books44 Chapter 257 The Little Salted Fish in the Apocalypse (3)
Chapter 257 The Little Salted Fish in the Apocalypse (3)
Having found the cause of the zombie outbreak, the next step is to overcome this challenge.
Wangyou suggested, "I think that plants and animals are starting to mutate now. We can organize a team to go out and find those mutated medicinal herbs. Maybe the efficacy of the medicine will be greatly improved."
"What Wangyou said makes sense!"
"So, I'm applying to go out and find medicinal herbs." Wangyou raised her hand and said happily. It's been more than a month since the apocalypse began, and she hasn't gone out yet.
"No, your safety is paramount!" The old professor immediately rejected Wangyou's suggestion.
“But I think it’s okay. Besides, I can conduct experiments anytime I’m outside, which is better than just waiting for someone to come to me. In addition, I also have superpowers, and they are both highly aggressive ice and wood-type superpowers. Moreover, I have practiced ancient martial arts since I was a child, and I am very skilled.” Wangyou argued with reason.
"No, you play a crucial role in our research to develop a drug to combat the virus. Your safety is paramount." The old professor still disagreed.
“Look at the Xie family members outside, whoever gets into trouble, the collateral relatives are all alive and kicking, while I, a direct descendant, am protected in the very center. Where does that leave my face? Besides, I need to improve my abilities. Times have changed. Strength is king now. Relying on others will lead to their downfall.” Wangyou said helplessly.
The old professor fell silent, weighing the pros and cons. Wangyou's achievements in drug research were undeniable; she might be the hope for ending the apocalypse. They dared not gamble, but Wangyou's words were not without merit.
The external order has now collapsed. Although the Harbin Institute of Technology base is mainly controlled by the military, the government is also causing trouble, with various small actions happening every day.
"Wangyou, I'll relay your request to the higher-ups. You're right, strength is the only true measure of success." The old professor looked at Wangyou's face. He knew he couldn't protect that face without sufficient strength, so he decided to try.
No one knows how the old professor managed to win over Wangyou, but at least she's no longer trapped in the lab, and the higher-ups have assigned a member of a special abilities team to protect her.
Early in the morning, Wangyou had just woken up when she heard a knock on the door. When she opened it, she found a group of well-equipped soldiers.
Hello!
"Professor Xie, hello. We are the Fierce Tiger Team sent to protect you. I am the captain, He Yuan."
"Hello, Captain He, I'll be troubling you with the rest of the work."
Wangyou felt that this person named He Yuan was somewhat familiar, but she was certain that she had never met him before. However, his soul gave her a sense of familiarity, though she couldn't quite place it.
If you can't remember, then don't think about it. Since it feels familiar, Wangyou doesn't mind giving it a friendly look, after all, they still need to get along well in the future.
He Yuan's team was small, with only six people in total, but they were all quite strong, with their superpowers all at the first level. As the team leader, He Yuan had even reached the second level, which was already considered outstanding in the current post-apocalyptic world.
Most importantly, He Yuan is quite versatile; he's presentable in public and capable in the kitchen, so Wangyou is quite satisfied.
The next day, Wangyou set off with the Fierce Tiger Squad.
The base was full of people, but the green plants that used to be everywhere were gone, because most of them had mutated.
Without lingering in the base, the group sped out of the base. The area near the base was very clean, but after driving for about 300 kilometers, they gradually began to see huge mutated plants.
"This vine has grown so tall! I don't remember it being this tall last time," exclaimed Wang Ke, a member of the Fierce Tigers team and a wood-type ability user.
"you sure?"
“I’m absolutely certain,” Wang Ke said firmly.
"It seems the mutated plants are starting to expand their territory, but why does this thing look so much like a poppy?" Wangyou got out of the car and looked at the tall plant. This thing has mutated quite thoroughly.
"Poppy? I don't remember poppies being vine-like!"
“Yes, but the smell is very similar. Just to be on the safe side, let’s wear masks to avoid getting addicted to the smell.” Wangyou, who was asleep, was the first to pull out a dust mask and put it on.
Seeing this, the others didn't dare to be careless either, and each of them covered their mouths and noses, leaving only their eyes outside.
"This thing has moved. It looks like we won't make it through today if we don't take it down," said Yan Yan, a fire-type ability user whose temper was as fiery as his ability.
"Professor Xie, don't worry, I will protect you." He Yuan stood in front of Wangyou, and wisps of lightning appeared in his palm.
"This vine is almost at the third level, so everyone be careful." Wangyou glanced at the vine that had already bared its fangs, and the smell in the air became even stronger.
Wangyou thought for a moment and took out a bottle of antidote pills from her backpack. "Take one of these. This stuff is releasing toxins. If you smell it for too long, this cloth won't block much of it."
"Thank you!" He Yuan did not refuse, and the six of them quickly swallowed the antidote pills.
Wangyou didn't go up to help. Instead, she examined the broken branches in her hands. The white sap told her that it was indeed a poppy, but it was a completely mutated one. She guessed that even its mother wouldn't recognize it.
The six of them were skilled at using water and lightning, demonstrating an unparalleled mastery of the knowledge that water can conduct electricity.
However, this third-tier mutated plant was not easy to deal with. Despite their best efforts, the plant eventually wore them down.
The plant sensed the threat of death, so naturally it fought back desperately. No matter what kind of creature it is, its counterattack before death is extremely powerful.
Wangyou couldn't just sit idly by, so she found the core of the mutated plant. She dug out a green crystal core, and the mutated plant collapsed, utterly exhausted.
"If it weren't for you, we probably would have died here," He Yuan said, still somewhat shaken.
"You're too modest. You could have handled it without me. At most, you'd just be seriously injured." Wangyou smiled and then walked to the corpse of the mutated plant.
"What's wrong, Professor Xie? What did you discover?"
"I just find it strange that this third-tier plant lost its combat power immediately after its crystal core was removed."
"What's so strange about that? The energy of mutated plants comes from their crystal cores. Once the crystal cores are removed, they naturally lose their ability to move." He Yuan wasn't surprised by this, because they had encountered many such cases.
"I'll put it away for now and study it later when I have the chance!" Wangyou waved her hand and put all the vines into her space.
After dealing with the mutated plant, the group set off again, but at a slow pace. After all, their purpose in coming out was to accompany Wangyou in finding mutated medicinal herbs.
"Professor Xie, do you think this little white flower is useful?" Lan Fei, a water-type ability user, dug out a flower and walked over to ask. "The fragrance of this flower has a refreshing feeling."
Wangyou took it and looked at it for a while, and found that it was actually a Spirit Gathering Flower, which could gather spiritual energy.
"This is a good thing. It can gather the energy of living things in the air, let's call it spiritual energy. If we could plant a lot of it in the base, it could purify the air in the base and improve people's physical condition. Moreover, if it could be refined into a Spirit Gathering Pill, it could also help people with superpowers cultivate." Wangyou explained with a smile.
"Then I'll look again and see if there are any others." Lan Fei happily went to look again.