Chapter 136: The Breeding Base
From the outside, this place looked like a huge factory, completely sealed off from the outside.
And if tourists wanted to visit, they would have to spend another 200 yuan to buy a ticket.
Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, Damn it… could Xiong Wenwu be trying to boost his sales performance, so he deliberately set the meeting place here?
Although they were unhappy, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen still spent 400 to buy two tickets and walked into the breeding base.
The moment they entered, the feeling of transparency throughout their bodies, where every breath cleansed their bodies, that they had just experienced in the reserve, disappeared.
In its place was a dry, bitter air.
Zhang Yu said in surprise, “The breeding base isn’t connected to the reserve’s air? Is this the air we normally breathe?”
Bai Zhenzhen sighed in her heart, “The demonic beasts in this reserve can’t even get a few mouthfuls of the air their ancestors breathed.”
Just then, a deep voice rang out, “Long time no see, Zhang Yu, Bai Zhenzhen.”
Zhang Yu turned his head and saw a tall figure already waiting for them; it was Xiong Wenwu from Red Pagoda High School.
Seeing the two looking over, Xiong Wenwu said, “Let’s talk while we look around. Can’t waste the ticket money.”
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen followed him to the first stop of the breeding base—the incubation room.
On both sides of the corridor, in row after row of transparent rooms, were all sorts of different types of demonic beasts. The only thing they had in common was that these demonic beasts were all incubating what looked like dragon eggs.
However, half of the rooms seemed to be empty and were not in use.
“So this is a demonic beast breeding base.”
Bai Zhenzhen looked at the various demonic beasts in the incubation room as if she were at a zoo, and suddenly pointed to a bear and said, “Haha, Xiong Wenwu, look, doesn’t that bear look like you before your transformation?”
Xiong Wenwu looked at incubation room number 33, where a huge demonic bear was lying on the ground, sleeping and snoring.
Xiong Wenwu said flatly, “That’s my mom.”
“Huh?” Bai Zhenzhen’s mind went blank.
Xiong Wenwu looked at the two of them and said, “The breeding base will find suitable mothers from among the demonic beasts, and then sow true dragon bloodlines to create offspring containing the dragon bloodline.”
“I heard they used to use incubators directly, but later the company decided that demonic beast mothers were cheaper, and the breeding base’s output didn’t need to be too high, so in the end, they found us real mothers.”
“After all, there are plenty of demonic beasts in the reserve, so it’s very convenient to catch them.”
Xiong Wenwu looked at the demonic beast in the incubation room and said flatly, “Although she is my mother, she is just a demonic beast with little intelligence, and she doesn’t recognize me anymore.”
Having never encountered such a conversation before, Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu were both stunned and didn’t know what to say.
In silence, the three of them came to the newborn area.
In incubator after incubator were demon-kin infants of various different appearances.
Some were fast asleep, some were looking outside with wide eyes, and some were being injected in the back with a syringe and were wailing loudly.
Xiong Wenwu said flatly, “The infants here will continuously receive injections of various enhancers. Those who cannot withstand the medicinal power will be eliminated…”
Then there was the study room, where demon-kin infants were seriously watching a screen. What was playing was the nursery version of Red Pagoda Husbandry’s new employee training, which taught how to care for the company as if it were home.
Bai Zhenzhen exclaimed in shock, “They’re actually getting a damn nursery version of employee training?”
Zhang Yu nodded slightly, thinking that this Red Pagoda Husbandry was too ridiculous.
But then Bai Zhenzhen continued, “They have a job right from birth? A lot of people on the outside would be envious of that treatment, wouldn’t they?”
Xiong Wenwu said with a somewhat proud tone, “The company will provide a job for every demon-kin born in the breeding base. They can receive employee training from a young age and be instilled with the company spirit.”
“Because of this, every year there are mortals who come to protest, wanting to send their own children into the breeding base to study with us.”
Walking a few steps further, they saw a group of demon-kin infants doing exercises while shouting slogans: Hand in hand, we create the future together. The light of a father’s love shines on you and me.
In front of them was a portrait of a Black Dragon, who seemed to be the school director of Red Pagoda High School.
As they continued on, they could see that the demon-kin were getting older and older. From employee training to general education, and after rounds of exams and streaming, more and more demon-kin were assigned to work to repay their breeding debts, and the number of demon-kin who remained to continue their studies became smaller and smaller.
Xiong Wenwu continued, “Originally, a large number of demon-kin could be produced here every year. They would either study hard, get into university, and become valuable assets for Red Pagoda Husbandry.”
“Or they would be directly streamed to work in the company, conscientiously becoming the cornerstone of Red Pagoda Husbandry.”
“But since the introduction of new technology from Oasis Group, the company has decided to change its business direction. A large number of pastures and factories have been acquired by Oasis Group, and this breeding base will probably be phased out soon.”
Xiong Wenwu knew that for the demon-kin who had lived and worked here all their lives, leaving Red Pagoda… was more terrifying than going to work in a factory.
However, as a mere first-year high school student, he couldn’t change anything. The only thing he could do was to try to take care of the people he cared about.
Walking and stopping along the way, the three of them came to the finishing room.
In the rooms on both sides of the corridor, seventeen-year-old demon-kin were studying at their desks.
They wore shock collars around their necks to keep them awake and relieve fatigue.
The chains on their feet were connected to their desks, representing their determination to study wherever they went.
The feeder in front of them had an automatic feeding function, which would automatically feed them after they completed a piece of homework as required.
Xiong Wenwu looked at this scene, a trace of nostalgia flashing across his face, and said, “This is for studying the three years of high school general knowledge courses, in preparation for the breeding base’s middle school graduation exam.”
“After all, whether they can enter high school next year will determine whether they will study or work in the future, so everyone is very serious about their studies.”
Zhang Yu thought to himself… Damn it, if they don’t study, they’ll starve, won’t they?
Recalling what he had seen and heard after entering the reserve, Zhang Yu couldn’t help but sigh in his heart, This company really… squeezes every last drop out of people, and then grinds them under its heel for good measure.
As they reached the latter part of the tour, Xiong Wenwu brought up the matter of the spirit vein.
“In the breeding base’s incubation room, in order to ensure the growth of the infants and the true dragon bloodline, a spirit vein pipe has been introduced, which has air and high concentrations of spiritual energy from within the spirit vein.”
“But only the incubation room has this condition, so someone needs to arrange for you to sneak in.”
Bai Zhenzhen asked in surprise, “Won’t we be discovered?”
Xiong Wenwu at the side shook his head. “Most of the breeding base is automated, and there is only one person in charge. As long as this person agrees, no one will find out about you leeching off the spirit vein.”
Zhang Yu pointed to the meter on his body and asked, “What about this?”
Xiong Wenwu said, “The breeding base is at the edge of the reserve. There is a material transport channel to the outside here. I have already cleared the way and confirmed that there are no problems. Next time, I will bring you in directly through that channel.”
Only then did Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen notice that Xiong Wenwu didn’t seem to have any meters on him at all.
Xiong Wenwu reminded them again, “But if you come in through that channel, you can only stay in the breeding base. Don’t go out. The reserve’s surveillance methods are too numerous; you will definitely be discovered.”
Zhang Yu asked again, “Then what’s the price?”
Xiong Wenwu said, “8,000 an hour.”
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen looked at each other, both feeling that this price was not expensive.
After all, according to the prices in the reserve outside, with their constitutions, just breathing for an hour without practicing would cost several thousand, not to mention that this was air and dense spiritual energy from a spirit vein.
Bai Zhenzhen asked again, “Why did you choose to deal with us?”
“I asked around, you two are very poor, right?” Xiong Wenwu smiled. “I don’t trust people who are too rich. And you two are the only ones who are this poor and still have designs on a spirit vein, and who came to ask me about it… so I don’t really have a choice.”
Xiong Wenwu continued, “Now there’s one last problem, which is that the only employee of this breeding base may not agree to this deal.”
“The person I’m taking you to see in a moment is her.”
“So I need you to cooperate with me to talk to her.”
“Just follow my instructions…”
Hearing Xiong Wenwu’s instructions, strange expressions appeared on Zhang Yu’s and Bai Zhenzhen’s faces.
Arriving at the final souvenir sales area, besides things like employee training manuals, the breeding base’s special test papers, a replica shock collar, and various demon-kin dolls, Zhang Yu’s gaze also swept over various beast bones, beast blood, and demonic beast meat.
Although demonic beasts had always been treated as animals, completely different from demon-kin, seeing these things here still made Zhang Yu feel a little awkward.
Arriving at the souvenir counter, Xiong Wenwu smiled and greeted, “Sis, I’ve come to see you.”
This was the first time Zhang Yu had seen Xiong Wenwu’s barbaric face smile so happily.
But looking at the small panda behind the counter, Zhang Yu’s face still showed a look of confusion. However, thinking that the demon-kin of Red Pagoda High School always addressed each other as brothers and sisters, it didn’t seem so strange.
Xiong Wenwu said to Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, “This is my sister, An’an. When I was young, if she hadn’t helped me learn to read, I might have been eliminated long ago.”
“She has some opportunities to leech off the spirit vein here that she can introduce to you.”
But the small panda behind the counter didn’t seem to agree with what Xiong Wenwu said.
She raised her hands high, her face flushed with anger, and said, “Xiong Wenwu! What are you doing! I told you I would not betray the company’s interests!”
Hearing this, Xiong Wenwu sighed in his heart, a trace of helplessness flashing across his face.