Hank Fowler nearly pissed himself when he heard that.

  "So refreshing. If only I could have another helping of shit, it would be perfect!" The sprout exclaimed with satisfaction.

  Hank smacked his lips, then focused on the surprisingly tall sprout. "Why are you so much taller than the others?" he asked curiously.

  The other seeds had barely taken root, most just poking their heads out of the soil. But this one stood a full 3.9 inches tall. What made this one so different?

  The sprout answered calmly, "Didn't I drink a stream of piss yesterday? I absorbed the nutrients, so of course, I grew faster."

  "Ah, I see," Hank said, a realization dawning on him. He then asked, "By the way, what kind of plant are you?"

  "I'm a corn stalk," the sprout replied.

  "Corn?" Hank murmured, his eyes gleaming. "Are your brothers and sisters also corn?"

  "There are three corn stalks, three cucumbers, and three tomatoes," the sprout answered truthfully.

  "Quite the variety," Hank said, raising an eyebrow. "Grow well, all of you. Whoever performs the best gets to drink piss!"

  "Yay!"

  "We get to drink piss too!"

  "Awesome!"

  A chorus of cheers erupted from the vegetable patch.

  Hank didn't say anything further. He turned and went back into The Hut, grabbing the last remaining bread roll and devouring it. After washing it down with half a bottle of purified water, his breakfast for the day was sorted.

  But that was his last bit of food. Once it was gone, he'd be out of options. He needed to find more, and fast. But before that, there was something else he needed to take care of.

  Hank grabbed the Magnifying Glass and the entrenching tool and left The Hut.

  "Boss, where are you going so early in the morning?" the entrenching tool asked curiously.

  A fierce glint flashed in Hank's eyes. "I'm going to exterminate those damn grasshoppers!"

  The Magnifying Glass trembled. "Boss, I'm not a weapon! You should leave me in the shelter. Just take Digger with you."

  A mysterious smile crept onto Hank's face. "Whether this battle is won or lost depends mainly on you."

  "Huh?" The Magnifying Glass was confused.

  It was good for starting fires, sure, but what else could it do?

  The entrenching tool spoke up anxiously, "Boss, think this through! I understand you want revenge, but you need to be realistic! With your current strength, how can you possibly take on those grasshoppers? Did you forget how you were chased away like a scared rabbit yesterday?"

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  Hank's face darkened. "What do you mean chased away like a scared rabbit? I was making a strategic retreat, you get it? If you don't understand, then shut up! Nobody asked for your opinion!"

  The entrenching tool: "..."

  Hank's stubbornness was truly something else. He clearly ran away because he couldn't win, but he still insisted on calling it a strategic retreat. He really knew how to make excuses for himself.

  Ignoring the entrenching tool, Hank opened the fence gate, only to be stopped by the wooden fence. "Boss! Don't go yet!"

  Hank paused and looked at the wooden fence. "What's up, Fency?"

  The wooden fence said quickly, "I was scratched by that big black wolf last night. Heal me."

  Hank frowned. "I do have a healing talent, but that thing only works on people. It won't have any effect on you."

  The wooden fence: "Don't underestimate yourself. Have some confidence. It doesn't hurt to try."

  "Alright, let's give it a shot," Hank said with a chuckle. He reached out and placed his hand on the wooden fence.

  Suddenly, a milky white light emanated from his fingers, flowing like water onto the wooden fence.

  Then, an astonishing scene unfolded. Bathed in the white light, the damaged parts of the wooden fence miraculously regenerated, leaving no trace of the previous damage.

  "Holy shit!" Hank exclaimed, stunned. His eyes were wide with disbelief.

  His healing talent could actually repair the wooden fence? This was incredible.

  "Haha, I'm restored! This is great!" The wooden fence laughed joyfully.

  "Boss, you're amazing!" the entrenching tool chimed in with flattery.

  "It's just a basic operation, nothing to be surprised about," Hank said with a faint smile. He then instructed the wooden fence, "Fency, I'm going out for a bit. Guard the house!"

  "Boss, go with peace of mind. I'll protect our home!" The wooden fence declared resolutely.

  "I'm just going out for a bit, not disappearing forever. Can you even talk properly?" Hank rolled his eyes and left.

  .....

  Five minutes later, Hank arrived near the patch of tall grass and observed it carefully. There was no unusual movement within the grass, only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through it.

  "Boss, are we really going to fight those grasshoppers?" the entrenching tool asked nervously.

  Hank smirked. "Going head-to-head is what a brainless brute would do. It's unwise, and I'm not that stupid."

  "If not head-to-head, then what?" the entrenching tool asked, confused.

  Wisdom flashed in Hank's eyes. "We'll use our brains!"

  "How so?" the entrenching tool was bewildered.

  "You'll see," Hank said with a sly grin. He then began collecting dry grass from around the area.

  After some time, he had gathered more than a dozen bundles of grass, each about 11.8 inches (30cm) in diameter.

  "Boss, what are you doing with those bundles of grass?" the entrenching tool asked, puzzled.

  "You'll see," Hank replied without explaining. He took the Magnifying Glass and aimed it at a bundle of grass.

  The sunlight focused by the Magnifying Glass formed a bright spot that landed precisely on the grass bundle. Soon, wisps of white smoke began to rise from the spot where the light was focused.

  As time passed, the smoke grew thicker and began to spread.

  Hank gently blew on it, and a small flame suddenly erupted from the bundle.

  A single spark can start a prairie fire.

  The fire quickly spread, and the entire bundle of grass began to burn fiercely.

  Hank moved swiftly, igniting the second bundle without hesitation. He then tossed the first burning bundle into the tall grass.

  He continued in the same manner, igniting the remaining bundles one by one and tossing them all into the dense grass.

  The flames rapidly spread, igniting the dry grass and dead branches within the patch. The fire grew increasingly intense.

  Soon, the entire area was engulfed in a sea of fire, the raging flames illuminating the surroundings.

  "..." The entrenching tool was speechless.

  So this was what he meant by using their brains?

  This was just being sneaky!

  But it had to be said, this method was extremely effective.

  Under the scorching heat of the fire, those grasshoppers would probably all be burned to ashes.

  "Ah..."

  "Fire!"

  "I'm going to be burned alive!"

  "Help!"

  "Run!"

  The agonizing screams of the grasshoppers echoed from within the burning patch.

  Hank stood back and watched for a while, then approached the edge of the burning area, the entrenching tool in hand.

  Whenever a grasshopper tried to escape the inferno, he would mercilessly swat it down with Digger.