After Being Parasitized by a Monster 13

Chapter 13: I told you, we’re fishing.

Cheng Ming, who was being “fished,” was completely unaware.

The narrow passage widened as it descended, and the thousands of transport pipes from the hundreds of floors of the building gradually converged. The mycelia climbed the walls of the shaft, which were covered with dense metal hinges, extending infinitely forward like a fishing line.

She didn’t follow the target closely. After confirming the direction, she carefully left a buffer zone to guard against accidents.

From time to time, she would hear sounds from an indistinguishable source. It could be the operating pipeline facilities, or it could be coming from the rooms behind the walls.

This place was like another world buried behind the walls. Cheng Ming felt like she had become an animal living in the sewers, walking on a tightrope with every step, the tension and excitement constantly stimulating her cerebral cortex.

It was truly a new life experience.

The air was stagnant, and she needed to breathe. Whenever she encountered a ventilation opening, she would have Xiao Ming extend its mycelia, taking the opportunity to familiarize herself with the passing areas.

“Sometimes I feel like you’re not an employee here…” Xiao Ming muttered with emotion, “more like a spy who has infiltrated the inside.”

That was a very accurate description. Cheng Ming lowered her eyes, focusing on discerning the nearby environment, and smiled noncommittally.

She was right. She had no sense of belonging to the research institute, so she had to be fully prepared to turn against it at any moment.

The sacred place she once yearned for, ever since Cheng Ran and Cheng Jin’s strange disappearance, had become a stone hanging in her heart, a behemoth pressing down on her head. It was unknown, uncontrollable, and terrifying, yet it was the only breakthrough. She had to face it.

The last fork in the road ended, and the space in front of her suddenly opened up.

Clack. She stepped on a protruding rivet structure and squatted down to observe. The rollers drove the chains, and the transport container approached the ground. The delivery gate opened, and more noisy sounds rushed in, echoing in the long shaft.

Judging from the echo, it was connected to a large space outside, something like an underground parking lot.

The final destination was not inside the research institute, but was to be transported out. Where to?

Cheng Ming stared at the height of at least ten floors below, then at her own attire, which had been simplified to the extreme for ease of movement, and hesitated whether to continue.

That is to say, she had neither brought any weapons nor made any disguise. It would be troublesome if she ran into someone.

But, she had already come this far… With one hand on the metal wall beside her, those four words flashed through Cheng Ming’s mind.

Then, she stood up and jumped down.

…

10:53 PM.

Beyond the thick walls, in the most remote and dimmest corner of the underground.

Seeing that the experimental materials had been successfully received and taken out of storage, the person who had been waiting for a long time suddenly tilted her head. Her gaze pierced through the multi-layered structure of the transport channel, and she let out a soft syllable, “Huh?”

The little girl next to her was tapping on the container to check the goods. Hearing the sound, she looked at her.

“So there really was a bite.” She leisurely lifted her hat, revealing a cold smile. The long hair coiled inside it fell down. “Little Yangmei, I’ll leave this to you.”

The gate was about to close.

Separated by a wall, it was a scene of a fish and a fisherman rushing towards each other.

After using the shaft wall to buffer her fall several times, Cheng Ming was about to land on the flat ground below. Before her feet could touch solid ground, her biological sixth sense made her urgently dodge to the side. But due to the limited space in the passage, poor lighting, and chaotic vision, she still plunged headfirst into the trap.

Like a shellfish moving cautiously on a reef, thinking it was careful enough, not knowing that the cunning predator had long since blended in with the environment.

And so, she was caught as soon as she poked her head out.

The exit right in front of her was completely sealed. The darkness surged like ink, and an invisible enemy pounced on her in an instant. The lurking tentacles violently coiled around her, pressing her firmly against the hard metal wall.

Her bones vibrated and went numb, and the oxygen was squeezed out of her lungs.

As the world spun, Cheng Ming heard a low scoff, cold and chilling, but the end of the sound rose slightly, strangely familiar—

“Move again if you want to die.”

Through a thin layer of cloth, a damp, cold, and slimy sensation enveloped her skin. Something cold and hard was pressed against her neck, its tip sharp. As the force increased, a stinging pain spread.

She was half a marine biology expert.

Normally, she might not be able to identify the shape by touch, but at this moment, when she was directly experiencing this attack organ at zero distance, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she realized what it was—

The keratinous beak of a cephalopod.

Containing neurotoxins.

The scouting mycelia quickly retracted from all directions, burrowing into the gap between the two creatures, covering a layer, protecting her throat and other vital parts, separating them.

Her choked breath was finally released. Cheng Ming gasped for air. The air was foul and stagnant, but the distance was close enough that she belatedly smelled a familiar scent.

She opened her mouth, but before the words could come out, the tentacles that were rampaging in the lightless chaos stopped moving. Clearly, the other party had also noticed something.

The binding force slowly loosened.

The darkness blurred all outlines. She couldn’t see the expression on the person opposite her. She coughed with difficulty and called out, “Sister Yingying…”

It was a case of mistaken identity.

The silence was like a viscous, oppressive sea flooding the shaft, seeming to block one’s internal organs. The person opposite her retracted all her terrifying methods and did not respond.

After a long and unsettling silence, a cold hand pressed down on her head, with some force.

Once was not enough.

On the second press, Cheng Ming staggered a few steps and barely steadied herself.

The relief of surviving lasted only a second. She stood with her head down in front of Qu Ying, cold sweat pouring out.

“Ying…” She wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but found herself at a loss for words. Any word would sound like a lame excuse.

Damn it, what was the difference between this and being caught by your parents while sneaking out to play?

The darkness and silence were as heavy as a mountain pressing down on her. The woman’s voice opposite her was like a mist shrouding the mountain, filled with a chilling cold, gritting her teeth:

“Not only have your wings hardened, your head is also very hard.”

…

The gate reopened, and light from outside filtered in.

The view was still dim, but it was better than nothing.

Qu Ying was so angry that she took out a cigarette. Fearing that the internal space was too confined, she considerately kicked a button, opening the warehouse entrance to let Cheng Ming get some fresh air.

Click. A spark flashed.

Seeing the curling white smoke, Cheng Ming subconsciously opened her mouth, “Sister Yingying—” Before she could say a word of persuasion, the other party shot her a cold and resentful look, and she helplessly closed her mouth.

She behaved.

Knowing that Qu Ying was very busy and that they rarely met, they didn’t say much.

After one cigarette, Cheng Ming admitted her mistake with a good attitude, accepted all criticism, and also got the key information she wanted. Then, she silently prepared to go back the way she came.

Just as her hand touched the wall, a shout came from behind her, “Come back!”

She turned her head in confusion. Qu Ying impatiently took off her work hat and pressed it heavily on her head. “Do you have to go this way?”

Cheng Ming glanced at the infinitely deep passage above and really wanted to say that her wall-climbing skills were now superb… but then she thought about how every parent can’t stand to see their child do anything dangerous, and she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Seeing the other party take off her dark blue employee jacket, which was used for camouflage, she understood what she meant and silently took it and put it on.

Then, Qu Ying led her to a more remote corner, kicked open a steel plate, and a faint light shone through the tightly connected metal walls. Rumble. What she thought was a solid spot actually opened up to a small door.

Bending down and passing through, it was a freight elevator.

“An elevator specially reserved for Security Department operations, connected to various freight channels, and can go up to the 200th floor.”

Cheng Ming understood the other’s hint.

This was a back door for her to go wherever she wanted without being discovered by the research institute.

Qu Ying saw through her thoughts at a glance and shot her a warning look. “Don’t go too far. It’s useless to go up without access.”

Cheng Ming “meekly” and humbly accepted the lesson.

Walking into the elevator car, before the door closed, Qu Ying stuck her foot in the elevator’s sensor range and finally patted her on the head. “I have something to do these two days, be careful. Don’t cause any big trouble while I’m away.”

After sending off this unexpected “fish,” Qu Ying raised her hand and looked at the time. She waited for another two minutes before turning around and returning to the transport vehicle.

The cargo was loaded, and Yangmei was already in the car. It seemed that there were no other accidents.

She glanced at the carriage twice and opened the door to the driver’s cab.

A light and childish voice from the back seat asked, “Sister Qu, did you run into a friend?”

Qu Ying paused for a moment, then turned around with a smile. “Little children shouldn’t talk nonsense. I’ll buy you candy next time.”

…

Cheng Ming returned to her residence and could finally get a good night’s sleep.

Although this trip was a bit thrilling, it was not in vain.

She had learned that it was not the research institute that was purchasing the Wave-Born Floating Flower Algaefungus, but the Security Department. It might even be Qu Ying’s department—although she still didn’t know what they were using it for.

The place that cultivated “monsters” to deal with monsters.

She remembered her tentative question, “Do you guys really need to watch over this thing?” and the other’s meaningful smile at the time, “Of course, there are many ‘people’ who want it.”

She also knew that it was indeed the Security Department that was looking for her, but at least for now, she had not been exposed. The other side was preoccupied with that fungal monster and didn’t have much time to deal with her.

In any case, Cheng Ming was relieved.

Plus, Xiao Ming had just had a full meal. As long as there were no major consumptions, she thought it would be fine to lie low for a week or two.

But it turned out that heaven did not grant people’s wishes.

Cheng Ming did not have many peaceful days.

November 4th, 12:29 AM.

When the alarm suddenly blared throughout the entire defense zone, she was fast asleep in her apartment bedroom.

Beep—beep—

Her bracelet vibrated continuously, the screen flashing with a red warning dot.

Cheng Ming was startled awake and groggily raised her wrist to look.

Has the concentration of the fungal solution reached its limit?

She reached for her clothes, preparing to get dressed and go to the research institute.

No matter how advanced the equipment and how precise the cultivation conditions, life was ultimately uncontrollable. Any accident could happen with microbial growth. Ever since she took over the cultivation and management of the Wave-Born Floating Flower Algaefungus, working overtime at any time had become the norm.

“Cheng Ming.”

The mycelia tugged at her wrist, and Xiao Ming suddenly spoke, “Take another look.”

Huh?

She looked down in a daze, and then, she sat up straight.

The sounds from outside belatedly rushed into her senses. The drawn curtains couldn’t block out the flashing red light that swept past.

Cheng Ming got out of bed and opened the window, and found that it was coming from the direction of the research institute building. A circle of warning lights at the waistline, hundreds of meters high, was enough to illuminate all the surrounding buildings from top to bottom.

And along with the siren that pierced the night sky, a simple line of words appeared on her wristband—

The underground shelter is now open. All personnel are requested to evacuate immediately.

…

Security Department restricted area.

The entrance to a breached underground fortress was resealed, isolating it from the outside. The lights flickered, creating a perfect horror movie atmosphere amidst the mess.

The glass walls of the central experimental area were shattered all over the floor, and most of the culture medium that simulated the marine environment had flowed out. The entire base was built with special materials, and the floor was impermeable, so the water had backed up to knee-high.

Although the situation was under control, water still sprayed from the cracks in the glass from time to time. The electronic screens were affected, the light beads were scattered, and the exposed wires sparked.

Members of the Investigation Department, dressed in full combat gear, waded through the water. They were waterproof, electricity-proof, and radiation-proof from head to toe, and they surrounded the experimental area with various advanced weapons.

The leader was Kang Ming, the leader of Internal Security Group 4. He was wearing a smart full-view helmet, concentrating on monitoring the situation of the mycelia in the semi-collapsed emergency containment chamber. At the same time, he summarized and reported the information sent back by the scattered team members:

“Experimental materials partially lost. MF204 has been recovered. Target has not escaped.”

Compared to their full gear, the woman who stepped into the debris in tactical boots seemed much more carefree.

She wasn’t even wearing a helmet, and she was still in her casual shirt and vest. The only difference from usual was a black glove on her right hand.

The material was indistinguishable, and the color was so deep that it was like a black hole that could absorb all light.

She walked step by step towards the little girl squatting on the ground.

“Little Yangmei, I told you, we’re fishing.”

Qu Ying’s features were sharp, her brow bone distinct. When she smiled and raised an eyebrow, the sharp arc extended into a fierce sense of pressure—

“Where do you think you’re taking our reserve teammate?”