9: Antarctic giant squid

"Found it."

Fang Chenjin fumbled in the water for a long time before finally finding the chip.

"I also found something here."

Liu Ye was also underwater, fumbling around, and pulled out a ghastly white bone.

Lin Meng stood on the bank, gun in hand, keeping watch, while her gaze scrutinized the object in Liu Ye's hand. Her excellent professional skills allowed her to instantly recognize it as a wolf bone.

"Let's go, let's get it tested!"

Liu Ye held the bone, having also recognized it as a wolf's bone.

His expression was a little grim. Could it be that these poachers had eaten this wolf?

The three of them, carrying the clues they had found, hurried back to the Bureau, reporting the case and seeking support to pursue the fleeing poachers.

However, news came from above that the poachers had not left the reserve and were still in Dayang Mountain Nature Reserve. Colleagues were already in pursuit.

At the same time, the test results came out: this bone belonged to the wild wolf that had walked out of Dayang Mountain Nature Reserve.

Furthermore, sharp scratches were found on the bone.

Dayang Mountain Nature Reserve, Animal Laboratory.

Liu Ye, Fang Chenjin, and Lin Meng stood to the side, watching a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing a white lab coat. After analyzing the bone, he went to the computer, seemingly contacting someone.

"Old Jin, how is it? Is it the wolf that was stolen from us?"

Liu Ye couldn't help but ask, seeing that the middle-aged man hadn't replied for a long time.

"Yes, it is, but did you bring this back from the Antarctic?"

Professor Jin Weiguo turned around, looked at the three, and made a joke.

"Old Jin, what does that mean?"

Liu Ye frowned, sensing a hidden meaning in Professor Jin Weiguo's words.

"If I didn't know this was a wild wolf bone from our area, I would have thought it was brought back from the Antarctic."

Professor Jin Weiguo's puzzling words left the three of them confused.

"The scratches on this bone are very dense. At first, I didn't know, but then I suddenly remembered my time as a scientific researcher in the Antarctic and thought of a certain creature. After comparison, the similarity is over 80%."

Professor Jin Weiguo sat in his chair, looked at some more data, and said.

"An Antarctic creature? Old Jin, do you mean that this wolf wasn't eaten by poachers, but by an Antarctic creature?"

Liu Ye and the other two frowned slightly. This was far from what they had imagined.

"Don't look at me like that. I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. I just asked a friend who is doing scientific research in the Antarctic."

"The scratches on the wolf bone are very similar to the Claws marks of a giant deep-sea squid from the Antarctic."

Professor Jin Weiguo said.

"Squid?"

Liu Ye was bewildered and quickly said, "Old Jin, let's not even talk about whether a grilled squid can hunt a wolf. I pulled this out of the nearby river, a freshwater river!"

"Grilled squid?"

Professor Jin Weiguo scoffed, saying, "There are some things you don't know. Recently, peculiar animal incidents have been occurring globally."

"If a giant deep-sea squid from the Antarctic that can live in freshwater appeared, I wouldn't be too surprised."

"Of course, it's not necessarily an Antarctic giant squid, it's just the most similar."

Liu Ye and the other two looked at each other, somewhat disbelieving for a moment. Could there really be squids in this world that can survive in freshwater?

However, even if that were true, could the grilled squid he often ate have the ability to hunt an adult wolf?

"How ignorant!"

Professor Jin Weiguo said, "You must be careful. Based on the marks on this bone, we estimate that if it truly is an Antarctic giant squid, then this giant squid's body length is at least over three meters, possibly even close to four meters!"

"A squid over three meters long!"

Liu Ye and the other two were greatly astonished, their faces filled with disbelief. Although the three of them worked at the Wildlife and Plant Administration Bureau, they only understood terrestrial animals and some freshwater organisms.

Marine organisms were not within the scope of their former professional knowledge.

But in their common sense, how could there be such a large squid in the world, even bigger than a shark? This was a monster that only appeared in movies!

"Why are you surprised by just three meters! What you need to pay attention to is that it's very likely just a juvenile! And the adult body length of an Antarctic giant squid generally exceeds ten meters, with the largest recorded individual even reaching eighteen meters in length!"

Professor Jin Weiguo had an expression of someone who had seen it all.

"Adult individuals over ten meters!"

Liu Ye, Fang Chenjin, and Lin Meng looked at each other, feeling as if they were dreaming.

"By the way, where did you find this wolf bone?"

Professor Jin Weiguo asked.

"In the river in Yangxi Town."

Liu Ye said with a solemn expression.

"What! In the river in Yangxi Town?!"

Professor Jin Weiguo immediately frowned, and said sternly, "This type of squid is a carnivore, very dangerous, and will seriously affect the safety of the local residents."

"You must bring it back as soon as possible!"

"Of course!"

Liu Ye replied with a serious expression.

Just thinking of a giant squid over ten meters long appearing in the river in Yangxi Town made his scalp tingle. This could be called a sea monster!

Having said that, Liu Ye and the other two immediately left, reported the situation, and then, after gathering some equipment, set off again towards Yangxi Town... In Yangxi Town, Su Yuan personally watched as people from the Wildlife and Plant Administration Bureau arrived at the spot where he had previously hunted the wolf and began inspecting it.

Su Yuan changed his color to match the environment, hiding to the side, and was not discovered.

"Was it attracted by the wolf?"

Su Yuan saw the wolf bones he had spat out being salvaged by them and immediately understood their intentions.

Su Yuan's eyes flickered. As a former human, he knew the power of humans better than anyone. Perhaps his existence had already been exposed.

"I can't stay here!"

Su Yuan didn't know what humans would do if they discovered his existence, but he couldn't gamble, and he would never allow his life safety to be controlled by others.

Thinking this, Su Yuan submerged to the bottom of the river and began to move.

Along the way, Su Yuan vaguely saw a large stone with a town name in the water.

He rose to the surface to look and saw "Yangxi Town" written there.

"Yangxi Town, so this is Yangxi Town. Further down this way are Muxi Town and Qingxi Town."

"Beyond that, I remember it's Dayang Lake."

Su Yuan arrived in the river of Muxi Town and only then stopped, intending to observe the situation first.

In the clear river, various fish and turtles swam, and there was abundant wildlife.

The largest number, however, was still the Suckerfish.

Rows of grayish-brown Suckerfish swam along the riverbed, their numbers astonishing, a dense, dark mass.

Further up, fat Black Carp and Grass Carp swam by, and above them, Bighead Carp over a meter long moved, while schools of Silver Carp swam on the surface, shimmering.

"The resources are abundant, so I won't be polite. I must evolve quickly!"

Su Yuan murmured, his eight tentacles simultaneously sweeping in all directions.