Chapter 70
Jiang Shu was embarrassed by the praise and humbly replied, "I'm still far from good enough."
To everyone's relief, once the mutated strawberry was eliminated, the pollution in their mental energy gradually dissipated.
Chen Shaoting's mood improved considerably, and she joked, "I thought I'd get to eat some fresh strawberries, but it turns out this hour of work was for nothing."
Upon hearing this, Wu Bing from next door took out a small handful of mutated grapes from his spatial storage device and offered them to him, saying, "These are some I kept for myself, here you go."
Chen Shaoting glanced at it and said, "Don't you have an old man at home? You should keep it for him to eat."
After the crisis was resolved, the atmosphere among everyone became exceptionally relaxed. However, none of them completely let their guard down. When Luo Yonghui saw Jiang Zhi's wary expression, staring intently at the scorched earth, his own expression turned serious: "Jiang Zhi, what's going on?"
Logically speaking, with such a powerful attack, the mutated strawberry should be dead beyond any doubt.
However, the dashboard still displays a notification for the gold-colored special item.
In other words, this mutated strawberry is not completely dead yet.
But it clearly looked like it was charred, how could it be...?
Jiang Zhi suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "Uncle Luo! That skinny guy isn't quite dead yet!"
Luo Yonghui didn't react for a moment, "Skinny Fruit?"
Jiang Zhi: "Those are the black seeds on strawberries."
Upon hearing this, Luo Yonghui's face turned serious. "We need to find it quickly, otherwise this area will soon grow back."
They had all witnessed the speed at which these mutated strawberries "regenerated".
The group stepped directly into the strawberry field.
This time, the entry went very smoothly.
When the group arrived at the spot where the mutated strawberry had been, they saw nothing but dark gray.
Wu Bing scratched his head: "Those seeds are only the size of a fingernail, right? How are we supposed to find them?"
Everyone squatted on the ground, heads down, searching diligently. Jiang Zhi directly located the peculiar thin fruit through the dashboard.
"Uncle Luo, we've found it."
To avoid any accidents, Jiang Zhi carefully wrapped it with her spiritual power before picking it up to examine it.
Wu Bing and his companions were horrified: "This thing is the culprit?"
No one expected that what made this strawberry farm so prosperous yet full of traps was such a tiny strawberry seed.
Hu Yang breathed a sigh of relief: "Luckily, this thing was eliminated, and the pollution in our bodies is gone, otherwise we would have been doomed this time."
Jiang Zhi was taken aback: "Why do you say that?"
Chen Shaoting explained with a smile, "You newbies may not know that once mental energy is contaminated, it is very difficult to expel the contaminated mental energy, and it will become more and more serious over time, eventually leading to the collapse of the mental pool."
Jiang Zhi opened her mouth, wanting to ask why her mental pool could swallow this pollution, but she held back in the end.
She didn't want to be treated as an outsider.
Luo Yonghui ignored what the others were saying and solemnly took out a specially made box from the bag.
"Ginger twig, put it in."
Jiang Zhi sensed that the box could actually block spiritual energy, which was quite strange. After obediently putting it in, she asked curiously, "Uncle Luo, what kind of box is this?"
After Luo Yonghui put the lid on.
"It can isolate mental energy and supernatural abilities, and is specially designed to contain these special mutated creatures."
Jiang Zhi's eyes lit up.
This is really good stuff!
"Uncle Luo..."
Luo Yonghui found it amusing.
"Don't ask me for it. This thing is made from special minerals and is as rare as a spacecraft."
Jiang Zhi was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.
"So, how about officially joining us? If you join us, you'll be able to use all of these things."
Jiang Zhi still worried about her family: "I'd better not."
Luo Yonghui has been rejected so many times that he's become indifferent to it.
Looking at the slender fruit in the box, Wu Bing sighed, "This thing is really something. It only suffered because it met us. Otherwise, if it had been left to grow, it might have become a plague around here in a while."
Luo Yonghui put the box containing the strawberry seeds into his spatial device and laughed, "These should be strawberry seeds. I only remembered it after Jiang Zhi reminded me."
Wu Bing: "Boss, this thing isn't anything special except that it grows faster, right? Is it really necessary to waste a special box on it?"
Luo Yonghui laughed and said, "Don't underestimate it. These strawberry seeds can be infinitely generated once planted, and they also have attack capabilities... Just think, if we plant them around the perimeter of the base, wouldn't our base be much safer?"
"Although this thing is uncontrollable, it has high research value. I believe the researchers of mutated organisms at the institute would be very happy to take it over, and..."
He paused for a moment, then looked at Jiang Zhi: "Moreover, I suspect this thing is a special item."
After all, the attack power of this slender fruit far exceeds its level.
Although they didn't collect any strawberries this time, this one little thing is worth more than thousands of strawberries.
Chen Shaoting and the others were taken aback and exchanged glances.
They could see the excitement in each other's eyes.
To avoid attacks from mutated creatures in the surrounding area after winter sets in, the base has been searching for something that can add defensive capabilities to the city walls.
If what Luo Yonghui said can really come to fruition, it will be a great achievement.
Jiang Zhi listened from the side, feeling incredibly impressed.
Luo Yonghui truly deserves his status as a team leader.
The value of this achene is immediately apparent.
Luo Yonghui continued, "This time we were very fortunate to have ginger branches and ginger trees; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to take this thing down so quickly."
He smiled at the brother and sister, "If this seed can really be used for the base, you two will have made a great contribution."
When Jiang Shu heard that he had made a great contribution, he became very excited.
What are the rewards for meritorious service?
Wu Bing: "Haven't you always wanted to buy Speed Yuan Cakes and some special resources? If you make contributions, you'll get merit points, and with merit points, you can buy them."
The brother and sister were both deeply disappointed. "That's it?"
Chen Shaoting laughed and said, "Don't underestimate the merit points. These merit points can be used as discounts. The more merit points you have, the more things you can buy, and the cheaper the prices are."
"Something that originally cost 10,000 points can be bought for only 1,000 points after the merit point discount. Doesn't that seem like a great deal?"
"Of course, if you join the mutant squad, these merit points will be even more useful."
Jiang Shu looked at her suspiciously, "Sister Shaoting, I feel like you're trying to seduce us."
Chen Shaoting smiled.
Luo Yonghui checked the time: "Jiang boy, scan the area again. If you haven't missed anything, we'll head back."
Jiang Shu glanced around and, upon seeing the fly traps that had been unearthed by the rotting strawberries on the ground not far away, couldn't help but exclaim "Eh!"
Hu Yang's heart tightened. "Brother Big Tree, what's going on?"
"Uncle Luo, many of the Venus flytraps have strangely shaped stones inside their mouths..."
Upon hearing the word "stone," Wu Bing and his companions reacted as if they had heard gold, excitedly asking, "Where is it?"
After exchanging a glance, the ginger tree and ginger branch pointed in a certain direction.
The group went over to take a look and saw that the Venus flytrap's serrated mouth was only slightly open.
It was only because they were all wearing glasses that they could see that Jiang Shu was talking about a stone, even at such close range.
Without the mutated strawberry providing energy, this Venus flytrap is just an ordinary level-two mutated creature, currently teetering on the brink of collapse, enough for an ordinary person to easily defeat.
Yan Liang drew a dagger from his waist and swiftly sliced the Venus flytrap into several pieces.
Several stones of different shapes and colors fell out, each about the size of a fist.
Chen Shaoting stepped forward and counted them; there were exactly seven, no more and no less.
At the same time, a series of notification sounds appeared in Jiang Zhi's mind:
"Beep—Fire-type special ore detected."
"Beep—Special ice-type ore detected."
"Beep—Special earth-based ore detected."
"Beep—Fire-type special ore detected."
...
"Beep—Special mineral of the mental type detected."
Jiang Zhi was secretly delighted.
I never expected that the dashboard could even recognize this.
This Venus flytrap is hiding some really special minerals! And it even has some that are psychic!
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but look at the gray stone. Unexpectedly, the most special one looked the most inconspicuous.
Hu Yang was young and couldn't hide his emotions. When he saw the stones, he was very excited: "Boss! They're special minerals."
Jiang Shu was completely confused, thinking that apart from the slightly different color, these stones were no different from ordinary stones.
"Uncle Luo, what are special minerals?"
Luo Yonghui was in high spirits, not expecting to find so many benefits on this trip. He explained in detail, "The base refers to ores containing a large number of elemental attributes as special ores. This one, for example, has attributes related to the five elements. The energy stones we found in the white eagle's nest before can also be considered special ores, strictly speaking."
Jiang Shu immediately transformed into a curious child: "I know that energy stones can provide energy to weapons, but what about these stones with the five elements attributes?"
Chen Shaoting replied with a smile, "There are many things that can be made from these minerals with the five elements. I don't know if you've ever seen a food storage cabinet? It's made from special ice-type minerals."
Upon hearing Chen Shaoting's words, the siblings simultaneously recalled the safe they had just bought for their home.
Jiang Zhi picked up a stone casually: "Can all these stones be processed into everyday items?"
Chen Shaoting: "Not entirely. In terms of usage, they can be divided into three categories: construction, daily life, and weapons. Some people use ice-type and fire-type ores to melt into air conditioning units. After special processing, they can automatically adjust the desired temperature, just like the old air conditioners. Of course, these also need to have ores added in regularly."
At this point, she also revealed some information: "Recently, wasn't the base preparing to enter a state of combat readiness due to weather conditions? The military is currently collecting fire-type ores on a large scale."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Shu felt that the base's cutting-edge technology was truly amazing.
With the base behind them—as long as they work hard to collect more ore, they still have a chance to live a life with a different technological path.
Luo Yonghui said with a smile, "Today's harvest is good. I'll hand over that strawberry seed to the base in the name of all seven of us. As for these seven special minerals, Jiang Zhi and her brother will take two or three, and the rest of us will take four."
Jiang Zhi said somewhat embarrassedly, "Uncle Luo, this harvest is the result of everyone's cooperation. There are exactly seven here, so let's each take one."
Neither she nor Jiang Shu had any intention of keeping these good things for themselves.
Firstly, they are now a team.
They didn't obtain these things on their own.
Secondly, things like strawberry achenes need to be cultivated to realize their value.
Individuals are not allowed to grow things on the base, so this stuff is of no use to them.
Luo Yonghui laughed and said, "This time, we were able to find these good things thanks to you two siblings. It's not too much to share them like this."
Jiang Zhi still refused, saying, "Uncle Luo, if you really think so, then let us choose first."
Jiang Shu nodded repeatedly, "What my sister said is exactly what I wanted to say."
Luo Yonghui laughed and said, "Alright, you guys choose first."
Jiang Zhi looked around and finally fixed her gaze on the mental ore.
Luo Yonghui noticed her gaze and said, "This special gray ore is somewhat related to mental energy. There are very few of these kinds of ores in the base right now, and we haven't found a way to develop mental energy ores yet. If you want it, you probably won't get a good price."
Can't find how to use it?
Jiang Zhi was stunned for a moment. Although Luo Yonghui said that, her intuition still told her that she had to get this ore.
Jiang Zhi hesitated for a second, but still took the mental ore directly.
Although she didn't know what the spiritual minerals could be used for, she trusted her intuition.
Jiang Shu chose a piece of fire-type ore.
The other choices were made rather casually.
These ores are considered luxury items even among the mutants.
Whether handed over to the research institute or sold on the black market, it would be a good income.
"Alright, now that everyone has gained something, let's head back."
After putting away their ore, the group didn't linger and got into their car to return the way they came.
After this experience, Chen Shaoting and the others had a further change in their perception of Jiang Zhi's abilities.
I used to think that the older brother was the more capable one in the sibling pair.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhi, a level one mutant, has shown abilities that are no less than those of ordinary level two or three mutants.
Luo Yonghui became more and more satisfied with the brother and sister, feeling like he had struck gold.
He even thought that if the two of them could join his team and train with him, they would definitely become two great generals.
Unfortunately, these two children only have their family to be content with.
Thinking of this, Luo Yonghui could only sigh in regret.
What no one expected was that in the near future, the strawberry achenes they brought back were successfully developed by the base's research institute into a new city wall defense system, saving the base a lot of resources in the coming winter.
"By the way, Jiang girl, did the bubbles you blew for us earlier block out our sense of smell?"
Jiang Zhi shook her head: "Currently, my bubble is only equivalent to an oxygen bag, which can provide oxygen when you need to hold your breath."
Luo Yonghui laughed and said, "Then your superpower is really special, similar to the bizarre superpowers of the mutants."
Jiang Shu casually remarked, "A-Zhi's special ability was acquired by consuming special items."
These words stunned everyone except Jiang Zhi.
Wu Bing even looked at the two of them in the rearview mirror with a shocked expression: "Jiang kid, you mean, your sister's superpower is..."
Jiang Shu didn't get what was so shocking about these people.
"What's so strange about that? Mine is too—Uncle Wu, watch where you're going! You're making me so bumpy!"
Chen Shaoting was somewhat incredulous. "Jiang Shu, do you mean that your ability to scan thousands of meters away is something you acquired by consuming a special item? Were you mutants before?"
Seeing the brother and sister nod, Chen Shaoting was dumbfounded.
This is just too incredible.
Keep in mind, this level is already on par with that of a true mutant.
No, they are even more powerful than ordinary mutants.
The brother and sister belatedly realized that something was wrong with everyone's expressions.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but ask, "Yes, we were mutants before. Is there something wrong with that?"
Hu Yang couldn't help but ask, "Then you must have done training to increase the strength of your body and mind, right? Was it physical limit development training? Or brainwave stimulation?"
The questions asked left the brother and sister completely bewildered.
"We didn't do anything. I just practiced fighting techniques and stances with my uncle every day." Jiang Shu: "What are you talking about?"
Luo Yonghui stroked his chin. "So, your bodies broke through and became mutants on their own, right?"
The brother and sister were a little confused by their continuous interrogation.
After exchanging a glance, Jiang Zhi said, "That's true."
“That’s not right!” Chen Shaoting frowned. “I remember Jiang Shu is a Level 1 mutant. Logically speaking, he should already possess the innate abilities of a mutant.”
Seeing that the two were still a little confused, Chen Shaoting decided to break it down and explain it to them one by one.
“Your situation is different from that of the mutants. The mutants reached the level of mutants through their own efforts. In reality, their genes are still the same as those of ordinary people.”
“If you are not mutants who have become them through hard work, then you must have innate special abilities.”
This time, it was Jiang Zhi and the other person's turn to be surprised.
Jiang Shu: "Sister Shaoting, what is this innate special ability you mentioned...?"
Luo Yonghui answered for Chen Shaoting: "Only true mutants possess innate superpowers."
Hearing this, Jiang Zhi understood.
In other words, although the abilities of mutants are diverse and some are quite practical, their potential is very low due to physical limitations.
Without genetic breakthroughs, it is difficult to produce the innate superpowers possessed by genuine mutants like Luo Yonghui.
Therefore, although these mutants who have broken through the limits of humanity through hard work will be classified as mutants after official testing, there are still huge differences between the two.
The reason why Chen Shaoting and the others were surprised that the brother and sister did not have innate superpowers was because their process of becoming superpowered was natural and they did not take any "shortcuts".
Jiang Zhi remembered her father telling her that there were many mutants in the base who had initially gained superpowers by consuming special items. These people would develop their physical limits and consume large amounts of low-toxin food to bring their bodies up to the level of superpowered individuals. Only in this way could they reduce the burden that superpowers placed on their bodies.
At the time, she simply assumed that the two siblings had such a large enough mental pool that the genetic mutation naturally occurred.
When they were tested at the research institute, they only did physical examinations. If they wanted to know which innate ability they would awaken, they would need to do more complex ability tests.
Most people rarely go to have their special abilities tested.
One reason is that most people develop superpowers very quickly after becoming mutants.
Secondly, ability detection can expose one's strength. While this is less of a concern for military personnel, members of mutant squads tend to conceal their abilities.
After hearing what a few people said today, I never imagined there were so many intricacies involved.
Jiang Zhi frowned. It seemed that her innate ability was mental power.
Currently, it is capable of external attacks and mental healing.
But what about her brother's?
Although Jiang Shu's mental strength was stronger than that of ordinary mutants, Jiang Zhi was certain that her brother was not a mental ability user.
Jiang Zhi asked, "Could my brother be a mutant with enhanced physical abilities?"
Chen Shaoting glanced at Jiang Shu: "It's hard to say. The body-enhancing mutants we've seen have undergone significant changes in height and build. They can almost all grow to 2 meters tall, and their build is like that of a little giant. Jiang Shu... really doesn't seem like it."
Although Jiang Shu's height is already considered tall and strong among ordinary people.
However, compared to those mutants with enhanced physical abilities, there is still a significant gap.
Jiang Zhi glanced at her brother worriedly, "Has there ever been any cases like my brother at that base?"
Chen Shaoting shook her head. "We don't know either. Information about mutants is always kept confidential. In your case, you'll have to go to the research institute and ask Professor Yan."
At this point, Chen Shaoting suddenly realized, "Jiang Zhi, what is your innate superpower?"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked over.
Jiang Zhi was a little embarrassed.
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be a mental ability."
She didn't actually hide it on purpose.
Because of the dashboard, Jiang Zhi habitually conceals her true strength, fearing it might bring trouble to herself and her family.
When the group heard this, their jaws dropped in astonishment.
"A...psychic ability?!"
Luo Yonghui was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.
"Jiang girl! I knew I was right! I was wondering why your brother always listened to you; it turns out you're the one who's really capable!"
Jiang Shu chuckled: "That's right, my sister is amazing!"
Jiang Zhi asked Chen Shaoting, "Is my special ability rare? Why are you all so surprised?"
Chen Shaoting smiled wryly: "It's not just rare, it's as precious as a giant panda."
Hu Yang nodded. "You've all seen Captain Lin's strength; he's a psychic ability user."
"It is said that the number of people with psychic abilities currently registered at the base can be counted on one hand, and without exception, every single one of them is a powerful individual."
Luo Yonghui glanced at Jiang Zhi in the rearview mirror and said, "You should know Professor Yan. He is also a psychic ability user."
The brother and sister were immediately shocked.
"Professor Yan is actually a psychic?"
Luo Yonghui nodded.
"Among all superpowers, mental superpowers are the most elusive and diverse. Some are offensive, such as illusions, pollution, and even the materialization and external projection of mental energy. Others are defensive, like Captain Lin's shielding ability."
"And what about Professor Yan? What type is he?"
"Professor Yan's full potential lies in his intelligence. You could say that his brain is now like a fully intelligent AI, one that has collected and integrated countless data."
Jiang Shu's eyes widened. "That old man is that powerful?"
Luo Yonghui laughed, "He's a treasure of our base. 80% of the things we use now and the cutting-edge technologies developed by the base are his creations. He also fine-tuned the training program for mutants. The only downside is that he's a bit stubborn."
Jiang Shu shuddered as he thought of Professor Yan, who had looked at him like a test subject.
"So, Jiang girl, do you understand how precious your special ability is?"
Luo Yonghui continued, "You have a keen sense of danger; perhaps you could explore this area further."
Jiang Zhixin's heart stirred.
Luo Yonghui's suggestion is a good idea.
Currently, her mental abilities are showing a trend of being fully developed.
She had tried the attack and defense strategies they mentioned earlier, and the results were quite good.
Psychic abilities like precognition were tailor-made for her.
Jiang Zhi nodded vigorously: "Okay! Thank you, Uncle Luo."
Chen Shaoting smiled and said, "When you go back this time, you can ask Professor Yan. However, if you do that, your innate ability will be revealed."
Faced with Chen Shaoting's teasing, Jiang Zhi scratched her face, feeling a little embarrassed.
Luo Yonghui felt that recruiting the brother and sister into his team as conscripts was the most accurate decision he had made in recent years.
He had a feeling that these two young people would definitely make him gain a lot from this trip.
The more Luo Yonghui thought about it, the more comfortable he felt.
Afterwards, Chen Shaoting and the others taught the brother and sister a lot of common knowledge.
It was clear that the group had already considered the two of them as one of their own.
The jeep sped along.
They encountered several small mutated beasts on the road, but Wu Bing crushed them all.
As Jiang Shu was about to exit onto the highway, he suddenly heard several barks from dogs.
He sat up straight without thinking.
"A-Zhi, did you hear anything just now?"
Jiang Zhi was preoccupied with her innate ability and didn't notice anything amiss. "No, what's wrong?"
Jiang Shu looked at the others, "Sister Shaoting, what about you? Did you hear that?"
"No."
Wu Bing joked, "Young Jiang, were you scared by that mutated dog during the day? There was no barking."
Jiang Shu felt he hadn't misheard.
But no one present heard it, so he couldn't help but doubt himself again.
He listened intently for a moment.
Having heard nothing more, I had no choice but to sit back down.
Suddenly, the bulldozer blade in front of the truck knocked something away.
It was not just that it flew away, but when it fell, it landed directly on the windshield.
It turned out to be a three-tailed rabbit.
The blood stained the car window, making it look bloody.
Wu Bing clicked his tongue.
Press the button, and the original windshield wiper is transformed into a three-pronged plier, which grabs the three-tailed rabbit on the glass and throws it out.
Then a small spray nozzle was raised and used to wash the car windows.
The windshield was quickly restored to its original condition.
It's clear that Wu Bing has become very skilled at this job.
Everyone assumed it was an accident, but two minutes later, a field mouse the size of a wolfhound crashed into the windshield.
Wu Bing cursed under his breath.
"Damn it, what day is it today? Why do I keep running into these kinds of things?"
He was about to repeat what he had just done when Jiang Shu stopped him.
"Wait, Uncle Wu, this field mouse didn't run into it by itself! It was bitten to death and then something threw it here."
As Jiang Shu spoke, he glanced warily around.
Jiang Zhi frowned.
There was indeed some mutated creature following them.
However, the dashboard display shows a green "harmless" indicator.
Jiangzhi whispered to her brother, "It's on the left."
Having experienced the mutated strawberry incident before, Jiang Zhi was not careless this time, and instead released her spiritual power to sense it again.
Jiang Shu hurriedly turned his head to investigate.
Just then, the thing tossed another pheasant over.
This time, the mutated pheasant had an extremely long tail, with red, blue, and green feathers curling up like a colorful feather duster. It not only blocked the entire front window but also jammed the mechanical clamps.
Wu Bing almost failed to break through the defense.
He hasn't even dealt with the field mice yet!
His beloved car!!!
Wu Bing cursed loudly, "What kind of bastards keep attacking us with these unlucky things? Are they playing tricks on us?!"
He slammed on the brakes, rolled down the window, and prepared to reach out and deal with the mutated chicken and field mouse.
At this moment, Jiang Shu finally saw the mutated creature that had been following them.
He was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.
—"Two, two in a row?"
After a few hours, the mutated dog's fur appeared to have grown longer, making it look like a clump of fur running in the darkness.
If Jiang Shu hadn't seen him that morning, he might have actually been frightened.
The golden retriever was running with incredible speed, its belly almost scraping the grass, a fat goat clutched tightly in its mouth, its ears flapping back in the wind. As it ran, it whined at the ginger tree inside the car, looking like a furry child eager to report to its owner with a precious treasure.
Jiang Zhi immediately thought of the notebook: "Was that mutated dog this morning the Er Shun mentioned in the diary?"
Chen Shaoting had also heard of this name. She paused, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
—Could it be what she's thinking?
Has that mutant dog come back again?
Luo Yonghui frowned: "What Ershun?"
Jiang Shu seemed a little nervous when asked the question.
He looked at Chen Shaoting as if pleading for help.
The Golden Retriever's injuries sustained during the day were clearly not yet healed; if a fight broke out, it definitely wouldn't be able to escape.
Chen Shaoting was unsure whether she should help him or not.
As she pondered how to begin,
When the golden retriever saw the car stop, it got incredibly excited, barked a few times, and then turned and ran back.
Wu Bing gritted his teeth, "Is this mutated dog trying to ambush us?"
Jiang Shu blurted out instinctively, "Definitely not!"
The group looked at him suspiciously.
Just then, the golden retriever tossed a goat that was about the same size as itself over.
Several hundred kilograms of weight were thrown directly onto the roof of the car.
With a muffled thud, the roof of the car dented as if it had been hit by a sledgehammer.
The sheet metal collapsed into a crater the size of a bowl, but fortunately the windows were made of a special material and did not crack.
This time, Jiang Shu saw it very clearly.
The golden retriever simply tossed its prey, which was in its mouth, over.
Seeing Jiang Shu looking over, the golden retriever became even more excited.
As if he had gained the approval of the owner, he ran towards the car in a few steps.
Its tail swayed like a propeller, its big, wet eyes stared straight at him, it grinned, revealing two rows of small white teeth, and drool almost dripped onto the instep of his feet. It seemed to want to press its whole body against him and beg for a pat.
Now, everyone saw the golden retriever.
Hu Yang: "It really is that dog from earlier today!!"
Wu Bing: "Damn! We didn't deal with it during the day, and now it's showing up."
Fearing a fight might break out, Jiang Shu quickly said, "Uncle Wu! Don't fight! It...it means no harm!"
Ignoring everything else, he shouted, "It seems to have mistaken me for its dog owner!!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
It was clearly an absurd statement, but when everyone saw the golden retriever's silly, clear eyes, they had no choice but to believe it.
Jiang Zhi remembered the wink her brother had given her that morning.
No wonder they seemed to have something to say back then; now I understand why.
This mutated dog is aggressive towards other people, but not towards Jiang Shu. Judging from its current behavior, it even seems to be trying to please its master.
Luo Yonghui asked Chen Shaoting, "Shaoting, what exactly happened this morning?"
Since things had come to this, Chen Shaoting had no choice but to recount what happened in the staff room that morning.
Finally, he said dryly, "I think this mutant dog... does seem to have some human-like qualities; at least for now, it doesn't seem to have any ill intentions towards us..."
The crowd remained silent for a long while.
This group of people has been dealing with all sorts of mutated creatures in the wild for more than two years.
It's not like I haven't seen domesticated mutant cats and dogs before.
But without exception, they all have little sense of identification with humanity.
This was the first time they had ever seen a mutant dog like the Golden Retriever that still wanted to find its owner.
Jiang Shu thought they didn't believe him, so he hurriedly said, "It's true! This mutant dog is even friendly to humans. These mutant animals must have been given to us by Er Shun!"
As if in response to his words, the golden retriever barked.
He ran over in a few steps and squatted down in front of the window where Jiang Shu was, sticking out his tongue and looking at him with bright eyes.
Seeing that the mutated golden retriever showed no intention of attacking anyone, Jiang Zhi said, "Uncle Wu, let's clean up the chickens and rats in the car window first, just in case they're edible."
Wu Bing wanted to say, how could you just trust mutated beasts in the wild...
This golden retriever looks very intelligent; who knows, after it mutates, its intelligence level might be similar to that of a human. What if it deliberately sets a trap...?
At this moment, Luo Yonghui said, "Old Wu, let's deal with these mutated beasts first."
Wu Bing glanced at the golden retriever, opened the window, and leaned out to remove the pheasant and field mouse blocking the car window.
As soon as the hand touched the mutated pheasant's feathers, the golden-haired pheasant squatting on the other side bared its teeth and growled a warning in its throat.
Wu Bing was startled.
Then the golden retriever went into attack mode again, its eyes so fierce it looked like it wanted to devour someone, a veritable little tyrant protecting its food.
Wu Bing shrank back, angrily saying, "What's going on? Are you saying we can't even take it?"
Yan Liang snorted, "Even if it was a pet dog before, it's mutated now."
The people in the car became alert again.
The atmosphere instantly returned to a tense, confrontational state.
Jiang Shu was so anxious that his forehead was covered in sweat.
"No, it must be nervous seeing so many people!" Jiang Shu made up a reason that even he himself didn't quite believe. Seeing that everyone still wanted to start a fight, he quickly shouted at the golden retriever, "Sit down, sit down! Don't yell! You little brat, how can you be so clueless!?"
Upon hearing the reprimand, the golden retriever immediately drooped its large ears, its watery eyes shining brightly in the darkness.
With its tail tucked between its legs and its head practically tucked into its belly, it squatted by the car door like a wilted eggplant, whimpering pitifully.
Jiang Zhi understood what the mutated golden retriever meant.
"Brother, those mutated beasts were given to you by it, right? It probably won't let anyone else touch them."
Everyone suddenly realized.
It glanced at the ginger tree for a moment, then at the antelope on the roof of the car—
That's quite possible!
These mutated beasts were all killed by the golden retriever with a single bite, and there were no bite marks on their bodies, so it really looked like they were given to them.
"Brother, why don't you go give it a try? Bring that field mouse in first."
Jiang Shu was actually a bit of a coward.
Although he felt a certain fondness for the golden retriever, he was still somewhat nervous about putting himself in danger.
He cleared his throat, clutching the tortoise shell in his hand, and slowly got out of the car.
Jiang Zhi also released a layer of spiritual energy onto the ginger tree, so that if anything happened, there would be a chance to buffer it.
The men in the car each held a weapon in their hand, ready to fight at any moment.
When the golden retriever saw Jiang Shu get out of the car, it became happy again and jumped up and pounced on Jiang Shu.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats, and they almost couldn't help but get out of the car to help. But the next second, they saw the golden retriever's bright red tongue licking Jiang Shu's face.
Jiang Shu was immediately overwhelmed by the stench from that gaping maw. "Go away! Don't rub your mouth against my face while you were just holding that mutated beast in your mouth!"
Wu Bing stared in disbelief, "It really is a pet dog?"
Jiang Shu pushed the golden retriever aside, patted its head, and said, "Sit still! I have work to do!"
The golden retriever immediately climbed up the pole and nuzzled its big head into the palm of the ginger tree, its eyes squinting with joy before obediently squatting down to the side.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
Although Chen Shaoting had already seen it once that morning, she was still somewhat shocked when she saw it again.
She couldn't help but mutter, "A level 5 mutated pet dog... that's one of a kind in any base..."
Not to mention, this golden retriever also has three superpowers.
These two points alone are enough to be astonishing.
Jiang Shu didn't think too much about it; he simply pulled off the two chickens and the field mouse, each weighing several tens of kilograms.
They then removed the chicken feathers stuck in the gaps of the workshop.
Seeing that Jiang Shu didn't take these mutated beasts seriously, Jiang Zhi reminded him, "Brother, test it. Maybe they really are edible."
Jiang Shu shuddered.
Yeah, what if!
Just as he was about to bring the detector closer, Luo Yonghui casually tossed him a high-end detector, saying, "Use this."
Jiang Shu smiled broadly: "Thank you, Uncle Luo."
The advanced detector scanned the mutated field mouse and read, "Beep, low-level toxin range 7*12*9 cubic meters, totaling 27 jin."
Everyone was stunned.
This is the figure after the mutated beasts were divided, which means that the entire 27 kilograms were low-level toxins.
Jiang Shu swallowed hard, feeling a little dizzy.
He continued scanning the mutated pheasant—
"Drip, low-level toxin range 14*13*7 cubic meters, total 51 jin."
Everyone's eyes widened.
At that moment, everyone doubted their ears.
It's completely low in toxins again!
They weren't unfamiliar with seeing so many low-toxicity mutant beasts.
But this is different!
This was given to me by the golden retriever in front of me!
The feeling of being fed by mutated beasts... was so novel that Wu Bing and the others felt a surge of longing.
Can mutated beasts... also be friends with humans?
"Brother, there's a sheep on the roof of our car. Let's check it out together."
Jiang Zhi's voice broke everyone's thoughts.
Jiang Shu responded excitedly and jumped onto the roof of the car.
"Drip, low-level toxin range 78*67*55 cubic meters, total 456 jin."
It's a low-level toxin again.
A series of low-level toxins left everyone present speechless.
Wu Bing was completely dumbfounded.
"This dog actually brought us food?"
Jiang Shu excitedly lifted the mutated antelope off the ground: "Azhi, this is also a low-level toxin."
Luo Yonghui was silent for a moment, then said, "Get out of the car, pack your things, and then go back."
Jiang Shu grinned from ear to ear upon hearing this.
Luo Yonghui's words imply that the two sides definitely won't fight.
Jiang Shu was so happy to receive the good stuff that he gave the golden retriever a big hug.
"Er Shun, you're so capable!"
The golden retriever was taken aback at first, then excitedly spun around in place, its mouth stretched wide to its ears, its tongue lolling out, its eyes squinting like crescent moons, and its tail thrashing wildly like a drum, it was overjoyed.
"Woof woof woof!!"
Hu Yang and the others looked on with great curiosity.
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