I'd like to thank our new Patreon Diamond member, "melonpan," for recommending this novel for translation. I've read up to chapter 50, and it's a truly engaging read. It boasts a 4.4 rating on NovelUpdates. So you know it's going to be good.
Thank you again, Melonpan, for the sponsorship
--------
Fu Shiwu crouched beside him, almost lying flat, gripping the edge of the cracked cement block with both hands, clearing away the fractured stones one by one. Tang Xuhai joined in, lending a hand. Together, they quickly cleaned the cement where it met the stone pedestal.
The ground revealed a shallow pit, about a foot deep, as the three seemingly innocent wild grasses swayed, displaying their forms.
"Let's pull one out and see," Tang Xuhai suggested.
"Okay," Fu Shiwu reached out to pull one.
Despite his considerable strength, he couldn't budge the weed. Startled, he extended another hand, both grasping and pulling hard at the roots.
Yet, the weed remained firmly rooted.
Fu Shiwu, disheartened, dropped his shoulders. He looked at Tang Xuhai sheepishly. "I don't have your strength. Maybe you should try."
Tang Xuhai, solemn, didn't jest. He grabbed the weed Fu Shiwu had tried and, after some effort, only managed to loosen it slightly.
"It seems pulling won't work. Let's dig," Tang Xuhai admitted defeat.
Grabbing tools from the SUV, they started digging around the weed.
After a while, the weed revealed its true form.
Fu Shiwu gasped, watching the unusually developed roots beneath the trembling weed.
Ordinarily, weed roots reached about 6 to 7 centimeters, but this one had a root almost 20 centimeters long, not just long but exceptionally sturdy.
"This weed has definitely undergone a mutation!" Fu Shiwu exclaimed.
"Yes, much like humans, these weeds seem to have become stronger due to mutations," Tang Xuhai remarked gravely.
"This is just a weed." Fu Shiwu scanned the parking lot, observing cracks and bulges at intervals. "Who knows what else has mutated besides these?"
"I know," a clear voice interjected.
Fu Shiwu and Tang Xuhai looked up. A young man stood not far behind the stone pedestal, youthful with an undeniable air of innocence. He wore a sky-blue casual shirt, a bag slung across his shoulder.
Seeing both men's gaze fixed on him, the boyish man excitedly pulled out a 14-inch laptop from his backpack.
He approached them eagerly. "I know what else has mutated. Do you want to see?"
"Let's see," Tang Xuhai allowed.
The boy's face lit up. He sat on the stone pedestal, clicking and tapping on the open laptop, swiftly turning it around to balance on his knee.
"Look, these are the species currently experiencing mutations!" He rapidly introduced, images displaying in slideshow mode on the screen.
The images showed far more species than Fu Shiwu had imagined. Not just plants but various animals.
"All these mutated plants include terrestrial and aquatic ones, such as trees, shrubs, and more. As for animals, it encompasses all vertebrate species—listen carefully, all species." The young man spoke with great emphasis. "Moreover, based on current scientific observations, the alien is also a vertebrate, preying not only on humans but also on all mammalian species. Apart from that, it also preys on some larger birds and amphibians. Any animal with a brain is its prey! If it doesn't require underwater respiration, even whales might not be spared!"
"What else do you know?" Tang Xuhai raised his head, his expression inscrutable.
"I know that a large number of these aliens are gathering near Yuncity because people in the surrounding villages and counties have almost been eaten up. The aliens, deprived of food, are converging and heading toward Yuncity!" The revelation shocked Fu Shiwu.
Tang Xuhai stared coldly. "Why are you telling us this? What's your motive?"
The boy's face changed. Carefully placing his laptop aside, he lunged towards Tang Xuhai. "Big brother! Please, I beg you!"
Tang Xuhai reflexively kicked him away.
Fu Shiwu chuckled at the absurdity. "Why did you rush like that, only to get kicked?"
The boy pouted, eyes watery. "How was I supposed to know this big brother is so tough!"
"What's your name? What do you do? And why do you have so much information?" Fu Shiwu asked, amused and curious.
"I'm Miao Jia, a policeman," Miao Jia said, sniffling.
"A policeman?!" Both Tang Xuhai and Fu Shiwu exclaimed.
"Yes," Miao Jia nodded.
Tang Xuhai and Fu Shiwu wore expressions of disbelief.
Tang Xuhai even formed a threatening fist, saying darkly, "Kid, tell the truth or get a beating!"
Miao Jia trembled, "I-I'm really a policeman, big brother!"
"Hmph!" Tang Xuhai squeezed Miao Jia's chubby cheek. "Tell me! How old are you?!"
Miao Jia hesitated for a moment before saying, "22."
"Say it again! How old are you?!" Tang Xuhai pressed, stern.
Miao Jia shivered. "I-I'm 21... 20, 21!"
"Don't lie to me! Last chance!" Tang Xuhai applied pressure.
"Ah!" Miao Jia burst into tears. "It hurts! I'm 19! I swear, this time it's true! Wahhh~"
Seeing him cry, Fu Shiwu patted his back. Tang Xuhai let go, leaving a red handprint on Miao Jia's cheek.
"Are you really 19?" Fu Shiwu asked skeptically.
"Yes, really 19!" Miao Jia, apprehensive, stealthily moved closer to Fu Shiwu, shielding himself from Tang Xuhai's gaze.
Observing his demeanor, Tang Xuhai snorted disdainfully.
This little guy dared to lie about being 22! Just a glance was enough for Tang Xuhai to gauge his approximate age. His physical growth and muscle development weren't complete yet. Trying to deceive someone with discerning eyes like his was asking for trouble.
Absolutely clueless.
"A 19-year-old policeman?" Fu Shiwu raised an eyebrow, arms crossed.
"..." Miao Jia glanced at him, then tactfully stepped back. How to deal with this seemingly tough guy?
Why was this plan to seek refuge with the boss in such a mess? Encountering such tough nuts was just his bad luck. He merely wanted to join someone reliable in this perilous world. Was there a need for such intimidation and scare tactics?
"I'm really a policeman. If you don't believe me, I can show evidence." Miao Jia stated, "Although I lost my ID, my service weapon is still with me!"
He retrieved the handgun from his backpack.
"A gun doesn't prove anything. We're not policemen, yet we have guns too," Fu Shiwu calmly pointed out, drawing the gun, devoid of bullets but habitually kept at his waist as Tang Xuhai had mentioned.
"..." Miao Jia was speechless.
Why was he so stringent? Why didn't he care for the little ones... no, care for the young?
Miao Jia pondered, finding a solution.
"I have more evidence
!" Miao Jia turned around cheerfully. Accessing the police system directly from his laptop, he pulled up his personnel file, "Look!"
Miao Jia proudly stood by the stone pedestal, displaying the computer to both men.
It showed a form with Miao Jia's young photo, revealing his identity information, unit, and badge number.
"He has a badge, and this doesn't look fake," Fu Shiwu turned to Tang Xuhai and remarked.
Tang Xuhai nodded, finally ending the "interrogation."
"You said you wanted support?" Tang Xuhai squinted, his voice deep.
"It was just a figure of speech. I meant I wanted to join forces with you two," Miao Jia clarified honestly, no more tricks.
Thank you for reading this far! You can access more chapters from HERE by joining my Patreon community. You'll gain exclusive early access to the COMPLETE NOVEL.
As a member of my Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For $5
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public.
- You also get access to all the novels I'm translating, you can find them here HERE.
- Your name will be featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
For $10
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- You get access to Digital art.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
For $20
- You get to recommend a Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
