Both the silkworm mother and the professor showed no signs of life. However, considering the peculiar nature of pollutants, Tang Xunan approached and delivered a final blow.
The green blood oozing from the silkworm mother carried a putrid odor, nauseating like kitchen waste left out in 36-degree heat for three days.
Lu Yan gazed fixedly at Zhao Ke's lifeless body.
After observing for a while, Tang Xunan couldn't discern Lu Yan's emotions.
He explained, "Dealing with this kind of pollutant after it breaks out of the cocoon is challenging. Killing it at the pupal stage is the best choice."
After breaking the cocoon, the difficulty of dealing with this type of pollutant would increase. The mother insect would breed with the offspring, continuously laying eggs and hatching new moths. At that point, the entire city would become their hunting ground.
Tang Xunan made the choice he deemed right, even if the other party was Lu Yan's mother and mentor.
Lu Yan wasn't sad, just somewhat stunned.
"Professor Zhao was a great teacher. He took our first anatomy class. We gathered around the dissecting table, listening to his stories about the bodies donated by teachers. Afterward, we all bowed three times. When I didn't want to continue my Ph.D., he specifically came to ask if there were financial difficulties, offering to lend me money."
"He's seen life and death in the hospital, saying that birth, aging, sickness, and death are the norms of life. If Teacher's wife still had consciousness, she definitely wouldn't want to end up like this."
Hence, the "Gu Master" who turned them into this seemed particularly despicable.
Lu Yan withdrew his gaze. "Let's go back."
Tang Xunan had already contacted colleagues in Beijing, and Disease Prevention and Control Center personnel were on their way to collect the bodies.
With the spread of the pollution epidemic, the Harbingers became increasingly insufficient. Many logistical personnel from the Disease Prevention and Control Center joined the efforts to handle pollutants.
Most of these people were former special forces, with strong physical and mental qualities. There were also disaster hunters hired from abroad.
Harbingers often experienced abnormal mental states due to prolonged exposure to pollutants, not to mention these ordinary people with lower resistance to pollutants. Therefore, this group of workers had an extremely high attrition rate, usually receiving retirement pensions after working for two or three years or allowing their families to receive compensation.
Some were enticed by the high wages, but more joined the ranks voluntarily, just like
On the wall of the butcher's shop, where Lu Yan once worked, numerous silent heads of predecessors hung initially. Now, it's likely that few remember their names. Many sacrificed silently, maintaining the apparent peace in society today. Tang Xunan lit a cigarette, having sobered up. It was already six in the evening, and regular civil servants had finished work, but their tasks for the day were far from complete.
A few minutes later, personnel in level-three protective suits arrived, conducting a comprehensive inspection and cleanup of the entire residential area. Not only the neighborhood but also the hospital and school where Professor Zhao worked received corresponding notices. The entire city entered a blue alert state.
In the underground sewer of Changming Medical College, another silk mother was discovered. This silk mother had a lower pollution value than Zhao Ke's wife but was on the verge of breaking the cocoon. When found, the silk mother was covered in mucus, with a body resembling a moth and a grotesque human face with a mouthpiece.
In the foul-smelling sewer, its wings flapped incessantly, as if ready to take flight. The sunset cast a beautiful glow on its snow-white scale wings. The accompanying Harbingers efficiently completed the pollution purification, but behind their backs, they broke into a cold sweat.
Despite Lu Yan's careful actions, he inevitably got some silk on him. Though he wore long sleeves, the exposed skin still showed red marks as a reaction to the silk. After returning home, he spent two hours in the bathroom before feeling somewhat comfortable.
By the time he emerged from the bath, the Disease Prevention and Control Center had already sent back the test reports. Tang Xunan printed two copies, one for himself and the other for Lu Yan. Lu Yan's hair was mostly dry, looking voluminous and tempting to touch. He sat on the sofa, looking down at the report sent by the Disease Prevention and Control Center. In his casual home attire with short sleeves, the red marks on his hands and neck were particularly conspicuous.
Xiao Tian, wide-eyed, in a hurry, pulled Tang Xunan's clothes towards a small utility room. Tang Xunan, puzzled, followed him.
After closing the door, Xiao Tian grabbed his leg and exclaimed, "Old Tang, confess honestly. What did you guys do when you went out this afternoon?"
Tang Xunan was very confused, "What can I do?"
"Did you use your authority to flirt with someone at work and deceive them into going to a hotel?" Xiao Tian's heart ached, "This way, you'll end up chasing wives at the crematorium!"
Tang Xunan wanted to give him a punch, but considering Xiao Tian's likely inability to endure it, he had to hold back.
Lu Yan, unaware of the situation, almost caused a rift between the man and his dog because of him.
He was earnestly studying the investigation report. According to the investigation, several teachers at Changming Medical College had detected larvae of the pollutant worm in their minds. These larvae, similar in color to remnants of brain tissue, were flesh-pink and could control the movement of corpses, much like the parasitic nematode.
Most of the teachers with larvae in their minds were severe patients who Professor Zhao had handled. The Pollution Center compared the hatching times of the two silk mothers and concluded that patients were contaminated first, passing the eggs to Professor Zhao. Professor Zhao then transmitted the eggs to his wife, who unfortunately became contaminated, underwent deformities, and eventually deteriorated into a pollutant.
As for the source of pollution in the teachers' bodies, further investigation was needed. Additionally, according to the investigation, during Professor Zhao's wife's critical illness, he had registered as a member of the Miao Medical Association on the internet. This forum, located overseas, had less than 10 active members, mostly relatives of desperate patients.
[Fake.] the system sneered, [These two types of worms are different. One is just a regular silk worm, and the other is a venomous king. There's no comparison, and the latter requires a longer incubation time.]
[Seldom do venomous kings appear. Due to the fear of someone tracing Zhao Ke's footsteps, they made preparations on both fronts.]
[This time, they used venom, as the prophet requested his intervention. After all, they were about to blow up the research institute, and chaos in City A would make it easier for other pollutants to act.]
Unfortunately, the venomous king was unexpectedly countered by Lu Yan.
[The venomous king agreed for two reasons. First, in the first research institute, there are people he wants to save. Second, he received some guidance from the prophet. Twenty to thirty years ago, pollution diseases were not as widely known as they are now, and many lived in fear. The prophet used his talents to help these new pollutants a lot.]
Although the prophet repeatedly faced setbacks at Shen Qingyang's place, in the eyes of some people, his image was surprisingly good.
He helped Lu Zhi escape back to X City, established a mermaid club for the boss, and promised to come back to rescue the test subjects like Subject 01... Behind many things, there was his faint shadow.
Few knew that the prophet was also a fanatic believer. All of this was for his "god."
[The prophet also wanted to make a vague promise to bring Lu Zhi into the fold, but that woman refused.]
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