Invasion of America

Chapter 75 Attention
The news of Governor Parker's assassination was like a bombshell, shocking public opinion across the country. After the shock wore off, the mainstream media fell into a strange silence.

The TV station quickly cut off the live broadcast and switched to broadcasting irrelevant entertainment news.

Online, major social media platforms and forums deleted posts and banned comments, and related topics were quickly blocked. "Governor" and "hunting" became sensitive words and could not be searched.

Because the impact of this incident on American society is unprecedented. This was a hunt that was broadcast live by the media, and it was filmed in high definition with no blind spots.

From the interception of heavy trucks to the roar of M2 heavy machine guns, from the surrender of the special forces captain to the blood and flesh flying around Governor Parker.

This is like a small '911', with every detail clearly recorded and presented to the audience without reservation.

'911' was still a sudden incident, with only some very brief collision scenes - the entire hunt for the governor lasted five or six minutes.

This kind of blatantly violent scene caused many people to be unable to calm down for a long time after watching the live broadcast, and some even felt nauseous, dizzy, or unable to sleep all night.

But for some "interested people", the whole process of this hunt contains a lot of information worth studying.
-
In China, the academician in charge of "Project X" turned on the news the next morning and saw reports of another "explosive shooting" in the United States.

At first, he didn't take it seriously. After all, shootings in the United States were nothing new. Just as he was listening for fun, Xiao Jinlang called.

On the other end of the line, Xiao Jinlang's voice was unusually serious, with a sense of urgency: "According to internal information, the person who carried out this hunt was none other than Zhou Qingfeng himself."

"Hiss..." The academician took a breath and his brows were instantly furrowed.

If it was Zhou Qingfeng himself, then this problem could not be described simply as "serious".

The academician quickly retrieved all the on-site video footage he could find and watched it repeatedly.

Then, without hesitation, he called all members of the "Project X" team to the conference room and asked them to analyze the video frame by frame, not missing any details.

After analyzing for half a day, everyone in the 'Project X' team frowned.

The academician dialed the satellite phone again to contact Xiao Jinlang. He solemnly and urgently requested, "Repeat to me exactly what that boy said."

Xiao Jinlang took a deep breath and said slowly, "That guy said that most people don't feel anything after the injection.

There are probably only one percent of individuals who can really make a difference. And he is very sure that he is that one percent.”

This statement is too simple.

From a scientific point of view, the correct interpretation should be "survivor bias."

Zhou Qingfeng was able to survive the apocalypse, so he naturally had reason to believe that he was one of the "one percent" survivors.

For the academician and his team, this sentence means far more than "one percent".

Hidden behind it is an unknown area concerning the limits of human beings, and even more so a cruel social cognition.

"How can he be so sure of success?" the academician muttered to himself, frowning, "This isn't just a simple gamble of life; if you're not careful, you'll die.

All the animal experiments we have conducted so far have an extremely high mortality rate, and it is a miracle if they can survive.

As for human experiments... I can't even think about it. Although the US military boasts about it, I doubt their experimental data is accurate.

This thing only has the potential to enhance its power. Only someone with a mental disorder would use it directly on someone. How can he be so sure?

Although he knew that Xiao Jinlang could not give an answer, the academician could not help but ask a series of questions, and could not hide his excitement and confusion.

Because from last night's hunting video, Zhou Qingfeng's physical fitness has far exceeded the scope of ordinary people.

"First of all, it's his observation ability." The academician pulled the entire team to a meeting with Xiao Jinlang and switched the video on the projector to a clip of Zhou Qingfeng riding a motorcycle through the block occupied by thugs.

The video, shot by a local media helicopter, clearly records the entire process of Zhou Qingfeng traveling at high speed through the chaotic streets.

At first glance, Zhou Qingfeng's luck seemed incredibly good. He navigated the roadblocks, burning vehicles, and fleeing crowds with ease, as if he had already foreseen every possible path.

Even if someone suddenly rushed out from the corner of the street and tried to attack him with stones or Molotov cocktails, he could dodge or raise his gun to fight back in a split second, with incredibly smooth movements.

"This not only means that he has a cool head," the academician judged, "but also means that he has an extremely strong ability to process external information.

Ordinary people tend to do things in a single line, and it is good enough if they can remember two or three key points at the same time.

If you take in a lot of information in a short period of time, even just remembering it is beyond your ability to process it.”

“Even those who have received professional training can only improve their ability to handle multiple tasks through repeated practice, which is what we call a ‘skilled worker’.

But this ability still has a limit and cannot be improved indefinitely." The academician paused, his eyes fixed on the motorcyclist in the picture.

"But look at him, as he crossed the street, he faced at least a dozen emergencies at the same time - driving a motorcycle, recognizing the road, identifying roadblocks, identifying dangers, and shooting...

These tasks are urgent and require timely decisions and quick processing.

Pick any one of them at random, and it would be enough to make an ordinary person overwhelmed, but he can deal with them all at once, and handle them with ease."

At this point, the academician's tone was filled with emotion: "In comparison, the scene where he later stormed into the governor's press conference and even used a heavy machine gun seemed unremarkable.

At most, those things show that he is brave, has a keen eye, a strong physique, and good hand-eye coordination, but what is truly shocking is his almost inhuman information processing ability and reaction speed.

If injecting the 'X' enhancer can bring such a significant improvement in physical fitness, I find it hard to believe how much of a change this project will bring to human society in the future."

The academician's voice echoed in the conference room, and the team members held their breath, their eyes fixed on the picture on the screen.

Zhou Qingfeng in the video is like a precision machine, every movement is precise and efficient, without any redundancy.

The academician sighed, "Why is that kid so special? What kind of changes have his brain and body undergone?"

Xiao Jinlang listened quietly to the academician's analysis. He waited until he finished speaking before he spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of tentative speculation:

"Perhaps... he's used Enhancer 'X' before, so he's so sure he's the one percent that works."

"How is that possible?" the academician's voice suddenly rose, his tone tinged with obvious anger. A flood of professional rebuttals instantly flooded his mind.

From the experimental data of the "X" enhancer to the theoretical support of biology, each one is enough to deny Xiao Jinlang's speculation.

However, after these rebuttal thoughts turned around in his mind for a few times, they gradually dissipated like mist.

The academician frowned and fell into a brief silence.

He had to admit that although Xiao Jinlang's speculation sounded absurd, it was the only reasonable hypothesis that could explain Zhou Qingfeng's abnormal behavior under the current circumstances.

"Maybe... you are right." The academician's voice lowered, with a hint of helplessness and confusion in his tone.

"But there are still too many questions. If possible, it would be best to ask that kid directly what is going on."

At this point, the academician's tone suddenly grew serious, and he made a more specific request: "I want a genetic sample from that kid. Clothes, a toothbrush, anything with skin dandruff or hair follicles will do. Of course, it would be best if I could draw his blood."

Xiao Jinlang on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then replied in a low voice: "I'll do my best."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Jinlang stood in the open space of the test farm, his eyes cast towards the houses in the distance where Zhou Qingfeng once lived.

There were several Mexican guards guarding the house. They looked around vigilantly and obviously did not allow anyone to approach.

If it were just the guards, that would be fine, but the farm is also covered in surveillance cameras, with specialized software identifying who's coming in and out.

"This is troublesome." Lao Xiao's status on the farm is now very awkward. Before Zhou Qingfeng left, he only said 'release' but didn't say how to deal with him.

So the people on the farm were indifferent to him, and there was no way for him to enter the core area.
-
On the other side, Monica was lying on the sofa in the duplex apartment of Genting Highlands, enjoying the lazy afternoon sunshine.

Diaz from the Department of Homeland Security suddenly called and asked her to find something with Zhou Qingfeng's genes.

"The cups he used, condoms, cigarette butts, anything that can be used to extract DNA will do. Remember, don't let anyone know, and get it as quickly as possible."

Monica was confused and asked subconsciously, "Genes? Are they going to use his genes to investigate the case? What does this have to do with the Department of Homeland Security?"

"Don't worry about it." Diaz's tone was unquestionable, "I naturally have channels to show that Victor's genes may be very special.

To verify this, I need a genetic sample from him. This is an order, not a request.”

Monica curled her lips. Although she was full of doubts, she still agreed: "Okay, I'll find a way."

After hanging up the phone, Monica looked around and her eyes fell on the trash can in the apartment.

The first thing she thought of was used condoms - after all, this was the most direct and easiest genetic sample to obtain.

"Damn man, he just won't bow to me." Monica cursed, feeling very annoyed.

Zhou Qingfeng had no interest in her and if it weren't for their partnership, he would have kicked her out of the apartment long ago.

However, Zhou Qingfeng is not the kind of Puritan who abstains from sex. There must be women in the apartment who have slept with him.

"Selena must have been there." Monica saw Zhou Qingfeng walk out of the little girl's room early in the morning.

Selena is young, beautiful and simple-minded, but her relationship with Monica is very bad and the two never talk to each other.

"And Helen, the female teacher." Monica thought of another person.

Helen is the hidden agent arranged by "Tree of Justice" to be beside Zhou Qingfeng, but her love brain is very deadly, and it is hard to say whether she will cooperate.

As for the sisters Kelly and Jennifer, they were obviously well versed in the art of "playing hard to get" and knew that if they easily agreed to Zhou Qingfeng, it would only make them look cheap.

Therefore, they adopted the strategy of "playing both sides" and were enthusiastic but not casual, always maintaining an ambiguous state of being close yet distant.

The two sisters would tease him from time to time and give him some advantages, but if Zhou Qingfeng did not give a real promise, they would never let him succeed.

Like two cunning cats, they always keep men on suspense.

Of course, there is also a beautiful woman at home. She has a close relationship with Zhou Qingfeng and hugging him is a common sight.

But Monica wasn't sure if the boy had really "eaten it". Or, when did he eat it?
After much deliberation, Monica decided to first contact Luxor and Jaeger, two former bodyguards of Zhou Qingfeng who might be able to easily resolve the issue.

"Do you have anything with Zhou Qingfeng's dandruff or blood stains?" Monica asked straight to the point.

Luxor and Jaeger looked at each other and shook their heads. Luxor shrugged and said, "No.

The boss hasn't taken us with him for a long time. Even if he did, there were always other bodyguards present, so we had no chance to touch his personal belongings."

"What do you want that thing for?" Jaeger asked curiously.

"We just have to do what Diaz ordered." Monica was vague because she herself was not sure.

Seeing that the two of them could not help, Monica secretly contacted Helen again. On the other end of the phone, Helen's voice was a little lazy.

"First, that guy doesn't like wearing guns, and he gets shot every time, so he doesn't have what you want."

"Secondly, it seems that Morris had issued a warning, but Kelly had already taken the initiative and took away all the items related to Zhou Qingfeng in the house."

Morris—the name made Monica's heart tighten.

He is the person in charge of biochemical research beside Zhou Qingfeng. He is timid and cowardly.

After Zhou Qingfeng escaped on the "Holy Light No. 1", Morris seemed to have sensed some danger and disappeared quietly with more than a dozen team members. His whereabouts are still unknown.

But that guy is still in contact with Kelly. I'm afraid his so-called "disappearance" was also instructed by Zhou Qingfeng.

Only then did Monica realize that she was already half a step too late.

Kelly's actions were clearly premeditated, and Morris's warning cast a shadow of mystery over the whole incident.

And why is Diaz so anxious to get that kid's genes?
-
At this moment, Zhou Qingfeng was lying in a wooden house in the suburbs of Orlando. He woke up from his dream when the sunlight shone through the screen window.

After completing the hunt last night, he immediately left with the heavy truck driver who came to pick him up, and learned that Old Juan had sent someone to Orlando to assist him.

The heavy trucks are arranged by it.

At that time, the Orlando police were going crazy, and the National Guard who entered the city was also anxious. They set up checkpoints everywhere to catch the murderer who killed the governor.

Zhou Qingfeng couldn't possibly try to break through the military and police blockade and was about to be trapped when the "Holy Light No. 1" driven by Chen Rui landed and took him and his motorcycle away.

But the evacuation was still not smooth, and the "Gray Shark" suddenly sent an alert - the Florida Air Force dispatched the E-8 "Joint Star".

This aircraft is not an early warning aircraft, but is used for battlefield monitoring.

It was also once deployed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to monitor the border, specifically to deal with small planes and speedboats that indiscriminately flew low over the U.S. sea and air transport of "agricultural products."

The governor was being publicly hunted, and it was impossible for the American bureaucrats to remain indifferent. They also thought of the possibility that the murderer escaped from the air.

After all, general aviation is so common in the United States, and small planes are everywhere.

'Gray Shark' verified the arrival of 'United Star' through multiple channels and asked Chen Rui to land and hide immediately.

The synthetic aperture radar of the "Joint Star" can directly image ground objects and can identify the shape of the "Holy Light No. 1".

In other words, Zhou Qingfeng didn't escape far at all.

(End of this chapter)