Chapter 172: The Su Father and Daughter
Half a month later, Qiu Tieyi, Li Hu, and the others had completed their bloodline modification.
Afterward, under Zhou Ming’s guidance, the Snake King Body was also entered one after another, and the Snake Guards could be considered to have officially taken shape.
However, if the Snake Guards wanted to fully unleash their combat power, they still had to be equipped with advanced combat suits and Thunder Type-2 Revolvers.
Otherwise, relying solely on physical strength, they were not yet qualified to confront Ferocious Beasts head-on.
As for these pieces of equipment, Zhou Ming did not plan to purchase them through the Han Family. After all, some things still could not be made known to the Han Family.
Therefore, on this trip to Yunhai Base, he planned to purchase all the equipment required by the Snake Guards in one go.
Just as Zhou Ming was preparing to set out, Lu Tao brought him a pleasant surprise.
Among the Wildfolk that Lin Hai had taken in, while compiling statistics, Lu Tao discovered that one of them had once been a biology professor at Yuhu Base University.
Because Zhou Ming had been busy modifying the bloodlines of Qiu Tieyi and the others, Lu Tao had temporarily not reported this matter to Zhou Ming.
Inside the living room, Zhou Ming flipped through the detailed资料 Lu Tao had delivered.
This time, Lin Hai had brought back a total of fifty-three people, while another forty-five had resisted during the incorporation process and were killed by the field squad Lin Hai led.
Of the fifty-three, there were thirty-one males and twenty-two females, with seventeen children and youths under the age of sixteen.
However, what Zhou Ming cared about most was the biology professor Lu Tao had mentioned.
Su Ningfeng, fifty-three years old, had been a university biology professor at Yuhu Medium-sized Base ten years ago.
Because his wife had suffered from a terminal illness, in order to save her life, he had privately conducted genetic research and human experimentation.
After being discovered by the Alliance authorities, he was ultimately sentenced to exile.
When leaving the base, he had obtained his daughter’s consent and brought her with him to wander the wilderness.
Due to his expertise in producing biological toxins, he had relied on this skill to escape life-and-death crises many times over the past ten years.
“Bring Su Ningfeng over.”
After understanding Su Ningfeng’s background, Zhou Ming was extremely interested in this rare scientific research talent, though he did not know whether the other party had forgotten how to make a living.
“Yes, sir.”
Ever since being reprimanded by Zhou Ming last time, coupled with the great increase in strength of Qiu Tieyi and the others, Lu Tao had also felt that his position was unstable.
Now, not only did he train bitterly in martial arts and firearm shooting, but he also became even more respectful when facing Zhou Ming.
After saluting Zhou Ming, Lu Tao hurriedly ran out of the living room.
Not long after, Zhou Ming saw Lu Tao leading a man and a woman into the living room.
The man had white hair all over his head, looking like an old rural farmer, with dark, rough skin.
The woman was in her twenties, with a fit build like a hunting leopard, wheat-colored skin, short hair, and ordinary looks, yet she exuded a hint of sharp competence.
“Sir, this is Su Ningfeng, and beside him is his daughter, Su Mei.”
“Su Ningfeng insisted on bringing his daughter, even threatening with his life, so…”
“It’s fine. A fierce tiger begets no weak cub. I believe the old gentleman’s daughter is also an outstanding talent.”
Regarding Su Ningfeng’s actions, Zhou Ming did not blame Lu Tao. The more the other party valued his daughter, the easier it would be to control him.
“Sir, you flatter me. May I ask why you summoned this old man?”
“Lu Tao, you may withdraw first.”
“Yes.”
After sending Lu Tao away, Zhou Ming continued his conversation with Su Ningfeng.
“Professor Su, what do you think of this place?”
“It is thousands of times better than anywhere I stayed before.”
Su Ningfeng looked around. The scene before his eyes was something he had only been able to see when he was in a base ten years ago.
“As long as Professor Su likes it. Unfortunately, I do not keep useless people here. I heard you were a university biology professor and had once researched genetics, so I would like you to help me complete some experiments.”
“Human experimentation?”
“There may be some. After all, certain things cannot be avoided. You wouldn’t want your daughter to wander the wilderness for her entire life, would you?”
“I am willing to follow your orders, sir.”
Regarding human experimentation, Su Ningfeng did not show much resistance. After all, life in the wilderness had long since worn away the conscience in his heart.
Especially when it involved his daughter, he would naturally seize the opportunity before him.
“Very good.”
Seeing that Su Ningfeng accepted his invitation, Zhou Ming’s gaze shifted to Su Mei at the side.
“Su Mei, you should be a Beast Tamer, and on you I also sense a familiar aura.”
“Can you tell me what it is?”
Zhou Ming stood before Su Mei, who seemed to have almost no presence, his upper body leaning slightly forward as if sniffing the unique aura on her body.
In the next instant, Su Mei’s figure swayed, and she silently appeared behind Zhou Ming, her right hand formed into a blade, ghostlike as it reached toward Zhou Ming’s neck.
At the same time, a flash of cold light passed, and a Sword-tailed Lizard unexpectedly appeared in the living room, its sharp tail sweeping toward Zhou Ming.
However, such an attack was completely useless against Zhou Ming. An Ironthread Snake drilled out from Zhou Ming’s collar, tightly coiling around Su Mei’s right hand.
As for Su Mei’s Phantasmal Beast, the Sword-tailed Lizard, Zhou Ming only needed to extend his left hand to easily grip its tail, preventing it from advancing even an inch.
“So that’s how it is. Beast Tamer plus assassin. Professor Su, your daughter is truly a genius.”
Zhou Ming released Su Mei and the Sword-tailed Lizard. The other party did not continue attacking, but instead recalled her Phantasmal Beast and stood again beside her father.
“Sir, if Su Mei offended you in any way, please forgive her.”
“When I was exiled, because my daughter’s personality was too introverted, and I had no one I could trust to entrust her to, I brought her with me to drift through the wilderness.”
“Although I did not become a Beast Tamer, I did study the Basic Meditation Technique and knowledge related to Beast Taming. Under my guidance, she relied on her talent to successfully condense a Spiritual Seed.”
“Later, at a camp, relying on her ability to boil medicinal herbs, she accidentally saved a martial artist who had taken the path of assassination. During that period, the other party gave my daughter some simple instruction.”
Su Mei remained silent as Su Ningfeng immediately explained.
“She must have been concerned about your safety, so when facing Lin Hai’s incorporation, she chose not to resist.”
Zhou Ming carefully sized up Su Mei, then deduced the reason why Lin Hai had been able to bring back the Su father and daughter so smoothly.
If Su Mei had resisted with full force, with the strength of the field squad, they would have had to pay a heavy price to kill her.
If Su Mei had been willing to abandon her father and flee, Lin Hai and the others likely would not have been able to keep her either.
“Yes.”
Regarding Zhou Ming’s guess, Su Ningfeng immediately nodded in acknowledgment.
“Not only that. Back then, when you were exiled, your daughter was not. She merely chose to leave the base together with you.”
“If I am not mistaken, her fingerprints and iris should still be on record in the Alliance system. She should still be able to enter Alliance bases.”
As Zhou Ming’s sharp gaze fixed on him, Su Ningfeng hesitated for a moment before not denying Zhou Ming’s inference.
“Yes.”
“It seems I truly picked up a treasure today.”
Hearing Su Ningfeng’s answer, a trace of joy appeared on Zhou Ming’s usually indifferent expression. For such a buy-one-get-one-free deal, he was naturally very pleased.
“For now, I will not assign Su Mei a position. She will temporarily stay by your side. My requirement of you is to help me refine the genetic structure diagram of the Ironthread Snake, and at the same time conduct bloodline research on other snake-type Ferocious Beasts.”
After stating his requirements to Su Ningfeng, Zhou Ming led the Su father and daughter to his laboratory.