"I appreciate your courage. In fact, I would advise you to stay here, because no one can leave except for that cruise ship," the system said leisurely. "But I must remind you, even though the land security on Mermaid Island is average, the golden-tailed mermaids in the sea are not to be trifled with."
Lu Yan didn't respond to the system. Instead, he said to the merman, "I'm not leaving. I want to destroy this island."
The merman, whose face had completely transformed into a monstrous appearance, showed a puzzled expression.
The best scenario they had considered was to let the survivors escape. This marked the eighth year since they had become merfolk. When they were still human, a comfortable life allowed the flesh-fish to learn about love, courage, and responsibility. Many tried to resist the transformation; some sneaked into the mermaid club to convey messages, while others spent years grinding their fingernails to write messages on rocks, luring tourists to see. Some tried to escape the pinkish sea area, but no matter how far they swam, they always ended up back in the same place.
Over the decades, some flesh-fish met a gruesome death, their heads displayed as a warning, while others, unable to bear the despair, chose suicide. Some, however, chose to collaborate and joined another faction—the mermaid club that turned them into their current grotesque state.
The sea seemed isolated; underwater, apart from the merfolk, there was nothing. Many merfolk had to sustain themselves with seaweed and kelp. But after joining the mermaid club, flesh-fish only needed to assist the staff in capturing and cutting other flesh-fish to have a full meal. They didn't even need to cut themselves anymore.
This merman didn't blame them. After all, even as merfolk, they needed to feed. They had become accustomed to this dark life. So when Lu Yan spoke of destroying Mermaid Island, they instinctively opposed.
"He says it's impossible. The club has been here for decades, and no one has successfully escaped. It's like a spherical crystal ball trapping everyone inside," the system explained. "And the club's owner can control the merfolk. Those merfolk are pollutants, much stronger than these flesh-fish."
"I am a Harbinger from the Special Operations Department of Huaxia District," Lu Yan said to him, then pulled out his staff ID. "Believe me."
When the merfolk first came to Mermaid Island, pollution disease wasn't as severe as it is now, and they hadn't heard of the Special Operations Department. However, looking at the national emblem on the staff ID, the merman's expression changed, clearly moved, and even his eyes became moist involuntarily.
The merman gestured for Lu Yan to wait, wanting to share this good news with other flesh-fish before making plans.
Lu Yan looked at the thickness of the glass and jumped directly into the water. The night vision ability still worked underwater, but it was somewhat uncomfortable. Lu Yan stopped breathing through his nose but felt no suffocation. Ever since fusing with the kingfisher, he discovered that he could hold his breath underwater for an unusually long time. Returning to the water after developing gill slits behind his ears felt like coming home.
The merfolk had no vocal cords and couldn't speak in the air. However, underwater, Lu Yan heard a series of "gugu" sounds.
"He's asking you how long you can hold your breath," the system translated.
Lu Yan didn't speak, avoiding water entering his mouth, and signaled the merman to lead the way.
The merman led him to the gathering place of the flesh-fish.
If someone looked down from above, Mermaid Island resembled a swimming fish, like half of a Tai Chi diagram. The mermaid club was built on the fish's head, with the beach and other recreational facilities on the fish's back, and the cruise ship anchored at the fish's belly.
The flesh-fish lived far from Mermaid Island, in an area covered with seaweed. The deep red, wide seaweed resembled large strands of kelp gently floating with the water current, creating a serene fairy-tale world.
It was also the last warmth of Mermaid Island.
The merman made some strange calls with air sacs. Fish heads emerged from the seaweed; some had severe mutations, with only skeletons left after being cut. Their lifeless eyes emitted a decaying odor.
Some still retained human features, but their heads flattened, limbs shortened, and lips protruded.
They looked remarkably like mythical "deep-sea dwellers."
"Some with low levels of mutation are recent Harbingers who awakened within the past year," the system explained. "When their bodies first show anomalies, the club's doctors will treat them, telling them it might be accidental contamination and urging them to seek treatment. At that point, other staff members, pretending to be tourists, would share stories about how terrifying the pollution disease is—'I have a friend who was dragged to the Disease Prevention and Control Center and burned,' to break down others' mental defenses."
"At this point, the doctors reappear, claiming to know researchers from the Institute—oh, no, the Puyang system. They offer expensive assistance in curing the pollution disease," the system continued with disdain. "These people are quite wealthy, and sometimes, when they spend enough money, they lower their guard. They sign informed consent forms and are sent to the cruise ship for talent removal surgery. It's a complete set of deceptions, but some people fall for it."
"After the surgery, when they wake up from anesthesia, this group realizes they've turned into merfolk," the system concluded. "Talent transplantation surgery, how is it even performed?"
Lu Yan had spent three months studying pollution substance transplantation surgery in Tang Xunan's dreams, but he had no idea about the principles of talent transplantation surgery.
"There are specialized surgical instruments, a kind of beak from the pollutant, not difficult to operate," the system explained. "Insert the beak from the top of the head, and the pollutant will automatically suck out the Harbinger's pineal gland. It takes about 40 minutes. Then remove the beak and freeze transport and store the pineal gland. It seems unscientific, but human talents are indeed housed in there."
If it were just this, these people would only be exceptionally weak, not turning into merfolk.
However, unscrupulous doctors would inject patients with a hormone derived from pollutants, similar to what the boss injected for himself—the "merfolk gene" for the boss and the "fishman gene" for these Harbingers.
A group of flesh-fish gathered around Lu Yan. The merfolk with low levels of mutation curiously approached him when they saw him, while those with higher levels of mutation showed a hostile gaze.
The merman made a series of "gugu" sounds. Soon, the young merfolk showed joyful expressions, joining in the "gugu" sounds. However, the older merfolk still harbored faint hostility.
It was like a gathering of a large school of fish. Compared to the beautiful mermaids' singing, the voices of these merfolk were much harsher.
The merfolk were somewhat peculiar. For some reason, Lu Yan felt that the older merfolk seemed unwelcoming. Their mutation was too severe, and their thoughts were not very clear, repeatedly uttering the words "fraud," "fraud."
Lu Yan couldn't understand, but the system did.
"Ah, it seems they mistook you for someone..." The arrival of a mermaid broke the relatively calm atmosphere here.
"You fools really have short memories," the mermaid sneered, "Don't forget. The boss loves giving hope and then shattering it."
Lu Yan looked towards the source of the voice. A gray-tailed mermaid approached, carrying a large fish basket filled with swimming fish and fresh vegetables. Compared to other fish people, this gray-tailed mermaid was much more attractive, with a face that exuded a certain bold charm.
The mermaid made "gululu" sounds, some of them fearfully hiding behind Lu Yan.
[This mermaid is called Xu Guanyue. He used to be a fish person but switched sides, joining the mermaid club and now responsible for harvesting fish. It's hard to evaluate what kind of person he is. On one hand, he collaborates with the boss, skillfully cutting the flesh of his own kind. On the other hand, due to his contributions to the mermaid club, he injected mermaid genes and transformed from an ugly fish person into a beautiful mermaid.]
[To call him a good person, he helps by scrimping on his own meals to feed the fish people here. He also assisted in many fish people escape incidents.]
[In the past few decades, quite a few fish people joined the mermaid club, probably over a hundred. Among the defectors, he is the one who has thrived the most.]
Unable to speak underwater, Lu Yan found a rocky surface and climbed up.
Xu Guanyue opened the fish basket, releasing the fish and giving the fish people some time to eat. Then he emerged from the water.
"I'm a harbinger sent by the headquarters," Lu Yan explained succinctly, "Mermaid Island is a den for dark talent transplantation surgeries. You are all awakened harbingers who underwent talent transplantation surgery under unknowing circumstances."
Xu Guanyue's expression remained indifferent. "I know. Some of them I sent for surgery on the cruise ship."
Lu Yan assessed his expression and said, "There would be someone else if not you. You don't need to blame yourself."
Xu Guanyue was just an insignificant screw in the industrial chain. He could choose not to do it, but someone else would. He did it to provide surviving others with a space for survival.
The boss might know Xu Guanyue's thoughts, but he didn't care. Harbingers without talents were, at best, physically superior to others and were no match for his mermaids.
"Before, about fifteen years ago, someone came to Mermaid Island claiming to be a harbinger, promising to find a way to rescue us," Xu Guanyue's expression turned cold again. "I remember him, looked a lot like you. But I'm sure it's not the same person; you don't have that disgusting smell."
Lu Yan replied, "You probably encountered my biological father. He was notorious, and now he's become a pollutant. I've been searching for him to kill him."
Xu Guanyue pursed his lips, eyes filled with deep-seated hatred. "Because of trusting him too much, half of the fish people here died, killing each other. He and the boss stood on the cruise ship, pouring champagne into the sea to celebrate. The seawater in Mermaid Bay turned from green to pink. I'll never forget that scene."
His hand clenched into a fist.
Lu Cheng deceived them. Claiming to be a harbinger with spatial abilities, he said the fish people couldn't leave because the place was spatially isolated, and he could take them out. When hundreds of fish people reached the edge of the coast, Lu Cheng said his ability was insufficient, and he could only take half of them.
The fish people, now pollutants, sang when this happened. The song stirred their deepest desires and darkest sides. They wanted to go home.
Who can maintain a bright human nature forever? Everyone wanted to leave this cursed place. In a state of madness, the powerful mermaids killed the weak ones who refused to leave.
The result was two puppeteers laughing heartily on the deck.
"Your dad is really something," the system couldn't help but comment. "I suggest executing him soon."
"I will," Lu Yan replied.
After narrating this painful past, Xu Guanyue looked wary. "So, how do you prove you're not another scam?"
As he spoke, several highly mutated fish people emerged, their flesh almost entirely cut, but with fresh, sharp teeth in their mouths.
"Show your fish scales," the system suggested, "Tell them you're a group. With your face, it'll be very convincing."
Lu Yan, hearing this, pushed up his wet sleeves, revealing the golden fish scales on his arm. "I am one of the chosen mermaids this year."
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