Chapter 13: Seal Off This Place!
Page 1 of 3
“Clang! Clang!”
As they spoke, the mutated monster once again slammed violently against the iron cage.
It gripped the bars with its claws, as though it intended to wrench them apart. To their astonishment, the bars began to bend slightly.
The sight startled them all. The creature’s strength was astonishing.
“Could it actually break out?” Wu Rui asked in alarm.
“We absolutely cannot let it destroy the cage!” Dong Chen shouted. “This is a school. If we let a monster loose, how many students could be injured?”
“Let me handle it!”
He Xingzhou found a box and tossed a dead fish inside. “There’s a sedative in the fish’s stomach,” he explained. “It should keep the creature quiet for a while.”
The moment the dead fish landed inside, the mutated monster tore into it and swallowed it whole. The sedative took effect quickly, and the creature grew somewhat calmer.
Wu Rui draped the black cloth back over the outside of the cage. With the cage concealed, the mutated monster finally settled down completely.
“Call the police! Right now!” Zhang Boyan said. “No matter how this incident is classified, we absolutely cannot leave this monster here unattended. Let the police restrain it first!”
“Right, call the police!” Dong Chen took a deep breath. “Old Zhang, contact the campus security office and report this to the police.”
“I’ll contact the biology professors and have them come examine the situation!”
“And until we know exactly what this is, the matter must be kept confidential, so we don’t cause panic among the students!”
“As for you students, don’t stay here any longer. It’s dangerous. Go outside for now, but don’t leave campus. Wait for further instructions!”
“Yes, we’ll do as you say,” He Xingzhou replied.
The two men immediately took action. Zhang Boyan went to find campus security and contact the police, while Dong Chen went to report the incident to the university authorities.
He Xingzhou also sent a message to his roommates’ group chat:
“Brothers, don’t wait for me for dinner. Also, stay away from the biology laboratory building later. We don’t want to get dragged into any unnecessary trouble.”
Wang Jiahao: “???”
Feng Tao: “Old He’s got a date!”
Zhang Yang: “What happened at the biology laboratory building?”
He Xingzhou had no time to reply. There was still a great deal to do.
For now, the university could only prevent the monster from escaping. Ultimately, the biology professors would have to accept He Xingzhou’s model of insectoid genetic evolution and report it to the National Security Bureau.
In less than ten minutes, campus security came rushing over.
Page 2 of 3
The campus broadcasting system crackled to life:
“Attention. The biology laboratory building is undergoing equipment maintenance. All faculty and students in the building are requested to leave immediately.”
“Attention. The biology laboratory building…”
Many faculty members and students were still conducting experiments or attending classes. Upon hearing the announcement, they were utterly bewildered.
“Equipment maintenance? Since when? Why weren’t we informed in advance?”
“This is so annoying. I’m only halfway through my experiment!”
“Students, let’s leave for now.”
The teachers had also received the notice. The university administration had ordered every instructor to end class and lead their students outside.
Campus security received orders from the administration as well. They surrounded the biology laboratory building with barricades, allowing people to leave but forbidding anyone from entering.
Students passing by gathered nearby, whispering curiously.
“What’s going on? Why have they cordoned off the laboratory building?”
“I have no idea. I was in the middle of an experiment when security threw me out!”
“What happened? Did someone jump from the roof?”
“I didn’t see anything. Could there have been an accident?”
“Something definitely happened. Does anyone know what?”
One student took out a phone and began taking pictures.
“The biology laboratory building? Didn’t the forum say someone was conducting biological experiments in there?” another student remarked. “Wasn’t it that He Xingzhou?”
“He Xingzhou? You mean that guy?” Someone pointed toward the building, where several security guards were speaking with He Xingzhou.
“He really is there! Could what they said on the forum actually be true?” a student exclaimed.
“No way. Is he really that reckless? That sounds completely absurd!”
The students remained full of doubt.
Meanwhile, in the president’s office, University President Liu Yuan was equally astonished.
“What did you say? There’s a monster in the laboratory—a mutated monster?”
“Old Dong, you’re not joking with me, are you?”
Dong Chen spoke urgently. “Do I look like I’m in the mood to joke? Zhang Boyan and I saw it with our own eyes just now! That monster is connected to some kind of genetic virus or something. It poses a threat to national security!”
“We have to take action immediately. If something goes wrong, it’ll be too late. I’ve already called the police and had security evacuate the students!”
His expression was utterly serious. He clearly was not pretending.
Liu Yuan rose to his feet. “Something like this has happened? I’m going to take a look!”
Page 3 of 3
Dong Chen reminded him again, “President, this isn’t something amateurs like us can figure out. We need to summon the biology experts from the biology department immediately!”
“Good. Call them in!”
Liu Yuan immediately contacted Song Jinghong, dean of the School of Biology, a renowned biologist and academician of the National Academy of Sciences.
“What? A mutated monster has appeared in the biology laboratory building?”
Song Jinghong was not on campus at the time. He was at a research institute, and Liu Yuan’s call left him puzzled.
“How could there be a monster in the laboratory building? As far as I remember, the university does have a research group studying mutated organisms. Isn’t this perfectly normal? Do you want me to bring some people over to investigate?”
“I haven’t seen it myself yet,” Liu Yuan replied, “but Dong Chen insists that you must come in person. He says it concerns national security!”
Hearing the gravity of the situation, Song Jinghong immediately said, “Very well. I’ll head over at once!”
“Xiao Liu, bring the car around. We’re going back to Capital University of Science and Technology!” he ordered his secretary.
At the same time, the police precinct responsible for the area around Capital University of Science and Technology received the university’s emergency call.
“A monster has appeared on your campus?” The dispatcher sounded puzzled. “What kind of monster could there be at a university? A wild boar?”
The campus was enormous and even contained several hills. Wild boars had appeared there in the past.
“No, it’s a ferocious beast—a man-eating beast!” the caller replied. “It’s difficult to explain over the phone. It’s in the laboratory building and could harm students at any moment. Please send people immediately and restrain it!”
“Understood. We’ll dispatch officers at once,” the dispatcher said.
The dispatcher contacted not only the police but also the forestry bureau. Their personnel were the specialists when it came to dealing with dangerous wild animals.
Less than ten minutes later, police cars arrived on campus with their sirens wailing.
A group of armed officers came to the scene and began questioning the bystanders.
The moment He Xingzhou saw their weapons, he hurriedly said to Zhang Boyan, “Professor, we absolutely cannot let them shoot Black Sea Bream Number Two! It’s vital biological evidence. It has to be preserved for the authorities to study!”
Zhang Boyan nodded. “You’re right. We can’t let them kill the monster. I’ll speak with them immediately.”
He went straight to the police captain.
“Comrade, I’m the one who reported the incident. I’m a physics professor at the university. Let me explain what happened.”
The officers were still completely confused. When they saw him approach, they quickly asked, “Hello. Could you tell us exactly what happened here? Where is the beast?”