Zhou Zi hadn't spoken all the time, and then wondered: "Professor Xiao, the weevil that has been infected with the black skeleton fungus, was it alive when it infected other weevil?"
Professor Xiao replied: "It can be said to be alive, or it can be said to be dead."
Zhou Zi said: "How to say? It's alive and dead."
Professor Xiao said: "Speaking of being alive, it is because the weevil’s tentacles and feet can move, and it is dead because the weevil’s abdomen has actually been eroded by the fungus, and the fungus’s own spores are disguised as an elephant. The abdomen of the nose worm, but despite this, the weevil does not know that it has lost its abdomen, and it will still climb to a high place and spread spores to infect the same kind.
Zhou Zi covered her mouth: "It's disgusting."
I thought to myself: "Humans mutated into zombies and night demons behave like weevils. In order to infect more people, they will bite when they see a living person. It's really scary and weird."
Professor Xiao continued: "In addition to the weevil, the black skeleton fungus can also infect crickets. The behavior of the infected cricket is completely controlled. It will find a leaf, bite it with its jaw, and finally hang and die. Cricket’s eyes grew out of them and spread around."
"What's even more unexplainable is that crickets choose a place to die, and they do not do it randomly. They will choose a suitable place, usually in the middle of the tree, which is neither high nor low. The surrounding environmental humidity is also very suitable for the growth of fungi. ."
I shook my head: "Is the fungus really so witty? It seems to be wise?"
Professor Xiao said: "It's strange, nature is so magical. The black skeleton fungus infects crickets, which is different from the weevil infection. The fungus slowly devours the cricket's brain and eats its internal organs. In the end, only one cricket remains. Empty shell."
Alice sighed, "God, I didn't expect that the situation we encountered today already existed in nature."
Everyone sighed for a while, and An Daoqiang bent down and whispered in Professor Xiao's ear: "Professor, we should go."
Professor Xiao stood up, and Alice also got up, kissed me on the forehead, and said, "Xiaoqiang, I will come to you when I have time."
Professor Xiao pointed at Zhao Zhuo and asked An Daoqiang to leave with him. In the swimming hall, only me and Ming Han were left.
The two looked at each other, and Ming Han said, "Let's go."
I nodded and saw that the fishing rod was still on the edge of the pool. I said to myself what kind of fish the old man was fishing. I walked to the edge of the pool and looked at it for a while, but there was not a single fish in the pool.
Ming Han said, "This old man is so strange, fishing in an empty pond?"
My heart said, "Maybe he wasn't fishing. It was loneliness."
On the eighth day that Minghanyuan and I returned to Huiming Community, Alice came again. This time, besides her and Zhou Wuwei, An Daoqiang also followed.
An Daoqiang said bluntly: "Professor Xiao is to treat Zhao Zhuo. He needs a weevil infected by the Black Skeleton fungus. This thing is not easy to find. We are all out of more than 100 people. You can also find it.
I thought to myself: "This is to heal Zhao Zhuo, we can naturally do it," said, "Why do we need weevil?"
An Daoqiang said: "How do I know, what Professor Xiao said, just do it, there is a park to the west of Eagle City, and Alice will lead you there to find it."
After An Daoqiang and Zhou Zi left, we drove two RVs and, under the guidance of Alice, came to Xijiao Park.
The gate of the park was open. We drove in and got out of the car. The weeds and vines everywhere were lush and comfortable, and the garden was filled with calm light, and the garden was deserted and left in the cold, like a wild land.
Zuo Wenwen said: "What does the weevil look like?"
I said: "It's easy to recognize, with a tentacled on the head, which looks like an elephant's trunk."
Alice added: "What we are looking for is an infected weevil. All you have to do is to see yellow spores on the abdomen of the insect."
Zuo Wenwen stuck his tongue out: "Finding such a bug is probably harder than finding a needle in a haystack."
Alice said, "Why send so many people?"
Zhong Xiaocheng raised his head to look at the shining sun, and said: "Such a venomous sun, please don't get heatstroke."
Lin Shuang smiled and said, "Big Brother Zhong, weevil loves cool and damp places. Just look for it under the shade of the trees or under the courtyard wall."
At the moment, seven people scattered around the garden looking for weevil.
Xijiao Park occupies a very large area. The chaotic grass under the shade of the trees is simply a kingdom of insects, but it is so easy to find a weevil infected with the black skeleton fungus.
At noon, Zhong Xiaocheng went to the RV to get it to work
After eating the food, everyone continued to search for it separately, but it was not found until the evening.
Old Wu rubbed his back: "My old bone is about to be broken. Will you go back tonight?"
I said: "The sleeping car is ready, so I don't have to go and spend time."
After searching for two days, I still found nothing. In the evening of the third day, there was not much water left in the RV reserve.
Alice said that there was a spring in the woods diagonally across from the gate of Xijiao Park, where you could fetch water.
Seeing that everyone was tired, Alice and I didn't disturb others, and we walked out of the park with a water bottle to fetch water in the woods.
The environment in the woods is quiet, everything is silent, and only the sound of water coming out of the spring can be heard.
The two of them walked to the spring and sat down, listening to the pure sound of the water, and they felt peace in their hearts.
Alice said softly, "It's so quiet here, let's sit a little longer."
I nodded and drank the water, only to feel that a cold water line reached my chest and abdomen, which was uncomfortable.
In the silence, time slowly passed, and suddenly a white figure came walking outside the forest.
Alice and I hurriedly hid in the grass, with a crossbow in our hands.
Alice whispered, "Is it a night demon?"
I said, "It doesn't look like it."
At this time, the moon had risen, and the moonlight, like water, passed through the gaps in the leaves and sprinkled mottledly on the person.
Alice stared at the man intently, and suddenly "Huh" said, "It's Ms. Xia Ruoyun." She was about to stand up and greet Ms. Xia.
I hurriedly grabbed Alice and said in a low voice, "Don't you find it strange that she ran into the woods alone at night?"
When Alice thought about it, she didn't move.
Xia Ruoyun approached slowly, and slowly sat down beside the spring's eyes. It was only six or seven steps away from where Alice and I were hiding.
She sat motionless, and sighed suddenly.
In the quiet night, this sigh seemed to contain boundless depression.
After a long time, when my legs were so numb that I was almost unconscious, Xia Ruoyun finally stood up, hit a pot of water in the spring's eyes, and slowly walked out of the woods.
Alice said, "It turns out that she also came to fetch water. Well, Ms. Xia moved here to live?"
(End of this chapter) (End of this chapter)