Chapter 231: Surprised, There Are Mutated Plants
"Move aside, move aside."
"Doctor, doctor, please take a look at my brother's condition."
...
Meng Ci and Shen Que went out to familiarize themselves with the situation at the M City Base, so they didn't bring Eggplant and Eagle along.
However, just as they reached the central square of the base, they saw five or six military men carrying another military man to the nearby hospital. The leader was shouting for the doctor to come out.
Meng Ci's brow furrowed.
In that brief moment, Meng Ci saw that the pants of the military man being carried were torn and tattered, and the exposed skin looked like it had been corroded by sulfuric acid or some other corrosive substance.
His wounds were long and narrow, with the surrounding skin turning white.
The worst part was his feet, which were swollen and red, as if they had been soaked in acid.
It was as if his entire foot had been soaked in sulfuric acid.
The military man at the back was holding a large handful of green grass.
What the hell is going on?
Seeing Meng Ci's interest in the military man's wounds, Shen Que suddenly explained, "He probably encountered a mutated plant."
"Mutated plant?"
Meng Ci was surprised. It was still over five months until the zombie outbreak; how could mutated plants already be here?
Shen Que explained, "Mutation in both plants and animals doesn't happen overnight—it's a gradual process."
"For example, the wounds on that soldier, caused by the mutated plant, are currently only as thick as chopsticks, but in two months, they could grow as thick as a broom handle."
"And by the time the zombie outbreak arrives, they'll be as thick as an adult man's wrist."
"As for the animals, their size is also gradually increasing!"
Meng Ci could deeply feel what Shen Que said about the changes in animals.
When Eggplant was first picked up, he was just over a meter long. As he ate more over the past year, his size gradually grew, and now he was almost two meters long.
Every time he sat in the back of the off-road vehicle, he looked incredibly cramped.
As for Eagle, when he first came to them, he was about 1.2 meters long. Now, whether it was due to the space water or something else, he had grown to 1.5 meters.
The two massive creatures were practically suffocating in the back seat, so Shen Que had to remove all the back seats to give them space to move around.
Before all this, wolves and dogs never got this big.
Since the two were always around Meng Ci, he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
The soldier had already been carried into the hospital, so the crowd dispersed once they realized they couldn't see anything more.
Meng Ci and Shen Que also left the hospital and continued to walk around other places. The layout here was pretty much the same as the West Mountain Wilderness Base.
To the east were the military and food-growing zones, while the north had the villas and self-built homes. The rest of the area was made up of apartment buildings.
The government building, exchange point, and points redemption center are all located in the heart of the base.
After understanding the general situation, the two went back home.
Two days later, when Shen Que returned from fetching water, he mentioned that the authorities had organized a team to clear the mutated plants.
Meng Ci felt a surge of excitement at the idea.
He had never seen mutated plants, especially the ones from novels that could supposedly swallow people whole.
Although Meng Ci was curious, he was also afraid of encountering danger.
Shen Que, understanding Meng Ci's curiosity and concerns, reassured him that the mutated plants weren't dangerous in their early stages and suggested they go check them out together.
"These mutated plants aren't dangerous in their early stages. I've only heard about them from others later on."
"Do you want to go and see them?"
Meng Ci, hearing that it wasn't very dangerous, nodded.
They decided not to bring Qiezi and Xiong Ying, especially Qiezi, who might get too distracted in the forest and put them all in danger.
The next day, when the time was right, Meng Ci and Shen Que left the house together.
Qiezi and Xiong Ying, watching from inside the gate, expressed that they wanted to go out and play too, but Meng Ci ruthlessly closed the main door.
In fact, the wall of this villa was only two meters high, and with Qiezi and Xiong Ying's current strength, they could easily jump over it.
But Xiong Ying obeyed commands and knew that if the owner didn't want them to go out, they shouldn't. He stayed to guard the house peacefully.
With just a couple of barks, Xiong Ying could keep Qiezi in line.
Qiezi was always obedient to his wife; if she said not to go out, he wouldn't.
Not long after Meng Ci and Shen Que left, the two inside the house suddenly heard rustling sounds from outside.
Qiezi and Xiong Ying immediately stood up, alert and looking outside.
The two held their breath and listened carefully, making sure they hadn't misheard. One went up to the second floor while the other stayed behind the security door.
Meng Ci and Shen Que had left the security door open so Qiezi and Xiong Ying could move around freely.
The person outside, seeing that the door was open, eyes lit up and without thinking, pushed it open and walked in.
The man had been living in the M City base for a while, doing little work and spending his days loitering and engaging in petty theft.
During the polar day, most people were busy working outside, and with no surveillance cameras, he figured he could steal without being noticed as long as he was careful.
He had been keeping an eye on Meng Ci and Shen Que ever since they arrived, knowing that anyone who could afford a jeep and a villa likely had valuable items inside.
After observing that only two men came and went from the house, he saw his chance when Meng Ci and Shen Que left for the base center, likely to join the plant-clearing operation. Without hesitation, he climbed over the wall and slipped inside.
The man slipped inside quietly, and his eyes widened at the sight of the luxurious carpet and well-furnished rooms.
This family is indeed wealthy. Even if I can't find other supplies, grabbing a piece of the carpet could fetch a good trade for supplies.
The man couldn't wait to step into the house, as if he saw countless supplies waving at him.
A low growl echoed!
The moment he took a step, he saw a white wolf over two meters long behind the door!
Oh shit!
The man was so scared that he quickly backed away. He knew he stood no chance against a wolf that size.
As he backed toward the door, something swooped down from above.
Turning around, he found a black German Shepherd standing right behind him, its eyes locked on him with a menacing glare.
The man swallowed hard, realizing he was trapped between two dangerous animals.
"I-I think I've got the wrong house. I'll just… leave now!"
He raised his hands in surrender, trying to reason with the two animals.
He couldn't help but think that Meng Ci and the other guy must have a ton of food at home if they could keep a wolf and a dog this fat.
He cursed himself for not bringing any poisoned food. If he had brought poison or sedatives, he could have taken care of them and even feasted on their meat.
The thought made his mouth water like a starving wolf eyeing its prey, saliva practically dripping from his lips.