"Oh? What kind of experimental product? And how exactly does it benefit me?" Jing Shu raised an eyebrow, her expression flat and clearly uninterested. Zhen Nantian sat nearby in a plastic chair, perfunctorily fulfilling his duty as he tossed her a handheld device running translation software. The screen flickered as the machine translated the rapid English into a tinny, synthetic voice that echoed in the sterile room.
Being a proper decoy meant making an immediate impact—a decisive one—not some over-the-top, obnoxious act that made everyone hate you. Of course, a little conflict was still necessary to make the performance believable. Denying something three thousand times from the opposite side, then suddenly admitting it once, made everyone believe you even more. So Jing Shu, as this decoy, had to start from a position of stubborn opposition.
Eiffel coughed, her face flushed as she grabbed Jing Shu's sleeve. "This's good! Dr. B has developed a new experimental product called 'Water of Life,' a miraculous potion that can split life cells in two! It's able to double the size of grains like wheat—it can even make plants grow twice as big!
The first generation grows bigger, and the second can increase output by fifty percent, eventually multiplying several times over! Initial tests're promising, and now it's in the verification and review stage. We've invited all the major farm owners of Austin Castle to witness the miracle. Once it's approved, it'll hit the market just like the castle walls did."
Dr. B smiled down at Jing Shu like a god looking upon a mortal, his hands folded neatly behind his back. His assistant, Mrs. C, wrapped in her bulky black anti-radiation suit, stepped forward with her chin tilted up proudly.
"This achievement's unlike any before. This's epic-level, a witness to human miracles. Due to the rarity of materials and other factors, only a few elite individuals'll have the right to it. Being chosen's your luck from God. You're supposed to be grateful for the opportunity to participate in this epic trial!"
Eiffel whispered, her eyes darting between the researchers and the farm owners, "Exactly, the final product's so rare that we need you to cultivate the precious herbs for testing. If it succeeds, you'll get double the harvest! And right now, only you're able to grow these herbs in the castle. If your output reaches pre-apocalypse levels… oh my, you would be rich, Mirror!"
"What is the big deal with these arrogant guys? Listen, Eiffel, you have been tricked by Dr. B. There isn't such a miracle in the world. If it existed, it would have been invented long ago, not just now. And if it really were that rare, why wouldn't they just use it themselves to make more profit?" Jing Shu said. She stood up, looking unimpressed with their arrogance and ready to expose the supposed fraud.
The farm owners standing around the perimeter of the lab looked skeptical as well. They shifted their weight, their boots scuffing the floor. Something that defied science? They've never heard of it, let alone seen it. One grain turning into two? It felt like a joke. They stayed silent out of respect for Dr. B, but their brows're furrowed.
Mrs. C snorted behind her visor and pulled a handful of wheat from a sealed container. The grains're double-sized, looking like small stones. She held them out to show everyone, the light reflecting off the hard husks.
"Doctor, since this Chinese person doesn't trust you, we won't use her herbs for the review. But when those carbohydrates and life-cell structures split into two thanks to the Water of Life, she will be crying, begging you."
The farm owners crowded around the table to examine the grains. They picked them up, crushing the dry husks between their fingers to check the starch. They sniffed the grains, licked the white powder, and couldn't help but marvel at the density. If the Water of Life really caused that kind of doubling, it'd be miraculous. Their eyes shifted as the glint of hunger and calculation appeared. What is most valuable now? Food!
If the Water of Life's able to double grain as they'd claimed—one gram turning into two, one thousand pounds into two thousand—then they'd be the masters of the region. But is it really able to work? It was worth debating. Yet who's Dr. B? He is the man who created the Luminite walls. Is it possible a man like that'd lie? The old hands decided to wait and see, careful not to offend anyone.
But Jing Shu, as the decoy, couldn't hold back. She'd to voice all the doubts and questions, asking what everyone else'd not. That's what a proper decoy'd—building tension before the payoff.
"You expect to fool who with that little trick? I'm able to fake those grains myself. I didn't see any splitting happen with my own eyes—are we talking about childbirth here? Sure, the castle walls you built helped citizens, but you're just using that trust to sell your Water of Life at outrageous prices. Or maybe you're trying to sell the secret formula, right?"
The farm owners stayed calm, nodding slowly as they watched how Dr. B'd respond.
Mrs. C's shoulders shook as she trembled with anger. Eiffel sighed and covered her face with her hand. "Mirror, listen, it isn't like that. Dr. B's always willing to share his discoveries. This's a genuine opportunity."
Jing Shu shrugged, her gaze drifting toward the equipment on the far wall. "I don't believe it anyway. I don't care what you think of me, and I'm not interested in this. My task's just to grow the herbs. Whether they're able to increase yield or not doesn't matter."
She drew a clear line, leaving the farm owners a bit dumbfounded. They needed her, the naïve one, to assess the situation—and she was stepping back.
Then Dr. B offered a godlike, proud smile.
"Beautiful lady, I think you misunderstood. Science's like the vast universe. As part of it, I've a duty to explore its value. In developing the Water of Life, I've promised not to auction or sell the formula. I'm seeking greater universal truths, but I need resources. Compensation will help all present gain more materials. Moreover, the Water of Life alone can't split life cells. It's got to have my special methods. After the review, I'm hoping it'll benefit the people of Austin Castle. May God bless us."
Dr. B spoke with a calm air, embodying the notion of seeing money as dirt.
Mrs. C snorted, "What is the point of telling her all that?"
Jing Shu snorted back, "Yeah, I didn't ask you to involve me anyway. Just leave."
Eiffel spun around anxiously. Dr. B waved a hand, his expression serene.
"Beautiful lady, you don't have to trust us, but you can't slander our research. How about a bet? If the Water of Life successfully's able to split your herbs' cells, you'll lose and give us all the herbs you cultivated. If it doesn't, we will compensate you five hundred pounds (about 227 kilograms) of grain, witnessed by everyone here. Deal?"