What It’s Like Being a Vampire

As soon as it was dawn, the people in the temporary campsite had already started to pack their equipment, collect garbage, and prepare to start searching as planned.

Team leader Li also got up early, washed his face with clean water, rinsed his mouth, and began to check the situation of the team while eating compressed dry food.

Although the company kept all kinds of secrets from them and didn't explain everything clearly, which made Team Leader Li feel a little uncomfortable when performing tasks, but it has to be said that the treatment was quite good, so that he could completely ignore this feeling of discomfort.

Not only are there generous remuneration, benefits, high field subsidies and bonuses, but also the equipment and various supplies are quite complete when going out on missions.

Just like the piece of compressed dry food in my hand, it is not available in the market, it was specially developed and produced by the company's R\u0026D department for them, and there is nothing on the package except the expiration date.

In fact, Team Leader Li suspects that something like this is likely to be produced by the highly paid researchers in the R\u0026D department when they are idle. Otherwise, even if there is no market in the market, they can still be sold if they cooperate with the military casually. A lot of orders and income. These compressed dry foods are much more delicious than the standard products he was eating before.

In less than an hour, the team was ready. After they left, there was no domestic garbage left in that area except for the traces of camping.

"Dr. Fang, take a look at today's search plan. Is there anything you need to modify?"

Team leader Li handed a very heavy tablet computer to the accompanying female doctor, as if he wanted to follow her advice.

Dr. Fang looks to be in his thirties, his skin is not much whiter than Team Leader Li's, and his facial features are also rougher. He looks a bit masculine, and his speed of doing things is not inferior to those male team members with military camp experience.

She glanced at the tablet, but didn't take it, and said, "Mr. Liang agrees."

Team Leader Li took back the tablet with some helplessness. In fact, it is his authority to arrange the search plan. He does not need to ask Dr. Fang's opinion. When you put forward your opinion, you can follow the conversation and ask for more information naturally. Although he felt that these researchers who were in the laboratory before might not know everything, but they should be more than those who went to the field.

A few minutes later, Team Leader Li and Mr. Liang communicated through a satellite connection.

Their search methods are quite special, because most of them actually don't know exactly what they are looking for.

There are four crew members with cameras on the ground,

There are three small drones in the sky with cameras, searching and shooting everywhere, and sending the pictures to "Mr. Liang" thousands of miles away through the higher drone platform.

Mr. Liang can choose which camera to switch to watch, or watch all the pictures at the same time.

Generally speaking, unless there are obvious signs of abnormality, or Mr. Liang directly orders, they will walk quickly along the planned route, without any detailed search.

However, in this uninhabited area of ​​the Qinling Mountains, and searching for unknown creatures that may exist and do not know the specific situation, Team Leader Li did not dare to relax in the slightest, and was always observing the surroundings through various devices. environment and team members.

This search state lasted for five days. When Team Leader Li calculated the consumption of supplies and felt that he might return in vain after entering the mountain, Mr. Liang first ordered to change the search plan.

A few hours later, Mr. Liang issued another instruction to conduct a "deep investigation" of an area.

At this time, several researchers led by Dr. Fang entered the field, and Team Leader Li led his team members to take charge of the peripheral security.

After arranging the security, Team Leader Li carefully approached Dr. Fang, looked at the big tree they were surrounded by, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with this tree?"

Dr. Fang did not ignore his question this time. While watching several researchers collect samples, he replied, "I was drenched from above by some kind of strong corrosive liquid, and I am about to die."

Team Leader Li raised his head and frowned at the top of the half-blackened tree: "Is this man-made? Or did the creature we're looking for do it?"

Dr. Fang shook his head: "I can't be sure for now, but judging from the condition of this tree, it should have been attacked ten days or more ago. Unfortunately, it has rained several times in Qinling during this period, and the surrounding traces have been washed away. almost."

"Whether it's a human or any other creature, if so much corrosive liquid is poured from above, it should be a sneak attack, right? What about the target of the sneak attack? If it is injured, it will leave some traces, right? When you come here, Didn't you find it?" Team Leader Li judged based on his experience.

When it comes to the analysis of creatures and certain specific substances, he is definitely not as good as Dr. Shang and the others, but when it comes to survival in the wild, adapting to changes, tracking, and dealing with enemies, he is much better than them.

"Not found." Dr. Fang said, controlling a drone to slowly approach the top of the tree to take pictures and observe.

Mr. Liang's ugly voice sounded from the communicator: "Collect the required samples. You don't need to spend too much time here. Center on this tree and search in three directions, starting from the east."

Mr. Liang spoke, and both Team Leader Li and Dr. Fang naturally followed suit.

For this "Mr. Liang" with a peculiar voice, Team Leader Li is no less curious than the unknown creature they are now chasing.

You know, after he was introduced and entered the special department of this company, he even met Mr. Lu Chengan, the founder and chairman of "Shenxing Technology" who was rarely heard from the outside world, but this "good Mr. "But he only heard his voice but never saw him.

However, Chairman Lu explained that "Mr. Liang" is fully in charge of their department, and everyone must follow the instructions of "Mr. Liang".

Team leader Li looked at Dr. Fang who was working silently in front of him, and couldn't help but guess, have these researchers working in the laboratory seen "Mr. Liang"?

But he will definitely not ask at this time, because now he is wearing a communication device, and Mr. Liang can hear every word he says. Inquiring about the situation of the unknown creature can also be said to be for the sake of its own safety. But to inquire about Mr. Liang, it is very likely to cross the line, which belongs to "information beyond the authority to inquire".

Before the sun went down, they found another very special "trace".

It was half a footprint, and it was clearly a human footprint.

However, the relatively obvious trace is only the edge of the thumb, and the other parts have been blurred.

This is because the footprints were blocked by the protruding rocks and the surrounding weeds, and were not completely washed away by the previous heavy rains.

"Tell your people not to move around, there may be footprints in other places." Dr. Fang immediately explained to Team Leader Li.

Team leader Li responded and notified the surrounding team members by radio to stand by and be on guard and pay attention to the surrounding situation.

"Looking at the footprints, it should have been there for a while." Team Leader Li observed from the side.

"Scan this footprint and go around to see if there are other traces." Mr. Liang also ordered.

Although this seems to be just an ordinary human footprint, it is a big suspicious point to appear in this no-man's land in the Qinling Mountains.

What kind of person would walk barefoot in this deep mountain and old forest?

Even if it is such a well-equipped and experienced team like them, it will take a lot of effort to get here. I am afraid that there will not be any lonely tourists who have the ability and courage to come here-not to mention that they have not worn shoes.

"Could it be a savage?" Team leader Li asked tentatively. Based on the size of the thumb on the footprint, he preliminarily judged that the owner of the footprint was a tall adult male.

Mr. Liang did not speak, and Dr. Fang focused on scanning the footprints without answering.

If it was in the past, liquid paraffin would be used for impression preservation when collecting such footprints in the wild. But now it doesn’t have to be so troublesome. After scanning with a portable scanner, record the details of the footprints, and then restore them with a 3D printer.

After several researchers carefully and carefully took photos of the surroundings, they began to shovel up and collect all the dirt on the footprints.

Walking barefoot in such places can easily leave residues of body tissue.

Watching Dr. Fang and several research institutes slowly search around, trying to find more footprints and other traces, Team Leader Li was inexplicably excited.

If it wasn't for some unlucky tourist who came here and broke his shoes and could only walk barefoot, it is very likely that the owner of this footprint lived in the depths of the Qinling no-man's land.

Could it be that the unknown creature they were tracking looked like a human?

But in the video shot by the anchor, how did the wound on the dead wild boar be caused?

Is it a bow and arrow?

So this is a savage who lives in seclusion in the deep mountains and old forests?

What was so special about this savage?

Team leader Li didn't believe that "Shenxing Technology" would spend so much money just to find savages. And judging from the previous times he led the team to perform field missions, it must not be simply looking for savages.

"Hope that guy's still around."

Team Leader Li checked the anesthesia gun used to deal with large beasts, and tightened his tactical gloves.

It's a pity that they searched for a long time. Although they also found a few mud pits that were suspected to be footprints, none of them had a relatively complete shape like the previous footprint.

But this actually proves from the side that the footprints are unlikely to be left by tourists who have worn out their shoes and have to go barefoot.

"Continue to investigate eastward." Mr. Liang gave instructions again.

One day later, at the reminder of Mr. Liang, they discovered a cave on the cliff.

They first checked the safety with the drone, then prepared for more than an hour, and slowly entered the cave from above.

Team leader Li was one of the three people who entered the cave. The cave was not big and deep, and there was a very complicated stench. After confirming that there were only some wild animal remains in the cave and there was no danger, he let the cave go. Dr. Fang brought people down.

When Dr. Fang who came down from the rope at the entrance of the cave unfastened the protective buckle, Team Leader Li frowned and looked around the entrance of the cave, wondering, "This is the den of the 'savage'? How did he get in?" Obviously, in Liang Under the instructions of Mr. Wang, he has already subconsciously believed that this cave is the den of the "savage" who left footprints.

Shortly after Dr. Fang and several researchers entered the cave, they came to a conclusion:

No fatal wounds were found on the corpses of the birds in the cave. They seemed to have come to this cave to die by themselves. Judging from the degree of decay, it was probably dead for about half a month.

Dr. Fang and others did not conduct a detailed inspection here. After simply photographing and recording the situation at the scene, they packed up the corpses and hung them up the cliff with ropes.

"It's kind of weird..." After wandering around the cave for a while, Team Leader Li felt even more strange, because he didn't find any traces of human life—even "savages".

Then he stopped in front of a corner in the cave, shining his tactical flashlight on a piece of... wood carving in the corner?

"Dr. Fang, come over and take a look at this."

Team leader Li didn't dare to check directly, but called Dr. Fang who was instructing other researchers to bag the bird carcasses.

Dr. Fang, who came over after hearing the sound, also frowned after seeing the wooden sculpture thrown in the corner: "What is this?"

She checked the surroundings carefully, and after confirming that there was nothing abnormal, she picked up the wooden sculpture with her hands wearing plastic gloves.

It is said to be a wood carving, but it is actually very rough. It is obviously made of a random piece of wood, only the size of a fist.

The lower part is the broken surface of the wood, which was obviously broken directly with brute force instead of sawing with tools, and the upper part is carved with the appearance of grinning cartoon rabbits.

This can only be said to be a rough blank, without any polishing, and it doesn't seem to be carved with special carving tools, but rather "chiseled" with fangs, so this rabbit looks very weird.

"The 'savage' carved? Is this the god it believes in?" Team leader Li murmured, "Dr. Fang, have you seen the shape of this rabbit before? It seems that you have never heard of it. What kind of civilized beliefs do you have?" Is the totem a rabbit?"

Dr. Fang shook his head, showed the wood carving in front of the camera, and slowly rotated it so that Mr. Liang could see the whole picture clearly.

"Bring it back." Mr. Liang didn't judge the wood carving, but simply said.

After packing and hanging up all the objects that counted in the cave, Team Leader Li and Dr. Fang also left the cave.

After returning to the top of the cliff, Team Leader Li used the tablet to call up the map. While making a follow-up search plan centered on this cave, he calculated that the supplies they carried this time could last for a few more days—you don’t have to worry about eating and drinking, but Power for many devices, including small drones, is an issue. He was considering whether to apply to Mr. Liang to send people in to support him, and bring in some necessary supplies along the way.

After all, it seems that this time, it is very likely that the unknown creature they are chasing is getting closer and closer.

This is the first time he has felt this way since he has been in the field for so many times.

But unexpectedly, Mr. Liang suddenly said: "It's ok, let's withdraw it."

Not only Team Leader Li, but Dr. Fang, who has always been relatively taciturn, subconsciously replied: "But we have found a clue..."

Mr. Liang also explained in a rare way: "It's very dangerous, you can't deal with it."

very dangerous?

Team leader Li took a look at the equipment on himself and his subordinates. Even if they encountered wolves, even if they encountered ferocious beasts such as bears, lions, and tigers, they could easily deal with them. Even if they encounter a team of heavily armed bandits, with their current equipment, they will definitely be able to spot the opponent in advance, and it may not be impossible to fight.

Why does Mr. Liang feel it is very dangerous?

Then why did he spend so much money to invite them to investigate?

Or are they just investigating, and there are other teams that are actually responsible for capturing unknown creatures that they don't know about?

Although there were many doubts in his heart, he didn't ask any more questions because he knew that Mr. Liang would definitely not answer.

So Team Leader Li and Dr. Fang assigned the task of how to carry the "samples" packaged in the cave, and the team began to move in the fastest direction they recalculated.

In the evening, Team Leader Li still skillfully arranged security and camping. After agreeing with his deputy that he would be on duty in the middle of the night, he got into his sleeping bag to rest early.