Chapter Six: The Good Days

At this stage, Li Qingsong has divided his total of twelve bodies into two shifts.

Two of these bodies remain permanently stationed aboard the Deep Space spacecraft to prevent a total loss should an accident occur on the surface of Luoshen Star. These two bodies are also tasked with ongoing study, continuously scouring the Deep Space’s database for information and maintaining constant learning. They operate on a rotating rest schedule: whenever one body goes to sleep, Li Qingsong’s consciousness shifts to the other, ensuring that his mind remains clear and engaged.

Of the ten clones on the surface of Luoshen Star, two are permanently assigned as stokers, responsible specifically for fueling the steam engine. They, too, work in alternating shifts; each clone works twelve hours a day, using the remaining twelve hours for sleeping, eating, attending to bodily needs, and resting. Two clones are just enough to keep up with the workload.

Eight clones remain. Four of them are tasked with driving planetary rovers to locate and extract minerals, continuously bringing back oxygen-bearing ore and tholin ore to fuel the steam engine. They are also responsible for piloting the landing craft between the surface and space to transport supplies and equipment.

Finally, there are the last four clones. Due to the shift system, only two are working on the construction of the interior facilities of Base One at any given time.

Li Qingsong could not help but sigh to himself, "The number of clones is still far too low; it's simply not enough."

However, there is nothing to be done at this stage. Without a sufficient supply of food and energy, recklessly increasing the number of clones would lead to a situation where everyone would starve. He would have to accept the slow pace and remain patient.

After a full half-month of hard work, the planting racks in Base One were finally largely completed, and the fluorescent lamps salvaged from the Deep Space were all installed. There were two hundred lamps in total, each with a power rating of fifty watts, meaning the lamps alone consumed ten kilowatt-hours of electricity every hour. Coupled with the need to charge spacesuit batteries, the planetary rovers, and occasional other power requirements, the load immediately hit the limit of the steam engine. Even at full capacity, the installed power of this steam generator was only thirteen kilowatt-hours.

"Take it slow," Li Qingsong thought to himself. "Let's finish Base One first."

With the planting racks erected and the lights illuminated, the nutrient solution was prepared using powders ground by the mill. The waste material from the preparation—small stones and such—was not discarded; instead, Li Qingsong spread it evenly across the racks to serve as a substrate for the plant roots.

The nutrient-rich solution was carefully poured onto the trays by a clone, while another meticulously inserted the sweet potato vines into the substrate. This task took another full day. Only when he felt the extreme hunger of his clones did Li Qingsong manipulate them to eat a little something. Another clone, suffering from severe abdominal cramps, had to step away to use the toilet. As for the excrement produced, it was certainly not to be discarded.

To Li Qingsong, this waste was of immense value. Rich in the organic matter and microorganisms essential for plant growth, it was an indispensable ingredient for the nutrient solution. During this time, every bit of waste from every clone was carefully collected; he refused to throw away even a fraction.

Having finished all this, Li Qingsong finally breathed a sigh of relief. The next step was to tend to the sweet potatoes daily and wait for them to mature.

At this moment, the interior of Base One spanned two hundred square meters. After excluding essential functional areas—such as the lavatory, the nutrient mixing room, and necessary corridors—the remaining one hundred and sixty square meters were designated as the planting zone. The racks were four tiers high, bringing the total planting area to six hundred and forty square meters, just under one-tenth of a hectare.

Li Qingsong planted six hundred square meters of these specially cultivated sweet potatoes. This variety matures in only three months and boasts a high yield. Earth’s experimental data suggested that, under ideal conditions, the maximum yield for this variety could reach sixty-five hundred kilograms per hectare. Given the primitive conditions on Luoshen Star, he knew such a yield was impossible. He estimated that if he could achieve seventy percent of the maximum—roughly forty-five hundred kilograms per hectare—it would be sufficient.

Consequently, it was expected that each harvest from these six hundred square meters would yield approximately four thousand kilograms of produce. Including his original self, his twelve bodies required an average of three kilograms of raw sweet potatoes per day as a staple food to maintain their strength, given the current lack of meat. While relying solely on sweet potatoes was far from ideal, the Deep Space still held a reserve of other food and meat to supplement their diet; Li Qingsong simply intended to use the sweet potatoes as a staple to reduce the consumption of other supplies.

At this rate, they would consume thirty-six kilograms of sweet potatoes per day, totaling about three thousand kilograms over three months. Thus, the output of Base One would not only fully cover their current consumption but also leave a surplus. Furthermore, the sweet potato leaves could be used to feed livestock, or even consumed by humans as greens, providing an additional food source.

For the remaining forty square meters, Li Qingsong planted oil-bearing crops like peanuts and rapeseed. However, due to the limited space, the output would be minimal—merely an extra supplement.

"Once this batch of sweet potatoes is harvested, my food reserves will be much more secure, and I can begin cultivating a new batch of clones," Li Qingsong mused silently. "When that time comes, I will build more bases, produce more food, and support more clones. Once there are enough of them, I can attempt to develop industry, slowly starting from scratch to drive technological and industrial progress."

Looking at the racks that had yet to sprout, Li Qingsong’s twelve minds were filled with visions of the future.

Time passed as the clones continued their cycle of studying, mining, transporting, tending to plants, and fueling the steam engine. The three months vanished in the blink of an eye. During this time, Li Qingsong witnessed every step of the sweet potatoes' growth—watching them sprout from tender buds into foliage, observing the sparse vines gradually blanket the racks, and seeing the roots swell with tubers that grew larger and larger.

Today was a good day. Every one of Li Qingsong’s bodies was jubilant, moving with a newfound spring in their step. The three months were up; today was the day of the harvest!