Lao Wang was running like a madman.
This scene… damn, back when it was just red nematodes, they were all over the place, but these parasites went straight into the flesh.
This was actually the parasites' final way of reproducing and surviving.
Lao Wang shouted, "Run! In a crisis, the old parasites transfer all their nutrients to the new larvae to protect them and help them find a new host. If the host has the genes, they can reproduce and survive. If not, the larvae can still live a day or two."
In other words, when these bugs get desperate, they bite anything alive and crawl in.
Soon, Song Bin was hit.
"Ah! Ah! Help! Help! Kill these bugs! They're crawling into my flesh, it hurts! It hurts so much!"
But nobody told him the parasites could burrow straight into human flesh! Weren't they supposed to not actively infest people?
Thinking about thousands of bugs crawling into his body made him feel like his guts were being ripped out. He rolled on the ground, snot and tears streaming, and even though he wore protective gear, bugs still found openings around his wrist and the storage straps, burrowing into him like crazy. The blood only attracted more larvae.
The chaos immediately drew the attention of everyone around the crematorium, making the scene even worse.
From a distance, Lao Wang muttered, shit, shit… The parasite explosion and random crawling had caused big trouble. Even if they couldn't spread and reproduce, handling this was tricky. He shot a glance at Jing Shu, this little girl always seemed to stir up trouble, but he didn't regret it—he'd just been craving a smoke.
"Lao Zhang, Lao Zhang, push the corpse into the fire first, then call the R&D Epidemic Prevention Department team next door to treat the injured, and get the latest bug-killing medicine on them," Lao Wang shouted from afar.
Jing Shu raised an eyebrow and put away the spray canister in her hand. So the Capital's R&D Epidemic Prevention Department had relocated here. It made sense—with the highest concentration of infection sources, it was the most convenient place for their research.
"Fine, let's see how their medicines were holding up."
From what Jing Shu knew, this capital competition focused on gathering tons of medicinal resources to continue research and produce these kinds of drugs.
Handling the crematorium situation was familiar enough. Fully suited professionals soon pushed the corpse into the fire, cleaned the area, and wiped traces away. Nobody noticed that not a single parasite got near the little girl standing not far from Song Bin.
Suddenly, a large group of "astronauts" flooded in. The leader's hearty laugh rang out: "Lao Wang! I said you're a lifesaver. We were just about to sleep when you brought a pillow over. Who got bitten this time? We're just short on fresh research material without B genes. Come on, let's carry him off!"
Lao Wang hurried over, bowing: "Ah, Minister Zhao, you came in person? What a coincidence, really. With you handling it, everything's perfect. Sorry for troubling you." He wiped sweat from his brow—last time a parasite explosion happened, he got scolded big time.
Song Bin lay on the ground screaming, completely ignoring etiquette, and soon enough, they carried him away.
"Lao Wang, these two cigarettes are for you. You've been a big help today. Sneak this bag of fried rice to the deceased's family when you can, and I'll have Song Bin confirm it later."
"Ah, it's nothing. I'll handle it, keep an eye on it!" Lao Wang grinned so wide his mouth wouldn't close. This deal was too good. Those cigarettes were top-shelf—two of them could get him a temporary worker position, just enough to get his daughter-in-law in so he could manage half a meal a day.
After Jing Shu finished speaking, she followed the group to the temporary R&D epidemic control lab next door, chatting a little with Minister Zhao on the way.
The temporary tin building was simple, but thanks to the crematorium fire, it wasn't cold. Still, with dozens of people crowded in, nobody felt warm.
"The sample's here! Perfect timing. Minister Zhao was about to test himself, but now someone's already bitten," one voice said.
"Even Minister Zhao came out personally? So urgent… but the parasite genes have all shared and upgraded to the fifth generation. Research can't keep up with evolution."
"That's obvious, right? That guy's grandson is clinging to life with Bodhi vines, just waiting for a cure. How can they not be anxious?"
"Not entirely. Consequences are serious if we don't act."
"Shh, it's starting!"
Jing Shu frowned. "Clinging to life with Bodhi vines? Isn't that supposed to fully cure it?"
Song Bin was pushed onto a bed and stripped, while Minister Zhao drew diagrams with a knife and pen: "Actually, if someone without B genes gets infested, the larvae die in a day or two. But this guy stood dumbly next to the parasite explosion. Now tens of thousands of larvae are in him. Look at these veins wriggling. In a few hours, they'll reach the organs. If left alone, some organs might get eaten and he could even have massive internal bleeding."
Hearing this, Song Bin trembled in terror.
"Alright, inject the new drugs into his limbs and record everything. Clinical trial samples are important."
Song Bin gaped in disbelief. Wait, they were treating him like an experimental subject? He'd just come to watch a corpse with Miss Jing!
Minister Zhao and a few others then graded different areas of Song Bin's body from 1 to 10 with signal pens.
As the various drugs took effect in different areas, Minister Zhao shook his head in disappointment. The results weren't ideal.
Jing Shu looked on, even more puzzled.
Then Song Bin suddenly grabbed his legs and screamed in agony. His foot wounds visibly rotted and oozed pus, followed by a stream of dead larvae.
"Number 1 drug caused a strong reaction. Looks effective, but the side effects are too harsh."
Minister Zhao personally cut into the pus and tissue for testing, then nodded: "With this special energy source, it can kill 80% of parasites and greatly slow larvae spread. It can be used on moderate patients to reduce pressure and at least prevent the host from exploding."
Jing Shu finally asked, "Minister Zhao, wasn't Bodhi supposed to cure the parasites?"
Minister Zhao nodded: "Bodhi is the main ingredient. Combined with other herbs, it can eliminate 85% of parasites and suppress reproduction. But if it doesn't completely kill them, it's useless. Plus, the parasite source shares genes… never mind, you wouldn't understand."
Minister Zhao forced a bitter smile: "The main problem is Bodhi is nearly extinct, and our stock is running out. This harsh drug is our substitute."
Lieutenant Liu comforted him: "Minister, the capital's drug competition brought a ton of valuable herbs. The big data showed one association also planted lots of it. We'll be judges this afternoon, we can check the quality. We won't accept bad Bodhi."
Jing Shu raised an eyebrow. Judges? She ran into them before the competition even started.
Minister Zhao laughed. At least that was good news. He looked at Song Bin: "Kid, just hang on a day or two. The side effects are intense." Mainly because the medicine was too expensive.