Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
They chatted as they ate their sumptuous lunch. Once the meal was finished, the group of them brought their tools along to start work.
After all, they were there to work and not for a holiday.
The villagers whom they had held hostage were the most enthusiastic about work. This time around, they had brought along six men to assist them in the search for meteorites. After all, that kind of work did not require any special technical skills.
When those villagers learned that it was time to start work, they immediately carried their bags over and whipped out their torchlights to prepare to set off. They worked diligently and kept their eyes on the ground, not willing to let even one rock slip their observation.
The reason for their work ethic was that Li Du and the rest had fed them well. At every meal, there would be grilled meat, steamed meat, fish, shrimps, and beer. Such conditions were much better than in the village.
Hence, they wanted to prove themselves at the work so that they could stay in the group and continue living in such conditions.
Li Du had searched the nearby surroundings. He let young Ford split the group into teams and drew up the search areas. Then they could search more strategically.
After young Ford was done with making all the arrangements, he sighed and said, “We are going to resume the most boring job on earth again.”
Li Du said, “What do you guys actually want to discover in searching for the meteorites? To be frank, I know that we can probably identify the elements in the meteorites. But what has that got to do with the Fifth Dimension you guys are looking for?”
Young Ford said, “It’s a long story. If you really want to know, I have to start from the very beginning. It is a story that has to do with the galaxy’s timeline and origin of species…”
Hearing that, Li Du felt like his head was already muddled. He waved his hands and said, “Alright, alright. The mystery you guys are trying to solve is too deep for me. I’d rather not understand it and just do my job properly.”
Young Ford did not like Li Du’s attitude. However, as Li Du had helped them in many ways, he did not say more.
As he had more interactions with Li Du, he realized that Li Du had strong capabilities. Deep down, he hoped that Li Du would join them.
Hence, he grabbed Li Du’s shoulder and said, “Aren’t you curious? The thing we are looking for can change human history or even the entire galaxy!”
Li Du looked at him and said, “I have something to say, but I don’t know whether I should. It’s not a nice thing and I don’t really want to say it.”
Young Ford said, “Go on.”
Li Du said, “There’s an ant that says it can change the global patterns in the human world. Would you believe that?”
Young Ford understood what he was trying to say instantly. He smiled. “If the ant can really open its mouth and articulate this idea, I’d believe it.”
Li Du laughed helplessly. He felt that this bunch of men was led by an illusion.
Young Ford did not have any intention to continue trying to persuade Li Du. He only said, “Actually, we do not really intend to change human history or to debate on the logics in the galaxy by pursuing this matter. We just want to correct some past mistakes that we have done, people we have wrong and things that have gone awry through the Fifth Dimension.”
Li Du shook his head and said, “I just want to enjoy today’s good time. Why do we have to return to the past or know what’s in the future? We can just enjoy what we have today. Wouldn’t that be enough?”
Young Ford smiled. “I wish you all the best in that.”
Li Du met his eye and nodded at him. “I wish you all the best too, buddy.”
He let out the two little bugs, which flew beside one another and began their search anew.
Compared to others, he covered more ground. He just walked forward as he normally would and the two little bugs searched the territory to his left and right.
Calculating by the flying speed of the little bugs, they could cover one to two kilometers per minute. Hence, if Li Du walked forward for ten kilometers, the little bugs had no problem keeping up with up.
Brother Wolf walked alongside him, while also looking for wild edibles that they could use as food ingredients.
He explained to Li Du, “This is very simple. Just find the wild herb and then identify it. However, that would also be very difficult. Putting aside the complexity of identifying the wild edible, one would have to find it in the first place, right?”
Li Du said, “What’s so difficult about finding them? We’re going in the ten o’clock direction, within a radius of one hundred meters. There’s a bunch of clothes over there. And where we are facing now… can you see? There is some wild grass there. In the two o’clock direction, if you look carefully, you can spot a shrub. This shrub seems to have long tubers…”
Brother Wolf sprinted off. When he saw the small shrub, he squatted down and dug up a few objects that looked like eggs.
Bringing those items back to Li Du, Brother Wolf, “Boss, your vision is very impressive.”
Li Du said, “Hence if I have all your knowledge on wild edibles, I can become a king of the wilderness.”
Brother Wolf was in full agreement. He said, “All this knowledge can be learned and accumulated. I will tell you the key point first. Some of these plants, although they are harmless, do not have much nutritious value. Hence, to live well in the wild, you’ve got to understand what kind of nutrients each plant has so as to have a well-rounded diet.”
“Some plants contain essential vitamins and minerals, while others are rich in protein and carbohydrates. Some species also contain fat, and all types contain cellulose…”
He raised the tubers in his hands and said, “For example, this is a kind of Solanaceae plant. I’m not sure what exactly it is. The wild plants we studied grow in Europe, so I don’t know much about wild edibles in other regions of the world.
“Then, can those be eaten?” Li Du asked. “How can we determine?”
Brother Wolf said, “If you’re alone in the wild and find plants you aren’t familiar with, you had better let them go. Don’t risk it. However, if you have a partner or a team like now, you can be more daring. Give it a try!”
He wiped the tubers clean and passed one to Li Du. “Have a bite, boss.”
Li Du looked at him with suspicion and said, “We are not here to risk our lives, buddy. I say, if you don’t know what this is, better not try it.”
He did not wish to take risks. In any case, he had already admitted before that he did not have an adventurous spirit.
Brother Wolf took a bite himself and said, “Actually, it’s not a problem. When you feel that something is not right, you should try your best to trigger yourself to vomit it out and it should be fine. Also, I’ve prepared some charcoal. That’s the best emetic in the wild. Low amounts will trigger the vomiting reflex, and it can also absorb poison.”
Saying that, he took out a small bag, and inside were all the pieces of charcoal that he had collected in the afternoon.
After chewing twice, Brother Wolf spat out what he had put inside his mouth and threw away the remaining tubers.
“What’s the matter?” Li Du asked.
Brother Wolf shook his head and said, “Can’t eat those. I can taste hydrogen cyanide, which is poisonous. Any plants containing it cannot be eaten.”
The little animals saw the thing that Brother Wolf spat out and rushed over to smell it. Then they turned away at once, their acute sense of smell warning them against it.
Seeing that, Li Du suddenly had an idea. He said, “Actually, this might be easier than I thought. Can’t we just get Ah Meow and the other animals to smell whatever it is we might think of eating?”
Sophie, who was next to them, teased, “You’re such a good father.”
Brother Wolf smiled. “That’s actually a great idea. Animals have well-developed instincts and a keen sense of smell, and if the plant is poisonous, even if they’ve never seen it, they would know to avoid it once they smell it.”
Li Du pulled Ah Meow to his side and randomly put a bunch of wild grass in front of the animal. He said, “Taste the white grass. I will give you guys a chance to showcase yourselves today.”
