Chapter 63: The Mysterious Food Chain Strategy

Now, with the pursuers behind them gone, Zhang Desen could see from the intelligence reports that the population of the Terror Men’s Mountain Base was about half a million—one of the most populous among their bases. It also maintained a standing force of about fifty thousand soldiers, and, compared to the other bases, enjoyed the best overall supply of resources.

Moreover, nearly all their military forces were now concentrated around the abandoned cloning laboratory, attempting to contain the more than three thousand monstrous beasts that had broken loose from within.

Therefore, Zhang Desen decided to seize the moment and infiltrate through the sewer system. He left one of Zhao Chengming’s most trusted men, Zhou Yongli, to hold the position with ten others, monitoring the situation via computer. Zhang Desen ordered him to keep in contact using the communicator he’d provided, and to report any developments immediately.

Zhang Desen briefly explained some basic computer operations to Zhou Yongli, then led more than fifty household guards into the sewer. As for the anticipated explosions, these would not affect the abandoned sewer system itself, though the guards left above needed only to ensure the blast-proof door was tightly shut.

The sewer, abandoned for years, was almost entirely devoid of light—save for the occasional dim, oddly-shaped bulb or a few places where faint illumination filtered in. Some of the guards lit torches, others struck fire starters, and Zhang Desen himself used a night-vision device.

They discovered that the sewer was two men tall and wide enough for ten to stand side by side. Curiously, the passage was dry and unusually flat, not quite like a typical sewer—perhaps a result of its long abandonment. But the smooth floor made for easy progress.

Guided by a map and the directions of the guards left above, Zhang Desen’s group advanced steadily beneath the main control room, marking each fork they passed to keep track of their route.

...

At this moment, in the Terror Men’s mountain base command center, the adjutant, Dade Ross, entered to report to their chief of staff, Dadu Kuer.

“Chief of Staff, our troops assembled too slowly. Some of those monsters have broken into a residential zone.”

Dadu Kuer erupted in fury. “What? Why are you so slow? What the hell are you doing?!”

Dade Ross began, “Chief of Staff—”

But Dadu Kuer cut him off impatiently. “Enough of the preamble—just get to the point.”

Dade Ross hurried on, “Yes, sir. Aside from the units that just returned from outside deployments, most of our forces are on leave. We’ve lived underground too long, and rarely fight major battles anymore. As a result, our assembly and training have slackened.”

Dadu Kuer cursed. “Useless! Those monsters are a disaster—do whatever it takes to block them! If you fail, it’s all our heads. Move!”

“Yes, sir!”

The Terror Men had mobilized every available force to contain the monsters from the cloning lab, but it was of little use—when they bred these creatures, they had neglected to develop any countermeasures. Unable to control them, they had sealed the laboratory, but now, with the beasts unleashed, they regretted never having worked out a way to destroy them.

---

As might be expected, chaos reigned in the small residential area, with terrified inhabitants fleeing in panic.

By this time, Zhang Desen and his group had reached their destination. To their surprise, their path led directly to what appeared to be a warehouse. They entered not by lifting a manhole cover, but through a thick iron door wide enough for three to pass abreast.

Zhang Desen immediately had Li Longfang search every corner of the warehouse. It was stacked with goods, but empty of people.

Examining the door they'd entered, the writing was indecipherable, but the symbol suggested it was not to be opened. There was another large door on the opposite side, likely for moving goods in and out, with a smaller access door for staff.

The group hurried to this small door, peering through a peephole. Outside was a vast laboratory—also deserted. It was clear now: this warehouse supplied equipment and materials for the lab.

Worried about the lack of a key, Zhang Desen set a code for opening the door and planned to leave ten men hidden in the warehouse, with another five stationed in the lab. The computer operator confirmed the lab was empty, so they cautiously opened the warehouse door.

Once inside the lab, they quickly found a data port in one corner. Zhang Desen took out a portable computer and began gathering intelligence.

The lighting system intrigued them: soft, ample light streamed from pinhole-like openings, bright yet gentle, with no trace of gloom—though there was no time to marvel at it now. Intelligence gathering was paramount.

Zhang Desen first checked the lab’s main files to determine its purpose. As soon as the lab’s name was translated, he blanched in shock.

“Food Chain Strategy Laboratory?!”

The revelation sent a chill down his spine—the strategy was terrifying. After all, everyone had to eat, whatever the fare.

If the Terror Men employed a food chain strategy, who knew what would be safe to eat? Every meal would be a gamble, and one bite of the wrong thing could spell disaster.

Li Longfang, seeing Zhang Desen's reaction, asked, “Desen, what does this food chain strategy mean? Is it about food?”

“It’s more than that,” Zhang Desen replied gravely.

Li Longfang pressed on, puzzled. “More than that? Are they poisoning the food? Where would they get so much poison?”

“It’s not ordinary poison,” Zhang Desen explained. “This poison could behave like a living organism—perhaps even replicate itself.”

Li Longfang was baffled. “Poison that replicates? How’s that possible? Doesn’t it have to be manufactured?”

“Wait,” Zhang Desen said, scanning more documents. “Let me explain while I look up more details...”

He decrypted more files and then pointed to the screen.

“To understand this, you have to know what a food chain is. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp, shrimp eat mud eels’?”

“Of course,” Li Longfang answered. “Is that what the food chain means here?”

“Exactly. That’s part of it. The food chain is how the chemical energy stored in organic matter is transferred through an ecosystem, layer by layer. In simple terms, it’s the relationships of eating and being eaten that link one species to another.”

After a pause, Zhang Desen continued, “The sequence of these nutritional relationships forms a chain—each link connected to the next. In ecology, this is called the food chain. In short, it’s the web of connections formed among all living things in an ecosystem through food.”

Li Longfang nodded in realization. “I see!”

Zhang Desen went on, “Exactly. Like on the grasslands: grass → rabbit → fox → wolf; in lakes: algae → crustaceans → small fish → big fish…”

Li Longfang asked, “So, what are they planning to do?”

Zhang Desen replied, “The intelligence says they want to use gene-altering substances developed in this lab—bury them in farmland near human settlements or in pastures for livestock. Once the crops or fodder absorb these substances, their genes mutate, becoming whatever the Terror Men require.”

He continued, reading from the computer, “When people eat the mutated crops, or eat livestock that have eaten the altered fodder, those genetic mutations are transmitted to humans…”

“Transmitted to humans?” Li Longfang echoed.

“Yes,” Zhang Desen said. “The goal is to induce the mutations they want in humans—primarily affecting the brain. If successful, the victims would lose all autonomy and become the Terror Men’s puppets.”

The chilling explanation left everyone sweating. Everyone had to eat—if any food had been tampered with, could anyone remain themselves?

It would be a living death, worse than being a walking corpse. But Zhang Desen’s next words brought some relief.

According to the intelligence, this strategy was only being pursued in secret at the Terror Men’s Mountain Base and was highly controversial even among their own ranks.

The main issue was that if these substances could affect other species, they might also affect the Terror Men themselves, potentially ensnaring their creators. Even if the substances could be cleaned up, could it ever be done completely?

If not, what would be the point of controlling humanity? If humans were needed to produce food for the Terror Men, where would safe regions for production remain? Hence, the plan had never been put into practice, though some advocated using it only on captured humans, among other proposals.