Chapter 39 Suspicion

In the open space of the residential area, Luo Di had already rendezvoused with the class monitor.

The clothing and skin of both were entirely covered in a warning-toned red glow. However, compared to the monitor's shock, Luo Di did not show much emotional change.

Whether it was the facial paralysis caused by the zombie-fication of the lower half of his face, or the fact that Luo Di seemed to have witnessed such a scene before, remained unsaid.

Together, they stared up at the sky, gazing at the source of the red glow.

A highly modernized military helicopter hovered above, the uppercase letter [I] printed on the fuselage wrapped in a circular coating to emphasize its significance.

Both of them had studied this symbol in their public textbooks, representing an important state institution—the Investigation Bureau.

Tasked with screening, cultivating, and assigning investigators nationwide, handling sudden anomalies everywhere, managing regional control, and bearing the responsibility of suppressing and exterminating the Mimics.

The Investigation Bureau served as the foundation for maintaining national security and stability, and everyone selected as an investigator was the elite among elites.

The [Higher Education Entrance] that Luo Di and the others were about to face corresponded to a path leading to the Investigation Bureau. Those who met the various score thresholds could go to the Municipal Investigation Bureau to participate in the entry assessment, and once passed, they would become probationary investigators.

The helicopter descended.

An investigator dressed in black stepped out and injected a pre-prepared serum into the back of the woman's head.

The injection took effect immediately.

The target instantly fell unconscious, breaking her "Fear Manifestation" and reverting to her normal human appearance.

Following this, the investigator pulled out the pitch-black pillar from within the woman's body and wrapped her corpse in a special membrane, thus completing the "Mimic Packaging."

The entire capture operation was remarkably efficient.

The man in black did not leave immediately; instead, he cast his gaze toward the two young people standing dozens of meters away.

Having experienced such a dangerous incident and having made the most direct contact with a Mimic, the two were required to undergo relevant medical examinations and provide a detailed account of the night's events.

Luo Di did not mind this at all, as it meant he could get top-tier medical treatment for free.

After all, aside from having his palms pierced through, "zombie-fication" also came with a certain cost.

Tonight, in order to awaken the class monitor, he had applied zombie-fication to his face for the very first time. Such alienation close to the head was extremely dangerous; once it reached one's pituitary gland, it was highly likely to form a Mind Corner.

That being said,

when the two approached the helicopter, the investigator immediately pressed down on Luo Di's shoulder, conducted an on-site nasal swab test, and only allowed them aboard once confirmed to be fine.

It was worth mentioning that this investigator was none other than the one responsible for the residential lockdown the previous day, the person they had already met.

The helicopter flew toward the Jupiter City Investigation Branch, which possessed an enormous footprint, a large portion of which was dedicated to a landing pad.

The entire building wrapped around the landing area in a circular fashion.

Before the helicopter even touched down, employees from the "Municipal Research Bureau" were already waiting below. They would take over the captured live Mimic, subsequently initiating relevant work within the Research Bureau's experimental division.

As for the two young people who had directly experienced the incident, they first needed to undergo psychological evaluations and physical treatments.

***

The sun rose.

Three and a half hours had passed.

Luo Di's zombie-fication had been safely reversed under the influence of medication, leaving no excessive impact on his body. His two pierced palms had also received medical treatment, now wrapped in gauze.

As for the class monitor, who had been possessed, she only needed to continuously ingest a specialized medication over the coming days to expel the residual impurities in her body, which would not affect her normal life.

Naturally, for the next month, the class monitor would need to undergo high-frequency psychological check-ups.

The two were permitted to visit the investigators' cafeteria to enjoy a complimentary and delicious breakfast.

Having endured a whole night of life-or-death moments and cumbersome medical examinations, the two were utterly exhausted, their eyelids locking in a fierce battle as they ate.

Yet the Investigation Bureau seemed intentionally determined not to grant them time to rest. As soon as breakfast concluded, they were escorted to the [Interview Room].

The person in charge of the dialogue and recording was none other than the same investigator, as if once assigned to an incident, the corresponding investigator had to see it through to the end.

However,

he had already shed the black attire worn during the execution of his mission, now sporting gold-rimmed glasses, a slicked-back hairstyle, and jet-black pupils that resembled the black pillars that had pierced through the spider woman's body the day before.

Pinned to his chest was a work badge bearing the name—[Ge Wenzhu].

Luo Di began by recounting the events of the previous night in detail.

Upon hearing the specific details, including Luo Di's use of zombie fangs to assist in breaking the possession, Ge Wenzhu adjusted his glasses with a swift motion to mask a fleeting flash of astonishment.

Once Ge Wenzhu had fully recorded the sequence of events, he looked back at the two of them.

"In light of your contributions to the operation capturing the [Mimic - Wu Huazhen], our Investigation Bureau will provide you with corresponding rewards afterward.

However, before that, based on your account of the incident and the results of your physical examinations, I have a few questions.

Be warned.

The upcoming Q&A will, to a certain extent, influence my judgment regarding your personal circumstances and whether you harbor any potential alienation tendencies."

The topic of rewards was instantly switched to suspicion toward the two, and the atmosphere turned strange.

Ge Wenzhu suddenly lowered the hands he had been using to prop up his chin, moved his right hand forward to fill their fields of vision as much as possible, and slowly raised his index finger.

"First point,

Ms. Wu Huazhen belongs to the [Dormant Mimic] category and had already reached a mature state.

We had previously launched an investigation into her murder cases, and no clues were left at the scenes; her concealment methods were formidable.

Of course, there is a high probability she received guidance through whispers from the Mind Corner, which assisted her in perfecting her disguise.

Regardless, the target belongs to the type adept at concealment.

During yesterday's lockdown of the residential area, she also sensed the danger in advance and fled, yet she ran back in the middle of the night, risking her life to target you two. That is very strange.

What on earth caused her to be willing to take such a huge risk and come back to target you? Was it truly because Wu Wen's appearance happened to fit her personal preferences so well?"

Furthermore, I remember quite clearly... Wu Wen happened to seek you out precisely when the building was locked down yesterday, and happened to cross paths with Wu Huazhen. Isn't all of this a bit too coincidental?"

When posing this question, the gold-rimmed glasses were aimed squarely at Wu Wen, expecting her to answer it herself.

"Perhaps it was because my knocking on the door brought me into close contact with her? Or perhaps my appearance matched the standards her husband or fiancé had once set?"

The investigator flatly rejected the idea. "No... The first two victims both had contact with Ms. Wu Huazhen. As for the husband or fiancé, that question doesn't exist; Ms. Wu Huazhen has always been single."

Hearing this, Luo Di felt a bit uncomfortable. Breaking his usual demeanor, he took the initiative to chime in:

"Wu Wen's winter break was basically spent taking remedial classes, with a three-day break in the middle. Yesterday happened to be the first day of her break. You can verify this directly with her family; there's no need to speculate here.

As for why a Mimic would be willing to take the risk to hunt us down, in my view, it was because the target had sufficient confidence.

A flawless infiltration and sneak attack during sleeping hours, utilizing a 'quasi-corner space' as a backup plan. From anyone's perspective, two underage students facing such a situation could not possibly survive.

And that woman thought the same way."

Luo Di's explanation left the investigator rather satisfied.

In truth, Ge Wenzhu already believed that Wu Wen was normal; after all, she had suffered [Possession] during this incident, which was enough to rule out most suspicions, and her subsequent psychological tests at the Investigation Bureau had turned out completely normal.

The person Ge Wenzhu actually wanted to question was Luo Di.

Taking advantage of Luo Di's interjection, the gold-rimmed glasses slowly turned toward him, while a single photograph was slid across the table—a solo photo of Luo Di taken when the helicopter landed.

The face was magnified.

The half-zombie-fied visage looked somewhat eerie.

However, there was another striking feature: his entire eyes were bloodshot, with a thick blood vessel traversing straight across the pupil.

"Crimson vessels piercing the pupils... In our past investigation operations, only extreme serial killers exhibited such a gaze while hunting.

Did you want to kill someone at that time?

Was it because of our arrival that your killing impulse was forced to be suppressed?"

Given Ge Wenzhu's sudden shift in topic and pointed questioning, even the class monitor was momentarily stunned. Yet Luo Di, the target of the inquiry, answered without hesitation:

"That's right. I wanted to completely slaughter this Mimic, until she couldn't even exhale a single breath from her body."

"Oh? Excellent!"

Ge Wenzhu nodded, a satisfied smile blooming on his face, and the tense atmosphere relaxed accordingly.

"Before even graduating, you gained the affirmation of the Research Bureau, were experimentally granted 'Cornerization Props,' and skillfully—even innovatively—applied them in combat against a genuine Mimic, assisting in the removal of the possession state and ultimately surviving.

There isn't a trace of fear or cowardice in your eyes; instead, there is the resolve to kill.

If not for legal restrictions, I'd really want to recruit you right now."