C14 Sara

Sara's voice carried a certain chill, authoritative in a way that seemed almost divine, compelling compliance. It didn't hurt that she was attractive and held a supervisory position. Perhaps...

"Could she be the one with the long legs in black stockings?"

"Cough, cough. You've blocked my live stream, so there's nothing left for me to watch!"

Everett had just finished speaking when he noticed Sara sitting on the couch, phone in hand. True to his suspicions, as the camera panned, the enticing black stockings came into view...

"Pfft!"

"To be honest, if your area is truly a desert, and you've managed to cultivate grass and towering saguaro cacti there, I believe that gimmick alone could easily put you ahead of Money Nightingale."

With the desert encroaching, live broadcasting outdoors was becoming increasingly challenging. Money Nightingale's streams were becoming outdated, and he was likely to be phased out by the new wave of viewers.

Everett was puzzled. What was this woman up to?

"Oh, Money Nightingale has nothing to do with me. What's your plan?"

"Money Nightingale reported your live stream. He's signed a major contract with Cat's Tooth, so we can't afford to alienate a superstar streamer over a smaller one. That's why your account had to be blocked. However, you should know that you've received a hundred and twenty thousand in gifts this morning alone, indicating that your content is quite popular."

After Sara finished speaking, she glanced toward the door, stood up, and walked over. Her black professional attire hugged her figure, accentuating her black stockings, her curves, and her long, slender legs – a stunning sight.

Click!

Sara locked the door and returned to the couch. As she sat down, Everett caught a glimpse of her 'running white rabbit.' Even through her business attire, its allure was undeniable.

"So, I'm planning to take you to Chili Live. As long as you're telling the truth, we can feature you prominently and make you the Chili's version of Money Nightingale! What do you think?"

Everett pondered the offer. It really was a viable opportunity! Although Chili Live couldn't compete with Cat's Tooth, it had once been a frontrunner in the streaming world. With their support and his own talents, overtaking Money Nightingale seemed within reach.

With this in mind, Everett nodded and turned the camera to the vast desert behind him. Sand dunes undulated into the horizon, meeting the clear blue sky – a sight reminiscent of Shaoland a decade ago.

Amidst the towering, ornamental giant cacti that, when sliced open, revealed crystal-clear water, and the faintly green Bermuda grass sprouting from the ground, one could easily feel transported to a fantastical realm.

"See this? We're deep in the Limesvilles Desert. I've got the seed modification technology down. With enough money, I can cultivate even more lawns, which will make for an amazing live streaming experience!" Everett explained.

Sara could hardly bear to put her phone down, captivated by the contrast of the vibrant blue sky and white clouds against the sandstorm-ravaged landscape—it was like something out of a dream.

"Great, I'll discuss this with my supervisor. If everything checks out, we're ready to sign a contract with you! Any other requirements?" Sara asked, her demeanor quickly reverting to its usual cool detachment, as if she were a robot, unaffected by anything.

"No problem, I just want to know how much the signing fee is. Is it possible to get the payment upfront? I'm really short on cash, and I need it to grow more," Everett replied.

Indeed, broadcasting your climbs up sand dunes day in and day out—who would tune in for that? It gets tiresome after a couple of days. Making money is tough these days.

After a moment of contemplation, Sara responded, "I'll talk it over with the supervisor and get back to you in ten minutes."

Once the call ended, Everett hurriedly injected his funds into the desert farming app, reasoning that if this turned out to be a scam, not even the most skilled hacker could siphon money from his app.

Ding dong!

A system alert chimed in: You have successfully topped up 120,000 yuan. The system has automatically unlocked a seed slot for you. Would you like to use it now?

"Damn! Charging money to unlock a seed? Did Penguin develop this system or what?" Everett muttered, clicking through to the marketplace. As he did, a flower blossomed on the screen, followed by a prompt: Congratulations, you've received a new seed! Open it and take a look!

Everett tapped on the seed, and a new slot appeared.

System Notification: Congratulations, you've received desert reed seeds!

Staring at the seed, Everett was flabbergasted: Desert reeds? In a place without water? Why not give me watermelon seeds instead?

The urge to smash his phone was overwhelming.

Seed Introduction: Desert reeds, enhanced through high-tech modifications, can absorb water droplets from the sky and transform them into larger droplets, eventually forming rivers or lakes.

"What? Reeds can create rivers?"

Everett suddenly wondered if he had stumbled upon a treasure.

What's the most scarce resource in the desert?

Water!

"Wow, I've really struck gold!"

Having already secured the Bellhand Lawn, and now with a water source, Everett was poised to usher in a new era for the desert!

Unable to contain his excitement, he eagerly continued to read on.

System Alert: Greenery contributes additional moisture to the environment. The more green plants there are, the more water droplets the desert reeds will collect. Moreover, the desert reeds are highly susceptible to windblown sand, so players should take measures to protect against it.

"So, the more greenery, the more water? Does that mean I should plant the lawn before the reeds? And they're vulnerable to windblown sand... The desert pillar cactus is perfect for that. Looks like I need to plant those first."

While Everett was mulling over this, the system started listing the prices.

Price Overview: Desert reeds are priced per root. A 5-meter tall reed costs 10 yuan each, a 3-meter tall reed is 5 yuan each, and reed seedlings are 1 yuan each.

Upon seeing the prices, Everett breathed a sigh of relief. The rates were incredibly affordable! The system certainly seemed fair. However, it wasn't exactly a small expense. Considering that reeds are planted in clusters, one square meter could hold at least 50 reeds, costing around 250 yuan. To construct a sizable reservoir, the cost would run into the tens of thousands!

Moreover, it wasn't just about planting reeds. He would also need to plant grass and increase the number of desert pillar cacti around the perimeter. Hence, this was going to be a significant investment.

Nonetheless, despite the sizeable investment, Everett was determined to cultivate the reeds. After all, with a water source, his scenic area would surely astonish the world!

System Alert: Would you like to begin planting the desert reeds?

"Let's start planting!"

Everett made his decision and promptly purchased $20,000 worth of desert reeds, all of which were three meters in length. At five yuan each, he could get 10,000 reeds for 50,000 yuan. With these 10,000 reeds, he could cover 200 square meters, which was just enough to reforest a small valley.

While searching for a suitable spot in the desert plains, Everett chanced upon a sizable valley not too far from Stratdwell Mountain. He saw potential in this megadune valley and made plans to transform it into his water source.