Chapter 96 Blood Plague Adaptor
The heavy rain pounded incessantly on the doors and windows of the library gathering point, making a "bang, bang, bang" sound.
Dozens of survivors gathered there, each wearing protective gear provided by the Emergency Management Bureau. Although the protective gear was only of standard level, it was better than nothing.
After putting on their gas masks, people hadn't spoken for a long time.
Unlike hotels or hospitals with many rooms, where everyone could find their own, here everyone was concentrated in the lobby on the first or second floor.
Fortunately, there was no shortage of books; everyone had a book in hand or was scrolling through their phones to pass the time.
In a corner of the second-floor lobby, a young father and son sat together. The father was under forty, and the son looked only about ten years old; they were reading together.
Suddenly, the man felt unwell; his throat and head ached, and his muscles ached inexplicably.
"What's wrong with me…"
the man muttered nervously, a sense of unease and fear creeping into his heart.
He knew very well that he hadn't been sick recently and was generally healthy. Now, less than a day after the sixth rule was issued, his body was already showing signs of illness—this was not a good omen.
"Dad, what's wrong?" his son asked.
The man glanced around, took his son to the bathroom, locked the door, and then squatted down with his back to the boy.
"Son, look at the back of my neck. Are there any red spots?"
The first stage of infection with the blood plague is red spots on the neck and shoulders; the second stage is internal and external bleeding; the later stage of the second stage is bleeding from all seven orifices; and the third stage is fatal blood loss.
The boy looked carefully, and his words instantly chilled the man's heart.
"Dad, it seems so."
Boom!
Accompanied by thunder outside, the man collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The boy was startled and rushed to help his father, "Dad, why are you sitting on the floor! Why are you crying?"
The man wiped his face and immediately pushed the boy away, "Go away, stay away from me!"
"Dad..."
"Dad has been infected with the virus. He might only have a few dozen hours left, or he might explode soon... You can't stay with Dad, you..."
Before the man could finish speaking, the bathroom door was kicked open.
Several men stood in the doorway, looking at the man with shock and anger.
The leader cursed, "It was wrong of you to bring the child into the bathroom earlier, I didn't expect it to be infected! Get out of the library right now!"
"That's right, if you don't leave, you'll infect us all. There absolutely can't be infected people in the library!"
Seeing this, the man stood up and said, "I know, I know, I'll leave, but my son is fine, he has to stay!"
The men hesitated for a moment. At this moment, the others in the gathering point heard the commotion and all gathered around.
After realizing what had happened, they were all frightened and retreated far away from the infected man.
"No, we can't leave his son here! They've been together all the time; if one gets infected, the other will definitely get infected too!"
"That's right, they both have to leave together, no discussion." "
Get out of here! Do you want to get us all killed?!"
The crowd clamored, frantically urging the father and son to leave the library.
The boy, terrified, hid behind his father. Facing the crowd's accusations, the man said fiercely, "I can leave, but my son has to stay! If you don't agree, I won't leave!"
"What?!"
"You dare! If you don't leave, we'll throw you out!"
"You dare threaten people all by yourself?"
Seeing this, the man gritted his teeth, pulled a multi-tool from his pocket, and held the blade to his neck: "Who dares to throw me out? Who? Come here, I'll splatter you with blood!"
The crowd was shocked and quickly took a few steps back.
The man had been confirmed to be infected with the blood plague virus; who wanted to have their blood splattered on them? After all, everyone remembered that this virus could be transmitted through blood in addition to airborne transmission.
"You, you mustn't do anything rash!"
"I said I can leave, but my son isn't infected. You can see his neck and shoulders, they're clean!" the man shouted. "Leave my son here, and I'll leave. Otherwise, I'll risk my life to splatter your blood!"
"..."
The crowd exchanged glances, and finally, after the two men checked the boy and confirmed there were no red spots, they relented.
The man breathed a sigh of relief and said to the boy, "Son, you must stay here and live well. Dad... Dad is leaving now!"
"Dad!" The boy rushed over and hugged his father's leg. "Dad, I want to go with you! Wherever you go, I'll go!"
"Don't be silly, listen to me!"
"No, I won't listen! I want to go with you!"
"You..."
"Your son has said so, so just take him with you." Someone in the crowd said, "Don't hurt the child's feelings."
"Yes. We're not forcing him; he wants to go with you." Someone else chimed in.
Hearing this, the man looked around at the crowd, his heart sinking.
He knew that these people hated him because he had threatened to kill himself. Even if he forced his son to stay, his son would be bullied by these people once he left… and might even be thrown out again.
It was better to take him with him! And before the bleeding exploded, to find his son a new, safe place…
With this thought in mind, the man didn't delay any longer and immediately picked up his son: "Let's go!"
The father and son quickly left the library. As soon as they left, the others immediately closed the door tightly, and someone took out a can of disinfectant and sprayed it frantically around.
"Dad, where are we going?"
Not long after leaving the library, the man looked blank when his son asked.
He was about to speak when a mouthful of blood gushed out, staining the bottom of his mask red.
So fast?!
The man couldn't believe it. He thought he had more time. How could it have started the second stage of external bleeding so quickly?
"Dad, Dad?"
"Son, quick, run into the street…"
The man pushed his son away, forcing himself to speak through his pain.
"Go to the street, and when you see those black cars with the word 'Emergency' printed on them, ask them for help… They'll help you… *splat*!"
He finished speaking with difficulty, then spat out another mouthful of blood.
"Dad, Dad!"
The man turned and ran in the opposite direction, hoping to get as far away from his son as possible. However, before he had run more than a few dozen meters, his body shuddered, and he burst into blood, dying instantly.
"Dad!"
The boy caught up with his father, and seeing his father covered in blood,
he burst into helpless sobs. The torrential rain completely drowned out his cries, and even his father's last instruction to find an "emergency" car on the highway was forgotten in his fear and grief…
The rain continued all night, only stopping the next morning.
Some people in protective suits passed by and were shocked by the scene.
They approached and first discovered the man who had died from the blood loss, then saw a boy sleeping on top of him.
"The man undoubtedly died from a blood loss; he must have died last night."
"The boy's chest is rising and falling; is he still alive?"
"Be careful! This child is covered in the man's blood; he might be infected too!"
The boy seemed to hear voices and slowly opened his eyes.
He looked at his father's corpse and immediately cried again, "Dad..."
"Child, is he your father?" one person asked.
Another person went behind the boy, checked his neck and shoulders, and said to the others, "Clean, not infected."
"He's my dad, I, we..."
the boy said, suddenly looking at a young man among them with confusion.
"Uncle, you, why do you have bugs on your shoulder?"
"Huh?" The man looked blankly at his shoulder. "What bugs? Where are they?"
"I clearly saw them, red bugs..." The
person who had questioned the boy earlier changed his expression drastically upon hearing this, quickly walked to the young man's side, ripped open his protective suit, and looked at the skin on his shoulder.
There, they saw a patch of bright red spots—the mark of infection with the blood plague!
"!!!"
The others were all shocked.
"Why?!" The young man cried out in despair and collapse. "I was wearing protective gear the whole time!"
The team leader, however, disregarded all that and abruptly focused on the boy, ordering the others, "Quick! This child is an 'adapted to the blood plague,' he has antibodies and can identify infected individuals. Take him back to the car immediately and send him to headquarters!"
Meanwhile, at the Limei Hotel, yesterday's harmony had vanished.
Everyone was hiding in their rooms, and in the lobby, only the two resident corpses, splattered with blood, remained.
The moment they witnessed their deaths, the others' resolve crumbled, and they began to wail and scream.
Everyone regretted not accepting the virus protection equipment provided by the Emergency Management Bureau staff. Several even kicked down the door of the mutual aid group's host, shouting insults, believing it was all his fault.
But the door remained closed, and no sound came from inside. Everyone guessed that the host, who had shown signs of bleeding so early yesterday, was probably already dead from blood loss in his room.
No one dared to force their way in, fearing the sealed rooms were teeming with the virus and that opening the door would spread it, infecting them.
The same was true for the two corpses in the lobby; no one had protective gear, so no one dared to clean them.
However, after a day, while every resident huddled in their rooms, praying not to be infected, they suddenly heard the voice of the mutual aid society's facilitator coming through a loudspeaker.
"Members, please come out."
It was… the facilitator's voice?
Those in the guest rooms stared in disbelief, wondering if they were hallucinating.
"Come out," the facilitator's voice rang out again, "I have cleaned up the corpses in the lobby; you need not worry."
Creak—
guest room doors opened one after another, and people rushed to the lobby, where they saw the facilitator standing in the center, smiling broadly, arms outstretched.
"My survival is the miracle you have witnessed."
"!!!!!"
Everyone stared at the facilitator in utter shock.
Yesterday, they clearly saw blood flowing from the host's eyes, a symptom of the late second stage of the Blood Plague virus infection—the next step would be a fatal hemorrhage! But…
"You are truly a master!"
someone suddenly exclaimed. Then everyone else crowded around the host, surrounding him, looking at him, genuinely believing him to be a powerful master, one even the rules of the Fire Stealers couldn't kill.
The host smiled, but suddenly the smile vanished.
He looked at one person in the crowd, pointing at him: "Only those with impure hearts are infected by the virus. You are one of them."
Everyone looked at the person being pointed at, who said blankly, "What did you say? I… how could I?"
"Go to your room and undergo the test." The host finished speaking, and under the intense gazes of the crowd, the person reluctantly returned to his room and closed the door.
Less than half an hour later, a scream of pain came from the room. Then the person rushed out, clutching his blood-soaked face, startling the others who retreated.
"Master… save me…"
The host wasn't afraid; he stepped forward and took the person's hand.
The man then bleeds violently and dies, his blood splattering all over the host. The crowd, who had retreated a considerable distance, gasps in shock.
"I have unwavering faith, and I am immune to the virus," the host calmly said, wiping away the blood with a tissue. He then personally covered the deceased's body and carried it into the room.
When he returned to the hall, the crowd was prostrate on the ground, looking at him with the eyes of someone revering a divine being.
Reverence, submission, fanaticism.
Chapter 97 Making a Decision
The Post-Apocalyptic Rules Countermeasures Research Lab.
"We now have a general understanding of the hidden content of the Sixth Rule,"
the researchers summarized at the meeting.
"Yesterday, according to reports from relevant departments in major cities, each city saw individuals infected with the virus who did not experience a blood explosion, and these individuals, after a period of infection, gained the ability to distinguish infected individuals within a certain range."
"For now, we'll call this group 'Blood Plague Adaptors.'"
Everyone nodded; the name was fitting. After all, these people weren't immune to the virus, but their bodies had adapted to it, and they had also gained a special ability to distinguish.
"Furthermore, there's another significant discovery. In some areas, blood was extracted from Blood Plague Adaptors, and serum was separated using a centrifuge. When injected into infected individuals, the red spots on their bodies quickly subsided. This means that the serum from the adaptors can cure Blood Plague infected individuals."
After the researcher finished speaking, the office fell silent.
Soon, someone said, "If this news is fully disclosed, these blood-borne disease adaptants will likely face a huge threat."
"Yes, everyone wants their serum."
"Can't we have medical professionals research and analyze their serum and try to make a vaccine?"
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy," a medical expert shook his head. "The development of a vaccine usually takes years. Even if we concentrate our efforts to shorten the time, and everything goes smoothly, it will still take several months. By then, even if we succeed, this regulation will have already ended." "
Moreover, based on the data reported from various regions, the number of blood-borne disease adaptants is extremely small, possibly reaching a ratio of one to one hundred thousand… only one in one hundred thousand infected people will be affected. The serum is completely insufficient. If the news is fully disclosed, and every infected person requests a serum injection, what will happen then?" "
Yes. This may sound harsh, but I'm willing to take the lead—with limited serum, it should be reserved for important personnel and those hardworking frontline social security workers."
The former have the status, position, and power; they can't be denied access. The latter, as frontline implementers, not only tirelessly deliver protective equipment but are also directly responsible for finding and bringing back blood-borne disease infected individuals.
If they weren't informed, and they failed to identify infected individuals in time, it would be a huge loss.
If they were informed, they wouldn't receive serum treatment if infected. Seeing this, who among the other frontline personnel would be willing to diligently complete their tasks and carry out orders?
If frontline staff were to feign compliance and deliberately sabotage, even the most correct orders from above would be useless if they weren't effectively implemented.
"The information cannot be fully disclosed. Apart from frontline staff, no other relevant departments should be notified," decided Gao Liangwei, the person in charge. "Otherwise, the situation will resemble the later stages of the first rule, causing a certain degree of chaos."
Everyone nodded in agreement. In the later stages of the first rule, [Sleep Deprivation], as more people went out, the number of people using the "Wake-Up Peppermints" increased, leading to sudden chaos in various places.
But at that time, because the number of participants wasn't large, it was still manageable.
This time, however, it's different.
This [Deadly Blood Plague] rule is inherently more cruel than [Sleep Deprivation]. One is dying peacefully in one's sleep, the other is dying from a sudden explosion of blood; which is more terrifying is obvious.
If this news were made public, the infected individuals' need for serum injections would not be met, potentially leading to their greatest destructive potential. Especially now that many people possess various psychic abilities, a coordinated effort to cause chaos would pose a significant challenge to the authorities.
After the countermeasures research team made its decision, related news was quickly and completely blocked.
However, unlike last time, they didn't simply shut down the internet. While that approach would be straightforward, it would immediately reveal that someone had confidential information they didn't want to share.
Therefore, learning from past experience, network technology professionals developed a "One-Way Mirror System" that uses advanced AI to automatically identify keywords. Once
activated, any message posted by a user containing content related to set keywords—whether it's a homonym, similar characters, or foreign language—will be identified and blocked by the One-Way Mirror System.
Once blocked, the information is only visible to the poster, not others. Thus, the poster believes they have spread the message, but their message was actually blocked at the time of posting without any notification.
As the Countermeasures Research Office made its decision, a series of related keywords, including "blood flu adaptor," "sensory infection," and "serum," were immediately added to the one-way mirror system, to be deactivated only after the rules expired.
...
In an abandoned residential area on Baishui Road, Chen Na and Wang Yan lived.
Both were wearing professional-grade virus protective suits, delivered by the short-haired woman in the suit yesterday.
"Mom, here's some water."
Chen Na brought a glass of warm water to the bedside. Her mother, Wang Yan, lay on her side, eyes closed, her brow furrowed in pain, a sight that deeply saddened Chen Na.
Hearing her daughter's voice, Wang Yan opened her eyes and forced a smile: "Thank you, Nana, Mom isn't thirsty... Put it aside for now." "
Okay." Chen Na placed the glass on a table beside her, where a pile of painkillers and a hospital diagnosis were scattered.
Among the densely written words, one line clearly read "Late-stage stomach cancer."
Wang Yan herself hadn't expected this result.
When the hospital diagnosed her, the doctor told her she had at most one or two months left; she felt like the sky had fallen.
Before knowing the results, she seemed to be able to walk and drive like a normal person, except for occasional stomach pains each day. But after learning the news, she seemed to collapse instantly, and now the pain is so bad that she has difficulty even walking.
Looking at her daughter sitting by the bedside, Wang Yan couldn't help but shed tears: "Nana, Mom is so sorry. I was going to send you to Yong'an. I never expected this... What will you do in the future..."
The fact that she didn't have much time left terrified Wang Yan. She wasn't afraid of dying herself, but of Chen Na, who would be left without anyone to care for her after her death. How would she survive in this post-apocalyptic world?
When she first received the results, her first thought was Guan Tong. Through their interactions during the snow disaster, she felt that Guan Tong was a trustworthy and kind-hearted young man. If he was willing to take care of Chen Na, he would be the best choice.
However, she didn't have Guan Tong's contact information. And she also knew that even if she had his contact information, why would someone help her take care of her child? Their relationship wasn't close enough, but for her daughter's sake, she was willing to swallow her pride and beg him.
But now... she didn't know who to entrust her daughter to. Her relatives had already died in the previous rules, and she didn't trust the official adoption agency.
"Mom, don't be sad." Chen Na held her mother Wang Yan's hand. "Didn't that kind sister who brought us protective suits yesterday say that your illness isn't incurable?"
"…Silly girl, she was just trying to comfort us. Even the doctor said there's nothing they can do, she…"
"So what if they're doctors?" Chen Na retorted, her little face full of stubbornness. "That kind sister said that with those powerful medical devices, even late-stage cancer can be cured!"
"…"
Wang Yan knew this all too well.
Even back at the hospital, the doctor had subtly mentioned that with ordinary medical methods, it would be very difficult to save her life. But if they could obtain special medical drugs from the terminal, there might still be a chance.
However, Wang Yan had seen the price of those drugs in the terminal market herself. The terrifyingly high price was simply beyond the reach of an ordinary Ascended Being like her.
Chen Na seemed to understand Wang Yan's thoughts, and said with unwavering determination, "Mom, don't worry, that kind sister told me that as long as I pass the selection, I can join a team. After joining that team, the people who founded the team will help me buy medicine with Ascension Coins, and then your illness will be cured!"
Wang Yan was slightly surprised upon hearing this: "When did that sister tell you this? How come I didn't know?"
"Yes, it was when I saw her off. She told me this privately before she left."
Wang Yan frowned: "A team? What team? It doesn't sound safe. Nana, listen to your mother, don't get involved in such messy things..."
Chen Na shook her head: "Mom, don't worry, that sister must be a good person, otherwise why would she give us protective clothing against the virus?"
"Silly child, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Think about it, how did that sister know we were here? Also, she didn't tell me in front of me, but only told you this privately, just to keep it from me. There's definitely something wrong with that."
Chen Na pursed her lips. She didn't know how that short-haired sister found her and her mother, nor did she know if she was good or bad.
But she knew that the older sister could save her mother, and that was enough. Besides this lifeline, she had no other chance to earn the many Ascension Coins needed to buy medicine and other items.
"Nana, did you hear what Mom said? You're not allowed to participate in that selection. You're so young, how can you do it? Mom doesn't want you to be in danger!"
"...I know, Mom. Don't be angry, rest well. I'll go make you some medicine."
Hearing her daughter say this, Wang Yan breathed a slight sigh of relief, nodded, and closed her eyes to rest.
But what she didn't see was that after Chen Na turned around, the expression on her little face remained unchanged.
She had made up her mind that this time she wouldn't listen to her mother. She would accept the short-haired older sister's invitation to participate in the selection and succeed in it, all to save her mother!
...
"Phew... I think I'm starting to feel something."
In the shelter hut, Guan Tong opened his eyes, ending his meditation that had lasted for more than two hours.
Since he couldn't leave the shelter and didn't have the ability to "help the world," he decided to stop receiving too much outside information and focus on doing what he needed to do.
The task at hand was to study Shi Jingyi's course on the flow of mental energy.
For two days in a row, he had been memorizing various acupoints and, as Shi Jingyi had taught in her online classes, practicing meditation to enter a state of flow.
The results were quite good.
Guan Tong, in particular, felt his memory had improved significantly, likely due to the transformation of his body by mental energy.
He had initially thought it would take a long time to memorize so many acupoints, but now it seemed like it would take at most a month.
"If I can learn this, I can make full use of my more than three thousand units of mental energy reserves,"
Guan Tong thought. If he could achieve the same flow of mental energy throughout his body as Shi Jingyi, his own functions would definitely improve considerably.
This might also improve the "shadow," since its functions were completely linked to Guan Tong's physical body.
If Guan Tong himself had stronger defenses and a "harder" body, the shadow would also be stronger after materializing.
This might prevent a repeat of the events on Grail Island: the Shadow Wall nearly being smashed through by the one wielding the giant hammer, or easily sliced apart by Lucifer's sharp wings.
Chapter 98 Shi Jingyi's Contact
The seventh day of the Blood Plague Virus's spread.
Guan Tong sat at his desk, having just finished reciting the human acupoints. He checked the latest official updates on his laptop.
Seven days had passed, and the authorities hadn't released any announcements regarding "antibodies," "infection awareness," or "serum."
Guan Tong absolutely refused to believe that the authorities, with their resources, wouldn't have discovered the existence of adaptors after a week. Normally, they should have discovered them in a day, let alone a week.
Therefore, the lack of news meant they had actively chosen not to disclose it.
This was within his expectations, but what intrigued him was the absence of any related discussions online.
He tried searching for keywords, and this time, unlike his previous search for "Clarity Peppermint Candy," there were many results, but most were irrelevant.
"Could it be that they've upgraded their information blocking technology..."
Guan Tong thought it was quite possible. If so, even if information leaked, it would be contained offline, within a small circle of acquaintances, and wouldn't spread thousands of times faster due to the amplifying properties of the internet.
Buzz...
At this moment, his phone on the table vibrated. Guan Tong picked it up and, unsurprisingly, it was Xu Xiaotian calling.
The only person calling him now is Xu Xiaotian.
"Hello?"
"Brother Tong, you're still alive!"
"...Thank you."
Xu Xiaotian laughed awkwardly, "No...it's because the rules this time are too outrageous, the casualties in Yong'an are quite terrible. So I was just worried about you!"
"With so many people in Yong'an, dealing with these rules is indeed very troublesome."
"Yeah, so a large-scale evacuation was carried out on the first day, and they're still evacuating every day."
"How's it going at your academy?" Guan Tong asked.
"It's alright! The authorities are taking the students very seriously. They sent a large amount of protective equipment as soon as the rules were announced, one set for each student."
"That's not bad."
"Yeah. And the academy is full of hidden talents. You wouldn't believe it, Tong-ge, one of our people has a mental artifact that's a disinfectant spray, which perfectly counters the virus in this rule! It's just that its effective range is a bit small, about the size of a room, so it can't hold many people."
"That's fine too. If you squeeze in a room, a few dozen people can still fit."
"Exactly. But this guy locked his dorm room door on the first day, not letting anyone in… Anyway, let's not talk about that. Tong-ge, I have something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Do you know Professor Shi Jingyi, the instructor of the 'Flow of Spiritual Power' course?"
Guan Tong asked in surprise. "What?"
Xu Xiaotian said, "I asked her some questions about the course before, and we got onto the topic of spiritual power tools. I mentioned my idea for developing multi-effect instant noodles, which was inspired by you, Tong-ge. She said she also knows a Guan Tong in Yunhua and asked if it was the same person."
"...Yes, I did meet her once."
"Really? I thought it was just a coincidence!" Xu Xiaotian exclaimed in surprise. "I never thought the world was so small. Oh, and the instructor also said that if it's the same person, she wants your contact information. Do you want to give it to her?"
Want my contact information?
Guan Tong didn't know if Shi Jingyi wanted to contact him for something, but considering their pleasant collaboration last time, he agreed: "Sure."
"OK, I'll send a message later."
After chatting with Xu Xiaotian, Guan Tong hung up his phone less than ten minutes later when another call came in.
The caller ID showed an unknown number, and Guan Tong answered.
"Guan Tong?"
A clear voice came from the receiver; it was Shi Jingyi calling.
"It's me."
"Haha, I didn't expect it to be the same person." Shi Jingyi laughed. "Looks like we're quite destined for each other."
"Maybe," Guan Tong said. "Is there something you need to talk to me about?"
"Nothing much, just one thing... um, it's not convenient to talk about it over the phone, so I won't."
Not convenient to talk about it over the phone?
"Are you worried about... the call being leaked?"
"Who knows, maybe."
"..."
Guan Tong was a little confused. Did he and Shi Jingyi have some secret that he was worried about being leaked?
It seemed... wait.
Guan Tong suddenly realized something, and his breathing became slightly heavier.
Shi Jingyi on the other end of the phone seemed to have heard him and said, "Looks like you know what I mean. That's right, it's that thing. But don't worry, I haven't mentioned it to anyone else."
"..."
Yes, Guan Tong understood what Shi Jingyi meant.
She probably already knew he was... the Shadow!
After the battle on Holy Grail Island, many of Guan Tong's abilities were exposed. These included the ability to create explosions and manipulate shadows.
And before, during the fifth rule incident in the industrial park, Shi Jingyi personally witnessed Guan Tong using Silver Hunter No. 3 bombs to bombard the undead, and also witnessed him manipulating shadows to eliminate the "Mother Converter" through implosion.
Even if she didn't realize it at the time, after the results of the Holy Grail Island battle were revealed, she would definitely connect the two, thus most likely confirming that Guan Tong was the "Shadow."
"But I really didn't expect it, hehe," Shi Jingyi said, "You're truly a master of disguise."
"..."
Guan Tong's feelings were somewhat complicated. He wasn't too worried that Shi Jingyi would reveal his identity. Judging from her previous behavior, she didn't seem like the kind of person who would betray someone else's secrets for personal gain.
However, the feeling of having his true identity guessed for the first time was definitely a little strange.
"Before we parted last time, you said you would watch my online classes, did you?" Shi Jingyi didn't continue mentioning that matter, shifting to another topic.
"I've been watching," Guan Tong said. "And I've been studying."
"Really? Let me test you?"
"Sure."
Shi Jingyi randomly asked five or six questions about acupoints on the human body. Because Guan Tong hadn't memorized them yet, he answered three correctly.
This was enough to surprise Shi Jingyi.
"It seems you've really been working hard. You're no worse than those students in the classroom just by watching online classes!"
Guan Tong really didn't want to say that he stayed in his room all day and had nothing else to do besides watching online classes.
"In that case, if you have any questions, just call me," Shi Jingyi said. "After all, online classes don't have a 'Q&A' session."
"Is that okay? Thank you."
"You're welcome."
After hanging up the phone, Guan Tong took a deep breath.
Although he had long known that his identity would eventually be known to others, he didn't expect it to be under such a slightly sudden circumstances. Fortunately, only Shi Jingyi knew, and judging from the fact that she deliberately didn't mention it on the phone to avoid leaks, it shouldn't be leaked.
But it's better to be safe than sorry, and Guan Tong still had to prepare for the possibility that his identity would be completely exposed
"As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. Besides the shelter, I should find a few more hiding places… I should leave some psychic items in these places so that if I encounter danger, I can use my 'teleportation' ability to move there and avoid it."
"Also… shouldn't I consider using my advantages to further accelerate my development, or somehow mobilize the group's power for my own use?"
Guan Tong casually opened a webpage, stared at it for a while, and brainstormed various ideas.
Using the internet in the shelter without worrying about being tracked is the core principle.
Based on this, perhaps I could create a website. Publish… no, sell, sell some high-value information for a high amount of Ascension Coins?
No, in the commercial world, the biggest beneficiaries are always the various 'platforms,' not the merchants.
If it's just selling information… if it's too expensive, there might not be many customers willing to pay; if it's too cheap, the common information becomes worthless.
But what if it's selling "intermediary services"?
Leveraging the website's impenetrable and untraceable nature, could a network be established for Ascendants to trade information, items, and even post commissions, with Guan Tong taking a cut? Would that be the most profitable approach? Guan Tong thought it was worth a try.
The reason was that people had this need—at least Guan Tong himself did. He figured it wasn't just him; many Ascendants who chose to live independently, and even some small and medium-sized organizations, worried about privacy.
Many people needed to trade items and information, but the end-user market was almost entirely monopolized by major organizations and official bodies. Trading on third-party platforms risked identity leaks, leading to offline tracking and targeting.
Therefore, if an Ascendant-only communication and trading website could emerge, ensuring no identity leaks and no tracking, it would definitely trigger a surge in usage.
"Meow."
Coal Ball jumped onto the table and lay on the laptop keyboard. Guan Tong tapped its head: "Do you also think this is a good idea?"
Coal Ball purred, clearly only coming closer because the laptop keyboard was warm.
"Never mind all that, let's just try it out."
Guan Tong acted on his idea immediately. Ignoring Coal Ball's protests, he grabbed it and threw it on the bed, then downloaded a website template online.
He didn't know much about website creation, but that didn't matter, because this era had no shortage of AI tools. Even if you knew nothing about programming, you could use AI assistance and a template to complete the simple process of creating a website.
However, he soon discovered that the website created this way was just a series of static pages. It also needed a server to store the data. He could choose cloud services provided by other companies, but obviously, handing over the data to someone else would render the website meaningless.
"If I want to make the website good, I'll need to get some servers, hard drives, and other equipment to put in my shelter... It's definitely not possible during the Blood Plague rules right now; I'll have to wait until it's over to figure out how to get them."
Chapter 99 The House of the Ascended
At the Limei Hotel, the ceremony for the renaming of the Mutual Aid Sharing Session to "Truth and Goodness Hall" was underway.
Yesterday's host was now the Hall Master. He stood smiling in the center of the crowd, sharing his insights on truth and goodness.
Ever since he survived the infection a few days ago and was able to distinguish infected individuals, his status in everyone's hearts had become extraordinary.
People didn't consider him a god, but they all believed he was a highly capable person with special abilities. Their reverence for him stemmed from the hope that they too could survive an infection like him.
"...Therefore, we must love everyone, and not hate. Hatred is the thief that steals all the beauty of life, we must..."
The Hall Master was speaking when he suddenly looked at a woman to his left.
Meeting his gaze, the woman's face gradually showed fear.
She knew that whenever the Hall Master suddenly stared at someone, that person would be a new infected with the blood plague.
This had happened ten times in the past week, and each time, without exception, it had come true.
None of the ten people could remain in their rooms alone for the full 24 hours like the leader, emerging healthy and unharmed.
"No, no!" the woman screamed. "I pray every day, I yearn for truth and goodness, why me?!"
"It seems you're not devout enough, you still have selfish thoughts, which is why the virus took advantage of your weakness," the leader said, helping the woman up. "Go back to your room. I hope you can pass this test."
"No… Leader, save me, save me…"
the woman struggled, refusing to leave. The leader shook his head and sighed.
At this moment, two strong young men stood up and forcibly took the woman away, locking her in her own guest room, forbidding her from leaving for 24 hours.
The others witnessed this, all trembling with fear. They silently prayed that they wouldn't be the next to face the test.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A rapid knocking sounded at the door; it was the Emergency Management Bureau employees.
The hall master walked to the window and asked, "What's the matter?"
"A new batch of virus protective equipment is ready. Didn't you refuse it last time? What, are you regretting it now?"
The person who came was the same staff member who delivered the protective equipment a week ago. He was puzzled by the Limi Hotel's refusal that time.
This time, with a sense of revenge, he came specifically to see how these people regretted their decision.
To his surprise, the hall master still smiled and refused: "We still don't need it."
"What?" The person outside frowned, scanning the people in the lobby through the window.
"I see there are significantly fewer people here than last time. They must have all left from infection, right? Even so, you still say you don't need it? What are you thinking!"
"I need it! I need it!"
Suddenly, someone rushed out of the crowd to the window, shouting, "I need protective equipment! I want to leave!"
Everyone was shocked and angry at the sight, and the hall master's ever-present smile vanished.
Seeing this, the staff outside realized something was wrong and looked at the leader warily: "What's going on? Are you forcing someone to refuse protection?"
The leader shook his head and said to the man, "With your lack of piety, it seems you'll be the next one to be infected by the virus."
"Nonsense! You're all crazy! I want to get out! I don't want to stay here!"
The staff outside also said, "Open the door and let them out immediately!"
The leader remained unmoved and said calmly, "This is an internal matter, please don't interfere."
"Bullshit!" The staff outside cursed and immediately took out a walkie-talkie, "Hey, someone at the Limei Hotel is being held against their will. Immediately notify the armed team to come and resolve this!"
After making the notification, the staff pointed at the leader and said, "Do you know you've committed a crime and are a criminal!"
Upon hearing this, the members of the True Goodness Hall rushed angrily to the door, glaring at the people outside.
"You're not allowed to slander our leader!"
"Our leader yearns for truth and goodness. Not only is he immune to the virus, but he can also detect those infected. He's a true master of the Dao."
"With us here, no one can touch a hair on our leader's head!"
The staff outside the door were shocked upon hearing this, staring at their leader: "What? You didn't die after being infected, and you can even detect other infected people? There's actually a 'blood plague adaptor' here..."
He immediately picked up the walkie-talkie again and whispered urgently, "A 'blood plague adaptor' has been found at the Limei Hotel."
As soon as he finished speaking, a response came from the walkie-talkie: "We're coming right away."
Shortly afterward, several express cars arrived, carrying personnel from the Emergency Management Bureau as well as armed squads with weapons and live ammunition.
Upon learning the situation, the team leader went to the door and said to the people inside, "Listen, there's no such thing as an 'enlightened master.' He's just lucky to have antibodies against the blood plague virus!"
"Nonsense!" someone inside retorted, "What antibodies? How come we don't know? If such a thing existed, it would have been all over the internet by now."
"Exactly, the official account hasn't posted any information. You're just trying to deceive people!"
The team leader's expression was extremely complicated, and he couldn't speak for a long time.
He wanted to say, "It's not that there's no news, it's just that it hasn't been made public," but the problem was that everyone was required to keep it a secret, and even if they were to tell outsiders, it couldn't be done in this setting.
However, his hesitation only made the people from Zhenshantang feel even more certain that they were right, and that the people outside had been rendered speechless.
The other staff members who knew the situation also looked conflicted.
They all knew that the information wasn't made public because they were afraid of chaos, afraid that everyone would want the serum, and that if they didn't get it, they would cause trouble.
But this had led to the current situation: because the information wasn't made public, people didn't know about the existence of the "blood plague adaptor," which led to people treating anyone they encountered as an enlightened master and an object of worship.
Even the leader himself might genuinely believe he is someone "chosen." He's not pretending to be a charlatan to deceive others; he truly believes he's different from ordinary people.
The team leader, steeling his resolve, ordered, "Break down the door! Take this leader away!"
Once a blood plague adaptor is discovered, they must be immediately brought back to the bureau for proper handling; this is the highest order. There's no time to worry about anything else now.
The armed squad immediately sprang into action, blasting open the wooden door to forcibly take the leader away.
However, the others in the True Goodness Hall panicked. Some of them believed that the reason they hadn't been infected was because of their leader. If the leader were captured, they might quickly contract the virus and die a horrible death.
"They're not letting us live! Fight them!"
"Damn it, fight them!"
"Protect the leader!"
Dozens of people rushed forward. Some were unarmed, others summoned various mental energy tools, attacking the armed squad that had broken down the door.
The attacked armed squad immediately opened fire.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Bang bang bang bang bang!
After a burst of intense gunfire, the hall fell silent.
The gang leader knelt down with a thud before the group of dead, turning to glare at the armed squad: "You...God will punish you, you'll suffer a terrible death!"
"...Take him away!"
the leader ordered, and the men forcibly took the gang leader to the car.
As for the leader, his face behind his mask was incredibly grim; he hadn't expected things to escalate to this point. But now that things had come to this, there was no other way.
"Leader, do you think concealing the news was really the right thing to do?" the staff member asked, looking at the horrific scene in the hotel lobby. "If they knew..."
"Would knowing have prevented the deaths? I'm afraid even more would have died," the leader interrupted.
"..."
"Let's go. The higher-ups just issued an order yesterday, urging Yunhua to provide more serum. Luckily, we found another blood plague adaptor today, otherwise the serum we've already extracted wouldn't be enough for what they need."
"Who's going to use all that serum?"
"Who knows, probably some big shots."
"Really..."
"Alright, stop complaining. Don't forget, we're also qualified to use the serum... Just for that reason alone, we all need to do our jobs well to live up to the preferential treatment they've given us."
...
Three days later, at the shelter.
"Successfully...online."
Guan Tong typed, and the website he created officially went live.
He was currently using his laptop's built-in hard drive to store information, although he couldn't store much, but it was just for testing.
Besides, a newly launched website wouldn't have much traffic or much to store.
At first glance, the website background was gray-black, and the UI font was white, emphasizing high contrast.
As for the interface, to put it nicely, it was minimalist, but in reality, there was practically nothing there.
Aside from a few simple options to jump to other secondary interfaces, there's only a large logo with five easily understood artistic characters: "Home of Ascendants."
That's right, Guan Tong wants to make this website a home for Ascendants. In the future, not only can they trade and entrust tasks, but they can also chat anonymously and share trivial matters.
He feels this function is essential. Based on his experience with various Ascendants—basically half of them have psychological problems, either violent or self-destructive tendencies.
Some have both, representing two sides of the same coin. Guan Tong has seen similar news stories online, mostly about Ascendants arranging fights and killing each other without reason, some even committing suicide together.
In short, under immense pressure, people need an outlet. Therefore, Guan Tong wants to create this small world on his website where Ascendants can let down their guard and chat,
unlike some other communities or social programs where Ascendants with even a little bit of knowledge are afraid to speak or share, fearing that they'll be tracked down and attacked the moment they post something insightful.
After all, not every strong individual is a cyber expert, knowing how to hide themselves online. Over time, the stronger Ascendants will tend to remain silent online, which is actually detrimental to ordinary Ascendants.
It's like playing chess with a group of terrible players; you'll only get worse. Playing with a group of experts, while not guaranteeing a huge improvement, will at least teach you some tricks over time.
Guan Tong looked at the main interface, which currently had four secondary sections:
Intelligence, Items, Requests, and Chat.
The Intelligence section was for buying and selling information;
Guan Tong had set up a "Request to Buy" function in the Items section, allowing users to write down their needs. Unlike the terminal market, where you can only list items, you can't precisely search for your own needs.
The Requests section was self-explanatory. If an Ascendant had a need they couldn't fulfill, they would post a request, and other Ascendants who felt they could handle it would accept the request.
The Chat section was Guan Tong's idea—a place for Ascendants to chat, share, and relax.
Afterwards, Guan Tong planned to add a mysterious section called "Webmaster's Domain."
He himself would be the "Webmaster," and the "Domain" would represent the important content he would post there. Only qualified individuals would be able to access the content.
Guan Tong wanted to experiment with this model to see if he could attract skilled individuals to help him. Even if they didn't help him, exchanging information would be beneficial. However,
he hadn't finalized the specific plans for this section, so he wouldn't launch it yet. He would wait until the website had some traffic and users before launching it.
Looking at the nascent website, Guan Tong felt a sense of satisfaction; the past few days of work hadn't been in vain.
He thought to himself, "Once the website is running smoothly, I need to launch a mobile version. The goal is to make it work on every Ascended user's device!"
Chapter 100 Hackers and Groups
In a pitch-black room, the only light was from various electronic devices illuminating the young man sitting in front of his computer.
He wore protective clothing, thick-lensed glasses, and his messy hair resembled a bird's nest, his face greasy.
Looking at the information on the computer screen, he muttered to himself, "The information suppression is really impressive..."
As a genius hacker who had breached the internal networks of foreign security agencies in his teens, the young man's mastery of various network technologies was unparalleled.
Therefore, two days after the Blood Plague rules were released, he keenly noticed the suppression of specific information online.
Through continuous testing with different IP accounts, he confirmed he wasn't mistaken; there was indeed an automated system unidirectionally blocking certain keywords.
Using his self-developed big data tools, the young man extracted several keywords. And their core all pointed to one fact:
"Does the virus have antibody serum...? No wonder there's information suppression."
The young man understood. He had broken into many secret archives throughout his life, knowing that the disclosure of some secrets would cause enormous chaos and could potentially bring him death.
So he always kept it to himself, knowing it was enough, without spreading it publicly.
This time was no different. Although he used various technical means to discover the suppressed information, he still wouldn't spread it—after all, no matter how advanced the network technology, if the harm you cause outweighs the cost of finding you, if the higher-ups are truly determined to arrest you, they can still do so.
"Hoo..."
The young man leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face.
Each time he completed a "battle," he was extremely happy, as if he had won a war.
To him, his various devices were soldiers used for attack, and the "enemy" was the various robust network defenses. Each successful breach brought him immense excitement.
Moreover, he enjoyed the process, not the result. Each breakthrough only brought him brief excitement, quickly followed by boredom, and he would begin searching for the next "enemy."
Based on this mentality, his attacks were not driven by self-interest; he would even proactively submit the vulnerabilities he discovered to the other side. After others fixed them, he would challenge again, and if he succeeded again, he would experience an even greater sense of satisfaction.
At this moment, while enjoying the pleasure of having just cracked the official suppressed information, he aimlessly browsed the internet.
Then a forum post caught his eye.
More precisely, it was the post's title:
"I've Created a Website That Can Never Be Tracked or Hacked, Specifically for Ascended Users to Communicate.
" The title, "Can Never Be Tracked or Hacked," made the young man chuckle.
As a top hacker, his motto was, "There is no absolutely secure system in the world."
Even the most sophisticated systems have vulnerabilities. And where there are vulnerabilities, there is the possibility of being compromised.
The young man clicked on the post. The poster's nickname was "Administrator of the Ascended Users' Home." The post was brief:
"The purpose of creating this website is to provide Ascended Users with a safe, secure platform where they can speak freely. The website has just launched and will continue to be improved. I hope everyone will support us."
The young man couldn't help but smile. Even he, a top hacker who had been involved in cybersecurity since he was a child and had spent over twenty years researching online for an average of more than twelve hours a day, dared not claim he could create a secure platform, let alone anyone else.
He casually replied, "Use this time to learn something else. Even a basic understanding of cybersecurity would prevent such arrogance."
He was about to close the post when the "website owner" seemed online and immediately replied, "I'm telling the truth."
"Oh? Trying to provoke me?"
The young man raised an eyebrow and grinned.
"Fine, today I'll show you the treacherous nature of the online world!"
He immediately opened the website in the post, and upon seeing the crude and rudimentary page, he immediately regretted it.
"Why did I waste my time on this..."
Such a rudimentary page, clearly just a hastily copied template, was far too much for him to use.
He immediately wanted to close it, but remembering his earlier words, he sighed.
"Just mess around with it."
He couldn't be bothered to examine this level of website closely, so he simply activated his hacking tool, letting it attack automatically while he went to do other things.
A minute later, the young man switched to the tool interface and was immediately surprised by the result: "Failed?"
Looking at the red "Injection Failed" message displayed on the tool, the young man frowned slightly.
He had developed this tool himself, and its capabilities were so strong that it could crack 95% of websites on the internet. Yet, it had failed on such a rudimentary website.
"Could there be a problem with the tool?"
The young man immediately used his tool to randomly crack several other websites, and they all worked perfectly, displaying "Injection Successful" within seconds.
This made him sit up straight, his eyes shining.
"Not bad, this website actually has some substance."
He hadn't taken it seriously, but he hadn't expected this unexpected gain.
After cracking the officially suppressed information, he was already looking for his next target. Unexpectedly, this little website's security defenses were surprisingly good!
"Come on, let me see just how secure you really are!" The young man rubbed his hands together, quickly entering a state of complete concentration, throwing himself into the attack on the website. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the clatter of keyboards.
...
The twelfth day of the Blood Plague Virus outbreak, three days left until the rules expired.
Every normally bustling metropolis fell silent. The streets were mostly teeming with government drones and vehicles.
Of the initial large group who chose to drive out of the city, some made it out successfully, while others got stuck in traffic and contracted the plague before they could leave.
Footage from an aerial drone clearly shows swarms of flies buzzing around the bloodied corpses of people in many parked cars.
The large number of people fleeing the city are either traveling alone to remote areas or forming small groups to establish campsites in the wild.
In one of these campsites, six or seven people are gathered around a middle-aged woman.
These people lack professional protective equipment, wearing only ordinary masks. Only the middle-aged woman is not wearing one, seemingly unafraid of infection.
A man with a neat buzz cut says, "So, we need to go to the hospital?"
"Yes," the middle-aged woman nods, "I survived the infection, most likely because I have antibodies. This means my serum might be useful in saving lives… but separating serum from blood requires a centrifuge, which is only available in hospitals."
The people around her nod in agreement. They agree with the woman's words, as she was a former doctor with relevant expertise.
"Xiao Ming has developed red spots on his shoulder, which appeared an hour ago," the buzz-cut man says, glancing into a tent where a teenage boy lies.
"The rules say that those infected with the virus will bleed to death within 24 hours. That means Xiaoyu might have twenty-odd hours left, or he might die in the next second..."
"We can't waste any more time, we have to go to the hospital!"
The group was completely in agreement. They had all met at a gathering point during the fourth rule, supporting each other through the snowstorm and then banding together to fight the undead rule.
These experiences forged a deep friendship, leading them to decide to act together from now on. So, after the blood plague rule was announced, they discussed it and decided to leave the city together and seek refuge in the wilderness. The
first few days went smoothly; no one was infected, which made them feel they had made the right decision.
Later, the female doctor contracted the virus, and while everyone was heartbroken, she unexpectedly recovered quickly! This made everyone both happy and incredulous.
They initially thought it was a good omen, a sign that everyone would safely get through this rule. However, just three days before the rule ended, the youngest boy in the group, Xiaoming, was infected.
"Do you think Xiaoming can recover on his own like Sister Yu? And then start being able to detect whether others are infected..."
"That would be great! But..."
"We can't be complacent!" the man with the buzz cut said in a deep voice, "Back then, we didn't know that you could survive after being infected; we thought that if you were infected, you would definitely die, so we didn't do anything. But this time it's different."
The middle-aged woman, referred to as "Sister Yu," who used to be a doctor, nodded: "That's right. Xiaoming is only sixteen years old, such a young child, we can't just sit here."
"Then let's listen to Sister Yu and go to the hospital!"
"Let's go!"
After the team made the decision, everyone except two people who stayed behind to take care of the boy Xiaoming got into the car and headed back to the city.
Unlike the traffic jam when leaving the city, the road back was much smoother.
After entering the city, the group quickly discovered a large number of cars carrying corpses on the roadside, the scenes inside were too gruesome to bear.
They figured that the reason they hadn't been able to deal with it in time was probably because the official departments were too busy with other work.
The vehicle sped towards the nearest hospital. Upon arrival, they found an Emergency Management Bureau car parked at the entrance, along with an armed squad on guard. As soon as
their car arrived, Bureau personnel approached.
Seeing that the group was only wearing masks, one of the personnel asked in surprise, "Where did you come from? Where are your protective suits?"
"We just entered the city; we don't have any."
"From outside the city…what are you doing at the hospital?"
"We need a centrifuge."
"A centrifuge?" The personnel's eyes narrowed. "That's for separating serum and plasma!"
He immediately waved to the back, and several more uniformed individuals surrounded the vehicle.
Upon seeing this, the man with the buzz cut in the car immediately got out and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Don't get agitated," a team leader said. "We just want to understand the situation. Why are you using a centrifuge?"
"We're trying to save someone; a child is infected." At this moment, Sister Yu also got out of the car. "I used to be a doctor, and I recovered from a viral infection on my own. So I think my serum might have antibodies, which is why I came to the hospital to have my blood drawn and then use a centrifuge to separate the serum for the child."
Hearing the words "recovered from a viral infection on my own," the team leader confirmed, "It's an 'adaptor.' Please come with us."
"Wait!"
"We still have people to save! What are you doing?"
"Don't be nervous, we'll send a car to pick up your person, and then they'll be given serum for treatment."
Sister Yu was taken aback: "So you've already confirmed the serum is effective?"
"Yes. You're not the only blood virus adaptor."
"Wait!" the buzz-cut man questioned, "So you already knew someone's serum could treat the infection? Then why didn't you tell everyone!"
"We couldn't say, it was all orders from our superiors."
"You..."
"Alright, saving lives is the priority now," Sister Yu said. "I'll go to the hospital to get the serum first. You guys hurry and bring Xiaoming here." As
the group talked, no one noticed that from the abandoned building opposite the hospital, a man was watching them menacingly.
After seeing the management personnel bring Sister Yu into the hospital, the man took out his phone and said, "Brothers, your chance to live has come. It's up to you whether you have the guts and dare to do it!"