Zuo Feng handed the sapling to Xiao Mi Tao and said, "Xiao Mi Tao, put the sapling back on the Second Floor. Also, have Mu'er watch it and don't let anyone near it."
One of the sapling's effects was clearly to induce the outbreak of the New type of symbiotic zombie virus, and Zuo Feng couldn't leave the sapling on the Second Floor any longer.
Furthermore, who knew if the leaders of the Three Overlord Powers carried the New type of symbiotic zombie virus? If they entered the Laboratory and came into contact with the sapling, and the virus they carried erupted, that would be a huge problem.
In particular, Zuo Feng also didn't want other powers to know he possessed a sapling that could induce the outbreak of the New type of symbiotic zombie virus.
Xiao Mi Tao excitedly took the sapling: "Okay, Feng Ge!"
She then turned and ran towards the dedicated passage to the Second Floor, her figure quickly disappearing behind the thick isolation door.
In the monitoring room, only Zuo Feng, the girls of Firefly, and the two seemingly silent Six-Slash Zombies on the screen remained.
The air seemed to solidify, with only the faint hum of instruments and the sound of breathing.
Zuo Feng's gaze refocused on the monitoring screen.
The two zombies hung their heads low, their posture unchanged from before, but Zuo Feng's intuition was screaming a warning.
It was too quiet, abnormally quiet; even their low growls had stopped.
Their previous struggles and growls had consumed a great deal of energy, and while this 'hibernation' could be understood as a strategic way to conserve strength, Zuo Feng felt that something was amiss.
He carefully observed the blood-red patterns on their skin, which pulsed slowly like living things and flowed with a deep red light. Did those patterns seem... brighter than before?
Or rather, was the speed of the light's flow increasing, albeit extremely slowly?
Zuo Feng's brows furrowed, and alarm bells rang in his heart.
The quiet might just be a facade.
They had given up the meaningless external struggle, using all their power for internal refinement, accumulation of strength, or perhaps even... some form of communication?
Or, were they waiting for an opportunity?
An opportunity sufficient to break free from their restraints, or to launch a fatal blow?
Zuo Feng's eyes were sharp as knives.
He realized that while the physical restraint of the a-level metal chain was unbreakable, it seemed unable to completely block this deeper 'evolution' or 'power accumulation' occurring within the zombies' bodies.
They were like venomous snakes in a cage, seemingly coiled motionless, but with fangs hidden, silently adjusting their posture and accumulating enough venom for a fatal strike.
Time slowly passed in this silent, suffocating struggle.
Everyone in the monitoring room, including the Firefly girls who had just returned, held their breath, their eyes fixed on the screen.
Zuo Feng's fingertips unconsciously tapped the control panel again, thud, thud, thud... the rhythm slow and heavy.
He quickly calculated in his mind: the leaders of the Three Overlord Powers didn't yet know the horror of the Slash Zombies; he had to let them witness the terror and cunning of these Six-Slash Zombies firsthand.
But at the same time, he also had to ensure that these two things would not encounter any unexpected changes before the leaders arrived.
Professor Yan's research needed time, and the continuous 'internal circulation' or power accumulation within these two zombies was like an unpredictable ticking time bomb.
"What exactly do they want to do?" Zuo Feng's fingertips stopped tapping.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze seemingly penetrating the screen, focusing on the flowing blood-red patterns beneath the Slash Zombies' skin.
Yes, the flow rate of that dark red light was indeed accelerating, though extremely subtly, like blood rushing faster through thicker blood vessels.
They were accumulating power in a more restrained, more efficient way.
This undercurrent beneath the calm was more chilling than their previous frantic growls.
Most critically, Zuo Feng still couldn't determine what these two Six-Slash Zombies were waiting for.
Was it a signal, or a specific moment?
At this moment, Professor Yan, having finished assigning tasks, rushed into the monitoring room, carefully studying the data changes on the screen, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Professor Yan," Zuo Feng's voice was low and clear, breaking the silence of the monitoring room, "Are there any changes in their vital signs and energy fluctuations, especially the internal energy fluctuations? Even the slightest."
Professor Yan quickly pulled up another data stream, intently observing the complex waveform graph.
A moment later, he nodded gravely: "There are indeed changes, Leader. The surface energy fluctuations seem to have decreased, even becoming imperceptible, but... the internal core energy readings are climbing extremely slowly, very steadily. It's like..."
He searched for a suitable analogy, "It's like an engine simultaneously reducing its idle noise while continuously increasing the temperature and pressure of its core combustion chamber."
This analogy made Zuo Feng's heart sink sharply.
Reducing external consumption, concentrating power to boost core energy?
They were preparing for the next assault!
And they had chosen the most inconspicuous, most enemy-paralyzing method after careful calculation.
Zuo Feng frowned, then said after a moment of contemplation:
"Their goal is definitely not just to break free from the chains. Professor Yan, have you discovered anything else?"
Zuo Feng always felt they were missing some crucial clue.
Professor Yan's brows were tightly furrowed, his fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard, and data streams scrolled down the screen like a waterfall.
"Wait! There's an abnormal frequency fluctuation here!"
Professor Yan suddenly stopped, pointing to a faint flicker on the screen, "This might be some kind of communication signal between them, perhaps an instruction to trigger some action."
Professor Yan's eyes showed shock.
"This signal is extremely hidden; it's almost undetectable without careful analysis."
Professor Yan's voice trembled slightly: "And the signal is radiating outwards, which means they might be—calling for help!"
"Calling for help?" Zuo Feng's heart jolted, and he quickly thought of a greater crisis: "Are they summoning their kind?"
But currently, only Firefly Base should have the outbreak pathogen. What are they calling for help from?
Could it be that besides Firefly Base, there are other already erupted pathogens?
Or are they gathering other zombies, or even—transmitting information to all New type of symbiotic zombie viruses lurking within human bodies?
Zuo Feng's gaze swept across the screen with a grave expression, a chill rising in his heart. He had still underestimated the danger of the Slash Zombies.
"Professor Yan, how far does the signal transmit? Is there any way to intercept it? Or completely block it?"
Professor Yan quickly calculated and replied: "The signal coverage is initially estimated to be a radius of about one hundred kilometers. This is a new type of high-frequency biological signal, difficult to intercept conventionally. Currently, there are no technical means to intercept it. We can't even jam it!"
"...We can't even jam it!"
Professor Yan's words were like an ice pick piercing Zuo Feng's heart.
A radius of one hundred kilometers!
This range was enough to cover the entire X City and most of its surrounding areas.
The signal couldn't be intercepted, couldn't be jammed. What did that mean?
What they were emitting was not a simple growl, but a precise, efficient signal, capable of penetrating the heavy shielding of the Laboratory!
They were now equivalent to a signal transmission tower, covering an area of one hundred kilometers in all directions!
Zuo Feng stared coldly at the screen, muttering to himself, "What exactly do you want to do? What information do you want to convey to the outside world?"