The sound of splashing water came from the stairwell. Lan looked toward the source, then back at the window, there stood a man.

The man looked unusually ordinary, simple white shirt, black pants, a tie, black hair and eyes, black-rimmed glasses on his nose. Anyone seeing him here would never guess he was a pollutant.

“Why do you know I’m here?” the man asked Lan.

“Because I’m a mutant with prophetic abilities. I know a lot more than you think.” Lan expressionlessly showed him the book in his hand.

The man glanced at the book, seemingly uninterested. “What do you want? I’m in a hurry.”

“In a hurry?” Lan flipped the book open. “Let me see what you’re rushing to do.”

“Oh, so you were a corporate slave before you died. You had a car accident on a business trip. Your company not only refused to pay medical fees but also fired you. So, angry, you checked into hospice and threatened the Pollution Control Center: if you don’t get your medical fees, you’ll become a pollutant and contaminate everyone present.”

“Yeah, and you actually did it. The entire Pollution Control Center was swallowed by an S-level pollution source, and you became a pollutant.”

“You’re in a hurry because you suddenly think your life here sucks. You’re planning to leave this pollution source controlled by the Pollution Control Center to smash your boss with a hammer…”

The man: …

He had to take this self-proclaimed “prophetic” mutant seriously now.

“What exactly do you want?” the man asked again, this time less impatient.

“Your ability is interesting. You can enter any sealed place, ideal for anti-space operations,” Lan said. “There’s a place I need you to help me break into. I want to find someone inside.”

Swimming Fish looked at Lan strangely, then after a moment asked, “What place?”

“Dust Desert West City. As a pollutant trapped here for over a decade, do you know where Dust Desert West City is?”

“Are you crazy? Even though I’ve been trapped here for over ten years, I was a Central City resident when alive. Of course, I know Dust Desert West City.”

Lan nodded satisfied. “Good. The place is Dust Desert West City, the time is half a month from now. I’m giving you enough time to get revenge on your boss.”

“I refuse,” Swimming Fish said decisively.

“Dust Desert West City is rainless all year, and the apocalypse made natural disasters worse. I’m a fish, sending a fish into a desert. Who’s crazy, you or me?”

Lan tilted his head. “You sure?”

Swimming Fish stared coldly. “And what if I’m sure?”

“Nothing.” Lan opened his book. “Just checking if I can swallow another S-level pollutant. After all, who isn’t an S-level nowadays?”

“Good, I’m in a hurry too. Don’t want to waste time with wordplay. Since you chose the latter, I’ve got a fish-killing knife here. Want to try?”

Swimming Fish: …?

Lan threw the fish-killing knife on the ground with a dark tone.

“You can either take a trip to Dust Desert West City, or I can slice you into sashimi right here.”

“My ability is Prophecy. No matter where you run, I can find you.”

“Think carefully.”

Swimming Fish was silent. As a newly risen S-level pollutant, it hadn’t expected to one day be threatened by a mutant.

How come even after evolving into S-level, it’s still not safe these days!

Meanwhile, Zhou Xiangzhe finally opened his eyes.

It was as if he was waking up from a grand and long-lasting dream, which wasn’t far from the truth. Midway through that dream, Shen Wang had fallen into a painting, so Zhou Xiangzhe felt slightly dazed.

Until someone called his name.

“Zhou Xiangzhe.”

He raised his head. Sitting by the wall, his eyes fell on the ground scattered with butterfly wings, colorful, shimmering like a layer of gauze, but nothing compared to the person standing before him.

The young man had beautiful eyes, almond-shaped, as if filled with endless affection, sunlight pouring in from the window making his eyes seem almost transparent.

At that moment, nothing seemed more beautiful or captivating than him.

Zhou Xiangzhe quietly averted his gaze, hiding the longing in his eyes. He responded to Shen Wang and stood up from the ground.

“How are you?” Shen Wang asked.

“I’m fine.” Zhou Xiangzhe’s cool tone betrayed his good mood, “Let’s go.”

He was truly happy, one of the happiest days he’d had besides receiving that umbrella.

Today, he found his little Fifteen again and succeeded in opening up more possibilities with the one he loved. It was as if his personal profile could now boldly proclaim in big letters: Today, Zhou Xiangzhe is officially with the one he loves!

While Zhou Xiangzhe was still sorting through his tangled thoughts, suddenly—BANG!—the sharp sound of something heavy breaking and crashing to the ground startled them.

The warmth in Zhou Xiangzhe’s eyes vanished instantly. His golden gaze turned cold as he looked toward the stairs.

“Third floor or second floor?” Zhou Xiangzhe asked.

Shen Wang looked as well. “Doesn’t sound like the third floor. Maybe second, or even first.”

They exchanged a glance. Personal feelings aside, they rushed down to where the noise came from.

The lush tree canopy on the third floor was gone, revealing a huge hole. Yellow leaves littered the floor. Zhou Xiangzhe carefully approached the opening.

“Don’t come closer.” He bent down. “The tree fell and cracked the floor. Not sure if it will collapse.”

Inside the huge hole where the canopy had been, Zhou Xiangzhe could see down to the first floor, not the second. There lay the fallen tree trunk, withered, rotten, broken in half, with yellow leaves and dead butterflies scattered all around.

Zhou Xiangzhe frowned slightly. Beneath the messy branches and leaves, he seemed to see something.

Standing up beside the hole, he turned to the staircase. “Let’s go down to the first floor.”

When they reached the first floor, they found it completely packed with rotten tree trunks and branches, so fragile that they crumbled with the slightest touch.

Zhou Xiangzhe cleared a path ahead, pulling Shen Wang to the center.

Parting the branches, they saw a single hospital bed. On it laid a person, dressed in blue-and-white hospital clothes, skin stretched tightly over bones like a skeleton wrapped in skin. His chest was pierced by tree roots, so fragile they shattered on contact, and green blood seeped from his chest.

“The real body of the Illusory Butterfly,” Zhou Xiangzhe judged. “I didn’t expect his core to be here, the big tree had roots planted in his heart.”

Shen Wang stroked his chin thoughtfully. “To just die like this, what a waste.”

Better to let someone eat him, to gain his ability and delay his outbreak period.

Zhou Xiangzhe looked at Shen Wang, his golden eyes filled with confusion. “Waste?”

Shen Wang: … Because he trusted Zhou Xiangzhe too much, it slipped out.

“I mean, no one’s encountered this type of pollutant before. If he still breathed, the Academy of Sciences might have been able to research him and make some kind of special device.”

“Counting on the Academy of Sciences is like counting on a miracle, everyone knows they’re useless,” Zhou Xiangzhe said.

Fortunately, Zhou Xiangzhe trusted Shen Wang enough to accept his excuse.

Zhou Xiangzhe took a photo of the dead Illusory Butterfly body and uploaded it according to procedure. Then he reported again.

“This is Zhou Xiangzhe. A-level pollutant Illusory Butterfly eliminated. Please confirm if the pollution spread has stopped.”

He was about to hang up. Since entering the pollution source, he had completely lost contact with the Second Squad headquarters, so even confirming was impossible until meeting Shen Wang.

But just then, his earpiece crackled faintly, some vague signal breaking through.

“…squad…processing…please…return…”

“Sound?” Shen Wang asked.

“Yeah, seems like some signal, but not clear. Let’s get out and check.”

Zhou Xiangzhe grabbed Shen Wang’s hand and headed outside. As soon as they stepped out, the earpiece voice quickly became clearer.

“Second Squad received the report. Latest update!”

“B-level pollutant [Dancing Doll] and A-level pollutant [Illusory Butterfly] fully cleared. Pollution in Zones 1 and 2 cleared. Zone 3 has a major incident!”

“Emergency investigation shows pollution expansion has ceased. Pollution source has retracted toits original area!”

“Requesting Captain Zhou Xiangzhe and Officer Shen Wang to return immediately! Major incident in Zone 3 requires handling! Please return ASAP!”

As the message ended, Zhou Xiangzhe suddenly raised his head and quickly shielded Shen Wang, stepping back to the side.

A sharp weapon grazed Zhou Xiangzhe’s hair and clattered to the ground.

It was a huge, sharp fish-killing knife!

Lan stared at them hugging, about to explode with fury.

“Let him go!” Lan shouted, one hand holding the book, the other pointing at Zhou Xiangzhe. “You vile kidnapper!”

Zhou Xiangzhe: ?

Shen Wang, held protectively in Zhou Xiangzhe’s arms: …

Heh, in his short life, he had been ‘kidnapped’ twice in just a few days.