Chapter 644: Building a Ranch

Two months later, the long river of time entered the early summer season. Although the four seasons in the desert area were not apparent, the lengthened daylight still made the newly sown pastures planted on rapidly expanding wetland the edge of the LS experimental oasis to grow more dense and satisfying.

The cultivation of other vegetation was temporarily abandoned. Among the six beautiful breeds of herbages painstakingly harvested and planted in a large area by the LS Group, the ‘green seagrass’ that was the fastest-growing and had the most developed rhizome was the only advice given by soil and water conservation experts.

Sometimes, scientific conclusions could be so simple that it was absolutely ridiculous. However, the process of obtaining such findings and their value were never dull. With only slightly more than ten days, pastures of more than ten square kilometers appear miraculously in the desert.

At this moment, a scattered of 70 to 80 cattle and sheep of various breeds were wandering around on the grass, swinging their tails in low spirits on the grassland that stretched out as far as eyes could see. As they chewed on the fresh green grass, they would raise their heads while ‘mooing’ and ‘baaing’ from time to time, as they looked at the group of people wearing wide-brimmed hats of various sizes who were looking around.

As the cattle and sheep watched the people, the people watched them back as well. An aged, skinny, white man with a goatee dressed in a typical cowboy wear pointed at the animals trodding slowly as they ate, “Dr. Lisheng, just by judging on the water and grass resources alone, this place is even better than the best pasture I have ever seen before. Generally, about 200 beef cattle can be bred in cycles in every square kilometer of land in a pasture and a good pasture can have an additional 10 to 20% cattle but judging on the growth of the herbage here, it will be enough to even feed 280 to 300 cattle. Unfortunately, while the desert’s unique climatic environment has given the grass an unprecedented benign growth environment, it has also made it very difficult for a pasture to be built. This is very contradictory, but it is a reality. The herbage of fine breed selected by the breeding experts can quickly adapt to the changing temperature in the sand, but it doesn’t mean that the livestock can be so lucky too. The difference in environmental resilience between plants and animals is quite outrageous, like the difference between Mount Everest and the Mariana Trench. Judging on the current hot temperature, this grassland is very suitable for breeding short-haired livestock such as the Berkeley Black Cattle or the Orland Flower Cattle. However, when the temperature drops sharply below zero at night, the growth of the short-haired cattle will be seriously affected no matter how warm the cowshed is. The mortality rate will be very high too. There won’t be any problem if you raise alpine yaks at night, but the scorching heat during the day can easily cause hairy cattle breeds to dehydrate and die… Oh wait, I forgot that you’re an outstanding biologist, so it’s a bit redundant for me to tell you all these. In short, we’re facing many difficult problems that can even be said as unsolvable…”

“Dr. Brown, a biologist is not the same as an animal husbandry expert. The study of wildlife and the study of animals domesticated by humans are completely two concepts. I need your team’s and your professional advice. I know that it’s a huge challenge building a qualified ranch in such a damned environment, but this is indeed our need, or should I say, the needs of all people living in Noah. After going through millions of years of evolution, Earthlings must be supplemented with sufficient protein and fat to be healthy and strong. The continuous worsening of the food crisis will force Noah immigrants to learn to build farms in the desert sooner or later. We cannot live forever on the food and frozen sea fish grown in skyscrapers. It doesn’t matter if we fail after a hard try. The history will remember our attempt this time. Please don’t give up!” Wearing a sweatshirt, shorts, and a big straw hat, Zhang Lisheng, who had a short thick beard on and a tanned-skin, stood beside the old man and looked into the distance. He interrupted the old man’s words, and eloquently encouraged him.

He only did two things after the magical excavation of the wetlands on the edge of the oasis—one, preparing a paper entitled “The Analysis of the Evolution of Desert Animals and Plants along with the Change of Water Sources” to explain the reason why he bought a massive chunk of desert land and hired excavators to unearth the barren badlands.

To a professional scholar, scientifically demonstrating a subject that had a clear conclusion was as easy as drawing a target after he had opened fire. This was because all the derivation processes he said had already been proven to be correct. Even if other scientists wanted to refute him, they could never take out any evidence anyway.

After all, the source of convincing scientific research laid in its praxis. As the saying went, ‘experience is the best teacher,’ if the young man could not have dug out water from the sand, then his paper would have just been an ordinary academic discussion. However, now that he had dug out a wetland, this paper would naturally become a ‘true knowledge’ that had been proven in practice, which was also the reality of cutting-edge scientific research.

The new paper was published without any dispute on the front page of Science magazine. Not only had it given a successful explanation, but it had also brought Zhang Lisheng a very high academic status, making him a superb practical biology authority in one fell swoop.

Then, the second thing the young man did was to turn the desert into a wetland planted with herbages.

For this purpose, he recruited more than ten well-known animal husbandry experts and purchased thousands of livestock of different breeds at high prices. After five consecutive weeks of experimental grazing, it was time to check the results.

As the scientist leading the breeding experiment, Brown was obviously not satisfied with the results of his hard work of more than 30 days. However, this did not mean that this stubborn old man born in a Californian cowboy family would give up just like this.

“Dr. Lisheng, we all know that it’s improbable for a scientist above 40 years old to achieve groundbreaking results no matter how good he is, but I’m already 61 years old and just no long before, I was begging for God to give me a valid job offer every day. Noah doesn’t have any ranch, and so all cattle and sheep are kept in air-conditioned rooms, enclosed in the space of less than eight square meters from the moment they’re born until they’re slaughtered. I’m a scientist and a cowboy on top of that! I cannot allow myself to wear an all-white lab coat and slippers drawing blood of the livestock for medical examinations in a crowded building all day. That’s not the place for animal husbandry, at least, not for a stubborn old guy like me! you’ve allowed me to regain my ideal life, so I’ll grasp it and will never give up until I succeed!” Brown answered Zhang Lisheng’s concerns with great determination.

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In the face of the old man’s rigid and solemn expression, even though the young man did not quite understand the American cowboy spirit, he could still clearly read an indomitable stubborn spirit. He understood the character and perseverance behind this look. After a few seconds of bafflement, he suddenly put on a faint smile. “I’m sorry, Dr. Brown. I can’t believe that I’ve actually doubted the willpower of a cowboy with a true scientific spirit. From now on, I’ll entrust all of the planning of the ranch to you. I believe in your professional attitude and knowledge. When the ranch is built, I’ll reward you with 5% of the annual animal husbandry income, and you can distribute it to your team members as a bonus…”

When the young man reached here, he raised his hand and looked at the watch on his wrist, “Oh, well then, there’s no need for me to stay here anymore. It’s 4.40pm now, so I’ll make it in time for dinner if I go back to New Washington A now. I’ll take my leave first, see you guys again.”

Then, he proceeded to turn around and walked towards the oasis in the distance.

“Everything is entrusted to me? Everything is entrusted to me just like this…” Staring at the receding back of the young man in bewilderment, Brown’s jaw dropped as he spoke in disbelief.

“This is the boss’ style of doing things, Dr. Brown. He has a unique vision and determination and is very good at using these two qualities. When he encounters a problem, he always finds the best person who can solve it in the shortest time,” Charlie who was standing behind the old man shrugged and said, “Alright now, tell me what else do you need. Don’t hesitate to tell me whether it’s in terms of money, personnel, or material…”

On the newly sown pasture, the LS CEO began to discuss the next investment with the founder of the group’s most important industry in the future while the company’s founder drove his solar-powered jeep out of the oasis, speeding towards the city that was 150 kilometers away.

After speeding for more than an hour on the desert, the outline of skyscrapers finally clearly appeared before the young man’s eyes in the evening.

Although news about a confidentiality treaty had been signed, and that the hot story had begun to cool down after more than a hundred days of settling down, Zhang Lisheng was still careful enough to not go home. Instead, he wandered aimlessly in the city and casually parked his car in front of a restaurant that seemingly had a good business.

However, to his surprise, as soon as he got off the car, he heard somebody calling out to him in a low voice before he could enter the restaurant, “Lisheng, why are you in the city?”

“I can’t stay in the desert forever, Riley. Then again, it’s pretty amazing that you can still recognize me from just my back now that I look like this,” Zhang Lisheng turned around and looked at Lavin family’s eldest daughter who was carrying her handbag behind her in a casual manner looking as though she had just gotten off work.

“Oh, my poor brother. Did you change your profession and went to the beach to become a surfer? Why did you become so dark? You even have a beard on top of that?” Riley joked. “I didn’t recognize you, but I did recognize your car. Did you drive all the way here to accompany me for dinner?”

The young man was shocked when he heard the girl said so. At this moment, he abruptly noticed that he was just a corner away from the NBC building. He could even see half of the logo sign from here. The restaurant not far away even had a neon sign board written with ‘The Reporter’s Home’ flashing brightly above the wooden door with chic copper corner handles.

“Oh, I just randomly looked for a restaurant that looks good on the street, and I didn’t expect it to be the ‘candy house’ of you NBC reporters. Since fate has arranged it to be so, it looks like I’ll have no choice but to treat you to dinner,” Zhang Lisheng burst into a chuckle and shook his head. He answered in an equally joking manner and walked into the restaurant together with Riley.

This was a typical American-style restaurant that perfectly integrated for drinking and dining. From the intricate and densely printed news clippings on the aged-looking long bar counter, he could clearly tell that the customers of this restaurant, that was, the employees of the broadcast or the newspaper publishing company.

However, those diners or coffee drinkers sitting on the high bar chairs who looked exhausted did not seem to care about the ingenuity of the restaurant. Nobody gave a damn to the printings on the bar as they chatted casually away with each other.