HBWnovel Chapter 92 Biotechnology
Chapter 92 Biotechnology
The off-road vehicle drove away from the snowfields of Niseko and sped northwest along National Highway 229.
The view outside the window began to change dramatically. The once boundless white gradually faded, replaced by exposed black basalt and a dark gray sea. The waves of the Sea of Japan crashed against the cliffs of the Shakutan Peninsula, churning up layers of white foam.
"Young Miss, we're almost there."
Satsuki was still flipping through the Niseko project's plans. To complete and put this massive project into operation before next winter, in addition to an astronomical amount of money, they needed to start building like crazy right now. The construction site required a relay of efforts from all sides; not a second could be stopped.
Upon hearing Fujita's words, Satsuki rubbed her temples and closed the document in her hand.
She nudged Amy who was standing next to her.
"We've arrived."
Satsuki's voice woke Amy from her nap.
"Hmm...Are we there yet?"
She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window.
"Wow! What's this...?"
At the end of the road, on the desolate cliffs of Cape Kamui, where only wild grass and rocks remain, stands a colossal structure that seems out of place with its surroundings.
It was a massive complex made of steel and special glass. It didn't stand out abruptly on the ground, but rather resembled a giant piece of crystal, half embedded in the black mountain and the other half boldly jutting out from the cliff, soaring above the turbulent sea.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the huge curved glass curtain wall, reflecting a golden-red light.
The plaque at the entrance bears only a single, simple, and stark line of bold text:
【Saionji Temple - Biotechnology】
The convoy passed through automatically sensing barriers and stopped in the constant-temperature underground parking garage.
The car door opened, but the expected sea breeze didn't rush in. The garage was warm as spring, with a faint smell of ozone in the air.
A middle-aged man in a dark gray suit and gold-rimmed glasses had been waiting for some time. His hair was neatly combed, and his expression was calm. He looked more like the head of surgery at a top hospital than a farmer.
Professor Kijima.
This biotechnology expert, who had previously taught at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Tokyo, was poached by the Saionji family's headhunting team with a promise of three times the salary and "unlimited research funding."
"Ms. Saionji, welcome."
Professor Kijima bowed slightly, his tone steady.
"All indicators at the center are currently operating normally. Please follow me."
The group took the elevator directly to the top floor.
The moment the elevator doors opened, Amy felt as if she had traveled through seasons.
Outside, it was the biting cold of early spring in the north, but inside it was the warm, humid height of summer. The enormous glass dome filtered out ultraviolet rays, leaving only the spectrum conducive to plant growth. The air was filled with the faint scents of fruit and earth, yet not a single speck of dust could be seen.
"This is Area A, the experimental field for full environmental control."
Professor Kijima walked ahead, pointing to the rows of cultivation troughs suspended in the air.
There is no traditional soil here. All the plants grow on layers of white pipes and shelves, their roots suspended in a mist of flowing nutrient solution. Above each plant is a sensor, with red and green indicator lights flashing, monitoring temperature, humidity, light, and carbon dioxide concentration in real time.
The slight vibration of the water pump could be heard, and if you listened carefully, you could also hear the sound of the computer fan spinning.
"This is an improved variety of the 'Amayo' strawberry."
Kijima walked up to a row of shelves and stopped.
He put on a pair of white gloves and picked a strawberry from the shelf that was as red as a jewel. He didn't hand it directly to Satsuki, but placed it on a piece of equipment next to him first.
"drop."
A string of data popped up on the screen.
"45 mm in diameter, 15.2 sugar content, 0.5 acidity. Meets S-grade shipping standards."
Kijima hands the strawberry to Satsuki.
"We eliminated all unnecessary environmental stresses. It has never experienced wind or rain, nor has it encountered pests. It is a standard product born under absolute care and data control."
Satsuki took the strawberry, held it up to her eyes, and examined it carefully by the light of the purplish-red plant growth lamp.
This strawberry has no blemishes on its surface and is a bright red.
She took a small bite.
The juice exploded in my mouth, so sweet it was almost unreal.
"It's perfect," Satsuki commented calmly. "Perfect like a formula."
Amy watched from the side, unable to resist swallowing hard.
"How much...how much does this one cost?" she asked softly.
"If we don't count equipment depreciation, the cost per unit is around 300 yen." Kijima adjusted his glasses. "If we follow Ms. Saionji's 'Royal Special Supply' selection criteria and eliminate substandard products, the cost will rise to 800 yen."
"Then I'll sell it for two thousand yen."
Satsuki wiped her fingers and continued walking forward.
"But that's not enough. If it's just greenhouse cultivation, I can do that in my basement in Tokyo. Professor Kijima, what do I need?"
"In area B, please follow me."
Kijima led everyone through a long glass corridor.
At the end of the corridor, the heavy, airtight door slid open.
The sea breeze was refreshing, but not harsh. The special windbreak filtered out the violent wind, leaving only a refreshing sense of flow.
This is no longer a hydroponic system, but rather a winding artificial stream created by diverting snowmelt from the mountaintop using the elevation difference of the cliff.
The stream is crystal clear and flows between the black volcanic rocks.
"This is 'controlled nature'."
Professor Kijima pointed to the clusters of lush green plants in the stream.
"Utilizing the mineral-rich water unique to the Shakutan Peninsula, coupled with our adjusted flow rate, this is where Japan's finest Manatsuma wasabi grows."
He crouched down and pulled out a wasabi stalk.
The root was a dull, dark green, with a rough, bumpy surface. Kijima pulled a small knife from his waist, peeled away the outer skin, and revealed the vibrant green flesh inside.
"No chemical fertilizers or pesticides are needed. This forest itself is the best culture medium. All we do is shield them from pests and storms."
Satsuki walked over, took the wasabi, and smelled it.
A fresh, spicy aroma, carrying the fragrance of earth, hits your nostrils.
"Very good." She nodded.
Then, she walked to the railing at the edge of the cliff and looked down.
In the bay below, a section of sea separated by a net is rising and falling with the tides.
"That's the sea urchin farming area," Kijima explained. "We use ocean currents to bring in fresh seawater and regularly feed them kelp that has been fortified with nutrients. The sea urchins raised this way have the sweetness of wild sea urchins, but they are not as uneven in size as wild ones."
"A hybrid of technology and nature."
Satsuki gazed at the deep blue sea, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Professor Kijima beckoned, and an assistant immediately brought over a tray. On the tray were several sea urchins that had just been scooped up from below, their black spines still wriggling slightly.
Kijima skillfully pried one open, revealing five golden roe filaments inside.
"It's still a bit early in the season; the wild ones aren't plump enough yet. But these here..."
Kijima handed Satsuki a small spoon.
Satsuki scooped out a petal and put it in her mouth.
The salty and fresh taste of the seawater intertwines with the unique sweetness of the sea urchin on the tip of the tongue, and the texture is as smooth as cream, without the slightest fishy smell.
"S-Farm's mass-market farms, those potatoes and onions, are for ordinary people to live on, to provide energy."
She turned around and looked at Amy, who was staring curiously at the sea urchin.
"And this place is designed to allow the people at the top to 'live better and longer'."
"Half of the produce here will be served at Saionji's restaurant and The Club, while the other half will be sold to top-tier restaurants in Tokyo at exorbitant prices."
Satsuki pointed to the meticulously designed landscape of mountains and sea, and then to the glowing glass greenhouse behind her.
"This is more than just ingredients, Amy. This is the taste of privilege."
Amy leaned on the railing, gazing at the magnificent sight and listening to Satsuki's words, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.
She looked at the vegetables, kept in constant temperature and humidity and tended by sophisticated instruments, and marveled that they lived better than people.
"Amazing..." Amy murmured to herself.
She turned her head and looked at the winding asphalt road leading here in the distance. The streetlights were already on, like a fiery dragon coiling among the black mountains.
"However, Saionji-kun, there's something I don't understand."
Amy pushed up her glasses, her brows furrowing slightly.
"What's wrong?" Satsuki asked, fiddling with the small spoon in her hand.
"Back in Tomakomai Port, you mentioned wanting to build our own logistics system to bypass the agricultural cooperatives' control," Amy said, pointing to the road. "But this road is so well-maintained, and there are even dedicated utility poles... In such a remote place, money alone couldn't have made it possible without the local agricultural cooperatives' approval, could it?"
Hearing this, Satsuki smiled. She stopped what she was doing and looked at Amy.
"Amy, you've become more perceptive."
Seeing Satsuki's ambiguous smile, Amy knew that Satsuki was definitely up to something.
"Okay, okay, I'm not as stupid as you think, Satsuki-chan. I know you were just putting on an act for them at the farm... just putting on a show..."
Amy pouted, pretending to be angry. But the doubt in her eyes deepened.
"What I find strange is, since we've already reached a cooperation agreement with the agricultural cooperative privately, why go through so much trouble with roll-on/roll-off ships for logistics? Wouldn't it be cheaper to just use their trucks?"
Satsuki reached out and pinched Amy's puffed-up cheeks flat.
"Hmm...why?"
She turned around, leaned against the railing, and let the sea breeze blow through her long hair.
Satsuki pointed to the wide, smooth asphalt road in the distance.
"You're right. The approval for this road was personally obtained by the chairman of the local Okawara Agricultural Cooperative, who went to the county government to secure it. Even the substation was built by the power construction company under the agricultural cooperative."
"We gave them what they wanted. We contracted out part of S-Farm's low-end agricultural product transportation business, as well as the vegetable procurement for the staff canteen, to them."
"It's a deal. I publicly criticize their monopoly to impress the reformists in Tokyo; behind the scenes, I feed them in exchange for their 'privileges' on this land."
"Then why..." Amy was even more confused.
"Because 'cooperation' is not the same as 'dependence'."
Satsuki's smile faded, and her eyes turned somewhat cold.
"Amy, remember one thing."
"Giving money to others is to shut them up, to buy their way out. But that doesn't mean we have to stick our necks out to their knives."
She stretched out her hand and made a cutting motion in mid-air.
"Logistics is the lifeblood. If we are greedy and use the agricultural cooperatives' trucks and warehouses, then one day when we don't want to share profits with them anymore, or when they want to raise prices, they can simply give the order and our potatoes will rot in the fields, and our milk will go bad."
"At that time, all we could do was kneel down and beg them."
"Therefore, even if it costs twice as much, even if we have to buy a boat, we must keep this pipe in our own hands."
"I can give them meat to eat, but I cannot give them my bowl."
Amy listened and nodded thoughtfully.
I really can learn a lot from following Satsuki-chan.
She glanced around.
Every few dozen meters along the perimeter wall of the biotechnology center, there is a surveillance camera. The security guards patrolling back and forth are clearly not local employees.
Those people were all wearing uniform dark black uniforms, with straight backs, sharp eyes, and communication headsets hanging on their ears.
"Look," Satsuki said, following Amy's gaze, "I didn't use any locals recommended by the agricultural cooperative for security here."
"This is the core technology area, and it's our private property. I will never allow anyone from the agricultural cooperative to touch it."
"Even with so-called 'allies,' we must always be wary of the knife in their backs."
It got completely dark.
The glass building behind us lit up with a deep blue light, shining exceptionally brightly in the darkness. The light mingled with the moonlight on the sea, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
"Let's go."
Satsuki handed the teacup to Kijima and turned to walk into the room.
"Get some rest early tonight. Tomorrow morning, the chairman of the Okawara Agricultural Cooperative, along with several officials from the Hokkaido Agricultural Administration Bureau, will be coming here to 'inspect' our work."
She walked to the automatic door, stopped, and turned her head to the side.
"We need to conserve our energy, because tomorrow we still have to put on a good show of 'shaking hands and making peace' and 'building the future together' with those greedy old foxes."
Amy watched Satsuki's retreating figure.
Beneath that enormous, luminous glass dome, the girl's figure appeared so small, yet so powerful.
In this web of money and power, she is like a shrewd spider, weaving her own empire.
Outside the window, the waves crashed against the rocks, creating a tremendous roar.
The sound echoed in the night, seemingly drowning out all the filthy sounds of transactions in the world.
night, deeper.