The examiner could barely keep up with the man running ahead.

It wasn’t until Fu Zhi stopped in front of Happiness Cinema that his pitch-black eyes slowly lifted. "It's here."

The chief examiner halted, gasping for breath.

"This cinema suffered a major fire decades ago. It was abandoned until it was renovated fifteen years ago and reopened for business. Our Quarantine Center had already investigated it before and found no safety hazards. Whatever happened this time must have been triggered by pollution resonance, causing a breakout.”

Unlike the Investigation Corps, which primarily operated outside the city, the Quarantine Center specialized in handling contamination cases within the base.

Some pollution incidents were initially overlooked or hadn't yet reached the pollution threshold. However, when an outbreak occurs nearby, it could reactivate hidden pollution in the same area, which is one reason why some places remain polluted despite repeated cleanups.

The formation of pollution has always been a mystery. Until they uncover the truth, their only option is to solve each case as it arises since they can't eliminate the source of the mystery to stop it entirely.

Pei Ye: “They’ve already gone inside.”

—

Ruan Xing instinctively fired his gun. The powerful recoil caused his already-healed internal organs to rupture again, making blood seep from the corners of his lips.

Everywhere the slime passed, it left sticky, mucus-like trails, which greatly affected mobility. Ruan Xing's slow movements had already become even more restricted in this environment.

The bullet had pierced through the slime, leaving deep marks on the wall. A large hole appeared in the slime’s body, but it was quickly sealed back together without any wounds.

Bullets were useless against this thing.

He had also run out of explosives. But even if he had any left, using them was almost impossible given his current condition.

Ruan Xing exhaled heavily.

[ I can't find its pollution source! ] Fu Gui panicked. [ How are we supposed to fight this?! ]

The slime swelled like a balloon, expanding to its limit until it filled the entire room. Its semi-transparent black body stretched open and swallowed all living beings inside.

Ruan Xing felt as if he had sunk underwater. The sounds around him were muffled, and although the crow cawed loudly, he could no longer hear it.

Oxygen was rapidly depleting.

Something slimy was trying to seep through his skin, attempting to invade his body, and the intense sensation of intrusion brought him pain.

He activated his magic defense, but it couldn't break free from the restraint. It only delayed the invasion.

Suspended midair, Ruan Xing could see his own floating curls and furrowed brows through the translucent body of the slime.

His clothes were in tatters, especially on his upper body. Most of his back and a large section of his waist were exposed.

Against the black backdrop, his skin appeared even paler, and the scars on his neck and abdomen added an unusual allure.

He wasn’t physically restrained—yet he couldn’t move at all.

Like a princess trapped in a cage.

Ruan Xing began hallucinating. Amid the distorted light and shadows, a cold gleam flashed as something sharp sliced open the cage.

He widened his eyes the moment the oxygen, symbolizing freedom, surged in, and the familiar key reappeared before him.

It wasn't an illusion.

Pop!

The bubble burst, and sounds became clear again.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"Thump, thump." The steady heartbeat had a reassuring rhythm, like a pleasant melody.

Despite such a large movement just now, this person wasn't even breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?"

A familiar voice came above his head.

Ruan Xing looked up and saw a perfectly sculpted jawline.

At this moment, he was being held by Fu Zhi. His head rested against the other's neck, causing his breath to brush against Fu Zhi's skin as he raised his head.

A faint pink hue appeared on the man's cold, pale skin.

His skin seemed... a little sensitive?

Ruan Xing stared blankly at the flushed spot. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but it seemed to be spreading.

Then, his gaze shifted downward to the familiar key.

A golden opportunity!

His eyes lit up, and he reached out to grab it.

But from an outside perspective…

The delicate, pale-faced youth weakly nestled in his savior’s embrace with bright, shining eyes.

He was unexpectedly bold. He reached out as if to wrap his arms around the tall man’s neck, seeking deeper contact with his admired rescuer.

His slightly trembling arm revealed his inner excitement.

"Do I need to step aside?" Pei Ye’s lazy voice broke the silence.

Ruan Xing froze, immediately shifting his gaze away.

He couldn't let them notice his intentions. If they sensed anything strange, it would be disastrous.

Fu Zhi withdrew his hand from Ruan Xing’s waist even faster.

A moment later, a black coat that still carried the body's warmth was thrown over Ruan Xing’s head.

He pushed it aside and shot Fu Zhi a skeptical look.

Is this how you treat an injured person?

"Caw!"

"Someone! Get me out of here!"

The crow squawked loudly while half of its body was still trapped in the slime.

Pei Ye casually flicked his fingers as he passed by. His movements were too fast to be seen clearly, yet in an instant, a portion of the slime's body was sliced off.

Fu Gui tumbled to the ground, immediately coughing up a glob of thick, black liquid. Even after leaving his mouth, it wriggled, desperately trying to reform.

Pei Ye clicked his tongue. "This thing is disgusting. It always reminds me of some messed-up stuff."

Fu Gui teared up. "Thank you, boss, for saving my life!"

Fu Zhi frowned. "Burn it."

Pei Ye expertly pulled out a vial from his waist and scattered the liquid onto the remaining slime with a flick of his wrist.

Flames erupted.

Strangely, after burning the polluted body, the fire didn’t spread elsewhere. As if it had a will of its own, it only consumed the pollution before vanishing.

Pei Ye blinked at Ruan Xing. “You should’ve brought some incendiary agent. It’s really useful against pollutants like slimes that don’t have a clear source. Just a spark, and—poof—it burns like lighting up a firewood. Other things don’t work. This thing’s basically a giant snot glob.”

Fu Zhi stood quite a distance away from Ruan Xing and asked: “Can you walk?”

Ruan Xing’s emerald-green eyes turned toward him.

The young man was draped in Fu Zhi’s coat, and his face was still streaked with traces of black liquid. His hair was dripping wet, making him look like a small animal just fished out of the water.

It was obvious that the question was pointless.

Pei Ye was cleaning up the aftermath, and no one from the Quarantine Center arrived yet. That left Fu Zhi as the only one available to help the injured.

Ruan Xing slowly spoke. “I think... I can.”

But the rest of his words were swallowed back.

Fu Zhi bent down slightly, extended his arm, and wrapped it around Ruan Xing’s back, helping him up. “I’ll support you. Let’s get out of here first.”

Ruan Xing thought to himself that no one liked taking care of the wounded, let alone someone with high status and authority. This kind of task was usually left to subordinates, so Fu Zhi probably wasn’t very experienced.

He tried to relax his body, resisting the instinct to reject the touch of a stranger while also doing his best to cooperate with Fu Zhi’s movements.

But to his surprise, the other man was quite considerate. Ruan Xing didn’t feel any worse—if anything, he felt oddly comfortable.

[You were just in a gunfight, and now you’re too weak to move? Take me with you, you bastard!]

Fu Gui flapped about in protest, and when Ruan Xing didn’t respond, it squawked at Pei Ye.

Pei Ye had just finished cleaning up and seemed to understand what it meant. “You want me to carry you?”

Fu Gui cawed loudly and flew straight over.

Pei Ye chuckled. “Weren’t you just cursing at me earlier?”

Even so, he still opened his arms and caught it.

Ruan Xing moved slowly, but Fu Zhi showed no impatience. “Let’s go.”

By the time they reached the main entrance, several examinees had already gathered outside the cinema. A few curious heads peeked out, whispering among themselves.

When they saw someone coming out, their voices got louder.

“This is my first time seeing Major General Fu in person!”

“Holy crap, who’s that in his arms?”

The street itself wasn’t very long, but it was narrow, making it difficult for cars to pass. The Quarantine Center had specifically dispatched a small patrol vehicle, allowing Ruan Xing to finally catch his breath.

As soon as he sat down, cold sweat poured down his forehead. The accumulated exhaustion and pain surged all at once, like an old wooden machine that had fallen into disrepair—every joint groaned under the strain until it ultimately broke down.

This body is far too weak.

By the time they reached the examination center, Ruan Xing had already fallen asleep.

The last thing he saw was Fu Zhi’s slightly furrowed brows before he plunged into darkness.

—

Fu Zhi placed Ruan Xing onto a small bed at the exam center. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to call the Specialized Hospital.

Pei Ye raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a bit excessive?”

Fu Zhi glanced at the dark bruises on Ruan Xing’s neck. “His injuries are severe. He needs to recover as soon as possible.”

Pei Ye let out a sigh. “The Quarantine Center’s medical facilities should be enough. This has nothing to do with our team—why get involved in trouble?”

Fu Zhi simply stated, “The Quarantine Center’s conditions are still too poor.” The other party had this kind of accident while he was invigilating. His sense of responsibility made it impossible for him to sit idly by.

Pei Ye choked.

Did this guy even hear himself?

Poor conditions?

The Quarantine Center was responsible for the entire base’s pollution control. Their hospital was so high in demand that people had to queue endlessly to get in. What part of that was “poor conditions?”

The Specialized Hospital did have better facilities, but it was reserved for the Investigation Corps’s internal personnel. Letting an outsider in would require pulling some strings. Even if it was Fu Zhi, using up personal favors like this wasn’t ideal.

Pei Ye crossed his arms.

But still, there was something odd about Ruan Xing. Leaving aside the fact that he had a crow with absurdly high intelligence, how did he even escape from the Pollution Zone?

Did he just blow everything up? But that would only work if he destroyed the pollution source directly. Blasting the outer areas wouldn’t have done anything.

How did he find the pollution source? Was it just luck?

While Pei Ye was still pondering how Ruan Xing managed to escape, the Quarantine Center personnel finally arrived, bringing two items for Fu Zhi.

Pei Ye pointed at them. “Pollution source?”

The staff were about to go into a long explanation, complete with test reports, when Fu Zhi merely glanced at it and gave a simple nod.

“It’s the pollution source.”

The two leaders were far too familiar with pollution. They didn’t even need much explanation. One of the staff members smiled. “We found it in a warehouse. The readings are now within the normal pollution range.”

Pei Ye raised a brow. “That’s quite a fast decay rate. Purification ability?”

The staff chuckled and waved their hands. “Come on, don’t joke. There are only a handful of people with purification abilities, and they’re all in the High Tower. No way one of them would be here.

This pollution zone probably didn’t have much pollution to begin with. For some reason, this examinee just happened to find a weak point and destroy the pollution source.

The decay rate might be related to how the source was damaged. By the time we got there, it was already mostly safe.”

Pei Ye gave the examiner a side-eye.

Not the sharpest tool in the shed.

The not-so-smart staff was quickly sent away.

Pei Ye turned around. “I don’t think it’s that simple.”

Fu Zhi's fingers lightly brushed the pendant at his collarbone, seemingly lost in thought.

After a pause, he said, “His wounds aren’t fake. He must have been the one who handled the pollution source.”

Pei Ye mused, “Dual abilities?”

Fu Zhi replied, “At least.”

Pei Ye’s expression turned serious.

The Investigation Corps had no shortage of highly skilled individuals, most of whom had honed their abilities through years of experience. But Fu Zhi, despite his young age, had managed to stand out among the veterans—not just because of his expertise or deductive skills but also because of his terrifyingly precise intuition.

Dual-ability awakened were already rare within the Investigation Corps. If Ruan Xing also had purification abilities, that would be even more exceptional.

Fu Zhi pondered for a moment. “His crow’s eyes used to be black."

Pei Ye recalled, “Now they’re green. And its pollution level is only 17%. A normal bird would’ve been completely corrupted just by drinking a drop of that slime. But these two? They soaked in it for who knows how long. One has a pollution level in the single digits, and the other is barely 20%. Absolutely ridiculous.”

He was increasingly convinced that Ruan Xing had purification abilities.

Fu Zhi said, “We’ll ask him about it once he wakes up.”