Chapter 392 - 364: Subdue
Wu Shanqi turned at the sound of the voice.
"Old Zhao?"
Wu Shanqi never expected to run into his old college roommate here.
Zhao Pu chuckled and walked over, patting Wu Shanqi’s shoulder warmly. "Long time no see. Fancy meeting you here. That must have been a scare."
"I’m okay. I wasn’t really that scared..."
Wu Shanqi’s lips trembled. He surveyed his surroundings, a pained look on his face. "Where are we? Are we still on Earth?"
"Definitely not. You won’t find centipedes this big on Earth." Zhao Pu smiled. "Since we’re here, we have to make the best of it. Don’t even think about going back. We’ve been here for a few months and haven’t found a single clue on how to return."
"A few months? But didn’t you guys just arrive last week?" Wu Shanqi was filled with questions.
"Last week? We’ve been here for at least three months." Zhao Pu paused, then chuckled. "Probably a time difference."
’Time difference, my ass...’
"Alright, we’re here on a mission. You’re a doctor here, so you should know the layout, right? You lead the way. Where should we start the cleanup?"
"Uh, just me? Shouldn’t we get my director? He’d know the place better than I do." Wu Shanqi hesitated, the pressure of leading the way already weighing on him.
"No need. It’ll be you," Zhao Pu said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Then, he added meaningfully, "Are you sure you want to pass up this opportunity? This isn’t Earth. Everything is starting over. I’m not asking you because of our old connection, but because you were the first doctor to make it down from the second floor."
Wu Shanqi was taken aback. ’Was I the first doctor to make it down from the second floor?’
He hadn’t even noticed.
...
"Chairman Qin, here are the results of the initial sweep. The hospital is now under our preliminary control."
"Our investigation shows that this hospital is a ’rookie building’ that has just transmigrated. Their arrival time was only a week apart from ours, which suggests the flow of time is not synchronized between our points of origin." Zhao Pu presented a roster with both hands.
"Mm." Qin Ziwen accepted the roster but didn’t look at it, instead placing it on a nearby table. "Where did those bugs come from?"
Zhao Pu replied, "Our reconnaissance found that they crawled out of a cave behind the hospital. We found signs of insect life near the cave, so it’s likely their nest. Our arrival probably stirred them up, causing the centipedes to enter the hospital."
Cao Biansheng approached, carrying a five-meter-long centipede. "Chairman Qin, these aren’t ordinary insects. They’re incredibly durable and have tenacious Life Energy. Even when cut into pieces, they don’t die right away. We need to be careful when hunting them."
"So this is the monster that attacked the hospital." Qin Ziwen examined the centipede. Its head had been severed and its tail chopped off. A long gash had been sliced open its abdomen, from which a viscous, light-green fluid oozed, emitting a foul stench.
He used Insight on it.
[Common · Gnawerjaw Underground Centipede: Three Stars]
Just a common Three-Star life form.
This meant that even this five-meter-long centipede was only considered a normally strong individual.
It was far from reaching its peak, meaning it could still grow larger.
Given that insects undergo metamorphosis, with enough resources and time, it was only a matter of time before it could reach Five Stars.
A single centipede was no threat, but they were underground.
At this thought, Qin Ziwen’s brow furrowed.
Insects never rely on individual strength to win.
They rely on numbers.
He had a vague inkling of where the true danger of this map lay.
It was strange. The Hunting Celestial List that had been present in the last two maps hadn’t appeared this time.
The newly integrated rookie Tuiyuan had already appeared, but their potential partners for cooperation were nowhere to be seen.
’Perhaps they aren’t nearby.’
"Chairman Qin, would you like to go to the hospital for a check-up?"
"A check-up?" Qin Ziwen was puzzled.
Zhao Pu explained, "Yes. A batch of medical equipment came with the hospital when it transmigrated. There’s a backup diesel generator, so the devices are still functional for now, but they won’t be for long."
"It’s not just the generator. Much of the equipment can’t receive regular maintenance, and combined with the effects of the underground environment, it all has a limited shelf life."
"Let’s give it a try." Qin Ziwen thought it was a good idea. "There should be others in the Alliance who’ve been injured. Make a list, and let’s take this opportunity to have everyone get checked out."
Zhao Pu understood immediately. "Yes, sir."
...
「In the first-floor lobby of the hospital.」
Wu Shanqi was surrounded by a dozen figures in white coats, many of whom were department directors and specialists he once had to look up to.
Now, all their faces were filled with almost fervent concern, their words laced with a familiarity and respect he had never received before.
Wu Shanqi knew the reason for this was his old classmate.
In this organization called the Qin Alliance, his old classmate seemed to hold a rather high position.
"Xiaowu, I always knew you were destined for great things! When it mattered most, you were the one we could count on!"
"These centipedes are no simple matter. No creature like this has ever existed on Earth. I reckon we’re not on Earth anymore."
"I think it’s still possible we’re on Earth," an older doctor offered. "If this were another world, why would there be centipedes? Why not creatures with completely different forms?"
"No, no, Director Zhou. Have you heard of convergent evolution? On Earth, sometimes a species goes extinct, only for a new, distantly related organism to inexplicably evolve an almost identical body structure and appearance many years later."
"It’s not always about what they want to look like. Rather, the environment they live in determines their underlying genetic code."
"The environment shapes life forms. As long as the laws of physics and chemistry are similar, the optimal solution for carbon-based life will be convergent. So, it’s perfectly normal for the animals here to resemble centipedes," a bald deputy director nearby interjected with his own theory.
"I think I get it," an attending physician’s eyes lit up as he offered an analogy. "It’s like when a game gets a new update. At first, there are all sorts of playstyles, but eventually, everyone agrees that there are only one or two ’builds’ that are the strongest. The environment is the ’meta for this version’."
As the group was discussing, the sound of approaching footsteps was heard.
"What’s all the lively discussion about?" Zhao Pu said with a smile as he walked over.
Hearing his voice, the group of doctors focused their attention on Zhao Pu.
But soon, their gazes shifted to the "unremarkable" young man standing beside him.
From the moment they walked in, everything from Zhao Pu’s posture and position to his expression when he spoke made it clear that the true leader of the group was the young man beside him.
Zhao Pu said, "Allow me to introduce everyone. This is the leader of our Qin Alliance, Chairman Qin Ziwen."
Following Zhao Pu’s introduction, the doctors all began to speak.
"Mr. Qin."
"Hello, Chairman Qin!"
...
...