Chapter 121: Miraculous Plants

The medical system of New City relies on a robust supply of medicinal herbs. Recognizing this, Xie Han organized a dedicated herb-gathering team. Unlike other units, this team was a hybrid force, consisting of ten soldiers to provide firepower and forty civilians. The ten soldiers were further divided into three roles: five machine gunners, four beam snipers, and one scout.

New City had a population of nearly ten thousand, yet Xie Han found that manpower was so scarce that he could barely spare anyone for construction projects. Even with the forty civilians he had requisitioned, Qi Feiwu and Chu Tianhe had approached him multiple times to complain, illustrating the severity of the personnel shortage.

Xie Han found it incredibly frustrating to decide who would lead this team. The city lacked experienced leaders, and waiting for the current staff to grow into their roles was not an option—it was a case of being unable to quench an immediate thirst with distant water. With no other choice, Xie Han took on the task himself. After all, having finished his work at the Yuke Electrical Factory and the health system, he was the only one with any spare time.

"After this, I absolutely must prioritize the promotion of talent," Xie Han grumbled to himself during the departure. "If I keep doing everything myself, I’ll be worked to death!" Though he joked, his status as a third-rank genetic superhuman notwithstanding, it highlighted the desperate need for leadership.

Wangtian Province, located in the south, enjoyed a subtropical climate. Its mild weather provided rich soil for flora to thrive. In the wake of the XR virus, which had devastated humanity, the plants had entered a golden age of unhindered growth. Wangtian City, situated in the heart of the province, was particularly fertile. According to the records, almost all the medicinal herbs native to the province could be found in the vicinity of Wangtian City.

Xie Han did not believe in traveling far for what could be found nearby. He set the team's first destination in the mountains bordering the military exclusion zone. These mountains, composed mostly of gravel and sparse soil with little water, were a paradise for medicinal herbs. Lacking human interference, Xie Han expected a fruitful harvest.

While Xie Han’s reputation for ruthlessness was born during the population-gathering efforts, most of the people in New City viewed him as a benevolent leader. He treated everyone with respect, making him immensely popular—especially among women, who idolized his handsome appearance.

Because of his approachable nature, the soldiers were not afraid of him. The journey was filled with laughter, which eased the tension. When the trucks reached the gravel hills, Zhao Baian, the lead beam sniper, asked skeptically, "Commander, this place looks like a wasteland. Are there really any herbs here?"

Xie Han smiled. "It is precisely because it is a 'wasteland' that no one has bothered to look here, which significantly increases the chances of finding medicinal herbs."

After a short break, the team set off on foot. They relied on a systematic approach to clear the hills of potential zombie wildlife, using sound to draw out any threats. Thanks to this, the team searched the hills safely, with the beam snipers quickly eliminating any stray zombie animals. Xie Han’s intuition proved correct; the proximity to the military zone meant few people ever ventured here. They discovered vast patches of herbs undisturbed for years.

The team was equipped with "Memory Devices," compact tools similar to MP4 players but far more advanced. These devices featured over 1TB of storage, 48-hour battery life, and powerful 3D projection capabilities. Their scanning function allowed for real-time analysis of plant life, cross-referencing them with a vast database and providing auditory and visual alerts upon a match.

Xie Han rarely needed to participate in the manual labor. Once he confirmed an area was clear of zombie wildlife, he would stay at the foot of the hill with his soldiers while the civilians gathered the herbs.

By late afternoon, the collectors’ bags were overflowing.

"Let's push through—this is the last hill," Xie Han announced. This particular hill was rocky, with vegetation growing only in the narrow crevices.

They were twenty minutes into the search when Xie Han heard a frantic shout. A collector came sprinting down the slope. Xie Han jumped up, grabbing his Star-Burst blaster. "What is it? Are there zombie animals?"

"Report, Commander," the collector gasped, "we found an unknown plant."

Xie Han sighed in relief. "An unknown plant? That’s hardly strange."

"No, sir," the collector shook his head. "This plant is seven-colored and it emits its own light. It’s very strange."

When they reached the summit, they found the team gathered around a large rock crevice. Two plants, each featuring seven distinct colors, were growing there. Each plant had seven leaves, one for each color, arranged along a vibrant, multicolored stem.

The plants were bioluminescent, casting a soft, flickering rainbow glow in the shadows of the rocks. Xie Han was stunned. "Nature is truly miraculous. I’ve never even heard of such a thing."

He ordered the team to carefully excavate the eleven specimens they found, along with the surrounding soil, and store them in specialized climate-controlled containers.

Upon returning to the base, Xie Han brought the plants to the XR Virus Research Center, a retrofitted warehouse guarded by soldiers. This was where the researchers he had rescued from the old Wangtian base worked.

Wang Yezhi, the lead researcher, was astonished. "My gut tells me this seven-colored plant will bring about a change," he said, before disappearing into the lab with the samples.

Minutes later, Wang returned, his face flushed with excitement. He led Xie Han to his office to show him the data. "I’m a genetic researcher, but the light system of this plant is unlike anything I’ve seen. I performed a scan, and the structure of this plant possesses biological characteristics."

Wang’s voice rose with intensity. "This is a completely new category of plant life. It’s impossible that it hasn't been discovered until now unless... it was infected by the XR virus and mutated."

Xie Han was shocked. "But the XR virus only affects active cells! How could it infect a plant?"

"Nature is full of surprises," Wang replied calmly. "I’ve confirmed it—the plant is not carrying the virus; it is actively repelling it. It seems to have developed an immune substance to repair itself. If we can extract and study this substance, we might finally break the deadlock in our research."

Wang looked at Xie Han with renewed hope. "If this plant can indeed inhibit the XR virus, it proves that our previous research direction with GGT biological agents was wrong. We may have to start over, but this is a brand-new hope."