Chapter 33: Peashooter Bomb

Lin Chaofeng shot Zhang Xinrou a glare. "Why are you always scolding people? Can't you have a little class?"

Zhang Xinrou rolled her eyes. If Tang Miao didn't return, she wouldn't be able to sleep alone in the bedroom.

"As if you're the one with class." Zhang Xinrou scanned the surroundings and lowered her voice. "Don't you think Jiang Nanxing is a bit strange?"

Lin Chaofeng pondered for a moment. "Yes! He’s the only zombie on the farm who can talk. Everyone else has white eyes, but his are gray. It’s too weird!"

"Tsk, blockhead." Zhang Xinrou began filling in a pit with her small shovel. "Bury your sunflower seed shells in your own pit. Once you're done, go back to sleep. You're digging the lake tomorrow morning too."

"I’ll go back later." Lin Chaofeng stole a glance toward the bedroom. "Brother Chen has been cold-faced lately, and sometimes his gaze toward me is so indifferent I can't stand it. I’ll go back once he’s asleep."

Zhang Xinrou slowed her digging. "Why is he acting cold? Has the farm mistreated him?"

"Oh, Brother Chen is just... a bit worried about Tang Miao and the farm, haha." Lin Chaofeng laughed it off and changed the subject. "Let me tell you, staying near Brother Chen for too long makes me shiver. I have to wrap myself in two quilts to sleep, otherwise, I’ll wake up freezing in the middle of the night."

"You’re exaggerating. Stop blowing smoke and go to sleep."

The next day, everyone gathered for the morning meeting as usual. To facilitate the lake-digging, the dorm manager had set up a makeshift kitchen and rest shed by the artificial lake last night, so the morning meeting was held there as well.

August 13, 2025, 7:30 AM, Wednesday. The 30th day since the apocalypse began, with 11 days left until the second deployment of the "New Human" gene.

Someone was missing from the meeting—Lin Yue. Zhang Xinrou arranged for Tall-and-Thin to knock on her door and check the situation.

Tang Miao had just finished checking on the piglets and was heading toward the lake, carrying Zai Zai.

[Good morning, Host! The superior level has received your request, but due to special circumstances, this civilization system has been placed under special protection. No external forces are permitted to interfere. Contaminated auxiliary tools must still be retrieved and purified by the Host personally.]

[However, rest assured, Host! As compensation, the Mall will gift you three Special-Grade Plant Blind Boxes, plus 10,000 points. Crop growth speed on the farm will be doubled for one week! Are you satisfied with this, Host?]

It was decent enough.

As the mall points were credited and a large batch of items unlocked, Tang Miao’s mind was filled with a constant chime of notifications.

[Please choose three locations, Host. Once confirmed, the Special-Grade Plant Blind Boxes will be deployed.]

Are these limited-time trials?

[Unlimited time! As long as they do not suffer destructive damage, they will be permanently effective!]

"Tang Miao, Lin Yue is late. Should I deduct her wages this time?"

Tang Miao handed Zai Zai to Jiang Nanxing and bent down to pick three flowerpots by the fence. "It’s her first time not being used to the farm’s schedule. It’s understandable."

"Wages?" Lin Chaofeng leaned over to look at Zhang Xinrou's notebook. "How come Lin Yue has wages, but Brother Chen and I don't?"

Tang Miao chuckled. "She’s so thin she’s almost a skeleton. Her wages are just two extra eggs a day. If you thin down to a bamboo pole, I’ll give you two extra a day too."

The three flowerpots were set in place, and Tang Miao signaled the system to deploy.

[Received, Host! Deployment will complete in three seconds!]

The soil in the flowerpots shifted.

"Tang Miao, this..."

"It’s time to open the blind boxes. Let’s see what these three pots produce."

Everyone held their breath.

A small green sprout emerged from the first pot, branching out and unfurling its leaves. It grew about a meter tall, bloomed with small lavender flowers, and then sprouted a cluster of pea pods.

Zhang Xinrou studied it closely. "Are the seeds no good? The plant's height and yield aren't as good as those in the fence."

Tang Miao thought for a moment, signaled everyone to step back, and pointed to an empty patch of ground nearby. "Show us what makes you special."

The emerald pea vines rotated slowly, and all the pods turned to face the same direction.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind them—Tall-and-Thin had returned.

The vines twisted and turned rapidly, aiming the pods directly at Tall-and-Thin. With a soft "pop," a green pea was launched.

"BOOM!"

The shockwave from the explosion left Tang Miao’s hair in disarray, and the flash of fire lit up the entire farm for an instant, causing everyone to jump in fright.

Fragments of Tall-and-Thin’s limbs fell from the air, one piece landing right in front of them. Lin Yue, who had been following behind, was knocked to the ground by the blast, her teeth chattering.

It—it was just being late, why were the consequences so severe?

Tall-and-Thin, reduced to just a head, rolled its eyes around. "Roar..." Sister Miao, I can't find my legs.

Zai Zai jumped down, grabbed Tall-and-Thin’s severed foot, and scurried off. "Aba aba!"

Tall-and-Thin, your leg is over here!

Tang Miao was about to calm everyone down, but when she turned around, she saw the dorm managers had retreated a long distance away. She scratched her head awkwardly. "Small problem. Quick, help find Tall-and-Thin’s pieces; I can still fix him."

The danger of opening blind boxes was too high. After patching Tall-and-Thin back together, Tang Miao made Zhang Xinrou and the others stand further back.

For safety, Tang Miao controlled the red cedar tree to extend thick branches, enclosing Zhang Xinrou and the others, leaving only a small gap for them to observe.

Lin Chaofeng took out her phone and snapped photos like crazy. "Is this a Pea Shooter Bomb? My mind is blown!"

Hearing this, Zhang Xinrou felt inexplicably pleased. "You haven't seen anything yet."

For example, the secret mall Tang Miao had told her about!

Noticing Lin Yue crouching in the corner, Zhang Xinrou pulled her over with a smile. "Don't be afraid. These things will become daily life soon. Come and see what the other two pots are."

Lin Yue pushed back and dodged. "There won't be a 'soon' for me. I... I'm only staying for a few days. Once Lu Qingyun is found, I'm going back to the Safe Zone..."

After she finished, Lin Yue began to wipe away tears.

Seeing this, Lin Chaofeng quickly pulled a tissue from her pocket. "Don't say that. Since you're here, as long as you work hard, Tang Miao won't send you back, right, Xinrou?"

"That's right. Don't worry, relax. Tang Miao is a very good person."

Lin Yue hid the joy in her eyes, bit her lip, and nodded. "Mm! Thank you all."

Song Mingchen, standing to the side, did not join the discussion. He leaned against a tree trunk, his gaze fixed through the gaps in the branches at the jade Buddha hanging around Tang Miao’s neck.

Zhang Xinrou had said that the jade Buddha was taken from Jiang Nanxing, and Tang Miao took it everywhere. In the apocalypse, who had the heart to wear jewelry? It was possible that the jade Buddha was the carrier for Tang Miao’s spatial storage.

Furthermore, since the zombies recognized her as their master, he wondered if these plants did the same...

"Hurry, hurry! The second pot is growing! Look!"

The second pot produced corn, about two meters tall, with four ears of corn and pinkish-purple silk.

This time, Tall-and-Thin was smart. It hid behind the corn, avoiding the open space in front.

Tang Miao touched her chin. In this civilization, there was a game called *Plants vs. Zombies*, which featured a Pea Shooter and a Corn Pult.

If the Pea Shooter turned into a Pea Shooter Bomb, would the Corn Pult also throw corn as bombs?

There were four ears total—would it throw four bombs? If so, its endurance wasn't very impressive.

Tang Miao patted the corn stalk. "Alright, showtime."