Old Huang nodded, already aware of this fact.

"Besides being extremely **to the environment, the Crystal Rose has a little-known habit," Zhong Yun paused here.

The eager Old Huang and the concerned Yang Siqing both leaned in involuntarily.

"The Crystal Rose is actually a biannual plant."

"What?" Old Huang and Yang Siqing were both extremely astonished; this was utterly unheard of.

Seeing their shocked expressions, Zhong Yun couldn't help but smirk internally, feeling a certain mischievous satisfaction bloom.

"How do you know?" Once the shock subsided, Yang Siqing couldn't help but ask. It wasn't that he didn't want to believe it, but the fact itself seemed too bizarre.

Over more than a decade, all of Yang Siqing's dedication had been poured into the "Crystal Rose." Considering only this specific variety of flower, no one in all of Davao knew more about it than he did.

He had never, ever heard that the "Crystal Rose" was biannual.

Zhong Yun was far too young. Even if Yang Siqing thought highly of him, in a field where he was the absolute expert, he couldn't accept what the boy claimed.

Seemingly aware of their disbelief, Zhong Yun merely shrugged, unbothered. His expression suddenly sobered. "Let me state this upfront: I will save your flower, but you must compensate me."

Yang Siqing shot him a look and let out a cold snort. "Rest assured, you won't be short-changed. Just save Qingqing."

Sensing the coolness in his tone, Zhong Yun shook his head. "You haven't even heard what I want yet. Don't be so quick to make promises."

Yang Siqing said gravely, "Tell me then. What do you want?"

"It's very simple," Zhong Yun pointed at the box cradled in his arms containing the Crystal Rose. "I want nothing else. I only want its seeds."

"Qingqing's seeds?" Yang Siqing froze, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the box in his hands. After a moment of thought, he gritted his teeth. "Agreed. As long as you can save Qingqing."

This second emphasis was laced with a heavy undertone of threat.

"Bring the flower over," Zhong Yun said calmly.

It was hard for onlookers to fathom the source of his confidence. On what basis did he assert that the Crystal Rose was a biannual plant?

Even Old Huang was skeptical at this point. He had traveled to many countries yet had never heard such a thing. For years, everyone had cultivated the "Crystal Rose" as an annual.

No research existed to suggest the Crystal Rose possessed the traits of a biannual.

Could it be that everyone, from ancient times until now, had been wrong?

Zhong Yun's statement was so earth-shattering that even Old Huang, despite his faith in the boy, felt his conviction waver.

Yang Siqing stared at him for a long time. Even for a man known for his decisive nature, hesitation crept in at this moment.

He needed to ascertain whether the youth before him truly possessed a discovery that would reshape history or if he was merely an audacious, grandstanding fraud.

Zhong Yun's youth was so pronounced that it made earning trust incredibly difficult.

"If you don't believe me, then we'll stop here, everyone goes home, and we won't waste anyone's time," Zhong Yun shrugged, feigning indifference.

After all, she was already beyond saving; this was just a last-ditch effort.

Yang Siqing hesitated no longer and placed the box into Zhong Yun's hands.

Zhong Yun opened the box, revealing the bare, leafless stalks within. Not a single leaf remained; the entire plant looked completely desiccated, resembling firewood left baking under the sun for a month.

Old Huang frowned from the sidelines. This specimen was so dead; could it possibly be revived?

Zhong Yun also felt a slight twinge of concern at how withered it was, but he kept his face perfectly composed. He extended his palm, hovering it about a centimeter above the withered stalk.

The eyes of both old men contracted simultaneously. They had sensed the energy when Zhong Yun was setting up the machinery earlier, but this sensation was even clearer—the energy emanating from Zhong Yun was profoundly strange, something they had never encountered. Furthermore, the energy discharged was purple—truly unprecedented.

Zhong Yun drew his hand back, his expression showing a hint of fatigue.

Whether it was an illusion or not, after Zhong Yun's action, the Crystal Rose, which looked as dry as tinder, exhibited a faint flicker of vitality.

Old Huang nodded subtly in his heart, confirming a previous speculation. Clearly, Zhong Yun practiced an extremely peculiar cultivation method, one whose resulting energy had a specific, positive effect on plants.

Plucking the stalk from the flowerpot, Zhong Yun's rough handling caused Yang Siqing a fresh pang of distress.

Opening the lid of the machine and holding the entire stalk upright, preparing to insert it, Zhong Yun's hand suddenly froze in mid-air; he remembered something. "Oh, right."

The two elders, who had been holding their breath, startled. "What is it?"

"This machine, including every component in this laboratory, now belongs to me," Zhong Yun nearly forgot this crucial detail. He was glad he recalled it in time.

Hearing that he was only concerned about this issue, Yang Siqing's nose nearly flared with anger. If his precious flower hadn't been held hostage, he would have throttled the boy on the spot.

Swallowing his rage, he growled, "They are all yours."

Zhong Yun smiled with deep satisfaction. This was truly a bumper harvest this time; the shakedown had been incredibly effective.

As soon as he relaxed his grip, the stalk tumbled into the machine. Zhong Yun closed the lid, activated the device, and fixed his gaze on the display screen.

The two elders couldn't help but crowd closer. Lines of numbers flickered rapidly across the monitor, but after watching for a while, they couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Two minutes later, Old Huang finally couldn't resist speaking. "Is this it? Is it done now?"

The question was vague, but Zhong Yun understood his meaning. He nodded, never taking his eyes off the screen. "Now we just wait."

Then he muttered almost to himself, "Hmm, probably another ten minutes or so..."

So they waited patiently, mimicking Zhong Yun's posture by staring at the monitor, even though they didn't understand the readings.

"Impossible, impossible..."

None of the three noticed the B-grade mechanic sitting nearby on the floor. He appeared dazed, his eyes unfocused, utterly crestfallen.

The shock Zhong Yun had delivered today was unparalleled. He had broken the fundamental rules of instrument connection, shattering the common understanding of everyone in the entire mechanical industry.

People had certainly considered linking the energy accumulator and the oscillator, but every attempt had ended in failure.

The accumulator gathered energy from multiple power lines and was essential for large equipment. The oscillator converted energy waves into particle states and was a dedicated component for microprocessors.

The latest small-scale accumulator could output ten units of energy, while the maximum input for the newest oscillator was a mere 0.1 unit of energy. Connecting them directly would result in the massive output from the accumulator instantly destroying the oscillator.

Yet, this young man had succeeded.

This was undeniably a watershed invention. What radical changes would this bring to the entire industry? He couldn't even begin to imagine.

P: I'm tired. The next chapter comes out at 6:30 AM tomorrow, and the third chapter at 12:30 PM. It's the final four days for the Newcomer Ranking; everyone please help by voting for me if you can. Thank you.