Lia felt she was getting better and better at it, and before she knew it, she had finished planting the entire backyard.
Green peppers, scallions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, lettuce, spinach... the more you grow, the more addictive it becomes.
Planting things is so fun? Harvesting them must be even more fun!
As beads of sweat began to trickle down Lia's forehead, she smiled as she encouraged the plants to grow.
When Quinn returned that evening and saw this scene, he felt like he was going crazy.
" Lia, I must be seeing things!"
The large patch of land in front of him, sprouting tender green leaves, turned out to be his backyard.
" Lia, would you like to earn some pocket money?"
"Ah, pocket money?" Lia's face was cupped in someone's hands, forcing her to pout. Staring blankly at the man's golden, vertical pupils, she said, "Making money? You mean buying my activity factor data?"
Quinn laughed and said, "It wasn't possible before, but recently my team has made a major breakthrough. We can forcibly tame plants using core function inducers. The process doesn't require any Spiritual Power; the only raw materials are water and electricity."
Even the "well-informed" Lia couldn't help but silently exclaim, "Holy crap!"
Then he asked, puzzled, "Why use my data? Can't other advanced plant acclimatizers do the same?"
Quinn slowly shook his head, then said seriously, " Lia, those people's data shows that the process from planting to accelerating is too slow. What we need is a faster, more efficient way to produce plants."
Lia nodded thoughtfully, then raised a very practical question, "If machines replace trainers, they'll lose their jobs and become unemployed. How will they support their families?"
Quinn's eyes slowly dimmed.
"This is inevitable; someone always has to sacrifice. The Central Star is prosperous, but the people on other planets are still suffering, impoverished, scavenging on garbage planets, unable to afford vegetables... Many cubs don't survive the winter."
Lia's hands slowly tightened inside her sleeves. " Quinn, I understand, I'll help you, but for the first twenty years, you'll have to use 50% of the patent revenue to fund the students at the Plant Domestication Academy to change their majors, and also arrange career transitions for those unemployed domesticators."
Quinn reached out and ruffled his soft hair, her heart melting.
" Lia, why are you so kind?"
"My mother said that during a famine, when people don't have enough to eat, the hungry members of our tribe will suffer greatly, won't be able to sleep at night, and will slowly die."
"Quinn, you're right... reforms are necessary, but this will inevitably lead to protests from the tamers who were previously paid high salaries, potentially causing planetary instability and panic among the people."
Quinn's heart began to pound harder and harder.
He slowly leaned down and rested his head on Lia's shoulder. " Lia, you're really amazing. You always know how to control my heart. It's beating so fast because of you."
Lia felt the cool breath on her neck and face, and couldn't help but feel a shiver run through her body. Was this temporary mark too irresistible?
He couldn't help but push the man away. " Quinn, now is not the time for you to act cute. Tell me how to handle these problems."
Quinn chuckled sweetly and scooped him up in his arms, "Let's go back inside and talk as we walk."
Lia: "Okay..."
ˉ
After Quinn cleared up his doubts, Lia's heart was at ease. He finally understood what the orc world was like, and that sometimes, forceful suppression could indeed solve problems at their root.
Quinn's hands became restless.
What are you looking for?
Quinn held him in his arms, his breath brushing against the back of his neck, and chuckled softly, "I'm looking for my mark."
Then Lia remembered, "I was curious where it was too. If I'm not mistaken, it should be on my back, because I can't see it."
Quinn laid him down on the sofa and slowly lifted the back of his shirt, "Just as I thought..."
A majestic, imposing python, radiating golden light, was branded on the boy's fair back, appearing and disappearing in the shadows.
Is it pretty?
"I don't know, do you want to take a look for yourself?"
"Okay, send it to me using your personal terminal."
The words had barely left his mouth when he felt a cold touch on his back. "Uh... don't, ah..."
Lia trembled uncontrollably and let out a soft moan as she was touched.
The man gave it a light kiss, then pulled away almost immediately, his voice hoarse and strained.
He was happy because Lia, whom he loved, bore his spiritual imprint. He loved her so much that he almost lost control and wanted to devour Lia completely right now.
But he was afraid of frightening Lia, and he wanted to respect Lia so that they could stay together forever.
He reluctantly covered her with the clothes, saying, " Lia, you like me very much."
Lia: "... Quinn, you deserve a beating!"
He suddenly flipped over, pulled Quinn down with him, and bit down hard on the golden maple leaf brand on his neck.
"Ouch... I didn't expect a hamster's bite to hurt so much."
"If you know what pain is, don't provoke me."
" Lia, you innocent beast! I was clearly seducing you!"
"Still being stubborn? Let's try again!"
ˉ
The next day
Quinn, with teeth marks all over his neck, walked through the Academy of Sciences of Sciences' corridors back to his office.
The employees behind him were practically going crazy with curiosity the moment they saw him.
"The dean's wife is amazing! My goodness! A neck full of blood!!"
"Wow, no wonder they're a couple! And the orcs have amazing healing abilities. Is the Dean deliberately letting us single orcs see them? That's too much!"
Bai Ze overheard this as he passed by. "Alright, hurry up and get to work. Don't be so gossipy, and no idle chatter."
Employees: "Okay, Deputy Bai!"
ˉ
After entering the office, Bai Ze finally understood why the employees had been talking so loudly.
"Boss, couldn't you at least cover it up a little? You're practically showing it off to the whole world, have you even considered how we single people feel?"
Quinn looked at him, puzzled. " Bai Ze, can't you and Feng Ming just be a couple? Why are you being so coy? Are you lacking in strength, family background, or looks?"
He paused for a moment, then added, "Oh, it's not that you're unattractive, is it? You don't need to feel inferior just because I think you're ugly."
Bai Ze: "... That must disappoint you. I'm not ugly at all. It's just that it's really inappropriate for you, boss, to have such discerning eyes for a beastman assistant. You don't need to go to a beauty pageant to be your deputy."
Quinn nodded slowly. "You're right, but in a few days, Feng Ming is indeed going to participate in the beauty pageant. After all, loving beauty is in the nature of the Phoenix Clan. Feng Ming has won the championship for several consecutive years, and he should have a whole planet's worth of orcs as his suitors..."
Bai Ze forced a smile and couldn't help but interrupt, "Boss, you should worry less and try to finish today's work. After all, for every minute you work overtime, your orcs have to wait 60 seconds."
Quinn clapped his hands, agreeing wholeheartedly, "That's right!"