Begging His Little Brother to Listen

The moment Feng Zhengqing cried, "Oh no!", Zhong Xuezhi saw a cloud of white dust drift out from beneath the strange mushroom's cap.

The dust was so fine that even Zhong Xuezhi's keen eyes could barely detect it.

Zhong Xuezhi reacted swiftly. As soon as the dust appeared, he mobilized the energy within him and used White Frost to freeze the healer and the mushroom together in layer after layer of ice.

Feng Zhengqing immediately raised several protective barriers as well, shielding everyone nearby in time.

"It's started spreading spores! These are most likely its infection source!"

Zhong Xuezhi's face turned ashen at that. "We're screwed."

The wind was fierce that day. No matter how quickly he had reacted, the first wisp of dust had already been blown somewhere beyond their reach.

It had only been a tiny wisp, but with spores that fine, it contained at least hundreds, if not thousands!

If those really were the infection source of a Grade S Variant, the consequences would be unimaginable...

In the brief silence, Mu Yi glanced around. Although he still did not understand how dangerous a Grade S Variant's infection source was, Zhong Xuezhi's and Feng Zhengqing's reactions told him how serious the situation had become.

Was Crystal City doomed?

Just as that thought surfaced, Zhong Xuezhi brought him back down to the ground.

At that very moment, personnel from all sides arrived in force after receiving the emergency alert.

The group of four hurried over to Zhong Xuezhi. "Captain!"

Zhong Xuezhi had no time to respond. He let go of Mu Yi and headed toward Delta's three leaders.

He gave a concise account of the new Grade S Variant's specific traits and frankly explained the severity of the accidental spread of its spores.

All three leaders looked grim after hearing his report.

The new Variant's ability to remain undetected was so terrifying that even if they wanted to launch a comprehensive screening operation covering every corner, they had no means of carrying it out.

In the end, the three leaders could only agree on the following immediate measures:

Seal off every route into and out of the city at once!

Enforce strict isolation measures throughout the city!

Step up resource allocation to the research institute and medical facilities!

Once the three orders were issued, every member of Delta sprang into action. Independent Mutants outside the Alliance also went on high alert, ready to respond at any moment!

Zhong Xuezhi pulled Mu Yi aside and gave him a brief instruction. "Go back first. Don't go outside."

But at a time like this, how could Mu Yi willingly hole up in that concrete box? He straightened his back and said, "I'm coming with you."

"No." Zhong Xuezhi's tone was stern. He lowered his voice to explain, "The whole city is on edge right now. You can't draw too much attention. Understand?"

Mu Yi immediately put on an obedient expression. "I won't draw attention. I won't do anything."

"As an ordinary person, coming forward instead of obediently hiding indoors is enough to draw attention." Zhong Xuezhi reached out and gave him a nudge. "Go back."

Mu Yi planted himself where he stood and refused to budge. He even looked up at the sky, pretending he had heard nothing.

Zhong Xuezhi felt a headache coming on. "Little brother, I'm begging you. Could you please go back?"

His little brother kept staring at the sky, unmoved.

Zhong Xuezhi was in a hurry to carry out his assignment. After his mental CPU whirred at full speed for a few seconds, he negotiated in a low voice. "Go back first, and we'll extend our deal to seven days."

At that, Mu Yi's eyes darted around twice before he countered, "Ten days."

Zhong Xuezhi hadn't said how long he had to stay inside anyway. He might as well secure the perks first.

"Fine. Ten days it is!"

Zhong Xuezhi agreed without hesitation, then called Wenren Jin over to give Mu Yi a fresh Eggshell.

Once everything had been properly taken care of, he left one final instruction. "Boil yourself a few eggs for lunch and make a cup of milk. I'll come back before dinner."

Mu Yi swept a hand through his bangs. Being fussed over like this all the time felt a little strange.

But he could not quite put his finger on what was strange about it.

Since he could not figure it out, he could not be bothered to dwell on it. He picked up his cloth bundle of clothes, turned, and left.

After Mu Yi left, Zhong Xuezhi put himself on full alert as well. He led the members of Team 404 in hurriedly changing into protective suits, then headed for the densely populated areas.

Five minutes later, Mu Yi arrived at the nearby small Teleportation Array, dawdling as he operated it.

He hated to leave all the bustle outside behind.

Fortunately, his dawdling gave him the chance to overhear a piece of gossip from years ago.

Around the corner to his left, two volunteer Mutants in protective suits leaned against the wall.

One was somewhat older. In a gravelly smoker's voice, he sighed mournfully. "Ah... the last time Grade S Variants invaded was fourteen years ago."

"Who knows how many people will die this time."

The other volunteer Mutant was a young man in his early twenties. He asked, "Uncle Cheng, what exactly happened fourteen years ago?"

Fourteen years ago, he had been too young. All he remembered was spending a long time in a secure isolation room at the Mutation Research Institute. When he finally came out, many familiar people around him had inexplicably vanished.

The man called Uncle Cheng knitted his brows and slowly recounted a painful memory. "Back then... a swarm of Grade S Earth Slug Variants invaded Crystal City, causing a mass infection. Countless people in the city were killed or injured."

"Even Professor Yin, who made enormous contributions to humanity's welfare, was tragically infected and lost her life in that outbreak."

The young Mutant asked again, "Professor Yin was so capable. Couldn't she save herself in time after she was infected?"

Uncle Cheng fell silent for a long while before speaking again. "After Professor Yin was infected, she didn't receive treatment."

"What?!" The young Mutant was astonished. "Why?"

Leaning against the wall, Uncle Cheng sighed. "We don't know why either. All we know is that she stood in front of her adopted son for a long time with a hole the size of a bowl's mouth in her abdomen."

"In the end, just before the Variant genes could completely consume her, she ended her own life with a handgun."

Beyond the corner, Mu Yi stood before the small Teleportation Array, momentarily stunned. His hand stopped operating it.

Fourteen years ago, Zhong Xuezhi would have been only eleven, wouldn't he?

What must it have felt like to watch the person closest to him stand before him like a pillar of blood, her body slowly twisting into something monstrous, then shoot herself and finally fall to the ground?

No wonder Zhong Xuezhi didn't want to talk about it...

Mu Yi frowned. In his view, every action anyone took had a particular motive behind it.

Then what purpose and intent had Professor Yin concealed behind that series of actions in front of her young adopted son?