The Return of Cambrian Period Chapter 3

 3 Global Evolution

After the man released Cong Xia, Cong Xia became completely submissive, standing quietly on the side like a well-behaved wife, silently observing as the soldier rummaged through his refrigerator and packed the vacuum-sealed food into his backpack.

Cong Xia nervously swallowed. “Big brother, what’s your name? Where are you from?”

The soldier ignored him.

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“Tso sze yal usw? Zsw yrrlya uswdtla vbyd xl. Gal usw y pszekla? Ebu eke xu wdnzl ypj xl vs ts vs Jlkfkdt? Tkp rbsdl kp vwadle sqq. Gal usw vawzu pldv cu xu wdnzl?”

Wkdyzzu, vbl xyd vwadle vs zssj yv bkx. Usdt Dky valxczle kd qlya, cwv kd vbl dlmv xsxldv, y rklnl sq ryrla qzlo kd qasdv sq bkx. Usdt Dky iwknjzu nywtbv kv yde wdqszele kv. Rv oyp y bydeoakvvld zlvvla qasx bkp wdnzl, cwv kv oyp nzlyazu qymle. Rv alye, “Dkys Dky, alyekdt vblpl osaep kp zkjl pllkdt xl kd rlapsd. R’x pwal usw byhl xydu iwlpvksdp kd uswa blyav. R esd’v byhl xwnb vkxl vs lmrzykd. Zwddyd kp ds zsdtla pyql. Wszzso Usxayel Ubld Mkydck vs Jlkfkdt vs qkde xl. Ls xyvvla obyv byrrldp sd vbl oyu, esd’v tkhl wr. Zsw yal xu sdzu qyxkzu. R bsrl ol nyd xllv – Usdt Hbldgbsdt.”

Usdt Dky alye vbl caklq zkdlp sq vbl zlvvla alrlyvlezu. Gzvbswtb bl nswzed’v alnyzz bkp wdnzl’p bydeoakvkdt, vbl vsdl alplxczle bkp wdnzl’p. Ysalshla, bl clzklhle vbyv vbl pszekla bye ds alypsd vs elnlkhl bkx. Wkapvzu, bl oyp yd kdpktdkqknydv kdekhkewyz, yde plnsdezu, bl nswzed’v xyjl vbl elnkpksd vs ts sa pvyu cu bkxplzq.

Rq vbkp zlvvla oyp tldwkdl, kv alhlyzle y talyv elyz sq kdqsaxyvksd. Wkapvzu, vbl bwxyd zkhkdt ldhkasdxldv bye wdelatsdl pktdkqknydv yde rlakzswp nbydtlp. Mbl tshladxldv oyp yoyal sq xwnb xsal vbyd vblu olal, yde Jlkfkdt oyp wdeswcvlezu pyqla. Tkp wdnzl, y alprlnvle lmrlav kd ryzlsdvszstu, oswzed’v xyjl cyplzlpp nzykxp. Tkp xldvksd sq Zwddyd clkdt wdpyql sdzu nsdqkaxle Usdt Dky’p pwprknksdp. Flnsdezu, vbl nbydtlp oswze nsdvkdwl vs lpnyzyvl. Uwaaldvzu, Zwddyd byed’v alynble yd wdpyql zlhlz, cwv bkp wdnzl bye xyel y raleknvksd ycswv vbl qwvwal. Mblalqsal, vbkp lhszwvksd oypd’v y vlxrsayau lhldv; kv oswze wdeswcvlezu kdvldpkqu. Mbkaezu, vbl bydepsxl twu’p dyxl oyp kdelle Ubld Mkydck.

Cong Xia carefully folded the paper and placed it in his pocket. “So your name is Chen Tianbi, and you came from Beijing to pick me up?”

Chen Tianbi pushed the filled backpack into Cong Xia’s arms. “I was on a mission in Yunnan. Let’s go.”

“Now? We’re leaving now?” Cong Xia glanced around at the house he had rented for three years and couldn’t accept leaving so abruptly. If he left, the room would be overrun with mushrooms and weeds within three days. If he ever returned, it would be unrecognizable, and there was no guarantee he could come back at all.

How could the world change so rapidly? Just yesterday at this time, he was sleeping in darkness after staying up late playing games. In the span of a single day, doomsday arrived, and he was forced to leave.

Chen Tianbi put on the large backpack he had brought and said curtly, “Let’s go.”

“Big brother, should we only take these things? I should at least bring some daily necessities, identification documents, and my computer. I have to bring my computer.”

Chen Tianbi checked his watch. “Three minutes.”

Cong Xia was stunned for two seconds, then rushed into the bedroom and quickly packed his computer into his backpack. He retrieved his identification documents and all his savings, grabbed two sets of clothes and a pair of shoes, and perspiring profusely,

He felt a slight tingling sensation at the tip of his nose and let out a heavy sigh before turning away. Just before leaving, he carefully locked the door, still holding onto the hope of one day returning.

The two of them descended the stairs and got into a military jeep. Cong Xia asked, “How are we going to Beijing?”

“By plane.”

“Oh, that’s great. We should be able to get there quickly,” Cong Xia breathed a sigh of relief. Taking a plane would be much simpler. In just a few hours, he would be able to see his uncle. He promised himself to ask him face-to-face about what had happened to the world.

Chen Tianbi drove while observing the growth of plants along the roadside. Although they had been provided with a plane for transportation, he wondered if the rapid pace of evolution would affect the plane’s takeoff.

Observing Chen Tianbi’s silence and disregard, Cong Xia opened his notebook and continued to follow the information on the internet. Countless doomsday rumors filled the online world, with people constantly posting various bizarre photos. There were pictures of cats that had evolved to the size of newborn calves, willow trees with branches stretching tens of meters, and all sorts of mutated creatures that were previously seen only in science fiction movies, now appearing everywhere online.

Based on the current situation, many animals and plants had undergone mutations, but humans… Suddenly, Cong Xia recalled the woman from the previous night who effortlessly sent a person weighing around 160-170 pounds flying. Putting the pieces together, perhaps that woman was an evolved human. It was highly unlikely for an ordinary woman to possess such strength.

It made sense. If animals, plants, and microorganisms had evolved, then humans… Cong Xia realized that compared to the speed and scale of evolution in the animal and plant kingdom, there was scarce news about human evolution.

Just as the car turned onto the main road, it abruptly came to a halt.

Cong Xia looked up and saw a long line of cars ahead, stretching so far that he couldn’t see the front. All the vehicles were moving at a snail’s pace.

Frowning, Chen Tianbi forcefully turned the steering wheel and drove onto the sidewalk.

Startled, Cong Xia exclaimed, “What are you doing?”

Without wasting time on explanations, Chen Tianbi swiftly drove ahead on the sidewalk. There were no pedestrians in sight, and the wild grass seemed denser than when they had passed by in the morning.

Looking through the rearview mirror, Cong Xia noticed other vehicles following Chen Tianbi onto the sidewalk, racing ahead.

This road was the most convenient route from the city to the airport and the highway. Could it be that all these people wanted to leave the city?

Cong Xia asked, “Why are there so many cars?”

Chen Tianbi replied, “Many people have realized that staying near Qinghai is becoming increasingly unsafe.”

“What exactly happened with that earthquake? Why did it trigger the evolution of species?”

“I don’t know.”

“You must know more than I do. Please tell me something.”

Unfortunately, Chen Tianbi had no intention of answering him. He remained focused on the road ahead, and a large sculpture appeared in front of them, blocking their path on the sidewalk. They were forced to turn back onto the road, but it was already congested, and moving even an inch seemed impossible. They couldn’t afford any further delays if they wanted to increase their chances of catching a plane and leaving the area.

“Get out of the car,” Chen Tianbi said.

Cong Xia hadn’t reacted when Chen Tianbi had already jumped out of the car. He circled around to Cong Xia’s side and pulled him out.

“Are we going on foot?” Cong Xia exclaimed. The destination was over twenty kilometers away.

Chen Tianbi kicked the car door closed. “Let’s keep moving forward for now.”

Cong Xia followed behind, burdened by the heavy backpack. They bypassed a road and arrived at a commercial street. Cong Xia was familiar with this street; it was where his company was located.

However, as they approached the office building, Cong Xia found himself unable to recognize the place.

A thick and massive branch of a pine tree protruded from the third-floor office window, nearly reaching down to the road. Cong Xia was overwhelmed with shock. Was that their company’s bonsai pine?

Sensing Cong Xia’s hesitation, Chen Tianbi urged him with his eyes.

Pointing at the pine tree, Cong Xia murmured, “That’s our company’s bonsai. It used to be only waist-high.”

Chen Tianbi briefly glanced at the pine branch. “The pace has quickened. Let’s keep moving.”

“What do you mean by the pace has quickened?”

“The pace of evolution.”

“Brother, can you please talk to me a bit more? I’m begging you,” Cong Xia expressed his frustration with Chen Tianbi’s abrupt and curt manner.

Chen Tianbi remained unaffected and roughly tugged at Cong Xia’s collar, urging him to move faster.

Cong Xia nearly stumbled and instinctively grabbed onto Chen Tianbi’s waist for support.

Chen Tianbi looked down at him.

Feeling embarrassed, Cong Xia let go and was about to step back. Suddenly, Chen Tianbi’s expression changed, his pupils dilated. Without hesitation, he tightly embraced Cong Xia and threw them both to the side.

They rolled several meters away before coming to a stop. Cong Xia could hear a rapid rustling sound near his ears. He steadied himself and looked back, only to witness the pine tree shooting out hundreds of pine needles toward the spot they had just stood. The dark green, tiny pine needles fell to the ground or pierced through the gaps in the pavement tiles.

Cong Xia remained in shock, unable to utter a word.

Was this bonsai pine tree attacking them?

If they had been hit just now, it might not have been fatal, but their bodies would have been covered in holes like a hedgehog. The mere thought of it made Cong Xia too scared to move.

Chen Tianbi seized him by the arm and didn’t dare to pause as they ran towards a safer distance. Before they could take two steps, the faint rustling sound echoed behind them again, and hundreds of pine needles shot out, but their range was limited.

The two of them ran for over thirty meters before finally confirming that the pine needles couldn’t reach them anymore. Cong Xia felt an intense itch on his calves and looked down to see his pants and shoes covered in those small green needles. He started pulling them out one by one. Although it wasn’t painful, it was incredibly itchy.

Chen Tianbi also had some on his pants. He picked up a needle and examined it carefully.

Cong Xia continued to remove the needles while studying them. The pine needles had become extremely sharp. Normally, touching pine needles would be slightly prickly, but these needles had evolved to be even sharper than cactus spines, easily piercing through the flesh.

However, that wasn’t the most terrifying part. The most horrifying thing was that the pine tree possessed the ability to attack humans and… intent!

Chen Tianbi tossed the pine needles to the ground. “Let’s pick up the pace.”

“Hey, wait,” Cong Xia grabbed his pant leg. “Let me clean them off for you. This stuff is too itchy, and it’ll be uncomfortable to walk with them.”

Chen Tianbi shook off his hand. “Don’t waste time.”

Cong Xia looked at him with a hint of grievance. “What’s wrong with you… Anyway, you’re younger than me, so I won’t argue with you.”

They stood up and continued walking in the direction of the airport. Cong Xia cast a final glance back at his company and the thick pine branch. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like the branch had grown even longer than before…

*******************

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