Contamination Investigation

Chapter 66

Shen Wang didn't admit it, but the Blood Thorns devoured an entire Grade B Contaminant right in front of Zhou Xiangzhe.

These little things were exactly like the ones Zhou Xiangzhe had seen before—scared of him yet craving a bite, wary but still wanting to sink their teeth in.

As Zhou Xiangzhe mulled it over, something suddenly clicked.

Shen Wang had bitten him once, and these little things looked like they really wanted to take a bite out of him too.

‘Can I ask what's actually going on?’ Zhou Xiangzhe looked at Shen Wang. ‘Of course, if you don't want to explain…’

‘There's nothing I don't want to explain.’ The little thorns on the floor receded, and Shen Wang poked at the thorn tendril on his shoulder, telling it to go back. His appearance returned to its original form—the black-haired, black-eyed Shen Wang that Zhou Xiangzhe knew so well.

‘I'm treating my illness.’

Zhou Xiangzhe tilted his head and met Shen Wang's eyes, his golden gaze full of confusion.

A moment later, he seemed to catch on. ‘Genetic Disease?!’

Zhou Xiangzhe quickly sorted through the timeline of his encounters with the Blood Thorns in his mind. First, he'd returned to Central City from a mission and ran into Shen Wang at the containment center—that's when he heard about the bizarre death of the Grade B Contaminant, Plum Rain, and later the low-level contaminant Joker being preyed upon.

Now that he thought about it, ever since he first came across the Blood Thorns, they had always been hunting contaminants and never once polluted a human.

The Anti-Contamination Center had even held a meeting about it, and the final decision was: don't make any rash moves before the Blood Thorns attack a human.

Which meant: was it Shen Wang behind all of that?!

‘You said before that you found a cure for your illness—is devouring contaminants the cure?’ Zhou Xiangzhe asked. ‘Does eating contaminants suppress your… appetite?’

‘It's satisfying my appetite,’ Shen Wang answered calmly. ‘I discovered it when a contaminant attacked the hospital. I was in a flare-up, my temper was terrible, and after I killed the Grade C Contaminant that attacked me, I unconsciously devoured it. After I did, the symptoms vanished, and that's when I realized the real cure.’

He looked at Zhou Xiangzhe. ‘So I temporarily left the hospital to test whether this method could really cure me.’

What he hadn't expected was that Xiao Qi was still alive and searching for him, and ended up mistakenly thinking he'd died in the hospital, which caused Zhou Xiangzhe's contamination level to spike.

Zhou Xiangzhe let out a soft breath, feeling like so many things suddenly made sense.

Why Shen Wang had vanished from the hospital for three years, why he was alive but unwilling to show himself, why he only returned to Central City three years later and even went so far as to adopt a new identity when he did.

Because Shen Wang had a strong survival instinct, and he knew very well that after something like that, he shouldn't stay among humans. If the Science Academy discovered him, it'd be a nightmare—Lan was living proof of that.

They'd missed each other for so many years due to those twists of fate.

‘If we trace it back to the source, my contamination reaching this level is partly my fault,’ Shen Wang said, looking at Zhou Xiangzhe.

‘It has nothing to do with you.’ Zhou Xiangzhe shook his head. ‘You made the best choice you could.’

Using contaminants as a cure was absolutely shocking. If humans found out, he'd be labeled as mentally deranged from contamination or classified as a contaminant himself—no need to imagine the outcome. Not everyone would be as accepting and trusting of Shen Wang as Zhou Xiangzhe was.

Besides, Shen Wang had been sick for so many years, stuck in the hospital. He'd finally found a way to treat himself, and even if it sounded unconventional, he had to try.

Zhou Xiangzhe murmured, ‘I'm really glad you told me all this.’

Shen Wang clicked his tongue. ‘Don't you dare say it has nothing to do with me.’

Zhou Xiangzhe froze for a second.

‘I said it's related to me, so it's related to me.’ Shen Wang fixed him with a domineering stare. ‘Because it's related to me, I'll take responsibility.’

‘You have to let me take responsibility, got it?’

Zhou Xiangzhe gazed at Shen Wang. ‘Why do you have to pile responsibility on yourself like that?’

‘Of course, because you're a bastard,’ Shen Wang answered flatly. ‘You're way too easy to read. You bottle everything inside, you don't want me to know or put me in a difficult position, you want to shoulder everything on your own. So I have to tie myself into your life as much as possible.’

‘Your burdens are my burdens. Only this way will you actually face our relationship and tell me all your troubles.’

‘You know that, Zhou Xiangzhe?’ Shen Wang raised his hand to show him the ring on his finger. ‘This thing isn't just for show.’

‘Once we put them on, we share good fortune and face hardship together. No one gets to run away, and certainly no one gets to leave the other.’

‘I really have to keep an eye on you about this.’

Zhou Xiangzhe didn't answer. He listened quietly to Shen Wang's scolding, neither admitting to it nor refuting.

After Shen Wang finished his reproach, Zhou Xiangzhe spoke: ‘Then… what should I do?’

Zhou Xiangzhe's social life was what it was. As the strongest mutant, he had no friends besides Ming Guang. Because he'd always carried Little Fifteen in his heart, he'd never had any romantic experience. Everyone feared him, and no one had a stable, intimate relationship with him.

His way of handling relationships was to never let the other person suffer loss and to treat them as well as he possibly could.

That's exactly what he'd done with Shen Wang.

‘Act cute,’ Shen Wang answered.

Zhou Xiangzhe was taken aback. ‘Huh?’

‘You know how they write it in novels?’ Shen Wang smiled, a bit teasing and sly. ‘The sick character deliberately acts pitiful and cloying, tells the other person how awful they feel, makes them take care of them, exaggerates the pain—that's how you win their empathy.’

‘So when you're suffering, just act cute with me more. Problem solved.’

Zhou Xiangzhe couldn't quite process it. He'd been a cold, aloof cool guy for twenty years, and now someone was telling him to act cute for the first time.

Seeing Zhou Xiangzhe completely speechless, Shen Wang didn't push him further.

‘Come on, let's go back and report the mission. The contaminant's been dealt with, so the guard squad can come in and search for survivors.’

Zhou Xiangzhe followed Shen Wang out.

On the way, Zhou Xiangzhe seemed lost in thought, so Shen Wang didn't have him tag along. He told him to wait there while he went to report on the mission and then apply for access to Zero Contamination Zone.

Cangqing East City had a direct route to Zero Contamination Zone, but only authorized personnel could use it—very strict.

Zhou Xiangzhe stood waiting for Shen Wang to return. While he waited, he looked down at the ring on his ring finger, and as he stared, Shen Wang's words came back to him.

The ring wasn't just for decoration. Wearing it meant sharing both joys and sorrows, and not shutting the other person out.

So that's how it was?

Just then, Zhou Xiangzhe suddenly frowned and pressed his hand over his chest.

A dull ache radiated from his chest. He clutched it and hurried to a nearby restroom. Once inside, he locked the door behind him, braced himself against the sink, and looked up, chest still throbbing.

In the mirror, his appearance was unchanged—still the same long silver hair and golden eyes—but an eerie aura had settled over him for no apparent reason.

A faint golden mist seemed to swirl within those golden eyes, as if the gold was bleeding out from his irises, drifting to his eyelids and under his eyes, staining them in patches of golden scales.

Zhou Xiangzhe covered one eye with his hand, but even his fingers were being soaked through by that gold.

If there were a Contamination Detector in the bathroom, it would already be screaming nonstop, the Contamination Level pinned at 90% and bouncing around constantly.

‘No,’ Zhou Xiangzhe said aloud.

He bit down on the corner of his lip until it broke.

The metallic tang of blood filled his mouth and nose, but stronger than that, an overwhelming urge to hurt himself kept surging up.

‘Just die. I don't want to become a monster.’

‘It's already this bad, there's no hope. Better to die whole, as a human.’

‘Shen Wang hates contaminants. I can't turn into something he despises. If I just die right now…’

‘No!’

Zhou Xiangzhe lowered his hand and stared at his bloodied lips in the mirror.

‘…I can't die.’

He'd searched for his Little Fifteen for so long, finally found him, even signed the marriage application—they truly had each other now, swore to share joy and hardship. How could he let his contamination kill him now, let him turn into a monster?

He couldn't die. He couldn't become a monster.

Even if the mental corruption kept whispering, kept seducing him to die.

‘I don't want to die. Not at all.’

The churning gold in his pupils receded, and the sudden golden scales slowly vanished before his eyes. Zhou Xiangzhe looked at his reflection and realized the self-destructive urges were fading too. But it was only temporary—unless the contamination problem was solved, they'd come back.

He let out a soft breath, washed his face at the sink. The wound on his lip had stopped bleeding, but the tear was still visible.

Zhou Xiangzhe dried his face and stepped out of the restroom, only to see Shen Wang standing there with a guard squad member.

‘Captain Zhou, your application to Zero Contamination Zone—’ The guard's voice cut off. He stared oddly at the wound on Zhou Xiangzhe's lip.

After a two-second pause, the guard snuck a glance at Shen Wang and finished the sentence in a very small voice.

‘…has been approved.’

Shen Wang: …

The guy scurried off in a hurry.

Only Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangzhe were left. Zhou Xiangzhe still seemed confused.

Shen Wang walked over. ‘You're a real expert at starting rumors.’

‘What?’

‘He thinks I bit you.’ Shen Wang took hold of Zhou Xiangzhe's chin and examined the wound. ‘How did this happen? It wasn't there when I left.’

Zhou Xiangzhe considered it, unsure whether Shen Wang would get angry if he answered truthfully.

Before he could decide, Shen Wang's face loomed close, and Zhou Xiangzhe's eyes widened slightly as he felt a damp softness on his lips.

Shen Wang kissed him.

Before Zhou Xiangzhe could even savor it, a sharp sting bloomed at the corner of his lips—Shen Wang bit him.

The stinging kiss ended, and Zhou Xiangzhe covered his mouth, golden eyes full of bewilderment.

‘Since we've already been misunderstood, let's make it real.’ Shen Wang declared, utterly brazen.

Zhou Xiangzhe: …

That was definitely Shen Wang's style.

But he liked it.

/

Outside Zero Contamination Zone, many people were on patrol.

Because of unusual activity in Zone Zero, the contaminants that had been hiding there suddenly poured out en masse, each one trembling at the edge of the zone.

The Anti-Contamination Center figured something must have happened inside Zero Contamination Zone, but they had no idea what—because as the most terrifying contamination source, any normal person who steps in immediately undergoes Aberration, losing all human form. They could only observe from far outside.

At this news, Zhou Xiangzhe fell silent.

He remembered the Tyrant who had left, and with Shen Wang bringing him here to meet the parents, it was probably that Zero Contamination Zone was the Tyrant's territory.

And the contaminants kicked out of Zone Zero were likely ones that had squatted in his home while the Tyrant was away. Now that he'd returned, of course they'd get beaten and thrown out.

That he didn't just exterminate them outright showed the Tyrant was in a good mood.

‘We've already observed at least five Grade A contaminants and dozens of Grade B ones,’ the mutant leading them explained dutifully. ‘But strangely, these contaminants are just sitting right at the edge of Zone Zero without any expansion behavior.’

‘Even in broad daylight, out in the sun… like they're being punished.’

Shen Wang thought: it is punishment. Without orders, not a single contaminant dared move.

This was the menace of a Grade SSS contaminant: the Tyrant.

‘Let's go take a closer look,’ Shen Wang said. ‘Keep watch here.’

‘Yes!’ the mutant responded quickly.

Without explicit orders, the Anti-Contamination Center would defer to the command of high-ranking mutants. Of course, that didn't apply to everyone—for example, North Star's vice-captain Ming Guang was only a Grade B mutant, yet there were plenty of A-grades in North Star who all obediently followed his orders.

But for S-grade mutants, it was iron law: S-grade mutants stood above all ordinary mutants.

Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangzhe stepped into Zero Contamination Zone, soon drawing near the trembling contaminants at the edge. The contaminants didn't even dare turn their heads, just stood frozen in a row at the perimeter, and when Shen Wang got closer, they looked even more terrified.

Shen Wang found it amusing, even wanted to go mess with them, but Zhou Xiangzhe grabbed his wrist from behind.

‘Alright,’ Zhou Xiangzhe coaxed. ‘Didn't we come here to meet your parents?’

Shen Wang clicked his tongue, gave up on the mischief, and turned to lead Zhou Xiangzhe inside.

The mutants keeping watch nearby could only stare as they walked into a layer of mist and vanished from sight in an instant.

They held their breath, exchanging glances for a moment.

‘Now what? We've lost visuals.’

‘That's already inside Zero Contamination Zone, isn't it? A strictly forbidden area, and they just went in.’

‘Is there still a signal? Can we detect their life signs?’

‘Report! Their life signal lights are still on, so they should be fine.’

‘As long as they're fine, that's good. As expected of two S-ranks!’

Meanwhile, now truly inside the bounds of Zero Contamination Zone, Zhou Xiangzhe barely dared take a deep breath. His Contamination Level was already terrifyingly high; he had no business entering a place like this. A Grade S Contamination Source would only make his contamination more volatile.

He braced for the pain, but to his surprise, he felt no discomfort after stepping in.

Zhou Xiangzhe blinked, and even checked the contamination suppressor he wore, finding it perfectly intact.

‘Zero Contamination Zone is his domain. He can control the contamination levels inside for short periods,’ Shen Wang said, glancing at him. ‘I told him we were coming back.’

Zhou Xiangzhe fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

The Tyrant's power far exceeded his imagination. Thank goodness the Anti-Contamination Center had never thought of becoming his enemy. As for the Vanishing Project… let the Center and the Science Academy worry about that for a while longer.

They walked on a bit further and soon heard a sound.

It was a woman's delighted laughter.

As they got closer, Zhou Xiangzhe saw a woman sitting on a swing made of green vines, tiny yellow blossoms blooming on it. The swing carried her up and down, fluttering like a pure white butterfly, and the person pushing her from behind was someone Zhou Xiangzhe had seen before.

The Tyrant wore the same refined glasses as always, but his eyes were filled with love as he looked at the woman.

He was so powerful that the world itself dared not oppose him, yet here he was, pushing a swing for the woman he loved.

‘Ah! It's Xiao Wang!’

The woman hopped off the swing, lifted her skirt, and ran up to Shen Wang, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. ‘Mama's little tadpole is home!’

The man walked over too. Unlike the woman, he didn't rush to embrace Shen Wang. He just sized up Zhou Xiangzhe, a subtle look in his dark eyes.

The Tyrant still remembered Zhou Xiangzhe—remembered how, when he'd gone to bring back the boy's mother, this young man had stood before him with arms spread, shielding the thousand humans behind him.

A newly emerged S-grade mutant with decent enough strength.

‘Hello,’ Zhou Xiangzhe spoke first. ‘My name is Zhou Xiangzhe.’

The Tyrant studied him for a while, then gave a slight nod. ‘Mm.’

Neither cold nor warm, impossible to tell if he was pleased or not, but for Zhou Xiangzhe, getting a response was good enough.

After all, he was a high-ranking member of the Anti-Contamination Center, and when the Tyrant emerged, he'd even tried to protect the Center staff behind him—clearly standing on the opposing side.

Even if no one else cared, the issue of sides would always be there.

‘Dad, be a little warmer.’ The woman patted the Tyrant's arm from behind. ‘Our little brother finally brought his lover home, at least smile.’

The Tyrant coughed, keeping a straight face and refusing. ‘…Can't smile.’

‘I suddenly think maybe big brother's worries were right.’

His child hadn't spent a single day being close to him, and now someone else had stolen him away? Unfair!

Shen Wang stood beside Zhou Xiangzhe, watching the couple start bickering softly. A warm, cozy feeling radiated from them—even though one was a contaminant and the other a mutant, they still lived like an ordinary, lovely little couple.

That said, the Tyrant hadn't voiced any explicit objection.

They'd been apart for many years, but he could still feel it—both his children were stubborn as stones, relentless until they broke through walls even if it meant bloodying their heads. Whether Lan or Shen Wang, each had their own resolve.

As the father of these two stubborn kids, all he could do was support them… and quietly loosen the soil around that wall.

The mother, on the other hand, was very interested in Zhou Xiangzhe. She was a human mutant, a genius singer who'd grown up among humans and had even been taken into the Anti-Contamination Center at first. Knowing he was a high-ranking Center official, her curiosity wouldn't quit.

She really wanted to know what the Anti-Contamination Center was like now, whether it was still as she remembered.

So she dragged Zhou Xiangzhe off.

Watching his wife take Zhou Xiangzhe away, the Tyrant finally turned to look at Shen Wang, who was sitting before him.

‘His contamination is already out of control, isn't it,’ the Tyrant said.

Shen Wang nodded. ‘Yeah, so we're looking for a solution.’

‘I sensed it the last time I saw him,’ the Tyrant recalled his first meeting with Zhou Xiangzhe. ‘There's something else residing in his body. That thing keeps affecting his contamination, and once his contamination level becomes uncontrollable, the thing inside will emerge from him.’

Shen Wang looked at his father. ‘The Deer God is still alive?’

‘Contaminants are all monsters that will come back if you don't wipe them out completely,’ the Tyrant said calmly, not counting himself in that category at all. ‘If you don't eliminate them at the start, a single spark can reignite them. That little boyfriend of yours holding it down this long is already impressive.’

Shen Wang furrowed his brow slightly.

This was even worse than the original situation.

Zhou Xiangzhe had thought that if there was really no other way, he'd just go with Shen Wang, that even if his contamination hit 100 and he became a contaminant, he might still retain his sanity. But now his father was telling him that if Zhou Xiangzhe's contamination reached 100, it would be the Deer God's return to the world.

What would happen to Zhou Xiangzhe then was uncertain.

This was terrible.

Shen Wang let out a heavy sigh and looked at the Tyrant. ‘Dad, do you have any ideas?’

The Tyrant's eyes paused briefly at the title. He seemed a bit pleased, but didn't show it.

‘Do you really like him that much? He's just an ordinary human. Even though he's an S-grade mutant, he's at his limit. You have better options.’

‘But you've never thought of abandoning Mom,’ Shen Wang replied with a small smile. ‘Mom is human too.’

The Tyrant gave Shen Wang a subtle look, then thought for a moment. ‘Contamination level is something every mutant experiences. A person is a vessel, and contamination is water. Water enters the vessel. Vessels that hold a lot of water without shattering are mutants; the ones that shatter are contaminants.’

‘Water keeps flowing in, so even mutants can't hold too much before they eventually shatter.’

Shen Wang thought for a bit. ‘Make the vessel sturdier, or bigger?’

‘The vessel is fixed. In this world, only your mother has a vessel so vast it can never be filled,’ the Tyrant said with a hint of pride, then continued after that pride faded.

‘You could try fighting contamination with contamination, stop that thing inside him from causing trouble, and he might hold on a while longer.’

Shen Wang's eyes lit up. ‘How do we do that?’

‘There's a Contaminant with a very interesting Contamination Talent—its talent is a program that can set its own rules, and under the program's control, everyone has to obey those rules to live,’ the father said. ‘That Contaminant should be at Contamination Site No. 3 by now.’

‘If I remember correctly, the place it resides is called the City of Order.’

‘Using Rule Restriction to limit the contaminant inside him—maybe that could work.’