Xiao Sheng instantly became aged. The disappearance of subcutaneous fat caused wrinkles to appear on his face and body. Anyone who has given birth knows that it is easy for skin to stretch, but it is not so simple for skin to retract after childbirth. Thus, after giving birth, pregnant women often have many wrinkles on their stomachs, which are known as stretch marks.
The side effects of Xiao Sheng consuming the Hundred Year Orchid seed had also manifested. Even superhumans had to adhere to the law of conservation of energy. The sudden acquisition of immense life force could not have come from nowhere. The powerful strength he gained was due to the depletion of his body's stored energy reserves. Furthermore, the side effect was the continuous draining of the body's stored energy reserves, starting with fat, then glycogen, and finally protein.
Xiao Sheng, at this moment, had become extremely weak. In an instant, he had aged considerably. This change was terrifyingly direct. A robust man transforming into such an aged appearance within a few minutes would instinctively evoke fear in anyone who witnessed it.
At this point, Xiao Sheng could no longer stand and collapsed onto the ground, kicking up a considerable amount of snow. It wasn't that Xiao Sheng wanted to rest, but he simply lacked the strength to remain standing.
Upon seeing this situation, Jin Zijue rushed forward to check Xiao Sheng's condition. He found Xiao Sheng to be incredibly weak and couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright now?"
Xiao Sheng gave a wry smile and replied, "I'm fine, just a little weak."
Xiao Sheng intended to convey that he was perfectly fine, but as he spoke, his voice was hoarse. With such a voice and in such a state, no one would believe that Xiao Sheng was alright. To put it mildly, Xiao Sheng must have suffered a severe depletion of his vital energy. To put it more gravely, this was clearly a precursor to his life force being completely extinguished.
Seeing Xiao Sheng in this state, Jin Zijue immediately understood. Even if he had temporarily gained immense power, that power was never truly his. Once the power was gone, he was bound to fall into an abyss.
"It seems you won't recover anytime soon. But don't worry, we'll go demand an explanation from Shen Feng. We'll handle this. Chai Kefu, you carry the deputy captain. We're preparing to go find Shen Feng," Jin Zijue said helplessly, still determined to confront Shen Feng.
Xiao Sheng was already extremely weak, but at this moment, he still did not relent. He said earnestly, "Absolutely do not go cause trouble for Shen Feng. We have no evidence to prove that Shen Feng did this. Ultimately, we are only suspecting Shen Feng of doing these things, but we have no concrete proof."
Jin Zijue smiled and said, "That's easy to solve. If there's no evidence now, we can just apprehend a couple of people and interrogate them, and then everything will be revealed. Besides, I don't believe Shen Feng can erase all traces."
Xiao Sheng weakly shook his head and said, "No, doing so will only enrage Shen Feng. Moreover, Shen Feng just saved us not long ago. Now we are going to interrogate his people, which is equivalent to repaying kindness with enmity. If this kind of behavior spreads, it will undoubtedly damage our reputation. This absolutely cannot be done."
Jin Zijue was accustomed to using forceful methods. When apprehending criminals, he would be direct, and once the enemy was caught, a little torture would make them confess everything. While these methods were effective against ordinary people, they would not work against superhumans. Doing so could easily enrage Shen Feng.
Jin Zijue stated with certainty, "Believe me, Shen Feng is definitely the one who set the fire. I also recall why Shen Feng would do such a thing. Yuzhou already has a Plant Heart, so Shen Feng would not lack evolutionary bases. Furthermore, he frequently sells evolutionary bases. If we were to also control the production of evolutionary bases, it would pose a threat to Yuzhou, which is something Shen Feng would never want to see. Therefore, Shen Feng took advantage of our distraction of the treants to kill the mutated plant."
Upon hearing this explanation, everyone suddenly understood. It made perfect sense. Who wouldn't try to get their hands on a mutated plant that could produce evolutionary bases? The person who directly killed this mutated plant must be someone who did not need evolutionary bases. Thus, the suspicion once again pointed directly at Shen Feng.
Xiao Sheng continued, "But even if Shen Feng did this, what can we do to him? Firstly, we have no evidence to prove it. Secondly, even if it is proven that Shen Feng did it, what price should we make him pay? Go to war?"
The word "war" immediately made everyone hesitate. Clearly, going to war with Shen Feng was something they were unwilling to do. Firstly, Shen Feng possessed immense power. Shen Feng was already a sixth-order superhuman, and the destructive power he could unleash far surpassed that of ordinary people. Secondly, the three superhumans under Shen Feng were not to be trifled with. If a real conflict were to erupt, even if they emerged victorious, they would suffer heavy losses.
Jin Zijue also frowned. It was evident that at this moment, he was not confident in dealing with Shen Feng. Therefore, even if Shen Feng admitted to it, it would be of no help in the end. The Plant Heart had stopped beating, and even if they defeated Shen Feng, they would gain nothing.
"However, I cannot accept just letting this matter go," Jin Zijue said helplessly.
What Jin Zijue had just said was actually the sentiment of everyone present. They were equally unable to accept such a situation. The beautiful future that Xiao Sheng had described was within their grasp, only to be destroyed by someone they trusted. Such a turn of events was naturally unacceptable.
Xiao Sheng then said, "At least we haven't gained nothing. Although the Plant Heart has been severely damaged, it is still a valuable research material. As long as it is brought back to the research institute, it will have research value. China has so many scientists, and they will surely be able to obtain the ability to mass-produce evolutionary bases through research. In any case, we will discuss everything after returning to Yanjing."
Hearing this, everyone felt helpless. The person who had shattered their dreams was none other than Shen Feng and his group, yet they couldn't seek revenge. This feeling was simply unbearable.
In the end, everyone could only carry the extremely weak Xiao Sheng away, along with the Plant Heart that Xiao Sheng had found in the underground cave. Although the Plant Heart had stopped beating, it was still the genuine brain of a mutated plant. As long as it was brought back to the country, it would have research value.
Upon returning to the camp, they immediately saw Shen Feng and Qi Yunfang chatting in a large ice house. Behind Shen Feng, three superhumans from Yuzhou were playing cards. Jin Zijue paid close attention to Shen Feng's attire and saw that Shen Feng's clothes were spotless.
Seeing everyone return, Shen Feng quickly said, "I'm truly sorry. We were sleeping when Qi Yunfang said she was treating us to a barbecue, so we came over. You don't welcome us, do you?"
No one answered. This was because they all suspected one thing: Shen Feng was the one who set fire to the mutated plant. And now, Shen Feng was leisurely barbecuing, acting as if he knew nothing about it. This naturally began to make them angry.
At this moment, it was Jin Zijue who stepped forward to ease the tension, seeing that the atmosphere between the two parties had become strained. "It's nothing, it's just a barbecue. We've also been working hard for a long time, and we also want to have a good meal. It's good to have some liveliness. There's absolutely no problem."
Afterward, Jin Zijue pulled Qi Yunfang aside and began to question her, "Are you sure Shen Feng was still here when you returned?"
Qi Yunfang nodded and said seriously, "I'm sure. When I returned, the three people with Shen Feng were still sleeping in the cellar, and there were no footprints on the ground around. So, I believe Shen Feng and the others never left the cellar."
However, after hearing Qi Yunfang's report, Jin Zijue became even more convinced that Shen Feng had acted behind the scenes. Anyone who could travel between two locations in a short period of time must be extremely fast. And among the people present, the only one who possessed such speed was naturally Shen Feng. As for the tracks on the snow, there was always a way to conceal them.
"It seems this matter will become an unsolved case. I can only hope that the scientists in Yanjing can achieve some results from the Plant Heart," Jin Zijue thought to himself.
At this moment, Shen Feng also announced something, "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. We were staying here before because Xu Xing's body had not recovered. But now that Xu Xing's body has also recovered, there is no reason for us to stay here any longer. So, we have decided to return to China tomorrow. Speaking of which, in Yuzhou, they are still killing mutated birds in the Dabashan mountains."
Upon hearing this, the members of the Superhuman Administration fell into a state of confusion. The superhumans in Yuzhou could return at any time, but they themselves had arrived in a city that had already been destroyed. It was impossible to bring the oil back to the country, especially since the oil workers were gone, making oil extraction impossible.
Therefore, the members of the Superhuman Administration also wanted to know what they should do next. Should they just return to the country like this?
A sense of confusion and helplessness emerged in the hearts of many superhumans. They actually wanted to know what they should do. Should they continue to complete their mission, or should they just go back? This feeling of confusion made people feel lost.
However, at this moment, the weakened Xiao Sheng also announced the next course of action for the Superhuman Administration: "Since our mission in Siberia has failed, it is time to go back. Shen Feng, we may have to travel together for a while longer."
Shen Feng smiled and said, "Is that so? Then you had better find enough vehicles. You'll need them to travel on the snow; ordinary cars won't do."
While having the barbecue, Shen Feng had also noticed a problem. Although everyone was chatting and laughing, there was a growing estrangement between his group and the Superhuman Administration. Although there were no changes in their words, the estrangement was real and could not be hidden by their speech.
Upon realizing this situation, Shen Feng immediately understood, "It seems I've been suspected. But there's nothing that can be done about it. Who else could have had the opportunity to do such a thing?"
Shen Feng naturally knew that his actions were easily discoverable, but there was nothing he could do. The surrounding cities had already been destroyed; otherwise, there would have been someone else to frame. Now, there were only a few hundred ordinary people left in Qiuming, and framing these few ordinary people would be useless, as no one would believe it.
Of course, the current state of superficial harmony was still acceptable. What Shen Feng worried about most was everyone turning against him, which might have led to a conflict. Fortunately, the members of the Superhuman Administration had calmed down, and the two sides had not started fighting casually.
Xu Xing and Qi Yunfang, upon hearing the decision to travel together, both revealed smiles. They could continue their journey together, which was what they had most hoped for.
Lu Xian, standing beside them, saw the smiles on Xu Xing and Qi Yunfang's faces and felt a strange sensation. He thought to himself, "Even for friendship between girls, this is a bit too much, isn't it?"