"Yes, you can call me the system. Perhaps in your mind, only the system can scientifically explain me."
"I know what you're thinking. You haven't fallen ill. I am your talent, or should I say, extraordinary ability?"
"After contact with the source of pollution, those contaminated are called pollutants; those who remain uncontaminated and awaken abilities are called awakeners. This fact will be accepted by people in a few months. Secrets cannot be contained... What kind of world do you think you're living in? In fact, you've already encountered awakeners, clever... Lin Sinan. Oh, and you are one too."
"Though a bit weak. But you have me. I am quite an amazing talent, you've hit the jackpot, truly."
"It's not that you possess me, it's that I chose you."
...
Lu Yan opened his eyes. He turned on the television, switching to the news channel.
The reports still circled around the sealed-off City H.
"The mutants have been dealt with. Please rest assured, the pollution disease this time is not contagious," the reporter flashed a sweet smile in front of the camera.
The audience wouldn't know she wasn't in heavily polluted City H but in a studio in their own city.
In 2121, the world remained seemingly peaceful.
He drew the curtains, looking down coldly. Workers hustled for buses to get to work, students cursed the early hours—everything seemed unchanged.
If it weren't for yesterday's surgery, Lu Yan too would believe the future hadn't changed.
That fish egg, buried in the flowerpot.
As he buried the fish egg, the system's incessant notifications buzzed in his ears.
"Though just a low-level pollutant, as the egg of the Parasitic Kingfisher, it holds a special purpose."
"Perhaps you've played Shark Evolution? The hatched kingfisher can devour other parasite fish's eggs, you know~"
"No way, seriously, in the year 2121, there are still doctors who believe traditional medical methods work against the pollution disease?"
The moment Lu Yan put down the shovel, the phone rang jarringly.
Lu Yan paused, answering the call.
"Dr. Lu, help me..." Dr. Li's voice was hoarse on the other end.
Dr. Li, who performed surgery with him yesterday.
"I don't know who else to turn to, I dare not go to the hospital."
It was winter now. K City, along the coast, not too cold.
Under his thick coat, Li Rui's arms had been scratched, bloody streaks running from under his fingernails, as if it were some scene of self-harm. Yet, he seemed oblivious, relentlessly digging into his skin with unnaturally sharp nails.
Tiny, semi-transparent fish eggs were embedded in the skin of his arms, resembling small bubbles, oddly reddened from the soaked blood.
Sitting on a park bench, wearing a hat, layers of coats, down jackets, and windbreakers, the cold pierced through like needles, spreading from limbs to the depths of the soul. The eggs, parasites, relentlessly plundered the body's warmth for survival.
Perhaps due to his overly anxious expression, the morning exercisers avoided him at a distance.
"What's going on?" Lu Yan asked.
Li Rui lowered his voice, "My arms... something's growing on them..."
Yesterday, the surgery they conducted together.
Lu Yan quickly realized what Li Rui was referring to.
Frowning, Lu Yan said, "You should contact the Pollution Control Center."
Six years ago, when pollution first broke out overseas, the world briefly panicked on a small scale. Later confirmed by experts, it was a new century's infectious disease called the pollution disease.
Pollution disease prevention and control centers were established worldwide as a result.
Shaking his head frantically, Li Rui said, "Back in college, I interned at the Pollution Center in City A. Those people get taken in for processing. High temperatures kill... I don't want to die! Save me, Dr. Lu! We performed surgery yesterday. You heard what that military officer said, just cut off those fish eggs and it'll be fine."
Saving lives is a doctor's duty. Li Rui hadn't seen anyone more committed to this responsibility and belief than Lu Yan.
That was why he sought out Lu Yan.
Before Lu Yan could respond, the house, usually devoid of visitors, was greeted with a knock on the door.
"Lu Yan, I'm just at the...,"
"Wait, I'll call you back."
Lu Yan hung up, activating the smart door viewer. The visitor's face appeared on the screen.
Two people, one of whom was Lin Sinan from yesterday.
Today, he was dressed casually. Sneakers, jeans, a light-colored T-shirt paired with a dark work jacket. His attire resembled a high school heartthrob visiting a metropolitan city for the first time from a small town.
Lin Sinan addressed the door viewer, "Hello, Dr. Lu. I'm Lin Sinan. We've met before. Because yesterday's surgery might have certain infectious aspects, I've brought a colleague to assist with an examination. Please rest assured, we're legitimate professionals."
After patting himself for a while, Lin Sinan eventually found his credentials in his colleague's pocket.
"K City Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center," with a photo above and an official stamp below. His role was listed as "Inspector."
Lu Yan opened the door, fetching shoe covers.
Lin Sinan stepped inside, casually scanning the place.
It looked like a display room, void of any signs of life. In the semi-open kitchen, the cutting boards were impeccably clean, devoid of any traces of living.
Apart from that, Lin Sinan noticed something intriguing.
Lu Yan might be skilled with a bow. There was an archery target on the living room wall, riddled with holes.
The inspector opened a briefcase, seating himself at the dining table, softly speaking, "The examination requires a small blood sample. Dr. Lu, would that be convenient for you?"
His box-shaped briefcase was placed slightly askew.
Lu Yan restrained all his strength, refraining from straightening it, silently extending his arm instead.
The blood collection was swiftly done, the blood promptly placed into an unfamiliar box-shaped instrument.
A few minutes later, the inspector stated, "You don't have the pollution disease. If you experience fever or any discomfort during this period, you can contact our Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center at any time. We will provide necessary assistance."
Lu Yan stared into his eyes and asked, "Is the pollution disease truly just an infectious disease?"
Here's a smooth English translation of the passage you provided:
"Pollutant diseases are indeed contagious illnesses. They're just a new type of genetic mutation. These diseases are highly infectious and caused tens of thousands of deaths overseas several years ago. However, thanks to the relentless efforts of scientists worldwide, they've been brought under control. Patients with pollutant diseases only appear in small, localized areas, so there's no need to be overly alarmed."
A disdainful laugh echoed in Lu Yan's mind from the system: [That's only because it started with low-level pollutants. A Class C pollutant can destroy a city, ending countless lives in that disaster. But weakness has always been humanity's original sin.]
[By the way, a heads up, it's best to get rid of that person quickly if you don't want to be taken to the research facility.]
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Lu Yan inquired, "Thank you for your answers. Is there anything else?"
"...No. Wishing you a pleasant life."
"Thank you."
Moments later, two personnel from the Disease Prevention and Control Center left Lu Yan's home.
Lin Sinan spoke first, "Obsessive cleanliness is one of the most common clinical manifestations of OCD. Living environment normal, no sources of pollution."
The inspector added, "Lu Yan, his father was one of the first pollutant disease patients ten years ago. He was imprisoned for fraud and had a history of multiple domestic violence incidents. His mother committed suicide when he was six."
"Lu Yan suffered prolonged confinement and abuse by his father, rescued at the age of 12. Diagnosis revealed photophobia, claustrophobia, and dissociative identity disorder. The split personality is antisocial, highly aggressive."
"At 16, Lu Yan was discharged after recovery. That same year, his father became a pollutant and was incarcerated in a research facility, labeled as 18."
"In 2117, Pollutant 18 escaped from the facility. This was the only incident involving an A-Class pollutant escaping. Even though the mutation affected 18's brain, researchers concluded that pollutants, in their later stages, could possess intelligence comparable to humans."
"Lin, you know what my talent is. I sense danger around him," the inspector said solemnly. He was an auxiliary-type Precognition, able to detect danger to some extent.
"Test results are out. Spiritual power threshold 0, degree of mutation 0. A regular person. I thought he could become a Precognition." Lin Sinan retrieved a military-grade sedative from his pocket, taking a puff. "Let's go. Time to move elsewhere."
According to the Academy's research, organisms with a mutation degree between 0 and 100 still fell within the human category. Precognitions were humans contaminated with talents but had a mutation degree under 100. Their strength was determined by the spiritual power threshold.
Beyond a mutation degree of 100, they ceased to be human and were classified as pollutants, akin to animals, plants, or even inorganic matter.
And Lu Yan was at 0.
Dr. Li Rui had been waiting for Lu Yan's call.
Sitting on a bench in the park, it was getting colder. The world before his eyes gradually faded into a dull gray.
The weather turned increasingly humid, a mist spreading around.
High fever blurred Li Rui's consciousness.
Until he suddenly felt someone approaching, prompting him to jerk his head up.
Two unfamiliar figures nearby.
His instinct told him they were after him.
He would be taken to the control center, vanishing like those grotesque patients he had seen, incinerated in kiln temperatures!
Without hesitation, Li Rui dashed away.
The two who were about to show their work permits hesitated for a moment, then promptly gave chase.
Li Rui wasn't particularly fit; a few hours of surgery could exhaust him, let alone now, dressed like a penguin. Yet, his speed increased, resembling a gust of wind.
While running, Lu Yan's hearing became exceptionally sharp, picking up distant murmurs of disdain: "Isn't that a Parasitic Contamination? Why did the host mutate?" Mutate...? Yes, the anomalies exhibited by an ordinary person afflicted with contamination were termed mutations.
Dr. Li Rui hadn't run for long before the sound of a helicopter pierced the sky. Looking up, he spotted the helicopter's door opening, revealing Lin Sinan armed to the teeth and securing a safety rope, brandishing a sniper rifle.
His voice reverberated through the megaphone: "Individual ahead, cease your movement immediately, drop to the ground, and hold your head. We're staff from the Disease Prevention and Control Center. Based on preliminary analysis, you've been infected by a parasite. Stop moving! We'll take you for specialized treatment!"
"If you refuse investigation and treatment, we will resort to emergency measures." However, Li Rui paid no heed, continuing his frenzied sprint.
A drop of sweat trickled down Lin Sinan's temple. Command echoed in his earpiece, "The patient is affected by parasitic contamination, already mutated, becoming a potential source of infection. Suggested action: termination."
Thus, Lin Sinan pulled the trigger. The rifle's range automatically locked onto the target. Several hundred meters above the ground, Li Rui ran, the aircraft swayed. It was nearly inconceivable for anyone to hit in such conditions.
Yet, at the instant the gunshot resounded, a spray of blood erupted from Li Rui's body. However, contrary to expectations, he didn't collapse. In a chilling spectacle, headless, the body continued its forward charge.
Lin Sinan furrowed his brow, swiftly firing two more shots, within a mere ten seconds of the initial one. The rifle was loaded with heavy rounds; a hit from this meant certain death.
Li Rui, naturally, couldn't possibly survive. But just like a thread-like parasite controlling a mantis to jump into water to die, whatever inhabited his body acted likewise.
The sky, previously overcast, suddenly released a downpour. In the torrential rain, the body finally found its destination: the moat surrounding City K.
It joyously leaped into the river's waters.
...
...
The corpse was swiftly retrieved. Lin Sinan, disregarding contamination, removed Li Rui's clothes, meticulously inspecting. There were no traces of fish roe on him. Yet, this discovery brought no solace. The flowing waters beside them remained relentless.
Two soldiers hung their heads in shame, "Apologies, we couldn't catch up to him."
Usually, mutations had three stages, with at least a two-week buffer. Yet, from contamination to the onset of mutation, Li Rui had only a few short hours. It defied logic to the point where even Lin Sinan was taken aback.
As humans evolve, so do contaminants naturally.
Lin Sinan's expression turned exceedingly grim, "Sudden contamination event, tentatively classified as B-level. Variant of C-level contaminant 'Parasitic Fish,' retrieval failed, contamination spread range currently unknown. Requesting headquarters' support."