Ye Fan gazed at the crystalline substance in Xu Haoran's hand and was struck with awe.
That thing was crystal clear, akin to a meticulously polished gemstone, emanating a faint fluorescence.
Taking it from Xu Haoran's hand, he felt its texture, not particularly hard, somewhat resembling rubber. A faint aroma clung to it, making Ye Fan contemplate its potential edibility.
"What is this?"
Ye Fan examined it closely, considering that this might be more precious than mutated animal meat.
According to the apocalyptic movie books he had perused, this substance could potentially be the fabled crystal core. However, Ye Fan, grounded in reality, acknowledged its origin from a mutant beast, making him hesitant about its edibility.
"Continue searching to see if other mutant beasts or zombies have this thing in their brains."
The soldiers swiftly obeyed, bayonets slashing and rifle butts pounding, cracking open the heads of their fallen foes.
Unfortunately, this precious crystal-like substance was not found in the brains of other mutant beasts, and the zombies' brains were too mushy to yield any results.
"Is it true that only larger mutated beasts have a chance of producing this kind of crystal?"
Ye Fan pondered the scarcity of the crystals, stowing away the single one they had found. Collecting nearly 3,000 kilograms of mutated beast meat, he lamented the loss of more due to burning and consumption.
Examining the head of an armored zombie, remnants of Su Mo's rocket launcher attack, Ye Fan ordered, "Crack this head open!"
The engineer, armed with an electric saw, dissected the armored zombie's head, revealing no crystals but a light blue substance.
"Armored zombies did not produce crystals, but there were signs of crystal production. Other mutated zombies did not yield any, indicating that not all mutated zombies can produce crystals."
With only one crystal amid numerous mutated beasts and zombies, Ye Fan cherished the find, planning to study it after resolving the issues at No. 1 Middle School.
Having concluded their business, Ye Fan activated the radar, revealing the presence of mutants and zombies at the periphery. The team, now strengthened, prepared to venture towards Giant Beast Park and Xihu Park.
Avoiding these risky areas, Ye Fan steered the team through the zoo, accumulating resources and money. As they approached No. 1 Middle School, he reflected on the school's significance to him.
Leaving the zoo, passing through a barbed wire fence, and crossing a road, they reached a familiar forest, close to No. 1 Middle School.
"We are about to leave the zoo, pass the barbed wire fence and then cross a road. In front of us is a small forest in the east," the engineer announced.
Ye Fan, reminiscing about his school days, recognized the path to No. 1 Middle School. The team, emerging into a small forest, followed him closely.
Familiar with the surroundings, Ye Fan recalled the high educational standards of Lingshui No. 1 Middle School and the influx of foreign teachers during his student years.
Proceeding through the grove, once a rendezvous spot for students, Ye Fan consulted the radar for survivor signals. The swimming pool, a hotbed of blue light spots, stood out.
"In the swimming pool, there are hundreds of blue light spots densely packed," Ye Fan observed through the telescope.
Taking advantage of the elevated position, Ye Fan studied the situation in and around the swimming pool. With foreign teachers armed and patrolling, the compound seemed secure. However, he aimed to approach cautiously.
Descending from the balcony, the soldiers, led by the military dogs, proceeded to the downstairs of the teaching building. Ye Fan observed that the teaching building, devoid of students during the noon incident, housed a limited number of zombies.
Not rushing towards the swimming pool, Ye Fan wanted to evaluate the situation before making a move. The soldiers, accompanied by military dogs, cleared the building layer by layer, eliminating sporadic zombies.
Ye Fan opted to upgrade the soldiers to three stars before initiating the exploration. Despite encountering minimal resistance, the absence of valuable loot from student zombies was disappointing.
Nonetheless, Ye Fan remained focused on the objective. Climbing to the fifth floor, he surveyed the surroundings using Xu Haoran's telescope.
Despite the distance, the swimming pool was visible through the telescope, revealing a large group of survivors patrolling and even foreign teachers armed with police firearms. The sight of Smith, the tall dean of students, heightened Ye Fan's curiosity.
Examining the familiar terrain from his school days, Ye Fan prepared to lead the team cautiously towards the No. 1 Middle School swimming pool.