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As the chase continued, the giant wolves' explosive speed kept them from falling far behind, despite the vehicles' greater speed. They lunged at the convoy again and again.

During one attack on the bus, the alpha wolf, which had fallen behind the pack, suddenly leaped up and smashed the rear windshield with its claws.

Glass shards scattered everywhere. They still carried considerable force, and several students seated toward the back of the bus were cut.

Fortunately, the bus was carrying plenty of first-aid supplies, including medical alcohol, cotton, and gauze. After a brief scramble, all the injured students had their wounds disinfected and bandaged.

But the scent of blood inevitably drifted outside the bus.

When the wolves caught the scent, their aggression flared. The red glow already present in many of their eyes grew stronger, and the pack picked up speed slightly, lunging at the bus more often than before.

Fortunately, the vehicles ran on fuel, not stamina. With the engines pushed to full power, their speed remained steady.

The spot where the vehicles had turned around was more than sixty kilometers from Chuilong Base. After chasing them for over twenty kilometers, the wolves realized that the gap between them and the vehicles was still growing.

By then, the scent of blood had also begun to lose its effect on the pack. The long, all-out chase had taken a heavy toll on their stamina, so at the alpha wolf's command, they finally stopped pursuing the convoy.

The alpha wolf narrowed its eyes as it watched the bus disappear into the distance, then let out a short howl and led the pack into the woods beside the road.

When they realized the wolves had stopped chasing them, everyone on board breathed a sigh of relief. Still, the vehicles did not slow down.

After that ordeal—though it had not quite become a disaster—everyone put aside the idea of leaving for the time being.

Once they were out of danger, everyone began calling home to share their fears. Lin Chenxing first contacted Gao Zheng to report what had happened. He also told him that the whole team would return to the base to rest for a while, then set out again once the military had finished clearing the animals from the surrounding area.

After returning to the base, Lin Chenxing and Jin Zhenwei went to Gao Zheng's office.

Gao Zheng hurried over to greet Lin Chenxing and Jin Zhenwei. Seeing no sign of injuries on either of them, he relaxed.

Still shaken, Lin Chenxing and Jin Zhenwei sat on the sofa in Gao Zheng's office and told him what they had learned along the way and what had happened.

When they finished, Gao Zheng folded one arm across his chest and touched the bridge of his nose with the other. He narrowed his eyes in thought, then slowly looked up and asked, "So the wolves you encountered this time looked quite different from ordinary wolves, and many animals reported on in the news have undergone changes to varying degrees, is that right?"

Lin Chenxing replied with certainty, "Exactly. We'd already noticed that everyone's physical fitness had improved to some extent. We can now do things that only athletes could manage before, and those of us with training can easily break our old records. So I've been wondering if the animals have undergone the same changes—and whether their aggression is growing along with their mutations."

Jin Zhenwei agreed. "Perhaps we'll have to throw out everything we know about animal behavior and start over. This era could see a flourishing of life on the scale of the Cambrian explosion. It's a great time for those who study life sciences."

But Lin Chenxing disagreed with his teacher, Jin Zhenwei.

"A great time? Not necessarily. We know it's easy for us to improve our physical fitness now. A little exercise can bring major gains. But what about animals experiencing the same changes? They exercise every day, so they're bound to grow stronger faster than we do. That makes them an even greater threat to us."

"Take the giant wolves we just encountered. Their physical abilities clearly far surpassed ours. Our vehicles were going at 120 kilometers per hour, but the wolves weren't much slower. They were probably going over 100 kilometers per hour."

"The fastest among us can only run a little over twenty meters per second, which works out to just over seventy kilometers per hour. That alone shows how hostile the coming era will be for humanity."

After hearing Lin Chenxing's analysis, Jin Zhenwei shook his head and said, "This isn't something we need to worry about right now. No matter how strong those animals get, a bullet or an artillery shell should be enough to take care of them. Since the authorities have already announced what's happening, they'll surely take measures. All we need to do is wait for the military to clear the area."

Gao Zheng had known Lin Chenxing longer and trusted his foresight and abilities. He asked, "Dean Jin, even if the military will come to clear the area, we can't afford to let our guard down. What if the animals break into our base in the meantime? We'd be completely helpless. For safety's sake, we should take some precautions. Chenxing, do you have any ideas?"

After a moment's thought, Lin Chenxing suggested, "The second-phase project has only just begun, and the land is still being cleared. Our construction crews have already arrived. We could take this opportunity to reinforce and thicken the wall around the base."

"We should also install more cameras around the base to ensure there are no blind spots."

"Then there's the staff. We should notify everyone of the emergency as soon as possible and have all employees start exercising together every morning, beginning tomorrow. First, we need to improve everyone's physical fitness."

"One more thing: supplies. We should have the logistics department buy and stock up on food and daily necessities as soon as possible."

"That's all I can think of for now."

After laying out his ideas in one breath, Lin Chenxing slowly exhaled and said, "We should get every department moving as soon as possible. If we don't act quickly, I can't shake the feeling that something is going to happen."

Gao Zheng nodded and gestured for his secretary, Li Yueqi, who had been waiting nearby, to notify the various departments.

As Li Yueqi was about to leave the office, Gao Zheng called him back. "Also, tell all the company's directors, vice presidents, and department managers to meet in the second-floor conference room in twenty minutes."

Li Yueqi acknowledged the order, hurried to the office next door, and began making calls to relay Gao Zheng and Lin Chenxing's instructions.

After Li Yueqi left, Gao Zheng asked Jin Zhenwei, "Would you be willing to attend this meeting, Dean Jin?"

Jin Zhenwei was still thinking about what Lin Chenxing had said earlier. He paused at Gao Zheng's question, then replied, "This is an internal meeting. I'll sit it out."

"But Chenxing does make a fair point. There's nothing wrong with making some preparations."

"Still, we should exercise some restraint while preparing. The authorities have made an announcement, which means they must already have a plan. They certainly won't want people rushing to buy up and hoard supplies. Keeping society stable is important."

"Also, when building defenses, should we leave room for future construction? I'm no expert in that field, so your professional team should decide."

Gao Zheng looked at Jin Zhenwei with delight. Since Jin Zhenwei was already thinking things through and offering useful suggestions, it meant the two sides would work more closely together in the future.

Gao Zheng nodded in agreement. "I'll bring up your suggestions at the meeting. Since you won't be attending, please make yourself comfortable. Chenxing and I will head to the meeting."