Chapter 357 Non-staff Members
In a flash, Xia Lili moved!
Her movements were as fast as lightning, and her right hand stretched out with incredible precision. Her thumb and index finger were like pliers, and before the krait could react, she firmly grasped the key position below its neck, commonly known as the "seven inches"!
That is where the snake's heart is located. Once it is restrained, the snake's body will temporarily become sore and weak.
The body of the golden ring snake suddenly stiffened, and its originally raised head suddenly lost its support. It opened its mouth in vain, but could no longer make any effective attacking movements.
Only then did Xia Lili dare to breathe a sigh of relief, her back already soaked with cold sweat.
She quickly took out a sturdy waterproof cloth bag from the first aid kit she carried with her, carefully stuffed the temporarily unable to resist "dangerous goods" into it, and tied the bag tightly.
Holding the slightly twisting cloth bag, she recalled the tragic scene of it being trampled into a pulp in her hallucination. She couldn't help but sigh softly and whispered to the bag:
"I saved your life today, so you also... indirectly saved me. We're even."
At this moment, Qingyan, who had noticed her actions, came over and looked at the squirming bag curiously. He grinned and asked, "Advisor Xia, your skills are quite good! What are you doing with this thing?"
"Could it be that... this Bungarus krait is particularly nutritious when soaked in wine? I heard it's very nutritious!"
Xia Lili smiled helplessly and shook her head. "I'm not trying to make wine with it. I just thought, since it didn't really hurt me, there's no need to kill it. I'll just keep it for now. Maybe... it'll be useful later."
The strong impact brought by the illusion has not completely subsided, and Xia Lili's heart is still beating violently in her chest.
She squatted down without hesitation and quickly took out a small leather-covered sketchbook and a special waterproof pencil from the side pocket of her tactical backpack.
The tip of the pen slid quickly across the paper, making a rustling sound.
Relying on the clear images remaining in her mind, Xia Lili accurately outlined the environmental features of the area where the wild elephant rushed out.
In the background of the picture, there is an extremely conspicuous giant banyan tree, whose thick aerial roots hang down like countless pillars, forming a unique "tree wall".
Near the giant banyan tree, there is a large wild banana forest, with broad leaves swaying in the wind.
Elephants like to eat bananas, and this forest is most likely their regular foraging spot.
Not far away, there were obvious muddy puddles and scattered animal footprints on the ground, indicating that there might be a seasonal water hole there, which was a must-go place for animals to drink water.
There are faint trails in the grass and bushes, which have been repeatedly trampled and crushed by large animals.
When the team members saw Xia Lili drawing on the spot, they all showed an expression of confusion that was hard to hide.
The tense moment of subduing the poisonous snake had just passed, and now the consultant suddenly started painting quietly?
The contrast is really abrupt.
Li Qihan looked at Xia Lili with deep eyes and did not interrupt.
He knew there was danger again.
Soon, a simple yet distinctive environmental sketch was created by Xia Lili.
Xia Lili stood up and handed the sketchbook to Li Qihan, who was closest to her. She explained to the team members who had gathered around her in a serious tone:
"Everyone, based on some environmental signs, I have made a prediction about the area ahead,"
Xia Lili pointed out the features in the painting and said, "Especially around this large banyan tree and the banana grove, there's a high probability that there's a herd of wild elephants, or at least a single elephant."
Everyone's expression immediately became serious. The route B they were taking now would pass through a large wild banana forest.
This means they are very likely to come face to face with mad wild elephants.
Wild elephants are by no means the docile animals in zoos. They are huge, incredibly strong, and have very violent and irritable temperaments, especially when protecting their cubs or when their territory is invaded.
Every year, many people are killed or seriously injured by wild elephant attacks in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and southwestern China.
Their charging speed is far beyond ordinary people's imagination. They can easily crash into trees and crush vehicles. Humans are vulnerable in front of them.
Su Ye, an experienced doctor who seemed well-versed in dealing with wild elephants, said, "As we move forward, we must pay close attention to the characteristics depicted by Advisor Xia."
"Once you discover a similar environment, especially if you hear unusual sounds like branches snapping or low elephant calls, you must immediately hide and never try to approach, provoke, or even run away."
"When faced with an out-of-control wild elephant, it's almost impossible to escape in a straight line. You have to use the terrain and vegetation to evade it quietly."
Everyone nodded seriously.
Xia Lili's gaze fell on the slightly moving cloth bag in her hand, and the scene in the illusion emerged clearly again.
Just before the heavy footsteps of the wild elephant were heard, the golden ring snake had already sensed something and began to twist its body restlessly on the ground. However, its reaction was ultimately a step too slow, and it lacked the awareness of avoiding danger like humans, so it ultimately failed to escape the fate of being crushed.
A thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
Xia Lili looked up at the experienced doctor Su Ye, shook the cloth bag in her hand, and asked in an exploratory tone: "Doctor Su, do you think... can we use the reaction of the krait to warn of the approach of wild elephants?"
"These ground-dwelling reptiles seem to be able to sense approaching danger in advance and become restless."
Upon hearing this, veteran military doctor Su Ye's eyes flashed with admiration. He nodded, confirming Xia Lili's idea: "Very insightful! Theoretically, it's completely feasible."
"Snakes are extremely sensitive to low-frequency vibrations transmitted through the ground, and their perception ability is far superior to ours. Wild elephants are large and walk heavily, and the ground vibrations generated by their movements can probably be detected by this snake from a long distance."
He then changed the subject and pointed out the key to practical operation: "However, we need to place it on a flat surface regularly so that it can fully contact the ground and sense the vibrations. If you carry the bag all the time, the effect will be greatly reduced."
Although the medical bag in Xia Lili's hand was made of canvas and not completely transparent, it was light beige in color. When there was sufficient light, one could vaguely see the outline of the snake and its general movements through the fabric.
At this moment, the golden ring snake seemed to be a little "dead" because it had just been subdued and was in an unfamiliar environment. It curled up at the bottom of the bag, motionless, with only extremely slight breathing fluctuations.
"I understand." Xia Lili took Su Ye's suggestion to heart.
After a short rest, the team packed up their equipment and continued on their journey more cautiously.
For the rest of the journey, they strictly followed this special early warning plan. Every fifteen to twenty minutes, the team would stop temporarily, and Xia Lili would carefully place the cloth bag on relatively flat, exposed ground.
All the team members subconsciously held their breath and focused their eyes on the light-colored bag. Through the changes in light and shadow, they closely watched whether the snake inside would show any abnormal agitation.
Every time we saw the snake shadow in the bag still quietly coiled, we would breathe a sigh of relief, and then continue our arduous journey towards our set goal in the silent and dangerous rainforest.
This originally deadly poisonous snake unexpectedly became a non-staff member of the team and became the "ear" that senses the pulse of the earth.
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