Chapter Three: Entering the Mountains

“If someone’s willing to be our guide, we’ll add another five thousand yuan to the guide’s pay…”
The middle-aged man, seeing that no one was willing, grew anxious and increased the offer, hoping someone would be swayed by the money.
At the mention of five thousand yuan, everyone’s eyes lit up. Five thousand yuan! That was nearly a month’s salary for people like them.
But just as quickly, the brightness faded from their eyes. Money was important, yes, but you needed to be alive to spend it; if you died, nothing else mattered.
When he heard the increased offer, Long Yu’s eyes also shone—it was enough to pay for his sister’s tuition for a whole year…
Under the lure of money, Long Yu momentarily pushed aside thoughts of danger.
Opportunities like this didn’t come often. Who knew when the area might be sealed off for good? Better to earn what he could while there was still a chance!
But it really was dangerous! Long Yu hovered again and again on the edge between temptation and fear…
Seeing that still no one responded, the man’s anxiety deepened. “Really, is no one willing? I’ll add another thousand…”
Yet another raise.
This time, Long Yu finally found it hard to sit still.
He clenched his fists tightly, his eyes darting back and forth. He opened his mouth several times as if to speak, but closed it again each time. In the end, he finally stood up.
“Um, Supervisor, I’d like to go…”
The supervisor brightened. Of course! Long Yu was an excellent choice—he’d grown up in the mountains and knew all the paths behind the resort.
The middle-aged man’s worried face relaxed at last—someone was willing. He turned to Long Yu.
“What’s your name, young man?”
“My name’s Long Yu—Long, as in the dragon of the zodiac, and Yu as in feather.”
“All right, Brother Long Yu, you may call me Professor Wang. This is Captain Li of the Armed Police.”

Professor Wang gestured to the officer at his side.
“Captain Li,” Long Yu greeted him with a smile.
“Those two behind me are my assistants, and those nine are all armed police.”
“Captain Li and his men are here to protect us as we head into the mountains, so you needn’t worry about safety this time.”
…
The travel agency didn’t have much business anyway, so they handled everything quickly.
Long Yu set off with the group…
On the way, he learned that Professor Wang’s full name was Wang Dahai—a thoroughly ordinary name, but the man himself was far from ordinary. He was one of the nation’s top biologists and the most distinguished biology professor at Liangzhou University.
Liangzhou University was among the country’s most renowned, a top-ten institution, with biology as its signature field.
The two assistants were his doctoral students, one male and one female. The man was slight but had strikingly bright eyes, full of spirit. The woman was a little plump, perhaps a six or seven out of ten in looks.
As for the armed police, Captain Li had won first place in the provincial competitions, and he had killed criminals in real action. The nine team members were all elite.
Their presence showed just how much the nation valued Professor Wang—or rather, this research mission of his.
The mountain paths in the open area were still passable, relatively smooth, and safe. Aside from seeing some unusually large insects, there was little real danger along the way.
“The road ahead gets harder,” Long Yu warned as they walked.
Beyond this point lay the protected area, with only trails made by staff or those who’d sneaked in—some places had no path at all.
“Don’t worry about the rough road, Brother Long Yu. As biologists, we should get out into the field to do research instead of hiding in labs all the time. Think of it as training,” Professor Wang said, his voice steady even though it wasn’t loud.

“Professor, you’re not young anymore, and it’s not easy for you. Let the students do the research,”
“Yes, Professor, let us take care of it. Why trouble yourself?”
His two students pleaded, worried for their teacher’s health. He was already of advanced age, yet still took on such exhausting work.
But their advice, repeated many times before, was always brushed aside, as it was now.
“You two! If we scientists aren’t willing to endure hardship, how can we do science or biology at all?”
“This old man is still strong! I could serve the country for twenty more years. Remember, you must never fear hardship in your studies, or slacken your standards for any reason.”
Professor Wang knew his students meant well, but he also understood that especially in biology, one must not fear hardship. His own achievements came from doing what others thought useless.
Listening to the exchange, Long Yu felt a quiet admiration. It was true—those who achieved greatness in science always had a spirit of service and dedication, undaunted by hardship or fatigue.
He looked at Captain Li and the other armed police, who naturally surrounded Professor Wang and his group, silent, all senses alert for danger.
“Professor Wang, why come to Mount Liang? Haven’t animal mutations appeared all over the world?”
Long Yu finally voiced his long-held question.
“There’s something unusual about this area—the degree of animal mutation is much higher than in other places. If we can find the cause, perhaps we can resolve this crisis.”
Professor Wang didn’t elaborate, offering only a brief explanation.
Long Yu didn’t press. If something could be shared, it would be; if not, asking further would be pointless.
As the group ventured deeper, the trail disappeared altogether. They had to hack away branches and undergrowth with knives to make their way forward.