Ji Shuyun's sharp eyes narrowed. "The problem is, extracting this kind of refined toxin from castor beans to a colorless and odorless level requires quite specialized laboratory equipment and knowledge."

"It should never have appeared out of thin air in an ordinary rural environment."

Upon hearing this, Xia Zhining also realized that the matter was not simple. She had to catch the murderer as soon as possible and find out where the poison was obtained!

After knowing the composition of the toxin, Xia Zhining immediately called Stationmaster Qin.

Stationmaster Qin said excitedly: "Hey, let me research the treatment plan for the crested crane!"

At this moment, Professor Ning looked at the stopped irrigation equipment, his tone filled with fear:

"Thank you so much! If you hadn't stopped it in time, all of our much-needed research crops would have been lost!"

She leaned over, looked at the group of furry "little heroes" with gentle eyes, and said softly:

"Thank you too, little ones."

At this moment, a chubby groundhog stood up, curiously tugged at Xia Zhining's trouser leg, and squeaked, "Sister, sister, what do you humans do when you ask someone for something?"

Xia Zhining was amused and immediately demonstrated the posture of wishing a happy new year and asking for red envelopes, clasping his hands together and shaking them twice.

When the groundhogs saw this, they all followed suit, putting their hands in their pockets and looking at Professor Ning with their black eyes.

The little mouths made a "squeaky" sound of begging, just like a row of greedy babies waiting for candy.

[Professor, we want to eat the fragrant grass in your base!]

Professor Ning pushed his glasses up, looking bewildered. "What are they...doing?"

Xia Zhining suppressed her laughter and translated, "These greedy girls and boys are after the nutritious and delicious 'high-end rations' at your base!"

Professor Ning looked at these adorable little heroes with a gentle smile on her face. She turned to the students and said:

"Don't we have an extra crop of 'Sunshine Golden Classic' cherry tomatoes and 'Honeydew' fruit cucumbers in our experimental fields?"

"And there are those purple sweet potatoes that were specially researched for disease resistance. They may not look quite up to standard, but they taste amazing. Go get them and thank them!"

When the students heard that they could legitimately feed these furry little cuties, they immediately took action excitedly, running to the warehouse and experimental fields and bringing out all kinds of "scientific research specialties."

Soon, the groundhogs' front was filled with bright red tomatoes, juicy cucumbers and sweet purple sweet potatoes.

The little ones immediately gathered around, holding the food with their front paws and eating with their big front teeth, making a "crunch, crunch" sound as they ate with relish.

After a hearty meal, they contentedly lay down on the warm grass, revealing their round bellies, and basked in the sun comfortably.

Professor Ning went to make a phone call, and when he came back to see this heartwarming scene, he turned to Xia Zhining and Ji Shuyun and got back to the point:

"I have consulted relevant biological experts."

"Ricin is a protein biotoxin that will degrade on its own in its natural environment."

"If the poisoner can be caught quickly and the source of pollution eliminated, the toxins in the well water will automatically decompose to safe levels in about a month, and then things will return to normal."

At this moment, Professor Ning's research assistant stepped forward quickly and reported anxiously:

"Professor, the rice seedlings in Area A are at the critical stage of seedling division and must be irrigated immediately!"

"Their growth data is the core of this project. We can't afford any delays!"

The assistant then added, his tone filled with resignation: "Besides, we have been using the groundwater here for irrigation, and the water quality is stable and pure."

"If the water source is changed, the difference in water quality may directly interfere with the experimental results, and all the previous work on these samples will be wasted."

Professor Ning frowned, feeling caught in a dilemma: "This... is really a big problem right now."