2 Global Mega Evolution
Cong Xia shared his analysis results on a hacker forum he frequented. To his surprise, even at four or five in the morning, he quickly received responses. Several experts from the forum joined the analysis. They posted threads on major forums to attract individuals who had noticed the accelerated growth of food spoiling. Within just an hour, the phenomenon of food acceleration had spread from the Yunnan-Guizhou region to Hubei, and it had already reached the northern regions of Beijing and Tianjin. Comparing data from the past four hours, they discovered that within another three to four hours, the three northeastern provinces farthest from Qinghai and the southeastern coastal areas would also be affected. Food acceleration was spreading across the country like an epidemic. It originated from the epicenter in Golmud, Qinghai, and was spreading at an extremely alarming speed. No one knew exactly what had occurred.
Soon after, online discussions began to emerge about plants growing at an astonishing rate. A user posted two pictures of their house's exterior walls. The first picture, taken three days ago, showed a small area occupied by Bougainvillea on the wall. However, in the second picture, the Bougainvillea had completely covered the entire wall of their three-story villa. The user claimed that the Bougainvillea had grown overnight. They woke up to find no sunlight coming in, and when they went outside, they discovered the Bougainvillea had completely covered the windows. The exterior wall now resembled an abandoned haunted house, neglected for years!
As morning broke, more people awoke from their slumber, and strange phenomena continued to unfold in areas closer to Qinghai. There was accelerated food spoiling growth, rapidly growing plants, and aggressive stray animals. Only thirteen hours had passed since the earthquake the previous afternoon, and the entire country had fallen into a state of eerie strangeness. Moreover, as time progressed, the situation worsened.
An increasing number of people began to comprehend the impact caused by the earthquake. Although the television media had yet to make any statements, presumably due to government censorship, the silence couldn't stop the mouths of the billions of internet users. Online rumors ran rampant, and various sensational speculations emerged incessantly. What was initially an ordinary Monday morning had transformed into a day of nationwide panic.
As the situation unfolded, Cong Xia grew increasingly concerned. While frantically searching for relevant information and attempting to analyze the situation, his phone began to ring.
He saw that it was a call from his boss and was suddenly startled, realizing that he was already late for work. He quickly answered the call, "Hello, General Manager Jiang, I'm on my way to the company..."
General Manager Jiang's voice sounded extremely flustered. "Xiao Cong, don't come to the company. Something has happened."
Cong Xia wasn't particularly surprised. Being in Kunming, not too far from Qinghai, he was part of the early wave of regions experiencing food acceleration. Based on their deduction of the geographical relationship, Yunnan couldn't escape the effects.
However, even though he wasn't surprised, he was still quite scared. After all, the balance of species had been disrupted overnight, and this could be a major event affecting all of humanity.
He took a deep breath. "General Manager Jiang, what happened to the company?"
"Do you remember the bonsai pine tree at the entrance of the company?"
"Yeah? Has it grown bigger?"
"How did you know?"
"I was working overtime last night and tripped over its branches. How much has it grown?"
General Manager Jiang let out a sigh, his voice trembling with evident fear. "It has almost taken over the entire outdoor office area."
Cong Xia felt a chill run down his spine.
Even if he clung to a glimmer of hope, he understood that the world he inhabited had undergone truly terrifying changes. The current situation pointed to the primary issue being the rapid growth and mutation of organisms. For instance, Bougainvillea and potted pine trees had undergone rampant growth and enlargement, accelerated bacterial reproduction had caused food shortages, and even stray cats and dogs had suddenly become aggressive. All these signs indicated extraordinary transformations within the familiar biological order of human society.
Trembling, General Manager Jiang asked, "Xiao Cong, do you have any idea what's happening? You've always been such an avid reader."
Cong Xia forced a bitter smile. "General Manager Jiang, just like everyone else, I have no idea."
General Manager Jiang sighed. "You haven't been outside today, have you?"
"Not yet."
"Go outside and take a look. Things have descended into chaos."
Cong Xia hung up the phone and rushed to the window. Due to the air conditioning, he had kept the window closed. As he opened it and glanced outside, he saw that the familiar neighborhood had undergone a drastic transformation overnight.
First, wild grasses were sprouting from the cracks in the road, almost reaching the height of a person's calf. However, the pedestrians on the street had no time to pay attention to them. Every person wore a hurried expression, a look of panic, gathering in small groups to discuss the various abnormalities occurring around them.
On a Monday morning the road should have been congested, there were surprisingly few cars on the road. No one was rushing to work, dropping off their children, or buying groceries. Everyone realized that this illogical situation was far from simple.
The atmosphere of fear spread faster than a viral outbreak. Just three hours ago, only he and the people on that hacker forum had been aware of the environmental changes. Now, the majority of the population had already realized the gravity of the situation.
Cong Xia closed the window and sat down on the bed.
Stay calm, stay calm.
From childhood to adulthood, he had always been an academically inclined overachiever. He possessed no special skills, only slightly above-average intelligence inherited from his parents. Due to his broad knowledge and meticulous thinking, he often found himself analyzing problems faster than those around him. In his mind, two words emerged: doomsday.
This wasn't baseless speculation. In just a dozen hours, the extent of species mutation had reached alarming levels. It was easy to envision that by tomorrow, wild grasses would cover the meticulously constructed roads. With the accelerated depletion of food, humanity would soon face a crisis. Not to mention the omnivorous animals that were gradually growing fiercer and larger, following in the footsteps of plants and microorganisms.
If the mutations didn't cease, he could conclude that within three days, the entire social order of humanity would collapse. The regions affected by the earthquake would descend into an unprecedented hell.
Doomsday... Had doomsday truly arrived? Had the prophecies about doomsday become reality?
The clearer Cong Xia's mind became, the more frightened he felt. He was just an ordinary office worker, living a contented nine-to-five life. He had never imagined that life could undergo such tremendous change. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he was about to face an apocalyptic world where all species had mutated.
While his intellect remained intact, his physical abilities were average. Once societal order crumbled, he had to admit that he held no advantage for surviving the apocalypse. How could he not be afraid?
No, he needed to prepare early!
Cong Xia sprang up from his bed and hurried back to the computer desk. Several QQ groups were flooded with messages, and no matter which one he opened, they were all speculating about doomsday.
Major forums and portal websites were also reporting the sudden changes that had occurred overnight. People everywhere had started panic-buying essential supplies. The government had yet to take any action, and everyone was left to worry about themselves.
Cong Xia realized that it was already too late to go to the supermarket and stock up on food. Firstly, the stores were crowded with people, and secondly, considering the current rate of food spoilage, whatever he managed to grab would spoil within a few hours if it couldn't be consumed without cooking.
The food issue was the most urgent matter at hand...
Cong Xia retrieved all the vacuum-sealed, unspoiled food from his home. These items were still good for the time being. He was a lover of good food and knew how to cook, so he had many vacuum-sealed preserved foods, especially meat products. They were currently safely stored in the refrigerator. These provisions would last him at least a month, provided they could be preserved for that long.
After organizing the food, he called his only relative he could reach — his uncle in Beijing, but his phone was turned off. He also called a few friends and advised them to store food properly. If the situation deteriorated rapidly, they would immediately face a food crisis.
After completing all of these tasks, he was drenched in sweat from exhaustion.
He thought to himself that it was actually a fortunate thing that he had no parents, spouse, or children. Being alone meant he didn't have to worry about others. The only thing he needed to do was find a way to survive.
He wandered around the house, searching for something that could serve as a weapon. Once animals also started to mutate, even the weak and small ones could become his enemies. He now recalled the cat that attacked humans last night and felt a shiver of fear.
Just as he was busy in the room, someone rang the doorbell.
Cong Xia approached the peephole and glanced through it. Outside stood a man wearing camouflage clothes and a hat, obscuring his face. "May I ask who's there?" he inquired.
"Are you Cong Xia?" a deep voice came from outside.
"Ah? Do you know me?" Cong Xia opened the inner door, with a security screen separating them.
The man slightly lifted his chin, his face devoid of excessive expression, and his eyes were chillingly cold. Cong Xia was astonished because this man was incredibly handsome. His features were profound and attractive, and he stood tall. In all his life, Cong Xia had never encountered a man who could look this good in reality. It almost seemed unreal.
Cong Xia stammered, "May I ask, are you looking for me?" This person must be a soldier, not only because of his camouflage attire but also because his resolute and upright demeanor perfectly matched the image of a soldier.
"Cong Xia, open the door," the man said firmly.
Cong Xia was taken aback for a moment but quickly regained his composure. "May I ask who you are?"
"I'm here as Professor Cong Zhenzhong's representative to bring you with me."
"My uncle? Why?" His uncle was an expert in paleontology and currently worked at a research institute in Beijing. They hadn't seen each other since his parents passed away, and their contact had been minimal. They exchanged phone calls only during Chinese New Year, and their relationship wasn't particularly close.
"Don't waste time, open the door."
Cong Xia felt a tingling sensation of fear on his scalp. Why was this soldier so stern? And why did he have to be so good-looking? Couldn't he be more polite? He hesitated about whether to open the door. Even though the man mentioned his uncle's name, he didn't seem very friendly...
Growing impatient with Cong Xia's hesitation, the soldier inserted the barrel of a dark gun through the crack of the security door. He remained silent, staring at Cong Xia with a cold gaze.
Cong Xia's legs trembled with fright, and he opened the door hesitantly, trembling.
Once the man entered, he closed both doors tightly and scanned the room. "I'm taking you to Beijing. Bring all the vacuum-sealed food from your home and leave everything else behind."
"Beijing? I don't want to go to Beijing. If the mutations continue, it will soon become very dangerous outside. I just want to stay at home and not go anywhere."
The man glanced at him. "Soon, it won't be safe indoors either. You have no choice but to come with me."
"What's happening exactly? You were sent by my uncle. Do you know something? Why did my uncle ask me to go to Beijing? What's the deal with that earthquake? Why has everything mutated?"
"Evolution."
"What?"
"They call it evolution."
"Are you saying that these anomalies are called evolution?" Cong Xia slowly pondered over these two words and found them increasingly fitting. From the perspective of those animals, plants, and microorganisms, they had indeed undergone evolution. They grew larger, reproduced faster, and acquired offensive capabilities. These were the benefits of evolution, but if they continued to evolve, it would spell doomsday for humanity. The civilization that humans had painstakingly built over thousands of years would be destroyed in an instant.
"Wait, who are 'they'? Are you referring to my uncle?"
The man ignored him and entered the kitchen to organize the food.
After being stunned for half a minute, Cong Xia hurriedly rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the man's sleeve, lacking confidence as he spoke, "Brother, please don't touch anything. I don't want to go to Beijing. Having a secure shelter is much safer than being exposed outside. I won't go, I... um..."
The man grabbed Cong Xia's neck and pinned him against the wall, like holding a helpless chicken. His deep eyes exuded a dangerous aura. "From now on, if you say something I don't want to hear, I'll sew your mouth shut."
Cong Xia's face turned red due to lack of oxygen. Fearfully, he looked at the man in front of him.
2 Global Mega Evolution
Cong Xia shared his analysis results on a hacker forum he frequented. To his surprise, even at four or five in the morning, he quickly received responses. Several experts from the forum joined the analysis. They posted threads on major forums to attract individuals who had noticed the accelerated growth of food spoiling. Within just an hour, the phenomenon of food acceleration had spread from the Yunnan-Guizhou region to Hubei, and it had already reached the northern regions of Beijing and Tianjin. Comparing data from the past four hours, they discovered that within another three to four hours, the three northeastern provinces farthest from Qinghai and the southeastern coastal areas would also be affected. Food acceleration was spreading across the country like an epidemic. It originated from the epicenter in Golmud, Qinghai, and was spreading at an extremely alarming speed. No one knew exactly what had occurred.
Soon after, online discussions began to emerge about plants growing at an astonishing rate. A user posted two pictures of their house's exterior walls. The first picture, taken three days ago, showed a small area occupied by Bougainvillea on the wall. However, in the second picture, the Bougainvillea had completely covered the entire wall of their three-story villa. The user claimed that the Bougainvillea had grown overnight. They woke up to find no sunlight coming in, and when they went outside, they discovered the Bougainvillea had completely covered the windows. The exterior wall now resembled an abandoned haunted house, neglected for years!
As morning broke, more people awoke from their slumber, and strange phenomena continued to unfold in areas closer to Qinghai. There was accelerated food spoiling growth, rapidly growing plants, and aggressive stray animals. Only thirteen hours had passed since the earthquake the previous afternoon, and the entire country had fallen into a state of eerie strangeness. Moreover, as time progressed, the situation worsened.
An increasing number of people began to comprehend the impact caused by the earthquake. Although the television media had yet to make any statements, presumably due to government censorship, the silence couldn't stop the mouths of the billions of internet users. Online rumors ran rampant, and various sensational speculations emerged incessantly. What was initially an ordinary Monday morning had transformed into a day of nationwide panic.
As the situation unfolded, Cong Xia grew increasingly concerned. While frantically searching for relevant information and attempting to analyze the situation, his phone began to ring.
He saw that it was a call from his boss and was suddenly startled, realizing that he was already late for work. He quickly answered the call, "Hello, General Manager Jiang, I'm on my way to the company..."
General Manager Jiang's voice sounded extremely flustered. "Xiao Cong, don't come to the company. Something has happened."
Cong Xia wasn't particularly surprised. Being in Kunming, not too far from Qinghai, he was part of the early wave of regions experiencing food acceleration. Based on their deduction of the geographical relationship, Yunnan couldn't escape the effects.
However, even though he wasn't surprised, he was still quite scared. After all, the balance of species had been disrupted overnight, and this could be a major event affecting all of humanity.
He took a deep breath. "General Manager Jiang, what happened to the company?"
"Do you remember the bonsai pine tree at the entrance of the company?"
"Yeah? Has it grown bigger?"
"How did you know?"
"I was working overtime last night and tripped over its branches. How much has it grown?"
General Manager Jiang let out a sigh, his voice trembling with evident fear. "It has almost taken over the entire outdoor office area."
Cong Xia felt a chill run down his spine.
Even if he clung to a glimmer of hope, he understood that the world he inhabited had undergone truly terrifying changes. The current situation pointed to the primary issue being the rapid growth and mutation of organisms. For instance, Bougainvillea and potted pine trees had undergone rampant growth and enlargement, accelerated bacterial reproduction had caused food shortages, and even stray cats and dogs had suddenly become aggressive. All these signs indicated extraordinary transformations within the familiar biological order of human society.
Trembling, General Manager Jiang asked, "Xiao Cong, do you have any idea what's happening? You've always been such an avid reader."
Cong Xia forced a bitter smile. "General Manager Jiang, just like everyone else, I have no idea."
General Manager Jiang sighed. "You haven't been outside today, have you?"
"Not yet."
"Go outside and take a look. Things have descended into chaos."
Cong Xia hung up the phone and rushed to the window. Due to the air conditioning, he had kept the window closed. As he opened it and glanced outside, he saw that the familiar neighborhood had undergone a drastic transformation overnight.
First, wild grasses were sprouting from the cracks in the road, almost reaching the height of a person's calf. However, the pedestrians on the street had no time to pay attention to them. Every person wore a hurried expression, a look of panic, gathering in small groups to discuss the various abnormalities occurring around them.
On a Monday morning the road should have been congested, there were surprisingly few cars on the road. No one was rushing to work, dropping off their children, or buying groceries. Everyone realized that this illogical situation was far from simple.
The atmosphere of fear spread faster than a viral outbreak. Just three hours ago, only he and the people on that hacker forum had been aware of the environmental changes. Now, the majority of the population had already realized the gravity of the situation.
Cong Xia closed the window and sat down on the bed.
Stay calm, stay calm.
From childhood to adulthood, he had always been an academically inclined overachiever. He possessed no special skills, only slightly above-average intelligence inherited from his parents. Due to his broad knowledge and meticulous thinking, he often found himself analyzing problems faster than those around him. In his mind, two words emerged: doomsday.
This wasn't baseless speculation. In just a dozen hours, the extent of species mutation had reached alarming levels. It was easy to envision that by tomorrow, wild grasses would cover the meticulously constructed roads. With the accelerated depletion of food, humanity would soon face a crisis. Not to mention the omnivorous animals that were gradually growing fiercer and larger, following in the footsteps of plants and microorganisms.
If the mutations didn't cease, he could conclude that within three days, the entire social order of humanity would collapse. The regions affected by the earthquake would descend into an unprecedented hell.
Doomsday... Had doomsday truly arrived? Had the prophecies about doomsday become reality?
The clearer Cong Xia's mind became, the more frightened he felt. He was just an ordinary office worker, living a contented nine-to-five life. He had never imagined that life could undergo such tremendous change. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he was about to face an apocalyptic world where all species had mutated.
While his intellect remained intact, his physical abilities were average. Once societal order crumbled, he had to admit that he held no advantage for surviving the apocalypse. How could he not be afraid?
No, he needed to prepare early!
Cong Xia sprang up from his bed and hurried back to the computer desk. Several QQ groups were flooded with messages, and no matter which one he opened, they were all speculating about doomsday.
Major forums and portal websites were also reporting the sudden changes that had occurred overnight. People everywhere had started panic-buying essential supplies. The government had yet to take any action, and everyone was left to worry about themselves.
Cong Xia realized that it was already too late to go to the supermarket and stock up on food. Firstly, the stores were crowded with people, and secondly, considering the current rate of food spoilage, whatever he managed to grab would spoil within a few hours if it couldn't be consumed without cooking.
The food issue was the most urgent matter at hand...
Cong Xia retrieved all the vacuum-sealed, unspoiled food from his home. These items were still good for the time being. He was a lover of good food and knew how to cook, so he had many vacuum-sealed preserved foods, especially meat products. They were currently safely stored in the refrigerator. These provisions would last him at least a month, provided they could be preserved for that long.
After organizing the food, he called his only relative he could reach — his uncle in Beijing, but his phone was turned off. He also called a few friends and advised them to store food properly. If the situation deteriorated rapidly, they would immediately face a food crisis.
After completing all of these tasks, he was drenched in sweat from exhaustion.
He thought to himself that it was actually a fortunate thing that he had no parents, spouse, or children. Being alone meant he didn't have to worry about others. The only thing he needed to do was find a way to survive.
He wandered around the house, searching for something that could serve as a weapon. Once animals also started to mutate, even the weak and small ones could become his enemies. He now recalled the cat that attacked humans last night and felt a shiver of fear.
Just as he was busy in the room, someone rang the doorbell.
Cong Xia approached the peephole and glanced through it. Outside stood a man wearing camouflage clothes and a hat, obscuring his face. "May I ask who's there?" he inquired.
"Are you Cong Xia?" a deep voice came from outside.
"Ah? Do you know me?" Cong Xia opened the inner door, with a security screen separating them.
The man slightly lifted his chin, his face devoid of excessive expression, and his eyes were chillingly cold. Cong Xia was astonished because this man was incredibly handsome. His features were profound and attractive, and he stood tall. In all his life, Cong Xia had never encountered a man who could look this good in reality. It almost seemed unreal.
Cong Xia stammered, "May I ask, are you looking for me?" This person must be a soldier, not only because of his camouflage attire but also because his resolute and upright demeanor perfectly matched the image of a soldier.
"Cong Xia, open the door," the man said firmly.
Cong Xia was taken aback for a moment but quickly regained his composure. "May I ask who you are?"
"I'm here as Professor Cong Zhenzhong's representative to bring you with me."
"My uncle? Why?" His uncle was an expert in paleontology and currently worked at a research institute in Beijing. They hadn't seen each other since his parents passed away, and their contact had been minimal. They exchanged phone calls only during Chinese New Year, and their relationship wasn't particularly close.
"Don't waste time, open the door."
Cong Xia felt a tingling sensation of fear on his scalp. Why was this soldier so stern? And why did he have to be so good-looking? Couldn't he be more polite? He hesitated about whether to open the door. Even though the man mentioned his uncle's name, he didn't seem very friendly...
Growing impatient with Cong Xia's hesitation, the soldier inserted the barrel of a dark gun through the crack of the security door. He remained silent, staring at Cong Xia with a cold gaze.
Cong Xia's legs trembled with fright, and he opened the door hesitantly, trembling.
Once the man entered, he closed both doors tightly and scanned the room. "I'm taking you to Beijing. Bring all the vacuum-sealed food from your home and leave everything else behind."
"Beijing? I don't want to go to Beijing. If the mutations continue, it will soon become very dangerous outside. I just want to stay at home and not go anywhere."
The man glanced at him. "Soon, it won't be safe indoors either. You have no choice but to come with me."
"What's happening exactly? You were sent by my uncle. Do you know something? Why did my uncle ask me to go to Beijing? What's the deal with that earthquake? Why has everything mutated?"
"Evolution."
"What?"
"They call it evolution."
"Are you saying that these anomalies are called evolution?" Cong Xia slowly pondered over these two words and found them increasingly fitting. From the perspective of those animals, plants, and microorganisms, they had indeed undergone evolution. They grew larger, reproduced faster, and acquired offensive capabilities. These were the benefits of evolution, but if they continued to evolve, it would spell doomsday for humanity. The civilization that humans had painstakingly built over thousands of years would be destroyed in an instant.
"Wait, who are 'they'? Are you referring to my uncle?"
The man ignored him and entered the kitchen to organize the food.
After being stunned for half a minute, Cong Xia hurriedly rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the man's sleeve, lacking confidence as he spoke, "Brother, please don't touch anything. I don't want to go to Beijing. Having a secure shelter is much safer than being exposed outside. I won't go, I... um..."
The man grabbed Cong Xia's neck and pinned him against the wall, like holding a helpless chicken. His deep eyes exuded a dangerous aura. "From now on, if you say something I don't want to hear, I'll sew your mouth shut."
Cong Xia's face turned red due to lack of oxygen. Fearfully, he looked at the man in front of him.
