dognovel Chapter 98 Entering Science: The Biological Rampage
Chapter 98 Entering Science: The Biological Rampage
The captain of the chemical defense unit, surnamed Zhou, was fully armed, his eyes behind his mask fixed on the old locust tree that was "breathing".
The red light on the instrument was flashing so fast it was like someone was dancing in a disco.
"This is severe biological radiation! We must isolate them immediately!" Captain Zhou's voice boomed through the loudspeaker, carrying a muffled metallic tone. "Everyone, retreat fifty meters! Prepare for liquid nitrogen freezing!"
The atmosphere at the entrance of Renxin Pharmacy froze instantly.
Wang Minyu held a stainless steel tea mug, leaned against the door frame, and even blew on the tea leaves floating on the water.
"Captain Zhou, right? Don't get excited." Wang Minyu pointed to the tree. "This tree isn't sentient, nor has it mutated. It's just... full."
"Overeating?" Captain Zhou felt he had heard the most outrageous explanation of his life. "Plants can produce a high-energy reaction? Do you think it's Godzilla?"
Su Qing walked out from behind, holding a tablet computer with a bunch of complex waveforms on it.
She adjusted her glasses, her tone as calm as if she were reading an autopsy report: "According to spectral analysis, the red light emitted by the tree has a wavelength of around 650 nanometers, which is a normal physical luminescence phenomenon resulting from the complexation reaction between high concentrations of anthocyanins and free copper ions in the soil. As for that 'breathing'..."
She paused, then looked up at Wang Minyu.
Wang Minyu continued, "That's thermal expansion and contraction. Plus, we buried some special fertilizer in the ground in our backyard. The gas produced by fermentation is transported upwards through the root vascular bundles, causing the bark to undulate periodically. In botany, this is called the 'gas transpiration pump effect,' which is rare but absolutely scientific."
Captain Zhou was stunned.
This set of words sounds so pleasing to the ear, yet so utterly absurd.
"How do you explain the alarm from that instrument?" Captain Zhou pointed at the still-screaming detector.
"Oh, that one." Wang Minyu turned around and called out, "Uncle Wu, open the lid of that jar of yours a crack."
From the backyard came Old Wu's trembling voice: "Boss, are you really going to lift it? This smell..."
"lift!"
A few seconds later, an indescribable smell wafted out with the breeze.
It wasn't just a simple stench; it was a complex gas mixture of fermented Chinese medicine, highly decomposed proteins, and some strange, pungent odor.
The two chemical defense team members standing at the front almost collapsed to their knees.
Captain Zhou also experienced a sudden blackout; the filter canisters of his gas mask seemed to have malfunctioned in that instant.
The readings on the instrument spiked instantly, and then—with a "buzz," the screen went black.
"See, this is the reason." Wang Minyu calmly took out a mask from his pocket and put it on. "This is a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, so it's reasonable for me to ferment some medicinal residue to make fertilizer, right? The high concentration of methane and hydrogen sulfide produced by this anaerobic bacterial metabolism can easily be misinterpreted as high-energy biological signals by your highly sensitive probes. This is called a 'false positive.' I suggest that Captain Zhou go back and calibrate the equipment sensitivity."
Captain Zhou took off his mask, panting heavily, his face ashen.
He looked at the group of calm and composed people in the courtyard—
The giant Guan Shan is using a millstone to work his biceps, the icy female forensic doctor is gesturing with a scalpel in the air, and there is an old man who is trembling but has shrewd eyes.
This place looks eerie no matter how you look at it.
However, the explanation given by the other party, from the perspectives of chemistry and physics, forms a perfect closed loop.
"Is it really just fermented fertilizer?" Captain Zhou asked, unwilling to give up.
"Why don't you try some?" Wang Minyu pointed to the backyard. "That's the raw material for our newly developed medicinal cuisine, the mother liquor for 'Resurrected Stinky Tofu.' Although it's not on the market yet, I don't mind having Captain Zhou be the first guinea pig."
Thinking of that taste, Captain Zhou felt a wave of nausea wash over him.
"Fall back!" Captain Zhou waved his hand through gritted teeth. "From now on, any fermentation experiments of this kind must be registered with the Environmental Protection Bureau! This constitutes a serious disturbance to the public!"
The chemical protective vehicle arrived quickly and left just as fast, leaving behind only a crowd of onlookers and the old red-flowered locust tree that was still eerily "breathing".
"Master, you were just fooling him, weren't you?" Li Siyuan leaned closer, his face full of admiration mixed with a hint of doubt. "That tree really looked alive to me."
"The end of science is metaphysics, and the end of metaphysics is deception." Wang Minyu tapped his forehead. "What anthocyanin complex? That's just Old Wu dumping the remaining 'Bone-Breaking Fire' residue under the tree. It's a stress response of the plant after being stimulated by high heat."
He walked to the old locust tree and looked up at the flamboyant red flowers.
The system panel pops up:
【Crop Name: Red Blood Locust Flower (Variant)】
[Cause: A product of absorbing the heat of "Bone-Breaking Fire" and the yin energy of the earth.]
[Characteristics: Hallucinogenic (trace dose), potent defense-breaking. It can significantly reduce the inhibitory function of the prefrontal cortex in the human brain.]
[Note: This is the so-called "truth-telling under the influence of alcohol" flower, but its effect is a hundred times stronger than alcohol, and it does not damage the liver.]
Wang Minyu's lips curled up slightly.
"Guan Shan, find a ladder."
"Boss, what's up?"
"Picking flowers." Wang Minyu squinted. "It's time to release a new product in our tea beverage line."
……
The next day, a new handwritten notice was posted on the glass door of Renxin Pharmacy, the handwriting still in Wang Minyu's flamboyant cursive style:
[New Product Launch: Truth About Da Hong Pao]
[Efficacy: Soothes the liver and regulates Qi; specifically treats repressed emotions, cold wars, communication difficulties, and family discord.]
[Side effects: May lead to divorce, breakup, or the end of friendships. The organization assumes no responsibility.]
Price: 1888 yuan/pot.
"Eighteen thousand yuan for a pot of tea?" A passing groceries vendor glanced at it and shook her head. "Is this Dr. Wang out of his mind? The milk tea shop next door only charges twelve yuan."
"What do you know? This is a scam... no, this is a high-level game." A young man in a suit next to him seemed thoughtful. "My wife keeps suspecting me of hiding money lately. Should I bring her here to give it a try?"
Inside the shop, Li Siyuan and Zhao Na were painstakingly sorting through dried red flower petals.
"Master, will anyone actually buy this for 1800?" Zhao Na rubbed her aching shoulders. "And the side effects listed are terrifying!"
"What city dwellers lack most these days isn't money, it's a mouth to eat." Wang Minyu sat behind the counter, twirling two walnuts in his hands (actually, they were 'Max Hardness Medicine Seeds' rewarded by the system). "Wearing a mask every day is exhausting. Give them a chance to take off their masks, and people will be scrambling to give them money, let alone 1,800. They'd be willing to give you 18,000."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the wind chimes by the door rang.
A well-dressed man and woman walked in.
The man was dressed in a suit and had a slightly high hairline, clearly a corporate executive; the woman had exquisite makeup and was carrying a Hermes bag, but the two were quite far apart, with at least two Guan Shans between them.
The low pressure, which was visible to the naked eye, caused the temperature inside the store to drop by two degrees.
"Is this the weird doctor's clinic they've been talking about online?" The woman took off her sunglasses, her eyes sweeping over the place with a critical look. "The decor is so shabby, is it even clean?"
"Oh well, since we're already here," the man said, looking exhausted and clearly adopting a conciliatory attitude. "I've heard the tea here can relieve anxiety, let's try it."
Wang Minyu didn't even lift his eyelids: "The registration fee is two hundred, and you can pay for the tea first."
"Two hundred it is." The woman snorted coldly, scanned the code to pay, and said, "Give me the tea that costs 1,800. I want to see what kind of tea can be so expensive."
Wang Minyu waved to Li Siyuan: "Serve tea. Remember, one cup each, don't give too much, this stuff is strong."