In the vast Cloud Peak, with tens of thousands of people, including newcomers and their families, fewer than two thousand women had successfully become pregnant in the four years since the apocalypse began. This was alarming, considering that most survivors from the early days of the apocalypse were young adults in their prime reproductive years.
The survival rate of newborns was another headache. Of the roughly two thousand pregnant women, about two thousand had given birth, all single births—no twins or triplets. Despite having professional obstetricians and the enhanced physiques of evolved, the survival rate was only about 70%, meaning only around 1,400 newborns had survived.
In peacetime, this number would have been much higher!
At this moment, it seemed class had ended, as a group of children ran out, numbering around fifty or sixty. Seeing Li Daqian, they swarmed around him.
They called out to him with various endearments—Grandpa Li, Manor Lord, and so on.
Li Daqian, now the picture of kindness, patted some on the head and pinched others’ cheeks, responding to each child with a smile.
Soon, a few of the pregnant women with smaller bellies came over and led the children away for breakfast, leaving Li Daqian and Ye Zhongming alone.
“These children were all born after the apocalypse. To be precise, their mothers became pregnant after the apocalypse began. The oldest is three and a half years old.”
Ye Zhongming was taken aback and suddenly asked, “And the youngest?”
After this brief exchange, the two fell silent. After a while, Ye Zhongming sighed.
“I think this issue is more important than the Mantis Snatcher’s corpse.”
Li Daqian smiled faintly. “Originally, I wanted to discuss this issue with the laboratories I invited this time. But I realized that, at this point, the only people I can trust are you and Cloud Peak.”
“I’m honored,” Ye Zhongming shrugged.
“You must be wondering why these children look much older than their actual age.”
Ye Zhongming nodded. He was indeed curious, as the children appeared to be at least five or six years old.
“I showed you this for two main reasons,” Li Daqian said, his expression turning serious.
“Our Beast Villa doesn’t have a genius like Liu Zhenghong, nor do we have the conditions or capability to establish a laboratory. So, the first reason is to hope that your Life Gene Laboratory, especially Liu Zhenghong, can take the time to study the reasons behind the low fertility and newborn survival rates.”
Seeing Ye Zhongming frown, Li Daqian thought he was reluctant. After all, researching gene warriors brought tangible benefits to Ye Zhongming, while studying this issue would clearly be a time-consuming distraction.
So Li Daqian quickly added, “I’m not some selfless saint or a benevolent savior. I just believe that humanity shouldn’t perish like this. Even if it’s just to thwart those in the sky or the wheel’s controllers, we and our descendants should continue to exist. Brother Ye, to be blunt, you’re younger than my son. This issue is a reality you can’t escape.”
Ye Zhongming agreed with this sentiment. He even felt a personal connection to it. Being unable to get his women pregnant wasn’t exactly something to boast about.
But his earlier hesitation wasn’t due to reluctance. He was recalling the first time he met Liu Zhenghong. The mad scientist had been researching pregnancy, but her subjects were human women pregnant with the offspring of green-skinned monsters.
If she were to research this issue, would it awaken the cruel tendencies she had exhibited in his previous life?
After all, she was the infamous “Human Creator Red.”
“Alright, I’ll discuss this with Sister Hong when I return,” Ye Zhongming agreed. He couldn’t find a reason to refuse.
Like Li Daqian, he wasn’t a saint, but he wanted his people and humanity as a whole to continue surviving on this planet, including his descendants.
Li Daqian was pleased and continued, “I can provide you with all sorts of data on this issue. I can even conduct some clinical trials under your guidance. Just let me know what you need.”
Ye Zhongming neither refused nor agreed. He would wait to hear Liu Zhenghong’s thoughts on the matter.
“And the second reason?”
Li Daqian pointed to a room on the building’s upper floor. Ye Zhongming’s keen eyesight allowed him to see a little girl sitting inside, reading a book.
He recognized her—she was the girl who had shown him the level-nine creature’s eggs earlier.
“That’s Yuanyuan, my granddaughter,” Li Daqian said, his expression fluctuating between affection, worry, and sorrow.
“She’s almost four years old, the earliest born among these children and the first child born in the Beast Villa after the apocalypse.”
Ye Zhongming was surprised. He knew Li Daqian was about to share something truly valuable.
“Brother Ye, you’re also a representative of one of the factions in the sky, right?”
Li Daqian shifted the topic slightly. “Given your fame, you must be. I am, too, and I might be one of the earliest. Not long after the apocalypse began, I was unexpectedly chosen.”
“The race I represent told me, after I completed a mission, that aside from two ordinary humans conceiving before the apocalypse having a higher chance of pregnancy, pairing an evolved with an ordinary human also increases the chances. If you want the unborn child to be strong, have the woman, as an ordinary human, become pregnant and then take evolution potions during pregnancy. The earlier she takes them during pregnancy, the higher her evolution level, and the child born will not only have a higher survival rate but also grow faster and stronger.”
Ye Zhongming pointed upstairs, and Li Daqian nodded.
“At first, I was thrilled. Although this method wasn’t some core secret, as humanity evolved, ordinary humans would become increasingly rare. When people realize this issue, it might be too late to find non-evolved humans. Wouldn’t humanity go extinct after a few years?”
“Moreover, I doubted the truthfulness of those in the sky. Seeing my granddaughter, not yet four, looking like a teenager, I truly worry. Is this accelerated growth causing side effects? If the price is her lifespan, what should I do?”
“When you leave, I want you to take Yuanyuan with you. Hand her over to Liu Zhenghong and ask her to examine my granddaughter to see if she’s normal.”