Warhammer Survival Guide

Chapter 128 Seeds

Subsequently, Luo Wei and the two signed a cooperation agreement on the spot.

The Heavy Machinery Deep Cultivation Agreement and the Clean Water Transportation Memorandum.

A simple exchange of benefits was reached.

The atmosphere in the lounge had eased considerably.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Luo Wei saw that it was almost time, so he got up and went to the office of the seed bank manager.

He reached out and rang the doorbell.

"Enter."

A sound processed by an audio processor was emitted.

Luo Wei pushed open the door and entered.

The office interior is filled with a steampunk style.

The walls around the room were covered with various glass sample bottles, each containing plant roots of different shapes and sizes.

In the center of the room was a large metal desk.

Behind the table sat a technical priest dressed in a red robe:

Gear Beta.

The supervising priest had undergone extensive physical modifications.

His lower body was replaced by a small tracked chassis connected to a data interface on the ground.

The left side of his face is completely metallic.

The red multispectral microscope lens in the left eye continuously extended and retracted to focus as Luo Wei entered.

Several servo robotic arms extended from behind him, simultaneously operating three bird-shaped instruments and a data board.

"Love Dane".

Father Beta's camera locked onto Rowe, emitting a buzzing sound as it zoomed in.

"Father Alpha mentioned you. He said you're a mortal who understands 'logical aesthetics.' That's quite rare."

Luo Wei bowed slightly, performing a standard mechanical gear salute.

"Praise be to Om Messiah. Father Alpha also highly praises your erudition."

Luo Wei walked to the table, took out a document from his pocket, and handed it over with both hands.

"This is the material requisition form for the eastern grain depot for the next quarter, as well as the remaining inventory settlement voucher for the previous quarter. Please pass."

Head. "

A servo robotic arm reached out and picked up the document.

Father Beta's electronic eye shot out a beam of red light, rapidly scanning the data on the parchment.

A moment later, Father Beta put down the documents.

"The payment receipts have been verified and are correct. Your payment rate for the last quarter reached 98%, which is a very encouraging figure."

"However, regarding your seed application—"

Father Beta tapped the table with his mechanical fingers.

"You applied for 'Terra Acid-Resistant Wheat - Type IV,' the standard military version."

"Yes," Rowe replied.

"turn down."

Father Beta gave his conclusion.

"According to Articles 7-12 of the Agricultural Bible and the Soil Acidity Analysis Report you submitted, the soil pH value in the eastern granary has improved, but it is still in a high-acidity risk zone."

The priest pointed to a screen next to him, which displayed complex graphs.

"According to the standard allocation logic, this soil environment can only be matched with Terra-III general-purpose wheat."

"Type IV seeds are high-energy crops, and have strict requirements for soil fertility and heavy metal content. Giving them to you would be a waste of sacred resources."

Lowe was not surprised.

Such obstacles were expected.

Type II seeds have low yields, a rough taste, and poor disease resistance. Their only advantage is that they can barely germinate even in waste soil.

If this type of seed is used, Lowe will be unable to complete his crazy plan of "expanding production by 30%" in the next quarter, nor will he be able to meet the tithe target.

He needs type IV.

These seeds were specifically designed for military rations in harsh environments; they have a hard outer shell, are resistant to lodging, and have a high yield.

Lo Wei did not beg or emotionally complain.

He began to use logic to fight back.

"Your Excellency, your judgment is based on conventional logic, and that is entirely correct."

Luo Wei took out two more documents from his trench coat pocket and gently placed them on the table.

"However, the variables in the eastern granary have changed."

Father Beta's camera panned to the two new documents.

The first document is the "Heavy Machinery Deep Tillage Agreement" signed with the Western Grain Depot.

The second document is a "Memorandum of Understanding on the Transportation of Purified Water" signed with the Southern Grain Depot.

"In the next quarter, the western grain depot will allocate 150 heavy-duty deep tillage machines to carry out deep tillage operations in the core planting areas of the eastern grain depot, which will physically improve the soil compaction structure," Luo Wei explained.

"At the same time, the southern grain depot will supply 500 tons of high-purity purified water daily to dilute acidic residues in the soil."

Lowe continued, "This means that our growing environment costs will increase by 40% compared to the previous quarter."

"If you supply us with type 1 seeds, then these expensive water purification and mechanical labor hours will be used to treat a low-grade seed."

On the harvested crops.

Luo Wei paused for a moment before giving his final conclusion: "Calculations show that this will lead to a 25% decrease in the overall input-output ratio."

"This is not only a waste of resources, but also an inefficient use of the purified water and mechanical power bestowed by Om Messiah."

"This does not conform to the sacred principle of efficiency."

Upon hearing this, Father Beta fell silent.

The robotic arms behind him stopped swinging and began performing high-intensity logic calculations.

In the doctrines of Mechanism, inefficiency is sinful.

Loewe grasped this logic and used it as a starting point to secure the seeds.

He proved that using inferior seeds was a waste of imperial assets.

However this is not enough.

Correct logic can convince the brain.

But whether it's the Ministry of the Interior or the Mechanicus, the bureaucratic gears of the Empire often spin erratically without the right "lubricant."

It is not moving.

Luo Wei rummaged in his pocket for a moment, then calmly pulled out a sealed metal bottle, no bigger than a thumb.

The bottle had no labels and was covered with fine scratches, making it look quite old.

However, at the sealed area of ​​the bottle opening, a pure, almost holy, pale amber luster shines through.

Before setting off, Lowe made a special trip to the basement of the Seventh Repair Workshop and pleaded with Father Alpha for a long time before finally obtaining this information.

This tech priest, who was obsessed with machines, lived a very frugal and impoverished life because of his research. This bottle of oil was one of his few "treasures".

Over the past five years, Alfa has been collecting drop by drop the high-quality lubricating oil left in the hydraulic pipes and gear gaps by taking advantage of opportunities to repair scrapped high-end luxury vehicles and occasionally handle military precision instruments.

Using his rudimentary distillation equipment, he filtered and purified the product hundreds of times before finally managing to collect this small bottle.

For priests fitted with sophisticated mechanical limbs, this "aged" lubricant, free of industrial impurities, is more precious than gold.

It is a top-tier maintenance product that can rejuvenate aging servo joints.

Lo Wei gently pushed the metal bottle next to the documents.

The glass struck the metal tabletop with a crisp, pleasant sound.

"Your Excellency, besides the documents, I have something else here that might interest you."

Luo Wei said respectfully.

"This is a sample I found by chance while sorting through the scrap materials in Workshop 7."

"Father Alpha once lamented that using holy oil of this purity on clumsy farm machinery would be blasphemy against Om Messiah."

"Only a wise person like you, possessing a sacred and intricate mechanical structure, can bring out its true value."

"Please consider this a small offering from me to the Machine Soul, and a tribute to your hard work in maintaining the Sanctuary."

Father Beta's electronic eye, which was constantly zooming in, suddenly stopped rotating.

The camera focused on the unassuming metal bottle.

A cold, mechanical hand slowly extended and carefully picked up the bottle.

He did not open the bottle cap.

For a priest of his caliber, even the trace amounts of molecules leaking through the sealed opening are sufficient for compositional analysis.

He brought the bottle to the chemical sensor under his nose and took a light breath.

The sensor emitted a faint hum.

"High purity----"

"Free of acidic sulfides —"

"Excellent viscosity coefficient —"

Father Beta's synthesized electronic voice emitted an almost terrifying electrical noise.

Loewe clearly distinguished between greed and ecstasy.

"The waste pile of the seventh agricultural workshop actually hides such a high-quality treasure."

The priest did not inquire why the treasure had ended up in the rubble.

Because it doesn't fit the logic of efficiently acquiring resources at this moment.

His cold, mechanical hand flipped with incredible speed.

The hidden storage compartment beneath the robe quietly slid open.

The small metal vial was immediately engulfed, as if it had never been on the table.

Then, he looked at Lo Wei again.

This time, the red light in his eyes had noticeably softened.

"Your logic is very sound, mortal."

Father Beta entered a series of commands onto the data panel.

"Variable parameters have been updated."

"After recalibration, the matching degree between the planting environment in the eastern grain warehouse and type IV seeds has been improved to the qualified level."

"Application approved."

With a crisp electronic notification sound, a metal delivery slip was ejected from the card slot on the desktop.

Luo Wei picked up the delivery note and glanced at the quantity on it.

Full amount.

"Thank you for your fairness and wisdom." Lowe bowed again.

"Come with me."

The tracks beneath Father Beta turned, emitting a low rumble.

"According to the procedure, you need to go to the Holy Treasury to personally participate in the consecration and handover ceremony of the seeds."

The Holy Library is located deep underground.

Rowe followed Father Beta as they slowly descended in a cargo elevator.

As the depth increases, the surrounding temperature begins to drop sharply.

A white, chilly mist hung in the air.

"bite."

The elevator came to a complete stop.

The heavy explosion-proof door slid open to both sides.

The scene before him filled Lovi with a sense of oppressive fear, like the terror of a colossal creature.

This is a spacious underground space, over fifty meters high, and so large that it seems to stretch endlessly.

In the darkness, thousands upon thousands of giant, transparent life support tanks were arranged.

They emitted a cold, eerie blue light and stood densely packed together.

In each vitamin bottle, golden particles were suspended:

Wheat seeds in a dormant state.

Countless servo skulls hovered in the air, scanning the data of each tank.

On the ground, hundreds of heavy-duty transport machines are at work.

They carried heavy, sealed boxes, marching in unison through the passageway.

It's very quiet here.

There were no human conversations, only the sounds of hydraulic transmission and the clanging of metal.

This place doesn't look like a granary at all.

It's more like a high-precision biological laboratory.

"Terra Acid-Resistant Wheat—Type IV. Through the Martian Mechanic Church, the twelfth sacred iteration of the Gene Factory."

The priest led Lowe to area numbered "E-704".

Rows of metal boxes, freshly removed from life support tanks, were neatly stacked on a tray.

The surface of the box is printed with the Empire's double-headed eagle emblem and the Mechanicus' gear and skull symbol.

Loewe approached one of the boxes.

Through the observation window on the box, he saw the golden wheat seeds inside.

Their grains are plump and perfectly colored, and the size of each one is as precise as if it had been measured with calipers.

This is an industrial aesthetic.

However, as Luo Wei looked at the seeds, a chill ran through him.

He knew the secret behind these seeds.

This was a brutal monopoly he had never seen in any of his auditing cases in his previous life.

These seeds are perfect, but they are "locked" in.

When cultivating these seeds, the genetic sages of the Cult of Mechanics implanted a "genetic lock" into their genetic sequences.

It can also be called the "suicide gene".

Once these seeds are planted, the first generation will thrive and bear abundant fruit, providing food for the empire.

However, these fruits are sterile.

If farmers attempt to save seeds for their own harvest, they will use the harvested grain as seed to plant in the next season.

So, during the germination stage, these second-generation seeds will trigger a gene lock, automatically dissolving into a pool of black, foul-smelling water, and growing into highly toxic, deformed plants.

This is the "gene lock".

This is the empire's underlying logic for controlling an agricultural planet.

Under this system, all agricultural planets and all farmers must apply to the Cult of Mechanics for new seeds every new planting season.

No one can possess a "seed capable of reproduction".

This power was firmly held by the Mechanics Cult and the Ministry of the Interior.

This is a more efficient and ruthless means of domination than orbital bombardment.

Once an agricultural planet rebels and attempts to break free from the Empire's control.

The empire didn't even need to send troops to suppress it.

All that's needed is to cut off the planet's seed supply for the next quarter.

Three months later.

The people on this planet will eat up all the stored food.

Six months later, the great famine will destroy all resistance.

"What are you looking at, mortal?"

Father Beta's voice interrupted Rowe's thoughts.

"I'm marveling at the perfection of creation," Lowe replied, his face showing no sign of surprise. "This purity is awe-inspiring."

"Purity is essential."

Father Beta said arrogantly.

"The unauthorized reproduction of mortals is full of mutations and filth."

"Only seeds blessed by the Machine Soul and genetically locked can ensure that the produced grain meets the Empire's standards."

"Alright, let's begin the consecration ceremony."

The priest waved his hand.

Two servant skulls, each holding an incense burner, flew over, spewing out thick smoke of holy oil.

This is not a trivial formality.

In the logic of Mechanism, unblessed materials are unclean and unusable.

Father Beta raised a scepter and began circling the pile of seed boxes.

He emitted rapid, sharp binary noises.

This is "A Prayer for a Bountiful Harvest".

Following the rules, Luo Wei knelt on one knee.

He placed his right hand on the topmost box and lowered his head.

"I swear."

Lo Wei's voice drifted through the heavy smoke.

"I will protect the purity of the seed and keep it free from the contamination of heresy."

"I will sow them on the Emperor's land."

"Until they are transformed into the currency of the Empire, into a sword in the hands of the Star Guardians."

The ceremony was very complicated.

Every step was filled with a suffocating sense of dogmatism.

However, just halfway through the ceremony...

A servant responsible for carrying holy oil nearby had his left leg's hydraulic rod suddenly jammed, apparently due to aging joint parts.

"Click."

The servant staggered, and the silver holy oil jug slipped from his hand.

It was about to crash to the ground.

At the last moment, the servant fell to the ground in a contorted posture, using his body to cushion the oil jug.

The oil can was not broken, and not a single drop of oil was spilled.

However, the servant's chest slammed heavily against the metal floor, and the sound of bones shattering rang out.

Father Beta's chanting stopped abruptly.

He turned around and glared at the servant lying on the ground.

Then, the robotic arm suddenly lifted up and pulled out a data whip.

"Snapped!"

The whip lashed hard across the servant's back, tearing through the flesh and revealing the metal skeleton beneath.

"Disrespectful to the machine spirit!"

Father Beta roared angrily.

"Your clumsiness has disturbed the peace of the seeds! This is blasphemy!"

The machine servant lay sprawled on the ground, its body convulsing, mechanically repeating: "Error—calibration—error—"

Luo Wei knelt to the side, watching coldly.

In this place, a jug of oil, a box of seeds, or a screw are far more valuable than a "person".

After venting his anger, Father Beta straightened his robes.

It was as if the atrocity had never happened.

He turned around and continued the unfinished ceremony, his tone becoming solemn and sacred once more.

Half an hour later.

The ceremony had just come to an end.

Father Beta stamped a red gear-shaped seal on the delivery order.

"Take it, Manager Lowe."

"This is your hope for the next quarter."

"Remember, every grain of wheat is numbered. At harvest time, I check the yield. If the loss rate exceeds the standard, you know the consequences."

Luo Wei took the delivery order.

"Understood. Praise be to Om Messiah."

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