Wind surged in from the corridor entrance, stirring the hair of the three people present. The air temperature seemed to drop to freezing, as if a cold hand was gripping their necks. This gloomy atmosphere cast a shadow over their hearts.
“Are you sure… you’re not joking?”
The scarred woman’s face gradually turned serious. The Agency personnel stationed here had been neutralized by a weiyi.
In any post, this would be a major incident shocking both the Eclipse and the Agency’s upper echelons.
“Excluding the three days I spent helping you with the mission, I’ve only been in Linjiao Town for three days total. On the first day, I encountered a weiyi parasitic inside a human body. On the second day, which was yesterday, I encountered a mysterious supernatural event while working. On the third day, which is today!”
Gu Lian patted the dust off her pants, stood up from the steps, and walked gracefully to the scarred woman. She spoke slowly and emphatically, “I encountered another weiyi. You were probably there at the time, and I suspect the man upstairs is also either [split] or [parasitic].”
Saying this, Gu Lian pointed upstairs, making her meaning clear. She strongly suspected Xiong Daye now. It wasn’t malicious speculation, but people’s hearts are hidden behind their ribs.
Of course, if she was wrong, she would come back and make it up to him. Repay kindness, take revenge on the spot—that was her code.
“If that’s true, this weiyi could definitely be classified as a [Singularity Class].”
The scarred woman’s tone had turned grave, losing its earlier calm.
The words sounded absurd, but if there was even a possibility, an investigation had to be dispatched.
“Singularity Class? What’s that?”
Gu Lian’s expression remained calm, as if she were just asking casually.
“A professional term for weiyi. If normal weiyi are classified by C~SSS, then the Singularity Class is independent of that ranking…”
The scarred woman paused, looking at Gu Lian. Perhaps feeling that they might become colleagues, she explained, “Singularity Class, full name: Special Type Weiyi Lifeform. Every Singularity Class weiyi possesses intelligence equal to a human’s. While having power, they also think and scheme like humans.
Almost every time they appear, they cause immense losses to humanity. You understand that, right?”
“I understand…”
Not only did she understand, it clarified some doubts in her mind. No wonder she had been hunted.
Gu Lian didn’t even need to think. It was almost certainly the recorder on the bald man whose head she had stomped that transmitted her words back.
Thinking of this, Gu Lian suddenly felt she had been incredibly stupid at the very beginning. Why had she let hunger control her brain, and why had she been so brain-dead as to talk to that bald man?
If she was classified as a Singularity Class weiyi, then being chased by a group of people was perfectly normal.
She could even say that if given the chance, the Lieshou of Nanjing City would swarm out just to surround and kill her.
That wasn’t surprising at all—just look at that suspected Singularity Class weiyi in Linjiao Town.
‘Think about it: a weiyi that could neutralize an Agency post—what did that mean?!’
It meant this weiyi had intelligence and could be categorized as a Singularity Class, an extremely special type.
But that wasn’t the most terrifying part!
The most terrifying part was that the Agency branch that had been taken out hadn’t leaked any information. Did that mean this outpost had completely fallen?
Even the personnel who came monthly to deliver supplies and check attendance hadn’t noticed anything.
‘Was this a recent event, or had it been going on for a long time?’
If recent, it was still manageable.
But if it had been going on for a long time…
‘Had those attendance-checking personnel been replaced?’
‘Or rather, how many [split entities] had this weiyi spread? How many civilians were still left in Linjiao Town?’
What’s terrifying isn’t powerful strength—it’s intelligence!
That was the horror of the Singularity Class, and why Gu Lian had been relentlessly hunted by a group of Lieshou when she first revived, chased until there was no help from heaven or earth.
“By the way, help me check if that old man upstairs has been [replaced] or [parasitic]. If not, remember to contact me.”
“Contact? What are you going to do?”
“Book a ticket. I’m leaving this damn place. I’m not staying here anymore!”
She had been here a week, and every day something happened—either a weiyi or a mission.
If she stayed longer, who knew what trouble would arise.
Gu Lian grabbed Yiyi’s hand and glanced at the time—3:00 AM. Tonight, she planned to meet Yaoyao on Nanxi Highway.
Yiyi didn’t say anything else. She obediently followed Gu Lian out of the building. She could be cheeky when appropriate and steady when not. Yiyi was playful, but she wasn’t the type to drag down her teammates.
Watching the two walk away, the scarred woman was stunned for a moment, then followed and asked, “Are you sure you won’t stay?”
“Stay for what? Kill weiyi? Or be cannon fodder?”
While speaking, Gu Lian pulled out her smartphone and pressed buttons with her thumb to call the Masked Man.
‘She had only become a weiyi about half a month at most. Fight a weiyi of unknown strength and unknown territory?’
Don’t joke around!
‘What era was this? Who would be fooled by a few hot-blooded words into charging in to die?’
Beep—click—
The call connected. Expressionless, Gu Lian put the phone to her ear. The Masked Man’s voice came through.
“How did the talk go?”
“It didn’t work out. Book me a ticket—time to be determined. I’m going to another city.”
Gu Lian got straight to the point. She couldn’t stand staying here another moment. It wasn’t the retirement life she had imagined; the weiyi here were ridiculously numerous.
“I’ll book it for you now, but are you really not considering joining us at Eclipse?”
The Masked Man tried to persuade her. The scarred woman had already sent back the information, and he had a general understanding.
But he didn’t bring up the remaining two tasks from the cooperation. He had already extracted the terms from the previous Masked Man: the mission timing was set by Gu Lian herself.
When and at what time she took on a mission was entirely up to her. If he dared to threaten her, the cooperation would be completely over.
“Still considering.”
After saying that, Gu Lian felt something was missing and added, “I’ll temporarily stay at the abandoned factory where you picked me up. If the result regarding Xiong Daye comes out, contact me immediately.”
The Masked Man on the other end didn’t respond. To be honest, he was annoyed. Not only had he been woken up in the middle of the night, but the Linjiao Town where he was temporarily stationed might harbor a Singularity Class weiyi.
Anyone would feel pretty damn irritated.
With a click, Gu Lian hung up. She waved goodbye to the scarred woman, who had already shifted into work mode, and left. Yiyi glanced at the suitcase, then obediently snatched it and held it in her hands.
Walking on the sidewalk, the shadows cast by the streetlights hid Gu Lian’s face. Xiong Daye’s house was actually close to the suburbs, on the edge of Linjiao Town.
Suddenly, a cold wind blew. Gu Lian shivered and quickly zipped up her jacket, shoving her hands into her pockets.
Just as they reached the edge of the forest, Yiyi looked at the dark, gloomy woods and said with a hint of disappointment, “Sister Lian, where are we going?”
“Why are you asking that? It’s not like we’re never coming back.”
Gu Lian said helplessly. Then, with a sharp slap, she felt a burning sensation on her right cheek. She raised her hand to touch it and found something sticky.
Bringing her hand in front of her eyes, she saw a piece of flesh that had peeled off her skin, still warm with blood.
“Sister Lian, don’t lie to me!”
Yiyi ran up to Gu Lian with the suitcase, ready to act cute, when suddenly her pupils contracted. “Sister, your face!!!”
Gu Lian’s right cheek had suddenly turned black. Some patches of epidermis were peeling off accompanied by stinging and sucking sensations.
Feeling the warmth inside her body slowly fading, Gu Lian’s expression changed. These damn things were absorbing her energy!