Chapter 160

Chapter 160

Feng Chen pondered for a moment, then asked, "Uncle Chen, what's the situation with the dark matter at Yin Xia Mountain?"

Chen Sizhe sighed, losing his smile, "It's a tough nut to crack."

"Why is that?"

"The research institute has confirmed that the source of the dark matter is the shy grass. By the way, it didn't have a name before, but now everyone calls it shy grass, as you do," Chen Sizhe tapped his knee lightly, "Initially, we thought it was just a mutant species, easy to eradicate. But it's not that simple. Anyone, soldiers or sentinel-guides, who enters the area covered by dark matter falls into illusions created by them."

Feng Chen remembered how they were deceived and nearly fell off a cliff, and asked, "Did anyone get hurt?"

"Strangely, none of the soldiers who fell into the illusion and jumped off the cliff were harmed," Chen Sizhe furrowed his brow, "According to their accounts, before they hit the ground, vines would wrap around them and pull them back up the cliff."

Feng Chen was somewhat surprised, "So, the purpose of the shy grass isn't to kill but more like a deterrent."

Chen Sizhe said, "None of the methods used against regular plants work on them. Uprooting them? They just retract into the ground. Burning them? The dark matter they produce extinguishes the fire. And if dealing with just this one area of shy grass is so difficult, how do we handle all the shy grass in the entire Ehate Federation?"

Feng Chen put down his tea cup, "I think they must have a vast network, able to communicate with each other."

"Yes, for now, we don't have any strategy. We can only take it slow, see if the research institute can develop some kind of herbicide," Chen Sizhe leaned back in his chair with a bitter smile, "The institute also confirmed my guess, those beetles that corrode the giant metal pillars survive by consuming particles of dark matter in the air. Only when the dark matter is gone can they be eradicated."

Chen Sizhe murmured, "We humans pride ourselves on being at the top of the world, yet even surviving is difficult. Now, beetles and shy grass can easily destroy us... We're still too fragile, not strong enough..."

After a few seconds of silence, Feng Chen tentatively suggested, "Uncle Chen, actually, I think we might be able to reach some kind of understanding with the shy grass?"

Chen Sizhe turned to him, "What do you mean?"

Feng Chen hesitated, "Suppose the shy grass is a vast network; then there must be a main brain or a main stem issuing commands to it. Its goal seems to be to make the climate colder, to survive, as evidenced by not killing those soldiers. What if we find it and send it to the Ami Xi Polar Regions? The constant cold and snow there are suitable for shy grass, and it's only about four thousand kilometers away from the Ehate Federation. We can send an escort."

Chen Sizhe looked at him with a smile, like an adult indulging a child's wild ideas. Though he thought it was mere child's talk, he didn’t want to dampen Feng Chen's enthusiasm, and spoke with a hint of indulgence, "Not bad, that's a good idea. I'll look into it and see how we can come to an understanding with it."

After speaking, he pointed to the computer nearby, "There's information about dark matter sent by the research institute in there. Copy a set and take it with you."

"Alright."

Feng Chen found the document on the smart computer, clicked print, and the nearby printer began to work. While waiting, he noticed several network-dependent software applications were still operational and couldn't help but take a closer look.

Chen Sizhe noticed his curiosity and explained, "This is a local network that only covers the entire camp. It doesn’t work elsewhere."

After returning to the dormitory, Feng Chen saw both quantum beasts and Yan Bubu squeezed onto the bed. Yan Bubu patted the space beside him, saying, "Come on, there's room for one more."

Approaching the bed, Feng Chen saw the black lion and Binunu occupying most of the space and asked, "Do you two need to get down for us to fit?"

The black lion was about to get up, but Binunu clutched its mane, preventing it from moving. Pretending not to hear, the lion closed its eyes.

Yan Bubu gestured for Feng Chen to look under the bed, "I made a small bed for Binunu, but it still wants to squeeze in with us."

"Really? There's a small bed? Let me see."

Feng Chen bent down to look under the bed and indeed saw a small bed placed there. However, it was more akin to a cradle than a bed, as it had no legs.

Feng Chen let out a soft "hmm" of appreciation, "This bed is nicely made. If it's painted and fitted with some bedding and sheets, it would be much better than squeezing on the bed."

Binunu, which had been grooming the black lion, paused at his words, its ears perking up.

Feng Chen tested the small bed by shaking it a few times and said contentedly, "Then I won't sleep on the bed. You three can squeeze together; I'll sleep here on this little bed."

Yan Bubu took it seriously and quickly said, "That won't do, I want to sleep under the bed with you. Let Binunu and Sasaka sleep on the bed."

Just as Feng Chen was about to reply, a dark shadow suddenly appeared beside him.

Binunu had already jumped off the bed and swiftly crawled underneath, lying in a small bed there.

"Come out," Feng Chen said.

Binunu stretched out two paws, clinging to the edge of the bed.

Feng Chen squatted beside the bed and asked, "Why do you have to hog all the good things? Can't you let me have it just once?"

Binunu turned over, facing him with the back of its head.

"It seems I haven’t disciplined you in a while, right? You're completely out of line," Feng Chen said, pretending to roll up his sleeves to drag it out. But the black lion quickly crawled under the bed and lay between him and Binunu.

Yan Bubu realized what was happening, leaned over the edge of the bed, and persuaded Feng Chen, "Let it be. Let Binunu and Sasaka sleep under the bed. After all, they are our quantum beasts. We can't just drag them out and kill them, can we?"

Feng Chen then gave up, took off his shoes and jacket, and climbed into bed, lying down next to Yan Bubu.

"You big liar," Yan Bubu whispered into his ear, teasingly repeating, "Liar, liar, liar..."

Feng Chen turned his head and glanced at him, "Keep saying that and I'll make you sleep under the bed too."

Yan Bubu chuckled, moved closer to him, lay on his side with his head on Feng Chen's arm, and asked, "What did Chen Zheng ask you tonight?"

Feng Chen briefly recounted his conversation with Chen Size. While he spoke, Yan Bubu listened and reached his right hand inside Feng Chen's shirt to touch his chest, but Feng Chen caught his hand and held it in his palm.

Yan Bubu asked, "You said about reaching some kind of balance with the shy grass. Will they do it?"

Feng Chen shook his head, "I don't think so, at least not for now."

"Why? Didn't Chen Zheng say he would think about it?" Yan Bubu asked curiously.

"But he doesn’t really take it seriously," Feng Chen replied, staring at the ceiling. "I guess... his thoughts are the same as Ran Zheng. If they can eliminate it, they will; if not, then they'll see."

Yan Bubu withdrew his hand that Feng Chen was holding and started to pinch his ear, asking, "Then why is that?"

Feng Chen said, "Both leaders are military men and politicians. They think long-term and foresee various consequences. Even if we send the main stem of the shy grass to the Amixi polar region, its power is too strong, making it a hidden danger. Only by completely eliminating it can we prevent future threats. Their preferred method is to eliminate it, only compromising if it proves impossible to handle."

"But haven't they already found it impossible to deal with?" Yan Bubu asked.

Feng Chen replied, "We can still wait."

"Wait for what?"

Feng Chen chuckled lightly, "Wait for the research institute to develop a herbicide."

Yan Bubu pondered dreamily, "If we were to negotiate, how would that go? Do we talk to the shy grass? Can it respond? It seems so strange when I think about it."

Feng Chen explained, "The main stem, which possesses a certain level of intelligence, surely can't speak. But since it can replicate human memories, perhaps it could communicate directly with human minds, exchanging thoughts internally. Of course, this is just my speculation."

Yan Bubu always took Feng Chen's speculations as truth and couldn't help but marvel, "That's really impressive... It's good that it doesn't actively harm people. In fact, it's more formidable than those mutated hyena sandworms and even zombies."

The two fell silent, lost in thought, with Yan Bubu occasionally gently pinching Feng Chen's ear. After a while, Feng Chen swatted his hand away, "Stop it, you've turned my ear red."

"You won't let me touch your chest, and if I don't touch your ear, what should I touch? Maybe you should touch my ear?"

Feng Chen said, "Should I tie your hands up with a rope so you can sleep tonight?"

"Yes, I won't be able to sleep," Yan Bubu responded.

"If you can't sleep, then give me a back massage. Your hands don't want to rest anyway," Feng Chen turned over to face away from the bed, and Yan Bubu began to lightly punch his back.

The room was quiet, the only sounds being Yan Bubu's back-patting and the contented swishing of a black lion's tail extending from under the bed, rustling against the floor.

After a while, Yan Bubu's patting slowed to a stop, and he was almost drifting to sleep when a strange noise came from one of the houses in the row.

The sound was muffled and brief, as if someone's mouth was gagged, allowing only a stifled groan to escape from the throat.

Initially drowsy, Yan Bubu became somewhat more alert due to the disturbance.

The muffled groan did not recur, but from a room in the opposite direction came a deliberately subdued moan. The sound was drawn out and trembling, laden with pain, as if someone was enduring torture.

Any semblance of sleepiness Yan Bubu had was instantly gone, and his ears pricked up.

The soundproofing in these row houses was poor, especially at night when even the slightest noise could be heard. Not only did Yan Bubu wake up, but Binunu under the bed also suddenly opened its eyes, looking around warily, growling threateningly.

The double dormitory of the Whistle Toward Academy was next to the back mountain. Although many quantum beasts patrolled outside at night, it wasn’t impossible for a cunning mutant to evade them and sneak into the rooms for a stealth attack.

"Ah..."

Hearing the sound again, Yan Bubu quickly shook Feng Chen's arm, "Brother, brother."

"What is it?" Feng Chen asked without turning around, lying on his side with his back to Yan Bubu.

"Did you hear that? There's a noise in the other rooms!"

Feng Chen rebuffed, "I didn’t hear anything!"

"You didn't hear? How could you not? Even Binunu is awake." Yan Bubu was slightly nervous, "Quickly use your psychic power to check."

Feng Chen shifted slightly, and Yan Bubu thought he was going to get up. However, he simply turned to lie on his back, glancing sideways with an expressionless face at Yan Bubu.

"Really, just listen," urged Yan Bubu, straining his ears. But all was quiet again. He explained to Feng Chen, "I just heard someone sounding like they were about to cry, maybe hurt, unable to even shout, completely helpless to call for help."

Feng Chen propped his hands behind his head, continuing to watch him without a word.

"Hurry up, focus your mental energy to check, don’t let something bad happen," Yan Bubu said anxiously.

Feng Chen closed his eyes, and after a few seconds, reopened them, "Done. I used my mental powers to check. Nothing happened, okay?"

Yan Bubu was shocked, "That fast? How could it be so quick? Do you think I'm that gullible? Are you even serious when deceiving me now?"

"It's really nothing, go to sleep. Everything's fine," said Feng Chen, and lightly kicked the bedpost, adding, "People downstairs, go to sleep, don't start a fight over every little noise."

Yan Bubu had no choice but to lie down again.

Still feeling uneasy, he thought, what if they wake up tomorrow to find some bitten to death by mutants? Even though he closed his eyes, he remained alert to his surroundings.

Squeak, squeak, squeak...

Suddenly, a rhythmic noise came from the opposite room, like a bed frame being violently shaken. Yan Bubu, with his mind full of thoughts about mutants, quickly sat up in bed, exclaiming, "Brother!"

Binunu, ever vigilant, had already crawled out from under the bed at the same time, rushing towards the door.

Fortunately, Sasaki reacted quickly too, following out from under the bed, and before Binunu could stretch its paw to open the door, it was caught in Sasaki's mouth.

"Brother, listen, listen, listen closely!"

"Roar... Roar..."

"Shh! I hear it, you don’t need to be so loud. Shh! Binunu, quiet, quiet, there are no mutants, no danger!"

Amidst Feng Chen's scolding, Yan Bubu fell silent, and Binunu stopped barking, finally bringing quiet to the room.

And the entire dormitory area settled into silence, with the surroundings becoming utterly quiet.

Feng Chen sat on the bed, exhaling deeply. He watched the person and quantum beast staring at him, closed his eyes, and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

After pinching it twice, he suddenly laughed out loud.

"What a mess you two have made... How many people's moments have you ruined?"