Chapter 68 Evolution or Progression?

The Middle-aged man was scared out of his wits; scrambling on all fours, he was actually moving faster than those merfolk!

Zhou Yan did not hesitate; he grabbed the Middle-aged man, took a half-step sideways, and raised his gun...

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The pungent smell of gunpowder mixed with a thick, earthy odor filled the narrow space.

The merfolk behind them were quite intelligent; seeing that the black rod in Zhou Yan's hand could unleash such terrifying power, they actually turned around and ran downstairs.

How could Zhou Yan let these super blind boxes get away?

With a firm lift, he hoisted Zhuang Yan up, and she hung onto his chest like a koala, while he strode off in pursuit of the merfolk downstairs...

The floor above was full of refugees, and Zhou Yan didn't feel comfortable leaving the weakened Zhuang Yan alone there.

Zhuang Yan wrapped her arms around Zhou Yan's neck, her legs clamped tightly around his waist. Even so, she had no strength, and Zhou Yan still had to support her bottom with his hand...

Hanging on Zhou Yan, she rested her head gently on his shoulder, feeling completely safe...

Only Zhou Yan was suffering...

He could only take a couple of deep breaths when the wind was blowing in his face!

He didn't dare take even one extra breath!

He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he'd get a mouthful of jasmine scent...

After all, this wasn't the right time for that sort of thing...

He looted the bodies while chasing them.

By the time they reached the 6th Floor, the few remaining merfolk had jumped into the water, and Zhou Yan finally gave up. He had no choice; he still had a person hanging on him...

His movements were somewhat restricted.

[super blind box: 27]

Adding the merfolk that Zhuang Yan had helped him "fish" up earlier, Zhou Yan had obtained a total of twenty-seven super blind boxes. Now he wouldn't have to worry about supplies and weapons!

When Zhou Yan returned to the eighth floor with the little koala still on him, the corridor was a mess. The Middle-aged man was squatting beside a merfolk corpse, his hands covered in plastic bags he'd found somewhere, turning the corpse over and over to examine something...

Zhou Yan placed Zhuang Yan by the window where it was well-ventilated.

Zhuang Yan's instruction manual: "Must be kept in a cool, well-ventilated place... Try not to let her sweat..."

The Middle-aged man heard the movement behind him and turned his head, but his hands didn't stop moving...

"Thank you for saving my life, brother. My name is Professor Li Guoming."

The Middle-aged man's voice was still trembling slightly, but his eyes had regained their composure. He offered Zhou Yan a forced smile.

Zhou Yan felt that his name was strangely familiar, and even his appearance felt recognizable... but he couldn't place where he had heard or seen him before...

"Oh!" Zhou Yan pointed his finger at Professor Li Guoming. He remembered!

Wasn't Professor Li Guoming that biological genetics expert who had been on TV before the heavy rain?

Before the heavy rain, he had published an article stating that the marine life in the country's coastal areas was in an abnormal state. After conducting dissections, he said those organisms contained highly carcinogenic substances and advised the public not to eat seafood for the time being... and then he was cyberbullied for over a month...

Seeing the look on Zhou Yan's face as he recognized him, Professor Li Guoming sighed.

"How is it, Professor Li? Any new research findings?" Zhou Yan asked curiously.

Professor Li Guoming's expression didn't look good, because he couldn't tell if Zhou Yan was genuinely asking him or mocking him...

But he was a researcher after all and wasn't good at social interaction. He took off the plastic bags from his hands, threw them out the window, and slowly said, "The degree of adaptation in these monsters is very high, and their adaptability is even faster. If humans cannot keep up with the speed of their adaptation, I'm afraid our living space will gradually shrink or even disappear..."

"Adaptation? Isn't it evolution?" Zhou Yan asked with a frown.

"Evolution refers to the progressive developmental process of life from simple to complex, from low-level to high-level. These creatures have even had their logical thinking erased, so how can you call it evolution?

Adaptation refers to this random, non-directional natural process of adjustment. It is an adaptation forced by drastic changes in the living environment. Of course, the final result of this adaptation could be progress, or it could be regression..."

Professor Li Guoming let out a long sigh, his face full of exhaustion.

"Their changes are caused by extreme environmental shifts, not autonomous evolution. From a biological perspective, this is an adaptation process, though I am not sure if it was the highly toxic substances in the rainwater that triggered this adaptation process..."

Professor Li Guoming pointed to the reflective scales on the merfolk: "Nature is very fair, but this fairness is not kindness; it is an almost cold and ruthless law of adaptability...

For us humans, those with strong adaptability will be able to gradually accept the mysterious substances in the rainwater, just like developing resistance after long-term use of antibiotics...

Those with weak adaptability will die or turn into these monsters..."

Professor Li Guoming looked up, his tone serious: "I have truly been rained on many times, and have even survived by eating fish. I didn't mutate; instead, my physical constitution and mental capacity have been greatly improved. This feeling is actually a bit like evolution..."

Zhou Yan's mouth twitched...

That definitely sounds like evolution. Some of those guys who ran upstairs might even be "supermen."

"Then... have you not gained any... any powers that ordinary people don't possess? For example, controlling water, controlling fire... or flying, or something like that..." Zhou Yan asked tentatively.

Professor Li Guoming frowned, staring fixedly at Zhou Yan. He knew the man before him didn't look like he was mentally ill, and he wouldn't ask such a question out of nowhere.

The most likely possibility was that he had seen someone who possessed such powers...

Professor Li Guoming shook his head. Only his physical fitness had improved; he had not gained any such magical powers.

"You... have you seen them?" Professor Li Guoming asked tentatively.

Zhou Yan nodded, then looked with some surprise at the calm Professor Li Guoming, who showed no astonishment at all.

He didn't seem surprised at all.

Professor Li Guoming saw Zhou Yan's confusion and spoke calmly: "Electric eels, to a certain extent, can also be considered to control lightning. What's so strange about that..."

After saying that, he pursed his lips.

He moved closer to Zhou Yan...

He leaned over, his face full of hope:

"Would it be convenient to demonstrate it?"

"How did you know?" Zhou Yan was greatly surprised.

"First, you seem mentally sane...

Second, although you are curious in your speech, there is no yearning for such power in your eyes; there is only confusion and curiosity... So, would it be convenient to demonstrate it?"

"Is it a problem with my eyes? But your discernment is truly terrifying..."

"You flatter me, little brother. So, would it be convenient to demonstrate it?"

"Convenient, it's convenient!"

Zhou Yan patted Zhuang Yan on the bottom, signaling that she could get down from him...

Then Professor Li Guoming watched in amazement as Zhou Yan transitioned from his normal form, gradually turning pitch black, and then melting...

Finally merging with the dark corners on the floor...

"This... this is too magical!"

Professor Li Guoming watched with amazement as Zhou Yan turned from a puddle of ink back to his normal self...

"It's such a pity... I don't have any analytical instruments, nor do I have a biological laboratory... Otherwise, next year's Nobel Prize in Physiology would definitely be mine!"

After saying that, Professor Li Guoming added with a look of disappointment: "If the committee were still alive..."

"..." Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan took Zhuang Yan to Tongtong, who was fully armed and wearing a thick mask, and asked her to take care of Zhuang Yan. After settling Professor Li Guoming, he grabbed his gun and headed upstairs...

Time to catch some laborers!