Chapter 59: Inspection

Outside the mechanical aquarium.

Fang Ying was originally in charge of the Grade A procedure, but the responsibility had now been taken over by others. The 103rd District City Defense Forces had arrived at the mechanical aquarium, taking over supreme command.

They were there to provide a safety net for the situation. If the Cleansing Center made even the slightest mistake that resulted in a district-wide infection, all civilians in the entire 103rd District would pay for their blunder with their lives.

All buildings within a five-kilometer radius of the aquarium were cleared out. A massive mechanical protective shield slowly rose into the air, and an observation corridor was temporarily erected outside the shield.

The observation corridor served as a buffer zone, originally designed to prevent pollutants from mingling among the crowd. If a city suffered a large-scale contamination, this was the best apparatus for detecting pollutants among the populace.

Now, with slight modifications, it had been repurposed to detect invisible entities. They needed to ensure that not a single invisible entity escaped.

The White Dove Team had successfully rescued the civilians. Now, people wearing green protective suits were waiting in the observation corridor for inspection.

When the heavy doors opened, black mist sprayed out, instantly revealing the human shapes attempting to fish in troubled waters.

Bang, bang, bang!

Gunfire erupted the moment the invisible entities materialized. Instantly, jelly-like remains burst apart, and blood splattered across the ground.

The nearby civilians screamed in terror, only to be promptly led away by logistics personnel. Gunfire rang out continuously. Desperate to seize their last chance at survival, the invisible entities charged outward without fear of death.

The invisible entities presumably knew that the mechanical aquarium was about to be detonated, so they intended to escape alongside the rescue workers.

Consequently, they neither attacked the rescue personnel nor had the leisure to attack Zhu Ning and her group.

However, the outside world was already aware of the presence of the invisible entities. Once this threat seized the initiative, the humans lost their advantage.

Black liquid sprayed forth, leaving nowhere for anyone to hide. Under genuine suppression by firepower, the invisible entities were fragile and utterly incapable of breaking through the defense line.

The sound of gunfire and falling bodies echoed at the entrance as the Black Whale Team prepared to receive them.

Chu Ling’s reactor was running dangerously low on energy, and she was struggling immensely to carry a three-and-a-half-meter-tall invisible entity. Members of the Black Whale Team quickly stepped in to take over.

"Good job, come out first," said a member of the Black Whale Team.

Zhu Ning and her companions stepped out of the aquarium entrance. With a sharp click, a locking sound echoed from behind them.

The final gap in the protective shield was sealed. The shield as a whole exuded a mechanical aesthetic, though it looked less like ordinary metal and more like a transparent, film-like membrane.

"The Gray Eagle Team and Cleansing Team A70265 have been successfully received," a Black Whale Team member reported. "Two-minute countdown to detonation."

Zhu Ning and the others squinted. Having spent so long inside under night-vision mode, they felt an instinctive discomfort when exposed to such bright lights.

"Wait a moment," the Black Whale Team instructed. "Undergo the first round of inspection procedures."

True to expectations, they too had to undergo screening to prevent anyone from smuggling themselves out among them. If an invisible entity had attached itself to them, it could easily escape. This precaution guarded against the possibility of internal personnel collaborating with the invisible entities.

Xu Meng glanced at Zhu Ning. The absence of contamination spores meant the contamination source was still alive, and if it was still alive, it might be hiding within their ranks.

Xu Meng swept her gaze across the surroundings without changing her expression. Nearby, Li Nianchuan let out a sigh of relief. Every member of the Gray Eagle Team was injured and too exhausted to muster any energy.

Among this group, the last person to come into contact with the contamination source was Zhu Ning.

The only person in a position to pull off any tricks was Zhu Ning. This newcomer was exceedingly bizarre; she had been employed for only a month, yet the combat skills she displayed bore no resemblance to those of an ordinary person.

Did Zhu Ning want to smuggle an invisible entity out? Right under the nose of the Cleansing Center? Had she lost her mind?

Yet Zhu Ning appeared completely unfazed, calmly waiting in line right behind Chu Ling.

Pfft—

Black liquid sprayed down, landing evenly on Zhu Ning. Everyone underwent the inspection individually, and Zhu Ning was no exception.

Three seconds later, the spray stopped. Zhu Ning’s work uniform was dyed even darker, but there was not the slightest anomaly; no invisible entity clung to her.

Inspector: "Next."

Zhu Ning walked out calmly, and it was Xu Meng’s turn next.

Xu Meng arched an eyebrow. Had she overthought it? Did Zhu Ning have no such intentions at all?

It made sense. Smuggling an invisible entity out at this moment would be tantamount to openly declaring oneself a traitor.

Yet Xu Meng had witnessed Zhu Ning firsthand at the Eternal Pharmaceutical Foundation site. What was she doing there? Was she a defective product trying to carve out a way out for herself?

Since Zhu Ning was a defective product, her appearance at the Eternal Pharmaceutical Foundation made perfect sense.

No matter how she thought about it, something felt off. Zhu Ning had only been here for a month, yet she was tied to both Eternal Pharmaceutical and the Cleansing Center. It didn't feel like a mere coincidence.

Sensing someone's gaze, Zhu Ning turned her head and glanced at Xu Meng.

At that moment, Prometheus’s notification rang out inside her helmet: [Ten seconds until detonation sequence. Ten, nine, eight, seven...]

Bang!

A stunning explosion echoed from within the protective shield. The entire earth shook, as if an earthquake had struck without warning.

Civilians undergoing screening were startled by the blast. Some screamed in panic while staff members scrambled to maintain order.

After about a minute, the explosive roars gradually subsided. Curses drifted through the crowd, and alarm sirens wailed incessantly.

Their mission was only truly completed when that single explosion sounded. All the invisible entities inside the aquarium were buried beneath the protective shield.

The shield was built to last for a decade, after which continuous reinforcement would be required.

If any contamination lingered inside, Prometheus would publish the task on the Graveyard Bulletin at an appropriate time, selecting suitable employees to carry out the final, true purification.

Zhu Ning and Xu Meng locked eyes for a mere three seconds before a yellow-suited inspector nearby called out: "Cleaner Zhu Ning, proceed to the security inspection vehicle for examination."

Following the blast, the observation corridor remained completely undamaged. The technology of this world was far more advanced than Zhu Ning had anticipated.

This was also her first time witnessing the true might of the Cleansing Center—waging large-scale combat of this magnitude, sparing no expense to extinguish the invisible entities within the aquarium.

Before boarding the vehicle, Zhu Ning cast a glance back. The invisible entity they had dragged out was locked inside a container-like cage by the Black Whale Team and hauled away almost immediately.

Zhu Ning’s mission was over. No one needed to explain to her where that invisible entity was heading. She simply followed the staff onto the vehicle.

With a sharp click, someone locked the door from behind.

An inspector sat inside, clad in a yellow protective suit that concealed her face. "I am deeply sorry. This is standard procedure; I hope you understand."

A girl’s voice, exceptionally gentle.

The Cleansing Center respected talent. Zhu Ning had risked her life to complete the mission, only to be subjected to a search immediately upon emerging. No one would be happy about that.

Zhu Ning replied indifferently, "It's fine."

Inspector: "We belong to the Inspection Department. We typically handle large-scale operations where employees might be contaminated, conducting preliminary checks."

The Inspection Department? This was a new department to Zhu Ning, one she had never encountered before.

The Inspection Department existed to prevent anyone from bringing pollutants into the Cleansing Center, safeguarding the entire facility from infection.

Inspector: "I will first conduct a full-body search. Once cleared, you will be sent to the Cleansing Center for data collection. You should already be familiar with the subsequent procedures."

Zhu Ning nodded; she had already experienced it the last time.

"May I ask you to remove your protective suit first?"

Truth be told, when someone wore a protective suit for too long and spent excessive time in a contaminated zone, the suit began to feel like an extra layer of skin.

Zhu Ning did not hesitate, cooperating fully. Because her right arm was injured, her movements were slightly sluggish. She first removed her battered helmet.

The helmet was critical equipment, and the inspector quickly gathered it up. The data stored inside was immensely precious.

Next, Zhu Ning took off her protective suit. Her suit was likewise battered, bearing numerous patches.

The inspector scrutinized her body. Beneath the suit, Zhu Ning wore a short-sleeved shirt and trousers. Ordinary clothing offered no defense, and several tears had been ripped into them.

Scars were exposed beneath the tattered garments. The high-efficiency healing agent had mended her wounds, leaving behind prominent scars.

Zhu Ning stood before her, enduring the scrutiny.

Inspector: "Including your communication device."

She was referring to Prometheus embedded in Zhu Ning’s temple. If the inspector hadn't mentioned it, Zhu Ning would have forgotten all about Prometheus.

This thing was truly terrifying. The mission had only lasted an hour, yet Zhu Ning had already grown accustomed to its presence inside her mind.

The communication device was a blue ring. The moment it was pulled away, dozens of white fungal hyphae trailed out. There was no blood on them, and the white hyphae retracted after being extracted.

The blue light extinguished, and Prometheus was forcibly taken offline.

The inspector produced a specialized black velvet box to store the device—the exact same box Zhu Ning had seen previously.

At the time, she had only thought the box looked rather flashy. Now, seeing it again, the box looked more like Prometheus’s "cage."

Their attitude toward artificial intelligence was deeply cautious, constantly monitoring for retrieval. Prometheus was not truly free. Were they constantly guarding against it forming private connections with ordinary employees? Was this thing really that terrifying?

Inspector: "Please step into the capsule pod beside us. A full-body scan is required."

Inside the vehicle stood a human-sized capsule specifically designed to detect employee contamination.

Zhu Ning climbed inside. The interior of the capsule was pleasantly warm, inducing a deep sense of relaxation, akin to soaking in a warm bath.

Five minutes later, the capsule pod opened automatically. Zhu Ning had almost fallen asleep inside.

"No signs of contamination for now," the inspector said. "You're lucky."

Zhu Ning: "Thanks?"

Inspector: "Of course, more detailed data will likely emerge once you're in the observation room. We only perform preliminary screenings here."

The inspector glanced at the data. "But your readings are exceptionally stable."

The instruments could gauge a person’s mental fluctuation levels, and Zhu Ning’s readings showed virtually no fluctuation, remaining perfectly flat.

The inspector recalled that her mental rating was remarkably high, which was likely her advantage.

Her superiors had instructed her to pay special attention to Zhu Ning, yet Zhu Ning genuinely showed no anomalies. She had even emerged without a single invisible entity attached to her.

"There are clean clothes beside you. You may change."

Zhu Ning took the garments into a temporarily partitioned changing room to shed her soiled clothes. To be honest, she desperately wanted a proper bath now, but the conditions didn't permit it.

The inspector meticulously examined Zhu Ning’s personal belongings one by one.

Zhu Ning carried a box of fruit hard candies, a hair tie, a bottle of mental healing serum, and a bottle of nutritional fluid. None of them looked suspicious—except for one rather peculiar item.