The car stopped.
A group of men and women in lab coats immediately surrounded them, applauding enthusiastically.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng got out of the car and waved to everyone.
The Six-Leaf Clover company building was much larger than anticipated, almost the scale of ancient city walls. Its white exterior was inlaid with rows of small glass windows that sparkled in the sunlight. Above the glass doors was a gilded Six-Leaf Clover logo, exuding a premium feel.
Fu Qiuyan led the way, with Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng following closely, surrounded by attendants on all sides.
Upon entering the building, the first procedure was surprisingly a disinfection gate.
A mist of disinfectant sprayed everyone, followed by a drying gate, which dried them collectively in less than half a minute.
They finally entered the corridor of the laboratory area.
The right side of the corridor was entirely glass walls, offering views into each laboratory. Many scientists in lab coats and goggles were working inside, and robots in lab coats carried trays and boxes, creating a scene of bustling activity.
On the far right of the floor were flat elevators, similar to those found in some large airports. The building's perimeter was 11 kilometers, and walking it would be too tiring.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng stood on the flat elevator, moving forward at a steady pace, peering into each laboratory.
After passing several laboratories, Fu Qiuyan tapped on her phone, and the elevator stopped.
"Come, let me show you something good," she said, pushing open a door.
This laboratory was filled with large cylindrical water tanks. Suspended in the tanks was a dark brown, jelly-like substance, resembling wood ear mushrooms that had become plump and spherical.
Fu Qiuyan tapped lightly on the glass tank wall, and the plump "wood ear mushrooms" immediately dispersed, moving towards the surface of the water to hide.
"Guess what this is?" Fu Qiuyan asked, looking back at Jiang Ye.
"I thought it was a fungus, but it seems to have consciousness, dodging when it hears movement. So, is it some kind of animal?" Jiang Ye speculated.
"This substance is indeed a fungus," Fu Qiuyan said. "This is still an experimental strain. There's a mature previous generation product already on the market, called Tai Sui No. 3."
"Tai Sui? The Tai Sui from 'don't disturb Tai Sui'?" Jiang Ye asked.
A follower behind them stepped forward. "That's right. The inspiration for the name comes from the ancient legend of Tai Sui. Li Shizhen said that 'rou zhi' (flesh fungus) resembles flesh. Attached to large stones, with head and tail, it is a living thing. Red ones are like coral, white ones like fat, black ones like lacquer, green ones like kingfisher feathers, yellow ones like gold, all bright and transparent like solid ice. The very first generation of Tai Sui fit this description perfectly."
"What is this used for when it's released to the market?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Resuscitation," another accompanying scientist said. "It greatly replenishes vital energy, strengthens Yang, and revives the dying."
"Can it really bring the dead back to life?" Jiang Ye was shocked.
"It can keep critically ill people hanging on by a thread," the scientist explained. "It has miraculous effects for febrile diseases, when evil enters the pericardium, high fever with convulsions, coma from stroke, encephalitis, meningitis, and even cerebral hemorrhage. Taking pills made from Tai Sui No. 3 can help them recover and avoid death. Modern medicine is almost invincible in treating external injuries; even if someone is cut in half, they can survive if placed in a life support pod. However, internal diseases remain a major challenge. The number of people who die from internal diseases is astronomical. Tai Sui No. 3 serves as a barrier between internal diseases and the underworld."
"I see doubt in your expression," Fu Qiuyan smiled. "But the market doesn't lie. The Tai Sui Rejuvenation Pills, made from Tai Sui 3, sell over 1.8 billion pills annually to major planets, with a net profit of 900 billion. If it weren't for production capacity limitations, this number would be even higher. There's a 'Tai Sui Pill Life Miracle Club' online. Its members are people who survived because they took Tai Sui Pills. There are already over 300,000 of them."
Jiang Ye exclaimed, "That's amazing!"
"What's even more amazing is yet to come. Please," Fu Qiuyan nodded with satisfaction.
Leaving the laboratory, they continued forward.
After a few more laboratories, they entered another one for a tour.
This laboratory was filled with spherical glass tanks.
The glass tanks were covered with emerald green chameleons, all palm-sized, clustered together. Their eyes swiveled, looking around.
Compared to the chameleons Jiang Ye remembered, these little guys were noticeably cuter. They were short and plump, with rubbery skin, almost like toys.
"So cute," Cen Yemeng leaned close to the glass to look inside.
"Is this also a supplement?" Jiang Ye asked.
"No, these are pets," Fu Qiuyan said, tapping the glass sphere.
The chameleons inside collectively jumped, hugging themselves in mid-air and curling into small green balls.
Then they began to change colors, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, like colored lights, so beautiful it seemed unreal.
"As pets, they are indeed quite interesting," Jiang Ye nodded, not taking it too seriously.
"They look just pretty, but there's a lot more to them. We've put a lot of effort into researching these chameleons," Fu Qiuyan explained. "You guys guess first, how many of these chameleons are sold each year?"
"Five million!" Cen Yemeng ventured.
"Too few," Fu Qiuyan smiled.
"Ten million." Jiang Ye upped the ante.
"Still too few, keep guessing."
"A hundred million? Can they sell that many?" Jiang Ye frowned.
"We sell 250 million annually, with a net profit of 67.5 billion," Fu Qiuyan stated. "And there are related industries, such as specialized breeding tanks, feed, mating water, incubation water, and various offline services. These are the real money-makers, generating 500 billion in profit annually. There's a city in the Southern Hemisphere dedicated to raising these for export."
Jiang Ye couldn't understand at all. "Is raising chameleons a trend in this era?"
"No, traditional chameleons are difficult to raise, and people prefer to see them in zoos rather than keeping them at home. But the chameleons we've developed are different. I'll tell you a few characteristics, and you'll understand." Fu Qiuyan said.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng both stared at her intently.
"First, they produce no feces, and their urine has no odor. It contains only a very small amount of impurities, almost like clear water, and can be drunk directly."
Jiang Ye's eyes widened immediately.
The most annoying thing about keeping pets is the mess from their excrement.
That's why the market for training dogs to use toilets and for cat litter boxes is so huge.
Many people buy pets because they find them cute, only to discover that the pets defecate and urinate everywhere, are smelly and messy, and run around, which is disgusting, leading to their cruel abandonment.
Now, a clean pet that produces no feces and whose urine is clear water – no wonder it's causing such a craze!
"But... how do they live without feces?" Cen Yemeng didn't understand.
"Photosynthesis, nitrification, and electricity – these three forms provide energy for the cells of these chameleons," Fu Qiuyan said with a hint of pride in her smile. "When they're not doing anything, these chameleons are green because they are accumulating energy through photosynthesis, just like green leafy plants. In a suitable environment, their skin cells can store energy through nitrification, similar to nitrifying bacteria. Most directly, they can tolerate household voltage and recharge themselves by sticking their tongues into electrical outlets. They have a specialized electrical storage organ inside them, similar to a battery, and the stored electricity can sustain them for a month."
"A hybrid of plants, bacteria, and household appliances..." Jiang Ye gasped. "This thing has a very high technological content!"