"Quick, go conduct a census and find out exactly how many people in the territory planted rice! Those greedy gamblers have caused such a disaster!"
"Where are the Guards? Where are the Guards? Maintain order! I don't want to see any riots!"
"Announce this immediately: residents who planted rice will receive compensation. The territory will definitely help shoulder the burden of their future material needs!"
"You're asking me what to do? I'd like to ask you what to do too. How about you become the lord instead?"
"Don't panic, none of you panic. We can switch to wheat after the Great Cooling passes. There's still time!"
"."
The sudden announcement shattered the afternoon's tranquility.
It wasn't just ordinary survivors from the various territories who had fallen into chaos—they had overwhelmed the World Channel.
The lords who upheld the principle of "build high walls, stockpile grain, and bide your time before claiming kingship" were also finding it difficult to suppress their panic.
Aside from a few lords with extremely strong control and foresight, who strictly controlled what could be planted, more than eighty percent of the territories allowed their residents to decide freely.
Compared with wheat, rice had all kinds of obvious disadvantages in the Wasteland, but it possessed one absolute advantage.
Yield!
Rice ears were larger than wheat ears, rice flowers were more numerous, and more of them bore fruit. Each ear generally held at least seventy to eighty grains.
By comparison, wheat had many flowers but a low fruiting rate, generally producing only twenty to forty grains.
Moreover, rice had a relatively short growth cycle. From germination to fruiting, it generally took only about three months to complete its entire growth cycle.
For gamblers who always wanted to take the greatest risks in exchange for the largest harvests, the