Lu Yan cleaned until 8 a.m.
At 8:30 a.m., just as Lu Yan lay down, intending to get some sleep, the doorbell rang.
He opened his eyes, walked to the door, and was surprised to find that the screen of the peephole monitor was black.
System: [It's broken. It's 07 who's come. When he turns into a bird, he's no different from an ordinary bird, plus his talent for signal interference is more useful than imagined, so he hasn't been discovered along the way.]
[Poor 07. He and 01 have different ideologies, and human society can't accept him either. He's like General Li in the Hunnic Empire, forced to stay.]
Lu Yan was very surprised. "What is he here for?"
[To deliver a message.]
"Are pollutants popular for delivering messages recently?"
Despite this, Lu Yan still opened the door.
07 looked up at him, holding a box in his hands.
His complexion was even paler than when he was an experimental subject, with a hint of shallow lifelessness. "Doctor Lu."
His voice lacked energy.
[He hasn't eaten in a long time. Pollutants won't starve to death, but they will become weak.]
Lu Yan thought for a moment and opened the door a little wider. "Why are you here? Do you want to come in and sit for a while?"
07 whispered, "No. I'll leave soon. I came secretly, and 01 doesn't know. I came to tell you that if in a few days, headquarters or someone else gives you a mission to go to City X, absolutely don't go."
"I hope it won't happen. After all, you just completed an S-level mission, so you shouldn't be given another mission so soon. Doctor, no matter what you hear, find a way to refuse. I hope you can be a little selfish."
"If you insist on going, remember to open this package..."
07 originally wanted to hand him what he was holding, but quickly retracted it and placed it on the ground.
Although he didn't show it on the outside, his body was actually as hot as magma.
Pain and struggle appeared on 07's face. "I don't have much time left, I don't know if I'll be able to see you again. When we meet next time, remember to treat me like a stranger."
With that, the person in front of him turned into a red bird and flew away, flapping its wings.
Where he had lingered, there were scorched marks on the walls, as if they had been burned.
Lu Yan asked, "What's going on with 07?"
[Founding emperors always looked unfavorably upon ministers who conquered the world with them. Liu Bang killed Han Xin, Zhao Kuangyin drank with Zhao Guangyi to relinquish his military power. 01 also doesn't want any dissenting voices at the Hound Base. Especially since 07, as a pollutant, has become too close to humans.]
[He won't kill him, but he will transform 07 into something he likes.]
"What's the matter with City X?"
After the Divine Realm Operation, headquarters attempted to negotiate with 01 to exchange for 09, offering to never initiate an attack on the Hound Base. The meeting point was set in City X. This was because the owner of the slaughterhouse, Lu Zhi, possessed Talent 10, the Soul Contract. Representing headquarters to sign the contract was experimental subject 03, the Pope.
The system sneered: [However, headquarters made one wrong assumption. From the beginning, the Hounds never intended to make this deal with humans.]
[In truth, it's the same for headquarters. As long as the Gu doesn't die, neither will the Pope. And after death, the Soul Contract becomes invalid.]
[In short, this is essentially a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Both sides thought they were the ones holding the winning hand.]
[The only issue is, they underestimated Lu Zhi's... harmlessness a little too much.]
[The contract was replaced.]
*
07 flew back to the base. This time, he had been out for three days and finally met Lu Yan on the third day.
As expected, 01 should still be in City X, preparing to make a deal with the Contamination Disease Prevention and Control Center.
When 07 returned, all the dogs, big and small, came over, barking and wagging their tails, guarding him.
These were all pollutants modified by Gu Zheng and 01.
They had the bodies of dogs, faces resembling humans, and possessed terrifying biting force, reaction speed, strength, and agility.
These "Hounds" were absolutely loyal to their master, born with a contamination value close to 4000. They had a lot of room for improvement.
Their master was 01, with 07 barely counting as half.
Similarly, Gu Zheng, with a dog's head, was chained to the door, staring at the pollutants he created, his expression empty, occasionally smiling foolishly.
He had tried to escape before, but had three legs broken by 01, leaving him with no thoughts of resistance.
Now Gu Zheng seemed not far from madness.
He had developed better Hound genes. If it weren't for proving his continued usefulness, he would probably have been killed by 01 long ago.
After feeding the hungry dogs, 07 returned to his room.
Because of his weakness, he needed longer rest each day.
However, as soon as Zong Yan closed his eyes, the door was pushed open.
Locked doors couldn't stop 01, but out of respect, he rarely did this.
Zong Yan was awakened by the loud noise, opened his eyes, and sat up.
Gu Zheng sat on his bedside, ran his hand through his reddish hair, and asked, "Where have you been these days?"
Zong Yan replied, "Just wandering around."
Gu Zheng squinted slightly. "But I remember your home isn't in K City. Would you wander so far?"
His grip tightened, rubbing Zong Yan's head until it hurt.
07 bit his lip, looking silently towards the corner of the house.
"Everything I've done is for our family," Gu Zheng said slowly, "Not only you, but 03, 04 to 09, except for that traitor, number 10. They are all my family, including you. I thought that even if you didn't understand, you wouldn't betray me."
Gu Zheng slowly tightened his grip on Zong Yan's hair.
"I went to the famous slaughterhouse this time and got the freshest dog food. I was happy and wanted to come back and share it with you."
Gu Zheng tilted his head, showing a somewhat friendly smile. "The chef has cooked. It's in the dining room. Want some?"
Zong Yan took a step back, not answering the question but said, "It hurts."
Gu Zheng didn't release his grip. "Want some?"
"..."
His silence already revealed the answer to Gu Zheng.
A red light flashed in Gu Zheng's eyes. He reached back, pressed Zong Yan onto the bed.
"Gu Zheng?!" Zong Yan struggled.
Gu Zheng took out a needle from his pocket, pressed 07's face onto the bed, leaving only his neck exposed.
White and delicate.
The syringe pierced 07's slender neck, injecting a red solution.
This was one of Gu Zheng's research results, an injectable, dog gene.
The solution was red because it contained Gu Zheng's blood.
This way, after losing all autonomy, 07 could become his "Hound".
This was already the third injection.
Zong Yan's wrists were held tightly by Gu Zheng's hand, unable to move.
A faint fire flashed in his palm, but quickly dissipated.
The injection was painful, but Zong Yan's weak body couldn't resist Gu Zheng.
Tears welled up in his eyes. After Gu Zheng finished the injection, he let go.
Zong Yan's body fell softly, kneeling in front of the bed, trembling uncontrollably, like a patient with rabies having a seizure.
"Gu... Gu Zheng... Don't..." Zong Yan coughed painfully.
01 looked down at Zong Yan expressionlessly, as if seeing his past self.
But deep down, he didn't feel much pity.
"You must obey, 07," he said coldly.
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