Chapter 525: Swine Fever
They parked the car in the base’s parking lot, but the three of them didn’t get out right away.
"Alright, let’s divide up the tasks. Ronan Kendrick, you’re going to find the base’s leadership. Ethan Dawson, head to the crocodile pond and the residential buildings. I’ve drawn the route for you; it’s not far from here. I’ll go to the farming and livestock areas to check if there have been any changes to the crops and animals. Oh, right, Ethan Dawson, this is for you. If there are still crocodiles in the pond, you must sprinkle this entire bottle of Poison Powder into the water. And for the residential buildings, I need you to find out how they’ve been disposing of the recently deceased."
Evelyn Ford handed a bottle to Ethan Dawson. "This is an instantly lethal poison. Be careful when you use it."
The corner of Ethan Dawson’s mouth twitched. ’Such a terrifying poison, and she just keeps it in a plastic bottle.’
"Take these walkie-talkies. Contact me if anything happens." Evelyn Ford thrust the devices into their hands and gestured for them to move out.
"Alright, get to work, fellas. I’m waiting for good news."
Ronan Kendrick... ’Fellas?’
Ethan Dawson was the first to get out of the car and leave. Evelyn Ford looked at Ronan Kendrick with a smile. "We should get going too. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home."
Ronan Kendrick didn’t move. Evelyn Ford thought for a moment, then whispered, "Be careful. Stay safe."
Ronan Kendrick chuckled softly. He took off his beanie, revealing a head of fluffy silver hair. After ruffling it a few times, he put the beanie back on. With one hand on the steering wheel, he unbuckled his seatbelt with the other, leaned forward slightly, and stared at her with a burning gaze.
"Who are you calling ’fella’?"
Evelyn Ford was floored. ’He’s actually hung up on that? It was just an offhand comment!’ She was completely mortified.
"Ethan Dawson is a fella. You’re not."
Evelyn Ford threw herself into his arms and nuzzled his neck. "You’re Kendrick."
Ronan Kendrick wrapped an arm around her, lifting her onto his lap. Just as Evelyn was about to cry out in surprise, he kissed her.
Evelyn’s eyelashes fluttered as she gripped his collar with her left hand and wrapped her right around the nape of his neck.
A few minutes later, Ronan Kendrick slowly let her go.
"Stay safe."
Evelyn murmured her assent. Everything was quiet, the sound of the wind amplified a thousandfold. She could hear his heartbeat.
"Go on."
Ronan Kendrick raised his hand and gently ruffled her hair.
Her face was burning hot as she got out of the car. She patted her cheeks, then hurried from the parking lot toward the greenhouses.
Ronan Kendrick sat in the car for a long time. He only got out after the heat in his body subsided.
——
The vegetables in the greenhouses were thriving. Their leaves were free of white and yellow spots, and there was no sign of pests or red ants. They appeared uncontaminated, which put Evelyn Ford slightly at ease. Nevertheless, she still pulled up a few of each vegetable and stored them in her space.
The last time she was here, she had specifically collected a basin of water to take back for testing. The water source was fine, and the vegetables didn’t seem to be specially cultivated genetically modified varieties. Their taste and texture were no different from ordinary vegetables.
Right, last time she had also dug up some soil to take back for testing. The soil at The Second Base was indeed more fertile than in other places.
Evelyn had used the soil she brought back to plant some garlic, but she had been too busy these past few days and had forgotten to check on its growth.
There were many workers patrolling the greenhouses, each carrying a sprayer on their back. Evelyn Ford caught a whiff of the spray—it wasn’t pesticide, but a plant nutrient solution.
’Could the nutrient solution be the reason these vegetables are growing so well?’
Evelyn Ford collected a small amount of the nutrient solution, then left the vegetable greenhouses and went to the livestock area.
As soon as she arrived at the pig farm, Evelyn Ford noticed some problems. Several pigs had large, red, swollen patches on their skin, as if they’d been bitten by insects. They also had discharge around their eyes. When animals get sick, they often develop watery eyes or discharge—a dangerous sign.
’Could it be swine fever?’
Swine fever, also known as hog cholera, is incredibly contagious. Infected pigs must be culled immediately, or other animals will be at risk.
Evelyn Ford pressed her temples. ’Logically, with the farm’s bright lighting and all the workers, it was impossible that no one had noticed something was wrong with the pigs. Either they noticed and didn’t dare report it, or they dismissed it as a simple skin condition.’
Evelyn Ford walked a full circle around the pig farm. By her rough estimate, there were several hundred pigs with large, red, swollen patches.
Next to the pig farm was the slaughterhouse. Workers were transporting pigs over and beginning the slaughter. Hearing the squeals of the pigs, Evelyn Ford quickened her pace towards the slaughterhouse.
The slaughterhouse was bustling with chaotic activity. Even before she reached the entrance, she could smell the stench of blood and feces.
Evelyn Ford hid around a corner, watching the workers inside through her binoculars.
It was called a slaughterhouse, but it was really just a large warehouse. A dozen or so iron tables were set up inside. Workers placed the slaughtered pigs on the tables to de-hair them. After dousing a pig with hot water, they would scrape it lightly with a knife, and the bristles would come right off.
Once scraped clean, the red swelling on the pig’s body became even more obvious. The ears and back, in particular, were almost entirely red.
"How come all the pigs these past two days have this condition? They aren’t sick, are they?" a young worker whispered.
"What do you know? The skin naturally turns red after being scalded with hot water. If you don’t believe me, pour some hot water on your hand and see if it turns red." A middle-aged man glared at the young man. "Stop talking nonsense and get back to work. We still have a hundred more to slaughter before we clock out. The food processing plant is out of fresh meat, so we need to send two truckloads over first."
"But the pigs we slaughtered before were normal, Mr. Winters. All the pigs from the last two days have had this red swelling. Maybe we should report it?"
"Don’t be a busybody. We’re only responsible for slaughtering and processing the pork. Anything else is not our business. The farm hasn’t said anything, so why should we? If your loose talk gets us fired, I’ll skin you alive." Mr. Winters waved his dehairing knife threateningly. The young man quickly shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.
Evelyn Ford recorded some video, then circled around to the freezer to grab a few pounds of freshly processed pork and organs. The pig’s lungs were covered in black spots. Evelyn was now one hundred percent certain that these pigs had swine fever.
She had to go check the chicken farm. With swine fever already present, the situation at the chicken farm probably wasn’t much better.
No matter the circumstances, the fact that all of humanity shares a common destiny would never change. If she stood by and did nothing, her own people, living downstream, would eventually be affected. There were hundreds of thousands in the base, and when you added the residents of Flumen, the refugee camps, and the surrounding villages, the total population was at least a million.
A million lives were at stake; she couldn’t remain indifferent. Evelyn Ford didn’t want to see the lesson of Wyrmrest Base repeated here.
Arriving at the chicken farm, Evelyn was hit by the overpowering stench of chicken droppings. She quickly took out a mask and put it on. After observing from the outside for over ten minutes, Evelyn finally climbed in through a window.
The chicken farm had only one breed: a yellow, short-legged broiler. This type of broiler had one major advantage: it was meaty. A single chicken could grow to between sixteen and twenty pounds. Their growth cycle was incredibly fast—they could be slaughtered in just a month and a half—and on top of that, they could lay two eggs a day.