Chapter 55: Experimental Team Notes

There was nothing unusual in the mortuary.

Then why did the power suddenly go out?

Was it caused by his sudden intrusion?

Fang Heng turned on the survival radio to contact Haozhou.

Fang Heng: The power suddenly went out here. What's the situation on your end?

Haozhou: Everything is normal. Kunta has learned electronic equipment manufacturing skills; he just tried to dismantle some useful items from the generator set, and after he took them apart, the generator stopped working.

"False alarm, the power went out on their side."

Fang Heng breathed a sigh of relief and gestured toward the iron door with his chin.

"I'm going to see what's behind that door. You cover me from behind."

"Mm."

Kunba nodded in understanding.

Fang Heng walked ahead, approaching the iron door cautiously.

No matter what was inside, he would just blast it with a shotgun when the time came!

Due to the power outage, the original electronic lock on the iron door had also lost its effectiveness.

Fang Heng twisted the door handle, and the door pushed open easily.

So cold!

A gust of freezing air rushed at him, making Fang Heng shiver uncontrollably.

Is the air conditioning set this low here?

Fang Heng felt as if he had entered a cold storage room.

The room was pitch black, so Fang Heng shone his flashlight into the space.

The flashlight beam was blocked by a mass of green plant branches and leaves ahead, preventing Fang Heng from seeing the full layout of the room.

Fang Heng could sense that the room was quite large, and at first glance, it looked like a large-scale laboratory.

But what was the deal with these planted green plants?

They were growing far too well; the lush foliage almost blocked the path ahead.

"Fang Heng, these plants aren't right. Be careful."

Kunba stood guard at the door, using his flashlight to provide illumination for Fang Heng.

"Mm."

Fang Heng nodded and took two steps into the room.

He had noticed it too.

He sensed danger from these plants.

Fang Heng didn't dare get too close; he stopped about ten meters away from the plants and began searching the experimental tables.

There was a small booklet on an experimental table.

[Experimental Team Notes — Team Leader: Xue Zhibin].

Found it!

Fang Heng immediately picked up the booklet and began to read.

[12.12].

The impact of government intervention is greater than imagined.

On the surface, the company is facing heavy fines, and all research projects related to the T-Virus have come to a complete standstill.

The government has seized and cleared all relevant research data and materials.

However, in reality, they cannot obtain the true data at all.

During the biochemical crisis outbreak in S City three years ago, we had already collected a vast amount of raw data.

Our level of research into the T-Virus is much deeper than they imagine.

The supervisor explicitly told me that the experiments will continue.

[2.10].

Assigned by the company, I have led the team to the Hope Town Community Hospital to continue researching the new mutated virus.

The director of the community hospital is one of our sponsors; he has been supporting our research in secret.

As early as three years ago when the virus project began, the Hope Town Community Hospital had already been set up as one of the company's secret research sites.

The director will provide our team with full support.

[2.30].

The laboratory environment is even worse than I imagined.

We need to purchase a large amount of equipment, and some specialized equipment needs to be custom-ordered from the company and shipped here.

The hospital mortuary is actually quite good; there is a continuous supply of corpses to provide us for physical research.

The director will handle all the trouble for us; we only need to focus on the research.

Thanks to the director for his support of our company.

[3.13].

1. Using the T-Virus can infect normal plants. In our research on the resulting mutated lifeforms, we found that the T-Virus combines best with Devil Vines. We have named the infected plant bodies "Corpse Vines."

2. Corpse Vines are different from ordinary plants; they possess powerful vitality and exhibit extreme aggression.

3. Corpse Vines cannot move, but they seem to possess some basic overreaction capabilities; the vines can contract a certain distance in a very short amount of time.

[3.17].

1. It is currently impossible to determine whether Corpse Vines possess thinking abilities, the ability to perceive pain, or memory.

2. Research on Corpse Vines is temporarily suspended; the company has ordered us to immediately enter the next stage.

3. Next, we will attempt to react Corpse Vines with corpses. It is said that such phenomena occurred during the biochemical crisis in S City three years ago.

[3.29].

1. There has been a breakthrough in the experiment; reproduction was successful. We have obtained a lifeform consisting of an abnormal combination of mutated plant bodies and corpses. (Specific procedures will be recorded in the experimental duty logs).

2. After the corpse is resurrected, it forms a lifeform similar to a zombie. This mutation is distinct from the intense mutation seen in animals and is very difficult to control; their mobility is extremely slow.

3. A new lifeform that is half-human, half-plant? Or is the plant itself using the corpse as a carrier?

[4.5].

1. It is parasitism. We discovered that the Corpse Vine completely occupies the corpse's brain and completely "digests" the host's head within seven days. Afterward, the Corpse Vine "takes over the nest," controlling the corpse to move.

(The process is very bloody; the corpse's head will burst open on its own, and a plant-like tentacle will grow out from the neck).

2. We need more samples for testing.

3. To allow for focused experimentation, the director has agreed to let us temporarily seal off the mortuary.

[4.30].

1. We will temporarily refer to the zombies parasitized by Corpse Vines as "Corpse Vine Parasites."

2. Corpse Vine Parasites are quite sensitive to temperature and light. They do not like being exposed to intense sunlight, but after actual observation, we concluded that even after long periods of sunlight exposure, the Corpse Vine Parasites only exhibit dehydration.

3. In environments below 15 degrees Celsius, the activity of Corpse Vine Parasites drops significantly.

4. When the temperature is below 5 degrees Celsius, Corpse Vine Parasites will enter a state of dormancy.

There were a few more pages in the log; it wasn't completely finished.

But seeing this, Fang Heng suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He understood instantly.

Damn it!

It's the temperature!

Everything is related to the temperature!

The drop in temperature can cause the Corpse Vine Parasites to enter a temporary state of dormancy!

No wonder the temperature in the mortuary is so low!

No wonder the hospital's backup generator prioritizes the power supply to the basement!

Fang Heng immediately thought of the corpses lying scattered on the floor in the mortuary with their heads burst open.

They weren't dead.

They were just dormant Corpse Vine Parasites!

Now that the backup power is lost and the cooling in the mortuary has failed...

That means the things hidden in the mortuary will revive!

It's dangerous!

"Quick! Get out of here first!"

Fang Heng shouted, tucked the booklet away, and turned to lead Kunba out of the room.

Just as the two returned to the mortuary, two zombies were slowly crawling up from the ground, blocking the entrance to the mortuary.

The temperature at the entrance was the highest! They were the first to wake from dormancy!

Eerie, constantly writhing plant vines protruded from the zombies' broken necks.

They tangled and entwined with each other, eventually forming a twisted mass.

(End of Chapter)