Chapter 155 1 Python
Leaving Yangcheng, Feng Yi flew to Haicheng, and his destination was the Haicheng Branch of the Joint Security Bureau.
That was the designated registration place for the python hunting team, and they needed to sign in there within the specified time.
Feng Yi was one of the earlier batches. The other selected candidates were busy with work, especially those who were doing research. They had projects in hand and were busy day and night. They had to rush to work for the Virginia python hunting event, unlike Feng Yi who was still relatively leisurely.
He checked his identity at the Haicheng Branch of the Joint Security Bureau, signed in, and went to the training base with his ID card.
The training place is far away from the city center and is no longer within the urban circle. The place is relatively large. After all, as a place for actual combat training, there must be some dangerous creatures inside.
For example, crocodiles.
For example, venomous snakes and pythons.
In this season, the average temperature in Haicheng in the past week was below ten degrees, much lower than that in Yangcheng, and the snakes in the wild had already entered a dormant state.
However, at the training base, the training in this season is all indoors, and the indoor temperature is almost constant.
Feng Yi had seen several warning signs while checking in at the training base. Different areas were marked differently. For example, the area Feng Yi was about to go to had a snake on the warning sign.
These warning signs told people who came here not to be overly curious, not to run around at will, some areas were not allowed to enter without permission, and no one was allowed to enter dangerous areas.
Feng Yi was not so curious. The various smells told him too much information when he walked in. Some smells were not so pleasant, and he sneezed several times.
The aunt who checked him in said a few words of concern and told Feng Yi where the pharmacy and clinic were located.
"Generally, here, ordinary minor injuries and minor illnesses can be solved in the clinic, but if it is..."
The aunt who checked him in looked at Feng Yi's ID card. The training area classification shown on it was [Reptiles], and she understood that Feng Yi was in the group participating in the Virginia python hunting event.
"If you are bitten, small non-toxic wounds can be treated at the clinic. Bites from highly venomous snakes or large pythons, oh, plus crocodiles, wounds caused by these animals, here, there is an ambulance waiting over there." The aunt raised her hand and pointed to a place.
Feng Yi looked in the direction she pointed.
There was a large parking lot in the distance, reserved for ambulances. Parked there was a very stressful array of ambulances.
"So many?" Feng Yi was surprised. This looked too exaggerated.
The aunt in charge of the formalities gave Feng Yi a meaningful look and said calmly, "You have to understand the exploratory spirit of researchers."
The word "exploration" was emphasized.
Feng Yi was silent.
Indeed, many times, when researchers see a goal that satisfies them, they can't help but do something beyond reason.
Feng Yi thought of the teeth marks on the body of the expert who was invited to catch the python at the resort.
After completing the formalities, Feng Yi was not in a hurry, so he took a detour to the parking lot on his way to the dormitory.
Those ambulances were donated by some institutions or private companies, and they were carrying various logos or words belonging to the donors.
The billboards standing next to them let Feng Yi know that these ambulances are not always parked here. Some will go out with the outbound teams. The configuration and facilities inside are different from the ambulances seen outside. They are targeted and uniformly allocated by the administrative office of the Joint Security Bureau.
For example, if a team goes to Haicheng or somewhere nearby to look for venomous snakes, the ambulance following the team will definitely be equipped with anti-snake venom serum and related drugs.
However, not every city has this configuration. In places with more difficult conditions, even if there is a training base of the Joint Security Bureau, there may not be so many ambulances, and they may not be able to keep up.
Feng Yi took a look and went to find a dormitory.
The assigned suite is for 4 people to live in. Each person has a single bedroom and an office area in the bedroom.
The place is not big but fully equipped.
After entering the house and taking a look, there are not many daily necessities placed in the public area, living room, kitchen and other places. It is hard to tell how many people have moved in, but Feng Yi can know from the smell information that the other three people have arrived, two of them came recently, and the other has lived here for a longer time.
After making the bed and sitting down to rest, Feng Yi sent a message to Steve, saying that he had arrived at the training base.
Steve was also a member of the team, but he was not at the training base, but was already preparing in Florida.
Soon Steve video-called.
It was 12 noon here on Feng Yi's side, and 12 midnight there, and there was a time difference between the two sides. Feng Yi originally thought that Steve, who was far away in Florida, had already fallen asleep at this time, but he was still active.
Steve looked quite energetic.
"Are you already at the training base? I just came back here, and followed them to catch alligators. A research team here will go to investigate the number and survival status of alligators in the swamp every once in a while. It's not complicated. Catch, drag on the boat, record data, mark, and then put back. The ones caught today are not big. There is a slightly larger one that was not caught, but it is only three meters."
"'Only' three meters?" Feng Yi didn't know what to say.
Alligators are not like snakes with long strips.
The visual impact of a three-meter crocodile versus a three-meter snake is much greater!
To exaggerate, it's like the comparison between a rope and a brick.
However, Steve didn't think he was wrong. Although most crocodiles in the swamp are about one or two meters long, but...
"There is a bigger alligator here at the research center, called 'Alligator', which is almost five meters tall. You can see it when you come over. This alligator was rescued from the mouth of the python by a retired researcher at the research center. It has been kept in the research center for many years. It is almost free and does not stray far. Recently, due to the python hunting activities, there were so many people coming and going, so the research center put up a net to separate it. I took a lot of photos today!"
As he spoke, Steve's expression gradually became crazy, "It's so charming!"
Feng Yi: "..."
It’s hard to imagine how the ferocious face of the prehistoric beast could make Steve and others so fascinated that they couldn’t stop?
However, the person who shouts "big baby" to the cold-blooded killer python cannot be considered an ordinary person.
Used to it.
Speaking of crocodiles, Steve shared his experiences in the swamp with Feng Yi.
There are American crocodiles and river crocodiles over there in Florida.
When they say "crocodile" over there, they mean American crocodile. When I say "alligator", I mean the crocodile.
This is generally not said in China.
There are two kinds of alligators in the genus Alligator, one is the Miguchi crocodile that Steve saw in Florida, and the other is the alligator, a first-level protected animal in China.
In China, most of the population has only two types of crocodiles, one is the alligator and the other is other crocodiles.
When Steve was telling "A few things about me and alligators", Feng Yi heard dozens of exaggerated adjectives in less than half an hour.
After finishing the narration, Steve sighed again, "In the Everglades, compared to the alligators at the visitor center that are as strong as armored vehicles, these ones that are almost in the wild are so thin that it makes people feel distressed!"
Why thin?
Because there is less food!
Why is there so little food?
Because the python robbed it!
During the abnormal climate period, a large number of American crocodiles and alligators in Virginia froze to death. During that period, their old rivals in the Everglades, pythons, also did not fare well.
When the abnormal weather period ends, before the crocodiles can regain their glory, pythons rise up first, snatch their food, seize their territory, and eat their cubs!
That's why some people say that alligators in the Florida Everglades are starving to death.
Forced by a python.
In Florida, alligators and alligator nests are protected, while pythons such as Burmese pythons there are considered hazardous invasive species.
After experiencing a climate anomaly, the pythons in the Everglades gave birth to more powerful offspring through hybridization and genetic mutation. They pose a greater threat to the ecology of the swamp and are classified as a "scourge".
Before the abnormal climate period, pythons in Florida could be hunted directly. That is to say, now that there are protection laws, the Bureau of Protection is watching, and the python hunters are asking to catch them alive as much as possible.
"There are so many pythons here now. I went out today and saw several of them, but they were not big and it was not convenient to catch them at that time."
Steve sighed with emotion, changed his words, and said: "You will start training soon, which is some theoretical knowledge, pay attention to key points, etc., and then if you have some weaknesses, you can strengthen training at the training base. This is also a good idea for you. During the observation period, if it is not suitable, you will be asked to return directly, mainly for some preliminary work, and it will not take more than a few days of training. "
Feng Yi listened to him and waited for his next words. Steve came here specifically to videotape, and it was definitely not just to tell a few things about the crocodile.
Sure enough, Feng Yi soon heard Steve say:
"There is another matter of forming a team. Feng Yi, how about we form a team? My target this time is a large python, so I will go deep into the swamp to look for it. What do you think?"
During that time with the Nan Chong scientific expedition team, Steve knew that Feng Yi could find snakes faster than some veterans. Later, he learned about Feng Yi's capture of pythons at the resort, and he started to think about it.
Feng Yi thought for a while, and the team would definitely not allow him to act alone. If he was looking for someone to form a team, he would find a teammate who he knew, was capable, and had a certain understanding of the local area. If everyone has the same goal, it would be fine to form a team.
Feng Yi's target is also a large python. The big python gets more points and money, so he won't compete with others for the small python.
"Okay. By the way, I heard that there will be a live broadcast of this python hunting event?" Feng Yi asked.
"I know about the live broadcast, but that has nothing to do with us. The live broadcast team can't keep up with our speed!" Steve said proudly.
It wasn't his fault. Those carrying cameras just couldn't keep up with his pace of catching snakes. There were certain restrictions on drone shooting, but Steve didn't care.
After discussing with Feng Yi how to fill out the team application, Steve was satisfied and looked forward to the python hunting event in January.
This time is different from the Nan Chong scientific examination. The scientific examination not only valued the results, but also the process, and would teach some people in the process.
But this time when hunting pythons, it’s all about the results.
Activities that only look at results have different requirements.
Before disconnecting the call, Steve was still saying: "For those of us who target giant pythons, one person can catch a python over four meters tall. Our combat effectiveness is calculated as '1 python'. For others, two people can catch it." Anyone who can’t control a python and whose personal combat power is less than 0.5 python is a scumbag!”
Feng Yi stared blankly at the phone screen where the call had ended.
My combat power is only 1 python?