Chapter 157 Big Problem? "Professor Ning is here!"
"Professor, come and take a look! We were just about to water Sample No. 3, which was short of water, and these groundhogs were blocking the pumping equipment and we couldn't get rid of them!"
A middle-aged woman with a gentle temperament and wearing thin-framed glasses walked quickly towards him when she heard the sound.
It was Professor Ning Heqiu, the base’s chief expert.
She looked at the group of little ones making the sign "X" and squeaking non-stop by the well. Instead of blaming them, she pushed her glasses up thoughtfully.
"Turn off the pumps first. They don't seem to be causing trouble, but rather desperately trying to warn us of something."
At this moment, Xia Zhining and Ji Shuyun rushed to the scene.
Xia Zhining took a step forward and said in a gentle tone:
"Hello, Professor Ning. I'm Xia Zhining, the animal language communicator specially hired by the Municipal Bureau."
"I asked these groundhog friends to come over and urgently stop everyone from using the well water."
When the groundhog responsible for reporting the news heard Xia Zhining's voice, it immediately squeaked and waved its paws excitedly.
The other groundhogs also quickly retreated from the well as if following an order, and trotted behind Xia Zhining in unison.
They lined up neatly, tilted their heads, and treated her as an authoritative spokesperson.
Professor Ning and the students looked at the scene and learned of Xia Zhining's identity, all of them showing surprise. "Animal language communicator?"
Some quick-witted students had already pulled out their phones and couldn't help but whisper, "No way, the character who was trending at the Jiangcheng University opening ceremony today has appeared in front of us so soon?"
"Director Xia, why do you let the little animals stop us from extracting irrigation water?" someone couldn't help but ask.
Ji Shuyun, showing his police ID at the right moment, said in a serious tone, "We initially suspect the groundwater may be contaminated by beta-toxins."
Xia Zhining then added: "We have discovered that red-crowned cranes and groundhogs are showing symptoms of poisoning."
When everyone heard this, they immediately took a breath of cold air.
Professor Ning stepped forward and said solemnly, "Gentlemen, I'm Ning Heqiu, and I'm in charge of this research base."
"What's going on here? What kind of toxin is it?"
Xia Zhining shook her head. "It's still unclear at the moment. The initial diagnosis is that it's a rare toxin with a complex structure."
"The case is still under further investigation."
Just then, Ji Shuyun's cell phone rang.
He answered the phone, and his originally calm expression gradually became tense as the voice on the other end of the receiver came on.
Xia Zhining's heart also began to lift.
After hanging up, he turned to Xia Zhining and said in a low voice:
"The test results are in, it's ricin."
"Ricin?" Xia Zhining repeated, confusion in her eyes.
Professor Ning stepped forward, frowning slightly, and took over the conversation, explaining, "This is a protein toxin extracted from castor beans."
As an agricultural expert, she is very familiar with plants: "Castor itself is an economic crop. Its seeds are high in oil and are often used for industrial lubrication. However, the ricin contained in its seed residue is extremely toxic."
Her face was grim. "High-purity ricin is colorless and odorless, but even a tiny amount can cause fever, vomiting, internal bleeding, and ultimately multiple organ failure and death."
"That's right, this completely matches the symptoms of red-crowned cranes and groundhogs!" Xia Zhining clenched his fists. "It's an unfamiliar toxin, no wonder conventional tests can't detect it!"
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