Chapter 409: Chapter 409

"Oh? What kind of experimental product? And what’s in it for me?" Jing Shu arched an eyebrow, feigning disinterest. Zhen Nantian tossed over a translation device, perfunctorily fulfilling his duty.

To be a qualified shill—one that produces immediate, noticeable effects and plays a decisive role—it’s essential to create appropriate conflict. This is far better than being an overzealous shill who exaggerates and immediately alienates people.

Steadfastly denying the opposition three thousand times, only to suddenly concede once, is far more convincing to everyone.

So Jing Shu, as the shill, would start by playing the opposition.

Eiffel coughed and, tugging at Jing Shu, said, "This is good news. Dr. Bo has developed a new experimental product called ’Water of Life,’ a miraculous potion that can split a living cell into two!

It can make grains like wheat double in size and even cause plants to grow to twice their original volume! Even the first generation grown can yield 50% more in the second generation, with production potentially multiplying severalfold after a few generations of cultivation!

Initial tests have proven extremely effective, and now it’s in the confirmation and review stage. We’ve invited all the major farms from Austin Castle to witness this miracle. Once it passes review, it’ll hit the market just like the city walls did."

At that moment, Dr. Bo smiled, looking down upon Jing Shu like a deity. His assistant, Ms. C, clad in black Radiation Protection Clothing, arrogantly announced:

"This achievement is unlike any before; it’s an epic, a testament to human miracles. Due to the scarcity of materials and other factors, it is destined that only a select few elites will possess it. Your selection is a stroke of luck from God. You should be grateful for this opportunity to participate in an epic experiment!"

Eiffel whispered with a smirk, "Exactly! It’s because the final product is so rare that we need to use your precious medicinal herbs for the trial. If successful, you’ll net double the amount of medicinal herbs! Plus, you’re the only one who can cultivate these herbs right now. If you ever reach pre-apocalypse levels of production, oh my, Jing, you’ll be rich!"

"’What’s so amazing about that? Such arrogance!" Jing Shu scoffed. "Listen, Eiffel, you’ve all been duped by Dr. Bo. There’s no such miraculous thing in the world. If there were, it would have been invented long ago, not just unveiled now. And if it’s as rare as they claim, why wouldn’t they use it themselves to create even greater value?" Jing Shu retorted, clearly unsatisfied with their arrogant attitude and ready to expose them as frauds.

The farmers accompanying her were also skeptical. Such unscientific claims were things they had never heard of, let alone witnessed. Turn one into two? What a joke! They only refrained from speaking out due to their trust in Dr. Bo.

Ms. C snorted coldly. She produced a handful of wheat grains, twice the normal size, for everyone to see. "Dr. Bo," she declared, "since this Chinese woman doesn’t believe you, let’s not use her medicinal herbs for the review. In the future, when the Water of Life splits those carbohydrate-based substances—those materials with living cell structures—into double portions, she’ll come crying to beg you."

The farmers picked up the grains, crushed them, and couldn’t help exclaiming. They even sniffed and tasted them, finding it unbelievable. If the Water of Life could indeed achieve such results by splitting cells, that would be truly miraculous.

A few of the farmers’ eyes shifted thoughtfully. What’s most valuable now? Food!

If the Water of Life could really double resources like food as they claimed, turning one gram into two, or one thousand pounds into two thousand pounds...

But could such a thing be real? That’s debatable. But who is Dr. Bo? He’s the man who created the Concentrating Stone. Would he deceive people?

The sly old foxes maintained a wait-and-see approach, offending no one.

But Jing Shu, as the shill, couldn’t hold back. It was her duty to voice all the doubts and questions everyone harbored—to say what they were thinking but dared not express. This was what a shill—ah, scratch that, a *qualified* shill—was supposed to do. It was a classic case of "suppress first, then praise."

"Who are you trying to fool with that little trick? I could rig up a few grains like that myself. It’s not like I’ve personally witnessed one splitting into two. Do you think it’s like giving birth or something? I admit, the city walls Dr. Bo constructed have indeed brought many benefits to the citizens. But you’re just trying to exploit the trust people have in you to swindle them into paying exorbitant prices for your Water of Life, or perhaps for its secret formula, right?"

The farmers subtly nodded in agreement, awaiting Dr. Bo’s response. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩•𝗳𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝕟𝕖𝕥

Ms. C trembled with anger. Eiffel covered his face, exasperated. "Jing," he said, "listen, it’s not what you think. Dr. Bo is a genuinely good person. He’s always willing to share whatever he has with everyone. This truly is a great opportunity."

Jing Shu shrugged. "In any case, I don’t believe it. Their condescending attitude is off-putting, and besides, I’m not interested in this matter. My only task is to grow the medicinal herbs; whether the yield increases or not is irrelevant to me."

Jing Shu clearly distanced herself, leaving the farmers dumbfounded. They needed this straightforward person to go and assess the situation. Why was she backing out now?

Just then, Dr. Bo said with a smile that was both benevolent and tinged with arrogance:

"My beautiful miss, I think you’ve misunderstood. Science is like the vast universe, and as a part of it, I am obligated to unveil its value. By creating the ’Water of Life,’ I hereby promise not to auction its secret, nor sell it. I only wish to pursue greater universal truths. However, I do need more resources to seek these truths, so I will seek some compensation to help those present here gain more materials.

"Moreover, the Water of Life alone cannot complete the division of living cells; it also requires some of my special techniques. Of course, once it passes review, I hope the Water of Life will benefit the people of Austin City. May God bless us all."

Dr. Bo masterfully portrayed himself as someone who considered wealth to be as worthless as dung.

Ms. C huffed, "Talking so much to her is useless."

Jing Shu also snorted, "Yeah, I didn’t ask you to come to me for a review. You can leave now."

Eiffel was growing anxious, but Dr. Bo waved his hand and said,

"Beautiful miss, you may not believe us, but you cannot disparage the product of our research. How about we make a bet using the medicinal herbs you’ve cultivated? If the Water of Life successfully splits the cells of your herbs, then you lose, and you must give us all the medicinal herbs you’ve grown. Conversely, if it has no effect on your herbs, we will compensate you with 500 pounds of grain. We invite everyone present to bear witness. What do you say?"