FTS Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Experts

"Leader, I have a way to kill those bugs..." Song Deling ran into the office in a hurry clutching his bottle, not even bothering to knock.

But at this moment, no one had the time to notice such small details. Everyone stood up with a hua sound, all wondering if they were hallucinating.

"Old Song, this isn't something you can just talk nonsense about!" The village chief of Shuisha Village stared with wide eyes, not believing it.

Song Deling carefully placed the bottle on the table and huffed: "Why would I talk nonsense? What good would it do to lie to you!"

Hearing this, everyone felt that Song Deling wouldn't make a joke out of something so significant. 

But how could it be possible? 

Even the experts sent by the city were helpless; what method could Song Deling have?

Zhou Shiwei stood up and walked over to Song Deling: "Comrade Deling, is what you’re saying true? Has it been verified?" 

This news was so shocking that his voice distorted slightly, as if it were floating in thin air.

Facing County Magistrate Zhou, Song Deling immediately straightened his posture and recounted the details truthfully: "Look, this is the water used to attract those bugs. A little girl in our village was playing around and accidentally tinkered it together. Every bug in our village has been burned to a crisp."

The crowd was simultaneously incredulous yet desperate to hold onto hope.

Zhou Shiwei didn't have time to dwell on what 'little girl' Song Deling was talking about. He grabbed Song Deling’s hand tightly: "Let’s go, we’ll go test it right now. If the pests are truly resolved, Comrade Deling, your village has performed a great service for the people and the organization!"

The village chief of Shuisha Village, who always liked to butt heads with Song Deling, felt a bit awkward seeing him take the spotlight, but he sincerely hoped it was real.

The experts from the city were staying at the Bureau of Agriculture researching pesticides, where many bugs had been captured for their study. 

Zhou Shiwei and his group led Song Deling in a frantic rush toward the Bureau.

The Bureau of Agriculture was located on the outskirts of town and had several enclosed experimental fields. 

When Zhou Shiwei’s group arrived, the city experts and the Bureau staff were busy researching pesticides.

"Comrade Li, stop what you’re doing for a moment! Comrade Deling from Xiangfu Village says they found a way to resolve the pest problem. Come quickly and take a look!" Zhou Shiwei, usually refined and extremely respectful toward these experts, could no longer maintain his composure. 

He spoke out as soon as he entered the gate of the Bureau.

The city expert team was led by Li Geng. It wasn't until he arrived in Yun County that he realized how severe this infestation truly was. Even more despairing was the reproduction and spread rate of the insects. 

Since arriving in Yun County, the entire expert team had barely slept or rested. Despite this, they met with repeated setbacks. 

These bugs seemed completely immune to past pesticides; even if the chemicals caused some damage, they wouldn't kill them. 

Given the reproduction rate, the pesticides they were researching were practically useless.

Currently, the pests were only within the borders of Yun County. If things continued this way, it wouldn't be long before they spread across the entire country. At that point, it would be a hopeless nightmare.

In such a situation, one can only imagine the amount of pressure they were under. Li Geng had already sent a telegram detailing the situation to the city; they could not shoulder the responsibility for such a grave danger alone.

Moreover, according to Li Geng’s judgment, there was simply no one who could research a solution to the pest infestation in such a short amount of time. 

So, when Zhou Shiwei suddenly claimed to have found a way, how could they possibly believe it?

The first reaction of the group of experts led by Li Geng was that Zhou Shiwei was talking utter nonsense.

Because of the sleepless nights and the immense pressure, everyone was irritable. Upon hearing this, Li Geng spoke directly, "County Magistrate Zhou, please step aside. We are busy here and have no time to listen to your wild ramblings."

When these experts first arrived from the city, they were all extremely arrogant, feeling that a minor pest problem didn't warrant such a massive mobilization by the city, leading to a very unpleasant relationship with the county officials.

Hearing him speak to County Magistrate Zhou this way, the others from the county couldn't hold back, "Comrade Li Geng, we respect your work and effort, but you cannot be so arbitrary. How can you decide that our County Magistrate is talking nonsense? What if it actually works?"

What Li Geng hated most in life was laypeople trying to instruct professionals, people who understood nothing but loved to chirp away. 

Did they think these pests were like the minor infestations of the past? 

This was an extremely severe, massive pest disaster the likes of which had never been seen in history. 

One wrong move could lead to a total crop failure across the entire country, even with the strength of the whole nation, it was highly likely it couldn't be resolved. 

On what grounds did these laypeople speak so brazenly?

"The pests are spreading extremely fast right now. Every minute and every second is precious to us. We have no time to waste listening to your fabrications!" Li Geng barked sternly.

"You've been researching for so long and still haven't produced anything, yet you talk about every second being precious, don't you find it hilarious to say that out loud!" 

The county committee had practically enshrined these experts, doing everything possible to provide them with experimental conditions. 

If they wanted experimental equipment the county didn't have, the officials moved mountains to find a way to buy it for them. 

Initially, they had placed great hope in them, but now, seeing that hope shattered while the experts remained so arrogant, the accumulated resentment naturally erupted.

"Xiao Wu!" Zhou Shiwei didn't mind the experts' attitude; talented people were always proud. He knew the difficulty of this infestation, failing to solve it didn't mean these experts lacked true ability. 

Currently, talent was scarce in Great Xia, and he deeply respected those with genuine skills. He stopped his secretary, Xiao Wu, and spoke to the experts, who were nearly fuming with rage: "Since there's no other way right now anyway, let's just try it."

In truth, he himself harbored eighty percent doubt regarding Song Deling's words.

"Hmph, I'd like to see how you solve this!" Li Geng said in a dark, heavy voice.

Song Deling naturally sensed that no one had much faith in his words. At this point, he wasn't in a hurry, whether it was true or not would be revealed momentarily.

"Comrade Deling, come tell the experts how to solve the pest problem." Zhou Shiwei signaled for Song Deling to step forward.

The experts had thought Zhou Shiwei had invited some other professional from somewhere, but seeing it was just an old farmer, they immediately scoffed, "Absolute nonsense."

Song Deling held up the bottle and said, "I'll just demonstrate the experiment for you. This was accidentally put together by a little girl in our village; there's no way to explain it in words."

"Simply preposterous!"

"County Magistrate Zhou, you're letting this kind of person waste our time?"

Hearing Song Deling’s words, the experts found it even more ridiculous. Discovered by a little girl in a village?

Listen to that, could there be a more fantastical tale?

Not only did the experts disbelieve it, but the others were skeptical as well. 

Some felt it was indeed a waste of time, while others stared intently at Song Deling, clinging to a one-in-ten-thousand chance of hope.

Song Deling understood them. When Song Baozhu first said she could solve the pest problem, hadn't he been just as unbelieving as these people?

But how could mere mortals understand the magic of a celestial child?

That’s right, though he didn't say it aloud, Song Deling was already convinced that Song Baozhu was a celestial child from beneath the seat of Guanyin. 

Only this could explain how her 'playing around' led to the discovery of a method to solve the infestation.

For a moment, he felt a sense of pride, like a man who is sober while everyone else is drunk.

He walked unhurriedly to a patch of open ground. 

Nearby were the experimental fields of the Bureau of Agriculture, where the crops were covered with those pests.

"I know none of you believe my words, so open your eyes wide and watch closely." The team leader standing beside him snorted at the crowd. 

"That’s right, open your eyes wide and see exactly how we kill these things!"

Song Deling uncapped the bottle. An indescribable scent gradually began to diffuse. Immediately afterward, the insects in the field became agitated, letting out a buzzing sound as they crawled rapidly.

Song Deling had experienced this before, so his expression didn't even flicker. He slowly poured the water from the bottle onto the open ground, circling the experimental field.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..." By the time the water in the bottle was finished, the insects in the field were completely frantic.

Following the scent, they crawled toward the open ground at an extremely high speed, forming a dense black mass.

"This... this..."

Everyone watched this scene, slack-jawed. Someone nearly jumped out of their skin.

Zhou Shiwei tried his best to remain calm, but he couldn't stop his hands from trembling.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the insects in the experimental field had all crawled onto the open ground, huddling over the water Song Deling had poured out, forming a black band.

The experimental field was now clean; not a single insect remained.

Amidst the extremely shocked gazes of the crowd, Song Deling said to the accompanying team leader: "Ermang, light the fire!" His voice was full of vigor.

Song Ermang gave an "ai" of assent and used a torch to ignite one end of the black band. The flames shot up instantly and then spread rapidly.

These insects were more flammable than grease.

In almost the blink of an eye, the entire black band was burned to flying ash.

There was not a single pest left in the entire experimental field.

A deathly silence fell over the area.

"Hiss..." It wasn't until someone couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air that this extreme silence was broken.

"It’s really solved?!"

"Burned to death! All burned to death! Hahahahahaha! They’re really gone, not a single one left!" 

The representatives from the other villages ran to the spot where the ashes lay to check again and again. Holding the ash in their hands, they couldn't help but laugh loudly, though the laughter turned to tears as they cried, "They're gone! They're gone!"

Zhou Shiwei lunged forward to Song Deling. "Comrade Deling, you... you... this is wonderful! Simply wonderful! You have solved a massive trouble for the country and the people. The organization must commend you!" Stable as he usually was, he had completely lost his usual poise, gripping Song Deling’s hand and laughing toward the sky.

The county leadership team also crowded around Song Deling, jubilant.

Meanwhile, the experts led by Li Geng were nearly going mad. They practically crawled on the ground, clutching the burned ashes and muttering to themselves: "How is this possible? Why would they do this? What are the components of that green water? Yes, that water, that water..."

Li Geng leaped up with unprecedented speed, pushed past Zhou Shiwei, and grabbed Song Deling. 

His expression was somewhat manic: "What is that water? What are its components? Is there any more? Hurry, take out the rest of the green water!"