MMB Chapter 351 It Sprouts
Chapter 351 It Sprouts
"The second thing..."
"This week we completed the preliminary gene sequencing of seventeen mutant plants and discovered three interesting common features."
Chen pushed a chart to the center of the table.
"First, the mutant plants have synchronous mutations in specific gene segments, which in normal plants function to control stress responses."
Second, the cell division efficiency of almost all mutant plants was significantly improved, with an average increase of two to four times.
Third, some samples showed significant radiation affinity.
He paused for a moment, then continued:
"These three characteristics also show similar patterns in the mutant animal samples we collected."
Different species of organisms have exhibited mutation paths that align in the same direction, which cannot be explained by random mutations.
There was a moment of silence in the meeting room.
A female researcher spoke up: "You mean that this dramatic change might be driven by some kind of unified mechanism?"
"That's possible."
Chen nodded and continued.
"But it's too early to draw conclusions. We need to continue collecting samples and sequencing. We can talk about it again once we have a sufficient amount of data."
"One last thing." He turned to the last page, his expression slightly different. "This is good news."
The moment the words "good news" were uttered, the atmosphere in the meeting room eased a little.
"The materials team completed the first batch of production tests for practical products yesterday," Chen said. "Specifically, it's two things."
"The first item is a lightweight protective material made from mutated spider silkworm silk. Its weight is one-third that of ordinary similar products, and its puncture resistance and tear resistance are more than six times higher. Thirty sets have already been produced and are currently being prioritized for distribution to frontline mission teams."
"The second item..."
He paused for a moment, then picked up a small bottle from the table, which contained a few pills of an unusual color.
"An emergency repair agent made from mutant plant extracts has shown in animal experiments to increase the healing speed of mild to moderate soft tissue injuries by about two to three times."
The side effects observed so far are mild euphoria and brief drowsiness, which are within a manageable range.
"Have human trials been conducted?" someone asked.
"There are volunteers who are currently under observation; the results will be available in three days."
Chen put the bottle back, closed the document, and...
"If mass production of these two items goes smoothly, it will significantly improve the survival rate of the first team."
"Okay, that's all. Disperse and get back to work."
Upon hearing that the meeting was adjourned, people gradually stood up, but instead of leaving immediately, they chatted quietly in small groups.
Chen Shu, unfazed, began tidying up his materials. A young researcher who had stayed behind leaned over and asked in a low voice:
"Director Chen, regarding that abnormal signal you mentioned earlier..."
Chen Shu didn't look up and continued organizing the data.
"What signal is abnormal?"
The young researcher hesitated for a moment:
"Just a few days ago, near a high-radiation area in the northwest, sensors detected a very brief, unusual fluctuation. Some people said it sounded like a signal released by some kind of organism, but the source couldn't be determined..."
"Has that matter been reported to higher authorities?"
"I reported it, but there has been no follow-up response, so I wanted to ask you how to handle it."
Chen Shu finally raised his head and glanced at him.
Since there's no follow-up response, let's leave it for now.
He paused, then added,
"But don't forget, the sensors remain on, recording any changes as they occur."
Upon hearing his answer, the young researcher didn't say anything more, nodded, and turned to leave.
Soon, the people in the conference room left in groups.
Chen Shu stood in the empty conference room, found the documents the young staff member had mentioned, and glanced at them.
Unknown signal in the high-radiation area of Northwest China.
And that strange common feature in the gene sequencing results of mutated organisms...
After reading this, he secretly memorized it and decided to focus on the task at hand first.
……
Meanwhile, in a mountainous area a thousand kilometers away from Base 803, a young man who had just evolved his abilities was squatting in a corner of a temporary camp, staring intently at his hands.
At this moment, a fireball the size of a fist was floating in his palm.
Looking at the fist-sized fireball in front of him, he didn't feel any burning sensation.
A group of people around him were also staring at his hands in astonishment, their eyes filled with surprise.
Just then, someone came over, stared at the fireball for a while, and then said in a serious tone:
"I never expected that you could evolve superpowers."
To be honest, your superpower is quite useful; at least from now on, we won't need to carry lighters anymore.
"..."
Are you polite?
The young man rolled his eyes and withdrew his hand, extinguishing the fireball. Only then did he turn to look at the person next to him.
"What do you mean by 'lighter'? This is a fireball spell, okay? Can't you speak normally?"
"I'm perfectly normal," the man said innocently. "I'm serious. In this apocalypse, this ability is extremely useful."
The young man remained silent for three seconds, then was completely speechless.
"roll."
"hey-hey……"
The man chuckled awkwardly upon hearing this, then stood up:
"But speaking of which, the people at the registration station came today and said we need to go for a competency assessment. Are you going or not?"
The young man looked down at his palm, then looked up at the sky.
"Yes, of course I'm going."
As he spoke, he stood up, then couldn't help but glance at his palms a couple of times.
"Right now, the whole world is in the midst of disaster, and I don't want to wander around; I need to find a place to settle down."
Upon hearing this, the man nodded.
Indeed, although China's current situation is many times better than that of other countries, China's population is simply too large.
Even if the state is responsible, there will always be areas that it cannot cover.
Now, they have awakened their supernatural abilities and are qualified to join the country's special forces...
As they spoke, the two walked towards the other end of the camp.
As the two figures walked away, those around who had not yet awakened their superpowers immediately showed envy in their eyes.
Everyone knows that in this mutated world, only those who awaken superpowers have the right to survive in the long run.
Otherwise, I might end up like them, forever stuck at the bottom of society.
……
Time flies, and another day passes in the blink of an eye.
Bruce spent the entire day at the wastewater pool.
To be honest, this guy really went all out for this unknown seed.
"...Could it be that I'm overthinking it?"
He picked up the radiation dosimeter and walked closer to take a look at the soil where the seed had been planted.
The values are normal radiation levels for wastewater areas.
He stood there for a moment, then made a decision that everyone who came afterward thought was rather bold.
He moved one of the drain valves in the wastewater pool to the side, allowing some of the wastewater to seep into the soil.
The radiation levels were rising rapidly.
Even while wearing protective gear, Bruce couldn't help but instinctively take a step back.
About twenty minutes later, Bruce stared at the piece of land, his eyes suddenly widening.
There was movement in the soil.
He looked closer and saw that the patterns on the surface of the seed... were glowing.
It wasn't the kind of luster that was barely visible to the naked eye; it was truly glowing.
The fine lines lit up one by one, as if electrified, illuminating the entire texture of the seed.
Then he watched as a thin crack appeared on the seed coat.
Expand little by little.
A tender green sprout emerged from within.
Bruce knelt on the ground, completely forgetting that the radiation levels here were too high, and stared in disbelief as the little sprout grew one centimeter upwards at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"It's sprouted! Holy crap, it's sprouted!"