A few days later, Ruan Xing's funeral was held as scheduled.

For ordinary people, funerals usually meant cremation and burial outside the base, but not too far away.

Land inside the base was extremely limited and valuable. From the start, it hadn't been planned to accommodate the dead. If someone insisted on burying a body inside, then they couldn't blame anyone if it got dug up.

There was only one monument for those who died in the line of duty, with new names continuously added to it. It stood behind the Investigation Corps headquarters. Ruan Xing had seen it before. The dense cluster of names looked like a spell, casting a heavy shadow over every team member.

Ruan Xing wore a beige T-shirt and loose black jeans, along with wide black sunglasses. His hair was styled high, and unless someone recognized the crow on his shoulder, no one would've guessed that it was him.

He kept his distance from the crowd, standing behind a door, quietly observing the rows of black-and-white photos. He had seen some of those people before, but there were also others whom he hadn't met.

His "funeral" was held along with other recently fallen personnel, including staff from the Quarantine Center. The ceremony took place in the outer city. Only a few people came, mostly familiar colleagues. Among those he recognized were Su Xiaona, Bai Xu, Qiao Zhi, and Fu Zhi. The others were likely out on missions.

They wore plain black uniforms with no embellishments, a small white flower pinned to their chests, and solemn expressions on their faces as they took turns offering tribute in front of the photos.

Looking at the pictures, Ruan Xing felt something hard to describe. Maybe it was the atmosphere, but his mood sank. He was lucky enough to stand here, watching people mourn "him." But the others in those photos would never get that chance.

This era was not a kind one. Ruan Xing thought that it really wasn't much different from his previous life.

Ruan Xing: [Let's go.]

Fu Gui: "Okay!"

The crow cawed twice, oddly fitting the somber mood perfectly.

Quite a few people turned to look. Ruan Xing adjusted his sunglasses and walked away.

Su Xiaona turned around and caught sight of a long-haired figure walking away. Her expression faltered. "Who was that?"

Bai Xu leaned over and raised an eyebrow. "Probably not someone we know. Let's go, Sister Xiaona."

Su Xiaona let Bai Xu loop an arm through hers, but she kept staring at the figure's back, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.

Later, Ruan Xing went to buy some groceries. Although his old accounts no longer worked, Fu Zhi was generous and gave him daily pocket money.

There had been no new missions lately, and since Fu Zhi had to cook after coming home from work, Ruan Xing felt bad. Thus, he started buying the groceries himself, and it seemed to make Fu Zhi happy too.

"How about stir-fried tomato and apple?" Ruan Xing asked Fu Gui.

Fu Gui's face darkened. "Why not stir-fried apple and pineapple instead?"

Ruan Xing blinked. "You can do that?"

Fu Gui: Of course not!

If it weren't for Fu Zhi's excellent cooking and Fu Gui's own quality control, who knew what sort of cursed dishes this guy would make?

"Stir-fried tomato and egg! I'm saying it again!"

Ruan Xing let out a casual "oh." They still had eggs at home, so he bought some tomatoes and even splurged on a few apples. They were pricey, but luckily, it was not his money.

Fu Gui: Wow, look at you. Pocket money and all. Amazing.

Ruan Xing strolled leisurely through the streets. Though the base developed well, its layout was not that orderly. There were still many remote alleyways. It was even more so in the outer city because it wasn't built all at once, but had evolved over time into what it was now.

While passing a certain residential area, he saw a police cordon surrounding the entrance. Personnel from the Quarantine Center were keeping order. A large bus was parked at the gate, marked with the Quarantine Center's logo.

That bus looked familiar. It was the same kind that he rode during the selection exam.

Ruan Xing paused to watch. He remembered the siblings who brought him back to the base. The younger boy, if he remembered right, was named Ming Rui, a spatial ability user who received Fu Zhi's recommendation. He wondered if he took the selection exam.

The thought passed briefly through his mind, then faded. There was no need to dwell on people unrelated to him. Even though there had been some complications with the key, the clues provided by Mayor Rabbit minimized the impact. He probably wouldn't stay long at the base anyway. After saying goodbye to Fu Zhi, he'll head to Mist City.

Tap, tap… The sound of his footsteps echoed through the alley as the young man carried a plastic bag.

Suddenly, the sky dimmed.

Ruan Xing looked up. The road that had led off into the distance was now a dead end. The gate to the residential complex he had passed earlier inexplicably appeared before him again.

But this time, the bus was gone. The area was eerily empty.

Entering a polluted zone again, Fu Gui was already numb to it by now. "Come on, let's deal with this quickly and go home for dinner."

Ruan Xing thought of Fu Zhi's cooking and had the same idea.

He stepped into the complex. This place had to be at least a few decades old, an old residential area before the city changed.

The bulletin board by the entrance was full of posters, mostly rental ads, especially for ground-floor shops. The surrounding walls were pitch black, impossible to tell what was on them, only something dark and sticky could be discerned crawling over the entire surface.

There was no greenery inside the complex. Just two buildings facing each other, and commercial shops occupied the whole ground floor.

Fatty's Claypot, Xiao Wang's Rice Noodles, Bai Yu's Chicken Hotpot… lots of food shops, along with convenience stores and barber shops.

Ruan Xing walked slowly through the neighborhood, his long hair swaying slightly as he examined the surroundings.

Fu Gui: [Building One.]

Ruan Xing stepped inside.

The hallway was pitch black. There were no motion-sensor lights, and nothing could be seen. The elevator buttons were filthy and greasy. Ruan Xing rubbed his fingers together, and a small flame lit up.

He brought the flame close to the grime and realized that it was moving, as if it had a will of its own. The gunk curled away from the flame. As it squirmed, Ruan Xing finally saw what it really was.

Hair.

Thick black strands were layered like a rug outside the elevator. Under the flickering flame, it writhed with an oily shine. It looked like one touch would leave your hand drenched in grease.

Fu Gui said, "Ah, this reminds me of when I first saw that thing wrapped around your hair. You were so cool back then. Now look at you."

The mycelium on Ruan Xing's head let out a squeaky protest, as if to emphasize that it was nothing like that gunk.

Ruan Xing poked the mycelium. "I know, I know."

Ding! The elevator lit up and opened. Inside stood a pale girl. When she saw Ruan Xing, her dull eyes stared straight at him.

That look, she did not seem alive.

Her long black hair was glossy and thick, dark as ink. She stepped out of the elevator and walked straight past Ruan Xing, heading for the exit without paying him any attention, as if she had something more important to do.

Ruan Xing entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 14th floor.

Fu Gui warned, "Hey, I spotted a few possible pollution sources in this building. Don't act rashly."

Ruan Xing: "A few?"

Fu Gui: "Yeah, it's like worms. Even if you cut them into pieces, each piece will still be squirming. 'Wiggle wiggle'"

Ruan Xing felt a wave of nausea.

Ding! The elevator stopped on the 14th floor.

When the door opened, Ruan Xing's eyes widened slightly.

Standing just 15 centimeters away were a middle-aged couple, pressed right up against the elevator door, as if they had been waiting for him to come out.

They were both dressed in bright red clothes. Their matching red lips made their pale, deathly complexions even more striking. Only their hair appeared full and glossy.

Their arms hung stiffly at their sides, legs ramrod straight, and rigid necks. They stared blankly at the elevator, making direct eye contact with Ruan Xing. Then, slowly, they smiled.

The creepiest part was that the couple was floating. Only their toes touched the ground.

Fu Gui: [What the hell, only ghosts float on their toes!]

Ruan Xing's world had no ghosts or monsters, so he didn't find it scary. He simply blinked at them. "Are you waiting for the elevator?"

The woman spoke. Inside her mouth was nothing but darkness: no teeth, no tongue. It looked like she had just eaten coal.

"Xiao Yue, your hair's getting long. Time for a haircut."

Ruan Xing: "Who's Xiao Yue?"

The man chimed in, "Xiao Yue, Daddy won't force you anymore, but you still need a haircut."

Ruan Xing: "You've got the wrong person."

The couple glanced at him with lifeless eyes. "Xiao Yue, you're home from school. Eat something first, then go get a haircut. Teacher Tuo is already waiting."

They didn't walk. They floated down the hallway, stopping at a door. Then they gave Ruan Xing a look, signaling him to hurry up and follow.

Strangely, Ruan Xing seemed to catch a whiff of food from inside the apartment: a rich, savory smell.

He had never seen what kind of food the pollutants ate. Judging by the aroma, their cooking was not worse than Fu Zhi's. He didn't even bother changing his shoes and walked right in.

It was an old residential building. The couple had probably lived there for many years. The faded red "Fu" character and couplets on the door hinted at that. Inside was dim. The old wooden furniture was bumpy and scratched. Right in front was the dining table. The kitchen and bedroom were to the left, while the living room and TV were to the right.

"Sit down, dinner will be ready soon," the man said as he turned on the TV. It showed nothing but static, but he watched intently anyway.

Ruan Xing set down the heavy plastic bag he had carried all the way. Some apples tumbled out.

A pale hand beat him to it, picking one up. "You're a family, why are you being polite by bringing fruit like a guest?"

Classic line. Ruan Xing looked up to see the woman, who should have been in the kitchen.

"Don't worry, Mom will use these to cook something delicious. So good your head might fall off from how tasty it is."

She tugged at her stiff facial skin, grabbed a few apples and tomatoes from the bag, and headed into the kitchen.

The smell grew even stronger. The whole place reeked of delicious food.

Fu Gui: "Smells amazing. Was this pollutant a chef?"

Ruan Xing: "Quite possibly."

Soon, the woman came out with dishes and called her husband, "Come eat!"

He floated over, and the two sat at the table, stuffing food into their mouths nonstop. Their movements were stiff, but they kept eating.

Ruan Xing glanced at the table, now full of food.

Fu Gui: "Their cooking actually looks decent."

Golden crispy chicken cutlets, thick fragrant fish soup, shiny braised ribs, roasted chicken…

The crow hopped onto the table, wanting to take a bite.

But Ruan Xing flicked its head. "Is this even edible?"

Fu Gui looked closer... and spotted a hair.

A single hair?

No big deal. Everyone's food has a stray hair now and then. At a restaurant, it might be a reason to get a free meal. At home, Mom would just pick it out and keep eating.

Fu Gui: Huh?

Ruan Xing: [Look closely.]

Fu Gui squinted at the ribs and saw more strands beneath them.

The hairs were soaking in the rib sauce, swimming like parasites. When they noticed Fu Gui's gaze, they gathered into a twisted little bundle.

Then, suddenly, the ribs were covered in hair. What looked like glossy ribs were actually rows of finger bones, while the "meat" wrapped around them was nothing but wriggling oily black hair.

In the soup, black strands floated like parasites. What was once white fish meat had become thin sheets of scalp that were full of visible hair follicles. The fat floating on top, who knew if it was cooking oil or scalp grease?

Since they began eating, the couple's hair had grown greasy. Drops of oil fell onto the table like they had just walked through rain. The hair itself was oozing oil, and some of it dripped into the soup.

The woman said, "Hair oil really adds great flavor."

Fu Gui: "Blegh!"

Ruan Xing frowned and looked at the dishes. "Where are my apples?"

The tomatoes were carved into flower shapes and placed in the scalp soup like little hairpins. But the expensive apples were nowhere to be seen.

The woman licked her oily lips. "Mom ate them."

Ruan Xing narrowed his eyes. "You ate them?"

The man flicked his head. Drops of oil nearly splashed onto Ruan Xing. "So what if your mom ate them? We take you to that fancy salon every month. That place costs a fortune, and now you're mad over some apples?"

The woman squeezed her hair, draining more oil into the dish. The strands in the bowl seemed to absorb the nutrients and squirmed happily.

The man's eyes lit up. He ate even faster, almost like he wanted to lick her hair directly.

"Later, we'll get you a hair treatment. Hair that doesn't get oily isn't good hair!"

Bang! Bang!

Ruan Xing shot each of them once. His expression was ice-cold.

Their heads flew off and landed in the soup, adding to the thick layer of grease.

Even then, their mouths kept chewing, completely unfazed by what they were eating.

"Steal my apples and try to cut my hair? Seriously?"

Ruan Xing went to the kitchen and found the remaining apples. Two had been gnawed down to bits, but the rest were intact, so he packed them back into the plastic bag.

"Guess not every housewife is good at cooking."

Fu Gui: ???

You expect pollutants to be gourmet chefs now? And why do you look so disappointed? Don't tell me you wanted to learn from them?!

Just as Ruan Xing was about to leave, the couple's corpses twitched. Their heads rose from the soup, reattaching through strands of black hair like heads of toys snapping back into place.

The woman's ghostly voice muttered, "Such a waste of my premium hair oil…"