Jiang Ye looked out the window at the bizarre scene: deep, spiderweb-like cracks erupted from the base of every tree in the rainforest.
Simultaneously, masses of leaves rained down from the sky, scattering like green snow. It was as if all the trees had simultaneously shaved their heads, shedding the hair they had accumulated for so long.
In just two minutes, trees stood completely bare, their naked branches resembling the onset of winter.
"These trees sense the approaching storm," Isabel explained. "They grip the ground tightly with their roots to prevent being blown away. Their leaves fall to reduce their surface area exposed to the wind, preventing them from snapping." She continued, "One of the operational rules on Mir is to observe the state of the Mir trees to judge climate changes when satellite data is unavailable."
"When I was a child, I learned in a lesson that leaves are the heart of a plant, and without leaves, the tree will die," Jiang Ye marveled.
"Humans can live without a heart, why can't trees? These trees are very well-nourished. After the storm, they'll sprout new buds overnight," Isabel reached up and ran her fingers through her hair, pouting. "I really want you to touch my head, what should I do?"
Jiang Ye was bewildered. "What are you talking about? How did this topic go so off-track? It's like it veered wildly off course!"
"Touch it!" Isabel tilted her head, her thick, long hair swaying, like a kitten waiting for a caress.
"No touching," Jiang Ye crossed his arms. "Behave yourself and stop acting cute here."
Isabel, annoyed, kicked the table.
The rain intensified, and the wind grew stronger.
Raindrops splattered against the window, each the size of an orange before being scattered by the wind. The window glass was made of a special material, similar to a lotus leaf's surface, so it didn't get wet.
Half an hour later, the wind had reached an incredible intensity, its sharp whistling echoing across the wasteland. The tall trees in the rainforest became like grass, swaying violently in the wind. Occasionally, a crisp snapping sound signaled a tree breaking and falling to the ground. Leaves flew everywhere, like a swarm of emerald moths.
Jiang Ye's gaze suddenly sharpened as he stared at the radar display on the screen.
Many small red dots were approaching from the rainforest, numbering in the hundreds and still increasing. They were getting closer to the camp.
"All gunners and charging specialists, focus on the southeast. Set up your guns at the windows. Something is coming," Jiang Ye commanded via voice.
The windows of many of the spawn houses slid open, and machine guns and stun guns were extended, aimed at the dense forest.
The wind was unbelievably strong, and the rain poured into the open rooms like seawater. The soldiers were drenched, but their mechs were waterproof.
The first shot rang out, and soon everyone opened fire. Thousands of bullets zipped into the forest, shooting down monkeys that were advancing by shaking branches. The impacts sent splinters flying, and the trees all around resounded.
The hundred or so monkeys, upon encountering the firepower, did not attack. Instead, they changed direction, staggering through the forest with difficulty, attempting to escape.
But Jiang Ye feared the monkeys would fetch reinforcements, so he ordered them to continue firing.
Monkey after monkey was shot down, falling into piles of leaves like broken-winged birds. Most of the monkeys were killed, while a small portion managed to escape, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.
The soldiers retracted their guns and closed the windows. In just a few minutes, the water inside had reached their calves! But they couldn't open the doors to let the water out, because the water outside was even deeper! Under the torrential rain, the floodwaters on the ground had risen unnoticed.
"These monkeys have the potential to develop civilization," Isabel suddenly said.
"What are you talking about?" Jiang Ye was taken aback.
"The military has tested these monkeys you just shot. Their genes only need a few small mutations to develop crucial cognitive abilities, to create language, writing, and tools, and to begin establishing a monkey civilization. It's like early humans," Isabel explained. "Of course, this process would still take tens of thousands of years, or even longer."
"So, they don't have a chance now? After all, it's only a matter of time before this planet is fully occupied," Jiang Ye mused.
"That depends on what this planet becomes in the future. If the highest authority on the planet says, 'These monkeys are so annoying, kill them all,' then they'll be extinct in an instant. If they set up reservations for the monkeys, allowing them to continue to breed and evolve, there's still a glimmer of hope."
The wind outside was terrifyingly loud, almost a rumbling roar. The water on the ground rose higher and higher, reaching half a meter deep. The torrential rain lashed down, the surface of the water churning with foam, and waves surged into the dense forest one after another.
The entire camp was submerged. Jiang Ye looked worried. "Will the camp be damaged?"
"Don't worry, the camp facilities are waterproof. They'd be fine even if thrown into the sea," Isabel shrugged.
The water rose higher and higher, surging with white foam, receding and then surging again. The entire plain turned into a vast, boundless ocean. Jiang Ye leaned against the window, looking out. He saw many large black animals moving rapidly in the distance, resembling rhinoceroses. It was unclear if they were running that fast or being swept away by the water.
The glass vibrated wildly, and the rain flew horizontally, hitting the glass like bullets, making loud clanging sounds. Jiang Ye flinched back, afraid the glass would suddenly shatter and spray his face.
"Hey, hey, a message just came in," Isabel said.
Jiang Ye turned back. Isabel was stretching her legs out, using her foot to poke the control console screen.
"Don't poke it with your foot! You have hands!" Jiang Ye said angrily.
"What's wrong? Are you disgusted with me? Then don't use this control console!" Isabel blinked and deliberately slammed both feet onto the screen, stomping on it wildly.
Jiang Ye pushed her legs away, his face darkening. He meticulously wiped the screen with the mousepad on the desk and checked the information.
[Bairong Star has established 500 camps!]
[Team Ranking function is officially activated. Those who own camps can form teams. The number of team members, total merit points, camp size, and member levels will determine the team's score. The rankings will be updated once a week, and those with higher scores will receive substantial merit point rewards!]
[Detected that your team is eligible to be listed. Please enter your team name:]
"Let's pick a cool name!" Isabel's eyes lit up like light bulbs. "How about 'Millennial Grand Undertaking'?"
"Can you just pick any name?" Jiang Ye didn't understand. He opened the team list to look.
Most of the teams on the list were still "Unnamed," but some teams had already chosen names, and their styles were indeed very strange.
"Sea-Slaying Ghost Banner," "Blood Hand Temple," "Unrivaled Mountain Manor," "Fierce Tiger Association," "Beih Family," "Thousand Crane Alliance"...
"Isn't this just like creating a team in a game? Are they all this unserious?" Jiang Ye covered his face. "This is so chuunibyo! The people here are all marshals from various planets, powerful figures who command the wind and rain, how can they be like this?"
"I told you! So, our team name must be earth-shattering, must be world-shaking, must be ghost-wailing and god-weeping! To suppress them all!" Isabel kicked his waist with her bare foot. "How about 'Isabel's Queen Corps'? It sounds super awesome!"
Jiang Ye pondered for a moment and typed on the screen.
"Jiang Shui Tang"