After Being Parasitized by a Monster 39

Chapter 39: Is this what love feels like?

For parasitic marine monsters, the most practical method used by the Security Department was isolation and observation, known as the “7-day wet-dry interaction method.”

The basic process was, first, to isolate the suspicious person from water for three days. This included extreme conditions such as not providing extra drinking water except for normal meals, and keeping the air humidity in the isolation room below 10%.

Usually, after these three days, most mutated creatures would show abnormalities, either causing harm to the host or showing signs of madness.

If there was no change, then a simulated water environment would be provided for one day, such as a bathtub or a pool. Considering that the human body was not suitable for prolonged immersion, it would be done intermittently, with a total duration of no less than 12 hours.

After the previous stage of pressure, the parasite, which was excessively dehydrated, would instinctively absorb a large amount of water, thus revealing its true form.

Past experience showed that 85% of monsters would be exposed in the first stage, and 100% of monsters would be exposed within four days.

But in order to guard against some potentially highly intelligent monsters that might endure the above two stages through willpower, there was a second round of a dry environment.

This 7-day period would be recorded throughout, and physiological data would be re-measured every 6 hours.

It could be said that as long as a parasite existed, and as long as it was suspected by the Security Department, without exception, it had nowhere to hide.

…

The more Cheng Ming listened, the more her heart sank.

Of course, it might not have been her emotions, but those of the parasite inside her.

It had become completely quiet as a mouse.

After briefly introducing the situation, Yan Li finally closed the relevant documents and asked:

“Is that acceptable?”

“No!” Xiao Ming let out a sharp, explosive sound in her mind.

Cheng Ming instantly frowned, raised her hand and pressed her forehead, which was throbbing with veins, feigning a thoughtful and difficult look, and tried to control her voice from showing any abnormality, “This is too long. You know that our research is at a critical moment…”

“You can work in the isolation room. I will apply to have the experimental data from this period copied for you.”

“Are you sure a person can survive after being deprived of water for three days? You’ve seen that my physical condition has always been poor.”

This was a faint threat—if something happens to me, can you take the responsibility?

“The relevant person in charge will adjust the meal specifications according to your physiological data.”

That is to say, if they saw that she couldn’t hold on, they would appropriately increase the water content of the food.

Yan Li’s expression was blank. She was as hard as a piece of iron, with no gaps to be exploited.

“…”

Cheng Ming stared at her for a long time, her expression equally silent, with only the slow rise and fall of her breathing.

Yan Li lowered her head and pressed a button on her bracelet. A soft “ding” was heard, but it did not come from her wrist, but from the wall next to her—

“Let’s start when you’ve thought it through. The door is on your right and behind you.”

Cheng Ming looked over, and a virtual screen popped out from the originally smooth wall. At the same time, with a dull, grinding sound, the white wall opened like the wings of an insect, revealing a passage that one person could pass through.

She was not given a chance to argue.

“…Alright.”

Cheng Ming stood up, paused for a moment, and let out a light laugh.

The words were light when they came from the tip of her tongue, but they fell heavily. “But honestly, Team Leader Yan, I don’t think you have the right to use private punishment on me.”

She had been caught off guard and was in a panic.

After calming down and thinking about it, even if they were to interrogate her, it shouldn’t be this group, right?

She had had a lot of dealings with the Security Department, and there were also internal personnel like Qu Ying and Han Xuhua. She had a certain understanding of the division of labor in the Investigation Department.

And so, she belatedly discovered the strangeness.

She circled around from the other side of the table and, as she passed Yan Li, she said softly:

“Do you also need credit very much?”

It seemed to be a casual taunt, but little did she know how earth-shattering it was to the latter’s ears.

Like a needle, no, like a sharp drill, it drilled open the false shell, and pus and blood gushed out.

Under the grandiose skin was a selfish heart wrapped in sores.

Identity, experience, appearance, personality… they were clearly completely different. At this second, as they walked away from each other, their intertwined and similar figures were like two sides of a mirror.

One for her mother, one for her sister.

Yan Li watched her walk past her and into the depths, her expression not changing much. Only she knew that her fingers were slowly clenching.

…

On Cheng Ming’s side, the Fish-Fungus, which was about to face torture, tried to make a final struggle, “Let me kill her, right now—”

It was clamoring.

Cheng Ming stood in front of the virtual screen, enduring the throbbing pain in her head, wishing that her nerve axons could turn into a palm and slap it.

“Behave yourself.”

“If you’re exposed, you’ll definitely have more trouble.”

“So the top priority is for you to be quiet… no, for you to ‘die’ for a while, take back the extra cells, and then pray that you’re not exposed.”

Neural communication was convenient. An electrochemical signal was transmitted in milliseconds. In just a few seconds, she and Xiao Ming had already fought many rounds.

“Then I can’t sense your condition and can’t provide assistance.”

“I don’t need you right now!”

“…”

As soon as these words were uttered, Xiao Ming fell silent.

Her ears suddenly became quiet. Cheng Ming adjusted her breathing frequency and also realized that she had been affected by negative emotions and that her response had been a bit heavy.

Her personal information was being imported. She stared at the screen in front of her, her mind no longer on it, and pursed her lips silently.

“I didn’t mean that… how are you feeling?”

The ever-changing thoughts were like waves hitting the shore. An occasional wet one would crash, carrying a hint of apology.

Countless quietly winding tendrils in countless secluded corners made her feel its sudden dejection.

The information was like hitting a stone, and there was no response for a long time.

Cheng Ming thought it was angry.

But, a new wave came late, and it stirred up a storm in her mind.

“It’s a little uncomfortable, my heart is heavy.”

Xiao Ming described it truthfully, as if it were savoring the feeling, “Is this what love feels like?”

Cheng Ming: “…”

This is the feeling of needing a lesson.

You definitely don’t need a partner, you need a mother.

Beep.

The identity was entered, and Cheng Ming took a light breath.

Knowing that someone was watching from behind, she did not turn back. She passed through the passage and saw the isolation room, which was furnished like a hospital ward.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t worried, but it was unavoidable.

Moreover, her situation was too special.

She and the parasite inside her were completely fused in symbiosis. If she were to let Xiao Ming seal itself off again like it had done with the virus, she couldn’t help but be a little curious about what the final result would be.

However, what was more troublesome was that she was working underwater before, and besides the communication equipment that could only be used within the experimental area, she had nothing. She had just been rescued and had come in a hurry, so she hadn’t had time to bring her phone. She had completely handed herself over to Yan Li, so much so that now, she couldn’t even call for outside help.

Although, it seemed that there was no suitable outside help.

If only Sister Yingying were here…

Before entering the isolation room, Cheng Ming thought with regret.

…

Far away in the vast ocean, Qu Ying, who was being thought of by Cheng Ming, also seemed to have encountered some trouble.

She was standing on the third deck. A piece of bone plate, disguised as the overall structure of the ship, was lifted, revealing a secret storage compartment—

The sub-parasite that had been used for tracking, which had been carefully hidden.

Wah—wah—

A childish cry, weak but extremely piercing, came from the cold and dark storage compartment.

Looking at the small, human-like thing that was writhing and struggling because it had been suddenly exposed to the air, she curled her lips, her voice low and meaningful:

“So this is the so-called ‘hound’…”

It was truly not surprising.

After all, it was the most “notorious” third branch of the Security Department, the biology department.

They loved to create and use biological weapons.

There was a gun aimed at her from behind.

The guard’s voice was as tight as a drawn bow, “Officer Qu…”

She turned her head, and the latter took a step back under her strong gaze, his expression tense, revealing vigilance and fear.

“What, are you afraid I’ll suddenly go crazy?”

Qu Ying smiled.

But it had to be said that on this night on the sea, in the sticky and suffocating air due to the impending storm, in the abyss-like darkness and dead silence, her smile was sinister.

“Relax.”

The wind and waves were strong.

There were mountains rising up all around, which were the waves that had been overturned by the strong wind. They hit the side of the ship heavily, and the cold seawater even flowed to the lower deck.

In the bumpy ship, her posture was relaxed and casual.

On the contrary, the soldiers in exoskeleton armor opposite her were too nervous. It wasn’t their fault. She really looked a bit too much like a villain.

The mission was in its final stage, and they were on their way back.

Most of the armed forces had been transferred to guard the newly captured rare species, so the supervision here had been relaxed, allowing Qu Ying to find a loophole to investigate.

Being too far from land and staying at sea for a long time was not good for human mental health. In addition, they had just finished a fierce battle that had progressed smoothly but had been tragic. Most of the personnel were in a state of tension.

Especially the most unstable experimental subject, which was a key target of monitoring and prevention.

There had been a major accident before that had been tightly sealed off. It was during the return journey, when everyone’s emotions had relaxed and their guard was down, that the experimental subject had suddenly lost control and had dragged the entire ship to the bottom of the sea.

Later, the rule was made that the accompanying “evolvers” had to be injected with strong inhibitors outside of combat time.

However, the researchers were used to this.

Soon, Chen Ke arrived at the scene under the protection of two team members. She stood at the end of the stairs and, thump, thump, knocked on the metal wall twice and asked with a smile:

“What’s wrong?”

Several pairs of eyes looked over at the same time. Under everyone’s gaze, she calmly raised her hand and tapped on the control panel.

And so, the outer bone plate of the storage compartment, which was in the middle of the dispute, slid down, sealed, and was relocked.

It blocked all the gazes that were intended to be cast on the small monster in the compartment, which was a fusion of a baby’s body and a transparent fish egg head.

Qu Ying looked at this researcher, raised an eyebrow, and suddenly laughed.

The laughter did not ease the atmosphere at the scene.

Under the increasingly vigilant gazes of the guards, she moved.

Qu Ying stepped on the stairs, and in a few steps, she passed a few people and walked out, saying lightly, “It’s nothing. I just suddenly feel that I’m quite humane…”

As she passed the researcher, she tilted her head, and her voice was stretched by the sinister sea breeze, like a ghost, “Dr. Chen Ke, what do you think?”

“…”

Chen Ke remained silent and smiled as she watched her leave.

The third deck was dead silent.

After a long while, a clerk rushed over and broke the silence. She held a communicator in one hand and a report in the other, “Doctor, the first mate of the second ship is asking if we are sure about changing course. The sailing conditions to the Lan River are very poor, and it is estimated that we will be at least a month late…”

“Mm, time is not a problem.”

Chen Ke wanted to put her hand in her pocket, but then she realized that she was wearing a one-piece protective suit and couldn’t do it, so she just let it hang down.

She sighed, “Redstone Bay has been temporarily borrowed as an experimental site, so we have to change places.”

…

Splash—

Water splashed on the ground, and the warm water covered her head.

Cheng Ming submerged herself completely in the liquid.

Even for an ordinary person, prolonged dehydration was very dangerous.

Dry skin and mucous membranes, peeling and even sores; slowed metabolism, reduced blood flow, accelerated heartbeat, and extreme fatigue; and dehydration of brain cells, which could lead to confusion in mild cases, and auditory hallucinations and mania in severe cases…

She had experienced all of these.

And, the symptoms were much more severe than for an ordinary person.

Her lips and throat were as dry as if they had been burned by fire, and every cell was screaming for thirst. She suspected that if she were given a river now, she could turn into the mythical Kua’e who chased the sun and suck the water dry.

Her nasal cavity and ear canals were blocked by the flowing water. After she had cleared her head a little, Cheng Ming belatedly remembered that she couldn’t touch this water.

If it was detected later that the water level had dropped significantly, she would be in trouble. She struggled to get up and lay on the edge of the water bath glass tank, closing her eyes and panting.

It was already the fourth day.

Today, drinking water was provided, and there was no limit. Of course, the supply followed the principle of small amounts and multiple times, otherwise it might lead to water poisoning.

But, the little bit of reason she had left told her that she had to restrain herself. She could only try to control her need for water within a normal range.

There was another round of a three-day dry test.

Thinking of this, Cheng Ming was a little out of breath.

She looked at the back of her hand. The chapped and dull skin was soaked pale and swollen, and there was a lingering smell of blood in her nasal cavity as she breathed.

She felt that the air humidity in the isolation room was not even 5%.

Could it be that Yan Li was trying to kill her?