Chapter 13 - CHAPTER 54-57.2

Chapter 54 – It's a Lotus, Not a Water Lily! (2)

The barber shop owner was forced to accompany Jiang Yujin, whose face was brimming with happiness, to a morning and an afternoon tour around the lotus pond.

Along the way, they completely separated from the majority of the community group. Consequently, they chose to walk on their own, encountering the caretaker of the lotus plants in this area.

The caretaker, inheriting her grandfather's mantle, was a young girl with a square face, her skin tanned, exuding a cheerful and outgoing demeanor when she smiled.

With two equally outgoing personalities coming together, the caretaker initially intended to share knowledge about lotus plant care. However, as they chatted more, the conversation veered off course, heading toward divergent paths.

While the caretaker tended to the lotus flowers here, this place happened to be a well-known spot for couples' rendezvous. Every year during the flowering season, she could quietly observe numerous heated romantic dramas.

Couples who had planned to see the lotus flowers together would later claim they couldn't make it due to various reasons. As a result, they would each show up separately with their other secret lovers, leading to confrontations. Such occurrences were uncommon but happened several times a year, drawing a crowd of onlookers each time.

Citizen Jiang eventually stopped holding grudges against the leading lotus flower after numerous rounds of gossip. Capturing pictures everywhere, carrying an album filled with lotus flowers and a head full of gossip, he returned content.

That night, the high schooler, having finished solving practice papers, unlocked his phone and was greeted by various lotus-related messages from a contact with a lotus flower as his profile picture.

After checking the details, he realized it was his responsible father.

The person had just sent a new message, saying: [It will be better if you are at home].

Though seemingly affectionate on the surface, Chen Jing was sure that the other person just wanted dinner.

Indeed, Citizen Jiang was genuinely hungry. With the high schooler absent, he headed downstairs to the barber shop owner's house to "chat".

Anticipating his arrival for a free meal, the barber shop owner wasn't surprised in the slightest. This person really had a clear goal; after eating and drinking, he'd just head back home to watch soap operas without lingering anywhere.

However, the soap opera today wasn't very engaging. The plot lacked the thrilling melodrama of previous episodes, causing Citizen Jiang to doze off while watching.

When he woke up the next day, Jiang Yujin found his phone vibrating intermittently on the floor, unsure when it had fallen.

Rubbing his eyes, he bent down to reach for his phone, but in his drowsiness, he accidentally bumped his forehead on the table's edge. Switching from rubbing his eyes to rubbing his forehead, he let out a slow, hoarse groan before picking up the phone.

There was a message from someone he had casually added while chatting yesterday—the caretaker of the lotus plants. The first line was a request for his help with something.

Beneath the message was a photo of the lotus pond, the same one where he had seen those vibrant lotus flowers yesterday. However, the scene was drastically different now—the once towering lotus leaves and flowers had all withered, turning yellow and decaying. Their wilted stems and leaves hung into the water, yellowing and rotting.

All of this had happened overnight. Last night had seemed perfectly normal—the temperature was just right, the weather favorable. It should have been an ideal night for the lotus flowers, yet what she encountered in the morning shattered her joyful expectations.

She called the local Special Management Unit, but they only promised to record the incident accurately. When she inquired about specific measures or investigation plans, the conversation abruptly ended.

The SMU was an affiliated branch of the Special Investigation Unit, established to handle various anomalies that didn't require the intervention of the SIU or the investigations mandated by the SIU.

However, even within the matters that didn't necessitate contacting the SIU, there were degrees of significance. With numerous ongoing issues, her concern about this small pond was evidently treated as insignificant.

Today it was this pond, tomorrow it could be another. The caretaker didn't want to wait any longer; she wanted to investigate the cause immediately.

They had talked about professions during their chat yesterday, and now the caretaker recalled her new friend's occupation, prompting her to message him this morning.

Jiang Yujin valued this new acquaintance who seemed to have promising gossip potential, so he got up and set out immediately.

Another reason was that his finances had been a bit tight lately. During this trip to the plateau, the travel agency had provided insurance, but it only covered expenses until the high schooler was discharged from the hospital there. After that, the expenses were on him.

Between buying tickets to the neighboring city with his own money and considering a ride from the barber shop owner downstairs, Jiang Yujin briefly contemplated before knocking on the barber shop owner's door.

The barber shop owner seemed ready for a fight, but in the end, he didn't engage. Using his skills, Jiang Yujin managed to convince the barber shop owner to bring the car out.

Having been to the lotus pond yesterday, the barber shop owner had been mostly focused on admiring the scenery along the way. He vaguely remembered some routes from yesterday, plus with the help of a map, their journey went relatively smoothly.

As they approached the city, nearing the signs pointing to the lotus pond, it was rush hour, and the traffic was congested. They took a turn, avoiding the jammed queue of cars, and moved towards a less crowded road.

The lotus pond was located off the urban roads, and they successfully bypassed the morning rush. The girl waited at the entrance of the lotus pond and waved as she saw them.

Yesterday, they had walked a considerable distance from the entrance to the small pond. Today, they retraced the same path without taking any shortcuts, concerned about what might have happened. Until the matter was resolved, the lotus garden remained closed to the public. Today, the only people inside were occasional staff passing by and them.

Not far from the small pond, they could already smell something peculiar.

It was stronger than the odor of decay, persisting relentlessly, almost clinging to their bodies.

Jiang Yujin crouched by the pond, briefly letting his legs, exhausted from the trip, rest. The odor hit his nostrils intensely. He moved back a few steps and turned to the caretaker, asking, "Could this be poisoning?"

To deteriorate like this overnight would require something more than just natural decay.

"I've considered that possibility too, so I checked the surveillance footage," the girl said. "No one approached the lotus plants at night. The wilting started suddenly at some point."

She was the last person here yesterday, and when she left, the lotus flowers were fine. After her departure, no one else had come by, eliminating the possibility of someone poisoning the plants. Nevertheless, as a precaution, she took samples to be tested.

She asked, "Do you want to check the surveillance?"

The group then went to review the surveillance footage. The surveillance room was located adjacent to the room where tools were usually kept, not too far from their current location.

Having used it before, the retrieval of the surveillance footage was swift this time. The girl adjusted the starting time to when she had left.

Several monitors operated together, covering the entire area around the small pond. The first person captured on the surveillance was the caretaker, checking the pond's condition before leaving.

The video fast-forwarded, showing no one else after her. From 2:40 AM, the lotus leaves and flowers, previously swaying gently in the evening breeze, began wilting at an incredibly rapid pace, drooping into the pond. Subsequently, they rotted and decayed, turning into an unidentifiable mass.

Jiang Yujin rewound the video to just before the wilting began, his light-colored eyes fixed on the electronic screen, making slight adjustments.

At a certain point in the playback, he slowed down the speed. The caretaker didn't understand what he was doing and kept her eyes on the screen, without noticing anything unusual.

The barber shop owner, watching alongside, had a slight movement at the corner of his eye when the video reached a particular point.

Jiang Yujin pressed the pause button. Pointing at a spot on the screen, he said, "Pay attention here."

He pointed at the fine, dark seams between the tiles by the edge of the pond. The caretaker hadn't realized what was amiss and leaned forward slightly, examining that small area closely.

In a split second, the previously straight lines distorted abruptly, and a black line shot into the pond. The wilting and decay occurred immediately after this event.

This subtle change resembled the occasional interference typical of surveillance cameras, easy to overlook and leave no impression at first glance.

The caretaker glanced at the person sitting beside her, her eyes widening slightly.

Thankfully, this person could really spot these things.

Spotting was one thing; solving it was another. The caretaker asked, "What is this?"

This was somewhat beyond her realm of understanding.

After a brief discussion, they decided to return to the edge of the pond for another look.

This time, the caretaker wore a mask and used a stick, usually employed for retrieving rubbish thrown into the pond by others, to push aside the unpleasant-smelling corpses of the lotus flowers.

Beneath the lotus flowers was originally black silt. She used to periodically check the quality of this silt and noticed a significant change—it had become noticeably thinner and lighter in color.

Jiang Yujin turned and asked, "Are your ponds interconnected?"

"No," the girl replied, "Each pond has its own maintenance plan and operates independently."

As if remembering something important, her expression froze, and she suddenly added, "But the irrigation systems are connected; each pond is part of the same system…"

At this point, a troubling suspicion formed in her mind, and her expression turned grim.

"Don't worry, just asking," Jiang Yujin said, gesturing toward the thriving lotus flowers, "The others seem to be doing fine."

Taking the stick from the girl, Jiang Yujin stirred it directly into the silt. When he lifted it, the silt fell away, revealing long, thread-like worm-like creatures on the stick.

Realizing they were exposed to the light, the creatures quickly crawled back into the silt at their previous pace. The silt churned for a moment before returning to its original state.

Wide-eyed, the caretaker finally realized what was in the pond.

"I remember you took samples from the pond for testing," Jiang Yujin looked at her and asked, "Can you still contact the testing facility?"

Realizing the situation, the girl immediately took out her phone and dialed the number of the testing facility.

As the caretaker left, Jiang Yujin turned to the barber shop owner and asked, "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

The barber shop owner shook his head, at least within his known range of experience, he hadn't encountered it before.

They had encountered strange species that were light-averse, highly aggressive toward plants, capable of corroding them, and also highly mobile and aggressive nematodes. However, this was the first time they had seen a combination of both.

Supporting himself with his hands, Jiang Yujin circled around the pond and found a small, flat piece of glass near the drainage outlet, barely the size of a fingernail.

The glass was hollow, as if something had been inside, but the screw was loose, and now it was empty.

Jiang Yujin decided to check the surveillance footage again.

This time, he didn't skip through the previous footage. He started at the moment when the first person entered the lotus garden and watched backward at double speed.

He didn't have any exceptional abilities, but he was adept at focusing on the essential points. Faces came and went on the surveillance, children ran by holding onto something small, their diminutive figures obscured by the lotus, disappearing and reappearing. Undisturbed by these distractions, his light-colored eyes followed the movements on the screen.

A one-eyed man appeared in the crowd. He didn't pay much attention to the lotus; his gaze scanned the surrounding people, then he put his hands in his pockets and slowly moved closer to the lotus pond.

Perhaps out of intuition or habit, he glanced around, his gaze passing briefly over the monitors before continuing forward.

Both Jiang Yujin and the barber noticed a slight movement from him. A subtle motion, as if he intended to take his hand out of his pocket but then changed his mind and returned it.

As his hand moved, something fell out of his pocket and rolled on the ground before finally landing in the pond.

After he left, members of the SIU from the neighboring city arrived. It was evident they weren't here to admire the lotus; their purpose was focused, and they dispersed in the crowd, seemingly searching for someone.

However, they didn't manage to find the person they were looking for from start to finish. After briefly meeting at the end, they rested a bit and then departed.

Jiang Yujin rewound the video again and pointed at the person on the screen, asking, "Do you know him?"

The barber shop owner, with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, nodded.

Chapter 55.1 – One-eyed (1)

Jiang Yujin's memory failed him, so only the barber shop owner remembered. He briefly said, "Encountered before, in the Insect Valley, called Deng Jiang."

Before entering the Insect Valley instance, he had heard this name. At that time, this person was already notorious for being ruthless and fond of using insects to assassinate other players.

However, when in the Insect Valley, the person still had both eyes. It was only during the escape that insects blinded him completely. Now, for some reason, he seemed to have acquired another eye and unexpectedly, contrary to his character, joined an organization.

Jiang Yujin seemed to have some recollection but not much. He stood up from his chair, looking down and pulling out his phone.

Their task ended here; the rest was left to the professionals.

The professionals referred to the members of the SIU. After a few eager attempts, Jiang Yujin finally remembered the SIU's phone number. The call automatically connected to the local branch based on his location.

As he spoke, he pondered, attempting to describe the appearance of the insects in the pond: "Long and black, very swift… like a swoosh, you know?"

The other end might not have quite understood.

Before he continued his description, the barber shop owner standing nearby pointed to a corner of the surveillance footage, saying, "There might be something else to mention."

Jiang Yujin looked over and saw a limp figure.

It was his newly made friend, apparently unconscious, being carried over the outermost courtyard wall by someone, their silhouette disappearing completely.

Jiang Yujin added, "Another person has been taken away," as he walked outside, heading towards where the figure had vanished.

It was quite a distance from the surveillance room. Some people involuntarily move while on the phone. Caretakers might walk while on the call, unknowingly straying too far, leading to trouble when they reach a certain point. There was a phone on the ground, most likely dropped while being held, its screen visibly cracked. The call hadn't disconnected, and the voice of the other person could still be heard: "Hello? Can you hear me… her side might have a bad signal."

The call was then disconnected. Jiang Yujin picked up the phone, checked the call duration, and casually ended the call on the nearby phone.

He turned to the barber shop owner, asking, "What's the story?"

The barber shop owner replied, "Deng Jiang has an associate, Zheng Dao, who enjoys conducting assassinations and ambushes."

Because of their experience, that's why taking the person away this time was so smooth.

Apart from being held hostage himself, Jiang Yujin had no experience with others being tied up. After some thought, he said to the barber shop owner, "Go up there and make sure the person doesn't die."

The person was somewhat of a new gossip friend and employer; trouble wasn't an option right now.

Already being called upon multiple times in just one morning, the barber shop owner, irritated, lit a cigarette. "I must have been possessed by evil when I agreed to come with you."

He made a sudden move to attack Jiang Yujin's head from behind, applying considerable force. Before leaving, gritting his teeth, he said, "After this mess is over, go and open a shop opposite the SIU."

Whoever gets used to it should bear it, and it is Xu Tonggui's responsibility to pay for it himself.

Caught off guard by the sudden hit on the back of his head, and still expecting him to do something, Jiang Yujin couldn't bear it.

If only he had the money to open a shop opposite the SIU headquarters, he could have easily quit working long ago.

…

The SIU local branch's support team arrived later. None of them were familiar, and they all appeared quite serious. The team split into two groups: one remained here to seal off the pond, securing the scene and transporting samples to a specialized research institution. The other team was tasked with tracing the whereabouts of the taken individual, going to review the surveillance footage.

They seemed occupied.

Jiang Yujin was originally questioned, and once the interrogation was over, had nothing else to do but idle by the side and watch them work.

*

The SIU Headquarters was still dealing with the mess left by the One-eyed man. Since tracing their last lead, they had chased from A City to the adjacent city. In the end, it was Xu Tonggui who made the arrest, while the others handled transportation and custody.

Previously, a heavily injured Zero member of the organization had arrived at the SIU, seeking his safety in exchange for organizational secrets. The management agreed to his terms. One of the secrets he revealed was among the organization's latest research findings, involving something on the One-eyed individual. He speculated it was a strange species, likely insectoid due to One-eyed's preferences. Finally, he provided potential locations where One-eyed might appear.

There were a total of several locations. They actually spotted One-eyed in one of those places, but One-eyed, being alert, quickly realized someone was stalking him and began to dart around.

Xu Tonggui captured the person yesterday, and during a thorough search, they found nothing on him. Meanwhile, various abnormalities started occurring at places One-eyed had passed through: maggots blocking drains, creatures capable of corroding steel, minuscule worms that could devour brains, leading to two fatalities.

These cases had to be handled, especially with the possibility that the latest research findings of the organization might be involved. Due to the recent surge in incidents and insufficient manpower at the HQ, they had to clean up the messes after apprehending individuals.

Midway through handling these issues, the neighboring branch called, reporting strange species at the lotus pond where One-eyed had passed through yesterday. Furthermore, an individual had been abducted by unknown persons.

The abducted person was just a regular lotus caretaker, had no known grievances with anyone, and the incident occurred after the other incidents, making it highly likely to be connected to One-eyed. Unusual events always have peculiar reasons behind them, so they swiftly focused on the lotus pond with strange species.

The situation at the lotus pond was handed over to personnel from the HQ, who promptly arrived on-site for takeover.

Upon their immediate arrival, the HQ's personnel spotted a familiar figure. The individual seemed quite nonchalant, squatting by the roadside, playing with dewdrops on the lotus leaves, causing them to spin around without falling.

Sensing movements behind, the person squatting turned, and in that instant, the approaching individual could clearly perceive joy and gratitude in his eyes.

At first glance, he recognized Xu Gao walking among the crowd. It was a genuine moment of happiness for Jiang Yujin, akin to meeting a non-blood relative. He smiled as he observed the handover between the two parties.

As expected, a rascal remained a rascal. They feigned seriousness in front of the branch personnel but, once they left, Xu Gao turned to Jiang Yujin, waving with a sparkle in his eyes.

It was evident that this person was already contemplating how to engage in some relaxed chat. Taking the initiative, he took over the work of gathering evidence from relevant witnesses and joyfully rushed over to Jiang Yujin.

It was stated to be a follow-up for evidence gathering, but in reality, all the necessary questioning had been done previously. There was no need to question the person again.

Squatting side by side at the lotus pond, Xu Gao asked, "How come you're here in a place like this again?"

This person seemed inherently tied to these situations; wherever something happened, they had to be involved.

Jiang Yujin rubbed his hair. "Even if you ask me like this, it's hard for me to say."

He had simply made a new friend and taken on another assignment. Glancing at the others working, Jiang Yujin asked, "Where's Xu Tonggui?"

"Captain Xu has other matters; Vice Captain Hu is in charge of this now." Looking towards a person nearby, unusually not wearing a floral shirt, Xu Gao remarked, "Vice Captain Hu might not look like it, but he's actually quite reliable."

Jiang Yujin felt that perhaps everyone present might be more dependable than the rascal beside him. But the rascal also had his merits, a thought he didn't voice.

Noticing the attention directed at him, Hu Li, standing not far away, turned and exchanged a few words with those around him before striding over.

Both of them squatted in a neat line, and Hu Li followed suit, taking out his phone and handing over a video clip to Jiang Yujin. With a smile, he asked, "How did you spot this?"

The video he handed over was footage from the surveillance monitor, precisely the few seconds of distorted brickwork.

Objectively speaking, such minute changes might not even be noticeable to a professional.

"Although I've mentioned it before, I can say it again," Jiang Yujin said, "It was my assistant who noticed this; he deals with hair strands every day, so he's quite sensitive to these things."

His reference to his assistant was clearly indicating the barber shop owner.

From the monitor footage, it was indeed noticeable that someone had been consistently accompanying him today, and both individuals appeared to have no unusual behavior.

Hu Li inquired, "Why did your assistant leave on their own?"

Jiang Yujin shook his head, sighing with some regret. "He wasn't satisfied with the wages I offered and left after hitting me."

The wages referred to unpaid work and covering fuel expenses.

Not knowing the full story, Xu Gao patted his shoulder, reassuring him, "You'll find a better assistant next."

Jiang Yujin thanked him for his comfort.

Unable to get any further information, Hu Li stood up and returned to work, taking the slacking Xu Gao along.

With his chatting partner taken away, Jiang Yujin was left alone, pondering and messaging to check on his assistant's situation.

The former assistant, now hired as an assistant again, was still trailing behind Zheng Dao and the caretaker. It seemed like an ingrained habit, one they couldn't shake off. The person he followed had a penchant for wandering into obscure corners, diverging from the straight path. Even walking slowly behind, he managed to keep pace.

After carrying the person for a while, Zheng Dao veered off increasingly and eventually entered an abandoned building.

The building had been marked for demolition, but it seemed time had passed, leaving it abandoned and untouched.

Assassins are perceptive; the barber shop owner didn't get too close. He squatted at a distance, ensuring he could intervene before any killing occurred.

Zheng Dao had scars on his face, running from his forehead down to his mouth at a slant, dark scars almost traversing his entire face. The surrounding skin appeared burnt and heavily wrinkled, giving him a fearsome appearance when expressionless.

He used physical means to awaken the caretaker, who, even while unconscious, continued to emit sounds of agony.

Different from the concerned citizen, Jiang Yujin, or perhaps fundamentally similar, the barber shop owner showed no change in expression upon hearing the cries of pain, and his movements did not change.

Jiang Yujin's task was simply to ensure the person didn't die. As long as she remained alive, he didn't need to intervene.

At a distance, the barber shop owner observed as Zheng Dao pulled out a phone.

He called the SIU, pinching the caretaker's neck to make her produce sound for the person on the other end to hear clearly. Zheng Dao made his demands.

"First, release Deng Jiang and have him go to the lotus pond. Second, don't take away any worms from the lotus pond. Return any taken away. If Deng Jiang doesn't find the worm he's looking for and leaves safely, the person here will die."

Without waiting for the person on the other end to answer, he hung up the phone, spat to the side and said, "It's bad luck."

The bases consecutively faced issues, and the organization suspected infiltration. Consequently, they began sweeping them one by one, but they didn't expect this cleansing to implicate them as well.

Someone who knew they were on the suspicion list absconded one night, only for the other party to run directly to the SIU and reveal their actions.

Deng Jiang was under surveillance, carrying research results urgently needed by the HQ. In a moment of urgency, they contacted him, instructing him to throw the item into the last lotus pond in the lotus garden for retrieval later.

Upon his arrival, he overheard the person beside him making a call about unidentified creatures in the lotus pond. Their next move was to contact the SIU.

It was imaginable that Deng Jiang's carelessness led to the strange species escaping. After their escape, the strange species rapidly began reproducing through division.

Their experiments resulted in the mother strange species; it could only be the mother strange species. According to the lab, the genetic bridges and unique cell secretions implanted by those people were only present inside the mother strange species's body. The grown offspring were identical to the mother. The only person capable of identifying the mother among the pond's strange species was Deng Jiang.

He never liked dealing with complex matters. Being inexplicably stuck with this mess only made him feel bad luck.

Chapter 55.2 – One-eyed (1)

Observing the situation at the lotus pond, Bystander Jiang saw someone receive a call midway through work.

The expression on Hu Li's face, listening to the person on the other end, was full of frustration, and after a while, he muttered, "Release."

After the call ended, unrelated personnel were asked to leave. Jiang Yujin was among those unrelated individuals and left the lotus garden amidst the working staff. They were ushered five hundred meters away, where they saw a heavily shielded heavy-duty vehicle passing by on the road.

The vehicle headed towards the lotus garden, too far for clear visibility, but they managed to see someone getting off.

Without further curiosity, Jiang Yujin turned and left, pulling out the flat glass piece he had picked up at the drain by the lotus pond earlier today.

The glass gleamed under the light, iridescent and somewhat dazzling, with an inscription at the bottom: [C—A2—3.0].

Tucking away the glass again, at a crossroads, he pondered briefly and chose one direction.

Stalking was tedious. Every half hour, Zheng Dao called the SIU to inquire about progress. The girl's life, for now, seemed secure. The barber shop owner left to smoke a few cigarettes, returning to continue monitoring.

As he returned, the other party was making another call. Their conversation seemingly brought some relief to his expression.

It must have been good news. Given previous progress, Deng Jiang might have found the desired strange species. What remained was a safe exit.

Before the final step, the other party made a demand: they needed to know where he and the hostage were currently located.

"In the abandoned east city building," Zheng Dao said. "I'll release her upon receiving Deng Jiang's safety confirmation. If he doesn't call within half an hour, you'll bear society's blame."

He hung up.

The barber shop owner subtly moved.

Less than twenty minutes, maybe even shorter, he saw figures outside the building.

Objectively, these people hid well, concealed enough. Unfortunately for them, they crossed paths with Zheng Dao.

Zheng Dao clearly noticed them but remained composed, waiting for the half-hour deadline, occasionally glancing at the phone placed nearby.

The rustle of leaves in the wind blended with the sound of combat boots on the cement stairs, pressing against small stones.

As time ticked away, the wind ceased, leaving the building in eerie silence, save for the caretaker's terrified wide-eyed stare.

In a moment, the phone vibrated.

As the phone vibrated, a small knife slipped from Zheng Dao's sleeve, his fingers instantly pressing against the caretaker's neck, finding the artery.

Hostage situations didn't suit him; he was indeed more suited for murder.

When footsteps were just starting downstairs, the knife had already pressed against the neck. When slight pressure was applied, a sharp, burning sensation came through.

Zheng Dao lowered his eyes, watching the knife disintegrate in his own hand, a searing heat piercing through to his very bones.

It was as if his hand began burning from within the bones.

His hand was his livelihood; without it, he was helpless. Shoving the person next to him away, he tried to extinguish the fire on his hand.

It was futile. He couldn't put it out. The scorching flames spread up his arm, and realizing his hand was beyond saving, he lunged towards the person he had just thrown aside.

Even in death, he was determined to drag someone down with him.

The fierce blaze instantly expanded, separating him from the person on the ground. The decaying wooden boards, riddled with wormholes, ignited intensely, the heat rising skyward. The members of the SIU, initially ascending the stairs swiftly, were blocked by the fire at the staircase.

They hadn't expected a fire here, and lacking any fire-retardant gear, they had to resort to immediate physical fire-fighting after a brief moment of thought.

Zheng Dao's fingers were already contorted from the burns, the muscles in his arm starting to shrink. Zheng Dao, completely surrounded by flames, constantly scanned the surroundings, attempting to locate the other person still present.

When the fire first broke out, he had already realized who the other person at the scene was, but he couldn't sense their presence at all. Eventually, he had to rely on his eyes to search.

When he looked straight ahead, he saw the person who had been crouching on the beam, silently preparing to leave.

This person seemed to have been there for a while, having smoked half a cigarette. The smell of the burning flames masked the smell of smoke, preventing him from noticing it earlier.

Indeed, it was this person.

The scars on his face were the gift of this person during the Insect Valley incident. After all these years, this person remained the same, with a contemptuous, disdainful gaze that instilled an inevitable sense of disgust.

Zheng Dao detested this gaze the most, as if he were a filthy bug in the gutter, perpetually inferior.

Using his mouth, Zheng Dao pulled out the small knife he had concealed on the side of his arm. Despite the scorching pain, he squatted, leaped, and swiftly jumped onto the beam. His body was continually burned by the fire, making his movements less agile than before, but he managed to reach the beam successfully. The tip of the knife aimed straight at the throat of the person opposite him.

Before reaching the throat, the knife melted in his mouth. After an intense piercing sensation, his mouth and entire lower jaw went completely numb.

The members of the SIU found the extinguishing device and quickly searched the upper floors after clearing a path. Soon after, in the distorted air, they noticed a light that didn't belong to the fire and hurried toward it.

The source of the light was a phone, its screen lit up with no one around, but there was someone lying not far away, coughing in the thick smoke caused by the flames.

It was the abducted hostage. Breaking through the flames to reach them, several people quickly assisted and then escorted the hostage away.

With the hostage rescued, and the fire's temperature soaring, the team had no intention of staying too long. Before leaving, they glanced again at the situation inside the building and spotted someone lying in a corner.

They gestured to leave. While others departed, a few approached and found that the person in the corner was none other than Zheng Dao, who they hadn't found near the hostage.

It was evident that he had no signs of life; his entire face was charred, and his body bore varying degrees of burns.

After exchanging glances, before the flames could spread further, they took the body away.

Meanwhile, Hu Li was still chasing Deng Jiang while receiving a report on the situation near the abandoned building.

Despite the distance, he managed to catch up as soon as he saw the other person making a call, but this person was challenging to pursue.

He knew how to escape well, not heading into the wilderness but constantly running through the city, maneuvering between tall buildings, blending into crowds, making the use of firearms difficult.

Approaching the city center, they happened upon a group of celebrities performing on the roadside. The audience below was crowded, making it difficult to see anything but a sea of black heads. Deng Jiang didn't hesitate to dive straight into the crowd.

Without looking back, he kept moving forward and knew how to navigate through the dense crowd, continuing to move forward at a reasonably fast pace.

Throughout, he focused ahead, paying little attention to his steps. When he lifted his foot, he was unexpectedly intercepted, and due to momentum, his body continued forward and plunged to the ground. Nearby individuals noticed his impending fall and moved aside.

Someone tripped him.

His gaze repeatedly lowered, among the sea of legs, he noticed someone departing. When he lifted his head again, all he saw was the silhouette of a person wearing a hat.

Given the crowded setting, his collapse wasn't inconspicuous, drawing immediate attention from those nearby. Realizing he might be apprehended again, he quickly reached for his pocket, only to find it empty.

His belongings were taken, and there was a cigarette on the ground, with what seemed like a hastily scribbled "10" on it.

*

The whole day had been quite a tumult, yet the uninvolved seemed remarkably undisturbed.

After being instructed to leave the lotus pond, Jiang Yujin wandered the streets. Later, he received a call stating that his new acquaintance had been rescued. Due to inhaling some smoke and sustaining injuries, the acquaintance was currently in the hospital, and he was invited to visit.

So, he went to pay a visit.

Upon his arrival, the members of the SIU were still outside. Despite having rescued the hostage and captured Deng Jiang, they hadn't located the research findings, and their expressions weren't exactly pleasant.

The cause of the building's fire was still under investigation. Besides them, there was no evidence of anyone else at the scene. Therefore, the initial investigation concluded it was an accidental fire. There was an odd theory that with Zheng Dao carrying so many knives, it was not implausible that a spark caused by friction ignited some nearby discarded plastic.

Jiang Yujin visited the caretaker in the hospital room. The individual lay in the hospital bed, her once healthy complexion now a bit pale, still trying to recover from the recent events. Only when she saw Jiang Yujin did she slightly curve her lips.

Not long ago, members of the SIU had inquired about what happened to her, but at that time, she was on the brink of death and dared not open her eyes, hence unaware of what transpired then.

Listening intently, Jiang Yujin smiled, and the caretaker smiled back. Her eyebrows gradually softened, and the feeling of being alive returned.

They chatted for a while until the girl's eyelids grew heavy, and Jiang Yujin exited the room.

The other members of the SIU had already left, leaving only Hu Li by the corridor window. He had changed into his flamboyant floral shirt and casual pants, looking like he was ready to head straight to the seaside for a vacation, the picture of leisure.

He waved, catching Jiang Yujin's attention. "What's up?"

Hu Li's eyes lifted at the corners as he asked, "What were you doing this afternoon?"

Jiang Yujin replied, "Conducting scientific observations on the daily lives of the city residents." Translation: strolling around aimlessly.

Hu Li looked at him, smiling. "You didn't take anything, did you?"

"In all honesty," Jiang Yujin chuckled, "I'm not that poor… even if I were, I wouldn't resort to petty theft."

He finished speaking and wandered off. As he left, he glanced at the hospital, suddenly remembering he had a big son hospitalized there, so he made a call to offer some comfort.

Hu Li watched as Jiang Yujin's figure disappeared into the elevator.

…

Exiting the elevator outside the hospital, Jiang Yujin hung up the phone, turned the corner through an alleyway, and got into a car parked by the roadside.

The barber shop owner sat in the driver's seat, cigarette in hand. Seeing the person in the back seat take out a small glass block from their pocket, inside it a slender black worm squirming slowly, the other person tossed it over, and the owner caught it.

He glanced down. "This organization sure has some skills."

"Indeed," Jiang Yujin leaned back in the chair, eyes lowered. "But once you've touched what you shouldn't have, the limelight ends, and it's curtains."

Taking back the small glass block, he opened the car door. "I won't head back for now. I'll pay a visit to that building you were at today."

As if remembering something, he tossed the pack of cigarettes from his pocket to the barbershop owner. "A gift for you, no need to thank me."

The barber shop owner took the cigarettes, opened the pack, and noticed one missing. He casually put it away and asked, "Where are you off to?"

Jiang Yujin replied, "I have a meeting with One-eyed over there."

This person still didn't remember Deng Jiang's name. The barber shop owner asked: "Wasn't he already arrested?"

Jiang Yujin shook his head. "He can get out."

One-eyed wasn't as easily manipulated as he seemed.

It was easy to guess. Deng Jiang was behaving too well this time. Unless he met Xu Tonggui, there was no reason for him to be caught again unless he wanted to.

Without further inquiry, the barber shop owner relaxed, got into his car, and left.

Jiang Yujin arrived at the building right at 10:00 PM, neither a minute early nor late.

Someone was already waiting in front of the building, one eye rotating, the other hollow and entirely black.

One-eyed had indeed escaped, appeared to have a limp, but after a few steps, walked normally.

Initially puzzled by the cigarette left in front of him earlier, he got caught by the SIU and heard about the fire at the abandoned building in the eastern outskirts of the city. Realizing his partner had died inside, he understood why and came here at night.

It seemed his understanding was right.

Jiang Yujin waved from a distance. "Good evening."

Chapter 56.1 – One-eyed (2)

It wasn't Yuan Sanshui who came but someone unfamiliar.

One-eyed asked, "Who are you?"

As there was no greeting from the other person, Jiang Yujin refused to answer directly and instead took something out of his pocket, asking, "Is this something you dropped?"

The small glass block reflected light under the faint moonlight, revealing a continuously wriggling black thread-like worm inside.

The lost item appeared in the other person's hand, and Deng Jiang didn't seem alarmed, saying, "Sure enough, it was taken by you."

With a slight raise of his eyebrows, Jiang Yujin applied a little force, causing the glass block to shatter. The worm inside broke into several pieces, slowly moved for a moment, then gradually quieted down, dead.

The valuable research findings died right there before him. Deng Jiang didn't display intense emotions; he just watched as the worm and shattered glass fell to the ground.

Jiang Yujin lifted his foot towards One-eyed.

Watching the person in front step closer, One-eyed's lone eye followed the movements, swiftly recalling everyone he knew. As they neared each other, One-eyed took the initiative and stepped forward, increasing speed.

When they were very close, his fingers turned into claws, instantly aiming for the person's face.

There was no sensation of fingers sinking into flesh. After a sharp pain, his wrist was broken, followed by a chilling feeling along his spine. As he turned his head, he felt the other person's hand grasping the back of his neck.

He didn't know this person, but he was formidable. Deng Jiang realized he had underestimated him.

Gripping the back of One-eyed's neck, Jiang Yujin turned to look into the other person's eyes.

At first glance, One-eyed's eye seemed normal, with whites and a pupil. But on closer inspection, one could notice subtle changes in the whites, as if something was writhing inside. A vast number composed an eyeball, with the center of the pupil being a black mass—an eye, not his own, resembling a bug's eye.

Before Deng Jiang could counterattack, Jiang Yujin released the person in his grasp.

He hadn't guessed wrong. The real research result wasn't the dead worm; it was the person before him.

Upon careful consideration, there were too many inconsistencies in what had happened before. It was understandable that this person was caught by Xu Tonggui, but being captured a second time after escaping seemed strange.

Through a series of calculated moves, his aim was to divert the attention of the SIU towards the worm, making them believe that was the research result, shifting the focus away from himself. Every maneuver was designed to make people unquestionably believe that the research result was the worm that had just died.

This was probably an emergency plan suggested by the traitor. The silliest and most naive part of the whole ordeal was his partner, who genuinely believed the research result was that worm, going through great lengths to retrieve both the person and the worm, even risking his life.

His counterattack missed, and One-eyed's fingers kept changing, muscles transforming into worm-like structures, continuously wriggling. His finger joints diminished as granular worms flew out into the air.

This person might no longer be considered human; his entire body seemed composed of worms. Without further concealment, his facial muscles squirmed in a rather disturbing manner.

Jiang Yujin wasn't a fan of worms. When the granular worms flew towards him, he immediately sidestepped to ensure none touched him.

Near the abandoned building, there was no shortage of piles of stones and wooden planks. Jiang Yujin picked up a conveniently sized stone.

Breaking the stone into smaller pieces in his hand, each one accurately struck the approaching worms.

As the worms on his side died, One-eyed's hand surged, the small worms rapidly reproducing, and the fingers regenerating.

Jiang Yujin watched, unsurprised, and asked, "Do you know what caused you to become like this?"

One-eyed's pupil involuntarily shifted upwards, "How would I not know."

That meant he didn't know.

There was no need for further entanglement. Jiang Yujin picked up a half-meter-long steel rod from the ground, spun it in his hand, found a suitable grip, and thrust it directly towards One-eyed.

Pierced through, Deng Jiang was carried backward by an unstoppable force, his body crashing into the wall of the building, then splitting a pillar, forcefully slamming into the farthest wall inside the abandoned building.

The steel rod had penetrated him and the wall behind. With extensive injuries, from where he was initially outside the building to his current position, there lay a trail of dead worms. With so many injuries, even though the worms could reproduce rapidly, it was challenging for them to restore him to his previous state as swiftly as before.

The person who had been outside stepped into the building step by step. Amidst the changing light and shadows, his figure disappeared into the darkness within the building.

Impaled on the wall, Deng Jiang couldn't stand up yet. His limbs were regenerating, but he managed to lift his head and asked, "Who are you, really?"

It was evident this person was stalling for time. Jiang Yujin didn't answer his question; his gaze started scanning the building's interior.

Finding nothing handy inside, he decided to reuse the steel rod.

Noticing his glance, Deng Jiang inexplicably understood his intent and gritted his teeth, pulling the steel rod out before Jiang Yujin could reach it.

As the steel rod was pulled out, along with the fallen dead worm pieces, there were also debris from the building behind him.

Jiang Yujin, playing the part of a concerned citizen, spoke up, "Doesn't that hurt?"

Of course, Deng Jiang was in bloody agony. Even though it was worms dying, he could still feel the pain.

Holding the steel rod, he stood up again, the worms quietly spreading over the steel rod as he sprinted toward the person opposite him.

Slightly leaning back to dodge the swinging steel rod, Jiang Yujin thanked the other party for his kindness in personally delivering the steel rod and, after crushing the worms on it against the wall, he snatched the steel rod back.

This time, instead of thrusting, he used the steel rod like a blade, swiping it horizontally towards the other person's waist.

A huge tearing sensation swept through. One-eyed was still airborne, witnessing his lower body being swept away, the newly grown worms on the cross-section squeezing into the position of the dead ones, attempting to reach him.

Then came the sudden plummeting sensation. Being comprised entirely of worms, Deng Jiang's body didn't bleed after being severed in half. Only the fluid from the worms spread underneath him.

Honestly, it was a bit unpleasant; Jiang Yujin took two steps back.

Even in this state, One-eyed hadn't died. The masses in his lower half dispersed, unable to form a relatively complete body, but the upper body wriggled on the ground, attempting to regenerate.

At this point, another strike would have been enough to end his existence, yet Jiang Yujin refrained, holding onto the steel rod, waiting in place.

He wanted to witness the extent of this person's transformation.

Seemingly provoked by his composed demeanor, the originally wriggling body of One-eyed became more contorted. The worms on his body no longer focused on regenerating a new body. Instead, they began to shrink inward, devouring each other. The body underneath the clothing gradually shriveled.

The lone eye's pupil started trembling incessantly. Deng Jiang, with a smile on his face, gasped, "You'll… die soon."

Jiang Yujin's suggestion was for him to catch his breath first.

A small black eye gradually expanded throughout the entire eye, Deng Jiang's eye completely turning into a black mass, wriggling up and down until finally, the eyelids couldn't contain the eye anymore, unable to even blink.

As the external appearance continued to change, internal alterations occurred as well. The hair that was once on the scalp gradually fell out. If he hadn't misheard, Jiang Yujin even heard the sound of bones cracking.

The person on the ground, who initially had a raised corner of the mouth, gradually trembled downward. However, the body was no longer under his control. Even the attempt to cover his head was challenging; all he could produce were incomprehensible cries, coarse and harrowing.

The body collapsed completely, and something continuously surged within the eye sockets, finally breaking free after tearing through the constraints of the sockets.

It was a giant black worm, its tail stained with a hint of blood and an unidentifiable red-and-white substance. After completely pulling itself out of the eye sockets, the once-conscious person on the ground now remained as mere bones. The shriveled scalp hung loosely over the white bones, the mind almost entirely absent.

One-eyed always believed he was controlling the worms, thinking himself more thoughtful than them, but in reality, it was the opposite.

Jiang Yujin lifted his eyes toward the gigantic worm towering above, pondering briefly.

He indeed still detested worms.

Chapter 56.2 – One-eyed (2)

No longer constrained by One-eyed's body, the worms' rate of reproduction suddenly accelerated. The sound of skittering continued incessantly as a pile of tiny worms formed a black wave, crawling out from behind the gigantic worm. Wherever they passed, the ground turned charred black, even corroding plastic.

Jiang Yujin felt that it might have been better to bring the barber shop owner here; these worms would vanish with a single fire.

But there was no barbershop owner here now; he had to handle this himself.

Utilizing a nearby square pillar, he leaped directly into the air, the steel rod in his hand aimed at the black worm's eye.

The black creature truly had a black eye, and beneath it was a mouth that spewed yellow liquid. Jiang Yujin shifted in mid-air, avoiding any contact with the liquid, ensuring the steel rod in his hand remained untouched.

After all, there was nothing more convenient in the building than what he held in his hand.

He gently landed on an unsealed windowsill, sparing a moment to glance at the time.

Today was Saturday; it was currently twenty-one minutes past ten. There would be a rerun of a highly popular soap opera at eleven-thirty. If there was even a slight traffic jam on the way back, he'd miss it.

He needed to pick up the pace.

The black worm reacted swiftly. The moment he landed on the windowsill, it turned its body, and dozens of legs scurried rapidly towards him.

The length of the steel rod wasn't sufficient to pierce the entire worm, so Jiang Yujin had to swing the steel rod as the worm approached.

The large worm dodged quickly, but his movement was faster. In the blink of an eye, green fluid gushed out, a black head flew into the air, then was impaled by the rusty steel rod, firmly pinning it to the ceiling.

The remaining body continued to squirm but soon ceased movement entirely. The produced smaller worms scurried around chaotically. This was beyond his scope of handling. Jiang Yujin landed effortlessly, glanced at the time, then stepped away.

His purpose in coming here today was to confirm how Zero combined individuals with the strange species or rather, what method or substance was used.

One-eyed and the worms coordinated reasonably well, and their strength seemed slightly enhanced. It wasn't far from what he had imagined; Zero indeed used something unconventional.

Between leaving from the front and directly jumping out the window, Jiang Yujin hesitated momentarily before choosing to leap out. Relying on the temporary sense of direction still present in his mind, he picked a direction to depart.

Perhaps this was the liveliest day this abandoned building had ever seen.

After Citizen Jiang left, three more individuals arrived at the building shortly after. Chen Jing, Zhang Xin, and Xiao Pang had left the hospital right after the doctor finished changing the bandages. They had arranged for a vehicle nearby and walked the rest of the way.

Originally, they intended to find One-eyed, but upon hearing that Xu Tonggui was in charge, they refrained from acting immediately, waiting until later in the day.

The incident at the lotus pond had been cleaned up, One-eyed had been apprehended, and the only possible remaining clue was here.

From the information they gathered, One-eyed's accomplice who briefly stayed here had already passed away. The SIU had already inspected this place, and the probability of finding anything significant was, in reality, quite low.

—But it's not certain either.

As they reached the entrance of the building, they immediately noticed glass shards glinting against the faint moonlight.

Xiao Pang instinctively turned on the flashlight on his phone. With a more direct beam of light, the glass shards on the ground became clearer. Around the shards lay severed bodies of worms, appearing freshly dead, still soft, and without signs of decay.

Taking out a plastic bag, they collected the glass fragments along with the heavier worm corpses. Standing up again, with a flick of the flashlight, they noticed a long strip of dead worms forming a path from the middle of the road all the way into the building.

They followed this trail into the building. There might still be people inside, so they turned off the flashlight before entering.

Indeed, there was someone inside, a deceased individual, with a large worm's corpse not far away, and numerous small worms crawling on the ground.

Xiao Pang was encountering so many worms up close for the first time. He was so frightened that he almost screamed and jumped on his feet.

It seemed there was no one here except for them.

Without using the flashlight, Chen Jing directed the faint light from his phone screen toward the person on the ground.

The figure on the ground might have once been a person, only half a body remained, a dried layer of skin loosely draped over the bones, with scattered hair around. One eye socket was hollow, seemingly devoid of eyes for many years, while the other socket was moist with blood vessels, though now similarly devoid of eyes, indicating something had been there before.

"This…," Zhang Xin looked at the figure on the ground uncertainly, "Is this One-eyed?"

Not every one-eyed person was the One-eyed they were seeking, but in such a time and place, it was challenging not to associate it with the individual they were after.

While they observed the person on the ground, Xiao Pang circled the building's perimeter and noticed a pair of pants and bones on the other side. Around the pants were piles of motionless worms, completely dead and curled up.

He turned and asked, "Wasn't One-eyed already taken by the SIU?"

"We have no firsthand information," Chen Jing replied, eyeing the person on the ground. "He might have escaped."

Xiao Pang nodded, then crouched down, cautiously reaching into the pocket of the pants on the ground.

There was something inside the pocket, along with a soft sensation, probably the carcass of worms. Goosebumps covered his entire body as he endured the discomfort and retrieved the object from the pocket.

It was an unsmoked cigarette. After inspecting it, he noticed something written on it—a simple "10".

Turning back to rejoin the other two, Xiao Pang handed over the cigarette, scratching his head as he asked, "What does this mean?"

"10… Ten cigarettes, ten items, ten days…" Zhang Xin speculated, then snapped her fingers slightly. "Ten o'clock!"

She said, "Is it possible that someone arranged to meet One-eyed here at ten?"

Initially a speculative guess, but upon closer thought, it seemed more and more plausible.

If they had arranged to meet at ten, it would explain the still warm worm bodies and the unexpected appearance of One-eyed here.

The appointed ten o'clock, with it being not even half past ten now, and both the worms and One-eyed deceased, indicated that the person who arranged the meeting took less than half an hour to deal with both.

It was a terrifying scenario.

However, the primary focus now was to investigate the scene before the SIU noticed any anomalies. Remembering this, the three resumed examining the site, trying to uncover any useful clues.

Chen Jing found a brain-like fragment still attached to the tail of the large worm, stained with blood and stuck with sand and stones from the ground.

After another glance at the shattered eye socket of One-eyed, the three formed an unsettling suspicion.

The worm might have emerged from One-eyed's body, to be more precise, from his eye socket.

Considering the absence of any flesh on the body, only a heap of worm corpses, they might have pieced together what happened.

"Look here."

Chen Jing slightly turned out the skin around One-eyed's eye socket, revealing a few engraved words:

[C—A2—4.0]

Thinking about it, they took out the glass fragments they had picked up earlier from the ground, and illuminated them with the flashlight once more.

Xiao Pang pieced them together, arranging the glass shards back into a rough shape. Underneath the reassembled glass, there was a line of text.

[C—A2—3.0]

The worms in the glass were labeled as 3.0, while the engraving by One-eyed's eye socket showed 4.0. It was quite apparent which one represented the final research outcome.

Zhang Xin said: "The one we found before was A1, right?"

They had gathered a fair amount of data before. At that time, research in several labs had stopped at the A1 stage. Originally, Zero intended to use mermaid blood for neutralization, but the mermaids died at the sea tower.

They thought the research would at least pause for a while. They hadn't expected these individuals to have found a substitute in secret. The research had continued, progressing to 4.0. Barring any mishaps, One-eyed should have been a highly successful experimental subject.

Realizing, Chen Jing swiftly gathered up what he had and said, "Take a couple of those worms on the ground with us."

The worms on the ground were still alive, and Xiao Pang, having been frightened once before, opted this time to collect samples from One-eyed's body.

Chen Jing took charge of retrieving part of the large worm's body. Half-crouched on the ground, he felt something, and as he looked up, what met his eyes was the worm's head impaled entirely by the steel rod, still dripping liquid.

Without choosing to touch it, he packed up their belongings, and once everyone was ready, they left the building.

They returned to A City together. Before parting ways, after leaving a backup behind, they handed over all the relevant items to Xiao Pang.

In the Game, their changes were in their bodies, while for Xiao Pang, it involved mental changes. Although usually not very academically inclined, he had a remarkable learning ability. Studying these things only required time and money.

That night passed calmly.

The next morning, while someone who had stayed up late watching soap operas was still sound asleep, the SIU looking for the escaped Deng Jiang received a report from the public. They claimed to have found bones and the corpse of a large worm while passing by the abandoned building.

Upon arriving at the scene, they found the ground covered with dead worms and bodies split into two halves, each on opposite sides of the building.

The scene was inexplicably eerie. While others attended to the ground situation, Hu Li circled the building and finally stopped in front of the black giant worm's head impaled on a concrete slab, firmly pierced by a steel rod into the cement, appearing incredibly secure.

Almost simultaneously, he recalled encountering a similar situation long ago in the Hongsheng Building, where a human-faced spider had also been impaled on the ceiling with a steel pipe.

The brutality and ruthlessness of the method were eerily alike.

Chapter 57.1 – Cross-dresser Jiang (x) (1)

After binge-watching soap operas for several days, Jiang Yujin finally remembered that he still had a big son in the hospital when he received a call in the morning notifying him that the high schooler could be discharged and brought home for recuperation.

The call came in early in the morning while he was still in a dreamy state after staying up late watching soap operas. He responded with a couple of "mm-hmms" as the caller discussed the time to pick up the high schooler from the hospital. After hanging up, he slowly got out of bed.

Struggling to change out of his pajamas, while getting ready, he glanced down at his phone to check the hospital expenses he needed to cover.

The hospital fees deducted from his bank card balance, leaving…

The droopy eyelids gradually lifted, and Citizen Jiang stopped brushing his teeth mechanically: "…"

He began to calmly consider the feasibility of having his big son, still in high school, pay the hospital expenses himself.

Clearly, that was impossible.

He decided to settle the hospital fees first and worry about arranging the money later. With his hair disheveled from sleep, Jiang Yujin casually made his way to the entrance, changed shoes, and opened the door.

Standing outside was a person wearing a hat, mask, their hand suspended as if just about to knock.

Although surprised by the sudden appearance at his doorstep, Jiang Yujin remained unfazed. Conversely, the other person seemed startled, taking two steps backward, nearly stumbling off the stairs.

The helpful Citizen Jiang reached out to assist and, looking down, noticed three individuals in black suits and sunglasses downstairs, gazing in their direction. One of them swiftly ascended the stairs.

Jiang Yujin inquired, "Have I done something illegal by any chance?"

This commotion at his doorstep early in the morning wasn't the kind of treatment an ordinary citizen like him would expect.

Perhaps upon seeing the person being assisted at the door, the person who was ascending the stairs descended again.

The person with the hat and mask regained composure and spoke softly, "No, they are my bodyguards."

The voice sounded like that of a young woman, quite nervous. She glanced at the bodyguards still standing downstairs and said, "I have something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Her voice trembled slightly, seemingly due to her infrequent interactions with people.

Jiang Yujin allowed her in. Without his big son present, he could only manage to keep the house barely tidy, but not necessarily presentable. He moved the large goose from the sofa to make space for the girl and went to the kitchen to pour a glass of mineral water.

The girl sat on the couch, continuously looking out the window, appearing uneasy and very nervous.

As Jiang Yujin was about to sit down, he stopped and opened the front door slightly, leaving it ajar. This way, in case anything happened, the bodyguards downstairs could swiftly intervene.

The girl seemed somewhat relieved, hesitatingly taking off her hat and mask.

She looked rather cute, with a round face and a hint of baby fat. Her eyes were large, and she sported unexpectedly rebellious white hair.

Jiang Yujin refrained from commenting on her appearance and asked, "What's the matter?"

The girl introduced herself as Tang Guo, the daughter of a certain entrepreneur.

Due to some incidents in her childhood, she rarely communicated with people in real life. Because of difficulty socializing normally with classmates, she had her parents arrange for lessons at home. She found it challenging to communicate in reality, so she learned to chat online after being exposed to electronic devices and made many friends that way.

Recently, some friends suggested that, considering they had known each other for so many years, it was time for a formal face-to-face meeting.

It had become truly difficult for her to communicate with people in real life, something Jiang Yujin had already realized.

She stuttered and struggled with her speech, her sentence structure was disorganized, and she found it challenging to articulate her thoughts. Even a simple sentence took her more than ten minutes, causing beads of sweat to form on her forehead. He continued to listen and decipher her meaning on his own.

Jiang Yujin asked, "So, what do you want me to do?"

His initial thought was to help her overcome her speech difficulties. However, he felt that perhaps consulting a psychologist would be more sensible for this issue.

Pause…

He could make a talkative person speechless, but he had never tried helping someone speak.

Tang Guo said, "You replace me… Find someone to replace me."

Though she stuttered this time, at least she managed to express it clearly.

She didn't want to expose her problem but also didn't want to lose her friends. So, this idea came to her.

Her family knew she had online friends, but she didn't want them to know the specifics. In a larger firm, there were more people, increasing the chances of her secret being leaked, so she chose a smaller one and eventually found her way here.

Jiang Yujin said, "Wouldn't it be better if you went yourself?"

Despite the difficulty in communication, they were friends. Meeting face-to-face seemed like the simplest solution.

The girl shook her head.

Communication difficulty was one reason she couldn't go, but equally significant was the fact that the photos she sent to her friends didn't quite match her appearance.

Although it was the same person, Jiang Yujin believed that even if there were differences between the person and the photo, they wouldn't be too significant.

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the girl opened her phone to search for the photos.

When she handed over her phone with the photos, Jiang Yujin accepted it and said, "I don't have anyone who looks like you here, so this job might not be feasible."

As he spoke, he lowered his gaze to the phone.

"…"

He glanced at the photo, then at the girl, back at the photo, then at the girl again. His usual droopy eyelids lifted, expressing amazement at modern technology.

Reality and the photo were not just slightly different; they were completely unrelated.

The person in the photo had waist-length white hair, slightly downturned eyes, a cold expression, a slightly angular face with a smooth jawline.

A standard icy beauty.

Tang Guo felt a bit embarrassed and said, "I, um… I edited it a bit before posting, and it turned out like this."

Jiang Yujin could only acknowledge her adept skills—what a remarkable transformation from the original!

The person in the photo seemed oddly familiar, so he took a second look, and then another.

Understanding that finding someone similar to the photo would be incredibly challenging and persuading her to take up this job even harder, the girl cautiously suggested a figure.

She then asked, "Is that enough?"

Jiang Yujin asked, "Do you still have time to create a mute character now? You know, at the gathering, someone who doesn't need to speak."

*

The high schooler waited at the hospital for half an hour but still didn't see anyone coming to pick him up, so he decided to return on his own.

The nurse, with a pitying look, urged him to wait a bit longer, while subtly criticizing the father for not visiting his son often during his hospital stay and failing to pick him up on time upon discharge.

Chen Jing, carrying a bag with his uninjured hand, said, "He's fine."

He could eat and sleep, and it would be even better if sometimes he didn't wander aimlessly.

The nurse escorted the seemingly neglected high schooler out of the hospital and watched as he boarded a taxi.

When Chen Jing returned, a car on the same street had just left. Its sleek, elongated design clashed with the somewhat aged street.

Upon entering the building, he realized the door was still open. Inside, someone sat on the sofa, sipping water and browsing his phone. On hearing the movement behind him, he turned around, his eyes widening slightly.

It was quite evident that this person had forgotten his task of picking someone up.

Chen Jing didn't expect much from his memory. Carrying his bag, he closed the door upon entering.

Placing the bag on the sofa, he noticed another half-drunk glass of water on the coffee table and asked, "Has anyone visited today?"

Jiang Yujin nodded: "I accepted the commission."

After briefly recalling the various odd and peculiar tasks the person had taken on, Chen Jing raised an eyebrow and asked, "This time, it wasn't some strange task?"

Jiang Yujin waved his hand, "Just going out for food and drinks, nothing problematic."

The high schooler nodded and returned to his bedroom with the bag.

Chapter 57.2 – Cross-dresser Jiang (x) (1)

There were no sounds of a TV from outside the room throughout the morning. It remained quiet.

Studying quietly until noon, it was nearly lunchtime when Chen Jing put away the papers in his hand and opened the room door to prepare a meal.

This morning, when he entered the room, the person was sitting in a certain position. Now, he's still in the same spot, holding a large goose and not moving an inch.

He asked what he was doing, and the person replied that he was witnessing the birth of great friendship.

Chen Jing went to prepare food.

"Witnessing the birth of great friendship" meant going through the chat history between the girl and her friends. The parts that couldn't be shown had already been removed. His task now was to remember the friends' names, their personalities, and the events that had occurred between them.

The chat log seemed like it began from the creation of the universe. After the initial agreement for the task, Tang Guo shared a lot of crucial information with him. For instance, she mentioned having an ambiguous relationship with someone not quite ordinary. Jiang Yujin searched for a while and later learned about a fitting term: "online romance becoming reality."

He wasn't in love, but he was tasked with making it real. The girl felt this behavior was deceitful, but she couldn't bring herself to address it, so she hoped that he would help end this relationship on the day they met.

Jiang Yujin's face was buried in the large goose as he scrolled through the chat records, his eyes getting numb. Eventually, his entire face was obscured by the goose.

Young people nowadays are truly complex.

But among these complex young people, there was also a sincerely kind high school student.

Hearing the high schooler call out for food, Jiang Yujin raised his head from the goose, feeling once again that the high schooler was indeed inherently good-hearted.

After finishing the meal, not wanting to continue going through the lengthy chat records, Jiang Yujin decided to take a stroll outside and asked the high schooler if he wanted to join. However, the high schooler was doing the dishes and waiting for the analysis results regarding One-eyed's worms from Xiao Pang, and didn't want to go out.

So, Jiang Yujin went for a stroll alone.

As he went downstairs, it happened to be mealtime, and the barber shop owner was having his meal. The moment the owner saw him, he swiftly carried his food into the kitchen.

It was evident he was being treated like an unwanted guest.

Jiang Yujin was astonished, "So this is how you see me!"

The barber shop owner glanced at him but didn't deny his words.

Jiang Yujin took a seat in the shop, leaning back and propping his chin up, "My son's back; nobody wants to dine at your place anymore."

Jiang Yujin appeared quite proud.

Without a word, the barber shop owner started to usher him out.

Before being forced to leave, Jiang Yujin quickly apologized and extended his hand, "I want a wig."

He was promptly kicked out.

The ousted Citizen Jiang strolled a few streets away.

A newly opened convenience store stood nearby, and on the plastic mannequins inside, colorful wigs adorned their heads.

The wrinkled-faced owner glanced up at him before returning to his bookkeeping.

Jiang Yujin entered the store and purchased the cheapest white wig.

Tang Guo and her friends had scheduled a gathering at a downtown hotel in three days' time. One of them had deep pockets and had booked a whole hall.

During these days, Jiang Yujin communicated repeatedly with Tang Guo and finally made a final decision.

As expected, Tang Guo still wanted to meet her friends and decided to go together. She wouldn't enter the main hall for the gathering but would sit in the hotel lobby.

She couldn't pretend to be mute, so she informed her friends in advance that she had developed a throat problem these days and couldn't speak temporarily.

Jiang Yujin felt there was a certain reason why the other person was suitable for online dating. When face-to-face, the other person struggled to speak for a while but could type swiftly on their phone, making communication smooth.

The night before the scheduled meeting, Jiang Yujin immediately fell asleep, setting the morning time for the gathering.

…

The next morning, high schooler who was getting back to his school routine was surprised to find that the person who was unwaveringly consistent in waking up at noon had somehow woken up a bit later.

This person had risen but remained half-asleep.

While the other person was brushing his teeth, Chen Jing reminded, "You forgot to put toothpaste on."

So, Jiang Yujin leisurely started applying toothpaste. Only when the high schooler left did he slowly begin to have breakfast.

Tang Guo arrived shortly after the high schooler's departure, finding Jiang Yujin struggling with his wig.

The wig was indeed noticeably artificial.

Tang Guo then realized that perhaps handing over such things for self-care might not have been the best idea.

Fortunately, they had agreed to meet in the morning, leaving plenty of time before the afternoon. Urgently, she redirected the situation back to its original plan.

As per the initial agreement, she provided clothes, shoes, and accessories, and now there was an added wig.

After an urgent 30-minute crash course, Jiang Yujin managed to handle the wig in a somewhat presentable manner.

The driver and bodyguard had arrived in the morning and had to wait until noon before seeing someone come downstairs.

The car door opened and closed, and after a slight sway, two more people were in the car. One was Tang Guo, the other was unfamiliar.

Objectively speaking, the other person was very beautiful, but the kind of beauty that was unattainable, casting a faint chill when her light-colored pupils glanced over, inexplicably unsettling.

—Really just like in the photos.

Tang Guo sat to the side, her heart still racing.

Initially, when she knew this person had to step in to pretend to be her due to lack of manpower, she didn't dare to hope too much.

Unexpectedly, the result was surprisingly good. During their last meeting, she hadn't noticed anything, but this time she realized that this person was actually very good-looking, with faint features and a gentle hint in his smile.

After the very good-looking person got into the car, he quickly took out his phone, first taking selfies on a chat app, then opening Xiaoxiaole and quietly waiting for friends to send game energy.

Once the energy arrived, he started playing a silent version of the game, a series of cool effects flashing on the phone.

It was clear this person took playing the game very seriously.

"…"

Tang Guo quietly turned her head away again.

*

After bringing back the bodies of the One-eyed and the giant worm, professionals meticulously examined the corpses, finding the numbered engravings inside the One-eyed's eye socket.

From the Zero laboratory, they had obtained cells named "Genesis Body A1," and now it was A2.

There were two possibilities: either they upgraded A1 to create A2, or Zero had directly developed new cells.

Neither possibility counted as good news.

Because they didn't actively seek and use strange species for research, and there wasn't much funding allocated to them from above, their progress had always been behind Zero.

Smooth research progress was akin to pouring money like water, especially considering that almost every branch Zero had was equipped with a laboratory, the amount spent behind the scenes was incalculable.

Some said, "I heard they've already started investigating where their funding is coming from."

If they could trace it and cut off the funding flow, their research would likely die on the vine.

The SIU had indeed begun investigating Zero's funding sources. After the incident at the estate, they traced the path and found evidence of Zero engaging in transactions involving different species. Such transactions surely brought in significant profits but were far from enough to sustain the labs' normal operation.

A highly probable speculation was that there were other backers behind the scenes or that the founders of Zero themselves possessed enormous wealth.

Although they claimed to be investigating, in reality, they were clueless, shooting in the dark. There were only a few individuals rich enough to sustain such a massive organization, so going through them one by one would eventually reveal the one with abnormal transactions.

First under suspicion was Lu Dongcheng. His family had been in business for generations, immensely wealthy, accumulating wealth for several generations, a fortune even they couldn't entirely fathom. Moreover, he had the experience of returning from the Game, naturally becoming the prime suspect.

The task of investigating Lu Dongcheng fell on the head of the First Unit of the SIU.

The captain and vice-captain weren't around, so the remaining individuals, who were relatively free at the moment, drew straws, and two unlucky souls were chosen to carry out the mission.

Xu Gao, who had successfully infiltrated the secretarial department, helped pass on the documents, eyes filled with pity, saying, "I heard Lu Dongcheng will be at that downtown hotel today for business. Good luck."

The two unfortunate souls took the documents and headed towards the hotel.

*

At noon, Jiang Yujin left the agency, still early for the afternoon appointment. His considerate employer decided to treat him to a meal before leisurely heading towards the hotel.

On the way to the hotel, Jiang Yujin's game energy in Xiaoxiaole ran out, so he put down his phone and looked out of the window.

The city center was full of towering skyscrapers, and the road was bustling with cars.

Then, inexplicably, the smooth afternoon journey turned into a sudden traffic jam.

Those stuck behind would never know what the hold-up was about up ahead. All they knew was that the waiting time was getting longer, and horns blared incessantly.

Jiang Yujin checked the time and decisively said, "Pull over for a moment."

As soon as he spoke, the driver and the bodyguard in front were caught off guard, visibly shocked.

Jiang Yujin got out of the car, taking the armored helmet from the vehicle on his way.

Tang Guo watched him step out and walk back, disappearing from her sight.

Soon after, an electric scooter zoomed past directly by the window, with white hair flying in the air, dominating the view.

Among the frustrated drivers stuck in the traffic jam, Jiang Yujin effortlessly and gracefully passed by on the electric scooter, looking completely suave.

Sure enough, the little electric scooter felt more comfortable to ride.