Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Monster in the Cage Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Monster in the Cage Editor: virtual group *No matter how they thought about it, they wouldn’t believe that the monster in the video was a black seabream!*
“He Xingzhou, what kind of joke are you making? It’s not April Fool’s Day today!” Dong Chen was a bit angry. He was tolerant of He Xingzhou, but if any other student had played such a joke, he would have immediately started giving a stern lecture!
“Alright, stop making a fuss,” Zhang Boyan said, “Just do what you need to do!”
“Professors, I truly wasn’t trying to cause trouble,” He Xingzhou continued to emphasize, “This mutant creature is currently in a biology laboratory in the school’s biological experimentation building. I can take you to see it, and if I’m lying, I’d accept being expelled from the school without complaint!”
Seeing He Xingzhou’s serious demeanor, the two professors were puzzled. He Xingzhou wasn’t just any student; he was a genius, daring to think and do.
*Although usually lively, he wouldn’t dare play tricks on his mentors or gamble with his future!*
“Are you sure?” Dong Chen asked again.
“I’m sure!” He Xingzhou said, “Two members of the Mutant Creatures Research Group are still there watching over it!”
“Dean, I’m requesting that we gather a few biology professors to go over and take a look! Besides the mutant creature, I’ve also written a ‘Zerg Gene Research Report’ that I hope to submit to the National Security Bureau!”
Being a key national university, many of the biology professors at Beijing University of Science and Technology were prominent figures in the biology field, most likely having knowledge and research about mutant creatures.
Among them were even academicians at the national academy level. If He Xingzhou could gain their recognition, his report would be far more convincing!
The two of them exchanged glances. Zhang Boyan stood up and said, “Alright, let’s go see what this is all about.”
Dong Chen said, “No need to call the biology professors just yet. Let’s go take a look first.”
He Xingzhou led the way; the biological experimentation building wasn’t far from there, and soon, he brought them to the building.
*Until then, neither of them truly believed it. If it weren’t for He Xingzhou vouching for it with his reputation, they definitely wouldn’t have come.*
At the laboratory door, they saw a female student standing there, looking a bit unwell.
“Professors, this is the place,” He Xingzhou said, then asked Jiang Chan, “No unexpected incidents, right?”
Jiang Chan whispered, “The monster is very fierce, becoming agitated whenever it sees us.”
She told Dong Chen and Zhang Boyan, “Professors, please be mentally prepared. The creature is extremely aggressive toward people. Don’t let it scare you!”
“I’ve seen nuclear explosions before, so what could possibly scare me?” Zhang Boyan chuckled, “I absolutely have to see this—what kind of trick are you all up to?”
With that, he walked straight into the laboratory.
Inside the laboratory, Wu Rui was the one guarding the place.
As it turned out, Black Sea Bream No. 2’s cage was covered with a piece of black cloth. Zhang Boyan asked, “Is this the place?”
“Yes,” Wu Rui nodded, “Professor, this creature goes mad whenever it sees people. You should stand back.”
“Pull it open!” Dong Chen also walked in.
Wu Rui looked at the cage and nodded slightly. He didn’t dare to pull it apart with his hand, so he used a long pole to lift the black cloth.
All of Dong Chen and Zhang Boyan’s attention was focused on the cage. At the moment when the black cloth fell, they saw a ferocious shadow crash against the cage, emitting a deep, hoarse roar full of anger and aggression!
Dong Chen was startled and stepped back two paces, while Zhang Boyan was also somewhat startled. Had they not prepared themselves mentally, they truly might have been scared into having heart attacks!
Inside the cage, appeared exactly the same monster that He Xingzhou had shown in the previous video!
Witnessing it in person and watching it on a phone were completely different experiences. They could see the sharp bone spines on its back, its mouth full of saw-like teeth, one pair of reddish eyes, hear its roars, observe its lunges, and smell a stench of sea and blood!
*This face-to-face feeling was terrible, like facing a wild tiger. Even locked in a cage, people had a psychological sense of fear!*
Zhang Boyan was startled immediately: “A creature truly exists!”
Although he was a professor in the physics department, as a top scholar over the age of sixty, he knew quite a lot about biology.
He had never known of the existence of a creature that combined features of sea fish and mammalian carnivores, yet was not any known type of amphibian!
“How does the school have a creature ? How on earth did you manage to bring it here?” Dong Chen asked still in shock.
He Xingzhou explained, “It’s just Black Sea Bream No. 2. After being stimulated by nuclear radiation, it underwent major mutations. In fact, Black Sea Bream No. 1 and No. 3 have also mutated; they just didn’t mutate as quickly.”
“We’ve recorded their appearances every day.”
He Xingzhou opened a computer, showing them the experiment records. They had taken photos every day and preserved biological material samples like blood and scales.
The two carefully reviewed the records, and their expressions gradually grew more grave as they saw that the creature initially was indeed just a mutated black seabream with a body length of only 200 millimeters!
After weeks of mutation, it transformed into its current form.
He Xingzhou said, “Based on my research, there’s a gene in these mutant creatures that I’ve named the ‘Zerg Gene.’ This gene acts like a genetic virus, or you could call it a parasitic gene.”
“When stimulated by certain external conditions or when its own conditions become right, it will emerge to take control of the organism’s body, evolving it into a ‘Zerg’ monster. I have detailed the experimental process and results in my paper and constructed a preliminary Zerg Gene Evolution Model.”
“This gene is not only present in this mutated black seabream. According to our research, other mutant creatures also carry this Zerg Gene!”
“Theoretically, once they mutate into Zerg monsters, their physiological structure will change completely, or even be reinvented. They have significant aggressive intents, brain volume expands rapidly, and they could potentially possess advanced intelligence! Furthermore, the scales of these monsters are very tough, fire-resistant, or even bulletproof, with many other special abilities left undetected.”
“Professors, what do you think would happen if there were a lot of these Zerg monsters in the world?”
After He Xingzhou finished speaking, the two professors’ faces had already changed drastically. Whether He Xingzhou’s hypothesis was correct or not, the current situation already made them aware of an impending crisis.
Zhang Boyan immediately asked, “Does this gene affect humans? Do they carry viruses? Can they infect humans?”
He Xingzhou shook his head and said, “Currently, we haven’t discovered any viruses. Some mutant creatures might carry viruses. Rest assured, professors, the laboratory has been cleaned and inspected, and no viruses were found.”
Dong Chen took a deep breath and said, “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would absolutely not have believed it!”
“But now, with a living example right in front of us, I have no choice but to believe!”
“This matter is indeed very serious. We must take action immediately!”