Crunch Crunch

Chapter 43: Crunch Crunch

One sentence left both Su Yuqing and Zhou Diao stunned.

"Maze...?" Zhou Diao looked at Su Yuqing in confusion. "The maze she mentioned... could it be the Maze—the source of Xenomorph corruption that's mandatory in every Inspector training assessment?"

Su Yuqing frowned deeply and stared at Feng Ling. "Why enter the Maze? That's a special game zone belonging to Xenomorphs, not a place humans should go."

Feng Ling picked up a bag of cheese-flavored potato chips from the coffee table, opened it, and began eating.

"My Corruption Value is at 29%," she said.

Su Yuqing and Zhou Diao's expressions both changed.

The three Special Forces members reacted even more dramatically. The guns in their hands snapped up, all aimed at Feng Ling!

Crunch...

Crunch...

The chips were very crisp.

Feng Ling looked at them calmly as she ate. "Put them down. You can't beat me."

After a pause, she looked at Su Yuqing again. "Besides, I think I can still be saved."

Su Yuqing pressed his lips together and said nothing.

The three Special Forces members exchanged looks. Seeing that Su Yuqing had not given an order, they hesitantly lowered their weapons.

Zhou Diao, meanwhile, let out a huge breath and shouted, "Feng Ling! You're being ridiculous! With a Corruption Value like yours, you'd be sent to the Gas Chamber if you were at the Supervision Bureau!"

"The Gas Chamber?" Feng Ling looked at Su Yuqing in astonishment.

"Don't listen to his nonsense," Su Yuqing explained with a frown. "It's called the Special Observation Room. Any Inspector above 22% has to stay there under observation for a while. Only after it's confirmed that they aren't aggressive and their emotions are stable can they be released to continue their duties. But even then, they're considered high-risk personnel and face certain restrictions in their daily movements. It's for the safety of the public."

Zhou Diao added from the side, "If your emotions are unstable—if you become enraged, manic, and lose your mind—the Observation Room releases poison gas and sends you straight to the grave!"

Su Yuqing glared at him. "That's a powerful anesthetic spray, not poison gas!"

"What's the difference?" Zhou Diao shrugged. "You die after getting sprayed either way. The only difference is that it doesn't hurt much. Humanitarian extermination, that's all."

Feng Ling clicked her tongue. "You people are pretty ruthless toward your own kind."

"It's a necessary evil." Su Yuqing raised his eyes to her. "Do you think all the corrupted entities the Supervision Bureau eliminates were turned from Xenomorphs?—Dying in the Observation Room is better than having your genes collapse, becoming neither human nor ghost, and turning into corruption itself."

Feng Ling bit down on a chip and crunched twice. Suddenly, she found it a little hard to stomach.

Zhou Diao whistled, his tone chilly. "Now this is interesting. If Headquarters learns that your Corruption Value has already reached 29%, this on-site recruitment might turn straight into an on-site arrest~"

Feng Ling crunched her chips even louder, clearly annoyed.

She glanced at Su Yuqing and asked, "Isn't there still the Maze? Why doesn't the Supervision Bureau send people into the Maze to find Idols? You have no less information than I do. You should know that Idols can help Card holders remove part of their Corruption Value."

"There have indeed been such cases, but..." Su Yuqing lowered his head and irritably pressed at his brow. "Information on Mazes is extremely scarce. It's difficult to find an entrance, and the inside of a Maze is full of dangers. Trying to clear Corruption Value by entering one isn't very realistic. At least for now, prevention is more important than removal."

Zhou Diao also said to Feng Ling, "Think about it. To fight Xenomorphs, we have to improve our Card Ability. To improve our abilities, we'll inevitably be corrupted to some extent. That's just normal life for us. But Mazes are few and dangerous—they aren't something normal. We might not even find a Maze before our Corruption Value starts affecting our minds. We simply can't wait that long."

Feng Ling thought for a moment. "I happen to have a lead on a Maze. We should make it in time."

"Report it," Su Yuqing said.

He felt that the situation had become far too complicated. They had to request instructions from their superiors and probably hold seven or eight meetings before they could reach a conclusion.

"Report it to the Supervisor General Bureau. Let Headquarters send people to help you search for the Maze, while also monitoring you to prevent you from losing control. That's the safest approach," Su Yuqing said wearily.

Zhou Diao disagreed, snorting softly. "...I don't think it's necessarily safe. Maybe the moment Headquarters arrives, they'll drag Feng Ling straight into the Gas Chamber. Qingjiang City finally has someone who can fight. Can you bear to lose her?"

"I told you, it's not a Gas Chamber!" Su Yuqing had a terrible headache. "It's the Special Observation Room!"

Zhou Diao gave an unconvinced snort and turned his face away.

Feng Ling asked Zhou Diao, "What's your Corruption Value now?"

Zhou Diao raised his brows with some pride. "2%. Hellhound Main Card. I've digested a Prairie Wolf once."

Su Yuqing said in a low voice, "Every Card we confiscate is sent to Headquarters' Research Institute. The Research Institute then distributes Cards as needed based on the Card traits of Inspectors in different regions. The Research Institute does everything it can to keep Corruption Values within the lowest possible range. Although mistakes happen occasionally... in most cases, the Cards provided by the Research Institute are safe and reliable."

He sighed and looked at Feng Ling again. "I'm not trying to restrain you for no reason. But if you keep going like this, it won't be sustainable. Feng Ling, report this to the Supervisor General Bureau. Whether it's the Hidden Boss matter or your Corruption Value, you need more mature advice."

If I report it to the Supervision Bureau, won't that just complicate things?

She considered it seriously for a short while. "Mm... it's not impossible, if you can agree to one condition."

"Go ahead." Su Yuqing nodded solemnly. "I'll do everything I can to meet your condition."

Feng Ling looked at Su Yuqing. Although she felt a little embarrassed... since Su Yuqing had put it that way, she should be straightforward too.

"Transfer this apartment to me as a gift," she said.

Su Yuqing: "..."

The living room fell silent for two seconds.

Su Yuqing abruptly stood up. Without looking at Feng Ling again, he walked out with a dark expression and slammed the door shut behind him!

"Pfft..." Zhou Diao failed to hold it in and burst into wild laughter. "Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!"

Feng Ling was somewhat confused. Looking at the other three Special Forces members, she found their expressions equally awkward.

"If he doesn't want to give it to me, then forget it. Why did he react so strongly?" Feng Ling asked Zhou Diao.

"That's a landmine! That's Lao Su's landmine! Hahahahaha!!!" Zhou Diao still could not stop laughing.

Feng Ling did not understand. She walked to the door and opened it, deliberately looking outside. She discovered that Su Yuqing had really left.

She found it unbelievable. "He just left like that? He got so angry that he left without saying a word?"

Qin Liang suppressed a laugh as he explained, "Sister Ling, Captain Su prepared this apartment as his Wedding Apartment."

Feng Ling's eyes widened in shock.

A Wedding Apartment?!

Good grief. Then wasn't it a little inappropriate for her to live here?

"The marriage fell through, and he still calls it a Wedding Apartment! Hahahahaha!" Zhou Diao mocked him mercilessly. "Who told him to like Sister Ye? I don't think he'll ever get married in this lifetime!"

Feng Ling walked up to Qin Liang and asked, "Tell me the details?"

She wanted some gossip too.

Qin Liang looked helplessly at Zhou Diao. Could he really talk about this? Wasn't it a little rude to discuss his superior's private matters behind his back?

"Tell her!" Zhou Diao slapped his thigh as he laughed. "Hurry up and tell her! Quick!"