Chapter 17: Euglena Research

“Indeed, it’s quite dire.” Huang Jingrong nodded slightly. Up to this point, he had no intention of concealing anything from Shen Yu.

For this meeting, he had been granted exceptionally high clearance for intelligence sharing.

He continued, “We have yet to receive any information on the zombies, but as for the Eyeworms, we have already conducted some research and even captured a few live specimens.”

“Live specimens?” Shen Yu felt a surge of hope.

Having live specimens meant there was considerable operational potential for Shen Yu’s interstellar division.

According to the previous plan, the goal was to leverage monsters from the main world to secure a foothold for Shen Yu in the interstellar arena.

“Indeed, we have them, though our soldiers suffered great losses in the process,” Huang Jingrong responded gravely. “Without delay, I must report this to our superiors immediately.”

The information obtained this time, especially from the recent meeting, was extraordinarily important.

Originally, some had suggested that Huang Jingrong or Xiao Xu bring along miniature cameras or voice recorders.

But these were vetoed.

Given the intelligence already in hand, the other party possessed formidable technological prowess, and any action that might jeopardize the communication link was too risky.

Nonetheless, the results must be reported swiftly and promptly.

“Ming Shu, take them to the adjacent room,” Shen Yu instructed.

Huang Jingrong’s briefing lasted over an hour.

When he emerged, his expression was visibly exhilarated.

“Mr. Shen, on behalf of the National Meteorite Crisis Response Department, I formally invite you to participate in a high-level meeting. Meanwhile, the live specimens of the ‘Eyeworm’ mentioned earlier are being expedited for delivery. You can receive them today!”

“Very well.” Shen Yu was not surprised by this outcome.

Why did he want to establish contact with the Meteorite Crisis Response Department as soon as possible?

Precisely to consolidate efforts and enhance efficiency.

The scale and manpower necessary to operate effectively could not be matched by him alone or any single company.

Without hesitation, he immediately followed Huang Jingrong and Ji Mingshu to the rooftop of the building.

An armed helicopter was already waiting there.

The efficiency was remarkable.

Upon arriving at a highly secure military base, other key figures gradually assembled.

At the meeting, Shen Yu detailed his experiences more comprehensively.

He explained how, while traversing space to reach an overseas warehouse, he suddenly found himself in an entirely new place: the Multidimensional Post-Apocalyptic Civilization Mutual Aid Association.

All members there possessed abilities akin to his own.

Hence, they sometimes referred to themselves as the “Gray Mist Walkers.”

During the meeting, Shen Yu was directly invited to become a special advisor to the Meteorite Crisis Response Department, granted the highest authorities, enabling him to mobilize vast resources without prior approval.

Concurrently, Shen Yu’s company would participate deeply in important projects through technology equity.

“Advisor Shen, we are colleagues from this point onward,” Huang Jingrong said firmly, shaking Shen Yu’s hand after the meeting. “I will be your point of contact here for now. Many technical experts are awaiting your guidance. What do you think...?”

“I’ll go now,” Shen Yu replied promptly.

He knew the live monster specimens he sought had arrived.

That was the primary purpose of his visit.

The meeting had merely been a necessary formality—a mutual declaration of stance and resolve.

“There’s one more request. You showcased the wrist-mounted personal terminal at the meeting. Might our computer experts have the honor of examining it?” Huang Jingrong’s gaze turned toward Shen Yu’s wrist.

At the meeting, Shen Yu had executed a flawless demonstration of simple hacking.

Anywhere worldwide connected to the internet was vulnerable to infiltration by this small wrist-mounted device, which silently extracted vast quantities of classified data without triggering any alarms.

Apart from the attendees who witnessed it firsthand, no one had any inkling or suspicion.

For a moment, the meeting was so silent one could hear a pin drop.

All present deeply understood the vital importance of the Multidimensional Post-Apocalyptic Civilization Mutual Aid Association—it was a resource, an opportunity, and above all, a sanctuary.

Otherwise, any member of a powerful civilization arriving in their world could easily cause upheaval.

Even alone, seizing control of an entire civilization was not beyond possibility.

In such circumstances, though some might still question the association’s existence, no one dared speak lightly about it.

The association must exist—and it must continue to exist.

“This wrist-mounted personal terminal is merely a civilian model, roughly equivalent to a low-cost phone here, one that sells for under a thousand yuan,” Shen Yu said nonchalantly, adding a caution. “Even so, with our current technology, it’s difficult to glean much from this mature device. The programming algorithms are different. If you’re interested, you can take a look, but to conduct deep research, you’d be better off obtaining some older, vintage versions. Of course, that’s just my suggestion...”

Following Huang Jingrong, Shen Yu passed through stringent security checks and arrived at a research center.

Many procedures required his authorization to proceed.

His clearance now exceeded Huang Jingrong’s by several ranks.

Soon, they met several scientists clad in research uniforms.

Among them, an older leader quickly approached, clasping Shen Yu’s hand firmly.

“Welcome, Advisor Shen. I am Cai Xu, director of the Meteorite Biology First Research Institute, and a biological researcher.”

“Director Cai, could you brief us on our research progress regarding the Eyeworms?” Shen Yu went straight to the point.

Currently, the Eyeworm was the nation’s primary research focus.

It was too close to home.

They had already invaded the territory, causing casualties.

Without swift containment, their numbers could soon swell into the millions, even tens of millions.

The mere thought of such numbers roaming cities at will was chilling.

“To be frank, our research results are very limited,” Cai Xu said, guilt and exhaustion written plainly across his bloodshot eyes, revealing the pressure he bore.

He explained, “This creature defies all biological norms. It transmits an incredibly powerful negative emotion through light. Anyone who meets its gaze rapidly develops suicidal thoughts—unwavering and intensifying. Only by completely blindfolding oneself or observing from a distance through a lens can this influence be mitigated. Sunglasses, night-vision goggles, or even close-range viewing through a lens are ineffective.”

Cai Xu’s admission of limited progress was no falsehood.