage would be able to turn the tide. (End of Chapter)