A smile never disappears—it only shifts.

The woman laughed hysterically, exposing her gums and bloodstained mouth. Her crazed appearance sent a shudder through everyone present.

"Big sis, hurry up and create a script so we can all get out of here safely!" Pink Hair was extremely anxious.

The woman's voice was hoarse. "My script doesn't work on awakened or pollutants. Otherwise, do you think she would’ve turned into a monster...?"

What Chen Yin didn’t say was that if she used her ability again, she might lose even the right to remain human…

"Are you kidding me?" It's just straight-up bullying regular people!

Li Yue commanded the monsters to attack the woman, causing blades and teeth to lunge at her.

But they were blocked by Bai Xu's metal wall.

"Why? Why are you protecting someone like her? You claim to fight for humanity, yet you can't even tell right from wrong?"

Bai Xu, already heavily contaminated, panted as he replied. "Big sis, I've said it before—human crimes should be judged by humans. The injustice you and the victims suffered will be brought to light."

Li Yue let out a bitter laugh. "And then what? The Wang family's influence will make this whole thing disappear. Before they clean me up, I’ll kill her myself."

Pink Hair wanted to say more, but the woman cut him off. "Even if you kill me, you've already become a pollutant. You've also harmed the Wang family's heir—both the Quarantine Center and the Tower won't let you off!"

Pink Hair shouted, "Big sis, can you shut up for once? You're really dragging people down with you even in death?!"

The driver trembled behind Ruan Xing, but the latter made no move to stop Li Yue from killing the woman, only dealing with the pollutants attacking him.

The driver asked, "Aren't we going to help?"

After all, once Pink Hair dies, they’d be next.

Fu Gui Bird’s beak quivered. "I know what the pollution source is now… and why this is happening."

Ruan Xing glanced at the woman and let out a soft "Mm."

The pollution on the woman had long exceeded the safety threshold. Even after taking two pills, she couldn’t resist targeted pollution attacks. But what was strange was that, despite everything, she remained fully conscious. That was simply unheard of.

"Her pollution levels are off the charts. Before, I thought she had some special survival method, but now… It's clear. She turned into a pollution source!"

The woman had practically killed Li Yue with her own hands. Then, as soon as she reappeared, she triggered another pollution zone. Now, her entire body was radiating an inhuman concentration of pollution. This was far from normal.

Fu Gui trembled all over. The previous two pollution zones hadn’t affected it as much as this one.

Because those sources were still within the realm of “monsters.” But right now, a normal human has transformed into a pollution source right before its eyes. How could it not be terrified?

What did this mean?

It meant that out of the millions of people in the base, anyone could suddenly turn into a polluted zone.

This absolutely must not be known to ordinary people!

This thought flashed through Fu Gui’s mind.

"Are you gonna help or not?!" Pink Hair shouted at Ruan Xing.

Li Yue stood silently beside him, her figure half-transparent. "Aren’t you going to help? Your companion looks like he's about to collapse."

Ruan Xing asked, "Did you hear what the crow just said?"

Li Yue chuckled lightly, neither admitting nor denying it.

"You know she’s the pollution source, but you still want to kill her? Aren't you afraid of dying?" Ruan Xing flicked his fingers, and a sharp wire sliced off the head of an attacking monster.

"Die? I’ve already died long ago." Li Yue clasped her hands behind her back, her light brown eyes gazing at the young man in front of her. Behind her, pink Hair's face contorted as more black spots appeared all over his body.

Ruan Xing lowered his eyelids. If Pink Hair knew that killing the middle-aged woman would allow them to leave the polluted zone, would he still insist on protecting her?

"Your companion is strong," Li Yue said in a melodious voice. "So, I’ll have to increase my attacks. Not sure how many of you will survive, though."

Ruan Xing raised his hand, and at his fingertips, a black arrow had already taken shape.

Pink Hair’s face changed. "What are you doing?"

Ruan Xing: "Step aside."

"You can’t kill her!"

Ruan Xing’s expression remained calm. "I'll say it again. Step aside."

Pink Hair roared in anger. "You’re willing to sacrifice a human just to appease a pollutant so we can live—"

Ruan Xing’s pupils shrank. "Watch out—"

A sharp pain suddenly shot through Bai Xu’s lower back. He looked behind him in disbelief—the woman was on the ground, and her entire body was soaked in black liquid. She grinned with black drool dripping from her mouth.

"If you want to kill me, don’t blame me for striking first."

A sharp dagger was clutched in her hand—she had picked up the knife Li Yue had thrown at her at some unknown moment.

Seeing that she wouldn’t survive, the middle-aged woman had resorted to murder.

Bai Xu's initial shock quickly turned into blazing fury.

He kicked the woman away. "Motherf—! Do you think I'm easy to bully? What kind of trash do you think deserves my protection? The Investigation Corps saves people, but we don’t save idiots! If my captain hadn’t insisted on staying rational, I would've beaten you beyond recognition by now!"

The woman crashed into a wall, curling up in pain like a shrimp. More flesh split open on her body, oozing thick, viscous liquid. She let out an eerie laugh. "Hahaha! Let’s all die together! If I can’t live, neither can you! Li Yue, kill me! These two aren’t any better—send them to hell with me!"

Pink Hair shot up. "Pah! Look at yourself! I’d rather protect a pig than protect you! You’ve killed so many people and still want to kill me? You’re completely insane! You deserve to die, you old hag! People like you are the true filth of society—you belong in the sewer, rolling in shit for the rest of your life!"

"Calm down!" Seeing the conversation spiraling further out of control, Ruan Xing couldn’t help but intervene.

"Calm down my ass! I can't take this anymore! Playing saint is making me sick! If I don’t beat the crap out of her, I won’t be able to vent this rage—damn it!"

Fu Gui’s eyes sparkled and fluttered its wings as it cheered for Pink Hair: [He’s so bad, I love it!]

Ruan Xing massaged his forehead.

After a long while, Pink Hair exhaled deeply, patted off nonexistent dust from his clothes, and took out a band-aid from his pocket.

Smack! He slapped it onto his waist, completely ignoring how much he was bleeding as long as he could get some psychological comfort.

The mouths covering the woman’s body hadn’t stopped moving. She curled up alone in the corner, her mind completely shattered—sometimes murmuring apologies to the air, sometimes cursing viciously.

Li Yue’s figure grew fainter while her gaze turned colder.

"Yinyin, you've never regretted your past actions—only the suffering you're enduring now. People like you never truly repent."

Beside the woman, the dagger that had stabbed Pink Hair trembled and floated into the air. He wanted to say something but ultimately held back.

If he saved this woman, he would be the one to die next.

A scream rang out. The light in Chen Yin’s eyes faded, and everything around them began disintegrating into sand.

Pink Hair was dumbfounded. "What’s going on? Did the boss just let us go?"

Ruan Xing felt the magic in the air rapidly flowing into his body. As the dust settled, the surroundings returned to their original state.

The lighting was dim, and dust had accumulated everywhere.

The woman who had entered the polluted zone with them had completely vanished, leaving a single golden earring as proof that she had ever existed.

Pink Hair trembled as he spoke, "Where's her body?! Don’t tell me... this place is really haunted?!"

His lack of intelligence made Fu Gui immediately lose faith in him. Rubbing against Ruan Xing's head, Fu Gui exclaimed, "Master is still the best!"

Ruan Xing pushed aside the toppled chairs and approached a cabinet filled with documents.

The shelves were packed with folders.

He pulled one out and flipped through it. The text was scattered, and the contents of the photocopies were difficult to read. However, under the faint light, he managed to make out the words:

[Li Yue, 17 years old... Awakening probability: 52%... Rating: Three stars...]

[Chen Yin, 17 years old... Awakening probability: 90%... Rating: Five stars (highlighted)...]

The format looked incredibly familiar. He recalled seeing similar descriptions in the boss’s office at the Happiness Cinema.

Pink Hair peeked over and grimaced. "Let's go! What are you still doing here?"

Ruan Xing pulled out one of the sheets. Have you seen files like these before?"

Bai Xu shrugged. "Oh, this? It’s an awakening test. Pretty common. Haven't you taken one before?"

Ruan Xing replied, "It’s been too long. I don’t remember."

Bai Xu leaned on his waist and motioned toward the driver. "The driver should’ve taken one, right?"

Scratching his head, the driver said, "Ah, my awakening probability was too low, so I didn’t go to a specialized school. Only those with high awakening chances qualify for admission."

Ruan Xing had no idea that people at the base had to undergo such tests. He remained calm but took the opportunity to gather more information.

Pink Hair explained that the tests were usually conducted around the age of twelve. Those who awakened successfully or had a high probability of awakening were sent to specialized schools for training. These records were attached to their personal files.

Although it was unclear why these particular documents weren’t stored in the archive, missing records weren’t exactly uncommon.

As Pink Hair and the driver prepared to leave, Ruan Xing was about to do the same when he felt an unusual texture while placing the document back.

His fingers brushed against the folder’s inner lining, and he pulled out a nearly transparent slip of paper.

[Experiment 192 successful, under observation.]

A cryptic message. He might never have noticed if he hadn’t stopped and held it up to the light. The words were written in white ink, nearly invisible.

After some thought, Ruan Xing slipped the paper into his pocket.

What he didn’t notice was that ever since he started flipping through the files, Fu Gui had been completely silent.

—

Outside the Contaminated Zone, Luo Shi's eyes were locked onto the black-haired young man emerging from the site.

The change was drastic compared to the last time he saw him. The once frail and timid youth no longer looked like a weak quail. Though his face had injuries, his expression remained calm as he conversed with the Investigation Corps, looking completely at ease.

It was a stark contrast to the devastated boy who had just lost his father.

It really was Ruan Xing!

Not only did he survive, but his entire demeanor also changed. Luo Shi was sure he hadn’t mistaken him, but doubt slowly crept in—was this truly Ruan Xing? Or was it some kind of pollutant impersonating him?

Probably not. The Investigation Corps isn't that incompetent.

But what the hell was going on? He had personally heard from his subordinates' report that the kid had already left the city. Yet now, not only was he alive, but he had joined the Investigation Corps?

Luo Shi unconsciously bit his fingernail.

Suddenly, the youth looked up, meeting his gaze head-on with an emerald-green eye that carried a scrutinizing glint.

Luo Shi’s mouth twitched.

Shit. Pretending not to see was no longer an option.

He had no choice but to step forward. "Well, well! If it isn’t little Xingxing! What a surprise running into you here. It’s been ages since we last met!"

Ruan Xing looked at the balding man before him, trying to recall who he was. He seemed vaguely familiar.

Seeing no reaction, the middle-aged man slapped his thigh. "Uncle Luo haven’t had the chance to congratulate you on joining the Investigation Corps! The last time I had dinner with your father was ages ago. Time really flies—you’ve grown into a fine young man!"

Ruan Xing finally understood. This was an acquaintance of the original owner.

"Hello, Uncle Luo," he greeted out of politeness.

Luo Shi laughed heartily. "Last time you said you were going to find your father, I thought you were serious. Good thing that wasn’t the case!"

Find Ruan Zhi?

Ruan Xing paused. From what he knew, Ruan Zhi had disappeared two months ago after taking on a mission and never returned. Could the "find his father" that the original owner mentioned actually mean leaving the base?

"I still remember the mission your father took—it was in City C. Sigh, fate can be so cruel. We were friends for over a decade, and now, just like that, we’re separated by life and death. But don’t worry! As long as I’m around, I’ll make sure you don’t end up like your father!"

Ruan Xing frowned after hearing his incredibly unsettling usage of words.

Luo Shi wiped the corner of his eyes and was about to continue when a voice interrupted him.

"Ruan Xing."

Ruan Xing turned around and saw the tall and long-legged Fu Zhi approaching.

Behind him, the air was thick with dust and bustling figures. Despite just stepping off the battlefield, he wore a casual outfit, his black hair tousled by the wind.

For a split second, Ruan Xing saw another figure overlap with him.

"Are you okay?" Fu Zhi asked.

Ruan Xing shook off the stray thoughts. "I’m fine, barely hurt."

Luo Shi’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. "W-Wait—Major?! He’s one of your squad members?!"

Fu Zhi glanced at the man before him and, after searching his memory, nodded slightly. "Deputy Director Luo, yes, he’s on my team."

Luo Shi didn’t know how to react, but he forced a smile and muttered, "O-oh, I see. Well then, since you’re here, Major, I can rest easy. Xingxing, work hard under the Major’s guidance! Uncle will leave first."

After Luo Shi left, Fu Zhi asked, "Your uncle?"

Ruan Xing shook his head. "Not really close."

Fu Zhi’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Fuck! No way—is this our new recruit?"

Pink Hair appeared while still wrapped in bandages. Pointing at Ruan Xing, he asked, "Captain, him?"

Fu Zhi shot him a glance. "Don’t point your finger at people. It’s rude."

Pink Hair lowered his hand and tilted his chin instead, using it to gesture at Ruan Xing. "Captain, him?"

Fugui couldn’t hold back and laughed.

Fu Zhi said, "He’s not injured. You, on the other hand, are covered in bandages."

The implication was clear—He’s fine, and you look like a mess. Yet you’re the one complaining?

Bai Xu understood the hidden meaning and stiffened. He wanted to argue that there was a reason for his injuries, but what came out instead was a dramatic, "You don’t love me anymore."

The bluntness of the statement made Ruan Xing glance back and forth between the two of them.

Bai Xu: I was just joking—don’t get the wrong idea! Boss is already glaring daggers at me!