Chapter 71

The sky was somewhat overcast.

In the damp air, a tense atmosphere hung.

Wang Wentao, panting, watched Feng Yi, who was facing off against the king cobra.

It was the first time he had observed a wild king cobra, about three meters long, at such close range.

The impact was so intense; the wild king cobra gave him a completely different feeling compared to the artificially bred ones he had seen in the reptile house!

Just thinking about being chased earlier made him shudder with fear!

Seeing such a large king cobra, the excitement in his heart was something the other team members couldn't understand.

Is this just a king cobra?

No!

In Wang Wentao's eyes, this was a set of extremely important data related to his doctoral dissertation!

With such important data right in front of him, how could he possibly let it go?

But he was genuinely afraid.

He could only handle small snakes. During his fieldwork training, the types of snakes used were limited, like the corn snake, which he had handled a lot. There were definitely no king cobras, let alone such a large one.

This time, his role in the scientific expedition was mostly supportive, helping out when needed.

He had been rash just now, and fortunately, Professors Zhou and Zhu hadn't seen him. On the day Cheng Si was taken away by the rescue team, Professor Zhou had given a safety lecture to the young team members.

Today, it was fortunate that Feng Yi was with him; otherwise, he might have become the second team member to be taken away by the rescue team.

At that moment, the king cobra raised its head, staring quietly at Feng Yi.

Wang Wentao thought Feng Yi would play with the cobra as he did with the previous one, interacting with it first.

Unexpectedly, Feng Yi suddenly asked him:

"What do you think of it?"

Wang Wentao was taken aback, realizing Feng Yi was asking for his opinion on the king cobra. Without hesitation, he said:

"Awesome! Dominant! Regal!"

Feng Yi thought to himself: Where do you see all that? I don't see it at all. It's just a bit more handsome than Xiao Qinglong.

Feng Yi asked again, "Pay attention to its eyes. What do you see in them?"

Wang Wentao confidently replied: "Fierce! Steady! The contempt of a king!"

Feng Yi: "……"

He stared at the king cobra for a while: I still don't see it.

He didn't see the contempt of a king or the wisdom that Steve mentioned.

Wang Wentao was about to contact the others when Professors Zhou and others heard the noise and came over. Wang Wentao's shouts of "Feng Yi, Feng Yi" were quite loud.

When Steve saw the snake, he quickly approached, his injured leg seemingly forgotten in his excitement.

"Ha ha ha! A king cobra! Such a large wild king cobra! I told you our luck wouldn't be bad!"

Seeing reinforcements arrive, Wang Wentao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Feng Yi could keep the cobra under control, they could work together to capture it once Steve arrived. After all, such a large and venomous snake was intimidating.

When Professors Zhou and others appeared, a hint of regret flashed in Feng Yi's eyes.

He had many ideas he hadn't implemented, like touching its head as Steve suggested.

Of course, Steve also mentioned distracting it and then kissing it.

Feng Yi had no interest in that. It wasn't that he was afraid; he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Looking at the king cobra, Feng Yi even felt his stomach urging him to do something.

But breaking the law was out of the question!

So, when hungry and in energy-saving mode, he decided to take the easiest route.

Steve, limping, approached Feng Yi, ready to shout, "Don't worry! I'm here to help!"

But before he could say a word, Feng Yi swiftly grabbed the king cobra.

It was truly as fast as lightning!

So fast that Steve didn't even have time to speak.

Steve: "……"

He didn't even give me a chance to show off…

Feng Yi's move was so quick!

Steve had never seen anyone catch a king cobra like that!

He was stunned, and the king cobra, equally stunned, didn't react in time and was caught.

Professor Zhou took several photos of the large king cobra.

Professor Zhou contacted the base to inform them of the new discovery.

After the climate anomaly, this king cobra, in terms of size, could rank in the top ten of those found in the wild in recent years in the country!

This was indeed important news, as the snake could provide more research data!

...

Cheng Si's recovery in the hospital over the past two days was going well. Although he was initially depressed after being bitten, he quickly immersed himself in a new publicity plan.

The traffic was too tempting!

Interviews, reports, and rapid fan growth!

He kept convincing himself that as long as he could fool himself, he wouldn't slip up in interviews! He almost forgot how he got injured!

When Steve sent the photos, Cheng Si was still in bed, discussing the next marketing strategy with his team.

Seeing the photos, Cheng Si suddenly felt the traffic wasn't so appealing anymore!

If he had held on for two more days…

A king cobra!

This is a king cobra!

Such a large king cobra, if he had been there, he could have taken a photo and touched it up close!

He felt like he had missed out on a fortune!

The news of the South 6 team discovering a king cobra over three meters long during their scientific expedition was reported by the official account of the Nanchong Conservation Area Research Base.

Various media accounts shared the news, and self-media began to expand on it.

Lu Yue, who was at a gathering with friends, received another push notification.

After seeing the report about Feng Yi's team, he had set up keyword notifications, not expecting to see another one so soon.

"What are you looking at, Lu Yue?"

Someone leaned over.

Lu Yue tilted his phone screen toward him, "A news report about a king cobra over three meters long found in the wild."

"King cobra!?"

Others, hearing this, were curious. After reading the news, opinions varied.

"This one is just average. I've seen a bigger one! Over four meters! I even touched it!"

"The one you saw was artificially bred. This one was found in the wild, pure wild, different from the artificially bred ones!"

"Right, right. I read a report saying that wild individuals are stronger, not just in size, but in physical condition and toxicity."

"Of course, these wild individuals have survived the climate anomaly and undergone harsh natural selection. Their toxicity… wow!"

"And the professor from the expedition team said it will continue to grow. In my view, the difference between wild individuals and artificially bred ones is like the difference between a wolf and a dog. In a real fight, it's all about who has the stronger presence and the fiercer attack."

"So the guy in the news photo is really brave! It says here that he caught the snake by himself? That's amazing!"

"The guy who caught the snake is really cool! But, doesn't he look a bit like Yueshan Snake Brother, the one who caught Xiao Qinglong?"

"You're right, he does."

Looking at the comments, many people had the same guess.

Why did the expedition team blur the person's face in the photo? Are they trying to hide something?

Listening to the discussion, Lu Yue smiled inwardly: How long can you keep your disguise, Feng Yi?

After laughing, Lu Yue started thinking about how to maximize the benefits when Feng Yi's identity is revealed.

At that moment, Feng Yi was unaware of the speculation.

He was extracting venom.

The king cobra's venom yield is relatively large, not the largest, but still significant.

Steve observed the freshly extracted venom, "From the venom, it seems it hasn't eaten. It might have been out looking for food. King cobras don't like to wait; they prefer to actively hunt. If we hadn't stopped it, it might have ignored us. You're not on its menu, so it wouldn't waste its venom."

Wang Wentao, hearing this, said, "Right! At first, it didn't pay attention to me, just kept moving forward, probably looking for food.

"After I chased it for a while, it turned around and chased me. It was quite aggressive at the time!

"Thinking about it, I understand. If you're hungry and someone blocks your way, you'd get angry too."

Feng Yi empathized, imagining the situation.

His fists clenched.

Steve continued, "Look at its fangs. It doesn't usually spray venom, but when it bites, it injects a large amount, making it very dangerous.

"Also, I've heard that the venom of king cobras has changed after the climate anomaly."

Steve looked at Professors Zhou and others.

Professor Zhou nodded, "Through the study of venom samples, compared to data before the climate anomaly, the venom of wild king cobras has indeed changed significantly, and this change may continue.

"These surviving individuals are still rapidly evolving and adapting. This is why I always say that those who survive the climate anomaly and their offspring might be stronger and more dangerous.

"Moreover, using samples from different countries, we conducted toxicity tests on laboratory mice and some invasive species. The venom of king cobras in our country is more toxic to rodents, with neurotoxins being the main component.

"The venom of king cobras also changes with age. When they are young, with smaller bodies, they prey on small animals like mice, and their venom is mainly for these prey. As they grow larger, they start eating snakes and rarely mice, and their venom changes accordingly.

"This change is very interesting, especially in the survivors. Their adaptability is so strong! The changes they make in response to hunting environments are worth studying!

"That's why we collect new venom samples every year during our expeditions."

Wang Wentao nodded continuously.

That's why he was willing to take the risk to chase the king cobra!

It meant data, papers, and a higher impact factor!

If not for these, he would have avoided the king cobra at all costs!

Steve's focus wasn't on the venom's uniqueness. Watching Feng Yi extract the venom, he said, "Feng Yi, your venom extraction technique is really good. Interested in making some extra money?"

Feng Yi was puzzled.

Extra money? Extracting venom?

Steve continued, "Many research teams, both domestic and international, conduct toxicity and venom yield tests annually. These tests require venom collection, and inexperienced handlers can cause significant data discrepancies. Some teams are quite generous, offering this much."

Steve made a gesture.

Feng Yi didn't know how many zeros that gesture represented, but he wasn't interested in extracting venom. It made his jaw hurt.

Steve enjoyed sharing his experiences, "Some snakes don't cooperate during venom extraction, making it very difficult.

"Last year, a foreign team doing such research invited me to help. They were studying venom yield, and there are many snakes with yields as high as or higher than king cobras, like certain pit vipers, eastern diamondbacks, Gaboon vipers, and coastal taipans. Venom extraction is like pouring wine.

"However, the data can vary each year due to the snake's size and condition."

Steve started complaining, "Like the Gaboon vipers, with their long fangs, it's very inconvenient to extract venom when they don't cooperate. Long fangs are a hassle!"

Feng Yi: "……"

Steve shared some of his experiences helping with venom extraction, and after finishing, he said to Feng Yi, "In short, if you're ever interested in making some extra money or want to see the testing process, just contact me."

Feng Yi thanked him. He really didn't want to extract venom from large venomous snakes, but he appreciated Steve's offer.

However, the vivid descriptions made him uncomfortable.

And, long fangs must be handled carefully!