Chapter 348

Rare

Shane Holloway stood by the RV holding a water kettle, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile.

Jude Granger followed behind, laden with numerous bags.

Sophia Sullivan glanced at them briefly before looking away.

She was never close with Fiona Valentine to begin with.

"Hannah!" Hannah Morse called out as she ran over from a distance, waving vigorously.

A large, overstuffed backpack was slung over her shoulders, looking quite heavy.

It was crammed with sunscreen, mosquito repellent, hats, bottled water, and the essential snacks.

Hannah grinned, her eyes crinkling. "I brought tons of snacks to share later~"

Sophia nodded. "Okay."

"Huh? Is Marcus Lawrence not here yet?" Hannah panted, catching her breath. "I ran all the way here and I'm still five minutes early."

Marcus, who had arrived earlier, spoke coolly. "What gave you the confidence to assume I'd be later than you?"

Hannah pouted. "Only two minutes early. No need to be so smug. I just overslept a little. But... why are your bags so small?"

Sophia's backpack was lightweight and convenient. Marcus only carried a small travel bag that looked nearly empty.

"The botanical base has excellent facilities. I only brought the essentials," Sophia explained.

Marcus had the same idea.

Hannah fell silent.

So she was the only one foolish enough to carry a huge bag, half-filled with snacks?

At exactly eight o'clock, the faculty began taking attendance.

Once everyone was accounted for, they lined up to board the coach.

Their destination was a botanical garden over a hundred kilometers away in the suburbs, a three-hour drive.

On the bus, Hannah sat with Sophia. Marcus took a seat directly behind them.

The route wound through mountainous switchbacks where the signal was terrible, making phones unusable.

Marcus took out his Kindle and began reading a research paper.

Hannah, being very sociable, chatted animatedly with nearby classmates, various pieces of gossip flowing nonstop.

With nothing else to do, Sophia rested her chin on her hand and admired the scenery outside.

The morning peaks rolled into the distance. Winter days dawned late; even after traveling for a while, the sky was only just beginning to lighten.

Morning mist still clung to the slopes like white silk ribbons.

The sun was on the verge of rising, the sky gradually brightening. It looked like it would be a clear day.

Sophia watched the landscape pass by until the coach arrived at the botanical garden base.

The base was divided into four main zones: A, B, C, and D. Each zone was further subdivided into smaller areas cultivating different plant species.

After assembling at the main gate, each group checked in and dropped off their luggage.

The exam lasted two days and one night. The submission deadline was five PM the next day.

Finding the ten basic task specimens would secure an 80 on the final exam.

Each rare plant specimen found would add an extra 20 points.

This was the equivalent of "mandatory questions" and "bonus questions."

Completing the former would yield a good grade. The latter was optional; it was fine if you couldn't find any.

Passing was guaranteed anyway.

After storing their luggage, Sophia's group of three set off immediately.

Hannah asked, "Which zone should we start with?"

Marcus took out his phone and checked the list of ten basic specimens assigned to their group. "Half are subtropical plants."

Hannah said, "Subtropical... then let's start with Zone D."

"Okay."

By one PM, they had finished searching Zone D and successfully found the corresponding plant specimens.

Without pause, the three hurried to the adjacent Zone B.

They were equally successful there, finishing in just an hour.

Finally, in Zone C, they located the last plant specimen.

Hannah spread her hands. "That's it? We finished the answers in one afternoon! I don't get why the teacher scheduled a full day and night."

She pulled out a bag of chips from her pack, munching on them while offering some to the others. "Want some?"

Marcus took a piece with reserved politeness. "You only want an 80?"

"Isn't 80 good? It's 20 points above passing!"

Marcus fell silent.

Sophia said, "We still have plenty of time. Let's look for some rare plants."

Who wouldn't want a perfect score?

Hannah cheered, "Yeah! Honestly, I don't really care about 100 or 80. I just want to hang out with you guys~"

After a short break, the three set off again.

There was no fixed list for rare plants; it was an open-ended question. Any plant generally recognized as uncommon would count.

But this time, it wasn't going as smoothly.

Dusk fell, and the sky grew dark.

Hannah was panting, exhausted. "...We've searched over a dozen sub-areas, right? Haven't even seen a hint of a rare plant. How long is this going to take? I'm so hungry, I want to eat..."

Lately, she'd been dragged by Marcus to run early in the morning. Whether it was the increased exertion or something else, she got hungry more easily than before.

Her legs felt like jelly; she really couldn't walk anymore.

Sophia was also very tired.

But there were only two small sub-areas left in this large zone. They could finish before dark, exclude this zone tomorrow, and still have enough time.

"Just a bit longer. We can cover the last two sub-areas in Zone A before it gets completely dark. They're right ahead."

"Only two left?"

"Mm."

"Then I won't rest. I'm coming too! We're at the final step of a long march. I'd slap myself if I gave up now. Let's go—"

She made to stand up.

"Not so fast," Sophia pressed her back down. "Rest for two more minutes. Have some water and a snack."

"Okay!" Hannah's eyes lit up. "Sophia, you're the best~"

As she spoke, her recently lifted bottom settled firmly back down.

Sophia was speechless.

Marcus was also speechless.

However, she hadn't been sitting long before Hannah noticed something odd.

"Don't you guys feel like it's getting hotter?"

Sophia looked around, clearly sensing the abnormality too.

The plant growth here was exceptionally lush. Remembering the base's entry manual, she had a guess.

"We must be in the tropical plant zone now."

They had passed through the climate-controlled plant zones at noon. Now, after crossing half the mountain, arriving at a special zone was normal.

Marcus said, "If I'm not mistaken, this area should have a special temperature control system to create a specific environment. Like the camphor trees and banana plants we saw earlier are common subtropical trees."

These ordinary trees were very common; they just hadn't paid much attention.

Hannah asked, "The entry manual mentioned the tropical zone has rhododendrons, right? There are so many types. Could we find an uncommon variety? Would that count as rare?"

Sophia explained, "There are many species of rhododendron, over a thousand documented. The most common is the large-leaf rhododendron, seen in most tropical areas; it's not rare. The tree rhododendron is rarer, currently only growing in the Gongshan mountains of Yunnan. If we could find a tree rhododendron, that should count as a rare plant."

Yunnan was over five thousand meters away, a high-altitude region with many undeveloped natural forest areas. It was said even endangered South China tigers lived there...

This was just a cultivated botanical base. Such large, rare trees... were probably very hard to come by.

Hannah was a little disappointed. "Okay, I was overthinking it."

Sophia smiled without comment and continued following the trail downward.

Pushing through the shrubs ahead, a wave of humid air hit her face.

There must be a water source further ahead. Carefully avoiding the prickly vines, about ten meters from the water, deep in the dense woods, she unexpectedly discovered—