Tycoon Stepdad's Popularity (Part-1)

53

Chapter 53

Lin Yi discovered something peculiar on a patch of grass.

He wasn't entirely sure if it was the species he thought it might be, so he squatted down to examine it closely.

In front of him on the grass, there was a rather unusual plant. It looked like a plant, but not quite, as it had only a bare stem without any leaves.

Seeing Lin Yi squatting and observing something, Shen Feng approached curiously. "What are you looking at?"

Lin Yi pointed with his finger. "This..."

Shen Feng glanced down. "Isn't that just a stem? What's so interesting about it?"

Lin Yi gave him a sidelong glance. "Who knows? It could be a rare species."

Hearing Lin Yi's words, Shen Feng looked again and said dismissively, "Really? It looks pretty ordinary to me."

Not far away, He Nian watched the two squatting figures with displeasure.

He wanted to ingratiate himself with Shen Feng, but Shen Feng always seemed to follow Lin Yi around.

What was so special about Lin Yi that everyone favored him?

He Nian had tried to curry favor with Shen Feng several times before but had been rebuffed each time. Still, he wanted to try again.

He couldn't bear the thought of such valuable connections falling into Lin Yi's hands.

Shen Feng came from a wealthy family; his father had founded a listed company that was now thriving.

He Nian was accustomed to building connections and didn't want to miss this opportunity.

With that thought, He Nian walked over to where Lin Yi and Shen Feng were.

Over here, Lin Yi had been examining the object on the ground for some time. Then, he broke off a stick and began digging it out.

Although Shen Feng thought Lin Yi was wasting his time, he stayed and squatted down to watch.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yi soon unearthed something strange.

The object had a stem-like upper part and a worm-like lower part.

Shen Feng's eyes widened. "What is this thing...?"

Just as Lin Yi was about to speak, He Nian interjected, "This must be Cordyceps sinensis."

To impress Shen Feng, He Nian explained earnestly, "It's said that a worm gets infected by bacteria in winter, and then in summer, grass grows from one end of the worm."

Feeling pleased with himself, He Nian recalled reading about Cordyceps sinensis in books he had read to establish an image of being well-read. Although he had forgotten most of the details, he thought his explanation sounded good enough.

He Nian deliberately glanced at Lin Yi, thinking his cousin probably didn't know anything about Cordyceps sinensis.

But unexpectedly, Lin Yi met his gaze and said lightly, "Are you sure it's bacteria? I think it's fungi."

He Nian: "..."

He never expected to make such a mistake. His face turned red, and he stammered, "Well, they're... similar."

Why would someone like Lin Yi remember such obscure knowledge and embarrass him in front of everyone?

Lin Yi responded with an ambiguous smile. "Sure, if you say they're similar, they're similar."

He Nian: "..."

Was Lin Yi doing this on purpose to expose his ignorance?

He Nian panicked. "I... I was just making a casual comment. Cousin, you don't need to be so nitpicky. This isn't a science show."