"Mental illnesses... can be contagious?"
Lu Xin listened to Chen Jing's words, thinking about his state, and suddenly felt his emotions fluctuate.
"Yes, that's where the definition of 'pollution' comes from!"
Chen Jing nodded and continued, "Depending on the source of the pollution, the symptoms of the infection will differ, but every one of them is terrifying and tricky. On the surface, they might seem like ordinary people, but internally, irreversible changes have already occurred. What's even more dangerous is that, unlike the lunatics outside the walls, they live among us, and at any moment, they might explode, spreading the infection to others around them!"
Chen Jing nodded and slowly explained, "Just like the people you saw in that coffee shop earlier!"
"The psychic monster in the corner café—at the time, we couldn't pinpoint when the mutation began. When we found out about him, fifteen people had already fallen into extreme depression and chose suicide due to his infection. It was their suicides that made us notice the monster's presence. However, by the time we tracked him down, thirty-seven people had already been deeply infected!"
"These thirty-seven people are severely polluted. If we conduct a physical exam, their bodily functions will appear normal. But if we do a psychological evaluation, we'll find they've suffered irreversible damage. They are still alive, but they're no longer like normal humans. So, we had no choice but to seal off the entire block to prevent them from infecting others!"
Lu Xin listened, his heart slightly shocked: "So, what's going to happen to these people?"
"Death!"
Chen Jing said softly, "If the infection is shallow, they fall into depression. Sometimes, they can even notice something is wrong. Though the death rate is still high with such infections, there's still a chance for healing. However, those people you mentioned, the ones who came into deep contact with the monster, have lost all self-awareness and can no longer be treated or saved…"
"In the plan, they are all targets for cleanup!"
"..."
Lu Xin was still shocked and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't killing the monster enough?"
"Eliminating the pollution source doesn't mean the infected are immediately cured."
Chen Jing paused slightly, looked at Lu Xin, and said, "psychic monsters are just the source of the pollution. All the other infected people or things also carry the risk of contamination. The one you killed in the subway station was the original body of the pollution source. After its death, the deeply infected people scattered. If even one escapes, they might develop into a new source of pollution!"
"By then, the pollution remains, and it's as if that psychic monster still hasn't died!"
Chen Jing smiled and added, "But don't worry, all nearby residents have been evacuated, and we've arranged a large armed force to guard every route. Not a single deeply infected person has escaped. Compared to the psychic monster itself, their strength is much weaker, and they can still be killed by regular firearms. They are also less likely to infect others."
"..."
Lu Xin finally understood why, after the café employee died, the other "customers" only then thought of fleeing.
Could it be that the psychic monster realized it was going to die and allowed the other infected to escape, preparing for rebirth?
If that was the case, why didn't it just leave one infected person outside to help it rebirth at any time?
"The intelligence of a first-level mental monster isn't that high!"
Chen Jing seemed to know what he was about to ask and explained with a smile, "They only subconsciously infect others. The deeply infected people will subconsciously gather around them, like a whole, controlled by their will. It's only after the main body is killed that they develop some independent consciousness due to the loss of their primary influence, but by then, it's often too late."
"I see!"
Lu Xin nodded and slowly calmed down. Still, he couldn't help but ask the question that had been on his mind.
"Since it's so dangerous, why did you arrange for me to go in? Aren't you afraid I'll also get… infected?"
"..."
Chen Jing wasn't surprised by this question at all, and was even a bit surprised that Lu Xin only asked it now.
"You won't get infected!"
She snuffed out her cigarette and looked at Lu Xin, saying, "Or rather, you've already been infected!"
Lu Xin's gaze instantly became a little confused. "What?"
"Our evaluation isn't to send you to die, but for two purposes!"
Chen Jing answered carefully. "One, to determine your ability, and two, to see if you'll lose control!"
"The Red Moon Incident brought about psychic mutations!"
"And psychic mutations led to two consequences. One is the emergence of psychic monsters, who can't control their psychic powers and will affect those around them, posing a huge threat to the High Walls and the surviving humans in the world."
"The second consequence is the appearance of altered individuals who master psychic powers and gain psychic abilities!"
"..."
She then took out a file, flipped a page, and pushed it toward Lu Xin.
Lu Xin saw a pile of complex data and various evaluations, and in the midst of it all, he could only see his photo, address, age, and the large words "Spider System" written on it.
...
Chen Jing lit another cigarette, waved her hand to disperse the smoke in front of her, and said, "You are a psychic mutant!"
"From the analysis of your abilities, the first ability is precise control over your body with your mind!"
"After the Red Moon Incident, some people's minds became stronger, and with their powerful psychic energy, they could control their bodies better, even controlling every muscle and bone in their body. This is a very frightening ability!"
"Before the Red Moon Incident, the best athletes in the world could only control about ten percent of their bodies."
"But now, more and more people can control their bodies better!"
"In our action team, there's someone whose codename is 'Gecko,' and his body control ability has reached eighty percent. This gives him unimaginable strength. He can dodge bullets, almost perfectly control various firearms, pass through holes the size of a teacup, and climb walls as if gravity didn't affect him!"
"..."
"After observation, you also possess similar abilities!"
Chen Jing explained, pointing to part of the content, and said to Lu Xin, "This ability, we call the Spider System. It means they can precisely control their muscles like a spider, improving speed and reaction, and do things that ordinary people can't!"
"With this ability, you'll have greatly enhanced abilities to deal with crises and strange situations!"
"And as fellow psychic mutants, you'll also find it much easier to detect the presence of psychic monsters and avoid danger!"
Saying this, she looked at Lu Xin seriously and said, "So, you're very suitable for pollution-clearing work!"