Chapter 735: This is Not My Ancestral Chromosome!
Ling Mo initially thought so, but after looking closely, he found that things were not as they seemed.
At first glance, the Intelligence did indeed just list the types of mutation beasts and didn’t have any actual promotional effect on Xiao Bai’s evolution.
However, after some a.n.a.lysis, Ling Mo discovered a hidden piece of information-the activity patterns of mutation beasts.
Since there are also cases of mutual hunting between mutation beasts and Zombies, in a city where Zombies are the vast majority and firmly hold the position of dominant species, mutation beasts rarely roam the streets.
This actually involves another reason: an animal habit that has been retained even through their mutation.
Nest building.
Almost all known mutation beasts will build a secret nest for themselves and go out hunting as needed.
Encountering them depends on luck, but with the thought of specifically seeking them out… In a city full of high-rise buildings and densely packed Zombies, such an unreliable idea should be dismissed as soon as possible.
However, this is true for the general Survivors. For Ling Mo, this Intelligence is very useful.
Yet this kind of search still has many limitations for Ling Mo, so when the Fifth Floor was just within reach, he stopped…
“Clang.”
The Iron Door of the corridor was closed, and a big lock was immediately put on.
“Old w.a.n.g, is it your turn to be on duty tonight?” The guard handed over the key to the newcomer, smiling.
Old w.a.n.g tugged at his waistband, grabbed the key, and glanced behind the Iron Door: “Not many people in the Experimental Group tonight, right?”
“Hard to say. I heard the Team Leader got angry today, so there will definitely be someone staying late to work overtime. You just keep a good watch, don’t get caught napping.” The guard laughed.
“Get out of here, you.” Old w.a.n.g snarled.
He turned around, pulled on the big lock, and shook the key in his hand, muttering to himself, “Why so cautious? I refuse to believe someone would think about getting in… The Experimental Group having an incident? That’s just a joke…”
As night fell, the already eerie Experimental Group descended further into darkness.
Occasionally, a faint “clang” sounded in the Corridor, accompanied by an indistinct “woooo” noise, echoing as if everywhere yet nowhere.
Screeech-
Suddenly, a tightly shut door on the fourth floor creaked open, and a sliver of light slowly widened.
Then, a foot emerged from the room.
As the door opened wide enough for a person to slip through, the owner of the foot squeezed out from the gap.
However, his movements were noticeably awkward, as if all his joints were stiff, and in some places, even twisted.
The white lab coat he wore concealed much of his strange appearance, making him seem slightly less bizarre.
The man shoved a set of keys into his pocket and then grabbed the door handle.
A weak moonbeam shone through a slit in the black curtains, illuminating his pale fingers, the protruding deep green veins, and the old bloodstains covering them…
Click.
The door closed, and the man quickly turned around.
A Red Glimmer distinctly appeared in the darkness as he lifted his head…
“The only Zombie Puppet capable of retrieving the cage key from the Laboratory has multiple fractures everywhere. This severe joint issue really feels like something out of a horror movie… By the way, can this twisted finger even be straightened?”
Ling Mo’s main body lamented. It was the first time he had used such a damaged Zombie Puppet, and when he tried to b.u.t.ton his coat, he found his fingers misaligned. It felt incredibly uncomfortable.
But there was no time to be picky; finding a Zombie Puppet capable of escaping the cage was already a pleasant surprise.
He released the Jellyfish to scout ahead, while the Zombie Puppet staggered behind.
The Experimental Group had significantly fewer people at night, but that didn’t mean he could move around freely. One wrong move, and there was still a chance of being discovered…
“Did you hear? Number 1 Experimental Subject has gone missing, and Shen Le is also nowhere to be found.”
In the pitch-black hallway, two red dots flickered on and off, accompanied by two indistinct voices leaning against the wall.
“I heard that too. Ah, the Team Leader must be furious, right?” the second voice asked leisurely, exhaling a puff of smoke.
“Who knows? The Deputy Team Leader is about to lose it though. He’s still working overtime tonight, saying they need to create another Number 1 overnight. You probably don’t know this, but he claims Number 1 is his son. Can you imagine if his dad were here? He might lose his mind on the spot, or maybe he’d shout, ‘Oh my G.o.d, this isn’t our ancestral chromosome!’ Haha…” the first person laughed.
“Hehe… Hey, which do you think is easier to deal with?” the other person quickly s.h.i.+fted the topic.
The first speaker was still chuckling, “You’re comparing two perverts… The Deputy Team Leader is a research maniac, while the Team Leader is a control freak… It’s just a question of who’s more of a pervert.”
“Oh wow, you really dare to say that. So, which one’s more perverted?” the other person also laughed.
“Deputy Team Leader is more of a research pervert, but the Team Leader… he’s been a pervert for decades. He was always the Deputy before, and after Niepan, he couldn’t wait to promote himself to Team Leader, showing off… Oh, and there’s something else. They still need to find Number 1, as per the Team Leader’s orders,” the first person added mysteriously.
The other was immediately astonished, “In this sea of Zombies, how are they going to find him? This is insane…”
“They supposedly have a lead, according to our team leader. Just think about it, our best achievement in the past six months has been the Number 1 series. It’s like the Team Leader’s lifeblood. Would you be happy if your lifeblood was gone?” the first person continued.
“Get lost with your awful a.n.a.logy. But these two perverts are really funny: one’s lifeblood, the other’s son, haha…” the other laughed.
“I’m out of smokes, heading back.”
The first person put out his cigarette and said, “Alright, I’ll be back in a bit. I’m not done here yet,” the other responded, nodding.
“Smoking is as troublesome as courting a girl, d.a.m.n you…”
“Get lost.”
The hallway soon fell silent again, with only a red dot flickering, occasionally illuminating a face lost in thought.
“Sigh…”
He exhaled another puff of smoke and turned to look at the staircase above him.
However, before the smoke had even dissipated, his expression suddenly froze, and the cigarette b.u.t.t in his mouth fell to the ground, scattering sparks.
Although he still maintained his moon-gazing posture, his eyes had become tense.
After a few seconds, his Adam’s apple bobbed as he slowly turned his head back. During this process, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
But as soon as he clearly saw the situation at the bottom of the stairs, he completely froze.
No one?
The pitch-dark Corridor was empty…
“Did I see it wrong?” He touched the back of his head in perplexity. “Have I been watching too many Zombies, making me see things? I almost thought I saw a pair of red eyes down there…”
That moment’s peripheral glimpse had given him quite a scare, making him feel weak at the knees.
Realizing it was just his imagination, he couldn’t help but chuckle self-deprecatingly.
After a dry cough, he exhaled deeply and bent down to pick up the cigarette b.u.t.t.
Just at that moment, a shadow swiftly darted past him.
“Hmm?”
He looked around in confusion again but saw nothing.
“What’s wrong with me today, d.a.m.n it…”
In the Fifth Floor Corridor, the person who had left earlier was walking with his hands in his pockets, humming a tune as he headed deeper into the Corridor.
Suddenly, not far behind him, a figure appeared.
The figure hugged the wall closely, head tilted slightly, one Arm twisted as it silently followed.
From the Lab a.s.sistant’s pocket came the faint sound of keys clinking together… The figure’s eyes lit up instantly.
When the Lab a.s.sistant stopped at a Laboratory door and reached for his keys, a quiet noise suddenly came from behind him.
He turned his head in puzzlement, at the same time, his pocket was gently pried open.
As the set of keys was quietly hooked out, another set was dropped from above his head and slowly slipped into his pocket.
“Which Monster is acting up now?” he chuckled, turning back around.
“Did I grab the wrong keys? Whose keys are these?”
“Whew…”
Ling Mo wiped the Sweat off his forehead, fortunate that the Lab a.s.sistant was wearing a white coat…
“Thanks again to Niepan’s policies. Without your support, I would never have been able to steal these keys.”
Ling Mo sincerely expressed his grat.i.tude, then closed his eyes once more.
At times like this, he could focus entirely on controlling his Zombie Puppet.
With the help of the Jellyfish, stealing keys was not too difficult, and using diversions was a tactic that Ling Mo found consistently effective.
At this moment, the keys floated into a shadowy corner and were caught by a pale hand.
Hearing the frustrated voice of the Lab a.s.sistant, a strange smile suddenly appeared on the otherwise emotionless face of the Zombie Puppet.
With the keys in his possession, Ling Mo could now explore the locked Laboratories…
Although nighttime was more suitable for exploration, many Laboratories were fully locked down during these hours. However, since many labs contained live specimens, the keys were usually kept with the on-duty personnel. Ling Mo’s afternoon eavesdropping was not in vain; he had become well-versed in the Experimental Group’s routines while moving through various labs.
“The Team Leader usually isn’t on duty in this building, but the Deputy Team Leader is always on the Sixth Floor… I’ll start searching from the Fifth Floor.”
The Zombie Puppet’s figure flickered and then turned into another Corridor.
Meanwhile, the Experimental Group Member was still furiously searching his pockets, never imagining that just a few meters away, a Zombie was holding his stolen keys, aiming them at the Keyhole of one of the rooms…