Chapter 118: Two in One

Chapter 118: Two Become One

Waiting at the door was Fang Ying.

Fang Ying found it hard to believe every time she looked at Zhu Ning. This employee, whom she had recruited herself, had in less than two months already come into contact with the core upper echelons of the Cleaning Center.

The mission Zhu Ning had just returned from was bizarre, and other departments were eyeing her with suspicion. Yue Kaiyuan even seemed to wish he could peel a layer of skin off Zhu Ning.

At this moment, Huo Wenxi issued a confidentiality order that cut off all prying eyes, placing Zhu Ning under his own protection.

Fang Ying, having been an assistant for so long, had never seen Huo Wenxi operate like this before—so openly flaunting his privileges. Anyone who didn't know better might think Zhu Ning was playing the role of the overbearing sister in love.

"Although I don't know what happened on your mission, it looks like you completed it perfectly," Fang Ying congratulated Zhu Ning.

"The latest payslip has been sent to your secondary brain; you can check it later."

Zhu Ning: "What's my current status?"

Fang Ying explained: "Team Leader Huo has already submitted the mission report. You were simply involved in containing contaminated spores and got caught up in a contaminated area, where the pollution affected all video files, causing them to disappear."

Though Fang Ying could visibly see that this report was not quite right, if Huo Wenxi said it was true, then it was true.

Zhu Ning let out a sigh of relief. Indeed, she had found someone who could truly solve problems.

Fang Ying: "Your position hasn't changed publicly; you're still a Cleaner. However, all future missions must be approved by Team Leader Huo. You are no longer in the mission pool of the Mission Center."

Zhu Ning: "If Huo Wenxi doesn't approve, will I never be able to go on a mission again?"

Fang Ying: "Yes, you now belong to Team Leader Huo."

Great, it felt like she had signed a contract of servitude, and every move would have to pass through Huo Wenxi's strict scrutiny.

All protection comes at a price.

As they walked and talked, Fang Ying pressed the elevator button and asked softly, "Zhu Ning, did you put a spell on Team Leader Huo?"

Zhu Ning found Fang Ying's words amusing and asked, "Can a little shaman be bewitched?"

She didn't have the guts to put a spell on a shaman.

Fang Ying laughed, "True, but you've certainly chosen a very strong ally. With Huo Wenxi protecting you, no one will dare to touch you."

Zhu Ning always felt there was more to it, "How so?"

Fang Ying cleared her throat, "Just gossip, Team Leader Huo is known as the little shaman. Can you guess if there's an old shaman?"

Zhu Ning was taken aback. An old shaman? She had always thought 'little shaman' referred to being younger, but it could also mean junior in rank?

Fang Ying seemed to know something she shouldn't say too much about, "Team Leader Huo's surname is Huo, and one of the founders of the Cleaning Center also has the surname Huo. Hint: The Huo family tradition is not to cut their hair."

Zhu Ning immediately thought of Huo Wenxi's long braid. So that was it, no wonder she was so young yet held such a high position.

As the center's assistant, Fang Ying spoke only to the point. Her seemingly casual chat about gossip was actually a subtle warning to Zhu Ning.

This was a hint for Zhu Ning to maintain a proper distance with Huo Wenxi, as offending her would have consequences far worse than she imagined.

Moreover, Fang Ying had directly told her the characteristics of the Huo family members. If Zhu Ning accidentally met any of them in the future, she could recognize them at first sight and avoid trouble.

Zhu Ning understood. This was advice from a senior colleague, and Fang Ying was indeed very considerate.

The elevator opened, and Fang Ying swiped her card to take Zhu Ning up.

In the elevator, Zhu Ning's reflection showed her face, and she kept thinking. Fang Ying hadn't said much, but the information was overwhelming.

This world was controlled by powerful corporations, where the powerful were the law and could stand above anyone else.

She knew that Yongsheng Pharmaceutical and Genesis Tech were large companies, but Zhu Ning often overlooked that the Cleaning Center was fundamentally a company as well.

How did this company operate?

Huo Wenxi's extensive investigative powers essentially served to protect the interests of the Cleaning Center, or perhaps her family's interests? Some of Zhu Ning's previous doubts seemed to be suddenly clarified.

Zhu Ning's office in the Anomaly Observation Room was on the 35th underground floor. The elevator numbers climbed rapidly, and after reaching the 100th floor, the numbers disappeared, entering a confidential phase.

This meant Zhu Ning was approaching the higher levels.

The building had a total of 360 floors, and each time Zhu Ning gained more insight into the Cleaning Center. Where was she going this time?

Ding—

The elevator stopped at the 197th floor, with vast clouds visible through the huge windows.

Zhu Ning sensed the extraordinary nature of Huo Wenxi's position; her office was higher than places like Xuan Qing.

But what about higher up? Above Huo Wenxi? There were people of even higher rank.

Fang Ying: "Floors 197 to 200 all belong to the Anomaly Incident Team. Team Leader Huo has given you access to the 197th floor."

Fang Ying led her down the corridor while explaining. She had other matters to attend to and left Zhu Ning at the door.

This was Zhu Ning's first time entering Huo Wenxi's office. Honestly, if anyone didn't know better, they might think she had entered a doghouse.

Scattered documents, a messy desk, and a young man standing at the door.

Seeing Zhu Ning, the man smiled, "Hello, I'm Team Leader Huo's partner, Zhuang Lin."

Zhu Ning looked at him with some doubt.

Without looking up, Huo Wenxi said, "You can trust him. Please sit."

Zhu Ning looked around, completely unsure where to sit; there wasn't even a clean chair here.

It was Zhuang Lin who pushed a swivel chair over for her, placing it opposite He Wenxi.

He Wenxi: "Have her sign the confidentiality agreement."

Zhuang Lin handed the prepared document to Zhu Ning. She glanced at it; the confidentiality agreement was quite vague, only stating that she must keep all details of the mission confidential, without specifying anything further.

After reading through the contract, Zhu Ning signed it and passed the file back to Zhuang Lin, asking, "You've decided to trust me?"

"Your story lacks evidence, and I am still looking for proof," He Wenxi said.

He Wenxi: "At the same time, you need to prove to me that these people really exist and truly pose a threat to human safety. I haven't fully protected you, so you aren't entirely safe either."

Thus, Zhu Ning was both safe and not safe.

He Wenxi: "From now on, you will regularly visit the Abnormal Team. I have applied for your access rights. You will be my team member, assisting in investigating all matters related to non-natural humans. You will report to me."

Zhu Ning: "..."

The price of being protected by a big shot was that she had another job?

Now, not only did she have to act as a cleaner to contain contaminated spores, but she also had to work as an investigator for He Wenxi, and privately, she still had to work for Prometheus.

Why did she feel like this workload would kill her?

He Wenxi: "Before I officially assign you tasks, I need to understand your situation first."

Zhu Ning thought this was reasonable, after all, from an outsider's perspective, she was full of suspicious points.

He Wenxi: "Is Xuan Qing looking for a metal-type ability user, and is that you?"

Zhu Ning: "Yes, but I don't know why."

He Wenxi frowned. Zhu Ning was an ability user, and logically, she should be registered. However, it was best not to leave any records of her current situation. He Wenxi didn't dwell on this, asking, "Yongsheng Pharmaceutical seems to be looking for you too. What did you do?"

Zhu Ning let out a small sound, then said casually, "I accidentally caused some minor trouble, killing one of their test subjects. Their Professor Chu was chasing me before."

He Wenxi's frown deepened. Of course, she knew the so-called Professor Chu was Chu Qing. Zhu Ning had provoked Chu Qing and still managed to survive?

She had some skills.

"Now it should be over," Zhu Ning added, fearing He Wenxi might be worried. "They were just monitoring me, but recently, the surveillance has decreased. I don't know what happened to Professor Chu."

He Wenxi: "..."

Zhu Ning spoke with an extremely calm tone. How had she grown up? She was a troublemaker.

"Handle your troubles carefully," He Wenxi warned. "If the trouble you cause is too great, I can take care of you myself."

Zhu Ning: "Understood."

Zhu Ning spoke very lightly, and He Wenxi furrowed her brow. Had she been chased so many times that she no longer cared?

Zhu Ning was either looking for death or on the path to it, and having He Wenxi around didn't seem to bother her at all.

He Wenxi: "The initial assessment is over, come over."

He Wenxi stood up and opened a door to a room with a wall covered in writing and photos.

Zhu Ning had done something similar before; it helped with thinking.

There were photos of Zhu Ning and Xu Meng on the wall. He Wenxi had investigated Xu Meng too?

This mission had interrupted the progress of the Abnormal Team's investigation, and many things had to be put on hold or delegated to other team members.

The wall was filled with clues: the abandoned village, the hill behind, and the yellow flower, marked with the words "non-natural human" next to them.

But beyond these words, there was nothing else, as the available information was too limited.

He Wenxi: "The garrison gave me a response, saying Jiang Ping's mission videos often suffer damage. Since they are often in the field, they encounter such issues frequently, and they believe it is due to the affected areas."

He Wenxi wouldn't share her intelligence, so she didn't ask more.

He Wenxi: "All other leads have dried up. There's still one lead from Jiang Ping that I haven't followed up on. He used to play games, leaving traces in them, which I am currently investigating."

Zhu Ning nodded. Indeed, professionals do professional things. A bug living in human society would leave traces.

He Wenxi leaned against the wall, her tall and slender figure dressed in a loose green suit, with a long braid hanging down her back, making her look like a willow tree.

He Wenxi looked at Zhu Ning: "I need more intelligence. The Maple Forest Team's video is up on the forum. Take a look."

The Maple Forest Team conducted normal missions to avoid arousing suspicion, and their missions were publicly announced.

Zhu Ning: "Now?"

He Wenxi: "Yes, I want to see your reaction."

Zhuang Lin brought two chairs over, and Zhu Ning had no choice but to sit opposite He Wenxi and open her employee bracelet.

Zhu Ning deliberately checked, and He Wenxi's actions were indeed thorough, leaving no trace of any discussion about her inside.

To other employees, it seemed they had just completed a routine mission and returned, with the video being affected by the contaminated area.

Because the video was damaged and not uploaded, the existence of the yellow flower remained unknown.

The Maple Forest Team's mission was pinned at the top: "Latest Out-of-Wall Mission Video! Unveiling the Abandoned Mountain Incident, Not for the Faint-Hearted"

Zhu Ning: "..."

The style of the cleaning center is really consistent, all shockingly similar?

Zhu Ning could feel Huo Wenxi's gaze as she opened it in front of her.

The video of the Demon Hunter was particularly shaky, after editing, it looked like a first-person horror movie.

Zhu Ning was quite familiar with this place; they had collected contaminated spores here before, and that mutated yellow flower grew by the well.

But when Zhu Ning came, there was nothing special except for the well. The Demon Hunter entered the contaminated area, where the scene was richer, a bit dim, and overgrown with lush plants.

Amidst the crackling sound of electricity, a song came through, the melody somewhat peculiar, not in the tune of modern music, but very ancient.

It was sticky and cold, like some evil cult’s hymn, making one’s heart race uncomfortably if listened to for too long.

This must be what they meant by someone singing on the back mountain.

"The wall outside is even stranger," she heard someone say.

"What is this song? Has anyone heard it before?"

"Don’t listen seriously, you might go crazy."

True to form, the Demon Hunters were indeed more experienced than the cleaners, able to immediately discern what was contaminated. Zhu Ning always watched their videos with a learning attitude.

The team moved forward to the sound of the song, passing through the forest and over the well. This back mountain was larger than what Zhu Ning had seen.

Deep in the back mountain stood a stone hill purely constructed of stones, with water ripple patterns drawn in blood on the stones, placed with great care.

At the edge of the hill, many cloth bundles were laid out, like offerings.

On top of the hill, a bamboo pole was inserted, with a black coat hanging from it, swaying in the wind, as if a person dancing in the breeze.

"What’s going on here?"

"Looks like a sacrifice?"

"Hey, come look at this," someone said: "There’s a cave here."

The camera turned, revealing a narrow cave under the artificially built stone hill, leading underground, used to conceal the entrance?

It looked like the entrance to a tomb.

Someone shone a flashlight inside, the cave went straight down, and they couldn’t see the bottom, only a vague shadow, "There seems to be something below, who’s brave enough to climb down and take a look? I’ll pull you out if you encounter danger."

"You’re crazy, just use a machine to check."

No one wanted to crawl in; they had some detection equipment. Zhu Ning watched as one of them took out a small camera shaped like a bee.

The Demon Hunters really have good treatment, their equipment is on a completely different level.

The camera flew into the cave, the perspective switched to the camera view, and the little bee flew downward, almost pitch black around.

Suddenly, the screen shifted, the lens hit a hard object. The Demon Hunter slowly moved the camera, only to see a human face.

"What, what is this?"

The camera pulled back, revealing a statue hidden in the shadows, about 1.5 meters tall, indistinguishable as to which deity it represented.

The statue had its eyes closed, a smile on its lips, looking extremely eerie in the darkness.

But the statue didn’t move or attack, as if it was just there to scare people.

"This village is full of superstitions, let’s get out of here," someone felt disappointed, "Just use force to flatten it."

The Demon Hunters’ use of force was like a violent demolition team. In the later part of the video, Zhu Ning didn’t watch, but they completed the mission without major incidents, with three people injured, one severely.

Zhu Ning frowned throughout, not paying attention to what happened afterward.

The Maple Forest Team didn’t take the statue seriously, treating it as an ordinary item in a contaminated area.

But Zhu Ning had seen that statue before, identical to the one in the abandoned village. She felt something evil about it the first time she saw it.

Later, she found other clues and didn’t pay much attention to it. Seeing it again, her feelings were entirely different.

This was a repeated mental contamination, making you see it repeatedly to deepen its impression. Now, the statue seemed to have drilled into Zhu Ning’s mind through the video, leaving an indelible mark.

Zhu Ning felt a slight pain in her head, as if the contaminant parasitizing her brain had slightly contracted.

Zhu Ning took a deep breath, enduring the discomfort, and said, "There’s something wrong here."

Huo Wenxi had been watching her.

Zhu Ning rarely showed any unnatural expressions, "I’ve seen it before, it was hidden in the abandoned village."

Huo Wenxi: "As expected."

Huo Wenxi had seen this video, and her intuition told her the statue was problematic.

Zhu Ning needed to experience it, while Huo Wenxi relied on her intuition.

This anomaly appeared in both the Maple Forest Team and the cleaner videos. After Zhu Ning confirmed it, Huo Wenxi posted the statue’s photo on a blank wall.

Zhu Ning stared at the statue on the wall. The first time she saw it was on the way to the back mountain, just a quick glance before Xu Meng interrupted her.

Zhu Ning remembered the statue had few details, only that it looked strange, probably human, but indistinguishable in gender, with protruding eyeballs that seemed about to fall out.

This time, with a longer look, she noticed more details. Its eyeballs weren’t protruding, and its eyes were closed.

Despite the closed eyes, the statue had a smile on its lips, which was extremely unsettling.

And the statue was covered in intricate patterns, which turned out to be tiny characters. Zhu Ning paused the video and zoomed in, only to see that they were some kind of text, but she couldn't make out what it said.

Huo Wenxi extracted the image of the statue from Zhu Ning's helmet video and posted it on the wall.

When compared side by side, the two statues were indeed different—one had its eyes open, the other closed.

Why did the statues have different poses? Was it because each contaminated area had a different style?

In the abandoned village, everyone was under surveillance, so the statue became part of the monitoring system. What was the style of the hill behind the village? Why was it smiling?

Huo Wenxi: "I asked my elders at home, and they said it's an ancient deity."

Zhu Ning had never received help before, and now, for the first time, she found herself working under someone as capable as Huo Wenxi, who basically took care of everything without her having to think much.

Huo Wenxi went home to verify, but could the Huo family really be a lineage of fortune-tellers?

Zhu Ning: "An ancient deity? What is that?"

How did this turn into metaphysics?

Although this polluted world wasn't very scientific, this time it was glaringly unscientific.

Huo Wenxi stared at Zhu Ning without blinking, expecting her to show some sign of deceit, but it seemed she genuinely didn't know.

Zhu Ning wasn't deliberately covering up anything or lying to herself.

Huo Wenxi: "There's very little information, and I'm still verifying."

Zhu Ning couldn't tell if she really hadn't found anything or was keeping it secret, so she asked, "Are there really gods in this world?"

She remembered that some people, after being mentally polluted, would pray to evil deities. Would those evil deities really respond?

Huo Wenxi: "People seek faith when they're at their wits' end."

In this world, where everyone is under such immense pressure, it's not surprising that people turn to strange and supernatural things when they break down and form contaminated areas.

But so-called gods are hard to describe as anything other than pollutants; even that worm claimed to be a god.

Who knows what this ancient deity is?

Zhu Ning asked, "What are you going to do next?"

Huo Wenxi: "I'll send a team out to investigate again, using this statue as a clue."

This wasn't something Zhu Ning could solve alone; they truly needed a team outside the walls to restart the investigation.

Zhu Ning had no objections; she preferred not to act, as it wouldn't prolong her already short life.

Huo Wenxi looked at the wall thoughtfully. "You can go home now. You need rest, and I'll notify you of the next steps."

It seemed Zhu Ning was just a tool, and Huo Wenxi used her performance to prove her intuition. Was Huo Wenxi testing Zhu Ning just now?

Did she pass the test?

Zhu Ning stood up, still feeling uncomfortable. The two impressions overlapped, and the statue seemed to be imprinted in her mind.

As she walked to the door, she turned back. This time, she took a broader view of the entire wall, where historical events seemed to be connected.

The transparent people in the Mechanical Oceanarium, the mutants in the ant nest, the statue outside the walls—Huo Wenxi's earlier intuition was correct. She felt these events were linked and could reveal the full picture.

Huo Wenxi stood in front of the wall, deep in thought, with her back to Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning asked, "By the way, how is Xu Meng? Did you save her too?"

Huo Wenxi's forehead twitched, feeling that Zhu Ning was constantly pushing her limits. She wasn't a professional at cleaning up messes.

"You don't need to worry about her," Huo Wenxi said dismissively, without looking at Zhu Ning. "She has her own ways of surviving in the Clean Center."

Zhu Ning: "So?"

Why did these ministers always speak in riddles?

Huo Wenxi: "Others are protecting her. Her identity is very special, and I can't tell you more."

Zhu Ning let out a meaningful "oh." Indeed, it was a very special identity.

Huo Wenxi turned around and looked at her quietly. "You know better than I do whether there's anything wrong with Xu Meng."

Zhu Ning's heart skipped a beat. Dealing with this fortune-teller was really scary; she had an intimidating intuition.

Huo Wenxi didn't ask about many of her doubts, which didn't mean she trusted her or had let her off the hook.

It was just that there were more pressing matters at hand, so she temporarily put Zhu Ning aside.

...

Zhu Ning walked out of the Clean Center's main gate. Huo Wenxi hadn't given her any surveillance devices or sent anyone to follow her.

But Zhu Ning didn't dare to relax. She looked back; the main building of the Clean Center towered into the clouds, and Huo Wenxi's office was above the clouds.

Was she watching over her?

The next steps shouldn't be her concern anymore. Zhu Ning just needed to wait for Huo Wenxi to call on her.

Zhu Ning opened her secondary brain. This time, she earned thirty million new coins, and the last time Xuan Qing gave her a special bonus twenty times the usual, which was forty million.

This salary was approved by Huo Wenxi, and it might include a portion as a gag fee?

With two earnings totaling seventy million, if this continued, achieving her goal of one hundred million might not be a dream.

Where does the wealth of the Cleaning Center come from?

Yongsheng Pharmaceutical monopolizes the pharmaceutical industry, controlling ninety percent of the Federation's healthcare.

Genesis Tech has a cluster of tech companies under its umbrella, earning substantial profits from game development. Moreover, they monopolize consciousness uploading technology, attracting a large number of wealthy individuals willing to pay.

But what about the Cleaning Center? How do they maintain such high salaries?

The Cleaning Center appears to be doing "good deeds," addressing pollution issues, and both the Security Bureau and the garrison forces must cooperate with them, seeking their assistance whenever needed.

Do they monopolize pollutants-related businesses?

Zhu Ning felt there was someone who could answer her question.

She returned to the Queen's Dignity, where this mission, including the observation period, lasted four days, once again confusing her sense of time.

If it weren't for her high mental resilience, anyone else might have gone crazy with this work style long ago.

It was now three in the afternoon, and the Queen's Dignity was still closed, not even the electronic male strippers were performing.

Zhu Ning had subconsciously considered this brothel as her territory. Just as she was about to enter the basement, she suddenly sensed something behind her. She frowned, then relaxed her expression.

An arm wrapped around her from behind, a warm and slender body pressing against her back.

Zhu Ning's tense body instantly relaxed. "Long time no see, Xiaofeng."

This feeling was comforting, like having someone waiting for you at home, so you don't have to face an empty house.

There will always be someone coming to you.

Although Lin Xiaofeng is invisible, her presence gave Zhu Ning some human warmth, just a hug made her feel healed.

Zhu Ning has connections with humans.

Lin Xiaofeng released her, somewhat embarrassed, asking, "Are you tired?"

Zhu Ning shook her head and turned around, indeed seeing a red hat floating in the air. "How can I be tired? I'm super strong."

Lin Xiaofeng smiled, a smile Zhu Ning couldn't see, but she knew—Zhu Ning is super strong!

Lin Xiaofeng was exceptionally well-behaved, almost too much so; she didn't even ask what Zhu Ning had been up to.

Zhu Ning asked, "What have you been doing recently?"

She remembered allowing Lin Xiaofeng to move freely, cautiously venturing outside.

But Lin Xiaofeng seemed to dislike going out. Her tone suddenly became very excited. "I've been learning how to fight, Uncle Song is helping me!"

Zhu Ning: "..."

Lin Xiaofeng finally started training with Song Zhizhang. Zhu Ning wondered if Song Zhizhang's frail body could withstand Lin Xiaofeng's immense strength.

Zhu Ning asked, "Where is Song Zhizhang?"

She had something she wanted to ask him.

Lin Xiaofeng: "He's sleeping, I can take you to him."

Lin Xiaofeng was closer to Song Zhizhang than Zhu Ning, who didn't even know where Song Zhizhang lived.

During Zhu Ning's absence, Lin Xiaofeng had familiarized herself with the entire Queen's Dignity. Song Zhizhang allowed her to roam freely within the store, completely disappearing when outsiders were present, and walking around with a red hat when alone.

The store actually had eight floors, and Song Zhizhang lived on the eighth floor.

Lin Xiaofeng led the way, with Zhu Ning following behind. Each floor had a different theme, and Zhu Ning knew without asking that they were all designed for wealthy women to enjoy.

However, the floors above the sixth seemed to be out of business, with the sixth and seventh floors completely empty, not even a chair in sight.

Song Zhizhang lived on the eighth floor.

What did this mean? Was Song Zhizhang afraid something would happen to him, so he isolated himself in advance? Even if something unfortunate occurred, there would be a buffer zone between him and the lower floors.

When Zhu Ning reached the eighth floor, the high ceiling and ample sunlight made the place warm and cozy, a stark contrast to the dark basement.

Lin Xiaofeng said, "It's here."

Lin Xiaofeng pressed the doorbell, and Zhu Ning stood with her, looking like trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

Less than a minute later, the door opened from inside. Song Zhizhang, who had probably been sleeping, looked a bit groggy.

Zhu Ning raised an eyebrow upon seeing Song Zhizhang; today he wasn't wearing his usual purple undershirt but a black loungewear set.

The loungewear was long and made of silk, highlighting his pale skin. It was even a high-necked design, tightly wrapping around his neck, leaving no skin exposed.

He looked like a celibate priest or a vampire.

Zhu Ning was used to seeing Song Zhizhang in his purple undershirt, and her aesthetic had almost been skewed. Now, she found it very unsettling.

Song Zhizhang was taken aback when he saw Zhu Ning, awkwardly averting his gaze. "Why are you here?"

Zhu Ning's gaze moved from his neck, suppressing the urge to tear off his clothes to see what was underneath.

That would be too violent.

Zhu Ning: "I have something to ask you."

Song Zhizhang furrowed his brow. Zhu Ning wanted to ask him something?

"Can we go inside to talk?" Zhu Ning asked.

Song Zhizhang hesitated for a moment but found no good reason to refuse; the more he tried to hide it, the more suspicious it would seem, so he opened the door.

Zhu Ning had never been one to hold back with him. This floor was an entire home, decorated in a simple and minimalist wooden style. Was this really where Song Zhizhang lived?

Zhu Ning had always thought that Song Zhizhang, dressed like a Barbie doll, should be living in a Barbie palace.

Zhu Ning and Lin Xiaofeng sat on the sofa. Zhu Ning was particularly relaxed, as if she were at home.

"Would you like something to drink?" Song Zhizhang asked.

"Anything," Zhu Ning replied.

Song Zhizhang brought over two cups of warm milk. Zhu Ning must have just completed a mission; coffee or tea wouldn't be suitable. She would need to rest soon, and warm milk was just right.

Lin Xiaofeng sipped her milk delicately, like a kitten lapping at its bowl.

Zhu Ning held her cup of milk but didn't drink. Instead, she stared at Song Zhizhang, as if her gaze could pierce through his turtleneck to touch the skin of his neck, reaching directly into his secrets.

Under her scrutiny, Song Zhizhang felt as if ants were crawling up his back. "Should I change clothes first?"

It was rare to see him so flustered. In the past, he had always been like an elegant little fox, meticulously grooming himself with deliberate slowness.

Now, it was as if someone had stripped away a layer of his fox fur, exposing his soft underbelly. He wasn't as calm and collected as before, making him seem vulnerable and almost irresistible to tease. Zhu Ning suddenly understood why wealthy women enjoyed visiting those high-end queen stores for stress relief.

It really did help.

"No need, I won't take long," Zhu Ning said.

Leaning against the door frame, Song Zhizhang composed himself and met Zhu Ning's gaze. "What do you want to ask me?"

Zhu Ning had just come from a mission, and the first thing she did after leaving the cleaning center was to find Song Zhizhang. What could she possibly want to ask him?

Zhu Ning stopped teasing him and got straight to the point. "Is the contaminated spore a source of energy?"

She had been pondering this question for a while. The contaminated spores required containment, partly out of fear of secondary infection. But there might be another reason: the contaminated spores could be a form of energy.

This would explain how the cleaning center operated, with Song Zhizhang responsible for collecting contaminated spores from the public. He would certainly know the answer to this question.

Zhu Ning waited for his response.