She Loves Seafood

Mi Qiao had always been puzzled as to why, despite Mr. Liang's considerable knowledge about the characteristics of those Mutated Creature, he hadn't shared it with the people working in the secret department of "Shenxing Technology," thus preventing them from receiving sufficient information.

If it's just that the confidentiality level for ordinary staff isn't high enough, and they're not allowed to know, then there's more to the story.

However, Fang Pingfang and the rest of the team maintained a very high level of secrecy. In particular, Fang Pingfang and Li Shiping, who was in charge of security, had previously carried out missions in the Qinling Uninhabited Zone, and some were even in charge. They were the ones who brought out the Rabbit Woodcarving and other related items. Dr. Fang even presided over the testing and analysis of those items, and on the 18th, she discovered the anomaly caused by the Rabbit Woodcarving and promptly shut down the underground laboratory.

Currently, Dr. Fang. Mr. Liang has repeatedly told Dr. Fang to guide the direction and make the decisions himself. Moreover, the entire team has personally witnessed the two Mutated Creature and has obtained sufficient information. It seems that Mr. Liang trusts them very much.

Logically, Mr. Liang should at least have informed Dr. Fang of some information about the characteristics of the Mutated Creature; otherwise, how could she make decisions and determine the direction of her investigation?

In fact, Mi Qiao had contacted Mr. Liang privately two days ago to inquire about this matter.

In fact, she had asked similar questions many times before: why do the staff of those secret departments and the researchers in those laboratories seem to know so little about Mutated Creature, and even have no idea what their purpose is or what their research direction is?

However, Mr. Liang did not give a direct answer to her question.

So she asked Mr. Liang if she could tell Dr. Fang or other team members about some of the characteristics of the Mutated Creature that she knew. Mr. Liang replied, "It's up to you to decide based on the situation."

This puzzled her greatly; she couldn't quite figure out Mr. Liang's intentions.

So for the past two days, she has been thinking about whether or not to talk to Dr. Fang, to what extent she should talk, and what the reasons are for Mr. Liang's attitude.

But it wasn't until just now, after listening to Dr. Fang and Mr. Liang's conversation, that she finally made a decision.

After entering the room, Dr. Fang first asked her to sit down and poured her a hot drink before sitting down in front of her and asking if she had anything to say.

Looking at the steaming cup of instant coffee in her hand, Mi Qiao was momentarily dazed, recalling the night she arrived here. She had also been talking in Dr. Fang's room, asking Dr. Fang to tell her about what had happened in the Qinling Uninhabited Zone, the unusual situation in the laboratory in Ironpeace Town, and the peculiarity of the Rabbit Woodcarving.

Dr. Fang also poured her a hot drink at the time; I remember it was hot milk.

That night, she dreamed of her conversation with Dr. Fang, and also of Guo Tianxiang.

In the dream, Guo Tianxiang her for help, saying, "Be careful of Mr. Liang."

She knew that dreams were just dreams and had nothing to do with reality, so they didn't mean anything. She never dreamed of Guo Tianxiang again after that, but for some reason, she kept thinking about that dream and the words in it.

She didn't know if her decision to tell Dr. Fang some information now was influenced by that dream.

"Dr. Fang, I actually know some information about the two organisms we're currently investigating..." Mi Qiao said, carefully choosing her words.

Fang Pingfang didn't seem surprised by her words, but after nodding, she first asked, "Does what you told me comply with the relevant clauses of the confidentiality agreement? Let's ask Mr. Liang to confirm first."

Mi Qiao replied, "No need. I already asked, Mr. Liang means that I can decide for myself."

Fang Pingfang nodded. "Then you tell me."

"If the two creatures we are investigating and searching for are the kind of creatures I believe them to be... then they were probably not a new species from the beginning. They were likely not what they are now, but ordinary, even common, creatures. For example, that 'giant raptor' may have originally just been an ordinary bird of prey."

"You mean, the characteristics that the 'giant raptor' and the 'invisible insect' are exhibiting now are the result of mutation?" Fang Pingfang asked, a possibility she had actually considered before.

Mi Qiao said, "If they are the kind of creatures I think they are... well, based on the current situation, I think so. Then, they should have a few characteristics, one of which is bloodsucking. Regardless of their original diet, after the mutation, they will mainly feed on the blood of other creatures."

"Secondly, their body tissues quickly lose their activity after leaving the host, and then undergo drastic changes, turning into a fixed, special fine powder that easily dissipates into the air and is not easily detected by the naked eye, unlike the body tissues of ordinary organisms, which undergo a relatively slow decomposition process."

"Thirdly, Mutated Creature have a natural instinct or need to hunt and prey on each other. And some Mutated Creature, after mutation, may be keen on the blood of their own kind... Therefore, I speculate that there is a considerable probability that the 'invisible insect' mutated from some kind of ant;

"Fourth, this mutation may enhance the original characteristics of certain organisms. For example, the 'giant raptor' may become larger, have stronger flight capabilities, and more advanced sensory abilities. It may also give them more unique abilities, such as cloaking, to adapt to the environment."

While Mi Qiao was speaking, Fang Pingfang listened attentively, thinking as she listened.

After Mi Qiao finished speaking, Fang Pingfang got up and walked around the room a few steps to process the information.

She did not question the authenticity of this information because Mi Qiao had no motive to deceive her, and much of this information matched the phenomena she had actually observed, explaining many previously unanswerable questions.

She didn't question Mi Qiao about why it took her so long to reveal this crucial information, even though it was obvious that Mi Qiao hadn't just learned about it recently.

She was well aware of the unique nature of her work; she had to find the answers to many things on her own. Many questions, if not answered by others, wouldn't elicit any answers even if you asked "why," just like Mr. Liang's strange attitude towards his team.

"If it mutates from ordinary organisms, does that mean... humans could also undergo such mutations?" Fang Pingfang stopped pacing in the room and asked Mi Qiao.

"Yes," Mi Qiao replied briefly.

This question reminded Mi Qiao of Guo Tianxiang, while Fang Pingfang thought of the footprints, the cave, and the Rabbit Woodcarving she had found in the Qinling Uninhabited Zone.

But both of them simultaneously thought of another person who might be involved in the mutation— Mr. Liang.

However, they all tacitly avoided delving deeper into this topic.

Fang Pingfang thought for a moment and said, "I think I know the direction of our investigation going forward. Our focus should be on the 'mutations' of those organisms, their 'causes of mutation,' 'mutation process,' and other related information, rather than the organisms themselves. I think this is also the direction Mr. Liang wants us to investigate."

Mi Qiao nodded. "I agree."

Fang Pingfang said, "After listening to you, I suddenly have a guess. Could it be that on the night of the 20th, in that mountainous area, besides the 'giant raptor' and the 'invisible insect,' there was a third Mutated Creature we hadn't detected? It might have wanted to hunt down the 'giant raptor,' but noticed the presence of the drone and was wary of us. So it tried to use stones to scare the raptor away from our surveillance so it could make its move. As for why it wasn't detected by the drone, it's very likely that it has other 'stealth' methods. Just like the mutated 'invisible insect' cannot be detected by the naked eye, that 'third Mutated Creature's might even be able to evade infrared thermal imaging and radar detection."

Mi Qiao nodded thoughtfully. "You mean, there was a Mutated Creature that could fly and had a stronger 'stealth' ability, which flew up to our drone with that pebble, then threw the pebble next to the 'giant raptor' to startle it and make it notice the drone?"

Fang Pingfang said, "This is my guess, but it does explain why the pebble fell from that location and along that trajectory. Next, our main investigation will focus on the causes and processes of the mutations of the 'invisible insects' and 'giant birds of prey,' as well as verifying this guess."

After seeing Lao Xia off after lunch, Xiang Kun spent the entire afternoon preparing ingredients, getting ready for the New Year's Eve dinner, and chatting with his parents.

However, after learning that Xiang Kun would cook something to take to the hospital as a late-night snack for Xia Libing, who was on duty that night, Mom went directly to her connections and asked a friend of hers who was in the seafood business to get a live Australian lobster, as well as some other expensive seafood.

Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, so it's safe to assume that even with a "friendship price," the price won't be that low.

In Xiang Kun's memory, the only time in the past thirty years that his mother brought home a lobster to cook for him was on the day he was admitted to university and received his acceptance letter. Moreover, the lobster she bought was a relatively inexpensive Boston lobster, and it was only a small one.

He was quite surprised that his usually frugal mother would suddenly be so extravagant, spending a lot of money to buy so much seafood on New Year's Eve.

"How about it? Do you know how to handle it? This thing is so expensive, more expensive than your mother's cell phone. Be careful, don't ruin it..." After Longxialong came back, Mom Xiang kept nagging Xiang Kun.

Xiang Kun simply shrugged and stepped aside. "Then I won't do it, you do it."

"Hey? Didn't you say you cooked it? If you cooked it, then you cook it! Xia said she likes your cooking, right? You cook it, you cook it!" Mom Xiang waved her hand and said.

Xiang Kun said helplessly, "Old... Xia didn't say she likes to eat lobster."

"I asked her at noon, and she said she loves seafood."

"She was eating shrimp then. You asked her if she liked seafood, and of course she said she did," Xiang Kun said. "Mom, how do you want it to be eaten? Sashimi, steamed, or with some glass noodles?"

"What's with the thorns? Just cook it and eat it! Anyway, whatever you think Xia likes to eat, just cook it for her," Mom Xiang.

"So you mean... the grouper, the octopus, and the crab are all for Xia too?"

"Yes, that's right," Mom Xiang replied matter-of-factly.

Xiang Kun resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "Mom, do you think she's a pig? There's so much food, how can she finish it all, and it's a midnight snack... Are you telling me to go to the Third Hospital and set a table for her?"

His Mom Xiang glared at him. "Can't you do a little bit of everything?"

"Okay, okay, we'll make a little of each, and then we can eat the rest. What flavors do you and Dad want?"

Although he had already cooked lobster when he went to Tang Baona's house to cook Christmas dinner last time, and had studied the recipe for a long time beforehand, the taste of the dish was unanimously praised.

However, Xiang Kun himself doesn't really like making this kind of dish. Fresh Australian lobster already has a great flavor and texture, leaving him little room to experiment with seasonings and cooking techniques. He feels that using too many seasonings or overly complicated cooking methods would be a waste of the ingredients.

Of course, the main reason is that he didn't do much research on this ingredient, didn't try it out or summarize it, and his cognitive model wasn't comprehensive enough.

In the end, Xiang Kun disposed of half of the expensive seafood his mother had bought, having it with his parents for hot pot that evening. He set the other half aside to cook before going to find Lao Xia.

He had considered making lobster and fish dumplings, but after taking into account the texture and taste of these ingredients, as well as the way dumplings are eaten and the overall experience, he felt that it would be a bit wasteful. So he decided to make some lobster vermicelli and fish soup instead.

Around 6 o'clock, just before dinner, Xiang Kun's phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was a video call request from Little Apple.

Although Little Apple is blind, she has become very proficient in video calls since Xiang Kun added her to the group chat with Tang Baona, Yang Zhen'er, and Lao Xia, especially with Tang Baona.

This popular Bilibili content creator often guides Little Apple in singing through video chat. Their duet of "You Give Love a Bad Name" was well-received after Little Apple Tang Baona it to Bilibili. Tang Baona is already discussing with Little Apple whether to help her create her own independent account to post solo singing videos.

However, what you see in the video at this moment is not Little Apple, but Gold Glitter.

The phone camera was pointed directly at the Gold Glitter's cage. The cage door was open as always, and the canary, Gold Glitter, was standing on the crossbar that Xiang Kun had specially made for him, facing the camera.

"Gold Glitter, wishing Uncle Xiang a Happy New Year!" Little Apple's clear voice rang out off-camera.

As soon as she finished speaking, Gold Glitter began to chirp and sing.

Clearly, Gold Glitter responded directly to her voice.

Little Apple laughed along, then turned the camera back to herself. Although she couldn't see, her long experience had allowed her to accurately point the camera at her face. "Uncle Xiang, did you hear that? Gold Glitter is wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year and a prosperous year!"

Xiang Kun also laughed and said, "Not bad, Little Apple, you've taught Gold Glitter very well! It seems you two get along well... Hey, it looks like you've fattened it up quite a bit? No wonder it listens to you so well, you must be feeding it very well!"

In fact, he could tell that the meaning expressed by Gold Glitter's song just now was mostly joy, and also a bit of showing off and pride.

The joy is understandable; seeing its owner, who has "endured hardship" in raising it for months, in the video should naturally bring some happiness. But what's the reason for the boasting and smugness?