48 Global Evolution
The young man chuckled quietly, "Don't be nervous. If we really wanted to deal with you, we would have struck when you were surrounded by geckos. Why would we wait until now? I just want to have a few words with you, that's all."
Zhuang Yao looked back and could still see those restless geckos from the distance. Although he assessed that those geckos were heavily injured and wouldn't chase after them, he still felt uneasy. He said, "Drive another kilometer forward."
"OK."
In an instant, the man in black turned into countless bats, enveloping the young man, and in the blink of an eye, they had flown out.
None of the four people spoke, each weighing the chances of winning if they were to engage in a battle with these two.
Except for Zhuang Yao, the other three had never seen animal mutants before. Zhuang Yao had previously mentioned that although naturally evolved humans had the most potential, in terms of current evolutionary progress, animal mutants, due to their inherent physical advantages, were the most powerful individuals. The energy fluctuations emanating from this man were exceptionally strong, not to mention the formidable and mysterious ability he displayed.
Moreover, the abilities of the young man were still uncertain.
Zhuang Yao started the car again and drove forward.
Cong Xia asked, "Compared to the formidable black bear mutant you mentioned earlier, who is more powerful?"
Zhuang Yao stared ahead at the dark mass of bats. The mass of bats came to a stop in the distance, then magically reassembled, forming the appearance of the man in black once again. After pondering for a while, Zhuang Yao said, "Perhaps the black bear has more attack power, but this bat person can fly, so it's hard to say."
Liu Fengyu frowned and said, "It seems that there is a big difference between animal mutants and plant mutants. This man can actually separate his body, and moreover, his clothes are undamaged..."
"I think his clothes are part of the bats," Cheng Tianbi said. "The bats are a part of his body, so they can appear in any form on his surface. Maybe you can do the same."
Liu Fengyu shook his head. "At least for now, I can't."
Zhuang Yao said, "I guess these two know a lot of things that we don't."
Cong Xia pondered and said, "What do you think they want to do?"
"There's a 98% chance they want to recruit us, especially Cheng Tianbi," Zhuang Yao's expression darkened. "I want to see what they're up to. How dare they delay our time to treat Abu, hmph."
Cong Xia thought about their previous encounters and suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for these two individuals.
The Road Bully slowly approached the two of them, and the four of them got out of the car, standing in front of the two.
They observed each other.
Zhuang Yao said, "What do you want to ask?"
"There are many things about you that make people curious. For example, why did you attack those geckos? Was it to steal the generator at the back of the car?"
"Yes, the generator."
"Oh, what is it used for?"
Zhuang Yao glanced at him disdainfully. "For generating electricity."
The young man raised an eyebrow but remained unruffled. "You're an interesting kid."
"Don't waste time. We're in a hurry."
The young man shrugged. "Fine, then let me be direct. Do you want to join us?"
"Join you?" Zhuang Yao sneered. "Why should we? Just because there are only two of you? Who knows what you're up to."
"Hey, it's not just the two of us, alright? We're just out on a mission. Our base is in Luoyang, with a total of thirty-one mutants, three evolved pets, and six animal mutants alone." The young man's tone revealed a hint of pride. Such combat power was indeed impressive, sweeping through gecko nests and frog swarms effortlessly, without ending up in such a sorry state like them.
Cong Xia wasn't too surprised. After the apocalypse, teams like this were bound to form gradually. The group of people led by the fat man they encountered on the outskirts of Yunnan City was the embryonic form of such a team. Even the four of them now formed a cooperative team. When powerful individuals gathered together, they could generate immense strength and seize more advantageous resources. In the end, everyone was fighting to survive and wanted to live better than others.
Zhuang Yao said, "Oh, thirty-one, quite a number. What benefits are there to joining you?"
The young man proudly said, "Firstly, you will never have to worry about food. We have some lower-level power-type evolved humans in our team who are responsible for food collection. Secondly, you can enjoy unimaginable resources in the apocalypse: mansions, beautiful women, and the admiration of everyone. Simply put, you can live a much more enjoyable life than before the apocalypse."
Cong Xia felt a slight repulsion towards the young man's use of the term "lower-level" to describe power-type evolved humans. In this world, which had changed so much in less than three months, perhaps many people had mutated in ways beyond just their physical appearance. He frowned and asked, "What do we have to give in return?"
"Serve the team, collect everything useful: supplies, weapons, energy, territory, people, and so on. As long as we keep growing, we can ensure that every member leads a superior life. This is an era without laws, discipline, or morality. Only the strong deserve to enjoy the good things. Heroes are born in chaotic times. Don't you want to establish your own empire, surpassing everyone else? This has been the dream of every man throughout history." The young man's eyes sparkled with strong desire, a yearning for power that contradicted his handsome appearance.
While his speech might be appealing to many men, the four individuals in front of him happened to show no interest. Cong Xia didn't have grand ambitions; he just wanted to have enough to eat, dress warmly, and survive. Cheng Tianbi had his military upbringing and beliefs. Liu Fengyu was lazy and carefree, seeking comfort above all else. Zhuang Yao, in particular, sneered at this so-called "dream."
The young man noticed the indifferent reaction of the four and was somewhat surprised. "What? You don't believe it?"
Cong Xia replied, "We believe you, but we have other things to do. If there's nothing else, don't obstruct us." He was generally inclined to be kind to others, but he didn't have a good impression of the young man in front of him.
The young man glanced at Cong Xia unhappily. "You're just a power-type evolved human, right? Although power-type evolved humans in Luoyang are only qualified to carry out the lowest-level tasks, since you're friends with the natural force evolved human and the plant mutant, joining us will allow you to enjoy the treatment of higher-level mutant family members. Oh, and the kid too."
Zhuang Yao squinted his eyes. "How do we know if what you're saying is true or false?"
"How do you want to prove it?"
"Since you've already formed a sizable group and are close to Beijing, you must have better information channels than us. We want to know more information."
The young man raised an eyebrow. "Are you interested in information about Beijing? Are you planning to go there?"
"Yes."
The young man laughed heartily. "Beijing is filled with all kinds of advanced mutants from all over the country. People like you who go there, except for him," the young man pointed at Cheng Tianbi, "won't count for anything. Also, don't have too rosy a picture of Beijing. When so many people gather in one city, resources are bound to be depleted. Even going to Taiwan or Hainan would be better than going to Beijing. But, hehe, I'm afraid you won't be able to go to Taiwan or Hainan either."
"Oh? Why not? Actually, we're also hesitating. It's not that we must go to Beijing, but like everyone else, we want to go to a safer place."
"We've received the latest information that there are large sea creatures appearing in the sea. It's a deadly gamble to cross the sea by boat. Which one of you can fly?" The young man mocked, "There's no safe place in this world anymore."
Zhuang Yao continued to ask, "Is there any analysis about the global evolutionary cause in Beijing?"
The young man smiled. "Little friend, after all this fuss, you're just here to get free answers to your questions, huh? If it weren't for the lack of energy fluctuations in your body, and considering how peculiar you are, I would have suspected you were a brain domain evolved human. If you join us, I'm willing to answer any questions you have."
Zhuang Yao smiled. "It's worth considering. After all, if we join you, we won't have to worry about annoying problems like food anymore."
The three remained calm and looked at Zhuang Yao, curious about what he would do next. According to Zhuang Yao's own words, with their intelligence, they couldn't figure out what he was thinking. In fact, that was true, but at least one thing was clear to the three of them: Zhuang Yao, that little rascal, couldn't be trusted based on what he said.
The three of them had long prepared themselves for the possibility that Zhuang Yao would renege on treating Abu. However, with the resources Zhuang Yao had provided as a base, they were willing to take a chance.
The young man's eyes brightened. "That's right, after joining us, you'll never have to worry about these low-level problems again."
Zhuang Yao smiled. "You expect us to devote ourselves to you just for answering questions? You've got quite the plan, don't you?"
"Oh? What do you want, then?"
"We should be the ones asking that question. What can you offer us? Food and such things won't attract us. Do you really think we're lacking in that department?"
The young man smiled mysteriously. "We naturally have something more attractive."
"What is it?"
"I can tell you, but without that thing, how could we possibly attract so many mutants?"
Finally, a strong interest flashed in Zhuang Yao's eyes. "Tell us, then."
"Puppet Jade."
Puppet Jade?!
The four of them were unfamiliar with this term.
The young man grinned smugly. "You bunch of country bumpkins probably only know about the sky as big as Guiyang City, right? It's pathetic that you're stuck in such a small place, using all your strength to kill lizards. You have no idea how the outside world has changed."
Cong Xia asked eagerly, "What is Puppet Jade? He is quite sensitive to the term 'jade' because he carries a legendary ancient jade with immense power and limitless potential.
The young man said, "It is the product of earthquakes. To be precise, we have a small fragment, but this tiny piece possesses boundless power. Just by directly touching it, one's energy can be rapidly enhanced in a short period. Those who have prolonged contact with it will become increasingly powerful. Even without direct contact, simply living around the Puppet Jade will accelerate evolution and increase energy. This is the Puppet Jade, a coveted treasure that everyone fights for, even if it's just a fragment the size of a fingernail. Our top priority is to protect our Puppet Jade and then..." The young man smiled, "...take it from others."
A flicker of curiosity flashed through Cheng Tianbi's eyes, but it quickly vanished.
Cong Xia murmured those three words to himself, "Puppet Jade."
All four of them realized that the function of this Puppet Jade was somewhat similar to Cong Xia's abilities, but it sounded much more useful than what Cong Xia possessed. If there really was something that could make one stronger just by being around it for a long time, it was no wonder that everyone sought after it.
Zhuang Yao asked, "Why is it called that? Is your Puppet Jade in Luoyang?"
"Of course it's in Luoyang. Do you think I would carry something like that with me? I'd meet a terrible end. As for the name, it was given by the cerebral domain evolvers in Beijing. Isn't it quite apt? Once you have the Puppet Jade, you'll never want to give it up. The feeling of becoming stronger is so wonderful, just like a puppet made of jade. The government is also collecting fragments of the jade from all around. With this piece of jade, we have been able to gather more and more people. But at the same time, we face many dangers. Of course, risks and rewards go hand in hand. Don't you want to become stronger?"
Zhuang Yao was extremely excited by the new information, and he eagerly asked, "You mentioned that the jade is a product of earthquakes. What causes earthquakes? Why do earthquakes produce this kind of jade?"
The young man became a little unhappy. "Are you going to join us or not? We've already shown sincerity. For ordinary mutants, hearing such tempting conditions, there's really nothing to consider. Even if their individual strength is formidable, it's still difficult to make progress in the apocalypse. In the end, all mutants seek powerful companions. Humans are social animals; it's a natural law and a law of survival."
"Brother, let's join them," Zhuang Yao grabbed Cheng Tianbi's hand. "You can become stronger, and we won't have to worry about food in the future."
Hearing Zhuang Yao call him "brother," Liu Fengyu couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and said, "Ask him." He nodded in Cong Xia's direction.
The young man looked at Cong Xia in surprise. It seemed he shouldn't underestimate this power-evolved individual.
Cong Xia said, "I have no objections."
Zhuang Yao said, "Did you hear that? They agreed. Now, can you tell me about the cause of the earthquake and what exactly is happening in Beijing?"
The young man was about to speak when the black-clad man, who had remained silent for a long time, lightly pressed his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "They're playing us. Let's not talk about it."
The young man hesitated for a moment, then calmed down considerably. Although he wasn't exceptionally intelligent, he definitely wasn't foolish either. He just got overly excited when he encountered a rare natural evolver and was eager to recruit them. Having the Puppet Jade was both a blessing and a curse. As they grew stronger, they would also face constant challenges. If they had a natural evolver in their team, it would at least deter the reckless ones from harassing them. This was a pressing need for them. However, after the black-clad man's reminder, the young man became more clear-headed. Looking at the expressions on the faces of these four people, there was indeed no sincerity.
The young man's eyes darkened, and he said coldly, "You never intended to join us, did you?"
Zhuang Yao shrugged, "Yeah, I lied to you."
The young man angrily retorted, "You don't know how to appreciate goodwill."
"I didn't ask for anything for free. I have plenty of weapons in my car, and I've given them to you. The information I want is not a secret to you; otherwise, you wouldn't have told us. So, I'm trading weapons for your information. You won't lose out."
The black-clad man said, "Put the weapons down, and I'll explain the earthquake to you."
Without a word, Cheng Tianbi jumped onto the car and brought down four submachine guns, two sniper rifles, and a box of grenades.
Although the world was in chaos, weapons were still difficult to obtain, especially compared to food. For mutants, the value of weapons was much greater.
Just as Cheng Tianbi placed the weapons on the ground, the black-clad man's arm suddenly dispersed into dozens of bats, flying towards the weapons.
Cheng Tianbi stepped forward, blocking the bats, and warned, "Don't come any closer."
The man said coldly, "We only have a general idea of the secret behind the earthquake. The cerebral domain evolvers in Beijing mentioned the concept of 'Cambrian consciousness,' but most people don't know what it is. In any case, there is a connection between the Cambrian consciousness, the Puppet Jade, and the earthquakes."
Zhuang Yao's eyes widened, and his expression fluctuated between surprise, fear, and wild joy. It was quite a spectacle. He said to Cheng Tianbi, "Let him take them. It's enough, it's enough."
The young man frowned, "Do you know something?"
Zhuang Yao gave a sly smile, "I'm not going to tell you."
"You...!"
"Forget it," the black-clad man grabbed the young man. The bats wrapped the weapons in the middle and returned to the man's side. He looked coldly at them and suddenly revealed a chilling faint smile. "Anyway, with the amount of information they have, they will surely die on their way to Beijing."
The young man smiled and said, "From here to Beijing, there are countless challenges waiting for you on the way. We could have safely brought you back to Luoyang, but now... hmph. I can be certain that you're doomed. It's a pity that a natural force evolutionist who hasn't become powerful yet is going to die in an unknown place due to his own overestimation. Take care of yourselves."
Once again, the man in black transformed into numerous bats, wrapping up the young man and the pile of weapons, and like a wisp of black smoke, they rolled towards the distance.
After the two of them left, the remaining four people snapped back to reality.
Especially Zhuang Yao, who didn't even hear what the two people were saying. He kept muttering "Cambrian consciousness" and "puppet jade" repeatedly.
Cong Xia patted Zhuang Yao's thin back and said, "Zhuang Yao, what do you know? Stop muttering and tell us quickly."
Zhuang Yao clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "The Cambrian consciousness, his theory is correct."
"The Cambrian consciousness? Who is he?"
Zhuang Yao raised his head, filled with hatred and unwillingness, and said coldly, "From a genetic standpoint, he is my father."
Author's note: It's time to start a new chapter~~
48 Global Evolution
The young man chuckled quietly, "Don't be nervous. If we really wanted to deal with you, we would have struck when you were surrounded by geckos. Why would we wait until now? I just want to have a few words with you, that's all."
Zhuang Yao looked back and could still see those restless geckos from the distance. Although he assessed that those geckos were heavily injured and wouldn't chase after them, he still felt uneasy. He said, "Drive another kilometer forward."
"OK."
In an instant, the man in black turned into countless bats, enveloping the young man, and in the blink of an eye, they had flown out.
None of the four people spoke, each weighing the chances of winning if they were to engage in a battle with these two.
Except for Zhuang Yao, the other three had never seen animal mutants before. Zhuang Yao had previously mentioned that although naturally evolved humans had the most potential, in terms of current evolutionary progress, animal mutants, due to their inherent physical advantages, were the most powerful individuals. The energy fluctuations emanating from this man were exceptionally strong, not to mention the formidable and mysterious ability he displayed.
Moreover, the abilities of the young man were still uncertain.
Zhuang Yao started the car again and drove forward.
Cong Xia asked, "Compared to the formidable black bear mutant you mentioned earlier, who is more powerful?"
Zhuang Yao stared ahead at the dark mass of bats. The mass of bats came to a stop in the distance, then magically reassembled, forming the appearance of the man in black once again. After pondering for a while, Zhuang Yao said, "Perhaps the black bear has more attack power, but this bat person can fly, so it's hard to say."
Liu Fengyu frowned and said, "It seems that there is a big difference between animal mutants and plant mutants. This man can actually separate his body, and moreover, his clothes are undamaged..."
"I think his clothes are part of the bats," Cheng Tianbi said. "The bats are a part of his body, so they can appear in any form on his surface. Maybe you can do the same."
Liu Fengyu shook his head. "At least for now, I can't."
Zhuang Yao said, "I guess these two know a lot of things that we don't."
Cong Xia pondered and said, "What do you think they want to do?"
"There's a 98% chance they want to recruit us, especially Cheng Tianbi," Zhuang Yao's expression darkened. "I want to see what they're up to. How dare they delay our time to treat Abu, hmph."
Cong Xia thought about their previous encounters and suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for these two individuals.
The Road Bully slowly approached the two of them, and the four of them got out of the car, standing in front of the two.
They observed each other.
Zhuang Yao said, "What do you want to ask?"
"There are many things about you that make people curious. For example, why did you attack those geckos? Was it to steal the generator at the back of the car?"
"Yes, the generator."
"Oh, what is it used for?"
Zhuang Yao glanced at him disdainfully. "For generating electricity."
The young man raised an eyebrow but remained unruffled. "You're an interesting kid."
"Don't waste time. We're in a hurry."
The young man shrugged. "Fine, then let me be direct. Do you want to join us?"
"Join you?" Zhuang Yao sneered. "Why should we? Just because there are only two of you? Who knows what you're up to."
"Hey, it's not just the two of us, alright? We're just out on a mission. Our base is in Luoyang, with a total of thirty-one mutants, three evolved pets, and six animal mutants alone." The young man's tone revealed a hint of pride. Such combat power was indeed impressive, sweeping through gecko nests and frog swarms effortlessly, without ending up in such a sorry state like them.
Cong Xia wasn't too surprised. After the apocalypse, teams like this were bound to form gradually. The group of people led by the fat man they encountered on the outskirts of Yunnan City was the embryonic form of such a team. Even the four of them now formed a cooperative team. When powerful individuals gathered together, they could generate immense strength and seize more advantageous resources. In the end, everyone was fighting to survive and wanted to live better than others.
Zhuang Yao said, "Oh, thirty-one, quite a number. What benefits are there to joining you?"
The young man proudly said, "Firstly, you will never have to worry about food. We have some lower-level power-type evolved humans in our team who are responsible for food collection. Secondly, you can enjoy unimaginable resources in the apocalypse: mansions, beautiful women, and the admiration of everyone. Simply put, you can live a much more enjoyable life than before the apocalypse."
Cong Xia felt a slight repulsion towards the young man's use of the term "lower-level" to describe power-type evolved humans. In this world, which had changed so much in less than three months, perhaps many people had mutated in ways beyond just their physical appearance. He frowned and asked, "What do we have to give in return?"
"Serve the team, collect everything useful: supplies, weapons, energy, territory, people, and so on. As long as we keep growing, we can ensure that every member leads a superior life. This is an era without laws, discipline, or morality. Only the strong deserve to enjoy the good things. Heroes are born in chaotic times. Don't you want to establish your own empire, surpassing everyone else? This has been the dream of every man throughout history." The young man's eyes sparkled with strong desire, a yearning for power that contradicted his handsome appearance.
While his speech might be appealing to many men, the four individuals in front of him happened to show no interest. Cong Xia didn't have grand ambitions; he just wanted to have enough to eat, dress warmly, and survive. Cheng Tianbi had his military upbringing and beliefs. Liu Fengyu was lazy and carefree, seeking comfort above all else. Zhuang Yao, in particular, sneered at this so-called "dream."
The young man noticed the indifferent reaction of the four and was somewhat surprised. "What? You don't believe it?"
Cong Xia replied, "We believe you, but we have other things to do. If there's nothing else, don't obstruct us." He was generally inclined to be kind to others, but he didn't have a good impression of the young man in front of him.
The young man glanced at Cong Xia unhappily. "You're just a power-type evolved human, right? Although power-type evolved humans in Luoyang are only qualified to carry out the lowest-level tasks, since you're friends with the natural force evolved human and the plant mutant, joining us will allow you to enjoy the treatment of higher-level mutant family members. Oh, and the kid too."
Zhuang Yao squinted his eyes. "How do we know if what you're saying is true or false?"
"How do you want to prove it?"
"Since you've already formed a sizable group and are close to Beijing, you must have better information channels than us. We want to know more information."
The young man raised an eyebrow. "Are you interested in information about Beijing? Are you planning to go there?"
"Yes."
The young man laughed heartily. "Beijing is filled with all kinds of advanced mutants from all over the country. People like you who go there, except for him," the young man pointed at Cheng Tianbi, "won't count for anything. Also, don't have too rosy a picture of Beijing. When so many people gather in one city, resources are bound to be depleted. Even going to Taiwan or Hainan would be better than going to Beijing. But, hehe, I'm afraid you won't be able to go to Taiwan or Hainan either."
"Oh? Why not? Actually, we're also hesitating. It's not that we must go to Beijing, but like everyone else, we want to go to a safer place."
"We've received the latest information that there are large sea creatures appearing in the sea. It's a deadly gamble to cross the sea by boat. Which one of you can fly?" The young man mocked, "There's no safe place in this world anymore."
Zhuang Yao continued to ask, "Is there any analysis about the global evolutionary cause in Beijing?"
The young man smiled. "Little friend, after all this fuss, you're just here to get free answers to your questions, huh? If it weren't for the lack of energy fluctuations in your body, and considering how peculiar you are, I would have suspected you were a brain domain evolved human. If you join us, I'm willing to answer any questions you have."
Zhuang Yao smiled. "It's worth considering. After all, if we join you, we won't have to worry about annoying problems like food anymore."
The three remained calm and looked at Zhuang Yao, curious about what he would do next. According to Zhuang Yao's own words, with their intelligence, they couldn't figure out what he was thinking. In fact, that was true, but at least one thing was clear to the three of them: Zhuang Yao, that little rascal, couldn't be trusted based on what he said.
The three of them had long prepared themselves for the possibility that Zhuang Yao would renege on treating Abu. However, with the resources Zhuang Yao had provided as a base, they were willing to take a chance.
The young man's eyes brightened. "That's right, after joining us, you'll never have to worry about these low-level problems again."
Zhuang Yao smiled. "You expect us to devote ourselves to you just for answering questions? You've got quite the plan, don't you?"
"Oh? What do you want, then?"
"We should be the ones asking that question. What can you offer us? Food and such things won't attract us. Do you really think we're lacking in that department?"
The young man smiled mysteriously. "We naturally have something more attractive."
"What is it?"
"I can tell you, but without that thing, how could we possibly attract so many mutants?"
Finally, a strong interest flashed in Zhuang Yao's eyes. "Tell us, then."
"Puppet Jade."
Puppet Jade?!
The four of them were unfamiliar with this term.
The young man grinned smugly. "You bunch of country bumpkins probably only know about the sky as big as Guiyang City, right? It's pathetic that you're stuck in such a small place, using all your strength to kill lizards. You have no idea how the outside world has changed."
Cong Xia asked eagerly, "What is Puppet Jade? He is quite sensitive to the term 'jade' because he carries a legendary ancient jade with immense power and limitless potential.
The young man said, "It is the product of earthquakes. To be precise, we have a small fragment, but this tiny piece possesses boundless power. Just by directly touching it, one's energy can be rapidly enhanced in a short period. Those who have prolonged contact with it will become increasingly powerful. Even without direct contact, simply living around the Puppet Jade will accelerate evolution and increase energy. This is the Puppet Jade, a coveted treasure that everyone fights for, even if it's just a fragment the size of a fingernail. Our top priority is to protect our Puppet Jade and then..." The young man smiled, "...take it from others."
A flicker of curiosity flashed through Cheng Tianbi's eyes, but it quickly vanished.
Cong Xia murmured those three words to himself, "Puppet Jade."
All four of them realized that the function of this Puppet Jade was somewhat similar to Cong Xia's abilities, but it sounded much more useful than what Cong Xia possessed. If there really was something that could make one stronger just by being around it for a long time, it was no wonder that everyone sought after it.
Zhuang Yao asked, "Why is it called that? Is your Puppet Jade in Luoyang?"
"Of course it's in Luoyang. Do you think I would carry something like that with me? I'd meet a terrible end. As for the name, it was given by the cerebral domain evolvers in Beijing. Isn't it quite apt? Once you have the Puppet Jade, you'll never want to give it up. The feeling of becoming stronger is so wonderful, just like a puppet made of jade. The government is also collecting fragments of the jade from all around. With this piece of jade, we have been able to gather more and more people. But at the same time, we face many dangers. Of course, risks and rewards go hand in hand. Don't you want to become stronger?"
Zhuang Yao was extremely excited by the new information, and he eagerly asked, "You mentioned that the jade is a product of earthquakes. What causes earthquakes? Why do earthquakes produce this kind of jade?"
The young man became a little unhappy. "Are you going to join us or not? We've already shown sincerity. For ordinary mutants, hearing such tempting conditions, there's really nothing to consider. Even if their individual strength is formidable, it's still difficult to make progress in the apocalypse. In the end, all mutants seek powerful companions. Humans are social animals; it's a natural law and a law of survival."
"Brother, let's join them," Zhuang Yao grabbed Cheng Tianbi's hand. "You can become stronger, and we won't have to worry about food in the future."
Hearing Zhuang Yao call him "brother," Liu Fengyu couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Cheng Tianbi glanced at him and said, "Ask him." He nodded in Cong Xia's direction.
The young man looked at Cong Xia in surprise. It seemed he shouldn't underestimate this power-evolved individual.
Cong Xia said, "I have no objections."
Zhuang Yao said, "Did you hear that? They agreed. Now, can you tell me about the cause of the earthquake and what exactly is happening in Beijing?"
The young man was about to speak when the black-clad man, who had remained silent for a long time, lightly pressed his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "They're playing us. Let's not talk about it."
The young man hesitated for a moment, then calmed down considerably. Although he wasn't exceptionally intelligent, he definitely wasn't foolish either. He just got overly excited when he encountered a rare natural evolver and was eager to recruit them. Having the Puppet Jade was both a blessing and a curse. As they grew stronger, they would also face constant challenges. If they had a natural evolver in their team, it would at least deter the reckless ones from harassing them. This was a pressing need for them. However, after the black-clad man's reminder, the young man became more clear-headed. Looking at the expressions on the faces of these four people, there was indeed no sincerity.
The young man's eyes darkened, and he said coldly, "You never intended to join us, did you?"
Zhuang Yao shrugged, "Yeah, I lied to you."
The young man angrily retorted, "You don't know how to appreciate goodwill."
"I didn't ask for anything for free. I have plenty of weapons in my car, and I've given them to you. The information I want is not a secret to you; otherwise, you wouldn't have told us. So, I'm trading weapons for your information. You won't lose out."
The black-clad man said, "Put the weapons down, and I'll explain the earthquake to you."
Without a word, Cheng Tianbi jumped onto the car and brought down four submachine guns, two sniper rifles, and a box of grenades.
Although the world was in chaos, weapons were still difficult to obtain, especially compared to food. For mutants, the value of weapons was much greater.
Just as Cheng Tianbi placed the weapons on the ground, the black-clad man's arm suddenly dispersed into dozens of bats, flying towards the weapons.
Cheng Tianbi stepped forward, blocking the bats, and warned, "Don't come any closer."
The man said coldly, "We only have a general idea of the secret behind the earthquake. The cerebral domain evolvers in Beijing mentioned the concept of 'Cambrian consciousness,' but most people don't know what it is. In any case, there is a connection between the Cambrian consciousness, the Puppet Jade, and the earthquakes."
Zhuang Yao's eyes widened, and his expression fluctuated between surprise, fear, and wild joy. It was quite a spectacle. He said to Cheng Tianbi, "Let him take them. It's enough, it's enough."
The young man frowned, "Do you know something?"
Zhuang Yao gave a sly smile, "I'm not going to tell you."
"You...!"
"Forget it," the black-clad man grabbed the young man. The bats wrapped the weapons in the middle and returned to the man's side. He looked coldly at them and suddenly revealed a chilling faint smile. "Anyway, with the amount of information they have, they will surely die on their way to Beijing."
The young man smiled and said, "From here to Beijing, there are countless challenges waiting for you on the way. We could have safely brought you back to Luoyang, but now... hmph. I can be certain that you're doomed. It's a pity that a natural force evolutionist who hasn't become powerful yet is going to die in an unknown place due to his own overestimation. Take care of yourselves."
Once again, the man in black transformed into numerous bats, wrapping up the young man and the pile of weapons, and like a wisp of black smoke, they rolled towards the distance.
After the two of them left, the remaining four people snapped back to reality.
Especially Zhuang Yao, who didn't even hear what the two people were saying. He kept muttering "Cambrian consciousness" and "puppet jade" repeatedly.
Cong Xia patted Zhuang Yao's thin back and said, "Zhuang Yao, what do you know? Stop muttering and tell us quickly."
Zhuang Yao clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "The Cambrian consciousness, his theory is correct."
"The Cambrian consciousness? Who is he?"
Zhuang Yao raised his head, filled with hatred and unwillingness, and said coldly, "From a genetic standpoint, he is my father."
Author's note: It's time to start a new chapter~~
