Who Exactly Is Your Daughter?!

Since the mutation occurred last July, more than half a year has passed. Xiang Kun has come into contact with a variety of Mutated Creature, including owls, spiders, large birds, creatures that appear to have mutated from ants or wolves, and even humans Guo Tianxiang.

Through fragments of the mutated spider's memories, its mutated appearance, and its special "branching" ability, Xiang Kun even learned that the spider had once devoured a mutated plant.

If even plants exist, then it's not surprising that other types of Mutated Creature exist as well.

However, the scenes depicted in the "vampire patient's" dream, and the process of her being "parasitized," still struck Xiang Kun as somewhat astonishing—the method of parasitism was just too violent and direct.

While some parasitic wasps may forcefully lay their eggs into a host's body, most parasites sneak in unnoticed, usually through the esophagus or skin, silently infecting the host. The sight of that "Mutated Creature" in the dream, digging a large hole in the skin and crawling inside, leaving the flesh torn open, is simply... too direct and brutal.

However, it clearly has the ability to induce a kind of hallucination in the host, beautify the parasitism process, obscure real perception and memory, and even make the host feel that being parasitized is a good thing.

Moreover, it is estimated that it can also help the host quickly stop bleeding and repair wounds; otherwise, people who heard the noise and rushed over by the stream would have discovered her wounds.

Judging from the dream, the "Mutated Creature" initially entered by tearing open the skin on the instep, but later in the van, the "vampire patient" used a knife to cut open his calf to let the "Mutated Creature" out.

Judging from its size, the "Mutated Creature" seemed to have shrunk a little after parasitizing for a period of time, suggesting that its mutation and evolution were still focused on controlling and influencing its host.

Xiang Kun didn't believe that this "Mutated Parasite" could control all of the host's behavior or have a detailed grasp of the specific hallucinations the host saw. It probably controlled the secretion of certain hormones or directly affected nerve signals to make the host have certain thoughts, thus allowing the host to fill in the specific hallucinations and details in their mind.

Just like Guo Tianxiang "Fear Projection Through Eye Contact," he can only determine whether the person experiencing the hallucination will feel fear and see something they fear. However, what exactly they see is beyond Guo Tianxiang's control.

As someone capable of creating various illusions, even controlling in detail what illusions others see, and possessing the "Fantasy Manifestation" ability "developed" by Lao Xia Xiang Kun, Xiang Kun naturally knew how complex and difficult it was to achieve this. It would be very difficult for an insect to do this within a host's body, let alone create such complex illusions.

However, once it entered the body of the "vampire patient," it immediately produced effective hallucinations and guided her behavior. This led Xiang Kun to conclude that this "Mutated Parasite" was probably not parasitizing humans for the first time. It likely had experience parasitizing humans once or even several times before, and had mutated or evolved the ability to guide human behavior.

However, it didn't parasitize near the human brain, but rather existed in the muscles of the calf, which Xiang Kun found somewhat strange. Either it could move freely in the human body, or its structure wasn't as simple as it appeared, and it might have other ways of transmitting influence and interference through the nerves that are distributed throughout the human body.

Just as she was thinking, her phone vibrated. It was a call from Lao Xia, so she had obviously woken up too.

After the call connected, Lao Xia immediately stated her assessment. "It seems she's been parasitized by a 'Mutated Creature'."

"If what I saw in my dream was real, then it must be true. That 'Mutated Parasite' can not only parasitize humans, but it also has a certain degree of mobility after leaving humans. It may have already changed hosts multiple times and is no longer in Citong City," Xiang Kun said.

Lao Xia: "Judging from her medical records, that 'Mutated Parasite' should have had some effect on her body, making her stronger, more energetic, and more emotional. It should also have a promoting effect on wound healing. When she was admitted to the hospital, we examined her physical condition. The wound on her calf had already healed, and the scar was almost invisible, although the 'parasite' should have been gone from her body by then. As for the wound on the instep, I'll find another opportunity to examine it tomorrow to see if I can find a scar. Currently, it seems that some of the effects of that 'parasite' on the host are likely permanent, including those hallucinations and physiological reactions to certain things."

"Can you tell what kind of insect that 'Mutated Parasite' mutated from?" Xiang Kun asked.

"I don't know," Lao Xia replied. "However, this 'Mutated Creature' has a certain level of intelligence. At least it can judge its situation and make decisions based on the sensory information or emotions it receives from its host. Its mutation should also be in this direction."

Lao Xia's judgment was consistent with Xiang Kun's. He thought for a moment and said, "This matter... you should leave it for now and focus on preparing for the laboratory. I'll investigate it slowly after I return to Citong City. It can't hide within my sight and smell range. I'll investigate slowly and hopefully find out where it is. Once I catch it, I'll hand it over to you for research."

Lao Xia said, "It shouldn't be able to affect me."

Upon hearing Xiang Kun's words, she knew that he felt the "Mutated Parasite" might pose a threat to her if it was still in Citong City or if it came back to find the "vampire patient."

Xiang Kun knew that Lao Xia was right, and if that "Mutated Parasite" wanted to find its previous host, it would have done so long ago. Therefore, if Lao Xia's research was only focused on the "vampire patient," there shouldn't be any danger.

"Besides the Third Hospital, don't investigate anywhere else. If you find any information, let me know first. I have more experience and methods for dealing with these 'Mutated Creature' than you do," Xiang Kun warned.

Lao Xia readily agreed, "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Xiang Kun couldn't help but feel a little regretful. If Lao Xia could also have the Little Chubby Girl's ability to control "Super-Linked Object" and the corresponding electromagnetic manipulation power, then he wouldn't have to worry about her encountering any "Mutated Parasite" or other "Mutated Creature".

It could even be said that if she discovered them, those "Mutated Creature" wouldn't be able to escape. Or perhaps her "Fantasy Manifestation" ability would allow her to "manifest" some lethal weapons, unlike Lao Xia who can only manifest various kinds of food now, which is of little use except to scare people in dangerous situations.

Xiang Kun used voice input to ask Alice to help him find the "parasite" that matched the image he saw in his dream. Of course, based on his previous deduction, this "Mutated Parasite" should have mutated and evolved many times, and its original form might not have looked like this at all. It's even possible that it wasn't originally a "parasite." Searching based on that form might not necessarily yield any useful information.

Based on his previous guesses, Xiang Kun continued to give Alice "tasks".

Based on the scene of the stream and forest in the "vampire patient's" dream, Xiang Kun had already determined that it was in Purple Huan Mountain on the outskirts of Citong City. The "Mutated Parasite" would be there, which should be related to its previous host.

Xiang Kun instructed Alice to use the time when the "vampire patient" was parasitized in the mountains as a starting point to search for any earlier incidents in Purple Huan Mountain, such as accidents, disappearances, or attacks on humans by highly aggressive wild animals.

Based on his previous speculation that "this is not the first time the 'Mutated Parasite' has parasitized a human," its previous host was very likely also human, and may have perished in Purple Huan Mountain. He did not believe that the "vampire patient's" survival after being freed from the parasite was due to the "Mutated Parasite's" mercy. Other hosts would most likely be exploited for their remaining value after the parasitic cycle ended.

After having lunch at her parents' house, Yang Zhen'er changed her clothes, packed some things, and prepared to return to the house she shared with Tang Baona.

"I bought a lot of groceries today, and your uncle also gave us some seafood. You can't buy these even if you have money. It's a rare treat. Why don't you invite Nana over to play? We can have dinner together at home. I haven't seen Nana in so long." Yang's mother said to Yang Zhen'er, who was tidying up her things, standing at the door of her daughter's bedroom.

"Nana and I are going to her maternal grandfather's house for dinner tonight, hehe, maybe next time, Mother. Or tomorrow, I'll bring Nana over again," Yang Zhen'er said with a grin.

At this moment, Yang Zhen'er's father, Yang Keyan, also walked to the bedroom door, frowned, and asked his daughter, "When you resigned, didn't you tell me you were going to find a job yourself? How long has it been? Have you found one yet?"

Yang's mother patted her husband on the shoulder. "Oh dear, the first month of the lunar calendar isn't even over yet, what's the rush!"

Yang Keyan frowned even more deeply. "If she had just said she was too lazy to work and wanted to stay at home as a freeloader, I wouldn't have said anything. But when she resigned, she told me that she could make something of herself without relying on my connections."

Yang Zhen'er quickly said, "I never said that. I said, 'I can make something of myself even without working for your company.' Hehe, I have indeed found a job. Didn't I say before that Chef Xiang wants to make a game and start a company, Nana and I will help him..."

Upon hearing this, Yang's mother frowned even more deeply than Yang Keyan, and asked doubtfully, "Chef Xiang? Is that the programmer you mentioned before, the one who's really good at cooking? The guy Nana went on a blind date with? Hey, when you went to Haixi Province before the New Year, didn't you say that Chef Xiang opened a restaurant with someone in some town? How come he's getting into games now? It's only been a short time. Is he reliable? Wasn't he fired from his company for being too restless when he was a programmer?"

"Oh dear, what dismissal? His company went bankrupt!" Yang Zhen'er quickly explained.

"Oh? He ruined the company?" Yang's mother was even more worried. "Could he be a conman? Did he want you and Nana to invest in the company?"

Yang Zhen'er said helplessly, "Mom! Chef Xiang would never cheat us out of our money! You'll know once you've met him, he's incredibly arrogant..."

Yang's mother glared and raised her hand as if to hit her. "What are you saying? Girls should speak more politely. If you're strong, you're strong; if you're awesome, you're awesome. Don't use those two words."

"Hey, that word isn't considered a swear word anymore!" Yang Zhen'er said. "Anyway, Chef Xiang isn't a scammer. Nana and I only have a little pocket money each, so we can't invest much. We mainly like the game he made. When it's released, Mom, you should play it and you'll see how awesome it is! The eldest daughter of the Zhang Group is investing the most, at least tens of millions! And one of Chef Xiang's classmates, whose family owns a chain of supermarkets, is also investing! There's also Nana's sister and brother-in-law, Sister Han, and so many others!"

As a result, Yang's mother became even more worried. "So many people, so much money? What if he runs off with the money? You have to be careful. There are a lot of people like that these days. They inflate the bubble, paint a rosy picture, and then once they get the money, they run off to live a life of luxury abroad. Some people not only cheat you out of money, but they also cheat... cheat you out of your feelings. Don't let yourselves be sold out and still be counting the money for them."

Yang Zhen'er was both amused and exasperated. "Mom! Chef Xiang isn't like that! Oh dear, why don't you believe me? Lao Xia is even planning to quit her job to help Chef Xiang set up a lab. You know how smart Lao Xia is? She studies both mental illness and psychology, she's incredibly good at judging people. She's already gone all in, are you still worried I'll be fooled?"

Yang's mother was taken aback. "Is that so? Lao Xia trusts that Chef Xiang that much? Oh... then he seems reliable."

Seeing her mother nod in approval with relief, Yang Zhen'er stared blankly and asked, "Mom! Who exactly is your daughter?!"

"Your cousin is much smarter than you, and she's very good at judging people. You shouldn't suffer if you follow her," Yang's mother said with a smile.

At this moment, Yang Keyan, who had been deep in thought, spoke up, "What's going on with the Zhang Group? Is it the Zhang Group that you saved that child before? Xiang Kun use that favor to approach people from the Zhang Group to get investment?"

"No, it's Zhang Qian from the Zhang Group. She had a project with Chef Xiang before the New Year, and then she found out he was the one who saved her two nephews, so they started talking. But I can guarantee that her investment in Chef Xiang 'Chef Xiang project wasn't out of favor; that game is really amazing... sigh, I can't explain it to you, anyway, I only invested a tiny bit! I wouldn't care if I lost it all... and it's practically impossible to lose it! Actually, I promised Chef Xiang that if he needed funds, I would get my friends and family, and even you, Father, to invest, but he doesn't need the money at all right now. If Xiang Kun hadn't wanted to leave shares for others, Zhang Qian could have taken it all by herself."

Yang Keyan asked, "Is the game Xiang Kun made really that promising? Did he make it alone, or does he have a team?"

"How would I know the specifics? Anyway, it's fun and amazing," Yang Zhen'er said decisively. "Dad, how about you lend me another 5 million, and I'll pay you back 5.05 million in three years?"

Yang's mother couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, you silly girl, the interest rate is even lower than a bank deposit!"

Yang Keyan laughed and said, "Didn't you say Zhang Qian had it all?"

Yang Zhen'er said, "She wants to, Chef Xiang won't let her. Nana and I will chip in some money and take a bigger share! Hehe!"

Yang Keyan said, "Why don't you invite Xiang Kun over for dinner another day? I want to talk to him and see what his game is like. If it's okay, I'll give you at least 5 million, or even more zeros."

Yang Zhen'er shook her head repeatedly. "Xiang Kun doesn't have that many shares for you to invest!"

"We can talk about anything. If the Zhang Group can talk, why can't we? Let's have a chat. I met Xiang Kun at the police station last time, and I had a good impression of him," Yang Keyan said.

"Then I'll just mention it: if he doesn't want to come, there's nothing I can do," Yang Zhen'er said.