MCL CH2

Chapter 2: He’s allergic to pollen.

Memories gradually flooded back.

Amidst layers of swirling air currents, figures appeared blurry and distorted.

The all-consuming flames turned the surroundings into a veritable inferno. He watched as the comrades he had once fought alongside stared at him with cold indifference, because this time, the target of all their abilities was him.

Blood flowing from his forehead stained his vision a crimson red, and the only sound in his ears was his own gasping breath.

Boom—!

As he slowly closed his eyes and his last shred of consciousness dissipated, he heard a succession of surprised cries.

Someone was running towards him from a distance, but with the impact of the exploding airwave, everything was swallowed up in the roaring sea of fire.

…

[And you’ve been dead for three years! According to the composition of your human flesh, it should have been completely rotten and smelly by now!]

Before Lin Xi could recall the scene of his death, the gloating voice in his mind pulled him back to reality.

[So, any specific thoughts?]

[Think about it. In these past three years, the culprit who killed you has not only been living a prosperous life but may have even been climbing the ranks. Isn’t that infuriating?]

[If I were you, I would have finally been able to see the ugly true face of humanity!]

Noisy.

Lin Xi frowned.

The sound of the door opening came from behind. The researcher from before had brought the Coke as promised.

Lin Xi had no intention of getting up. His mind was still replaying the details of his “death.” It wasn’t until the sound of footsteps approaching from outside, a multitude of them, that he slowly lifted his eyelids. He could tell there were many people, which forced him to get up and look.

In the process, he didn’t forget to rub his eyes, seemingly inadvertently, as if he had just woken up.

The man in the middle was dressed in sharp casual clothes, standing out amongst a group of fully armed personnel in isolation suits.

Only those with special abilities were not afraid of contamination.

The newcomer was none other than the person in charge of this rift cleanup operation, Qi Xian. Their eyes met, and he gave Lin Xi a distant nod. “Sorry to bother you. The action team is here to gather some information.”

Five minutes later, the two were sitting face-to-face on opposite sides of a table.

This was the countless-th time Lin Xi had yawned. During this process, he could feel a scrutinizing gaze on him, full of inquiry.

Two voices sounded in his ears, one after the other, complementing each other.

The researcher’s report was meticulous: “According to the test report, the rift that appeared in our city contains a D-class contamination zone, with an internal contamination value of 2000-3000 KD (contamination radiation unit). The average contamination value on the periphery of the rift is 900 KD, with a pathogenic risk factor of level three.”

[Only 3000. So a rift of this level is already enough to give you humans such a headache. You truly are a low-level, fragile species.]

“According to the test results from half an hour ago, this gentleman’s current lesion index is 0. There is no trend of abnormal infection. All indicators are stable, and no abnormalities have occurred.” After a pause, the researcher thought of a more suitable adjective. “This situation can be described as… very fortunate.”

[Hah, fortunate? Don’t you see whose masterpiece this body is? If they knew you were no longer human, I believe their expressions would be quite spectacular.]

“In addition, no fluctuations in ability values have been detected for the time being, and there is no trend of ability awakening. As the test results ultimately meet the standards for ordinary human exposure, our recommendation is to observe for at least seven days.”

[Hahahaha, ordinary human. Who would have thought that one day you, of all people, would become an or-di-na-ry hu-man.]

[A tiger in a flat land is bullied by dogs!]

[Who would have thought that the great Executive Lin would be reduced to the point of needing to be quarantined for observation. Tsk, how sad… Aahhhhhh, stop! What are you doing! Is this how you treat your savior! Damn it! I’m going to… hiccup.]

As if restrained by an invisible hand, after a brief struggle, the noisy voice finally quieted down completely.

Lin Xi lowered his eyelids in satisfaction and gave Qi Xian, who had been observing him all along, a kind smile. “So, the meaning is, for the next seven days, I need to stay here. Is that right?”

Qi Xian replied, “That’s right. If there are no problems after seven days, you will be allowed to temporarily leave here on the condition that you wear a monitoring device.”

He had come here mainly to understand the specific situation of this exposed individual. In his original speculation, even if the overall condition was good, an ordinary human after being affected by such a large area of radiation would more or less have some obvious discomfort. He hadn’t expected that after entering the room, the other party’s calmness from beginning to end would surprise him.

Lin Xi quickly caught the key point in his words and raised an eyebrow. “Temporarily?”

The researcher explained, “The risk factors for different levels of exposure are also very different. Based on your current situation, seven days can only complete the preliminary observation. It will take a month to confirm that you have completely passed the risk period. Therefore, during this one-month period, although you are allowed to move freely, you still need to wear the monitoring equipment we provide at all times. If a lesion is detected during this period…”

“You will take measures at the first opportunity,” Lin Xi nodded unhurriedly. “Understood, agreed, comprehended.”

This attitude was somewhat too easygoing, which made Qi Xian take another look at Lin Xi. “If you have any other questions, I can provide answers at any time.”

Other questions?

Lin Xi thought about it seriously and asked, “During the observation period, are there any special dietary restrictions?”

A strange silence fell over the surroundings.

After a long while, Qi Xian replied with some difficulty, “…No. The observation period does not require medication, so there are no dietary restrictions.”

“That’s good,” Lin Xi was satisfied. “Anyway, as long as I stay here for seven days, it’s fine. I have no other questions.”

It must be because of this strange new body that he had been feeling hungry ever since he woke up. The fact that the quarantine zone provided food and lodging was at least a good thing for him, who was now penniless. But if he couldn’t choose what to eat according to his own taste, it would be somewhat annoying.

Qi Xian was about to say something else when someone suddenly pushed the door open and whispered something in his ear.

Qi Xian’s expression changed slightly. He couldn’t be bothered with Lin Xi in front of him anymore. After a hurried farewell, he led his team away in a rush.

Lin Xi vaguely heard words like “mutation” and “upgrading.” Seeing the observation room door close and silence return, he casually tossed the empty Coke bottle into the trash can and lay back down on the bed, as if it had nothing to do with him.

On the other side, Qi Xian had already led his team out of the quarantine zone with long strides. He jumped into a car and slammed the door shut. “Didn’t you say it was confirmed to be a D-class rift? How did a mutation suddenly occur? It actually upgraded to C-class. What’s the situation at the front line?”

“It was indeed a bit too sudden.” The accompanying personnel secretly wiped away a cold sweat, their face also not looking too good. “The cleanup team that went in before was configured according to D-class standards. If it’s mutated into a C-class contamination zone now, we need emergency rescue. We’ve already sent someone to contact the Corporation for support.”

The Corporation.

Wanyuan Machinery.

At the mention of this corporation, a tall figure inevitably appeared in Qi Xian’s mind, and he immediately felt a faint headache.

He subconsciously reached out to rub his temples and asked wearily, “What did they say over there?”

“The negotiations went smoothly. They have already dispatched personnel to support us at the first opportunity.”

Qi Xian nodded. “Got it. Let’s go to the scene and take a look.”

Unconsciously, Lin Xi’s quarantine life in the quarantine zone had already passed for four days.

Because he had a face that was definitely likable, the researchers in the quarantine zone, fearing he would be bored, specially gave him a tablet. At this moment, it was placed on the desktop, playing the news from the past few days.

It was also thanks to this ordinary tablet that Lin Xi had a rough idea of what was happening outside.

The initially discovered rift was finally cleared after a day and a night. The casualties were kept confidential as usual. At least the final result was enough to put the anxious minds of the city’s residents at ease. But Lin Xi vaguely felt that something was not right about this matter.

For example, after this operation ended, all the news reports ended with an additional notice, reminding all residents to pay extra attention to their surroundings and repeatedly emphasizing that if any abnormality was found, they must contact the jurisdictional management personnel at the first opportunity.

Since the cleanup was complete, such an extra reminder seemed redundant, unless something else had happened during the process of cleaning up the contamination zone.

“Hello, I’m here for today’s test.”

The researcher who came in was holding the daily testing equipment. After placing it on the desktop, she began the inspection work as skillfully as before.

Lin Xi slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing the instrument worn on his wrist.

The small, watch-like structure looked ordinary from the outside, but once it detected fluctuations in the contamination value, it was a time bomb that could lock his position and deal with him at any time.

Lin Xi had been undergoing such tests for the past few days. Besides his body temperature, the main items were still centered around the infection value.

Although he didn’t know why, even with such a large Contaminant hidden in his body, the contamination value test results had always been “0.”

The inspection process was orderly. During this time, the researcher didn’t forget to chat with Lin Xi.

It had always been this researcher who had conducted Lin Xi’s examinations these past few days. Judging from her voice, she should be a cheerful and lively girl. Unfortunately, she was wearing a protective suit, so Lin Xi had no impression of her appearance at all.

“It’s really scary. Who would have thought that a D-class rift would cause such a large number of casualties? Fortunately, Captain Qi arranged for the evacuation of personnel in time, otherwise our side would probably have been completely overwhelmed.”

“But we also have to thank the people from the Corporation. If they hadn’t arranged for support at the first opportunity, it probably wouldn’t have been resolved so quickly.”

“They say the Corporation and the United Administration don’t get along, but I have to admit, they are indeed very reliable at critical moments.”

The researcher said with a smile, recorded the last indicator, and neatly packed up the equipment.

But this time, she didn’t leave directly as usual. Instead, as if she had thought of something, she found a flower seedling from a box and placed it on the desktop.

Lin Xi: “This is…”

“Spring is here. The quarantine zone is usually deserted, so we’re adding some plants for decoration.” The researcher explained with a smile, “Other rooms have already received theirs. I specially chose this one for you, Mr. Lin. The isolation room is cold and cheerless. A few more plants would be a nice touch. This plant grows quite fast. You still need to stay here for a few more days. Looking at some green and colorful things can also improve your mood.”

Lin Xi’s gaze lingered on the flower seedling for a long time before he smiled. “I appreciate the thought, but I don’t need it.”

The researcher was stunned for a moment. “You should still keep it. It’s fine. It’s all approved from above. Everyone has already planted…”

Lin Xi interrupted her unhurriedly, “I’m allergic to pollen.”

A single sentence sent the entire room into a long silence.

It wasn’t until the researcher got up and left that the voice in his mind sounded, commenting with an old-fashioned air: [You’ve completely killed the conversation. You’ll never find a partner like this.]

“That’s none of your business,” Lin Xi replied casually, his gaze on the figure already at the door.

Lin Xi hadn’t paid much attention to this female researcher, but this glance inexplicably made him feel that this person seemed much taller than he had remembered.

Wearing a cumbersome isolation suit made her movements seem a bit clumsy. From this angle, the sunlight outside just happened to fall on her, casting a faint halo around her.

In a daze, around this halo, it seemed as if some faint powder was silently drifting, a very thin layer, just quietly surrounding her.

For some reason, Lin Xi thought of the notice at the end of the news again—if any abnormality is found, you must contact the jurisdictional management personnel at the first opportunity.

[But you were right to refuse her. As expected, you’ve also discovered that something is not right with this place, right?]

Lin Xi withdrew his gaze and emphasized, “I really am allergic to pollen.”

[…………]