bookrandom Chapter 63 Pollution Index: Severely Exceeding Standards
Chapter 63 Pollution Index: Severely Exceeding Standards
An hour after leaving the old city, the convoy arrived at Outpost No. 2.
Looking at the endless, undulating mountain range, the students, who were leaving the city for the first time, once again exclaimed in amazement.
Several senior students set up their professional equipment, with long lenses and short lenses, looking just like birdwatchers heading to Shuangxing Mountain and other famous natural scenic spots in Haicheng early in the morning.
Ji Chenyu and Qiao Yi, who were filming a video with their phones, exchanged a glance. The two contestants, who usually bickered with each other, had reached a rare consensus.
"I learned my lesson the hard way about not having any experience; I should have gotten a complete system."
The Blue Shield team members quickly moved the collection equipment and detectors into their base—a large cave. They then installed defensive alarms within a one-kilometer radius of the cave.
The real wilderness is much more dangerous than the old town. Although it is the winter dormancy season, not all creatures will enter a state of hibernation.
On the way here, we encountered several kudu cattle that were as big as tanks.
This is a relatively common anomalous creature in the border region, and its combat strength is comparable to that of a C+ level ability user. However, because it is not aggressive and is non-toxic, its pollution index only exceeds the standard value by 0.2, and it is classified as a lower danger level, E level.
"Professor Liu, the student has woken up."
Xu Su came in person to report that Chen Jin, who had been stunned by Qi Te with a stun gun, had just regained consciousness.
The team spent less than a day in the old town, but because the entire team was so excited by Zite, the number of samples collected was not low.
All samples remained in the old city and were transported to a temporary storage point in Haicheng by a swarm of drones dispatched by Blue Shield.
Xu Su suggested sending Chen Jin back as well, but Liu Baichuan did not do so.
Under normal circumstances, drone delivery won't cause any problems, but what if something unexpected happens?
If something really happens, Chen Jin is doomed.
Even if the other party intended to harm someone, a life should not be treated so carelessly.
Liu Baichuan called Qi Te and they entered the cave together.
This is a man-made cave, roughly circular in shape, no more than 3 meters high, with a wide entrance that can store small mortars or other small-area clearing weapons.
The entrance to the cave is surrounded by embedded laser devices that are activated when not in use. Any abnormal creature that tries to enter the cave will be cut into pieces.
Before the mining team set off, Blue Shield Company dispatched two "cleaner" robots to clean the entrance of the cave and check the equipment for any damage.
Even though the site has been cleared, the lingering stench of blood that has been present for years cannot be completely erased.
The collection box, which was temporarily used to detain Chen Jin, was placed in the deepest corner.
In the very center of the cave, a large lighting device has been turned on, and the light is gentle and not dazzling.
"Professor Liu, why are you locking me in this box? Let me out, let me out..."
The box wasn't tall enough, so Chen Jin could only squat down, looking bewildered and pitiful.
Liu Baichuan asked with a stern face, "Why did you attack Qi Te last night?"
"I...attacked Qi Te last night?!" Chen Jin blinked, confused, then shook his head. "No, last night after I got my supplies, I just...I just..."
What happened to me last night?
"What happened to me last night? Why can't I remember? Why...?"
Qi Te used his special ability to examine Chen Jin's brain again and found no signs of lesions in the fourth ventricle. At the same time, his ability to sense thoughts also confirmed that the other party was not lying.
Therefore, he really didn't know what he had done.
"Let me out! Let me out now! Why are you locking me up...?"
Chen Jin's pleading tone gradually became somewhat agitated.
Liu Baichuan looked at Qi Te beside him and asked softly, "How is it?"
Qi Te shook his head, just about to speak, when a barely perceptible glimpse of green flashed by.
..........................
What is that?
Qi Te was startled and focused his eyesight, concentrating his visual perception on Chen Jin's chest cavity.
Sure enough, that fleeting glimpse of green was not an illusion.
There is indeed an irregular plaque on Chen Jin's heart.
The surface is extremely small, resembling rice grains.
"Let me out, damn it, let me out..."
Chen Jin frantically pounded on the collection box, his movements becoming increasingly violent and forceful.
In visual perception, the green patch, the size of a grain of rice, also expanded rapidly.
"Teacher, a spiderweb-like network of thin green threads is rapidly wrapping around Chen Jin's heart!"
Liu Baichuan's expression darkened, and he subconsciously guessed, "A fungal infection?"
Qi Te's eyes narrowed slightly as he lowered his voice and said, "The package is wriggling, like... some kind of worm!"
"Peristalsis? Could it be abnormal bacteria?" Liu Baichuan pondered. "But normal bacteria are mostly found in the skin, mouth, and intestines... how could they appear in the heart?"
The human body has its own flora. The normal flora not only maintains a good balance with the human body, but also restrains each other and participates in vitamin synthesis, metabolism and immune regulation.
An imbalance in gut microbiota can trigger various diseases, such as endocarditis.
Liu Baichuan suddenly realized a very important problem.
The medium-sized collection box is designed specifically for live biological samples, therefore, the medicine compartment contains a continuously effective anesthetic.
Last night, after locking Chen Jin in the collection box, he personally turned on the drug release switch and set it to release automatically every three hours.
Logically speaking, Chen Jin could not possibly have woken up naturally!
"The green is spreading rapidly, teacher. What samples did Chen Jin collect yesterday?"
Qi pulled Liu Baichuan back a dozen steps, and Old Liu shook his head and said, "The samples he collected didn't meet the activity index requirements, so they were all destroyed. Therefore, there were no records."
"The green color is spreading into the cranial cavity, and the body temperature is rising rapidly. The blood... the blood is also beginning to turn into a green substance!"
No sooner had Qi Te finished speaking than Chen Jin, who had already gone mad, began to bang his head against the box.
Xu Su, who was smoking outside the cave, heard the noise, immediately stubbed out his cigarette in his palm, and quickly stepped inside.
"How..."
Before Captain Xu could finish speaking, a crisp "bang" was heard.
The box was smashed by Chen Jin's head. This was a professional device used to contain abnormal creatures. Although the box was completely transparent, it was sturdy enough to stop bullets.
"Roar~"
Chen Jin let out a low growl like a wild beast, and the color of his pupils changed from black to dark green. Through the breathing mask, lightning-shaped green patterns could be clearly seen on his facial skin.
"Giggle~"
Chen Jin's bones creaked and scraped together, and he slammed open the box that had already cracked open, crawling out on all fours.
The box was extremely sturdy, and the crack was as sharp as a knife, cutting Chen Jin's palms and trousers, and also leaving bloody cuts on his legs.
However, Chen Jin seemed to feel no pain, stiffly turning his head, his dark green eyes staring straight at the cave entrance.
"Let me out..."
Qi Te stared intently at Chen Jin, who looked like a zombie, when he felt a shadow flash past him.
In the blink of an eye, the burly security captain appeared in front of Chen Jin, punching him in the abdomen and then grabbing his throat with one hand.
'Click'
Chen Jin's head tilted to the side, and his outstretched hands fell limply to the ground.
The students who rushed over upon hearing the commotion stopped in their tracks upon seeing this sudden turn of events, no longer daring to approach.
"Ah! Murder! Murder!"
The timid Lu Yan instinctively screamed.
"Captain Xu, what's wrong with you...?"
Before Qin Yun could finish speaking, Xu Su's icy, knife-like gaze silenced him.
"Captain Xu, be careful, he's not dead!"
Qi Te's words were surprising, and Xu Su raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then, he felt a sensation similar to muscle twitching in his palm.
It wasn't his hand that was spasming, but rather Chen Jin, whom he was lifting with one hand, whose neck, completely covered by an unidentified green substance, was twisting and bulging.
Chen Jin's drooping head moved slightly. Small bumps quickly appeared on his face, which was covered with green lines.
"Ahhh~ A ghost, there's a ghost..."
Lu Yan let out another scream like a chicken being killed. Before she could turn around and run away, she was knocked unconscious by a slash.
"It's so noisy."
Qiao Yi rolled her eyes impatiently, while Ji Chenyu caught the unconscious Lu Yan and handed the girl over to a Blue Shield team member.
"D3"
Xu Su shouted and then restrained Chen Jin with both hands.
The man, whose neck he had clearly snapped, inexplicably raised his hands again. Even more bizarrely, his gloves and sleeves rose and fell, as if countless snakes were swimming inside.
Uncle D3 rushed to the left side of the cave bottom and opened a silver device door that was more than a meter high.
That's a hyperbaric chamber, a special weapon designed specifically for high- to mid-level abnormal creatures that are tough, hard to penetrate, and even harder to kill.
The hull is made entirely of alloy, so even creatures that cannot be killed by artillery shells can be eliminated once they are lured inside.
Xu Su threw Chen Jin inside, and D3 quickly closed the side door and tightened the latch.
"2, 28.9!"
G4 looked at the display screen on the side of the device with an expression more terrified than if he had seen a ghost.
An index of 14 or lower indicates relative safety, allowing humans to move freely simply by wearing the "Cleanser" mask.
A reading of 15-25 indicates moderate pollution, a level not uncommon in border areas. While face masks offer some protection, prolonged exposure is not recommended. Furthermore, after leaving the area, specialized equipment is necessary for cleaning and purification.
The pollution index exceeded 25, which is seriously excessive!