Chapter 43: The Apartment

Felix's train of thought was simple. I'm the one paying for you, so I can't possibly be expected to spend my time accompanying you, right?

It's just like when guys buy video games. They have a warehouse full of games, with 99% of them being brand new and unplayed, but that doesn't stop their enthusiasm from continuously increasing.

Why should I spend my time playing games that I bought with my own money?

If he explained this theory to Chu Cheng, who was a seasoned gaming enthusiast in the top tier of spending, Chu Cheng might actually understand. Besides, he didn't really mind whether the person who invited him to dinner showed up or not. As long as the money was there, it didn't matter.

The maid obviously couldn't understand, but she was just an emotionless chauffeur. She didn't dare to say anything or ask questions, only indulging in wild thoughts and worrying that the young master might get scolded by his uncle when he returned.

In truth, Felix wasn't completely clueless. It's just that when he received the mission roster, he only glanced at the teammates' brief introductions.

Name: Chu Cheng. Age: 20. Gender: Male. That was it.

Absolute Anomaly, immune to both physical and mental effects of infection. In other words, a blank slate immune to infection, with no practical experience or abilities, except for looking good.

Although the mission only involved running errands and conducting preliminary assessments, Felix was still somewhat surprised to be assigned a newbie who hadn't even started training.

It gave him a feeling of "the solo mission is too simple, why not bring me along?" It was like when a high-ranking general was going to war and the emperor insisted on sending a eunuch along, hindering rather than helping.

So after much thought, Felix came up with the idea of treating him to a nice meal and taking the opportunity to complete the task himself without hindering the mission or offending his colleagues.

In reality, even though Chu Cheng didn't say anything, his internal thoughts were remarkably similar to his senior brother.

After reading through the mission file, Chu Cheng couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. It could be just a common case of paranoid delusion, but you never know when you might actually encounter an advanced infected individual by sheer luck.

He now felt that the organization running this asylum on the graveyard was also abstract. He didn't know if they were really short of personnel or what, but even someone like him, a powerless and inexperienced newbie with no training, could be assigned to field work. Although his position hadn't been determined yet and he was initially assigned to do some miscellaneous tasks and gather information, even the idea of just going to inquire and ask questions made him nervous.

Is this how new recruits start at the grassroots level?

But it wasn't a big problem. On the way to the job, Chu Cheng had planned to discuss with his senior brother, expressing that he was just a powerless individual causing trouble, and it would be better to apply for a support role in logistics or intelligence gathering. After finishing the task, he would inquire about his position arrangements to avoid running around in the future.

Unexpectedly, they were on the same page. Before he could even speak, his senior brother had already figured it out. This senior brother of his was quite accommodating.

Felix's family business was a pharmaceutical conglomerate, and he was supposed to inherit the company following the path set by his family, just like an ordinary wealthy and handsome man. However, it turned out that his anomalous constitution was discovered, and subsequently, the Special Task Force Division Nine extended an olive branch to him.

Initially, when his family heard about this, they were opposed to it because they knew that joining such a department meant potentially risking their lives with lunatics. For wealthy elites like them, it was unimaginable. People like them would either be exceptional fighters or have battle armor whenever they went out without bodyguards.

But Felix himself displayed a strong desire to join the organization, which at times seemed irrational to those around him.

There's a saying that all roads lead to Rome, but Felix was the type who was born in Rome. As long as he lay down, he would have everything. No one understood why he insisted on doing such a dangerous job.

Could it be because he anticipated that if something happened to him in the future, he could receive internal prices from his family's pharmaceutical conglomerate?

However, considering his strong determination, the powerful background and influence of Division Nine, the benefits it would bring to his family by establishing a connection, and the fact that it could be a path to transcendence for him personally, despite the risks, it was not a bad choice. Eventually, his family also relented and agreed.

It seems that he joined the organization much earlier than Chu Cheng and could be considered a senior. However, during that time, he only assisted other agents and took on one or two minor cases. For example, cases involving severe insomnia caused by the influence of the infection source, or cases where the affected individuals had excessive energy and couldn't stop.

This was his first time leading a team to investigate, and compared to Chu Cheng, he could be considered an experienced driver, but not entirely.

To be honest, the description of the mission's circumstances didn't make him as calm as he appeared. However, he believed that as a seasoned professional, he couldn't show any fear.

At the moment, he was on his way to the apartment of the person who reported the case, Xu Wenhan, when he suddenly heard a request from headquarters through his earpiece.

It was the result of the information retrieval he had applied for earlier regarding key individuals in the case.

"The subjects you requested to investigate, Xu Wenhan and Guo Xiaoyun, both died in a snowstorm on the Ice Dragon Snow Mountain ten days ago. Their deaths have been confirmed," the communicator on the other end said.

Felix was stunned for a moment.

"They're dead?"

"Yes."

"Both of them?"

"That's correct. If you'd like, I can send you the death certificates."

Felix received the results. It was absolutely true; both individuals, the couple, had been confirmed as deceased.

"Furthermore, there's something strange," the communicator continued. "We conducted a search and compiled some other relevant information about them. We found that on the day after their deaths were confirmed, one of the bodies was stolen by unknown individuals, and its whereabouts are still unknown."

"A body?" Felix was taken aback and asked, "Guo Xiaoyun?"

"No. The stolen body belongs to Xu Wenhan," the communicator replied. "Guo Xiaoyun was cremated a few days ago, and her ashes have been claimed by her family for burial."

Felix froze.

Suddenly, he became uncertain about what he was really facing on this mission.

After a moment of hesitation, the pride of being a "professional" overwhelmed the slight unease in his heart. He decided to go and investigate the apartment first.

"Ding dong~"

Felix pressed the doorbell.

The sound of the doorbell echoed through the apartment, like a melody resonating in a quiet valley. But despite waiting for a while, no one answered the door.

Felix pondered for a moment, then took out a lock pick and a torque wrench.

The apartment door had an old-fashioned latch lock, which was relatively easy to pick. Luckily, the senior agent who led the previous mission had taught him how to pick locks, and now it was the perfect opportunity to put his skills to the test.

Click.

The door opened.

He slowly pushed the door open, and a pungent odor wafted out from the gradually widening gap. It smelled like blood, mixed with the stench of something rotting.

The smell made Felix feel a bit nauseous. It took him a few seconds to adjust to the scent before he turned on his flashlight and began to explore the interior of the apartment.

He couldn't imagine anyone living in a place like this. No one could tolerate such a smell in their daily life.

The beam of his flashlight pierced through the darkness like a sharp sword, causing countless specks of dust to dance in its path. Felix walked through the darkness, feeling like a small boat caught in a pitch-black wave in the night. The silence around him was terrifying, with only the creaking sound of his footsteps on the wooden floor and his increasingly erratic heartbeat.

As he entered the kitchen, the unsettling odor grew stronger.

Felix tried to turn on the lights, but there was no response when he pressed the switch. Perhaps the power had been cut off in this apartment.

Approaching the refrigerator, he held his breath and mustered up courage for a while before finally opening the refrigerator door.

In that instant, as the flashlight illuminated the interior of the refrigerator, his legs gave way, and he collapsed uncontrollably, letting out a horrified scream.

Now he was certain that the source of the smell was coming from here.

Because the refrigerator was packed with human body parts.

In that same instant, a strong sense of danger suddenly overwhelmed him. His pupils constricted, and without thinking, he swiftly rolled to the side. Almost at that very moment, a kitchen knife came down, grazing his rolling body and striking the ground, producing sparks.

Felix rolled on the ground and, when he looked up, his pupils constricted, almost causing his heart and lungs to stop.

There stood a woman in disheveled pajamas, with unkempt, cascading hair obscuring her face.

She held a blood-soaked kitchen knife in her hand.