Su Hao's eyes widened. In the light, his pupils were bloodshot and bright red.

"Who released it? Who exactly? ”

His voice was hoarse, full of terrifying murderous intent.

Wang Qinian's voice was flat and gentle: "You already know the answer, I said at the beginning that ———— is an Atlantean. ”

Without waiting for Su Hao to react, the old fat man continued his unfinished words.

"Of course, viruses, like humans, have the ability to evolve and strengthen themselves. The virus discovered by the Americans at that time belonged to the same species as the current virus, but due to environmental changes and its own evolutionary speed, the ability to infect and survive was weaker. In fact, in the historical records of various countries, there have always been similar zombies. Ancient Egypt, China, the French Revolution, Islamic Jihad, Indian Wars of Religion...... They have appeared more or less. Limited to the ability of writing and the concept of the recorder at the time, the virus did not cause a large-scale spread event, so a lot of information was ignored by later generations. So much so that after the founding of the People's Republic of China, a series of strange incidents occurred during our nuclear explosion test and survey in Lop Nur, which were treated as unnatural problems that cannot be explained by science. ”

Su Hao asked rhetorically: "Lop Nur? ”

Wang Qinian's face was indifferent: "You should have read some of the research materials about geologist Peng Jiamu. In fact, in the northwest desert, the troops entering Xinjiang did discover an ancient city at that time. The scale is not large, judging from the remaining architectural styles, the actual construction time can be traced back to the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Due to the sparse population and lack of water, there was little use value, and there were never detailed survey drawings in the area before the troops entered Xinjiang. But it is strange that during the civil war, there were two brigade commanders in the Ma Jiajun entrenched in Xinjiang, each with a so-called "treasure map". Most of the patterns and lines on it, the text is very blurry. They all made copies of the map and sent people to search for the drawings, but no one could come back alive. Over time, the two lost interest in treasure hunting. After the liberation, the property of the two brigade commanders was confiscated, and the raiders accidentally found two identical maps. Through a series of surveys and observations, it was finally settled on the abandoned city in the middle of the desert on the south side of the riverbed. ”

"The troops searched near the ruined city and found a corridor leading underground. At that time, there were more than 300 officers and soldiers involved in the search. At that time, the main goal of such search missions was to wipe out the remnants of the enemy, and the commanders and fighters of the troops could not and could not understand certain scientific and technological concepts to the level of the Americans, let alone carry instruments and the like. At that time, their radio contact lasted less than two hours before it was interrupted, and the base urgently dispatched planes to look for them, but they encountered a magnetic storm and sand and dust more than 60 kilometers away from the abandoned city, and all three reconnaissance planes crashed. That night, several rescue teams were dispatched to carry out a large-scale search along with local herders. By dawn, four survivors were finally found on the edge of the desert. ”

"They were in a very bad state and couldn't speak clearly. The four kept repeating words like "huge", "dead", "ghost", etc. Two people committed suicide by hitting a wall in a mental disorder that night, and the other two were held separately. They behaved strangely: one died of ulcers all over his body six hours later, and the other suddenly attacked the interrogator during the interrogation and was shot dead on the spot. According to the recollection of people after the incident, the scene was extremely chaotic at that time, and the mental state of the interrogated person was extremely unstable, and he kept saying terms such as "can't be killed" and "monster" repeatedly, and kept calling for help. I don't know what exactly provoked him, and without warning, he suddenly bit the interrogator's ear, tore it and swallowed it. Although no video or other information was left, judging from the interrogation records, the scene was really terrifying and extremely bloody. ”

Although he had a hunch in his heart, Su Hao still wanted to open his mouth to confirm his thoughts: "This performance is basically consistent with zombies." It should be in the early stage of infection of the virus. ”

Wang Qinian glanced at him noncommittally: "At that time, this incident caused a great shock in the army. The top military commander of the Northwest Military Region strictly ordered a thorough investigation. In order to find out what happened to the ruined ancient city, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specially imported a batch of precision detection instruments from the Soviet Union, escorted by an elite regiment, and specially deployed a very small number of armored units of our army at that time to conduct a second search. In order to hide people's eyes, it was claimed to be a geological expedition. ”

Su Hao couldn't help but ask, "What did they find?" ”

"Corpses"

Wang Qinian said calmly: "There are three hundred and thirty-six corpses. Together with the four survivors who had died, the first search team members were all killed. They lay on the surface of the gravel and clods of earth, and were everywhere in and around the ruined city and on the riverbed. Many had bullet holes in their bodies, while others had been torn to pieces and limbs and internal organs had fallen off...... Under the sun's rays of more than 45 degrees Celsius in Lop Nur, all the corpses were exposed to the sun, and it was impossible to distinguish their original faces. ”

"It was a terrible scene, and even though I've only seen the footage that has survived, I'm still shocked by what I saw. They were the best soldiers in our country at that time, although many people did not have a high level of education, limited knowledge, and could not compare their perspectives and understanding concepts with modern people, but they were not afraid of death, faced with danger, and still went forward with one order. They are real heroes. Without them, we wouldn't have everything we have today. ”

"Boy, you may think I'm exaggerating, but I have to tell you I don't. At that time, no one knew what was hidden beneath the ancient city of Lop Nur. Human perception is constantly changing with the progress of science, and as a bystander, you can laugh at them and even think they are stupid. Looking back now, however, even I have to admire the soldiers who were given the mission of pioneering. They have no fortifying agents, no systematic battlefield life-saving equipment, weapons and equipment can only be regarded as ordinary, and even vehicles and fuel are very lacking. They don't know what zombies are, and in the face of the infected, they only think that they are injured comrades, and try their best to treat them. Just like the American Antarctic expedition, they were all killed by unknown monsters. However, it was thanks to them that the rescue force was able to find the basis for the survival of the human race in the land of the dead. ”

"It was a small, abandoned base. The technical materials in it are compiled in a very strange script. With the technical power at that time, it could not be deciphered, and it could only be stored as the highest machine. In addition, the most valuable thing is a thermostatic freezer that contains a large number of research agents and relies on solar and magnetic kinetic energy to continuously supply energy......"

"Wait"

Su Hao suddenly interrupted Wang Qinian's words: "You just mentioned words. Since the words are different, what is the ...... for the sake of Lu?"

"Why can the Soviet Union, Germany, and the United States profit from ancient technology, but we can't? Is this what you're trying to say? ”

Wang Qinian knew Su Hao's mind very well, and he waved his hand casually: "I have studied in detail the two manuscripts obtained by the Soviet Union and the United States, as well as the two treasure maps obtained from the confiscation of family property during the founding of the People's Republic of China. One problem I found was ———— the images were made of sheepskin, and the writing paint was made from several minerals that could be stored for a long time. Three types of drawings, each written in three different types of script. The Soviets were given manuscripts in Slavic languages, and the Americans were given manuscripts written in Old Germanic script. As for the so-called treasure map...... Hehe, can you guess what the text on it is? ”

Su Hao pursed his lips and shook his head.

The old fat man smiled "hehe": "Saying it scares you to death———— it's Xiao Seal, the kind invented by Li Si, the prime minister of the Qin Dynasty." ”

"This can't ————"

Su Hao almost subconsciously said this, and his face was full of shock again: "If it is an Atlantean, the age alone cannot match at all, how can it be possible to use the kind of writing at that time?" And ......"

"That's the crux of the matter————"

Speaking of excitement, Wang Qinian kept rubbing his hands, and his emotions became more and more enthusiastic: "It's not just me who is puzzled by this question, the Americans and the Soviet Union ...... Oh, at the time of our joint study, the Soviet Union no longer existed, and it was supposed to be the Russians, who also found the problem difficult to explain. By chance, a researcher inadvertently swept one of the manuscripts with a laser irradiator, and in multiple development mode, we discovered that the text was stacked on top of each other. In addition to the part on the surface, there are some that are covered up by some kind of paint. After repeated testing, the text stacking level was judged to be thirty-eight times. In other words, both the manuscript and the treasure map have been revised a total of thirty-eight times. ”

"That's a staggering number, isn't it? But that's not all. Because of the significant textual discoveries, we further became suspicious of these manuscripts, and the examination work was extended to the drawings themselves. We took some of the material from the edges of all the manuscripts, and through fiber fracture comparison and chemical analysis, we found shocking facts. ”

These words that came out of Wang Qinian's mouth made Su Hao feel an unprecedented shock.

He felt like he was stepping into a deep and vast space filled with darkness and indescribable sensations. Everywhere there is unspeakable fear, and there is not a ray of light in sight. Sharp claws and teeth lurk in the depths of the darkness, ready to pounce and tear themselves to shreds.

"If you want to find out the truth, you have to pay a sufficient price."

This should be considered an aphorism. Unfortunately, not many people understand what that means. Even Su Hao himself, who is constantly inquiring into the truth, only now does he really understand.

It was indeed terrifying, although there were some words that Wang Qinian had not finished speaking, but with Su Hao's wisdom and understanding, it was not difficult to guess.

Still, he tried his best to suppress his violently beating heart and asked in as smooth a tone as possible: "Facts...... What is it? ”

Wang Qinian looked at Su Hao meaningfully: "Our initial research conclusion was misjudged. Although the material of all the manuscripts has the characteristics of sheepskin, and the composition pattern and composition are the same as those of sheepskin, they are not sheepskin, but a living creature that has never appeared before, and is completely beyond normal understanding. ”

Su Hao's face tightened: "Living creatures? ”

"That's right, it's alive ————"

The old fat man nodded affirmatively: "The part that was cut off as a sample showed signs of withering within twenty-four hours. It quickly disperses, withers, and becomes a pile of carbon-based powder. And the torn edges of the manuscript are growing. Because the manuscript was monitored in an incubator, we were able to capture the full picture of the growth. The scene was really unbelievable, although the growth rate was slow, but if you fast-forward the video footage, you could see the gray-white sticky material growing from the edges of the manuscript. It's like you're watching a baby grow into an adult in a matter of minutes... It wasn't a manuscript at all, but an undiscovered microorganism. They are brought together by a non-human amount of technological power, to which a fibrous tissue resembles sheepskin. Any form of damage can be repaired in a short time. It's amazing, we still haven't been able to figure out if it has a metabolism? How do I get my nutrition? It is clearly bound by some kind of force, and its growth is limited to the fixed edges of the manuscript, and does not expand or shrink

"That is, it may never die, always in a fixed pattern......"

Su Hao frowned slightly, and his expression became more and more stiff: "A manuscript that can repair itself, stacking up to thirty-two levels of text...... Is it ...... the ancient Slavic language family?"

Suddenly, Su Hao's eyes flashed with shock, and he couldn't help blurting out: "Those words, each layer of them should be completely different, isn't it?" ”

Wang Qinian looked at him indifferently, obviously expecting to behave at this moment. He looked at Su Hao with a smile: "That's right, they are indeed different. Tell all the doubts in your heart, as well as your conjectures. ”

Su Hao's tone was tense and stiff: "Each layer of stacking should correspond to a different period of civilization. Taking the treasure map as an example, under the small seal should be an older ancient script, and even hieroglyphs. As for the other two manuscripts, I guess the situation is similar. The purpose of text stacking is to make it understandable to the discoverer. Otherwise, the manuscript itself loses its meaning of existence. ”

"If it's an exam, then you can get a perfect score."

Wang Qinian nodded with satisfaction, his face quickly became heavy and cold: "Your conjecture is exactly the same as our final conclusion. These manuscripts have been around for a long time, and our detection methods have not been able to determine the exact age of their appearance. That's beyond the level of technology that humans have. The only test result was that from the bottom of the pile of traces, several other never-before-seen characters were found. You might not believe it, but what archaeologists call the "oldest" hieroglyphs is only the fourth stack from top to bottom. We don't even know if the rest of the stacks are literal, but in terms of meaning, they should be the same. Because we have a large number of linguists who can read all the parts that can be understood. Except for the different locations marked in each of the manuscripts, the rest of the manuscripts are identical. ”

Su Hao only felt like a boulder in his chest, and he couldn't tell what it felt like.

The results of the study were quickly reported to the governments involved in the study. At that time, only China, the United States, and Russia participated in the project. Because the manuscript only mentions the coordinates of different ruins, and the rest of the text is "God favors you and summons you" and the like, no one knows the true purpose of the creator of the manuscript. The project is classified as classified, and the number of people involved in the research is increasing, covering almost all of human culture and technology. At that time, a considerable number of scholars believed that this was a friendly message left by the ancient Atlanteans. The purpose is to allow us to find the lost technology of ancient civilizations, so that humanity can achieve the same level of progress as them. Other researchers conclude that there should be many more such manuscripts. Because relying only on four manuscripts and treasure maps, the probability of being found and used is actually very small. Since the other party deliberately wants to guide us to search, it will definitely leave more traces and more information. ”

"Unfortunately, this collaboration came too late. The huge cultural differences between the East and the West, coupled with the decade-long chaos after the founding of the People's Republic of China, have led to a complete rejection of information from the outside world. At that time, almost all foreign things were dismissed as negative teaching materials, and it was impossible to accept them at all. Due to the encounter of the first search forces, the small base we found in the ancient city of Lop Nur is believed to have been built by a hostile nation. Out of anger, the officers and men of the rescue force burned some of the medicine that had been removed from the thermostatic freezer...... Luckily, two geologists were with them, and although they were unfamiliar with the equipment in the base, they secretly hid a small information memory and two mysterious potions with a capacity of 10 milliliters. It was only after returning to Lanzhou that these things were handed over. Because most of the information in the memory was recorded in ancient texts, and the special limitations of the era, the receiving unit did not pay attention to the objects handed in, and the two geologists were also implicated, believing that the "illegal possession of enemy goods" was imprisoned, and the mass death incident in the ancient city of Lop Nur was treated as an enemy infiltration. Since then, no one has dared to mention it again. ”

"In '19, we conducted our first nuclear test in Xinjiang. When the data file was sealed, a researcher found the drugs and instruments that had been handed in that year in the classified warehouse of the Northwest Military Region. Coincidentally, the researcher's mother, a scholar of ancient Chinese, inadvertently triggered the memory switch and was surprised to find that part of the information displayed on the screen was strikingly similar to the data of the nuclear bomb that had just been detonated. He immediately reported the problem to the top of the base, and the abandoned ancient city in the depths of Lop Nur attracted attention again. ”