17: Mutant parasites, underground research institute

Nothing major happens in Changle; it’s one day after another.

In a flash, it was Friday afternoon.

Yang Dian, who had finished his patrol and Cultivate early, returned to the Public Security Bureau and found Lin Mo, who was holding a thermos cup and drinking wolfberry water.

He was about to discuss his time off with him.

But before he could speak, Lin Mo spoke first:

“Xiao Yang, you’ve come at just the right time. I was just about to call you.”

“The Third Squad has already removed that thing from He Qing’s head.”

“Since He Qing was caught by us, they want us to go over there.”

“Get ready and come with me to Fuzhou University.”

Yang Dian paused, then asked with some curiosity:

“What was in He Qing’s head?”

Lin Mo shook his head:

“The Third Squad didn’t go into detail, only telling me it was a parasite.”

“According to the Third Squad’s research, that thing is also contagious and can be sexually transmitted.”

Hearing this, Yang Dian’s body trembled, and his right hand subconsciously touched his earlobe.

He Qing had even used her tongue to flick his earlobe back then.

‘Damn it, if I hadn’t held back then, and Lin Mo and Shi Sheng hadn’t broken down the door, wouldn’t I have been in trouble?’

Yang Dian moved his body, which suddenly felt a bit stiff:

“Then, Captain, those people who had relations with He Qing before...”

“Shi Tou is coordinating with the anti-prostitution squad and will use surveillance and payment records to find those 'ladybugs'.”

“We’ll go to the Research Institute first.”

With that, he tossed another badge to Yang Dian:

“Temporary pass.”

“The Third Squad’s Research Institute is a top-secret area. We can only apply for a temporary pass to enter.”

Before he finished speaking, Lin Mo had already walked to the office door:

“Let’s go, time waits for no one.”

“If it really becomes an infectious disease, we’ll be very busy.”

“Perhaps even the First and Second Squads, who were borrowed by Zhe Province, will have to be recalled.”

Yang Dian sighed inwardly.

Why did something suddenly come up?

He had planned to go home tonight.

As for telling Yang Lele he would be home tomorrow at noon?

That was just a little trick adults play on children.

As if noticing Yang Dian’s mood, Lin Mo, who had just walked up to Yang Dian, paused:

“Something wrong?”

Yang Dian nodded, not intending to hide anything:

“I lied to my family, saying I was out collecting inspiration. I haven’t been home for almost a month.”

“My sister messaged me two days ago saying the family missed me, and I just promised her I’d be home tomorrow.”

Saying that, Yang Dian shrugged again:

“Of course, going home isn’t urgent. It’s fine to go home in a few days.”

“What’s important now is to prevent that mutated parasite from spreading.”

When he mentioned the mutated parasite, Yang Dian’s expression immediately became solemn:

“The Research Institute said the parasite can be sexually transmitted, but that doesn’t mean they can’t mutate to be waterborne.”

“If they mutate to be waterborne, or even droplet or airborne...”

Yang Dian didn’t finish his sentence, but Lin Mo had already grasped his thoughts.

If the parasite really mutated to be waterborne, droplet, or even airborne.

Then, without a doubt, it would be a disaster.

Thinking of the terrifying scenario that might occur, Lin Mo immediately sped up into a jog:

“Let’s go!”

“To the Research Institute first.”

...The Changle Public Security Bureau is in the east of Fuzhou City, and Fuzhou University is in The West of Fuzhou City.

The two sides are separated by the main urban area of Fuzhou, with a driving distance of nearly 45 kilometers.

But when the Public Security Bureau car sped through the main urban area with sirens blaring and stopped outside the Research Institute.

Less than half an hour had passed since the two left the Changle Public Security Bureau.

It was clear how anxious Lin Mo was, having imagined the potential disaster.

Using their appointments and passes, they passed through guards stationed every five and ten steps.

Lin Mo, familiar with the route, led Yang Dian into the Research Institute building.

After handing over all cameras and communication devices at the front desk of the building, a researcher-dressed person, aged around 50, who had been waiting for them, immediately led Lin Mo and Yang Dian towards an underground passage.

“You must be Yang Dian?”

In the passage, the bespectacled researcher looked curiously at Yang Dian:

“The new member of the Seventh Squad, and you’re the one who caught He Qing?”

Seeing Yang Dian nod, he extended his right hand to Yang Dian:

“My name is Professor Shen Fei, deputy captain of the Third Squad, and also a professor in the biology department at Fuzhou University.”

“Thanks to you this time, when He Qing was caught, the mutated parasite in her brain had just matured and hadn’t had time to lay eggs.”

“If it had been two days later, it would be hard to say.”

Hearing this, Lin Mo’s tense expression immediately relaxed a bit.

But after shaking hands with Professor Shen Fei, Yang Dian brought up another key point:

“Catching the mutated parasite before it matured was indeed a stroke of luck.”

“But I think we should now find out where the mutated parasite in He Qing came from.”

“Did a certain parasite enter her body and then mutate, or had a mutant already matured in another person’s body and then spread to He Qing through sexual contact?”

Professor Shen Fei nodded upon hearing this:

“That’s also why we’re looking for you.”

“Our strength here is research.”

“Catching those 'ladybugs' who had sexual relations with He Qing, and finding other possible mutants, is your strength.”

As he spoke, Professor Shen Fei had already led Yang Dian and Lin Mo into a separate changing room.

Yang Dian first changed into a protective suit with the help of voice commands, then walked from the changing room into a disinfection passage.

After being disinfected in the disinfection passage, he then met up with Lin Mo and Professor Shen Fei under the guidance of the Research Institute’s artificial intelligence and entered the true underground Research Institute.

Though called an underground Research Institute, it could also be seen as a spiraling downward passage.

On both sides of the passage, there were one-way glass observation windows.

Through the observation windows, one could see various high-tech equipment and instruments, whose functions were not immediately apparent but seemed formidable, as well as all sorts of strangely shaped mutated creatures.

Some mutated creatures were still alive, fed fat and plump by the Research Institute, looking like piglets waiting to die, without any of the domineering presence of a mutated creature.

Some mutated creatures were already dead, divided into pieces, contributing their residual heat under microscopes.

There were also some untamed mutated creatures, even when confined in cages, staring with their green eyes at the Research Institute members walking past them, sending shivers down one’s spine.

‘Hmm, when I saw these mutated creatures, I didn’t feel the desire to eat them like I did when I saw the golden cicada.’

‘I can only say that the golden cicada is indeed a heaven and earth treasures, truly special.’

‘I wonder if eating these mutated creatures can extract energy.’

‘At the very least, the flesh and blood of these mutated creatures should contain a lot of energy.’

‘It should be as written in the classic of mountains and seas annotations, “eating it is a great tonic, beneficial for Cultivate”...’