Doomsday America.

Chapter 266 Li Qing's Guess

After speaking, he comforted his companions and expressed his condolences for Simon's passing.

Gavin took a deep breath, then leaned down and reached over Simon's head, gently placing his fingers on Simon's forehead.

After a brief pause, Gavin raised his right hand, patted the weeping girl on the shoulder, and continued speaking to the men around him. "Let the mourning end here for now, my men. Simon doesn't need us to leave his body lying in the wild. He needs a burial, a dignified burial!" "Steve, prepare our future cemetery. The location... let's choose an area about two kilometers behind the manor, a scenic spot, a place where each of us can occasionally take a walk and visit each of our departed friends."

"Death is indeed the end of life, but it is also the beginning of being remembered."

"Now, let us return to dust, ashes to ashes."

At this point, Gavin clapped his hands lightly, and Steve nodded. Then, together with Jonathan from Ranch 6666, the two of them carried Simon's body and placed it in the cargo bed of the pickup truck. They took Simon away to bury him.

The men around him stared blankly at Simon's body.

Noticing the distracted and even somewhat dazed expressions on his men's faces, Gavin sighed silently.

He couldn't help but feel that Simon's death... actually served as a stark reminder to the guys in the camp who had been getting a bit cocky lately. Saying they'd gotten cocky was a bit of an exaggeration; after all, in Gavin's view, while the guys in the camp were generally happy, the various tasks at the camp were progressing steadily, and even quite quickly.

But what Gavin meant by "floating" was that the men in the camp, after becoming accustomed to a long period of peace, had become somewhat... complacent about danger. Because Gavin's style was to protect himself with excessive caution, the overall atmosphere of Gavin's camp was basically one of over-caution. As a result, very few people had died at Gavin's camp since the apocalypse.

Everyone's actions were carried out within the safest possible range.

This approach certainly ensured safety, but if no one died, the crew would eventually forget the impending doom and their fear of death. This time, while Simon didn't die at the hands of zombies, his departure served as a wake-up call for the crew, whose perception of danger was becoming increasingly blurred. This world was far from safe. Let alone the ubiquitous zombies, even without them, all sorts of accidents could happen. Choking to death while eating, slipping and falling, getting drunk in winter and freezing to death, or dying from riding cattle or horses, and so on. Of course, Gavin genuinely hoped that such foolish things would be minimized, so he hoped Simon's death would make the crew pay more attention to the details of everyone's lives. Thinking this, Gavin shook his head, then patted Ismay on the shoulder one last time before turning and leaving the group.

Beside him, Edward followed in his footsteps and asked him in a low voice.

"Boss, when should I lead a team out to find the radiation detector? I think I can find it at Shepard Military Base, but we need to be close to the barracks and command tower." Upon hearing this, Gavin glanced at his watch as he walked toward the old manor.

It's 12:40 PM now. Livingston Lake is only about 300 kilometers from Gavin Camp, a round trip of about two and a half hours. They set up a simple campsite near Livingston Lake and drove back, which didn't take them too long.

However, there wasn't enough time left to go to Shepard Military Base, as Shepard is too far away.

Thinking of this, Gavin shook his head and said.

"Tomorrow, let's set aside a day to search for radiation detection devices. We'll act together then, sending two teams and one aircraft, and also get a few more Black Hawk helicopters." "As for today, this afternoon you and Eugene will lead the field and office staff in military training. I need to go see if Li Qing has any unique insights into the new type of zombie we've discovered." "Okay, boss."

Upon hearing this, Edward nodded slightly, but then he leaned close to Gavin's ear and said something else.

"Boss, you haven't had lunch yet, why don't you go eat first?"

That's true. After all, before the mushroom zombies appeared, Gavin and his field team had planned to have lunch at their temporary camp at Livingston Lake. They even brought an oven and a generator.

However, the sudden appearance of the giant mushroom zombie made Gavin and his group worry about radiation, which is why they rushed home; they really needed to eat lunch. So, Gavin first shook his head, then nodded and said to Edward.

"Take the guys who haven't eaten and go find Doris and Jon. Tell them to prepare some simple fast food, make some cheeseburgers and fry some eggs, and get some Coke. We'll just have a quick meal." "I'll go check on Li Qing first, and then I'll go eat there later. You guys go ahead."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gavin patted Edward's arm, and Edward turned and left, taking the returning field crew to the kitchen to order food. Gavin strode into the old manor, then paused for a moment in front of the manor's main hall, unable to stop himself from walking.

This is where he has lived since he came to America.

Gavin doesn't like this place now, because whenever he's here, his mind is filled with memories of being from a low perspective. Those were the days when he was a kid, running wildly around this manor.

That was also the first time he experienced what it meant to be friends with his parents.

America has countless flaws, but the family environment of American redneck ranchers meant that children born there were always more likely to be happier. Although Gavin had lived two lives, he still spent many of his firsts on this old ranch.

The first time I rode a pony, my dad took me for a wild ride in the manor hall until we knocked over two sofas, which made my mom laugh and scold me. The first time I held a toy gun when I was five or six years old was when my dad and the family cowboys took me hunting in the forest.

There are many similar first times, and such memories are hidden in every aspect of this old manor.

There was also the time he spent in elementary school for half a year, but there were no exams at all. He spent all his time making volcano and rocket models—the kind of hands-on activities that were more like entertainment. Thinking of this, Gavin sighed sadly and couldn't help but shake his head.

He then stepped across the somewhat dilapidated hall of the old manor and arrived near the laboratory on the second floor.

When he arrived at the laboratory door, Eugene had just come out of the laboratory.

Upon seeing Gavin, Eugene raised an eyebrow and spoke.

"Hey boss, what's up? Finished disposing of that guy's body?"

"Yes, it's all taken care of." Gavin nodded.

"Really? How did he die?" Eugene asked.

"He was killed by a bear," Gavin replied.

"Ah, that's a pretty lucky way to die, at least I didn't die at the hands of my family members who turned into zombies!"

Eugene chuckled heartily, then grabbed Gavin's arm and said...

"We can't end up like him, boss. Your vigilance is very effective; we have to stay on top of that..."

At this point, Eugene rarely showed a look of emotion.

This guy was carefree and prone to swearing, and he also had the hot temper of an old-school redneck soldier.

But it was clear that although he wasn't familiar with Simon, he had long been accustomed to treating the camp's men as his own. The death of even one of them would make him sad, even if it wasn't someone he knew.

Seeing this, Gavin nodded heavily and then patted Eugene on the neck.

"Alright, stop being so sentimental. Go eat, then rest for a bit. Start training with the guys around 1:30 or 2:00." "No problem, boss. But you haven't eaten either. How about I wait for you, and we eat together?"

Eugene nodded and asked Gavin, who shook his head and went into the lab, leaving Eugene with only one sentence.

"No need, you guys eat first, I'll be there in a bit."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gavin closed the laboratory door, while Eugene exhaled a sigh of relief, then turned and left the old manor, returning to the kitchen area. Meanwhile, inside the old manor's laboratory...

Seeing Gavin arrive, Li Qing, who was making slices from the large, hard mushroom for microscopic observation, suddenly looked up. "Boss, you're here?"

"Well, what do you think of these mushrooms? Is there any possibility of them being affected by radiation? If we only come into contact with them, will it have any adverse effects on us?" Gavin asked Li Qing. Li Qing waved his hand helplessly and smiled wryly.

"Well... Boss, I haven't tested it yet, so I don't know the actual data."

"However, as long as the radiation pollution in Livingston Lake doesn't reach the levels seen in Chernobyl and the core areas of Fukushima, the mushrooms generally shouldn't have radiation levels that could cause external harm to us." "Let me think... In 2012, wild lactic acid mushrooms from Tochigi Prefecture in Fukushima, Japan, were found to have a radiation level of 31000 Bq/kg, exceeding the limit by more than 300 times, so their harvesting was banned by the authorities." "But even those lactic acid mushrooms wouldn't pose a significant threat to humans when not being consumed. So, at least we don't need to worry that the mushroom you brought back will directly cause us to contract various radiation-related illnesses."

"However, besides that, if I want to do specific tests, I need some equipment. The equipment at home is what I recently collected for preparing fungi and antibiotics, and I don't have many radiation testing tools." "But even if it's just a simple slide observation, I can figure some things out. Just give me a little more time."

"As for the toughness of this mushroom, I took a quick look and it seems to be even closer to a rubber tire than a mature Darwin's sputum arborescens." "However, it hasn't reached the level of the hard-stemmed small bark mushroom. After all, the hard-stemmed bark mushroom is almost as hard as a wire. It makes a loud thud when you tap it and can even penetrate several layers of paper. Moreover, even if you stew it for several hours, it will only get harder."

"Of course, I won't put those mushrooms you brought back into the pot."

At this point, Li Qing had already prepared the slices and began to observe them.

While moving one eye in front of the microscope, Li Qing used the other eye and hand to manually trace the cell morphology of these mushrooms. Without turning her head, she said to Gavin,

"Boss, don't worry, I'll come up with a conclusion. Just wait for my good news."

"Okay, I understand. I'll leave everything to you."

Gavin nodded, then left the lab, leaving Li Qing to do it alone.

After leaving the old manor, Gavin leaned against the wall and gazed at the crowds of people strolling slowly in the distance.

Clearly, although people had dispersed, Simon's death still lingered like a shadow in everyone's hearts.

It was lunch break, not time to start work yet, so the guys who had just gathered around Simon were now strolling around in small groups near the cattle pen and stables, chatting. Watching the chaotic figures, Gavin took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

Amidst the smoke, his gaze gradually drifted upwards to the sky, where he looked at the layers of clouds piled up.

The clouds are quite thick today; it looks like it's going to rain, maybe tonight.

Gavin pursed his lips, shook his head, then picked up a cigarette and returned to the manor to have lunch with the men.

Although Gavin asked Doris to make some simple hamburgers, lunch was actually quite plentiful. Gavin got the hamburgers he wanted, but there was also stew and stew. After all, besides the field crew who were originally scheduled to eat out, there were other people at Gavin's camp who might not be coming home for meals.

For example, Martin's team went to Athens to pick up the goods, and they haven't returned yet.

Similar teams include Anthony's group, who set up outposts within a few kilometers of the estate and often didn't eat lunch on time, as was the case today. This happened quite frequently, so the kitchen always made extra to leave some for those who might be late.

What if there are leftovers?

If there's any left, we can save it for dinner.

Or feed it to your pets.

Anyway, it won't be wasted.

After dinner, Gavin told the field staff to rest until 2 p.m., and then they would train.

He himself lay on the sofa in the hall, chatting with Nikita.

They chatted until about 1:40, when Li Qing hurriedly left the old manor and returned to the main hall.

Seeing Gavin in the lobby, he immediately sat down on the sofa next to Gavin, who also sat up while holding Nikita.

"Boss."

Li Qing frowned and said to Gavin.

"Although I don't have the equipment to test the radiation levels of mushrooms, after a brief observation, I think... these tough mushrooms that grow on zombies probably don't have much to do with radiation!" "Oh? Really? How did you figure that out?"

Gavin immediately asked, and Li Qing explained with a stern face.

"Because this mushroom contains too many aquatic bacteria, I didn't find anything similar to any known radiation-borne bacteria. Instead, I found too many aquatic bacteria and traces of water pollution!" Li Qing rubbed his brow as he said this, knowing what kind of trouble this was.

Gavin's expression also looked rather grim.

Because if these mushroom zombies are indeed products of radiation, then avoiding them can prevent most of the danger. These defensive zombies, which are destined to become increasingly troublesome, will only exist near a few radiation-affected areas. In that case, they won't spread too widely and will also serve as a radiation warning, which isn't a bad thing.

But... if the appearance of these zombies is not related to radiation, but rather to water sources...

Those zombies with tough skin, like they're wearing mushroom armor, will probably soon overrun the plains of the eastern United States. The United States has the largest number of plains in the world; apart from the western plateau, more than two-thirds of the country is water-rich plains, so there's no shortage of water in those areas! Thinking of this, Gavin pursed his lips and immediately said to Li Qing.

Are you sure these mushrooms are related to water sources?

"It's almost certain, boss. This mushroom is too similar to aquatic fungi, and its roots are even connected to some algae!" "Based solely on the test results, I'm almost certain that the zombie with the tough mushroom had been in the water for more than a week." "I suspect... well, just my personal suspicion, that the zombie you harvested from probably spent a long time in the water before being washed ashore." "The mycelial properties of this mushroom are almost identical to the zombie we fished out of Lake Richard near our home!"

"All the zombies we retrieved had been submerged in water for too long, causing mycelium to grow outside their bodies, resulting in a yellowish-brown mycelium covering their entire bodies." "But our retrieval teams either killed the zombies in the lake before piling them up on the shore for observation, or they kept them submerged for continuous observation." "The zombie you encountered likely experienced a combined process of zombie fungus expanding in the water, then returning to land to continue mutating and growing." "I haven't experimented with live specimens of the mycelium zombies in Lake Richard, and when dead underwater mycelium zombies return to land, their mycelium only grows into ordinary hazel mushrooms." "In short, I need a batch of live aquatic zombies for testing. I think that the mycelium that mutated in the water, when grown on live zombies and returned to land, is very likely to undergo similar mutations!" "These mushroom zombies aren't products of radiation; they're the sailors of the zombie world, boss!"