Chapter 1643: Huang Wanmao's Fury

Watching helplessly as Jiang Cheng was taken away by the evolver mission squad from the northern Sector 1 territory of Hui-3, and especially seeing Tang Huai among the squad as well, Huang Wanmao back in Territory Seven had an extremely ugly expression.

Was it that he didn't want to break from the group and act alone? Was it that he hadn't submitted his application in advance?

It was Professor Fu Tianfeng who refused to approve his application! The higher that guy's brain evolution level, the smaller his petty-mindedness!

In the second half of last year, the research team at Bai Yi University's Medical College, to which Huang Wanmao belonged, overcame the mass-production technology for the Beta-group active evolution protease, and for a time enjoyed unparalleled fame in the country.

In this technological breakthrough, Huang Wanmao's contribution was not particularly outstanding, so he personally didn't receive any substantial benefits, which made him extremely furious. Controlled by his anger, Huang Wanmao made a very irrational decision — he secretly sent this technology to the Blue Blood Alliance, in exchange for an important research result from Blue Blood in Huang Wanmao's main field of study.

After obtaining the result, Huang Wanmao conducted in-depth research and discovered that if Blue Blood's research result was combined with the mass-production technology for the Beta-group active evolution protease, the new agent developed might significantly reduce the harm that Qiang elements caused to the human body, making even Yellow-Lamp and Red-Lamp foods safe for humans.

In other words, this technological breakthrough might completely solve the problem of human food shortages!

Huang Wanmao went mad over this possibility, so he immediately had his student Li Jun approach Tang Lu, asking her to call Tang Huai to the Bai Yi base to cooperate with Huang Wanmao's research.

Because Tang Huai, the original host of the Beta-group active evolution protease, was the irreplaceable "biological reactor" for the new drug Huang Wanmao wanted to research.

Of course, doing this was illegal. That's why Huang Wanmao needed to make contact with Tang Huai and persuade him to voluntarily cooperate with his research project.

But before he could get his hands on Tang Huai, Professor Fu Tianfeng's student He Wangshu barged into Bai Yi University's Medical College, declared that Tang Huai was a member of the Territory Seven Research Institute, and forcibly took him out of the Bai Yi base safe zone.

Huang Wanmao had originally assumed that Professor Fu Tianfeng wanted to monopolize Tang Huai, this precious original host of the Beta-group active evolution protease. After arriving, he discovered that Tang Huai could not only come and go from the territory at will, but could also take on missions outside to protect others!

This was a precious experimental subject that could solve the problem of human food shortages! What on earth were the Hui-3 higher-ups and Professor Fu Tianfeng thinking!

Huang Wanmao wanted to negotiate with Professor Fu Tianfeng about borrowing Tang Huai, so he signed up to come survey this godforsaken place, but he had been here so long and Professor Fu Tianfeng simply wouldn't see him, nor would he agree to let Huang Wanmao re-enter that valley on Mountain Fifty.

Without going to that valley, how could he complete the mission the Blue Blood Alliance had assigned him, and obtain the follow-up results of Blue Blood's research?!

If you show no benevolence, don't blame me for being unjust!

When Huang Wanmao lowered his eyelids and raised them again, his gaze became incomparably resolute.

Besides Huang Wanmao, others whose faces darkened at seeing Jiang Cheng leave included Hu Guangdong and Yao Yuanxing from Hong Yi University. In two more days, their seven-day survey of this territory would be over. They had made ample preparations and arrived two days early, yet to say nothing of Territory Seven's important research projects or Territory Three's secrets, they hadn't even managed to meet Professor Fu Tianfeng face-to-face!

Yao Yuanxing couldn't hold himself back any longer and turned to look at Guo Qingbin. Guo Qingbin seemed not at all anxious, and was intently communicating with a researcher from Bai Qi. When the helicopter landed outside the south gate of Territory Seven, Guo Qingbin followed them onto the helicopter. After the helicopter took off, he casually glanced down through the porthole at the empty Territory Three, then shifted his gaze to Mountain Fifty-One to the northeast of this territory.

Watching the three military helicopters take off, Xia Qing sent warning messages to Zhang Shi, Lao Si, and Duan Yao, then continued collecting soil samples from the various greenhouses. After testing them in the lab, she drove to the Soil Research Department of Territory Twelve.

When her car reached the south gate of Territory Seven, she received a message from her idol: Huang Wanmao has taken the bait and decided to take illegal action.

Xia Qing didn't stop, drove straight into Territory Twelve, and entered the Soil Research Department. It was already late January, and spring was drawing closer. Although the temperature hadn't risen yet, the activity of microbial communities in the soil had already begun to increase, noticeably higher than at the same period last year. Most worrying of all, the Qiang-evolved anaerobic bacteria in the soil were abnormally active, and the evolution was still ongoing.

All members of the Soil Research Department, including Territory Seven's breeding expert Zhang Tao, believed that the first Qiang rain of this spring would trigger a microbial catastrophe, and they were making various efforts in preparation for this impending catastrophe.

Xia Qing, too, was working hard toward this.

She took her test reports, changed into a lab coat, and entered the research room.

Since the Territory Alliance Soil Research Department was established, under the guidance of Territory Seven's breeding expert Zhang Tao, former agricultural college teacher Kuang Yuanxiong from Territory One, and microbial research expert Yu Zhongshen from Territory Eight, Yuan Yan, Zhu Li, Tang Heng, Ye Yang, Ma Hai, and Di Ming of the Territory Alliance had grown into the backbone researchers of the department — they were the hope for coping with the next phase of the microbial catastrophe.

Seeing Xia Qing walk in, Ye Yang and the others were first shocked by the injuries on her face, then greeted her.

Xia Qing nodded, handed the test reports she had brought to Yuan Yan, and asked, "Any progress in the research?"

"We've made progress on the fluorescent symbiosis transformation research!" Yuan Yan said excitedly. "Teacher Yu made a bacterial agent from the screened and domesticated low-intensity fluorescent symbiotic bacteria. We used it to coat various seeds and soak seedling roots, and discovered that the H-12 Green-Lamp rice has gained symbiotic protective ability — its root system can suppress the over-proliferation of anaerobic bacterial communities!"

Last winter, Duan Yao wolves brought back glowing pine tree root systems from the first peak of Mountain Fifty-Six. After testing, Zhang San believed these root systems had high research value, so he handed the samples to Zhang Tao.

After research, Zhang Tao's team named the transformation mechanism of the pine root systems "Fluorescent Symbiosis Transformation," and jointly applied with the Territory Alliance Research Department for a cross-cutting research project to specifically study the potential of this transformation mechanism for agricultural applications.

Unexpectedly, less than two months after the project was approved, a breakthrough was achieved. Xia Qing was also very excited. "Only H-12 rice works?"

Besides the H-12 cultivated by the Hui-3 Research Institute, the rice varieties planted in the northern Sector 1 territory also included the J-2 cultivated by the Territory Seven Research Institute, Liehuo's LD-8, Hui-5 Base's WD-6, and five other varieties in total, of which the best quality was J-2.

Ye Yang nodded. "Among the rice, only H-12 seedlings have gained symbiotic protective ability. Other crops are still under observation."

Tang Heng reminded them rigorously, "Acquiring symbiotic protective ability is only the first step. During the growth process, we still need to observe whether the domesticated bacterial communities will undergo unexpected mutations or escape, and once again disrupt the ecological balance of the farmland."

Xia Qing nodded. Cultivating high-quality crops during a year of microbial evolutionary catastrophe was inherently a research project of very high difficulty, very long duration, and uncertain success. "Any progress on the spray research for this bacterial community?"

Tang Heng shook his head. "This research needs to be carried out in the Territory Seven laboratory. Territory Seven is currently hosting experts and is short-handed. This experiment is now at a standstill."

Yuan Yan couldn't help asking, "Sister Qing, when are these experts leaving?"

Previously, Xia Qing called Yuan Yan "sister-in-law," and Yuan Yan called Xia Qing by her full name. Now both of them called each other "Sister." The forms of address among people in the northern Sector 1 territory were simply a great mishmash.

"Once this batch of experts leaves, there's the next batch. By the time the survey ends, the Qiang rain will be almost here." Xia Qing made a direct decision. "Territory Seven is short-handed, so our research department will send people to fill in. The number going to Territory Seven can't be too many. Discuss it among yourselves and decide on two or three people. I'll go talk to Third Brother."

Hearing that they could go to the Territory Seven Research Institute to do experiments, everyone was both nervous and excited. After exchanging glances, they quickly decided on the candidates. Tang Heng spoke up, "This research is being followed by Brother Ye and Sister Yan. Should we send the two of them?"

"Fine." Xia Qing nodded. As she left, she showed Tang Heng her phone screen. Tang Heng glanced at it quickly and nodded solemnly.

When they learned that Huang Wanmao was coming to northern Sector 1, the Tang family had already begun planning. If Huang Wanmao didn't move, the Tang family couldn't touch him; but the moment he dared to act, he shouldn't expect to leave alive!