"Ah! Aaaah..." The tied-up Fatty Jun screamed and writhed his bulky body, flailing for seven or eight seconds before finally calming down.

"I... I'm not dead?" Fatty Jun gasped for air and looked down at his right arm. The bullet had impacted his arm, but it was not bleeding; instead, it had a deep, black hole.

Then, his right arm started to "melt," then "ferment," and finally morphed into a huge, tumorous mass that "spat" out the bullet with a squelching sound.

A few seconds later, his arm returned to its original form.

The other three watched this in astonishment.

Officer Huang holstered his gun. "Fatty Jun, your arm is definitely that of a beast. None of the talents I've heard of have such a bizarre body mutation ability," Officer Huang said, massaging his temples. "But you, for now, are still human."

"For now?" Fatty Jun was disheartened.

Officer Huang sighed and looked at Gao Yang. "What do you think?"

"Brother Yang! Save me..." Fatty Jun was on the verge of tears. "I know you won't abandon me. You saved Kai too. How could you kill me?"

"Not killing you for now," Gao Yang said.

"Why not?" Wang Zikai looked disappointed. "He's useless. Let's just finish him off."

"How am I useless!" Fatty Jun yelled. "I'm more useful than you! You... you..." He stopped short of calling Wang Zikai a "lost one." 

Gao Yang turned to Fatty Jun. "His arm mutated after being bitten by that white cat. If the mutation spreads to his whole body, we can kill him then. But if it's limited to his arm, Fatty Jun is more valuable alive."

"Right, right!" Fatty Jun's survival instinct kicked in. "I can heal! I'm the team's only healer! I'm valuable!"

Officer Huang pondered for a moment. "Fine. Keep him tied up and observe for a few days."

Then Officer Huang looked at Wang Zikai. "This glorious and arduous task falls to you. Make sure he's well-fed and doesn't starve."

"No problem." Wang Zikai thumped his chest and grinned mischievously. "I'll take good care of him!"

...

The three left the garage and returned to the living room.

It was already 5 a.m., and dawn was approaching. The cityscape outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was lit by the first light of day, the river glistening as it gradually turned from grey-blue to pink under the sunrise. The three sat on the beanbag chairs, drinking beer and watching the river.

After some discussion, Officer Huang concluded, "I've never seen a case like Fatty Jun's before. But he's probably not a beast, at least not yet."

"Is the cat that bit him a beast?" Gao Yang pondered. "I thought beasts only disguised themselves as humans. Could they also be in animal form? And could some beast bites cause infection like zombies?"

"Not sure." Officer Huang shook his head. "Our contact mentioned that there are more than just Fool Beast and Wrath Beast. We know only a fraction."

Saying this, Officer Huang glanced at Wang Zikai.

Wang Zikai, overly excited throughout the night and having partially beastified during the fight, was now exhausted, curled up on the couch, snoring.

"Your friend... might be a new type of Fool Beast."

Gao Yang nodded. He noticed Wang Zikai was different from Old Liu.

Old Liu automatically ignored any information related to beasts. If he saw images or experienced events related to beasts, it was unclear what his reaction would be. But Officer Huang guessed it would trigger the "lost ones" and cause a beastification rampage.

But Wang Zikai retained information about beasts, whether through words, images, or personal experiences, without going berserk. He remembered, understood, and rationalized it all. He never thought of himself as a beast, firmly believing he was human. Was it all because he wasn't very smart?

"Maybe it's just a feeling," Officer Huang said, half-joking. "Since meeting you, the world feels increasingly unsafe. Some delicate balance is breaking, and things are spiraling out of control. I've been awakened for years, and I've never felt this way."

Gao Yang didn't know what to say.

"I've encountered many awakened ones." Officer Huang lit a cigarette. "Some were strong, some weak, some reckless, some cunning, some crazy, and some cold-blooded..."

Officer Huang squinted. "But most of them died for various reasons."

Gao Yang stayed silent, waiting for more.

"You're different." Officer Huang glanced at Gao Yang. "You have a unique quality."

"Do I?"

"Yes, I think you'll live a long time."

"Really?" Gao Yang liked hearing this. He was afraid of dying, believing that as long as he lived, there was hope.

"That's why I think I'm in danger," Officer Huang said quietly.

"Why?"

"I loved reading comics as a kid. People who live long are usually protagonists. But the people around the protagonist tend to die early..."

Gao Yang was speechless. He indeed felt different from others, having been traveled to this world and gained a magical system upon awakening. It wasn't an exaggeration to call it a "protagonist's aura." But this could be survivor's bias. Perhaps there were thousands of "transmigrators," and he wasn't the first or the last...

Gao Yang was lost in thought.

Officer Huang stood up. "I've decided. I need to stay away from you."

"What?" Gao Yang was shocked. "Officer Huang, don't abandon me."

"Not entirely." Officer Huang took a drag of his cigarette, a mysterious smile on his face. "I mean we should join the organization quickly. That way, you'll have more companions around you, and the risk of me dying will be effectively shared."

Gao Yang was speechless: Uncle, I think you might be a transmigrator too!

Officer Huang took out a note and pen, quickly writing down a time and address. "Tonight at 12, bring Qing Ling. I'll take you to the interview."

"Okay!" Gao Yang took the note.

...

Gao Yang took a nap at Wang Zikai's place and then headed to school.

Wang Zikai stayed behind to guard Fatty Jun and continue training. After last night's sudden "burst," Wang Zikai believed it was the result of his training, now highly motivated, and would likely remain diligent for a few days.

After morning study, Gao Yang met Qing Ling on the rooftop and briefly explained last night's events, downplaying Wang Zikai's burst as much as possible.

Qing Ling had no comment.

In the morning, Gao Yang asked English class representative Wan Sisi for help with some English problems. She was delighted and eagerly assisted him. After explaining the problems, Wan Sisi invited Gao Yang to lunch with some other classmates.

Gao Yang accepted, spending a "pleasant" lunch with his classmates. They believed his previous aloofness was due to grieving over Li Weiwei's death.

The afternoon was uneventful.

The evening self-study was uneventful.

After their nighttime self-study, Gao Yang and Qing Ling met in a neighboring alley, where they always meet. As soon as he saw Qing Ling, Gao Yang began undressing.

"No need," Qing Ling said.

"No disguise today?" Gao Yang was surprised.

"Mm." Qing Ling looked at the note. "The place is at 121 Huang Song Street in the Feiyang District. It's too far to walk, and we need to cross a bridge."

"What do we do?"

Qing Ling considered for a time. "We'll take the last subway, openly."

"Okay."

They exited the alley, and Qing Ling clung to Gao Yang's arm, placing her head on his shoulder, like a high school couple in love.

"Alright," Gao Yang agreed. Given the beast-infested surroundings, being held by a strong beauty brought a sense of safety.

They boarded the subway for half an hour and arrived in the Feiyang District on the river's west bank. They then walked for almost twenty minutes. Qing Ling bought some spicy hot pot at a night market, which they greatly enjoyed!

Huang Song Street was an old district awaiting demolition, lined with two- or three-story cement buildings. The outdated shops had closed early, and the road, worn out and bumpy, had few functioning streetlights. Most surveillance cameras were likely "broken."

They found 121 soon enough.

It was an inconspicuous little shop with a rusted half-pulled shutter. Inside, a blue curtain hung, glowing with fluorescent light. The sound of fighting and explosions came from behind, suggesting old arcade machines.

"I didn't expect to see an arcade hall these days." Gao Yang used to love these places as a kid. With fifty cents, he could spend half a day watching older kids beat games. In hindsight, it was like watching the earliest game streamers.

"Let's go in." Qing Ling put on a mask.

"Wait." Gao Yang stopped her.

"What?"

"Give me a song's time."