Chapter 72

The encounter with a three-meter-long king cobra by Team 6 South was indeed exhilarating.

Previously, Professor Zhou's decision to change the route at the last minute was also under some pressure, and there were people at the base who opposed it. The current expedition route was determined after discussions by multiple experts, and changing the route at the last minute would certainly cause dissatisfaction among some people.

However, Professor Zhou believed that with the additional supplies, taking another route, considering the climate and environmental factors as well as the geographical conditions, and based on the experience gained from this scientific expedition, the new route might yield greater results.

Although there were objections, Professor Zhou, as the leader of the team, had the final say, and even if there were objections at the base, they couldn't do anything about it.

Now, Professor Zhou felt more confident and was not hesitant when contacting the base.

Professor Zhou was very satisfied!

While he was pleased with the capture of the three-meter-long king cobra, after learning the details, he called Wang Wentao over after the sampling was completed and, together with Professor Zhu, gave him a safety lecture.

Feng Yi was required to listen in.

Feng Yi couldn't escape such a lecture.

Seeing Feng Yi's snake-catching skills, Professor Zhou didn't know what to say.

Feng Yi's snake-catching skills were a natural talent, and even Steve said that Feng Yi's techniques were something most people couldn't learn; anyone else would have been bitten long ago!

So, it couldn't be judged by normal standards.

What Professor Zhou could do was to remind Feng Yi not to act impulsively and to prioritize safety.

After collecting the samples and obtaining the desired data, taking enough photos and videos, Steve even wanted to give the king cobra some water, as a lot of venom had been extracted, and the snake was likely dehydrated.

For the sake of the scientific mission, the snake had contributed a lot.

However, once the king cobra was released, it ran away immediately.

It moved very quickly.

Professor Zhou said, "It must have been scared."

Steve agreed, "Probably. This snake likely dominates this area, and with its current size, it has no real predators here. Being caught and handled like that must have frightened it.

"Of course, there's another possibility: it might be hungry and is rushing to find food."

Speaking of this, Steve reminded Wang Wentao and Feng Yi, "Some snakes have a bad temper when they are hungry and can be extremely aggressive, so be careful!

"I mentioned this before when Feng Yi caught the Burmese python. For example, large pythons might attack humans when they are hungry, but they are more docile when they are full."

Then Steve started talking about his experiences with large snakes.

"I once grabbed the tail of a very large anaconda while on an expedition in the jungle with a foreign research team."

Feng Yi asked, "Is the anaconda so docile?"

Steve replied, "When it's full, its movements are restricted. If you grab its tail, it will panic and try to escape. I only dared to do that because its belly was full. But when it's hungry, I wouldn't dare."

Steve then asked Feng Yi, "Have you seen an anaconda?"

"Never," Feng Yi paused and added, "Only on TV."

"TV doesn't count. If you have the chance, I'll take you to see one. Anacondas are ovoviviparous, so they give birth to live young, not eggs, which allows the offspring to receive better protection from the mother. During the years of climate anomalies, conditions were unfavorable for egg hatching, so egg-laying species were more affected.

"Now, the number of anacondas is still considerable, and I can see large individuals every time I go to the jungle with the research team.

"Anacondas are particularly heavy. In terms of length, they may not match the reticulated python, but their weight is simply... The one I encountered had a body this thick!"

Steve gestured, "With an anaconda, you can't just grab it with one hand; it's impossible to hold it. And if you try to carry it, it's completely out of the question! When catching it, you have to do it like this..."

Feng Yi suddenly thought of a question, "When did snakes first appear?"

Steve smiled, "No one knows exactly when snakes first appeared. We generally only talk about the earliest snake fossils discovered and how far back their evolutionary history can be traced, based on existing evidence.

"Perhaps more fossils will be discovered in the future, providing more information. The database is constantly updated, so we need to keep exploring.

"For example, the fossils of the Titanoboa from tens of millions of years ago, but the number of fossil samples and the analysis results are limited."

Feng Yi was curious, "How big is the largest snake?"

Steve replied, "Are you talking about the past or the present? The snakes of the past, during the wild growth era, were likely competing to be the top predators in their territories. Now... they are lucky to survive."

Feng Yi asked, "Can there be snakes as big as the Titanoboa now?"

Steve shook his head, "Their size definitely can't reach that level now, due to differences in atmospheric composition and environmental constraints."

Steve didn't specialize in paleontology, "Let's talk about how to catch anacondas. Catching a large snake is different from catching a small one; anacondas are like muscular men! Let me teach you how to catch them..."

Feng Yi: "Do anacondas have natural predators?"

Steve: "If we're talking about real predators, they have many when they are young, but once they grow up, they no longer have any. Let's continue talking about how to catch anacondas..."

The sky was overcast, and it was about to rain. Professor Zhou said they would rest temporarily and decide when to set off based on the weather.

Everyone else was organizing data and samples, while Steve and Feng Yi were discussing how to catch anacondas.

They were relatively idle.

Steve was invited to Team 6 South to help them catch snakes and was not part of Professor Zhou's research team.

Steve occasionally recorded some data and experiences, as he also needed to publish papers in some journals.

Feng Yi, on the other hand, saw himself as a tool, helping to catch snakes when needed, finding fruits to eat when not, and sleeping to conserve energy when not eating.

They were much more relaxed than the others, not needing to write expedition diaries or worry about post-expedition reports and papers.

If he had to write papers and reports, Feng Yi would definitely not come!

Not even for points!

Field expeditions are arduous.

In this pristine mountain range, experiencing the rapidly changing weather is not easy for most people.

Here, they saw many wild animals, and Feng Yi couldn't even name them accurately. Professor Zhou and his team could only recognize some, as these were not within their expertise. When they encountered them, they would take photos and send them to their colleagues, just as other teams on different routes would send photos of snakes they encountered.

It was the seventh week of the expedition.

This was already the tail end of the expedition.

They even saw human structures.

To be precise, past human structures.

This place had not been inhabited for a long time and was no longer part of human territory.

"Over thirty years ago, there was a small village here. During the climate anomaly period, the village faced survival issues and was relocated. The structures left behind were returned to nature."

Professor Zhou showed Feng Yi and the others photos of the place from the past and compared them to the present.

Indeed, it was unrecognizable.

The climate in the Nanchong Mountains was very suitable for rapid plant growth.

All the houses were overtaken by greenery, with vines intertwining.

Roofs and walls had collapsed due to years of erosion and the invasion of plants and animals.

The roots had broken through the ground, gradually destroying everything.

Feng Yi also saw some stone markers.

"That area is a burial ground. When the village was relocated, some graves were moved, but the rest were left unattended."

The burial ground was now covered by a dense forest, with plants growing vigorously.

Birds passing by would bring seeds from other places, which would fall to the ground with their droppings and take root.

Some stone markers were tilted due to the pressure of tree roots, some were pushed over, and those still standing were covered by plants, unsure how long they could last.

Nature was rapidly reclaiming everything.

"Over there, there used to be a concrete road. During the climate anomaly period, a landslide destroyed it, and there has been no road since."

Professor Zhou pointed in a direction for them to see.

To leave the mountains, they had to take a detour.

Seeing that Feng Yi looked a bit tired, Professor Zhou asked, "Are you very tired?"

"Still okay," Feng Yi replied.

"If you can't keep up, just say so. You've done very well!"

Everyone in the team knew that in the second half of the expedition, Feng Yi rarely went out to look for snakes and often sat down to rest when he said he needed a break.

However, everyone thought it was Feng Yi's first time participating in fieldwork and that he was not yet adapted, so they didn't have high expectations of him.

Feng Yi's performance in this expedition was still very good, and he deserved credit for catching the Burmese python and the king cobra.

After the king cobra, they found fewer snakes. Yesterday, they encountered a pit viper, which made Professor Zhou very happy.

Although the second half of the expedition yielded fewer results than the first half, overall, the data and samples collected exceeded those of the previous two years and surpassed Professor Zhou's expectations.

Feng Yi's contributions were significant.

Professor Zhou was thinking of giving Feng Yi more points as a reward when the expedition ended.

After completing the sampling, the team continued on their journey.

When Wang Wentao walked next to Feng Yi, he asked, "Feng Yi, there's no sun now, why are you still wearing sunglasses?"

Feng Yi smiled and replied, "They can help keep out small insects."

Wang Wentao was just making small talk and wasn't particularly curious about why Feng Yi was wearing sunglasses. He just noticed that Feng Yi rarely wore them during the earlier part of the expedition but had put them on early today.

When the team rested, Feng Yi excused himself to go to the bathroom.

Once he was far enough away, he took off his sunglasses.

His pupils had narrowed to thin lines.

He blinked, and the lines gradually expanded into circles, then contracted slightly, forming vertical ellipses.

The two long fangs in his mouth were also restless, resisting control.

He was too hungry!

The energy-saving mode had weakened its control over them, and the "beast nature" was asserting itself.

Even with his Jacobson's organ sealed, his sense of smell was still sensitive to certain odors, constantly reminding him—

Food!

Find food!

Feng Yi thought to himself: Find a damn thing! Just hold on!

He could control the fangs and seal the Jacobson's organ, but his eyes and feet kept teasing his brain!

Feng Yi was relieved: At least I was prepared!

He took out the items from his bag, put on the colored contact lenses, and inserted the insoles.

Although wearing the contact lenses and using the Jacobson's organ partially would consume more energy, what could he do?

If he left the expedition early, he would have to undergo a full-body check by the rescue team!

And to suppress the beast nature, he couldn't eat just anything!

He would never take on a field expedition lasting more than a month again!

After returning to the team, Feng Yi asked Professor Zhou, "Professor Zhou, how much longer until the expedition ends?"

"About four or five more days, and we'll be out. You've done a great job!"

Hearing it was only four or five days, Feng Yi let out a long sigh. He could hold on for four or five more days!

He was indeed reaching his limit!

If he kept being this hungry...

He would reveal his true form!