Bizarre Giant Rat

After comparing fingerprints and applying for the bonus, the process was complete.

Seeing that the time was about right, both sets of parents didn't linger at the Public Security Station and prepared to take the two children home.

While passing by the office door, Lin Zichen, whose hearing was exceptionally sharp, keenly caught snippets of conversation from inside.

They were discussing the Heretic Cult and the Giant Mutant Rat.

"The Rat God Cult has been increasingly active lately, inciting those who are dissatisfied with society and filled with resentment to join them everywhere."

"I heard that the Rat God Cult has even infiltrated some universities, targeting liberal arts students who cannot undergo Gene Fusion through official channels."

"The heretic cultist killed tonight was once a liberal arts student at Guangyan University. Because his body didn't meet the standards for Gene Fusion but he desperately craved to become a Gene Fusionist, he was seduced by the traitors of the Rat God Cult."

"A bunch of rat droppings, indeed. Sooner or later, we'll wipe out all these traitors!"

"Wiping out the traitors is useless; it treats the symptoms but not the root cause. We have to take down that Rat King that calls itself a god."

"..."

Rat God Cult?

This was the first time Lin Zichen had heard these three words, so he immediately took out his phone to look them up.

He soon learned that this was a heretic cult that worshipped a Giant Mutant Rat as a god.

The organization's base was located within Shanhai City, and its members were mostly social failures, with their activities becoming more frequent in recent years.

It was suspected that the Rat King wanted to evolve into an Advanced organism and needed its followers to collect a massive amount of evolutionary resources for it.

These were all pieces of information publicly released by the authorities.

"Worshipping a rat as a god?"

Lin Zichen shook his head, stopped searching, and tucked his phone into his pocket.

Walking out of the Public Security Station, they arrived at the parking area.

Shen Qinghan got into Lin Yansheng's car as usual, intending to sit in the back row with Lin Zichen.

Watching this scene, Shen Jianye couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Sigh, our daughter looks like she's almost becoming part of the Lin family."

Xu Meng, however, said with a calm expression: "Honestly, it's a blessing for Hanhan to be close to the Lin family. Why are you still sighing?"

"That's true." Shen Jianye chuckled, and soon he and Xu Meng got into their car.

In the other vehicle, Lin Zichen and Shen Qinghan were chatting idly.

Most of the talking was done by Shen Qinghan, with Lin Zichen occasionally responding.

"Xiao Chen, I wonder how Teacher Strawberry is doing now. I saw her neck bleeding at the time; she should be fine, right?"

"It didn't look like a serious injury. A simple bandage should be enough; she'll be fine."

"Xiao Chen, when that heretic cultist mutated earlier, eight eyes grew directly on his face. It looked so scary."

"That's just how mutation is."

Lin Zichen answered nonchalantly.

As they chatted, Shen Qinghan, who had been talking non-stop, suddenly fell silent. She wasn't playing with her phone either; she just kept her straight legs tightly pressed together, sealed shut, and her expression looked a bit off.

Lin Zichen noticed her abnormality. His peripheral vision subconsciously flickered toward that area, and he discovered it was bulging just like when she was a child.

However, he knew it probably wasn't a diaper, but rather another type of absorbent pad.

Realizing this, he silently turned his head to the side and looked at the roadside outside the car window to avoid making Shen Qinghan feel awkward.

Shen Qinghan also knew that Lin Zichen had noticed. She lowered her head, bit her thin lips, and remained silent.

Just like that, the atmosphere in the car suddenly quieted down.

Hm?

Suddenly, Lin Zichen's eyes widened slightly.

He saw a fat rat, as big as a cat, flash past the roadside and quickly crawl along the drainage pipe into the second floor of the Public Security Station.

How could there be such a big rat?

Could it be a Giant Mutant Rat?

Lin Zichen tensed up immediately.

But soon, he relaxed, feeling that he was just overthinking things.

This was the south, not the north; it was perfectly normal for rats to grow as big as cats. There was nothing strange about it.

It seems my nerves are too tightly wound. I need to properly relax once I get home...

Lin Zichen thought to himself.

After the car arrived home.

Shen Qinghan dropped a "see you tomorrow" and got out of the car with an awkward gait before leaving.

Zhang Wanxin asked with some confusion: "What's wrong with this girl Hanhan? Doesn't she usually like to linger and chat with you for a while? Why was she so quiet in the car, and why did she leave as soon as we parked?"

"She looked very sleepy just now; she was probably exhausted and didn't have the energy to talk," Lin Zichen explained.

Zhang Wanxin nodded, not dwelling on it.

Soon, the family of three got out of the car and entered the house.

As soon as they stepped inside, Zhang Wanxin looked at Lin Zichen with a serious expression and urged, "Xiao Chen, if you encounter something like tonight again, Mom hopes you will prioritize your own safety. Act within your means and never act impulsively."

"Mom, I know. I will," Lin Zichen nodded obediently.

Seeing that he was willing to listen, the worry between Zhang Wanxin's brows eased slightly.

After a moment, she suddenly remembered something and asked:

"By the way, didn't you buy three jin of Ghost Shadow Squid meat? Where is it? I didn't see it in the bicycle basket, and you aren't carrying it either."

"Mom, please don't be angry when I say this, but when we encountered the Heretic Cultist mutation earlier, Hanhan and I were in such a rush to run that we accidentally lost the meat..." Lin Zichen said after a moment of hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wanxin's eyes widened.

She felt a pang of heartache, but she restrained herself from showing it in front of Lin Zichen, instead comforting him:

"It's fine, if it's lost, it's lost. After all, you ran into a Heretic Cultist disturbance; the fact that you're both safe is a blessing in disguise, not to mention you acted bravely to save others. You are Mom's pride."

"Since it hasn't been long, should I drive back and look along the way?" Lin Yansheng suggested.

Zhang Wanxin immediately vetoed it: "No, that place just had a Heretic Cultist mutation incident; it's too dangerous."

"That's true," Lin Yansheng nodded.

Lin Zichen stood by without speaking, silently thinking that he would participate in more competitions in the future. Once he saved up enough prize money, he would buy three jin of Ghost Shadow Squid meat to honor his parents.

In the Public Security Station, inside the captain's office.

The captain of the Public Security Team looked at the transcript in his hand and couldn't help but laugh.

Shot with a slingshot?

What kind of person uses a stone the size of an egg for a slingshot?

Could it even be fired?

This was undoubtedly thrown by hand!

Does he think I don't know my own job? Did he really think he could fool me, a student?

The captain lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, exhaled, and continued to ponder as the smoke drifted.

Still, he was only a middle school student; how exactly did he manage to throw a stone with such power?

No, I must check the surveillance footage tomorrow morning to see what happened.

With that thought, the captain placed the transcript into a specialized file box, locked it, and prepared to head home.

Just then, he noticed a rat on the windowsill, its size as large as a cat.

He was a bit surprised: "Where did this rat come from, and why is it so big?"

The rat outside the window wasn't scared off by the voice; it just stood quietly on the windowsill, motionless, its eyes staring eerily at the captain.

PS: Setting out my bowl, asking for monthly tickets and recommendation votes!