145 The Mystery of the End Times
The group followed Cong Zhenzhong back to the Academy. Cong Zhenzhong asked, “Do you want to eat first, rest, or come with me to the lab?”
Zhuang Yao said, “I want to stay with Abu for a while. Let’s have a barbecue in the courtyard.”
Cong Xia smiled and added, “That’s a good idea! I’ll grill some fish for Abu.”
Abu meowed in response, clearly excited about the suggestion.
Cong Zhenzhong laughed, “Alright, count me in too.”
Cong Xia was surprised, “Uncle, do you have the time?”
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“Yu osaj pvyavp yv 7:30 lhlau eyu, yde kv’p pvkzz vos bswap yoyu. R nyd pzllr y zkvvzl zlpp, vbyv’p yzz.” Tl kdpvawnvle bkp yppkpvydv, “Qlv vbl zstkpvknp elryavxldv vs ralryal qsa vbl cyaclnwl aktbv dso.”
Ohlausdl tyvblale kd vbl nswavuyae oblal Gcw oyp alpvkdt. Mblu tyhl Gcw y nzlyd prsv yde xyel y ckt osszld cyzz vsu qsa bkx. Rv pllxle zkjl Gcw oyp eskdt olzz.
Dkys Eydt yde y qlo xlxclap sq vbl zstkpvknp elryavxldv pvyavle osajkdt, cakdtkdt kd y zyatl dwxcla sq qszekdt nbykap, qszzsole cu y cyaclnwl takzz, nbyansyz, rsvp, rydp, yde svbla wvldpkzp. Gdsvbla taswr sq rlsrzl caswtbv kd vbl qsse kdtalekldvp.
Mbl jkvnbld pvyqq yaakhle yde pvyavle ralryakdt vbl qsse, zlyhkdt ds assx qsa Usdt Dky vs kdvlahldl. Tl oyp byrru vs ldfsu vbl alyeu-xyel xlyzp.
Fkvvkdt vstlvbla, Usdt Hbldgbsdt pyke, “Gqvla uswa hknvsau kd Dk’yd, vbl dlop oyp kxxlekyvlzu pldv cynj vs Jlkfkdt. Zsw eked’v ekpyrrskdv wp. Mbkp oyp vbl xspv xlxsayczl cyvvzl kd swa iwlpv vs scvykd vbl Vwrrlv Kyel, clnywpl lhlausdl alvwadle yzkhl, obknb byp dlhla byrrldle clqsal.” Usdt Hbldgbsdt zssjle yv Usdt Dky yde pyke, “Dkys Dky, usw rzyule vbl ckttlpv aszl kd vbkp.”
Usdt Dky pxkzle yde alrzkle, “Mbkp kp vbl alpwzv sq lhlausdl’p fskdv lqqsavp. R nswze dlhla byhl ynnsxrzkpble pwnb y xkppksd yzsdl.”
Usdt Hbldgbsdt dseele, “Omynvzu, kv’p y nszzlnvkhl ynbklhlxldv. Xd clbyzq sq vbl Mbkae Pkpvaknv sq vbl Gnyelxu sq Fnkldnlp, R nsdtayvwzyvl usw yzz sd vbl pwnnlppqwz nsxrzlvksd sq vbl xkppksd.”
Ohlausdl’p qynlp olal clyxkdt okvb pxkzlp, yp yzz xlxclap alvwadkdt pyqlzu oyp vbl talyvlpv hknvsau.
Cong Zhenzhong continued, “By the way, tomorrow you will have an interview with Xinhua News Agency. We only need to send one person, and since the Dragonblood Clan has always been represented by Mr. Al I think Mr. Liu is the most suitable candidate.”
Liu Fengyu grinned, “Is it the same beautiful reporter from last time? Okay, no problem.”
Tang Yanqiu’s expression was a bit awkward, but he didn’t say anything.
“For important matters, let’s discuss them in the lab. Tell me about the general situation first.” Cong Zhenzhong was clearly very curious about how they managed to retrieve the Puppet Jade from the Great Wild Goose Pagoda.
Cong Xia omitted some confidential details and described the situation of that day to Cong Zhenzhong and Tang Tingzhi.
After hearing the story, Cong Zhenzhong sighed, “The unique abilities and regenerative powers of the creatures are truly the wonders of life. If we can decipher their mysteries, it will be a revolutionary advancement in genetic biology.”
They chatted for a while, and soon the chef had everything prepared.
This was their first time enjoying an outdoor barbecue with dedicated service. In the past, they only had barbecues to fill their stomachs, but now they could leisurely savor a delicious meal.
The kitchen staff used the largest pot to stew fish soup for Abu. The milk-white color of the fish soup was particularly enticing, and the fragrance filled the air, making it almost unbearable for anyone to resist.
Abu buried his head and continuously licked the fish soup with his pink tongue, completely immersed in the meal.
Deng Xiao couldn’t help but stare at the large pot of fish soup, feeling a bit envious.
Cong Xia patted him on the shoulder and chuckled, “The one for humans is right here, and we added tofu too. Why are you coveting Abu’s food? Are you hungry or something?”
Deng Xiao replied, “Cong Ge, I don’t know why, but watching Abu eat is so appetizing, like everything he eats is exceptionally delicious.”
“It’s a cat, and cats love to eat fish. We give him fish every meal, so of course, he enjoys it. If we offered you fish for every meal, would you like it?”
Deng Xiao quickly nodded, “I also like to eat other things.”
Cong Xia ruffled his hair, “That’s good then. If I catch you sneaking Abu’s food again, you’ll be eating fish every day.”
Deng Xiao hastily grabbed a big roasted chicken leg and took a hearty bite, “Mmm, it’s delicious, really delicious.”
Cong Xia also picked up some pork belly and started eating. The food made by these chefs was indeed much better than what they had roasted in the wild. However, sometimes Cong Xia would still miss the scenes of them braving the wind and snow together, grilling hotpot and roasted rat meat. Even though they were equally perilous back then, at least they didn’t carry so much responsibility, which now sometimes made Cong Xia feel suffocated. They all yearned for a better life with enough food and drink once they arrived in Beijing. Now they indeed didn’t have to worry about their meals, but the price they had to pay was too much.
Cong Xia took a big bite of the grilled mushrooms, trying to keep his mind off those troubling thoughts and just focus on eating and enjoying their victory.
After licking the pot clean, Abu started to tackle a piece of marinated raw fish. Abu didn’t particularly like meat without flavor, and recently, the kitchen had specially marinated fish for him. It was fresh and tasty, and Abu ate hundreds of pounds of food every day. Thanks to him, business at the seafood market had boomed.
Liu Fengyu patted Abu’s leg and said, “Do you think it’s time for him to take a bath? It’s been two months already.”
Xiao Wang smiled and said, “Aqing said he should have a bath every three months. Otherwise, their shop wouldn’t need to do anything else. Last time they bathed Abu, the employees in their shop took three days off.”
Zhuang Yao said, “If only we had a big pond, we could let him jump in and bathe himself.”
Cong Zhengzhong said, “There are large fish in all the big ponds. When the fish grow big, their teeth also become large, making it very unsafe.”
Zhuang Yao casually asked, “Any news from the South China Sea recently?”
Cong Zhengzhong sighed, “Two days ago, aerial surveillance spotted a group of killer whales with an average length of 40 meters. Before the apocalypse, they were barely over 10 meters in size.”
“40 meters…” Cong Xia grimaced, “That’s really frightening.”
“At least two Puppet Jades were left behind in the waters of the South China Sea,” Cong Zhengzhong sighed again, “So far, we haven’t come up with any way to retrieve them. Our submarines are now like toys in the ocean.”
Shen Ming took a sip of his drink and said, “Hey, don’t bring up such disappointing topics now.”
Shen Changze nestled in his arms, gripping his clothes tightly and shaking, but he couldn’t say anything coherent, making pitiful noises, looking a bit helpless.
Shen Ming rubbed his head and said cheerfully, “No hurry.”
Tang Tingzhi suggested, “I’ll take him back to the lab to recover.”
“No need. This kid is usually too chatty, even bothering about whether I change socks or not. It’s good this way; my ears will have peace for two days.” Shen Ming pinched Shen Changze’s chubby face and laughed happily.
Shen Changze bit down on his finger.
Cong Xia laughed and took a sip of wine. This wine was much better than the medical alcohol mixed with water they had yesterday; this was authentic red wine, and he hated wasting good things.
Cheng Tianbi reminded him, “You drank too much yesterday, drink less today.”
“Oh, just a little. Actually, I didn’t get drunk yesterday; it was just uncomfortable to drink,” Cong Xia replied.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and said, “You were lying unconscious on the bed, and you say you weren’t drunk.”
Liu Fengyu laughed heartily beside them, “Oh, Xia, someone here is not satisfied with something.”
Cong Xia awkwardly put the wine back and shrank to the side, lowering his head to eat meat.
Cheng Tianbi had no expression, but he looked deeply at Cong Xia.
Liu Fengyu smiled while watching the two of them. He strangely felt envious; it seemed that he was returning to his old self more and more. He envied these two inexperienced young men who knew nothing about romance. He took a sip of wine and couldn’t help but let his gaze drift towards Tang Yanqiu. Tang Yanqiu didn’t seem to have much appetite; he ate a few bites and put down his chopsticks, sitting there in a daze. As he felt Liu Fengyu’s gaze, he turned his face away unconsciously, and their eyes met in the air, only to quickly part ways.
After eating more than half of the lamb, Deng Xiao was so full that he could barely walk, but seeing so much delicious food left, he still felt reluctant to stop. He decided to transform into a three-meter-tall lizard and continue to gorge himself.
After finishing the fish, Abu laid on the ground contentedly, while Zhuang Yao lay on top of it, sipping his drink and chatting softly with Abu.
The group of Dragonblood Clan members laughed and cursed loudly, creating a lively atmosphere.
As the sky gradually brightened, a new day officially began.
After finishing their meal, they followed Cong Zhengzhong back to the third area of the laboratory.
They handed the Puppet Jade they obtained from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to Cong Zhengzhong. When the Puppet Jade was placed in a specially designed container and taken away, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The Dragonblood Clan members left, seemingly to assist Shen Changze in recovering his body, while Cong Zhengzhong led them into the highly confidential meeting room they used last time.
After activating the meeting room’s confidential mode, Cong Zhengzhong looked at them seriously and said, “Now there are no outsiders. I want to know if you have anything to tell me.”
Cong Xia took out two items from his pocket, one was a box containing a finger bone, and the other was the nine incense sticks with an unidentified material.
Cong Zhengzhong picked up both items and examined them. Cong Xia explained the origin of these items to him. Cong Zhengzhong was astonished, “This box fits perfectly with the ancient jade? As Zhuang Yao said, this can’t be a coincidence; there must be a meaning behind the appearance of this box.”
Cong Xia sighed, “Right now, I feel like there are too many mysteries we need to unravel. Just thinking about so many unknown things gives me a headache.”
“Exploration is a lifelong process for a person, and it never ends,” Cong Zhengzhong said, “Remember, our exploration holds great significance for humanity. Always keep this in mind.”
Cong Xia nodded in agreement.
Cong Zhengzhong put the box aside and picked up the incense sticks. “This incense stick really arouses curiosity. Later, Zhuang Yao, let’s go to the lab and identify the components of these two items.”
Zhuang Yao nodded, “I also brought back a jar of ash with insect eggs and a jar of adult insects from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. I’m curious about how these insects extract nutrients from the ash.”
“Let’s bring them back later,” Cong Zhengzhong sighed, “There’s just too much to do. Recently, the Academy has recruited two cerebral evolutionists. I hope we can have more of them because even if we work 24 hours a day, it won’t be enough.”
Cong Xia patted Cong Zhengzhong’s arm, saying, “Uncle, don’t overwork yourself. You know how important your health is.”
Cong Zhengzhong smiled lightly, “I understand, I know it well.”
Cheng Tianbi asked, “Have they found the one insect mutant who infiltrated the Academy?”
Cong Zhengzhong sighed, “Yes, we found him. He was one of the guards who were dispatched to kill the insects. These insects can completely strip a person of their self-awareness and control their body. It’s truly terrifying.”
“Is he dead now?”
Cong Zhengzhong replied, “Yes, he is. At first, we had captured him alive, but he committed suicide in prison, and we had no idea how he did it. He died while holding one of the insects in his hand. There were no external injuries on his body. However, based on your experiences, it’s evident that he killed his own brainworm.”
“Or we should say that his brain worm or parasite made him kill himself,” Zhuang Yao added, “The scariest thing about these insects is not their control over people, but the fact that while controlling them, they can also use their intelligence to think from a human perspective, yet always make decisions that benefit the insects. Their minds have completely become those of the insects.”
“What a rare experimental subject, and he died just like that. It’s a pity. However, we have preserved his body, and we are currently conducting an autopsy. His situation is similar to the insectoids you encountered. His entire body is composed of the insects, capable of dispersing and gathering at will. Truly a miraculous life form.”
Zhuang Yao said, “Let’s go to the lab. I’m curious to see the autopsy results of that insect mutant.”
“Alright, Zhuang Yao, come with me.” Cong Zhengzhong agreed. He then turned to address the others, “Mr. Liu, later on, Xiao Wang will arrange for you to meet with the reporter. You can go back and change your clothes first. The rest of you can have some free time. I hope you can take a few days to rest properly.”
Yawning, Liu Fengyu stretched lazily, “It’s been days since I last showered. Feeling so uncomfortable. After I wash up, I hope I’ll have time for a nap.”
Deng Xiao yawned as well, “I’ll go sleep with Abu. It was reluctant to see us leave earlier, such a clingy creature. Can’t resist its cuteness.” He said, and then happily ran out.
Cong Xia and Cheng Tianbi planned to go back to rest. They hadn’t had proper rest in these past few days. The night before last, they were drinking until three or four in the morning, and the next day they were on the airship all day, making it impossible to sleep. Cong Xia just wanted to take a comfortable hot bath and get a good night’s sleep.
After entering their room, Cong Xia took off his clothes, which were still smelling of barbecue. “Tianbi, you must be tired. Do you want to take a bath first?”
Cheng Tianbi replied, “No.”
“In that case, can I go first?” Cong Xia asked.
Cheng Tianbi leaned in, gently nibbling on Cong Xia’s ear, “Let’s shower together.”
Cong Xia was momentarily stunned, then couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He ruffled Cheng Tianbi’s thick hair and whispered, “I’ll get the water ready. Let’s take a bath together, okay?”
“Mm.”
Excitedly, Cong Xia rushed into the bathroom, looking forward to enjoying a relaxing time.
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