Li Dawei, Zheng Heng, and the others were in the convoy behind them, searching the cars in the same manner. When they heard the utterly bloodcurdling squeals of a pig and glanced over, all they saw was Xie Ning standing there with her back to them.
The sound seemed to be coming from her feet...
"Don’t kill it! Ningning, don’t kill it!" Yu Tianfeng jogged over, his eyes filled with fascination. "Look, it hasn’t mutated. There were so many zombie pigs, so why is this the only one that didn’t? It must mean its body has antibodies for the zombie virus!"
"Let me draw a few vials of its blood. It won’t be too late to slaughter it after that."
Everyone nearly fell over in exasperation.
They thought Dr. Yu was having a crisis of conscience and trying to stop Xie Ning from slaughtering an innocent creature!
But who knew... all he wanted was a blood sample.
Xie Ning nodded, keeping her foot firmly planted on the little piglet’s tail. Her posture practically screamed, ’Hurry up and get your sample.’
Yu Tianfeng crouched down and pulled a syringe and a collection vial from his pocket.
Song You’ai and the others could barely bring themselves to watch.
For some reason, they felt that the little piglet, with its big, watery eyes, looked just a tiny bit pitiful.
Yu Tianfeng went to work, giving the piglet no chance to struggle. As he drew two vials of blood, the poor thing let out a series of pitiful squeals.
Xie Ning watched, her expression blank.
Young Su Xiyue’s hand trembled as she dug out a Crystal Core. She silently tossed it into her little basket.
Yu Tianfeng stood up, swirling the liquid in the glass vials. He turned to his teammates with a smile and graciously offered an explanation. "Since the zombie virus can cause humans to mutate, it can naturally do the same to plants and animals. But just like with humans, some species among them might develop antibodies."
"These species will undergo a rapid evolution, much like certain Superpower Users among humans. Instead of becoming zombified plants and animals, they will evolve into Mutant species, or even something more advanced."
"At some point, these advanced species might become even more terrifying and powerful than zombies, threatening the already scarce living space left for humanity. That’s why, before that happens, we must study them thoroughly and familiarize ourselves with their post-mutation habits. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat!"
"Oh." Everyone nodded like grade-schoolers listening to a lecture, looking as if they had just received a science lesson.
Xie Ning’s lips twitched.
’She could tell that Yu Tianfeng was just trying to keep his teammates from looking at him like he was some kind of freak...’
But who would have thought that after his little science lesson, everyone would be even more convinced that knowledge is power and admire him all the more for it.
The poor little piglet, having had two vials of blood drawn, now lay limply and motionless at Xie Ning’s feet.
Zhuang Xinyi, clutching a delicate designer handbag, suddenly rushed to Xie Ning’s side. Her eyes instantly filled with tears of pity. "Xie... Xie Ning, if... if you don’t want this little piggy, could you give it to me?"
"It’s so pitiful! If you don’t like it, can you please not hurt it?"
As she spoke, she bent down to cradle the bruised and battered piglet.
Xie Ning felt blinded by the "Holy Mother" halo radiating from her and quickly retracted her foot.
However, the little piglet she was trying to lovingly protect didn’t seem to appreciate the gesture at all.
With a kick, it left two grimy hoof prints on her arm, then rolled over to Xie Ning’s side and clamped its mouth onto her pant leg.
Xie Ning frowned and shook her leg twice, but she couldn’t dislodge the little pig.
The little piglet clung to her leg for dear life, refusing to let go, just whining and swinging back and forth as she walked.
"Sis, I think this pig has taken a liking to you!" Song Kexin’s comment successfully made the others crack up.
But one look at the young woman’s deadpan face had them all suppressing their smiles and quietly getting back to work.
Zhuang Xinyi stood up, her face scrunched in confusion.
She didn’t understand. Why was it that after Xie Ning had hurt, kicked, and struck the piglet, it was now acting so affectionately toward her, while completely ignoring her own kind gesture of help?
"Ah, this Mutant piglet can probably sense the superpower fluctuations within the human body," Yu Tianfeng said with a laugh as he followed. "Ningning, it probably thinks your aura is similar to its own. It likely sees you as one of its kind."
Xie Ning: ??
Everyone: ...
"HAHAHAHAHA." That girl Song Kexin burst out laughing, not very tactfully.
Song Shijun stifled his own laughter and nudged her with his elbow.
Su Xiyue covered her mouth, giggling. She couldn’t resist crouching down to pet the little piglet hanging from her cousin’s leg.
Meanwhile, a devastated Zhuang Xinyi’s face had turned deathly pale.
’So, even pigs look down on ordinary people without superpowers?’
’Mutant pigs only like other mutants, and they don’t even give ordinary humans a second glance? Is that it?’
Xu Ling walked over to her and put a sympathetic arm around her. "Xinyi, don’t be so upset. The piglet is cute, but I don’t think we can afford to raise it anyway."
Tears streamed down Zhuang Xinyi’s face. Feeling wronged and miserable, she said, "I just wanted to help it."
’To think that even a pig would look down on someone as helpless as her.’
’It would rather be abused by the strong than accept help from the weak... is that it?’
"Hey, look! There’s food in here!" Zheng Feina exclaimed happily as she pried open a trunk.
The others rushed forward, grabbing whatever they could and stuffing it into their backpacks.
Zhao Yanran wanted to rush in and grab something too, but she was shoved aside by Zha Peng and his group. Unable to get anywhere near the trunk, she could only grind her teeth in frustration.
She had also tried to talk to Zhao Yingying, who was with Li Dawei’s team. But after calling out to Zhao Yingying several times, only to be completely ignored, she finally got the message.
’That cousin of hers wanted nothing to do with her!’
’What a heartless little bitch,’ Zhao Yanran cursed inwardly.
In contrast to the chaotic mess of ulterior motives within Zheng Heng’s team, Xie Ning’s group had already forced their way through another section of the highway and were back in their vehicle, pressing onward.
Xie Ning tossed the little Mutant piglet into a basin and summoned two Water Balls to rinse it off.
She had originally planned to just toss the little pig out, but Yu Tianfeng had insisted they bring it along. He said they could study its growth and mutation patterns, and it would be convenient for drawing blood at any time...
After being washed clean, the piglet’s small, dark eyes stared intently at her.
Its fur was also very strange, growing in colorful patches of green and other bright hues.
Yueyue and Nanxing, on the other hand, absolutely adored the little piglet. They couldn’t stop petting its head, completely smitten.
Xie Ning poked it. "Since you’re a Mutant pig, what’s your superpower?"
’When it dodged her trap earlier, it had shrunk to the size of a teacup. That probably doesn’t count as a superpower, does it?’
The little piglet let out a squeal, gave a little shake, and leaped into Xie Ning’s arms. The moment it did, the colorful patches of its fur abruptly changed.
They shifted to match the color of Xie Ning’s clothes perfectly. When it held still in her embrace, you couldn’t even see the little pig’s head.
"A color-changing superpower?"
"There’s more," Yu Tianfeng said, his eyes wide with amazement.
And sure enough, under everyone’s curious gaze, the little ball of a piglet slowly faded from view.