TNAB Ch 17

The news about the mutant plant incident in the cafeteria had already spread across the groups late last night, but no one knew the exact details. As soon as Kang Anru mentioned it, the entire classroom was stunned. It turned out to be a C-level mutant plant.

Earlier in the school year, they had seen one on the base’s post road and understood how dangerous it was. The teacher had also explained that C-level mutant plants could grow as tall as 20 meters—nearly the height of their dormitory.

“This time, the C-level mutant plant caused three deaths and two injuries before the guards finally shot it down,” Kang Anru said, briefly glancing at Zhao Linong in the back row. She then turned to the screen behind her and added, “Next, we’ll watch the surveillance footage from the cafeteria last night, where you can see how the mutant plant attacked.”

The room erupted in disbelief. Were they really about to witness a mutant plant killing people?

Kang Anru paid no attention to the students’ reactions or their rising anxiety. She played the cafeteria surveillance video, which was also being shown in other classrooms.

Zhao Linong looked up and saw the boy in the video, who had been the first to die the night before. He was eating calmly, occasionally texting on his optical computer with a smile.

The surveillance seemed to be edited to highlight the boy’s voice, as the entire class could hear him. “My peach tree has borne a lot of fruit, and it will ripen soon,” he said with a smile to the person on the other end of his messages. “With this, I should be able to become a planting officer by the time I graduate.”

Becoming a planting officer was the ultimate dream of all agricultural students at the Ninth Agricultural Base. At that moment, nearly everyone in the room could relate to his words. He had been so close to achieving his goal, only to lose his life in what was supposed to be the safest place—the cafeteria.

It was both tragic and deeply ironic.

Kang Anru stood at the front, watching the footage with the students, despite having seen it several times before. The boy continued chatting for a bit before ending his call. At that point, Wei Li and Zhao Linong appeared with their meals and sat down in front of them.

The students in Class C quickly recognized Zhao Linong, and many turned to glance at her. She, however, remained focused on the video, seemingly unaware of the attention.

Soon, the boy put down his chopsticks and reached for his teacup to drink water. No one had yet figured out where the mutant plant had come from. It wasn’t until the boy lifted the cup halfway to his mouth that the mint leaves suddenly mutated.

The classroom was instantly filled with screams, gasps, the screeching sound of chairs being pushed back, and even the sound of someone vomiting. No matter how prepared anyone was, or how many times they had seen something similar, it was still unbearable to witness.

“Pay close attention!” Kang Anru, who had been silent until now, turned to the students with a cold expression. “This is a harsh lesson. As agricultural students, you must always be on guard with all plants—even a single leaf soaking in a cup.”

“If you let your guard down, it could cost you your life.”

In the video, the boy who drank from his cup died in a gruesome manner. Wei Li and Zhao Linong, who were sitting closest to him, reacted quickly, flipping the dining table to shield themselves and buying time to escape. The other two nearby, who failed to react, died on the spot. The footage continued until the guards arrived and killed the mutant mint plant.

When the screen finally went dark, the students in the classroom let out a collective sigh of relief and began to relax.

“This time, someone’s quick reaction saved their life,” Kang Anru said from the podium. She didn’t look at Zhao Linong, but many students did, casting furtive glances at her.

In the footage, Zhao Linong’s swift actions stood out. The moment the boy’s glass shattered, she was already on her feet. When the mint leaves pierced his skull, she reached across the table, grabbed Wei Li, and pulled her to safety.

Within seconds, she overturned the dining table, blocking the mutant plant’s attack.

“Almost none of you will make it as planting officers,” Kang Anru bluntly told the students, and no one dared to argue. “The Ninth Agricultural Base isn’t a charity. You should have known what you were getting into when you enrolled here.”

“Without money, you can’t buy seeds, and you can’t afford the guards’ protection. In the end, coming here is just another experiment for the Central Base.”

“From the Central Base to the Ninth Agricultural Base, you’ve merely gone from one hell to another.” Kang Anru spoke slowly and deliberately. “If you’re lucky, you might survive four years and become a planter, ensuring you can at least feed yourself in the future. If you’re unlucky, you won’t even leave behind a complete body.”

The classroom fell into silence.

Many of the students in Class C had enrolled at the Ninth Agricultural Base because they had no other options. They had been living too comfortably recently, not worrying about meals or seeing any mutant plants. It made some of them forget the dangerous reality they were in.

“Even if you have the money to buy protection, it doesn’t guarantee your safety. Mutated plants are unpredictable and difficult to defend against,” Kang Anru said bluntly, before softening her tone. “Only by staying vigilant can you save your life. There are a few more videos for you to watch. Observe how the mutant plants behave, so if you encounter them in the future, you’ll know how to react and hide.”

The light screen began playing the videos, each one more gruesome than the last, showcasing various tragic accidents. The sound of vomiting persisted throughout the classroom. When the class finally ended, Zhao Linong came back to herself, the images of blood still lingering in her mind.

Kang Anru, unusually, didn’t leave right away. She pointed at Zhao Linong and said, “Come with me.”

He Yuesheng, sitting nearby, looked at Zhao Linong with concern. “I’ll wait here for you.”

“No, you head back first,” Zhao Linong replied, standing up and pulling out her chair. “Tell Tong Tong for me.”

“Okay.”

…

Kang Anru led Zhao Linong out of the classroom and into a private elevator, remaining silent the entire time. Zhao Linong noticed the numbers rising on the panel but didn’t ask any questions.

When the elevator doors opened, they stepped out. At the same moment, the opposite elevator opened, and Wei Li appeared, accompanied by a teacher.

“Junior sister!” Wei Li called out with a grin, hands tied, two triangular scarves draped around her neck. She looked odd but didn’t seem to notice, winking playfully at Zhao Linong.

“Shut up!” Teacher Ting, standing in front of Wei Li, scolded her.

“Oh,” Wei Li said, immediately lowering her head, looking apologetic.

Zhao Linong nodded at Wei Li in greeting, starting to understand what was happening. They were likely being called in to explain what had happened. However, the process turned out to be more formal than Zhao Linong had expected.

She was taken to a separate room with black-tiled walls, a steel table, and three chairs. A glass of water sat on the table. Cameras were mounted in all four corners and next to the table, making the room feel eerily like an interrogation room from a movie.

Since arriving in this world, Zhao Linong thought, I’ve experienced everything I should—and shouldn’t—experience.

Kang Anru pulled out a chair opposite the camera. “Sit down. Someone will come in to ask questions. Just tell the truth.” With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Zhao Linong alone.

Zhao Linong sat quietly, keeping her eyes down, neither touching the water nor looking around.

A few minutes later, the door opened again. Two people, a man and a woman, walked in and sat down across from her. The woman, about forty, had her hair neatly tied up and smiled kindly at Zhao Linong as she entered. The man, in his thirties, had a harsher look with sharp eyes. Without wasting time, he turned on his light computer and began playing the surveillance footage.

The footage played was the same as in the classroom, but this time it included the audio of her conversation with Wei Li.

“What are you looking at?” Wei Li’s voice could be heard.

“Nothing, it’s just…” Zhao Linong’s voice followed.

Feeling confused, Zhao Linong asked, “Teacher, what’s this about?”

The woman with the bun smiled gently, trying to be as clear as possible. “We just want to ask about what happened at that moment. A C-level mutant plant appeared at the Ninth Base, and we need to create a detailed report. We can’t afford to overlook anything.”

“We reviewed the surveillance and noticed you seemed to have noticed something at the time.” She pushed the glass of water on the table toward Zhao Linong. “Can you finish what you were about to say back then?”

Zhao Linong was momentarily stunned. “I… I can’t remember.”

“Take your time. We’re in no rush,” the woman reassured her.

Zhao Linong frowned, trying to recall, and after a brief pause, said slowly, “I was going to ask the boy what was in his cup. I hadn’t seen it before, and I was curious.”

The woman with the bun stared at her for a while before finally nodding. “Alright, we’ll record that. You can leave now.”

“Can I go?” Zhao Linong asked, still somewhat unsure. After the woman nodded again, she stood up slowly and left the room.

Inside the room, after she left:

“Have you checked her background?” the woman with the bun asked the man beside her.

“We did. She’s a civilian from the Central Base, raised in a single-parent family. Everything seems normal.” The man passed the report over to her.

“Alright, record her statement and add it to the report.” The woman sighed as she stood up. “Who would have thought something as simple as mint leaves soaked in water would cause this?”

Coffee and tea were luxury items, so mint leaves soaked in cold water were a popular, affordable, and refreshing alternative. Several students had been drinking mint water in the cafeteria that day. However, the boy who died had left the mint leaves soaking for several days, noticing an unusual flavor but not discarding them. He had accidentally poured hot water into the cup, likely triggering the mutation.

This was the conclusion drawn after the overnight investigation, leaving everyone unsettled.

…

“Junior, wait for me!” Wei Li called out as she came out of another room, rushing to join Zhao Linong in the elevator. “Let’s head down together.”

Zhao Linong calmly stepped aside to make space in the elevator, pressing herself against the inside wall. No one noticed the patch of sweat on her back.

It was her first time lying in front of so many surveillance cameras. Just one careless sentence had been enough to get her brought in for questioning.

Even though the woman with the bun had been kind, Zhao Linong knew better than to reveal too much. Without the right background, she wasn’t sure what consequences might come from telling the truth. After all, she had only seen the mint leaves take root, not the actual mutation. There wasn’t much to tell.

People at the base were far too sensitive.

Zhao Linong thought to herself that she should be more careful from now on and make sure not to expose any weaknesses.