Chapter 91: I Am for Everyone

Chapter 91: I Am for Everyone

After dinner, Zhou Yun went to report the shadow duck research to Yao Huan, who was very interested: "You mentioned you've successfully conducted animal experiments before?"

His gaze fell on Comet, and Zhou Yun nodded.

Yao Huan patted Comet's head: "Excellent, this project holds significant value. Don't confine your research to just ducks. Since it's aimed at the locust plague, the incubation period for ducks is too long. You can also cultivate mutant varieties of other natural enemies simultaneously."

Zhou Yun said: "We've already considered that. Currently, we're collecting mutant frogs, any attribute will do. But for the same reason, most frog mutations are water-based, and water-based attacks are weak at the primary level, unless we can catch a king frog. Qin Mu has already released the information. However, this way, we'll need a lot of Crystal Cores, so Zhu Zhuan is busy selling goods."

Yao Huan nodded: "You've really made some good friends."

He murmured softly: "It's unusual. Back in school, you didn't have many friends. I thought with your personality, it would be hard to make friends."

Zhou Yun: "..."

Yao Huan comforted him: "It's okay, your mentor doesn't have friends either. I often console myself with the thought that fierce beasts roam alone, while sheep and cattle move in herds. Since ancient times, sages have always been lonely."

Zhou Yun: "..."

Yao Huan patted his shoulder again: "These young men are quite capable, each demonstrating initiative, much better than your senior brother Dou."

"And that little Qi is also very studious. I'll teach her more, so she can teach Duoduo in the future."

Yao Huan enthusiastically continued assigning tasks: "First, make a research plan, list some basic data for me to see, set a timeline, and plan the phase goals."

"Also, organize the division of labor, you can have little Qi assist you. And don't overlook ethical reviews simply because we're in an apocalypse. This is an animal experiment, don't skip this step, or you might get attacked later."

"Also, it sounds like you need to collaborate with the Gong family on this project, so don't skip the agreement step. Specify the terms for resource supply, technology transfer, and future profit sharing."

He saw the familiar "this is so troublesome, I want to die" expression on his proud student's face and said disdainfully: "Since this isn't your forte, let Qin Mu handle the negotiations."

Zhou Yun: "...Got it."

After reporting to his teacher, he returned to his room, opened a document on his computer, typed a title, and then, as usual, began to procrastinate, skillfully opening the grower forum webpage.

Jiang Rongqian had thoroughly upgraded the forum for him. Whether it was the interface or the ease of use and intuitiveness, it was much better than the forum template package he had downloaded before the apocalypse.

Zhou Yun once again admired the talented individuals under Brother Guan's leadership, then habitually clicked into the Q&A section, answering all the members' questions first. Then he sent private messages to a few forum accounts, arranging to meet them tomorrow at the herb garden.

These accounts had offered detailed and enthusiastic responses, showing a deep understanding of wood-based skills, and they were likely all above the third level.

Those accounts seemed to be all online, replying quickly, showing great excitement, and all promised to keep the meeting confidential.

Zhou Yun: "..." He felt as though he hadn't accomplished much yet, but his enigmatic and aloof persona was already in place.

He meticulously reviewed each of his responses, all of which were thorough and detailed.

He also managed some forum moderation, banning a few accounts for using inappropriate language and engaging in arguments, and thought about promoting Hai Tianqing to forum administrator, so he wouldn't have to deal with such chores in the future.

Hai Tianqing, clearly excited, sent him another private message, expressing his determination to do his best in managing the forum, and subtly mentioning that his sister was rescued by Green Bird Pharmaceuticals, so serving the Green Bird forum was also a way to repay the favor.

Zhou Yun found such enthusiasm rather disconcerting, probably because during his student days, he had seen too much of this kind of fervent passion. People approached him, admired him, praised him.

However, some of these usually polite classmates, when they found out about his sexual orientation, immediately turned against him, using the most vicious and sarcastic language to humiliate him online, and fabricating all kinds of details about his daily behavior to serve as evidence for their righteous judgment, confirming his guilt.

He had forgotten a lot, but he remembered the pain of those sleepless nights—he still couldn't adapt to social interactions.

He simply responded with a thank you, requesting him to recommend moderators for each section, then closed the message dialog. He then visited the treasure hunting section to review it. When he set up the forum, he had specifically created a section for members to write about their experiences on missions and provide information on mutant plants and animals.

This was a crucial way for him to stay updated on the outside world, so he offered generous rewards in points for those who shared original insights and information in this section.

He searched for frogs and quickly found some useful posts.

Most posts briefly mentioned frogs obtained as loot during missions or adventures, while others discussed dishes like dry pot frog meat. There were also questions about bullfrog farming techniques, but someone eventually talked him out of it. A member replied, outlining the challenges of bullfrog farming and why it’s impractical in the post-apocalyptic world.

He followed the replier and took notes, seeing them as a potential resource for frog farming in the future.

He skimmed through the posts but kept glancing at his phone. Guan Yuanfeng hadn’t texted him, which probably meant he was swamped.

Soon, he found a useful piece of information:

"Stay out of the caves on Zhaoyao Mountain. I went in and ran into cave frogs and five-step snakes—it was terrifying. But the frog ate the snakes—they’ve clearly mutated. We were up there gathering herbs and took shelter from the rain, but we nearly didn’t make it out alive. We even had a Fire Psychic with us, but the frog didn’t seem water-based and wasn’t fazed by fire, so we bolted."

Zhou Yun messaged the author, asking for the cave’s exact location and more details about the mutated creatures he’d seen.

After skimming through the rest, he didn’t find anything else useful.

The other user was online and quickly sent the cave’s exact location on Zhaoyao Mountain: "The cave entrance is just off the mountain path above the halfway point—it’s small, hidden by shrubs, and easy to miss. But there’s a big maple tree growing on a rock right next to it." He even included a hand-drawn map, marking the spot and their path up the mountain.

He continued to describe: "The cave frog was covered in stinking mucus, with yellow-green patterns under the light. It was huge, sprawled on the rock like a leopard! When we spotted it, it was devouring a five-step snake—diamond patterns and all—with the snake’s tail still twitching. It was horrifying. We lit a fire, but it didn’t budge, so we ran in the rain. Luckily, it was busy eating, or we might not have made it out alive."

Zhou Yun thought about it: snakes are frogs’ natural predators, but now the frog was eating the snake and had grown larger—clearly, it had mutated. Cave frogs, living in total darkness, might have shadow-based abilities. Even if they’re not, their hunting skills mean they could devour locusts, which would help with the current crisis.

He first rewarded the user with a hefty amount of forum points, then called Qin Mu.

"Zhaoyao Mountain?" Qin Mu sounded surprised. "That’s a tough trek. Are you going for herbs? Does Team Guan know?"

Zhou Yun paused.

He said, "Cave frogs. Someone on the forum mentioned encountering mutated cave frogs there. They’re cave-dwelling creatures, possibly shadow-based, so I want to bring you along." If not for this, he could have gone alone with Comet.

Qin Mu immediately remembered the last time at Jiuyi Mountains, when Zhou Yun had left without a word, not needing to bring along burdens like them. He chuckled twice. "Alright, I’ll call Xiao Sheng."

Zhou Yun nodded. "Okay, you prepare first. We’ll leave tomorrow afternoon. I have to meet some members of the Wood Guild in the morning."

Qin Mu said, "If we’re catching them to deal with the locusts, we’ll need to take them alive. We’ll need a net."

Zhou Yun thought for a moment. "A fishing net. Get a fire truck to drive over. The cave frog is quite big—the witness said it was as large as a leopard." With its patterns, it might easily be mistaken for a leopard at first glance.

Qin Mu agreed. "Okay. I’ll arrange it with Xiao Sheng in the morning."

Zhou Yun checked the time again. His phone screen lit up, and he saw a message from Guan Yuanfeng: "It’s late. Go to bed early. Don’t stay up late."

Zhou Yun replied, "How do you know I’m not sleeping?"

Guan Yuanfeng called, his voice filled with laughter. "Jiang Rongqian said you were answering forum questions half an hour ago. Ten minutes ago, you arranged forum moderators and rewarded a forum member with points. Now everyone on the forum is looking for information on mutated frogs, hoping to win the favor of President Dongjun."

Zhou Yun hesitated. "I have to write a research plan. The teacher wants it."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Are you going to Zhaoyao Mountain?"

Zhou Yun paused. He regretted it. Vice Captain Jiang, you traitor with thick eyebrows and big eyes! Is it too late to revoke his permissions now?

He didn’t reply. Guan Yuanfeng added, "Are you looking for mutated frogs for the locust disaster here? Thank you. But don’t worry too much. Xining Base has airlifted a plane of mutated birds, General Ren has promised to send food, and City Lord Gong from Beiming Base has pledged to provide medicine. All bases have sent aid. When one is in trouble, all help. As long as we stabilize these next few days, we’ll get through it."

Zhou Yun was surprised. "The alliance government doesn’t seem like it can command the bases so easily?"

Guan Yuanfeng laughed. "In the apocalypse, which base dares to say they won’t face disasters in the future? They have to help each other. Besides, if we don’t eliminate the locusts here, they’ll eat up the north and fly south. No one can stand alone."

Zhou Yun thought, how could that be? Resources are tight at every base, and everyone prioritizes their own people first. Hadn’t the commander of Zhenbei Base already requested assistance? The Alliance government must have already issued a call for mobilization.

He suddenly understood: "You were the one who called the other base commanders, right?"

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Yes, I know quite a few commanders from different areas, and some I can easily communicate with. I made some calls, and everyone was quite cooperative."

Zhou Yun pondered, "It’s beneficial to have Captain Guan owe a favor and to eliminate the locusts upstream. In times of disaster, it will be Captain Guan who steps up to solve the problems again."

Guan Yuanfeng laughed, his voice through the phone making Zhou Yun feel a slight warmth in his ears.

Guan Yuanfeng said, "I help others, and others help me. When Captain Guan is in trouble, they won’t just stand idly by."

Zhou Yun nodded. This was indeed something Guan Yuanfeng would say... At least in their past life, wasn’t it Guan Yuanfeng, despite being disabled, who still protected him?

He had never managed to repay him.

Unaware of Zhou Yun’s current feelings, Guan Yuanfeng continued, "Moreover, General Ren is willing, not because of me, but clearly because of you."

Zhou Yun generously said, "When I breed the shadow ducks, I’ll share some breeding ducks with him as well."

Guan Yuanfeng couldn’t help but laugh again, "You want to leverage his influence to expand the scale, don’t you?"

Zhou Yun smiled, "I have other valuable items too. Since so many bases have sent people to assist, it’s a good opportunity to ask Captain Guan to help with some advertising."

Guan Yuanfeng was surprised, "What things?"

Zhou Yun said, "Mutated silk cotton clothes, initially sponsored for the special operations team members. You all praise them; they are light, warm, and provide excellent insulation against the cold. The weather in the north will soon turn cold. And there’s mutated agave wine, which not only helps ward off the cold and strengthens the body, but also temporarily enhances psychic abilities."

Guan Yuanfeng was startled, "That’s good."

Zhou Yun said, "It’s a very potent wine, easy to get drunk on."

Guan Yuanfeng said, "This might indeed become quite popular in the north."

Zhou Yun nodded, and Guan Yuanfeng said, "The Alliance government has also dispatched personnel from the Psychic Research Institute to assist in researching methods to combat the locust plague. In addition to transporting a large number of natural enemy mutated birds and frogs for release, they are also considering methods like sound waves, which I don’t fully understand."

Zhou Yun then remembered something, "Didn’t you mention that they collected your mutated spider eggs? Shouldn’t they possess mutated spiders? They could send some big spiders over to spin webs, that would work too."

Guan Yuanfeng: "..."

Zhou Yun said, "You should ask them for it quickly."

Guan Yuanfeng laughed, "Alright, I’ll ask later."

Zhou Yun said, "They can’t always take research materials from you without any return, can they?"

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Most likely it’s a futile ask. I heard their research is focused on psychic activation. They probably won’t cultivate these spider eggs into live spiders; raising mutated spiders is quite dangerous."

Zhou Yun was incredulous, "If they don’t hatch them, what did they collect them for?"

Guan Yuanfeng recalled, "At that time, I heard they wanted to do toxicity analysis, toxin extraction research, and extract the genetic biological information of the mutated spiders."

Zhou Yun: "..." He said, "Wouldn’t hatching them provide an endless supply of research subjects?"

Guan Yuanfeng said, "Raising mutated insects and animals might require space, funding, and when we went to the mountains, there were many eggs of such animals and insects. They saw the danger of these mutated creatures firsthand, so they might not be willing to cultivate live specimens."

Zhou Yun: "You were too generous, giving them too much, so they think these things aren’t precious."

Guan Yuanfeng: "..." He had to comfort, "In the future, I’ll keep all these for you."

Zhou Yun finally felt satisfied: "It's settled then. It's getting late, good night."

Guan Yuanfeng kept feeling like he'd forgotten something, as if there was still something left unsaid, but it was indeed very late: "Alright, you should get some rest."

Not long after hanging up the phone, Guan Yuanfeng finally remembered what he had forgotten: "Be careful when entering the mountains, manage your scent. Things aren't that urgent here, so safety first—don't take unnecessary risks."

After his shower, Zhou Yun saw the message and replied, "Okay."

Guan Yuanfeng, however, immediately saw through the half-hearted reply: "Zhaoyao Mountain is full of unknown beasts, you must manage your scent, don't go playing bait. Don't risk your safety just to capture them alive. Mutant beasts and animals are usually very dangerous and hard to handle, it's better to take them out."

Zhou Yun: "..." Having someone so sharp isn't always a good thing, so he had to promise: "I know, I've got Qin Mu with me, he's a shadow-type, so he might have a way."

Guan Yuanfeng was finally satisfied: "Good thing the Qin brothers are with you, I'll fill them in."

Zhou Yun: "..." He finally replied: "Got it, Master Guan, you're just like Tang Sanzang."

Guan Yuanfeng quickly replied: "First, take a whiff of yourself. So who's really like Tang Sanzang?"

Zhou Yun: "..." He'd actually lost!

He flopped onto the bed, a smile tugging at his lips.

But soon, there was a knock at the door, and Qi Shuhong's voice came through, sounding anxious: "Doctor Zhou, Ge Chen's having another episode. And Master Xinhai's condition isn't looking good either."