Chapter Fifty-Seven: Suspicion and Decision

“No, not really. We came here mainly to remind you of something: based on what we know so far, that beast's temperament is likely vengeful. It failed the first time, so there's a good chance it will try again...” The man in casual clothes shook his head as he spoke.

“Also, here's my personal contact information. If anything happens, call me immediately. We're living nearby and can get here as quickly as possible.” As he spoke, the man handed over a postcard he had pulled from his pocket.

The card was remarkably simple, without even a name or title—just a contact number. However, the material was quite good, with a laminated coating to prevent creasing and water damage.

“Thank you, that's very considerate of you,” Fang Zhuowei said, pursing his lips and accepting the card, not refusing the gesture.

“No need for thanks!” The man nodded and, after leaving a few brief words of caution, hurried away.

“Strange, according to the micro-cameras installed nearby, the last time that beast appeared was around this Fang fellow's place. Could it simply have vanished into thin air?” Turning a corner, the tallest and burliest man couldn't help but voice his thoughts.

They had installed many micro-cameras here to monitor the beast's movements. The footage showed its last appearance was near Fang's house.

“What’s really frustrating is that the beast not only passed through but also tore down our cameras. Otherwise, it would’ve been much easier to track it. Now we’re running around like headless chickens!” The burly man scratched his head and complained.

“By the way, did either of you notice that Fang suddenly has a phoenix tree in his yard? Judging from its size, the tree must be at least a thousand years old.” The man in casual clothes, leading the way, spoke with a meaningful tone.

“Really?” The burly man and the blond kid exchanged looks and shook their heads in unison.

A giant phoenix tree? How could they have missed it?!

“You two!” The man in casual clothes pressed his hand to his forehead, feeling a surge of exasperation.

He was almost embarrassed to be associated with them.

“Yun, what’s so strange about a new tree? Maybe he just planted it,” the blond kid said carelessly, pulling a lollipop from his chest pocket that was bigger than his face.

“We’ve been here every day. Did you see any trucks hauling trees pass by?” the man in casual clothes countered.

“Team leader, do you mean Fang planted a phoenix tree behind our backs?” The burly man looked surprised.

“That tree is dozens of meters tall and weighs at least ten tons. You’d need a specialized truck and crane to move it. My point is, Fang may not be as simple as he seems.” The man rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated.

“But Zhang Ya said he’s just an ordinary guy, useless at that,” the burly man protested.

“From what I’ve gathered, Fang only recently returned home, and right at this critical moment, an unidentified-class beast appeared in Anping Town. Doesn't that all seem too coincidental to you?” He stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Besides, Zhang Ya hasn’t seen her cousin for four or five years. Her judgment is based only on old impressions—it’s for reference, not fact.

He had already looked into it: apart from Fang Zhuowei, there was no one else nearby. The last footage of the beast showed it headed toward Fang’s house. With its vengeful nature, it would certainly have come.

Yet all clues ended there, which meant one of two things: either the beast never went there, only faked it, or Fang was hiding something.

He favored the second option, though he couldn’t say why—it was pure intuition.

“Da Zhuang, install another micro-camera here in the next few days, and make sure it covers Fang Zhuowei’s daily activities. I want to know what he does every day…” After a brief pause, he turned to the burly man and the blond kid.

“Don’t worry, team leader. I’ll get it done,” the burly man promised, patting his chest.

“Yun, what about me?” the blond kid asked.

“You? Just keep chewing your lollipop,” the man in casual clothes joked.

Fang Zhuowei was unaware that he had caught the experts’ attention.

After seeing the man leave, he headed straight to the back mountain.

The Dragon Civilization was still evolving—a vast and lengthy “project.” Even with time sped up to the maximum, there was little progress in the short term.

But the Biochemical Civilization caught his eye.

After just a day, it had already produced a fruit of civilization. The fruit hung suspended in midair, glowing red—like an overripe peach.

Fang Zhuowei’s face lit up with delight; he plucked the fruit and ate it in a few bites.

He had to admit, the taste was indeed peach-like, but crisper, sweeter, and juicier.

In a few gulps, he swallowed it down.

The effects of the fruit began to manifest...

“This ability?” After a moment, as he sensed the changes in his body, Fang Zhuowei was slightly surprised.

The fruit’s power was immunity to all influenza viruses.

A rather trivial but genuinely useful effect.

But it was far from what Fang Zhuowei had imagined.

Still, he was not discouraged.

The Biochemical Civilization was fueled by the essence extracted from the ancestor flower virus, and he had only coughed and released some flu virus.

Trying to create a terrifying Biochemical Civilization from mere flu virus was a bit too fanciful.

After absorbing the fruit that granted immunity to all flu viruses, Fang Zhuowei picked up a shovel and a hammer and opened up a new plot of land—about an acre—beside yesterday’s vegetable field.

This was mainly for sowing wheat.

As for rice, he would need a separate plot, preferably near a water source.