After dealing with Carol, Ye Zhizhou turned his attention to Audrey. Within two hours of sending over preliminary investigation data, Audrey's request for a visit arrived. Ye Zhizhou was quite pleased with the speed. A week later, Audrey secretly arrived at the military headquarters, where he had a two-hour discussion with Clay.
[Audrey's chances of falling in love with the protagonist have decreased to 50%. Please work harder, Host.]
Ye Zhizhou glanced at the notification with a numb expression and sighed deeply in his heart. He shouldn't have come to play with Professor Bell just because he was bored, shouldn't have discussed genetic modification with him, and definitely shouldn't have mentioned that he had discovered the parasitic nature of the Zerg.
"No time to daydream," Bell said, approaching with a sample in hand. He pointed to the stack of books in Ye Zhizhou's hands and said seriously, "Your basic knowledge is too weak. Study hard! We don't have much time."
Who's "we"? He clearly hadn't been allowed to join the project to break the Zerg's parasitism. Suppressing the urge to argue, he lowered his head and earnestly studied the books, multitasking by accessing the system and flipping through its data.
Professor Bell and his team were indeed competent, but it wasn't enough. The Zerg's method of parasitism left no trace, and the extent of infiltration into the entire empire by the Zerg was unknown. Currently, they hadn't found an efficient method to identify humans parasitized by the Zerg quickly. The only clues they had were that parasitized humans couldn't be Alphas, were identified as Alphas in terms of pheromones, and their mental and physical attributes would suddenly improve within a short period of time. These clues seemed somewhat useful, but also somewhat inadequate. If they didn't find a quick and effective way to identify the Zerg, the future of the empire and the Federation would still be in jeopardy.
He had read the plot over a dozen times, but he wasn't giving up, trying to find something in his twenties or thirties.
Suddenly, the small mirror in his pocket trembled and weakly projected a calming pill.
"Comforting me?" He smiled as he took the pill and patted the mirror inside his pocket. "I don't blame you at all. Cheer up; we're good partners, aren't we?"
The small mirror gently bounced under his touch, as if it wanted to cuddle.
"You're very useful, don't blame yourself. Even though there are gaps in the plot information, it's still quite useful. You're my golden finger, be happy." He patted it gently again and said with a smile, "And didn't you help me remove Ned's flag? Thanks to the pills you provided, otherwise, we... Oh, right, the pills!" He stood up excitedly, took the small mirror out of his pocket, and kissed it. "Tongtian, you're my savior! The Zerg are tough to deal with because they have hard shells, large size, and various toxins. As long as they are bugs, they can't be toxin-free! Humans parasitized by the Zerg will definitely have some traces... Let's make a batch of Cleansing and Clearing Pills! I don't believe those parasitized people won't show any weaknesses after taking them! Even if Cleansing and Clearing Pills don't work, we have Detoxification Pills, Alkaline Pills, and Titillating Poison Pills! Let's search hard, we will definitely find a medicine that can force the Zerg parasites out of the human body!"
The small mirror, excitedly kissed by him, shot out several beams of light, each containing a pill.
"I love you!" Ye Zhizhou kissed it again and put away the pills. He turned excitedly and ran towards Clay's office.
Professor Bell, after finishing with the samples, glanced at the books on the floor and the empty desk. He was furious. "Today's youth, they don't even want the opportunity to study. They've gone too far! They still want to double major in genetics? Zero points! All zero points!"
In the monitoring room, a burly man with a full beard absentmindedly knitted his eyebrows and continued to knit a sweater. Just a moment ago, the empress had kissed the small mirror like a madman. He almost couldn't resist informing His Highness and the medical team... Fortunately, the empress had simply been driven crazy by his studies. Oh, today's students are really pitiful... He'd better continue knitting the sweater.
The results of the medical examinations for all military personnel and some high-ranking officials of the empire were released, and surprisingly, there were no suspicious cases. Clay frowned, leaned back in his chair, and analyzed the current clues with a serious expression. His hand unconsciously tapped the armrest of the chair.
"Clay!"
Suddenly, the office door was pushed open, and a familiar figure rushed in. "I have good news to tell you!"
His heavy heart suddenly lightened, and his expression softened without his control. He reached out and pulled the person who had rushed over into his arms, sighing with satisfaction. "The best news is that you're by my side." Without this person, he might never have awakened his psychic power; without this person, the empire might have been in danger; without this person... how dull and meaningless life would be.
"Speak properly, let go." His shoulder was patted, and then his arm was pushed away. The person in his arms arched out with effort, then looked up, his eyes filled with indulgence and petulance. "Sweet talk won't work. We can't sleep together, you said we'd wait until I'm twenty."
Clay looked into his eyes and couldn't help but reach up and tap his eyelids. "What's the good news, tell me." He had always been the one people depended on, but now he was being indulged and pampered... It felt good.
"Look at this." Ye Zhizhou took out a pill from his pocket, crushed it, and let Clay smell it. He exclaimed excitedly, "The fact that the parasites can change the host's pheromones and aptitude is definitely because they inject something into the host's body... Anyway, I think everything on those parasites is toxic, so what they inject into the host should be toxic too! This pill is for detoxification. We can mass-produce it and give one to everyone. Won't we instantly know if there are parasites in their bodies? Isn't this good news?"
Clay extended his arm to hug him again, then nuzzled his ear gently. "Indeed, it's good news. Thank you, Xiaozhou."
Ye Zhizhou hugged him back, raised his hand to touch his colorful hair, and said with a joyful smile, "The little metal chip I gave to Ned contains Zerg genes. I'll study it later, then work on developing an appropriate detoxification pill. Don't worry, things will be resolved soon, trust me. After we eliminate those parasites, I'll create Type 2 genetic modification fluid suitable for this world. When everyone's abilities are upgraded, defeating the Zerg will be a piece of cake!"
Clay, feeling the not-so-gentle caress behind his head, closed his eyes and smiled. Only this person, he would never let go of.
With a breakthrough direction in his research, Bell generously forgave Ye Zhizhou for skipping his studies. After discussing the detoxification pill with him, Bell assigned him more learning tasks. Ye Zhizhou reluctantly accepted the stack of books and eagerly dove into the ocean of knowledge. By studying the Zerg genes on the metal chip, he confirmed that the most suitable medicine was still the Cleansing and Clearing Pill. Once the pill was confirmed, the formula was established, and the next step was the tedious work of matching similar-effect herbs in this world.
After enduring for half a month, he gathered all the necessary herbs and made a batch of pills himself. After confirming that the pills were effective against the Zerg genes on the metal chip, he localized the production method and handed the formula to Clay.
"All the detailed manufacturing methods are listed here. Some of the ingredients are synthetic, so be careful with the quantities during production; there's no room for error," he weakly hung onto Clay, his eyelids struggling to stay open. "Remember to conduct a small-scale experiment first, and if you find any suspicious Zerg parasites, bring back multiple samples. I suspect there isn't just one type of parasitic Zerg... Later, I'll create a slightly less effective universal version in case we need to draw out more parasites... Take care of yourself, and if you accidentally get infected, you can also take one of these..."
"Go to sleep," Clay muffled his words by covering his mouth gently, then nuzzled him and comfortingly patted his back. "You're exhausted. Leave the rest to me."
Ye Zhizhou shifted slightly and finally closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep.
Clay held him securely, his chin brushing against the top of his head. "Xiaozhou, I love you."
...Ye Zhizhou started to snore softly.
In the monitoring room, the burly bearded man's hand trembled, knocking over the basket of yarn on the table. He... he just saw His Highness smiling, and such a gentle smile at that... Damn it! He suddenly felt like he wanted to fall in love too!
Another half month passed, and Ye Zhizhou returned to school, only to be tackled to the ground by the excited twins.
"Calm down, it's cold on the ground. Let me get up!"
Chigita sat on his lap and shook his head vigorously. "No! Tell us, where have you been for the past month? You didn't even turn on your communicator, and we were so worried!"
Annotte sat on the ground and gently held Ye Zhizhou's arm, not refuting Chigita's words.
These two... Ye Zhizhou, moved and amused, pushed them away, then pulled out some gifts. "How could I have turned on the communicator when I was recuperating? But don't say I forgot about you guys. Here, a specially customized military model, limited edition, not available for purchase. And these are local snacks and treats. Of course, I didn't forget Chigita's game console. So, are you touched?"
Annotte had already taken the model and quickly entered a state of obsession, while Chigita snuggled into the couch with the snacks and game console, completely absorbed.
"..." After receiving the gifts, they completely ignored him. No humanity!
After expressing his feelings of longing, Chigita brought up the main topic. "Your genetics major makeup exam qualification is still reserved by the school. I've organized notes for the mecha manufacturing courses for you to review later. Oh, by the way, we're getting a new roommate, a sophomore. I heard he had health problems and took a year off before coming back, but the sophomore dorms were full, so they assigned him to our room."
"That's nice; our dorm will be lively again," Ye Zhizhou knew about the new roommate in advance. In fact, he had requested that Clay transfer Inez to his side. This bug was too dangerous, and he needed to monitor him closely.
"Whether it's lively or not doesn't matter. I just hope this person is easy to get along with." Chigita's expression dimmed as he lowered his head and pressed a few buttons on the game console. "As long as he has a good heart, it's okay even if he has a quirky personality. Living together is fate, after all."
Annotte, who was dismantling the model, looked up at him and patted him reassuringly.
"I'm fine," Chigita shook off his hand, then brightened up again. "In a while, we'll have inter-grade training. I heard it's in a fixed partner mode this year. I wonder what kind of partner we'll get. Panxi, do you want to train with me? I can teach you combat!"
Ye Zhizhou immediately declined, "No need, I'm prepared to be beaten up." His partner was 100% his lover, so... heh heh.
Chigita wanted to persuade him further but was stopped by Annotte. "Someone is picking the lock."
Ye Zhizhou turned his head to the door at his words.
With fair and handsome looks, Inez pushed open the door, smiling naturally at the three people inside. "Hello, juniors. I'm your new roommate, Inez Gascon. Nice to meet you."
Chigita cheered and rushed over enthusiastically, while Annotte also got up to welcome the new roommate, seemingly having a good first impression. Ye Zhizhou smiled and rose to greet Inez, extending his hand. "Hello, welcome to our room."
Inez's smile deepened as he shook Ye Zhizhou's hand, his tone strangely becoming somewhat peculiar. "It's an honor to be your roommate, Panxi."
For the new roommate Inez, Chigita was giving 120% enthusiasm, while Inez appeared somewhat aloof and locked himself in his room as soon as he arrived.
"It's okay if we can't be friends; as long as there are no conflicts, that's fine," Ye Zhizhou comforted the disheartened Chigita while sprinkling all his snacks with antidote micro-particles. "It's a good thing not to invest too much emotionally right now. What if this roommate turns out to be a bad one in the end?"
"Spit, spit, spit," Chigita put down his game console and pinched Ye Zhizhou. "No jinxing, or I won't give you my notes."
Unfazed, Ye Zhizhou replied, "Don't you want to eat my snacks again?"
Chigita quickly withdrew his hand.
[The probability of Carol falling in love with the main character has dropped to 0%. The sixth soul flag has been removed. Congratulations, host, please keep up the good work.]
The next moment, a text message came through the communicator — Carol: I've received his job application.
His mood instantly soared by ten percentage points. He stuffed all the snacks into Chigita's lap and waved his hand. "You can have them. I need to study. Professor Bell asked me to take an exam tomorrow."
"You're cramming at the last minute, and you haven't even looked at the books on mecha manufacturing," Chigita scolded him angrily. "You'll fail the final! I'll laugh at you when you have to retake it!"
A few more days passed, and Inez's application for a major transfer was approved, and he became even more elusive.
Ye Zhizhou held the homework assigned by Bell and stroked his chin. It should be time for the military to take action...
[The probability of Audley falling in love with the main character has dropped to 10%. Please keep up the good work, host.]
Huh? Audley's probability also dropped?
His special ringtone rang, and he quickly answered it, showing a big smile on the popped-up call panel. "You finally remembered me. Are you done with your work?"
"I'm done," Clay's initially stern expression softened as he inquired about Ye Zhizhou's well-being. After some pleasantries, he got to the point. "The usage report for the antidote from Audley's side has been sent. We discovered three parasitic races in total, one of which is different from the known parasites. The samples are on their way, and I'll hand them over to Professor Bell when they arrive. Remember to check."
So, Audley's side was used as a guinea pig first, which explained the drop in the affection probability... Ye Zhizhou silently praised his clever lover, then nodded happily. "Got it. When is the military planning to use the medicine?"
Speaking of this, Clay's expression became serious again. "It's this week. The guard force is in the process of being transferred here. Be careful on your end, and if necessary, you can eliminate Inez directly."
"Understood!"
Three days later, on a Saturday, Inez, oblivious to everything, arrived at the mecha manufacturing factory and confidently entered the workshop filled with "workers."
The production line moved slowly, displaying freshly manufactured components. Inez's eyes lit up when he saw them. He picked up a component, examined it closely, and then smiled. He was lucky; he had come across this batch of problematic components right from the start, which would speed up the plan.
"Supervisor," he called out to the burly leader who was patrolling. With a hesitant expression, he said, "This component seems to have a problem... The treatment of this edge here is not appropriate and will lead to excessive wear and tear once the component is in use."
The burly leader impatiently waved his hand. "You, a newcomer, are talking nonsense! This is the work of Master Jennifer; how could there be a problem? Stop babbling and get to work."
"But this component does have a problem!" Inez argued reasonably. "Once it's put into use, it will definitely cause excessive wear and tear on the mecha. I request an inspection!"
The burly leader gave him a disdainful glance and turned to leave.
"If you don't handle it, I'll file a complaint with headquarters! I'm a student from the Royal Military Academy, and they'll definitely listen to my opinion," Inez pulled out his trump card, looking earnest as if he were fighting for justice.
The burly leader stopped in his tracks upon hearing this, turned around, glared at him with irritation, and finally said in an annoyed tone, "Come with me. Let's discuss this in the office. Don't delay the inspection of other components."
Inez felt a sense of relief and quickly followed him.
In a lounge near the workshop, Daley adjusted his glasses and said, "People who are used to watching the surveillance room drama seem to perform quite well."
Ye Zhizhou glanced at him wordlessly, tugged on Clay's sleeve, and warned, "Don't hurt the burly leader."
"I won't." Clay held his hand, his gaze fixed on the surveillance screen. After the burly leader left the office, citing calling superiors as an excuse, Clay ordered in a low voice, "Lower the isolation door and release the antidote."
The soldiers waiting outside the office immediately sprang into action, surrounding the room securely.
The sound of metal collision rang out. Inez was startled and turned to look, only to see a metal barrier suddenly appear where the door used to be. A light in the corner of the room's ceiling turned and clicked open, spraying liquid toward him.
"What's going on? You... ah!"
A sudden scream pierced Ye Zhizhou's eardrums, causing him to wince. Clay's eyes narrowed as he said, "The bugs are coming out."
Inez, who had initially appeared human, suddenly collapsed on the ground. A slender bug leg pierced his clothes from behind. After wriggling for a moment, a fist-sized black bug emerged, rolling frantically on his body. A few seconds later, the bug suddenly burrowed back into Inez's body. Inez's body rapidly shriveled before their eyes until it became a soft, lifeless shell. After a nauseating swallowing sound, a bug much larger than before emerged, quickly crawling around the room, seemingly no longer affected by the antidote sprayed down.
Ye Zhizhou couldn't help but cover his stomach.
[The probability of Audley falling in love with the main character has dropped to 0%. The seventh soul flag has been removed. Congratulations, host, please keep up the good work.]
"Spray a different type of antidote," Clay ordered again.
The soldiers quickly complied, and the bugs in the office, now exposed to the new antidote, quickly stiffened and then exploded into a disgusting mixture of slime and remains.
[Detecting the main character's soul fluctuation... Soul fluctuation complete. The seventh flag has been transferred to Dan·Gaut Soul. Host, please be careful! Host, please be careful!]
What?!
Ye Zhizhou was stunned, and he looked at the system prompts in disbelief. He asked frantically in his mind, "What's going on?! That bug was clearly dead! Why wasn't the last flag removed, and instead, another flag was restored? Who is this Dan·Gaut?"
[The plot has changed. Please receive the new plot, host.]
[Checking the main character's status... No abnormalities, in a weakened state.]
[Searching for information on Dan·Gaut... Dan·Gaut, leader of the Free Alliance, alpha gender, psychic and physical level.]
"What happened?" Clay turned him around, preventing him from continuing to stare at the nauseating images on the surveillance screen, and asked with concern, "Did you get scared?"
"No." He wiped his face and asked weakly, "I just wanted to know what the Free Alliance is..."
"The Free Alliance?" Daley's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, and he sneered, "Just a bunch of lunatics waving the flags of freedom and anti-war. They even advocate peaceful coexistence with the Zerg. Ha, a bunch of ignorant trash."
So it turned out to be Zerg fanatics... But... why is the main character still alive...