Today, Lu Yan was heading back to K City. Zhou Qiming suggested that since there were still seven or eight hours before the flight, they might as well grab a bite at a restaurant first.

Lu Yan thought about it and felt it made sense. After all, normal people were supposed to eat meals on time. Furthermore, he truly needed some time to process a few things.

Zhou Qiming brought him to a private restaurant rumored to have the best food in A City. The restaurant was located within a certain villa district and operated on a strict membership-only basis.

“I’ve only heard about it before but never had the chance to try it. This time, a business partner gave me an invitation. I wonder how big the gap is compared to your cooking, Dr. Lu.”

Recalling the two meals he had eaten in the RV last time, Zhou Qiming’s mouth watered uncontrollably.

The interior decoration of this villa alone had cost a hundred million yuan. Now, it boasted the world’s top-tier ingredients and culinary teams. The dining guests all wore masks, eating alone inside private booths. The restaurant had no menu and no storefront name; everything relied entirely on the chef’s whim. The food was beautifully plated and smelled fragrant and mouth-watering.

However, Zhou Qiming and Lu Yan exchanged a look and both noticed a problem.

In this restaurant, whether it was the meat or the vegetables, the sources were all contaminants. Although the ingredients had been processed, a very faint pollution value could still be detected. It wasn’t enough to cause a normal person to undergo lesions, and it could even act as a sort of hormone to stimulate an increase in one’s spiritual power threshold.

“I know the Prevention and Control Center and Headquarters sell this kind of processed meat. It’s a processing initiative promoted by the Seventh Research Institute,” Zhou Qiming whispered. “But the vast majority of people coming here to eat are just ordinary citizens, right?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that along the edges of many pollution zones abroad, there are plenty of mercenaries who aren’t Awakened. They call themselves ‘Calamity Hunters’ and hunt low-level contaminants to use as ingredients,” Lu Yan replied.

These low-level contaminants were usually humanoid. This meant that they had actually been human when they were alive. Compared to diseased animals, humanoid low-level contaminants were much lower in terms of both pollution values and lethality.

Consequently, neither of them could stomach the meal. They had heard that such restaurants were incredibly popular overseas.

[Not only are they popular, but they are also a symbol of status and wealth. Nowadays, if a massive influencer on IXS hasn’t been to this kind of restaurant, their popularity will even be called into question,] the System’s voice sounded deeply sarcastic.

On the way to drop Lu Yan off at the airport, Zhou Qiming felt a bit emotional and rather depressed: “The ones who endure hardships are always the general public, while the rich are already eating the contaminants.”

Lu Yan thought for a moment. “Contaminants can indeed be used as a resource.”

In Tang Xun’an’s dream, Lu Yan had stayed in the research institute for three months. Occasionally, he would go to observe the institute’s cultivation of contaminants. The researchers would raise small animals, and even more frequently plants, intentionally exposing them to pollution sources so they would become contaminants. Then, they would kill them during the early stages of their growth to harvest useful parts as “special materials.” Additionally, there were “special items” sent regularly by the Special Operations Department from their hunts outside.

[You are becoming more and more like a rational person*,] the System remarked.

Lu Yan: “That is hardly a compliment.”

After boarding the plane, he still pulled out his phone, opened his friend list, and sent a message to Tang Xun’an.

[Wasn’t your previous stance incredibly firm?] the System mimicked his tone, speaking calmly, [‘”The one I like is the cute young Tang, not this current century-old Tang.”‘]

Lu Yan’s emotional fluctuations had always been minimal, but at this moment, he actually felt a sudden urge to cover the System’s mouth.

The flight went very smoothly. Seven hours later, the plane Lu Yan was on landed successfully.

He turned on his phone and tapped into the private message interface of the Apocalypse Forum. He only had a few contacts on his list, and he usually didn’t get private messages from strangers. Therefore, the default avatar pinned right at the top was exceptionally conspicuous.

Tang Xun’an: Okay.

Tang Xun’an: Then may I ask for a personal contact method?

Lu Yan: LY20971111

System: [Am I currently watching some high school boys’ daily romance show?]

Lu Yan put away his phone expressionlessly. “You can choose not to watch.”

It was already 4:00 AM by the time he arrived in K City. To his surprise, almost the exact instant the message was sent, WeChat chimed to notify him of a new friend request. The WeChat ID was XUNAN. There was no one else it could belong to but Tang Xun’an.

However, the attached note left Lu Yan thoroughly perplexed.

The note read: I am Xiao Tian.

Although he hadn’t gone to sleep until five o’clock the previous morning, a stubborn biological clock still woke Lu Yan up right on time at 7:00 AM.

Today, he still had to report for duty at the K City Prevention and Control Center to update his staff card, and then take the high-speed rail to S City. He was going to S City to buy a school district housing property for Director Hu’s grandson.

When he returned to the headquarters, he received an exceptionally warm welcome from Director Li: “Mr. Lu, congratulations on successfully completing your training and returning. My colleagues working in A City mentioned that you even ranked first in this new employee training session.”

Lu Yan nodded, replying calmly, “Just good luck.”

He went to the physical examination center to complete a basic health assessment. His current spiritual power threshold was 2,100, and his lesion degree was 13.2. He had reached the standards for a D-rank employee.

Upon reaching D-rank, the clearances Lu Yan could unlock increased. At the very least, the functions of the Apocalypse Forum were opened up more completely to him.

He received a system notification on the forum, reminding him that he was now eligible to participate in the “Mid-Level Title Awakened Leaderboard.” The leaderboard was calculated once a year, using a points system based on the strength of the cleared pollution sources.

If one made it onto the leaderboard, they could claim additional monthly resources from the Prevention and Control Center. After entering the top 10, there was also a qualification for a “Fusion Surgery” provided by the Third Research Institute, which could help install special items stripped from contaminants onto oneself free of charge, regardless of nationality.

In reality, fusing contaminants had always been an incredibly dangerous endeavor; the slightest misstep would result in total aberration. It was only because Lu Yan relied on having the System that he had been so reckless, yet miraculously succeeded every single time.

Mid-Level Titles: C and D-rank Awakened.

High-Level Titles: S, A, and B-rank.

Logically speaking, an S-rank should have been evaluated as a Special-High tier. Unfortunately, there was only one such person across the entire forum. It was far too lonely at the top, so they had to make do by being lumped together with the A and B ranks.

Lu Yan casually scrolled through; the leaderboard only had 50 slots. The hierarchy of the Awakened was undoubtedly a pyramid structure, with roughly 10,000 people competing for these positions. He clicked open his info tab, which displayed “Contribution points currently calculating,” so he closed the forum with little interest.

Lu Yan went to the Logistics Department to convert the points he had painstakingly accumulated during his three months of study at the training center into contribution points. He finally purchased that silver longbow he had cast his eyes on for a long time. It was much earlier than he had originally anticipated.

A visible expression of satisfaction surfaced on Lu Yan’s face. He looked as pleasant as a warm spring breeze, his face appearing exceptionally gentle and striking.

The System chimed in at an inappropriate moment: [This bow costs 30,000 contribution points. For a B-rank psionic weapon, the price is fair enough. However, this bow isn’t very easy to carry around. And rather than selling it for money, the Prevention and Control Center clearly used it just as a display piece to look good. In contrast, that C-rank dagger is actually quite suitable for you.]

Lu Yan: “But it looks good.”

System: […]

Since he was genuinely wealthy now, Lu Yan took the System’s advice anyway and additionally bought a dagger called “Toxic Fang.” It was a C-rank psionic weapon priced at 10,000 contribution points. It possessed a poison attribute and was highly effective against biochemical-type contaminants. The dagger could be concealed directly on his person, which was indeed much more convenient.

Still keeping the school district housing for Director Hu’s grandson in mind, Lu Yan began walking toward the high-speed rail after stocking up on his supplies.

He was carrying weapons under strict regulation that clearly looked highly dangerous. By all accounts, he shouldn’t have been able to pass through security. However, after flashing his staff card, Lu Yan was successfully escorted through a special channel and boarded the high-speed train along with his precious weapons.

The officials had not only arranged a special passage but had also prepared a private train carriage.

The conductor smiled warmly and said, “We received a notice from headquarters earlier stating that an employee from the Special Operations Department booked a slot on our high-speed train. Therefore, we have specially prepared a dedicated carriage for you. Wish you a pleasant journey.”

Lu Yan was the only person in this carriage. It came equipped with a movie screen, gaming consoles, and even a bed. It had to be admitted that after joining the Special Operations Department, the allocation of resources provided truly touched upon every single aspect of life.

[It is both preferential treatment and a form of isolation,] the System’s reaction to this was quite calm, even carrying a faint, mocking undertone as if teasing Lu Yan for being easily impressed.

K City was not far from S City; the high-speed rail took less than two hours.

As an international metropolis and the nation’s financial hub, S City appeared exceptionally prosperous and full of vitality. The streets were packed with young people overflowing with hope.

Another perk of joining the Special Operations Department was that no matter where you went, room and board were fully covered. This saved Lu Yan a massive sum in accommodation expenses. Each city’s Prevention and Control Center had a dedicated reception guesthouse. Food and drinks were free, and one could stay there for a lifetime if they wanted.

In S City, the staff member responsible for receiving Lu Yan was a woman. Lu Yan took a look at her and found that she actually seemed somewhat familiar. Her employee badge displayed three words: Du Weiwei.

“Were you in K City a few months ago?”

A look of utter surprise washed over Du Weiwei’s face. “Ah! My hometown is in K City. I came to S City for university. During the Spring Festival, I went back home for the holidays and happened to encounter the pollution disease, so I did stay there for a long time. I just graduated from university this year, and originally, I wanted to go back home to just collect rent…”

But after personally experiencing the pollution disease, Du Weiwei found that she couldn’t just idle her life away with a clear conscience. She still remembered the despair of being trapped inside her home, and how, at her darkest hour, the staff from the Special Operations Department had broken through the door. She wanted to do something. Even if she was just an ordinary citizen and the strength she could offer was incredibly minuscule.

Lu Yan: “I know. Your family owns an entire building of apartments.”

The expression on Du Weiwei’s face remained blank for a moment. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she blurted out: “You were the one wandering around downstairs that night! Holy crap, you actually joined the Special Operations Department! Did you come to S City to execute a mission?”

“To buy school district housing,” Lu Yan wasn’t very familiar with S City. “Which is the best primary school in S City?”

Du Weiwei replied without a second thought, “That would definitely be the Primary School Affiliated with X University in Hongjiang District.”

The housing estates near this primary school fetched prices around 200,000 yuan per square meter, and even then, properties were often unavailable despite the high demand. Fortunately, to the current Lu Yan, a twenty-million-yuan house only cost around 2,000 contribution points. His balance was more than enough to buy ten of them. Contribution points could be exchanged for cash, but cash could not be converted back into contribution points.

The next day, Lu Yan began viewing properties under the guidance of a real estate agent. Considering practicality, he mainly looked at finished homes—the kind that could be moved into immediately. Ultimately, Lu Yan chose a second-hand apartment with a total price of 27 million yuan. Because he didn’t plan on staying in S City for too long, he paid the full amount in a lump sum. He signed the property purchase agreement with the landlord that very day.

The real estate agent nearly hugged his legs and called him daddy.

The following day required paying taxes and going to the Housing Administration Bureau to transfer the title. It seemed the relevant departments had issued a notice, so Lu Yan was given the green light all the way, and everything went incredibly smoothly.

Logically speaking, after buying the house, the transaction should have concluded.

However, the landlord eagerly leaned in closer. “Little Lu, you’re from out of town, right? To tell you the truth, my business ran into some trouble recently. Buying this house from me can be considered as having resolved my burning emergency.”

“Coincidentally, I have to go out tomorrow to negotiate a business deal,” his voice dropped a few notches. “Do you know about the Mermaid Club that’s been incredibly popular in S City lately?”

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. “What is that?”

“Didn’t the pollution disease cause mutations? A batch of people living by the sea grew fish tails,” the landlord lowered his voice further. “They have now been collectively raised on an island, and a resort was even built there. This club has been constructed for a good number of years. It used to be a favorite spot for those high-ranking officials and noble dignitaries, but now it’s finally starting to open up to the public.”

“To be frank, I happen to have a boat ticket to get onto that island. Seeing that you’re a straightforward guy, I won’t rip you off—one million yuan, do you want it? You won’t get to see real mermaids anywhere else.”

Having said that, the landlord chuckled, a wretched “men understand men” grin appearing on his face. “I’ve heard that although the physiological structure of these mermaids is different from humans, regardless of gender, they all possess reproductive cavities. They are truly the finest specimens on earth.”

“Growing a fish tail… isn’t that just an aberrant human?” Lu Yan asked the System. He recalled the fish-headed mermaid he had seen in K City and instantly felt quite nauseous.

The System said: [They are not aberrant humans; they are contaminants. This Mermaid Club—I recommend you go.]

“Why?” He had no interest in a mermaid’s reproductive cavity.

The System pondered for a moment, then replied: [Who knows, you might run into your dad.]

In the Xilin maritime region far away from the mainland, Shen Qingyang was slumped listlessly over the reef rocks along the shore.

In July, the low-latitude sun was much more scorching than imagined. He wasn’t even sure if his tentacles had been pan-seared cooked.

“You mentioned the Black Dragon, why hasn’t he arrived yet?” Shen Qingyang’s voice was extremely weak. Laid out in front of him was a copy of Three Years of College Entrance Examinations and Five Years of Mock Tests: Comprehensive Science Edition. Because it had been used repeatedly, it was on the verge of falling apart from being thumbed through.

The Prophet sat to one side. “By all accounts, he should be arriving soon. Since that’s the case, let me take another look.”

The last prediction had caused him no small amount of injury. During this recent period, the Prophet had not utilized his talent ability at all. He closed his eyes, opening them a moment later. The massive human eyes were entirely bloodshot with red veins. “…The future has been changed! Why? This is impossible?!”

“What do you mean?”

The Prophet said weakly, “…The Black Dragon won’t be coming anymore.”

Shen Qingyang instantly lashed his tentacles in anger, slamming them onto the beach and sending up splashes of water several meters high: “I’ve waited here for three months, and I even missed the College Entrance Examination! Now you’re telling me it was all for nothing?”

The Prophet was temporarily at a loss for words. “You don’t even have an ID card, how were you going to take the exam?”

Shen Qingyang’s tentacles curled up in sheer heartache: “That’s different. I’m not like you—I have a mimicry form. I could have just gone down the street, knocked out a student with bad grades, stolen his exam admission ticket, and taken the exam for him. With my current level, scoring over 600 points would have been absolutely no problem!”

The Prophet: […] He wanted to counter that argument, but to his utter astonishment, he realized damn, that actually sounds entirely doable.

“It’s fine, don’t be sad. There’s always next year,” the Prophet comforted him. “If you like it, you can take it every year. Besides, with a score of over 600 points now, repeating a year will only make you score higher. The person you like will definitely look at you in a whole new light.”

Shen Qingyang’s emotions quieted down. “You’re right, Teacher. Where are we going now?” He had had quite enough of this island with zero cell signal.

The Prophet calculated with his fingers and said, “Let’s go to S City. The fish I’ve been raising are ready to be harvested.”