Parasite (9): Two-pronged approach

When Tan Xiao said this, his expression was calm and serene, with a faint smile at the corners of his eyes and brows, exuding an inexplicable beauty of purity and divinity.  

Wen Yi leaned against Tan Xiao and said, “That day will never come.”  

In truth, even as he spoke these words, he himself was unsure and lacked confidence. But Wen Yi knew that he didn’t truly want to do what Tan Xiao had suggested.  

When the two first met, he had indeed entertained such thoughts. But now, Wen Yi realized that what he wanted was someone who was alive, someone who would talk to him, laugh with him, and even argue with him.  

With a smile, Tan Xiao patted Wen Yi’s head as if grooming a puppy: “Just go with the flow. Even if the sky falls, you should live well.”  

Although he said this, the impact of the news on him was still enormous. Tan Xiao suddenly understood Wen Yi’s previous actions.  

If the whole world was about to face an apocalypse soon, would anyone still work hard as a corporate slave? That would definitely be impossible.  

He suddenly lost his motivation to fight and no longer wanted to be exploited by work as he had been before.  

However, Tan Xiao didn’t plan to quit his job immediately. After all, this apocalypse wasn’t a natural disaster. 

If Wen Yi was telling the truth, the Yans would have already parasitized humans and would mimic the way humans had lived before. Hail wouldn’t suddenly fall from the sky, and food wouldn’t suddenly disappear from the ground; life would continue as usual. 

When the parasites were everywhere, there would be no need to worry about not having enough to eat or drink, since they had everything stocked at home anyway.  

Work allowed him to maintain a certain degree of mental calmness, but he resolutely refused to work overtime, always clocking out right on time and never giving the company an extra minute.  

The employees who had been with Tan Xiao felt very happy: “It’s better to work with Tan Xiao. They don’t ask us to work overtime anymore.”  

Everyone’s salary remained the same. After the leadership change, as long as they completed their work every day, the new leader would never demand overtime, and they wouldn’t be disturbed by projects outside of working hours.  

After all, they had worked together, and Tan Xiao understood the work abilities of the team members very well. He didn’t let them slack off most of the time, but he also didn’t overwork them. The workload was just right.  

If they insisted on dragging their feet and not completing the work, Tan Xiao would criticize their efficiency as being too low.  

He had a good temper and was easy to talk to, but when it came to being a leader, he was very authoritative. He never joked around with his subordinates, and as a result, after he took over as leader, the company’s efficiency actually improved compared to before.  

One more thing: he and Wen Yi naturally made their relationship public at work. When they left the office together, they would walk side by side, holding hands, fingers interlocked, in a way that was more intimate than colleagues.  

Someone couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity, and with a casual and open response, Tan Xiao said, “Yeah, we’re dating. We’re in a relationship.”  

“So that’s how he got promoted through the backdoor.” “A pretty boy selling favors.”  

Jealous people would gossip behind his back, but so what? Not a single one of them dared to say anything to his face.  

After all, Wen Yi seemed to like and care for this boyfriend; they were openly dating, in a proper and serious relationship.  

Moreover, although Tan Xiao’s family background might be slightly lacking, he was also a high achiever from a prestigious university with strong work capabilities. The key was that both of them were young and well-matched; standing together, they created a remarkably harmonious and beautiful scene.  

There were so many people who envied and blessed them, and those who were jealous, no matter how much they complained, still had to put on a smile.  

Tan Xiao wasn’t money; it was impossible for everyone to like him. Besides, even if he were money, some people would still complain about its smell. Anyway, if others said a few words behind his back, it didn’t hurt or itch him.  

After not working overtime, he spent his days happily. After all, he lived very close to the company, and his commute time was just two minutes up and down in the elevator.  

From nine to six, most of the extra time could be spent with Wen Yi enjoying food, drinks, and fun.  

After the parasites had eaten everything, the current food would be gone. But anyway, Wen Yi had said he could sense the presence of his kind, so going out for a meal wouldn’t be a problem, and he didn’t have to worry about being parasitized.  

The two of them continued to eat and drink, and Wen Yi didn’t sneak down at midnight to eat meat anymore. After they talked it out, he didn’t hide it anymore either, tossing large chunks of meat directly into his mouth, which were quickly digested.  

Tan Xiao looked at the forms Wen Yi had taken before and asked, “Can you turn into several people and eat at the same time? Wouldn’t that be faster?”  

Wen Yi nodded, “Sure!” He still ate quite quickly.  

Tan Xiao observed for a while and then asked, “Does eating have to be done through the mouth? Can it be done by enveloping the food with the whole body for digestion?”  

After all, Wen Yi eating like this didn’t really count as enjoying food. However, he had said that although the food after processing was a bit more delicious, it couldn’t compare to eating it directly.  

Cooking, after all, took time. The longer fresh meat was left out, the faster its energy would deplete.  

Wen Yi had been used to being human for decades, always imitating humans while eating. Suddenly, he had an epiphany, and with a smack, he kissed Tan Xiao on the cheek and said, “Baby, you’re so smart!”  

He immediately transformed into a silvery-gray mist, enveloping the pile of frozen meat in an instant. Then, the entire mist emitted strands of icy blue chill, and in the blink of an eye, the frozen meat disappeared completely.  

He ate a lot, and Tan Xiao got worried: “You won’t overdo it, will you? How do you feel? Do you feel like you’re pushing it?”  

Tam Xiao calculated the amount of meat that had disappeared, this one could feed a hundred adults. No wonder that when he went to eat hot pot with him before, even after eating so much meat, Wen Yi’s stomach was still flat.  

But this was a bit too much food. He recalled that Wen Yi had previously said he wanted to become stronger as soon as possible to protect him, and he was always worried that the other person was forcing himself to eat so much just to get stronger.  

Wen Yi shook his head: “It’s fine, I know my limits. This amount of energy is easy to digest, and once I get stronger, the digestion speed will be faster. By then, I’ll be able to eat even more!”  

He transformed back into human form and proudly patted his flat stomach: “I told you, I’m not like those guys. I don’t have that intense craving for food.”  

After becoming stronger, he still did not have a desire to eat more, which completely contradicted the characteristics of his race. However, his desire for Tan Xiao deepened. Clearly, he was special, and Tan Xiao was even more special to him.  

“Babe, you have to stay with me all the time, otherwise I’ll become really scary!” He made a tiger growl gesture, “I’ll become super scary!”  

Unable to hold back, Tan Xiao said, “Okay, I will definitely stay by your side, not going anywhere. We’ll go to work together and leave together.”  

Their little couple was indeed having a good time; but after two or three days, Wang Mingming was unable to wait for Tan Xiao to contact him and he couldn’t hold on any longer.

He sent a message to Tan Xiao, of course, his tone was still quite cautious: “Boss, do you know any news about the parasites? I’m not trying to get information for free; I can offer props and points!”  

Although Wang Mingming was entering the dungeon for the second time, thanks to the beginner’s instance, he still managed to buy a few good items.  

Handing them over would indeed break his heart, but if he wanted to cling to the powerful, he had to know when to be pragmatic. Being stingy and calculating would only lead to disdain from the big shots.  

As soon as he sent this message, Tan Xiao remembered this strange Wang Mingming. There was no helping it; the shock that Wen Yi had brought him three days ago was too great. The news that the other party was not human, combined with the possibility that the world might face a parasitic apocalypse, was enough to make him forget the strange player he had encountered for a moment.  

Despite forgetting many things, there were quite a few vague memories in his brain that he couldn’t think through in detail. However, Tan Xiao’s memory was actually quite good; he quickly recalled the players and the god game mentioned by the other person…  

Speaking of which, this really did feel like a game; after all, these creatures were just too incredible.  

However, Tan Xiao did not consider himself a so-called player. He easily extracted information about the player Wang Mingming. Players had a system panel and items to communicate in the mall, while Tan Xiao had nothing.  

More importantly, the players only needed to endure in this terrible world for 30 days to be able to leave.  

With a smile, he carefully recalled his past. After joining the company, he naturally accepted all the tasks. However, if he tried hard to think about the past, a dull pain would throb in his head.  

There was a reason for this. A month ago, he had been hit on the head by a falling billboard from the company, causing a mild concussion. That billboard had created a blood clot in his brain.  

It was that blood clot that caused his amnesia. The brain was a very intricate organ; he indeed couldn’t remember much of the past, but fragments of previous memories would occasionally flash through his mind.  

And more importantly, he had been hit a month ago. He remembered every single thing that had happened from a month ago until now very clearly. His life experiences were complete. If he were also a player, he would have been here for a month. Why hadn’t he cleared the game and left yet?  

So he wasn’t a player; he was an NPC. It was very likely that other game instances had also used this game template.  

The people in this world were so vibrant and real, not like the so-called NPCs in a game. Just think, what the so-called game said did not represent the whole truth.  

Or the so-called mysterious game, which involved different parallel worlds. The big shot that Wang Mingming talked about was actually another version of himself from a different parallel world.  

In the instance information revealed by Wang Mingming, Tan Xiao learned that the disaster that broke out in that world was a rather terrifying plague, and the reason he had been able to successfully clear it was because of the vaccine created by the genius doctor Wen Yi.  

He hadn’t expected that in another world, he would also be a loving couple with Wen Yi. No wonder they had fallen in love at first sight when they saw each other; perhaps this was a fated romance.  

Tan Xiao thought with great pride: As expected of Wen Yi, so outstanding even in a parallel world!  

Of course, he wasn’t just blindly repeating Wang Mingming’s words; that would easily expose his own abnormalities.  

As a return favor, and to keep Wang Mingming engaged as a player, Tan Xiao revealed some of Yan’s characteristics during their chat to gather more information from the other side.  

“That kind of parasite is called ‘Yan.’ It likes to parasitize through holes. It’s best to protect your head with a helmet. If possible, try to avoid crowded places.”  

Actually, according to Wen Yi’s explanation, the Yan parasite could also penetrate through the skin upon contact, directly enter the bloodstream, and then travel along the blood vessels to the nerves.  

But compared to blood vessels, it was definitely more convenient to go through the ears, throat, and nose.  

All creatures instinctively sought shortcuts. In nature, hunters had always been bullies to the weak and afraid of the strong. Parasites were no different. If there was a more convenient and quicker way, they would prioritize better hosts for parasitism.  

“The parasitism of the Yan will affect a person’s brain, but one’s own will is also very important.”  

“This job where you have to show your face is quite dangerous for you right now. I can help you switch to a new job within the company that involves less contact with people.”  

Wang Mingming was indeed grateful and thankful to Tan Xiao: “But can I not work? There are only twenty days left anyway, and I think it would be safer to hide in the desolate mountains.”  

The game had requirements for them to maintain their personas, but Tan Xiao could help him change jobs, and of course, could also help him terminate his contract with the company properly.  

As long as he found sufficient reason, Wang Mingming could make a run for it.  

That parasite sounded really scary, even more so than the last plague. No wonder it was rated as a normal difficulty.  

Fortunately, Wang Mingming had already searched this time, and there were no special NPCs like Nie Cheng in this instance.  

The props he had brought from real life were of no use against this kind of parasite, so the nature of this instance was quite similar to a battle royale; they needed to run further away.  

He remembered that in his previous life, he had been unable to leave the area of S City, and this time he definitely couldn’t leave City A either.  

“City A is so big, there are always some undeveloped mountains and the like where you can sneak up, or go to those desolate suburbs, abandoned buildings, and such places!”  

Wang Mingming, this small streamer, didn’t have much money, but he could take out a loan. Anyway, as long as he could hold on for another twenty days or so, save up enough food and water for a few days, moving into an unfinished building was the best option.  

Moreover, everyone had to be parasitized; who knew, maybe the lender would be parasitized and forget about his loan.  

Tan Xiao then asked Wen Yi, “If we hide, can we avoid being parasitized by the Yan?”  

Wen Yi shook his head, “No, the weak Yan like to capture isolated prey. In a crowd, they at least put on a show.”  

After parasitizing, the reason for maintaining its original appearance was to hunt more efficiently.  

After all, although the parasites were powerful, the host’s desperate struggle also took a lot of effort.  

“Yan is indeed very powerful, but its speed is not very fast. Before it becomes particularly formidable, its prey can escape. Moreover, Yan will not easily leave its previous host before consuming it.”  

Yan matured within the host body, and only when it had excess energy would it split off a part of its body to parasitize other organisms.  

If there wasn’t enough energy, once it detached from the original host, the original host would immediately collapse.  

This was different from zombies; the Yan parasite was not contagious. It abandoned the previous host, and the previous host would lose its aggressiveness.  

Yan was neither born nor died, but it could be captured and confined. If a seamless existence was used to confine the weak Yann, it would fall into a deep slumber.  

For example, if you confine the parasitic entity in a house made of reinforced concrete and pour a lot of reinforced concrete, it might fall into a dormant state due to insufficient energy.  

Yan can eat dead matter, but food without any life energy cannot provide Yan with energy, and digesting such dead matter was very slow.  

Otherwise, why would they go through so much trouble to disguise themselves as parasites in the early stages and develop slowly?  

Tan Xiao then replied to Wang Mingming: “Small concealment is in the wild, great concealment is in the city. Don’t break your persona. If you make it too obvious, you’ll be targeted by the parasitic existence. By then, when you’re besieged, you won’t even have a place to escape to.”  

He explained, “Parasites are very sensitive to energy. When you’re in a place full of people, it’s like being among prey. You might not necessarily be caught by a hunter, but if you stay in an unfinished building, it’s like being a star in the night sky—very obvious.”  

If the parasites were wise, the weaker ones would definitely prioritize targeting those who were alone.  

For players, hiding among ordinary people and not being discovered by the parasites was the best way to cope.  

Once they were exposed to the existence of the parasites, the parasites would stop at nothing to eliminate the threat.  

Wang Mingming was trembling on the other end of the phone. He seriously contemplated that scenario: the high-rise of an unfinished building without even an elevator. If they were surrounded by parasitic creatures, he would just lie down and wait to die.  

He thought Tan Xiao’s words made a lot of sense: “Boss, you are right.”  

Wang Mingming also didn’t let Tan Xiao change jobs for him: “I think being a streamer is pretty good. Aren’t parasites afraid of their parasitism being exposed? Then I’ll just stream every day, 24 hours a day, the kind where I show my face.”  

Except for going to the bathroom, he would stream all the time. This way, under everyone’s watchful eyes, those parasites definitely wouldn’t come to him!  

Wang Mingming thought to himself, feeling quite pleased. His luck was still quite good—he had encountered a big shot and was assigned the job of a host. Although he used to be quite socially anxious and afraid of facing the camera, for the sake of his life, he wasn’t afraid of any camera.  

Of course, Tan Xiao had no objection: “If you need resources, I’ll help you.”  

After all, Wang Mingming was just a small streamer with not many viewers, and his savings and energy were not enough to make the platform favor him.  

Wang Mingming immediately sent a meme of a little person bowing: “Thank you, big boss, I kneel in gratitude! After we go out, can I add you as a friend? I mean in the game.”  

When they were in the game, the system functions they could use were limited. They could view the system’s own attribute panel, check the mission details, and activate the backpack.  

Adding players to their friends list, trading in the forum, chatting with other players—these activities could only be done when they were out of the game or in the system space.  

After all, the system did not allow players to communicate through the game in instances. Otherwise, in some instances, non-players could mix in with players, and as long as they added a friend for verification, they would be exposed, which would greatly reduce the game’s difficulty.  

Tan Xiao fell silent for a moment and said, “It’s not very convenient for me.”  

Since parallel worlds existed, maybe in another world, he and Wen Yi could also encounter a player like Wang Mingming. It was quite nice to let the other person think he was a player.  

Wang Mingming was somewhat disappointed, but he wasn’t too heartbroken. After all, top-tier golden thighs weren’t that easy to hug, and he could understand: “Got it, got it.”  

It was already great the big shot could help him. It was perfectly normal if he didn’t want to add him as a friend. After all, his talent was just average, and he didn’t seem to be of much use to him.  

He clenched his fist tightly, realizing that he really needed to become more valuable!  

On the other side, Wen Yi, besides work, arranged for people skilled in infiltration to use various equipment to remotely monitor the research institute.  

Installing miniature pinhole cameras, aerial drone photography, telescope observation…  

Parasites prioritized infecting those close to them; the people at the research institute must have already been parasitized.  

They wanted to develop quickly, and sooner or later, they would parasitize others. Yan was not an intangible thing, which meant it could be captured by a camera.  

The information he had tried to leak before sounded like nonsense because there was no evidence, but now that there was information, it was different.  

This news could not be told to all of humanity, but it could be shared with some privileged individuals.  

If they wanted to avoid being parasitized, in addition to protecting themselves, another method was to slow down the speed at which the parasite could parasitize.  

If Wen Yi wanted to protect Tan Xiao, then he would absolutely not go easy on his so-called kind.  

After a few days of patient waiting, he successfully collected the evidence. He still did not submit it directly through the CS Group’s channels, but instead used an anonymous dark web channel to submit it to the designated personnel.  

When sending the data again, Wen Yi even made a point to get close to the other party to confirm that they were not parasitized.  

This time, the relevant information provided by Wen Yi finally received attention.  

When the news about the fossil was initially blocked, that so-called research institute was also surrounded by armed personnel wearing the highest standard airtight special protective suits.  

They specially designed a protective shield and decided to enclose the fossil.  

But the parasitic species in the fossils had already escaped, so all those researchers were also locked up.  

The place where they were held was certainly not a conventional prison cell, but an airtight house with no gaps at all, yet there were some oxygen tanks and food inside.  

The house used special glass, which allowed them to easily observe the situation.  

The parasitic species was too terrifying, and its destructive potential to humanity was too great, so even if there might be some unfortunate collateral damage, the higher-ups had to make this kind of decision.  

Of course, the people above were not fools; they wouldn’t say they suspected they were parasitized to arrest people. If they were to alarm other parasitic species outside, allowing them to hide among the crowd and constantly change hosts, it would be too dangerous for humanity.  

The authorities used a well-worn excuse: “The researchers at this fossil institute are spies who smuggled quite valuable artifacts! So we need to collectively arrest them and interrogate them!”  

The number of people who knew about this matter was also very limited; at least the soldiers who were capturing people were unaware of the existence of the parasite.  

After all, the parasitic species described by Wen Yi was too powerful and terrifying, and humans, having never seen it before, could not imagine such terror. Even if the video was verified as true, they still needed more evidence.