Fire Repellent

Every month, Luo Wendi would visit him, never bringing anything sensitive, only flowers and plants.

The Danmu that Bai Ge sold to Luo Wendi was immediately sent here.

Liang Zhen absolutely loved flowers. Upon first seeing the Danmu, he didn't recognize it.

It wasn't until Luo Wendi introduced it using the original text from the Classic of Mountains and Seas that he suddenly understood.

"A wondrous flower from the Classic of Mountains and Seas! Does such a beautiful and strange flower truly exist in the world?"

Liang Zhen couldn't take his eyes off it. After examining it repeatedly, he angrily exclaimed, "Who planted it like this? It's a complete mess! The roots of this flower are thick and long; how can it be planted in such a small pot?"

Ignoring Luo Wendi, Liang Zhen hurriedly carried the flowerpot into the yard to tend to it himself.

Seeing how much Liang Zhen liked it, Luo Wendi didn't disturb him and quietly followed.

After a while, Liang Zhen finished repotting the Danmu and sat down contentedly to admire it.

"Young man Luo, where did you get this flower?"

Finally asked, Luo Wendi quickly replied, "I picked it myself from Shennongjia. I saw how peculiar this flower was and knew Dad would like it..."

"You picked it yourself? No wonder it's such a mess," Liang Zhen said with a pout.

Luo Wendi chuckled sheepishly; he obviously knew nothing about flowers.

As he spoke, Liang Zhen took a book from the room and, after flipping through a few pages, his eyes lit up.

"Round leaves and red stems, yellow flowers and red fruit, its taste is like honey, eating it prevents hunger, and it can repel fire."

"It really is Danmu, just like in the records... It's so beautiful."

Liang Zhen beamed, utterly delighted.

But then he sighed, "It's a pity it's too precious. This flower shouldn't be kept here with me."

Luo Wendi wasn't surprised to hear this.

If the flower were just ordinarily beautiful, it would be fine.

If Liang Zhen liked it, he could keep it himself.

But it just so happened to be Danmu.

This flower wasn't just pretty; it held historical significance, cultural importance, and even research value.

With so many miscellaneous added values, it was likely the only one of its kind in the world, making it a priceless treasure.

Such a flower should naturally be handed over to professionals.

Luo Wendi understood this implication and proactively said, "Why don't we send it to the Chinese Academy of Sciences?"

Liang Zhen cast a reluctant glance at the flower and nodded.

He picked up the phone and dialed his secretary.

Not long after, the Danmu was sent to the Wuhan Botanical Garden.

Regarding the origin of the flower, no matter who asked, Luo Wendi claimed he picked it himself.

In his mind, although this flower was strange and precious, as long as he insisted there was only one at the picking spot, no one could expose his lie.

The reputation of being the first to discover Danmu would naturally fall to him.

Luo Wendi was happy with this. He was often invited to various research groups at the botanical garden these days.

He bragged about how he discovered the Danmu, how he protected it and brought it here, and decisively handed it over to the Nation.

Relevant leaders had also praised his contribution more than once.

The matter was soon reported by the media. When a photo of the Danmu was leaked, it garnered even more attention.

In an instant, the flower became famous. Its magnificent appearance, coupled with the fame of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, led to its photo being shared millions of times in a short period!

The capital was alarmed and sent an expert team.

Not only that, but many scholars who studied the Classic of Mountains and Seas and ancient geographical atlases also flocked there.

Everyone wanted to know about the flower, and countless related speculations circulated online.

Especially concerning the fire-repelling property of Danmu recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Was this true? Did Danmu truly possess such unique qualities?

If so, was this considered a mythical plant? Did it serve as further evidence for many unverified descriptions in the Classic of Mountains and Seas?

Researchers, filled with countless questions about this flower, began their studies on Danmu.

The outside world was unaware of the research results.

However, within the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a huge stir had already occurred!

Luo Wendi, who had been preparing to return to Xiangfan City, was summoned again.

"Wondrous flower! A wondrous flower! You discovered it in Shennongjia? Where specifically? Hurry and take us there!" many doctoral researchers excitedly asked Luo Wendi.

Luo Wendi looked a bit stunned and said, "What's wrong? I can confirm that the place I found only has this one."

"It's not about whether it's one or not, we need to study its growing environment! Do you know what the plant cells we extracted have shown in experiments?" the researcher said.

"What?"

"Heat resistance! The cellular structure of that red fruit is extremely bizarre. The specimen can withstand 1,500 degrees Celsius in the laboratory! That's almost the melting point of iron!"

Upon hearing this, Luo Wendi was immediately stunned.

The researcher continued, "The ancients truly did not deceive us! Even if the Danmu were roasted with flames, it would not be damaged in the slightest! No wonder the Classic of Mountains and Seas records that it can 'be eaten to ward off fire'!"

Luo Wendi asked, "It's just that the flower isn't afraid of burning, does eating it actually let you breathe fire?"

The researcher shook his head, "Who told you it has to be breathing fire? However, the components of Danmu can merge with human cells. We speculate that after consuming the Danmu fruit, a highly efficient thermal insulation substance will appear on the surface of the human body, which can effectively 'repel fire'!"

"The ancients often exaggerated, saying it could ward off fire, but in reality, it just meant the flower had fire-repelling properties. Perhaps they worshipped this flower because of this, believing that eating it could ward off fire, which isn't necessarily true."

To put it bluntly, modern people are very forgiving of ancient exaggerations and boasts.

At least it wasn't fabricated from nothing. The Danmu is genuinely fire-resistant, so it's reasonable for the ancients to have had the fantasy of eating it to ward off fire. Perhaps 'eating to ward off fire' simply meant eating it could repel fire.

However, while the ancients could be forgiven, Luo Wendi was in trouble.

Growing environment? He didn't know!

If the flower was just pretty, with historical and cultural value, he could have just made up any place.

But now, the scientific value of Danmu far outweighed its other values, and the overall significance had completely changed!

If Luo Wendi really fabricated a story, and the truth was revealed later, his responsibility would be too great.

Everyone believed this flower was picked by him. He couldn't possibly back out now and say, "Actually, it wasn't me who picked it, right?"

He had been lying for so long that he was trapped. Even his father-in-law believed he had discovered the Danmu and told him to cooperate fully with the Chinese Academy of Sciences for an on-site investigation.

"When do we leave?" Luo Wendi asked, feeling stifled.

"As soon as possible!"

Luo Wendi nodded, thinking of the actual discoverer of the Danmu.

He had no other choice. At this point, he had to find Bai Ge.

At night, Chen Song drove Bai Ge to the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Luo Wendi was waiting personally at the entrance. Seeing Bai Ge, he had a smile on his face.

This smile made Chen Song breathe a sigh of relief.

"Young Master Luo, I've brought Bai Ge."

"Good, good, good. Thank you. I didn't expect you to come so soon. I'll treat you to tea when I have time. I have something tonight, sorry." Luo Wendi said politely.

Chen Song was immediately satisfied. He wanted Luo Wendi's connections, and he had spent 100,000 yuan for it. Hearing Luo Wendi offer him tea, he didn't feel like he had wasted his money.

Luo Wendi exchanged a few more pleasantries and saw Chen Song off.

This was a research center, and unauthorized personnel were not allowed in.

Even Luo Wendi was alone. He led the way, bringing Bai Ge into a lounge.

Before Luo Wendi could ask, Bai Ge spoke up, "I've brought the photos. I don't have any close-up shots, but this can tell you the location."

"Good!" Luo Wendi was surprised that Bai Ge was so understanding and immediately invited him into the room.

They sat opposite each other on the sofa, and Bai Ge handed over the photos.

Luo Wendi looked at them, then opened Google Maps to compare in detail, memorizing the location.

"You actually know why I'm looking for you?" Luo Wendi asked.

Bai Ge replied, "If you were familiar with my profession, you'd know I like to be fully prepared. Although we agreed you wouldn't look for me again for the flower, I was prepared for you to break your promise."

Mentioning breaking his promise, Luo Wendi felt a bit awkward.

But he argued, "We didn't have a written agreement, did we?"

After speaking, he changed the subject, "Does this place have any peculiar features?"

Bai Ge shook his head, "No peculiar features."

"Hmm? Then why were you so eager to distance yourself back then?" Luo Wendi asked.

"This flower is exactly as described in the records of Danmu. As you said, it's a priceless treasure. I just didn't want to become famous, as my profession isn't exactly glorious," Bai Ge said.

"I see..." Luo Wendi was a little disappointed.

He didn't doubt Bai Ge's words because he could never have imagined that this flower was artificially created.

"Alas, such an ordinary place, yet it produced such a wondrous flower."

Luo Wendi looked distressed, seemingly not expecting the flower's growing environment to be so mundane.

Bai Ge asked, "Is something wrong? Why does it have to have peculiar features?"

Luo Wendi explained, "You might not know, but research has found this flower to have extremely high heat resistance, capable of withstanding 1,500 degrees Celsius. And people who eat the fruit might also possess this ability, though the exact effect still needs live testing."

"What? Fifteen hundred degrees Celsius? Can you breathe fire after eating it?" Bai Ge said with a 'look of surprise'.

This was clearly an act. He had already expected it.

When he created the Danmu, he had only provided the general concept, and it was Lingdang who brought it to life.

Lingdang was better than him at handling such details.

Among the various minor settings, one was: Fire Repellent. The Danmu's ignition point was between 1,550 and 1,650 degrees Celsius, and consumers would also possess this resistance.

Only this feature had been implemented. The others likely hadn't, especially since he had only lost forty jin back then.

Therefore, Bai Ge wasn't genuinely surprised.

Seeing his feigned astonishment, Luo Wendi explained, "That's why it's called a miraculous flower! The Chinese Academy of Sciences believes such a miraculous flower must have a unique growing environment."

Bai Ge chuckled, "You don't even need to ask me. Just make up a place yourself and say it has no unusual characteristics."

Luo Wendi replied with annoyance, "Do you think I don't know that?"

"This flower is far more precious than I imagined! If I wanted to lie, why would I have bothered asking you? Taking them to its real habitat is also contributing to the nation."

Bai Ge understood. Since the Danmu was unexpectedly valuable, Luo Wendi didn't want to fabricate its origin and wished to provide the true location to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This was understandable.

Come to think of it, Luo Wendi instinctively possessed a sense of duty to the nation.

Otherwise, he could have easily lied to conceal the truth.

"What do you plan to do?" Bai Ge asked.

"What else can I do? I'll just take them there. Research is their business anyway. Whether they believe it or not is up to them. What can they do to me?" Luo Wendi replied.

Bai Ge smiled. This was precisely the outcome he had hoped for.

"Then, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

As Bai Ge spoke, he was about to leave.

Suddenly, a rapid ringing of bells echoed, and the botanical garden's research center became noisy.

Luo Wendi rushed out of the lounge in surprise, and Bai Ge followed him.

Immediately, they heard a security guard shouting from the dimly lit garden, "Thief!"

"Someone stole the Danmu!"