Chapter 33

Chapter 33

That makes sense.

Shen Wang thought: that clears up all the confusion.

Why Zhou Xiangzhe treated him differently, why Zhou Xiangzhe always carried candy, why Zhou Xiangzhe was so protective of him.

Because Zhou Xiangzhe was Little Seven from his childhood, the one who never really left.

That delicate child had grown into a delicate adult. His looks weren't the same anymore, but inside he was still that same hopelessly gentle guy.

Shen Wang sat down heavily on the sofa and let out a deep sigh.

"You knew from the start?" he asked Lan.

Lan's attention was still on his Book of the Unwritten. Hearing Shen Wang's question, he answered casually, "I knew the first time I saw you."

"I'm a Mutant with the Premonition talent. I can see a lot of things."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because your gege hates him, of course." Lan closed his book with a look of disdain. "It's all the Academy's fault for keeping me from looking after you. Letting him sneak in like that!"

Shen Wang: …

Wait, they were just two kids. Can you really use 'sneak in' for that?

But brother-obsession doesn't need logic. Lan didn't need logic either; he only believed what he wanted to believe.

Besides, there was no point arguing about it. To put it bluntly, Zhou Xiangzhe had recognized him, so why hadn't Shen Wang recognized Zhou Xiangzhe? Just because he'd changed after he used Devour on the Deer God Entity?

Okay, that was the main issue.

Back when the Star River Orphanage had been swallowed by a Class S Contamination Source, only two people survived. One was Little Fifteen, who was being treated at the Hospital during an episode. The other was the only child the Principal had thrown out a window. After that, Shen Wang was nominally adopted by the Hospital, and he never saw that other kid again.

Back then, the Hospital said that child had been locked up in the Containment Center for processing. Fewer than one in ten humans who'd experienced Contamination ever walked out of the Containment Center, and he was so young.

They all thought that kid probably wouldn't make it either.

Not knowing who he was, not knowing if he was alive or dead, and being stuck in the Hospital himself for so long… Shen Wang had long since considered him dead.

Suddenly learning that Zhou Xiangzhe was the Little Seven from his side, Shen Wang felt a very complicated mix of emotions, even a little stunned.

Letting out a soft sigh, Shen Wang pulled his phone from his pocket and sent Ming Guang a message.

The reply came way too fast. His phone pinged the moment he sent it, giving Shen Wang the impression Ming Guang had been waiting right by his phone.

"So fast."

Shen Wang muttered to himself as he opened the message screen.

[Shen Wang: Zhou Xiangzhe is going to S-Zone? Once he's settled, can I go see him?]

[Ming Guang: Here's the S-Zone address. Come after 8 a.m. tomorrow. I'll meet you at the entrance.]

"If you wanted to know the S-Zone address, you could've asked me," Lan leaned over to say. "I know everything."

"But if I only asked you, I couldn't explain how I knew the S-Zone's location." Shen Wang replied calmly as he typed a reply to Ming Guang. "Your guerrilla game isn't over yet, and my spy game is still ongoing. Let's not both die before our mission even begins."

So Lan had no choice but to shrink back.

'I'm going to S-Zone tomorrow to see Zhou Xiangzhe, and to ask about the [Shinin Event] while I'm at it. What are you planning to do after?'

Lan thought for a moment. He stared silently ahead, his silver-purple eyes seeming to look at something and nothing at all.

After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke.

"The Premonition Scroll hasn't given me any new messages. It won't answer when I ask, either. It seems to be on strike."

Shen Wang: …

He couldn't tell if Lan was joking or serious.

The next day, Shen Wang went out. The spring morning wind was still chilly, so he threw on an extra jacket.

Lan saw him off at the door, book in hand, his face the very picture of 'my dear didi is going to see that brat again.'

Once Shen Wang's figure had completely vanished, Lan stayed by the door and opened his book again.

"The messages lately are so messy and disorganized. Can't you sort them out before telling me?"

"Who can understand this jumble?"

"My comprehension skills are lacking? Listen to what you're saying. If you were clear and simple, would I even say that?"

"And why aren't the Academy messages highlighted in red and bold?"

Before he could get any results, footsteps sounded on the stairs. His neighbor Song Chen, who'd pulled an all-nighter on overtime, walked up looking dazed.

Seeing someone standing at Shen Wang's door, Song Chen instinctively greeted him.

"Morning. Congrats on coming back safe… huh?"

Song Chen's foggy brain finally registered that the person in front of him didn't seem quite right, didn't look much like his neighbor Shen Wang.

His neighbor Shen Wang was a pretty good-looking young guy. His methods might be a bit out there, but he looked gentle and harmless. Anyone who saw him would think he was definitely a nice, kind person. If Song Chen hadn't seen Shen Wang pull a gun on a domestic abuser and threaten to break his other leg if he made another sound, he wouldn't have believed it either.

Now, the person standing at the door was also good-looking, but with a completely different vibe.

Gloomy, silent, with black hair, black eyes, and a black long coat. Meeting his eyes felt like being shoved into a winter lake in one breath—oppression and pressure all rushing in.

Song Chen jolted awake, feeling like staying up for a day and a night wasn't that tiring after all.

"H-hello?" Song Chen asked. "Are you new here?"

"New here?" Lan turned to look at the room next to Shen Wang's.

Ever since the last tenant got scared off by Shen Wang—even paying out of pocket to move—and the Pollution Control Center had someone repair the door Shen Wang kicked in, no new person had come to live there.

Lan thought it over seriously. "That's actually a good idea."

"What?"

"I said yes." Lan turned back to Song Chen. "We'll be neighbors from now on. Please take care of me."

Song Chen watched him turn and go downstairs, completely baffled. Only after the man had gone did he pull out the Pollution Detector every Security Force member was issued from his pocket.

The ambient Contamination Level was only 8%, within standard limits. Not a Pollutant.

Song Chen let out a sigh of relief. He instantly stretched, and as his mind relaxed, the exhaustion quickly hit him again.

"Better go get some sleep. Finally got this three-day break. Sleep enough first, then worry about the rest."

/

The Pollution Control Center had a dedicated train line connected to S-Zone, but you needed to submit proof to board.

Ming Guang had already taken care of everything. All Shen Wang needed was his Polar Star badge, and all restricted areas would let him through.

Arriving at the S-Zone entrance, Ming Guang was already waiting for him there.

"You're here." Ming Guang waved him over and led him into S-Zone.

This was Shen Wang's first time entering this area, publicly billed as a 'high-contamination Mutant-exclusive Hospital'—a place completely different from a normal hospital.

They walked down a cold, long corridor. Rooms lined the hallway, and unidentified screams echoed from the distance. Medical staff in protective suits moved between the rooms. They made no sound, appearing extremely regimented. This place was even more severe than the Containment Center.

"Because of the special circumstances, he doesn't need to be forcibly isolated. But he is, after all, a Class S Mutant, so he can't be placed in a regular area either."

Stepping into S-Zone, Shen Wang felt a strange sensation. He was already highly sensitive to Contamination, and the Contamination inside S-Zone was shockingly low.

It was even more extreme than the isolation rooms at the Containment Center.

At a corner, Shen Wang saw a mounted Pollution Detector displaying the area's Contamination value. It was a terrifying 0.

Ming Guang noticed Shen Wang's gaze.

"The founder of S-Zone is the only Class S Mutant affiliated with the Academy, with the talent 'Safehouse.'

"He can carve out an area completely free of Contamination amidst vast pollution. In a Contamination-free environment, a Mutant's Contamination Level also slows."

Shen Wang was a bit surprised. "I hadn't heard of that."

"Because 'Safehouse' has been in a deep sleep for many years due to high Contamination Level." Ming Guang answered him. "To keep the entire S-Zone running, he forcibly sealed himself into a deep sleep at a Contamination Level of 98%. It's highly likely he'll never wake up."

Crossing this corridor, the next door had a guard. Ming Guang handed his credentials to the guard ahead, and they were let in only after the check.

Ming Guang thanked them for their hard work, then entered the door with Shen Wang.

Putting his credentials away, he said, "I've already spoken with the S-Zone person in charge. Zhou Xiangzhe will be here for about a week. Next time you come, you can use your credentials to enter directly without going through the procedure."

Shen Wang was surprised. "Me?"

"Mm." Ming Guang nodded. "You can come see him more often."

Shen Wang didn't ask why.

He realized that as Zhou Xiangzhe's only friend who knew his past, Ming Guang was probably in the know too.

Walking past the cold corridor, they entered a new area. This area was much quieter than outside. There weren't many medical staff either, and some rooms were empty. The people inside showed severe Distortion in some cases, while others looked no different from humans.

"This is the ward area for high-level Mutants." Ming Guang said. "Class B and above are placed here. There's better security and protective measures."

If a Class B or above Mutant distorted into a Pollutant, it would be a disaster. To control that, S-Zone had no choice but to turn this place into an impenetrable fortress.

Walking all the way to the very end, Ming Guang let out a soft sigh.

"He's right here."

He entered a code on a screen set into the wall, telling Shen Wang to remember it. After inputting it, the wall ahead opened like a door. But beyond it wasn't a passage or a room—it was a layer of sturdy transparent wall.

The person inside noticed the movement and looked over.

Zhou Xiangzhe still looked the same, except his black combat suit had been swapped for a set of white casual clothes. His silver hair cascaded over the white fabric with a dreamlike quality. He wore no restraining devices either—just the usual scattered, decorative Pollution Inhibitor pieces.

He stood up and walked to the transparent wall. The several Pollution Inhibitor units on his wrist hung down and clinked together with a metallic sound.

It added a strange, almost flirtatious touch.

“He’s here to see you,” Ming Guang said, leaving the two of them alone.

Shen Wang’s figure was reflected in Zhou Xiangzhe’s golden eyes. Neither of them spoke.

In the end, Shen Wang was the one who broke the silence. “Want a candy?”

He fished out the last piece of candy Zhou Xiangzhe had given him in the Gallery—the one he’d never eaten.

Zhou Xiangzhe’s eyelashes trembled slightly at his words. It was hard to tell if he wanted to laugh or was just resigned.

Finally, he shook his head. “Food in S-Zone is uniformly provided. No outside items allowed.”

“Besides, the candy was for you.”

Shen Wang thought: Yeah, it was for me. You brought me so many candies, and you even remembered I choked on one once, so you never gave me too many at a time.

Even after all that, you wouldn’t tell me who you were.

Which one of us is the one who can’t be seen?

Then Shen Wang fell silent again.

Because he suddenly realized the one who couldn’t be seen might be him.

Little Fifteen from Star River Orphanage disappeared from the Hospital. A Class C Contaminant attacked the Hospital, causing heavy casualties, and Shen Wang went missing for three years. Three years later, he returned to Central City. To avoid questioning, he changed his identity, never imagining Zhou Xiangzhe was Little Seven.

...Was this also why Zhou Xiangzhe never acknowledged him?

“You can ask me,” Shen Wang said, looking at Zhou Xiangzhe. “If it’s you asking, I’m still willing to explain.”

Zhou Xiangzhe showed little expression and even less emotion. From the first day Shen Wang met him, he’d been calm, quiet, rarely spoke or smiled, appearing cold, yet his eyes held warmth.

“It’s okay,” Zhou Xiangzhe answered him.

“I’m willing to believe you, too.”

The Little Seven who’d endlessly indulged him as a child had grown up. Now he was Zhou Xiangzhe, who endlessly indulged him.

Life twists and turns. The person he’d lost had just come back like this.

/

In the end, Shen Wang didn’t press the issue. He chatted with Zhou Xiangzhe a while longer. Visiting time ended quickly. Staff came to ask him to leave, and Shen Wang could only say goodbye and go.

He returned to the Pollution Control Center to update his talent ability. Remembering he still needed to investigate the [Shinin Event], he stayed a bit longer.

Polar Star’s clearance was high. He could access the Pollution Control Center’s database.

Inside, Shen Wang still couldn't find any specific information on the [Shinin Event], but he did discover an era name called [Shinin].

Shen Wang read through every scrap of information he could find.

[Shinin]: An era name, specifically referring to Doomsday Year 8, which was 22 years ago.

As an era name, it naturally had a defining event. This event was seriously recorded in the archives.

Doomsday Year 8. The world had initially established the High Wall, but outside it remained displaced humans and tens of thousands of Pollutants, including terrifying entities born directly as Class S Contaminants. Even though humanity had its own Class S Mutants, they were stretched thin and couldn’t constantly monitor these Class S Contaminants.

It was in this year that a major, inexplicable event occurred.

Overnight, all Class S Mutants and Class S Contaminants vanished without a trace. With these most terrifying threats gone, humanity’s construction of the High Wall and rescue efforts for those outside accelerated, quickly stabilizing the basic Order.

Afterward, humanity concluded: This inexplicable event was the most important factor in allowing them to settle down.

Thus, it was called [Shinin], and Doomsday Year 8 was also known as the Shinin Year.

“Inexplicable?” Shen Wang looked at the file. “Looks more like it was hidden.”

“How on earth did the Pollution Control Center manage it?”

…

Lan felt it necessary to live near his brother’s house to prevent him from being tricked away.

He thought the neighbor’s idea was great. He was now the Pollution Control Center’s newest recruit, moving into the house next to his brother’s!

Now he had to go claim the room at the Pollution Control Center. He couldn’t let them assign someone else there, so Lan just headed over.

The Pollution Control Center didn’t allow ordinary visitors—only Mutants and staff could enter. But who was Lan? He could come and go from S-Zone as he pleased. A mere Pollution Control Center headquarters was nothing.

“So, where’s the department in charge of room assignments?”

“How can you, as a talent, not even know this?”

“Fine, I underestimated you. But now I need to live next to my brother.”

In the end, Lan still found the department.

Forging an identity for himself was too much trouble. Lan didn’t overcomplicate it. He simply placed the room next to Shen Wang’s on the non-assignable list, noting that a Dispatch Team member lived there.

Dispatch Team members regularly went outside the city to deal with Pollutants, which would reasonably explain his frequent absences from home.

After finishing the forgery, Lan walked out of the office. Just then, a line of staff in white lab coats passed by.

As they brushed past, Lan stopped and looked at them, as if noticing something.

“Hm?”

Lan stood there calmly, still in his sack-like clothes, black hair tucked under his black hood, silver-purple eyes marking his abnormality. But those people acted as if they saw nothing.

The talent Stealth was a Contaminated Talent Lan had Devoured from a dodder plant. It concealed his presence; no one would notice him no matter where he was.

He’d used this talent to enter S-Zone and even swagger around the Pollution Control Center headquarters.

And now, his Premonition Scroll kept sending him prompts, telling him to pay attention to this line of staff in white coats.

Lan watched them leave, then glanced at the blank book in his hand.

He closed the book and followed them.

The line of staff walked while discussing work. No one noticed the strange person tailing them.

“How is it? Any improvement?”

“No. Contamination Level is still at 98%. We can only stop it from rising further. There’s no way to lower it.”

“If he hadn’t voluntarily put himself into dormancy…”

“After all these years, can we really find a solution?”

“We have to. If something really happens to him, it won’t just affect him. The whole world will have problems.”

“Anyway, same as before. First, confirm his safety. We’ll research the rest later.”

The Pollution Control Center had many secrets. For example, its little deals with the Academy. Or the fact that its headquarters was also equipped with isolation facilities similar to S-Zone, even possessing massive cryo-chambers.

The staff changed into protective suits, then entered the most secluded cryo-chamber.

Inside the cryo-chamber lay an ice coffin, and inside the coffin lay a young man with his eyes closed.

Half the young man’s face and body had Distorted. Beneath his transparent skin, blood could be seen flowing. Half his hair had turned withered white. One half was normal; the other looked like a fish tank had been forcibly attached, with tiny red tadpole-like creatures swimming inside.

He was surrounded by cold air. The cryo-chamber was at a terrifyingly low temperature, yet even so, he wasn’t dead—just dormant. Occasionally, his chest rose and fell slightly with his breath. But due to the cold, the red tadpoles inside his body were lazy, unwilling to move or swim.

“Condition stable. Contamination Level stable,” a staff member recorded while checking the data.

“Temperature? Can it hold? Should we lower it further?”

“I think we can hold on a while longer. The Pollution Source inside his body has low activity.”

“Understood.”

After recording, the staff looked at the nearly identical results from last time and sighed in unison.

The young man had lain here for over a decade, unchanging. Yet in all these years, neither they nor the Academy had developed any method to lower his Contamination Level. It was as if the world had frozen in this state.

“What are we going to do in the future?”

“Don’t worry. Mr. Jian arranged everything before entering dormancy. As long as the Pollution Control Center doesn’t fail, he can survive here for decades. Those decades are the time left for us.”

After encouraging each other, they left within the allotted time. Unfortunately, they still didn’t notice the stranger beside them, nor did they notice that he didn’t follow them out.

The security door closed with a dull thud.

Lan stood quietly in place. Holding his book, he stood beside the ice coffin, gazing at the person inside, his silver-purple eyes unblinking.

After watching for over ten seconds, Lan opened the book in his hands.

“Didn’t expect to find the breakthrough point here. What a surprise.”

'We could never find the cause of the [Shinin Event] because it's hard to track down anyone involved from over twenty years ago. Even the Pollution Control Center and the Academy have cycled through several batches of personnel by now.'

“But you… you’re a genuine Class S Mutant who lived through that era.”

Safehouse, real name Jian Ruofan, formerly affiliated with the Academy, was a Class S Mutant who survived from the beginning of the Doomsday era to the present. He experienced the Shinin Event but didn’t die. In the end, as the only surviving Class S Mutant, he created the entire S-Zone and Containment Center system, working until his own Contamination Level reached an uncontrollable point, forcing him to find another way.

Lan flipped through the book. Black, symbol-like script moved in his eyes, flowing paragraph by paragraph into his pupils.

It turned out Lan actually liked to talk. He just didn’t like talking to people or Pollutants. He preferred talking to himself.

“S-Zone and the Containment Centers are a whole set of suppression facilities built on his talent. Impressive.”

“The only Class S Mutant from the early Doomsday era, so he worked himself to collapse, his Contamination Level skyrocketing with no solution.”

'A participant in the [Shinin Event] and its sole opponent… hm?'

Lan flipped the page back, carefully rereading this passage.

“Doomsday Year 6. The Academy proposed the Shinin Project: a plan to eliminate all Class S Contaminants to allow humanity to safely recuperate. This plan met with Jian Ruofan’s strong opposition. He believed it would consume too much combat power and was not rational at this stage.”

“Doomsday Year 7. The Academy refined the Shinin Project, arguing that Class S Contaminants had reached a point where they threatened human survival. Humanity was in peril.”

“Doomsday Year 8. The Pollution Control Center and the Academy reached an agreement for the first time, approving the Shinin Project.”

By this point, Jian Ruofan’s support or opposition no longer held practical significance. He could only go with the flow, carried along step by step by the times.