After Being Parasitized by a Monster 42

Chapter 42: Wow, you’re so romantic.

The results were summarized, and the project was coming to an end.

While categorizing and uploading reports for review, she also had to organize a series of meetings: a project conclusion seminar, an internal evaluation meeting, an expert review meeting, an external appraisal meeting… As one of the main people in charge, Cheng Ming was still spinning like a top.

She was so busy that when she was checking her own research data at four in the morning, she glanced at the dark and oily “hair” that was organizing the files for her by her elbow and couldn’t help but sigh:

“Good thing I have you—”

The end was curled around a page. Hearing her, the middle section of the strand of mycelia instantly rose up. Pulled by the weight of the thick printing paper, its movement was not large, but it was visibly joyful.

Cheng Ming lowered her head and focused on the font in her hand, and finished casually:

“I’m not afraid of losing my hair anymore. Anyway, it’s your mycelia that are falling off.”

The mycelia went splat and collapsed.

…

Returning from Redstone Bay, the security mission of the Investigation Department’s 1st squad naturally came to an end.

As the team leader, Yan Li also had a lot of finishing work to do: coordinating the team’s affairs, writing reports, attending meetings… After doing everything, she finally had some free time and could return to the residential area.

Unlike the research institute, the architectural style of the Security Department was obviously more cold and stern.

The former mainly cared about the mental health of the scientific researchers. The apartment buildings had green landscapes, leisure areas, and activity fields, and were basically not much different from most of the residential areas outside. But here, in order to respond to the sudden needs of battle, the ground floor was all set up as an equipment storage area for storing weapons and personal protection, as well as a temporary parking garage for military vehicles.

In addition, there were training grounds or tactical exercise areas everywhere. Passing through the elevator hall, you could also hear the thump, thump of target practice from the lower floors.

And also, in order to respond to the requirement of rapid assembly, the same team was basically arranged in the same building or even on the same floor. It was also common to live in a multi-person dormitory when space was tight.

However, Yan Li was a team leader, had a high rank, and had a family, so while her team members were all in Building 1, she was arranged in a family-style apartment in Building 3.

She hadn’t been back for dozens of days. She only sent a text message to Yan Rong when she reached the bottom of the building.

If she told her too early, this stubborn little girl would first make a full table of dishes and wait for her. However, the other’s body was not suitable for any labor at all.

The entrances and exits were all strict biometric access control.

She went up to the 17th floor and entered the password to open the door.

“Rong—” Just as the first word came out, as she pushed the door open, she heard a loud thump from inside the room.

“Rongrong?”

She frowned, her hand paused, and she rushed into the room.

“Are you okay? How did you fall? Is this wheelchair not working well either?”

The frame of the wheelchair was overturned, and the wheels were spinning futilely in the air.

The girl lying on the ground was at least 60-70% similar to her. She also had short hair, but it was a neat short cut with a student-like temperament, so compared to Yan Li’s mature and neatness, the other was more well-behaved.

“I’m fine…” Yan Rong shook her head and stretched out her arms to her. “Sister, give me a hug.”

Yan Li bent down to hug her.

She had originally wanted to scoop up her legs and put her on the sofa to see if there was a problem, but as soon as her hand touched her, Yan Rong pulled down the zipper of her uniform jacket, tore open the collar, and bit her shoulder fiercely.

Like a starving wolf cub, it wouldn’t let go of the meat.

Yan Li’s muscles tensed for a moment, then slowly relaxed. She said helplessly, “I haven’t showered.”

It hurt, but she didn’t even gasp. She just raised her hand and gently supported the other’s head.

She was used to it.

It had been like this since they were children.

She had teeth marks all over her body.

When she was a child, Yan Rong didn’t know how to control her strength and had even bitten her on the face, leaving a large bruise. The result was that the class monitor wouldn’t listen to anything and insisted on taking her to get a shot, a rabies vaccine and a tetanus shot… Fortunately, the money was reimbursed in the end.

Later, Yan Rong’s condition worsened, and she didn’t have the strength to bite her. She would only bite her own gums until they bled, and Yan Li had a rare period of being unscathed.

Now, with the special medicine suppressing and regulating her condition, the situation was much better, and she had started to bite hard again.

“You haven’t been back for so long…”

The one who was biting was more aggrieved than the one who was being bitten. As Yan Rong spoke, the tears in her eyes were about to fall.

“Didn’t I call you every day?” Yan Li pulled up her clothes, hugged her onto the sofa, and stroked her head.

She knew that her sister was pathologically dependent on her.

After all, she was her only remaining relative in this world.

She was healthy and could have her own life. She had superiors, colleagues, and comrades. The members of her team were another concern of hers.

But Yan Rong only had her.

So, her anxiety could only be vented through these abnormal ways.

After confirming that she was not injured, Yan Li went to check the wheelchair and found that a screw had fallen off, but she didn’t know which corner it had fallen into.

After fumbling for a while and not finding it, she temporarily found a crutch and put it by her side, saying, “I’ll go and cook first. I’ll fix it later.”

The low immunity, chronic leukemia, and other problems caused by genetic damage were not worth mentioning. The small problems that did not seem to be life-threatening, such as anemia, dizziness, and bone and joint pain, were the ones that most affected daily life. Therefore, Yan Rong’s wheelchair had to be custom-made to fit her body as much as possible and reduce her pain.

Of course, it was best if it could be repaired. Otherwise, it would take a lot of time to reorder it, and she couldn’t leave her sister and go to work with peace of mind.

There were many military family members like Yan Rong who had problems with independent living. Each unit would arrange for people to take care of them regularly, and she also had an emergency call bell, but sometimes it was indeed difficult to be comprehensive.

“Sister, shall I do it?”

Just as Yan Li had stepped into the kitchen, Yan Rong came over with a crutch, clearly not very at ease.

She didn’t mean anything else. It was mainly that her sister didn’t spend as much time at home as she did, so her cooking skills were naturally not as good as hers.

Yan Li put on an apron and turned her head to see her, her brow furrowing.

Then, not surprisingly, she was carried back by the former. “Stay put!”

After being a team leader for a long time, it had become a habit. Yan Li was still very scary when she put on a straight face.

Yan Rong silently retreated.

She sat obediently on the sofa. Five minutes later, she glanced at the frosted door that Yan Li had closed tightly because she was worried about the smoke seeping out.

The parts she had dismantled from the wheelchair were hidden in her sleeve. She got up and, amidst the crackling sound of frying oil in the kitchen, she hobbled slowly into the bathroom with her crutch, took out the screw, and clank, flushed it down the toilet.

…

And so she was busy until May. The last meeting was over, and Jin Xia still hadn’t appeared.

It was only then that Cheng Ming felt that something was wrong. When she inquired again, she heard that the old professor had retired.

“Why?” she was very surprised.

Professor Jin Xia had just been re-employed for a year. She seemed to be in good health, both physically and mentally, and had even guided their project as an expert consultant… How could it be so sudden?

“How would I know,” Song Manqing’s tone was impatient. She was buried in a pile of reports and didn’t even look up.

Cheng Ming could only see the large wooden hair clip at the back of her head.

Alright.

Ms. Song still disliked her so much.

Of course, it was also possible that as the person in charge among the people in charge, the other had too many reports to write, and it was hard not to be irritable.

Cheng Ming tactfully withdrew from the office and did not disturb her further.

All the materials were integrated and submitted, and their project was considered to be over.

There would be large-scale production, pilot implementation, and the headquarters of the five major defense centers would hold a joint meeting to discuss and select a few sea areas for the first batch of implementation… These were things that the decision-making level had to consider.

It was destined to be a long battle.

Once successful, it was hoped that the third stage of the ocean crisis would be completely resolved. The significance was too great, and the plan was in its initial stage, so it could not be made public.

And so, their project group, just as it had gathered quietly without a sound, was silently disbanded. Of course, each participant would receive a considerable reward, and there would also be commendations, but only a few insiders would know.

The scientific research allowance in terms of material, and the certificate of honor in terms of spirit, were all external things to Cheng Ming.

She only cared about whether the research results of this time were enough for her to get a promotion opportunity.

Although the project was initiated by her, after all, many people had joined later, and her position was not high enough. If someone also needed this achievement very much and was shameless enough… then it would be more troublesome.

Fortunately, this did not happen in the end.

It was rare for a research assistant’s name to be placed above several deputy researchers.

Cheng Ming was a little puzzled. Her ranking was even ahead of Song Manqing’s.

She carefully looked back at the project conclusion report and was surprised to find that it was actually Song Manqing who had first proposed to put her contribution in front.

“The human heart is really unpredictable…”

Closing the report, Cheng Ming couldn’t help but sigh with the same emotion as a certain Fish-Fungus in the past.

“To be attentive for no reason is either a sign of a thief or a villain…” Xiao Ming muttered. “I advise you to be a little more vigilant towards her.”

“What have you been watching again?” However, Cheng Ming would not understand its awkwardness, and would only suspect, “Do you dare not to delete your browsing history?”

Xiao Ming: “…”

At the end of May, Cheng Ming stayed up for several nights to write the application materials and submitted them directly, not willing to wait a moment longer.

She wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and walk the path that the other had walked back then.

Although the direction was a little different.

Yes, she had tried to apply for the animal team, but was immediately rejected.

It was so fast that she suspected that she was not an outstanding young person who wanted to contribute to animal research with a passion, but a blacklisted person who was being heavily guarded by the East Building.

But she hadn’t had any hope in the first place, so it was to be expected.

This was research, not really a job. There was no reason to change jobs halfway through.

On the evening of May 28th, all the materials that needed to be submitted had been cleared, and the commendation meeting had also been held. She was finally free, and she treated everyone to dinner with the bonus she had received.

She had invited everyone she could, including Song Manqing and others. But everyone was busy with their own things, and it was even more difficult for different teams to find a time to get together. In the end, it was still the people from the North Building who came.

And so, this trip became a thank-you dinner, and also a farewell dinner.

The first person to thank was of course Jiang Dexin.

And as for the farewell, it was not that her wings had hardened and she wanted to kick her mentor and fly solo so soon, but that a few of her junior sisters were about to finish their last month of internship and go back to school.

Huang Chengcheng was particularly sad, “Wuwuwu, Senior Sister, I don’t want to go, my mom won’t let me go, I might not be able to come back… No, I won’t give up! Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! Senior Sister, wait for me to come back and I’ll apply under your name!”

She clenched her fist, as firm as if she were taking an oath to join the party.

“Alright,” Cheng Ming was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. “I’ll wait for you.”

They had chosen a private room in a local specialty restaurant. Jiang Dexin, who was sitting in the main seat opposite the door, held her chopsticks and said faintly:

“Sigh~ after so long of cultivation, it was all for naught.”

“Hehe, Teacher Jiang~” Huang Chengcheng said with a silly smile. “Isn’t it because Senior Sister is younger…”

“Well, I can’t help but admit that I’m old.”

“Teacher, don’t listen to Chengcheng,” Cheng Ming said jokingly. “Isn’t there a saying, an elegant woman is like a fine wine, the older the more fragrant?”

Jiang Dexin’s chopsticks were completely unable to fall. She looked up in surprise, “Well, Xiao Cheng, even you are teasing me now!”

“Wow, you’re so romantic,” the parasite in her head was like a ruthless straight man, interjecting from time to time.

However, Cheng Ming had already perfectly honed the skill of treating it as if it were nothing.

After a lively meal, she drove and first sent the girls back to their dormitory.

On the way, she once again experienced the transition from a modern society to a natural wilderness and then to a more high-tech modern society. No matter how many times she saw it, this scenery was still shocking.

From the bustling city to the Defense Center, the brilliant night sky that had been covered by the city lights reappeared on the vast land, and the stars were boundless. Then, the towering buildings on the horizon gradually pressed down, and they were like driving into the mouth of a monster. The starry night was swallowed by the giant buildings, and the sky was torn into scattered fragments again.

After parking the car in the garage, Cheng Ming suggested taking a walk with Jiang Dexin.

“Why did you suddenly think of asking about the past?” Jiang Dexin knew that something was up when she saw her like this.

As expected, as soon as she got out of the car, she opened her mouth and it was about Cheng Ran.

The light above was soft. The teacher and student, one in front of the other, their shadows occasionally touched as they walked, like a scattered and mottled fate.

“Teacher Jiang…” Cheng Ming hesitated for a moment and told the truth, “I heard that you were the one who recommended my mother to this place.”