Ever since waking up, the mermaid had never experienced an “embrace,” which was an unprecedented feeling for him. For the mermaid, “he” didn’t even know the meaning of an embrace.
However, the physical contact was very primitive and direct, and the mermaid truly felt her warmth.
Thus, the rigid body, as if it had been soaked into ice by seawater, seemed to slowly soften as well.
The embrace lasted only two or three seconds, yet it felt like a long time had passed.
It wasn’t until long after Shu Tang left that the mermaid slowly moved.
“He” felt her warmth.
And was continuously melting.
…
After several clear days, South Island City began to experience a significant drop in temperature.
Shu Tang was wearing a large coat, holding a warm cup of tea in her hands, and still wearing the slippers she came in, sitting in the warm hall.
Right after she came out, she was taken for a full physical examination, and then embarrassingly found out that besides gaining a little weight, she was very healthy.
Then, Shu Tang was interrogated in turn.
She first met a big-bearded, cold-faced alpha (the commander of the South Island base), who sternly questioned her origin.
Shu Tang was baffled but still answered that she was a student from Hua University, but the other party was not satisfied.
So, Shu Tang started to dig deeper:
Top student from South Island No. 1 Middle School, hygiene committee member of Experimental Primary School, class leader of the Kitten Class at Pioneer Kindergarten.
Big-bearded man: “…”
The big-bearded man angrily left.
Next, Shu Tang met an old man with white hair, who she recognized as their Director Qiu.
He asked her many strange questions, but they were so specialized that Shu Tang didn’t understand a single word.
As a newcomer to the workplace, she also knew not to show weakness in front of a high-ranking official—it’s easy to be seen as incompetent and get fired.
With three months of internship experience, Shu Tang quickly thought of a high EQ way to handle it.
No matter what the other party asked, she just smiled without saying a word, showing a profound and inscrutable expression.
Director Qiu: “…”
Finally, Shu Tang was able to meet an acquaintance, Little Chen.
Instead of immediately asking her questions, he just stared intensely at her.
At first, Chen was very worried. After all, the bearded man represented other military factions, and Director Qiu represented the research institute.
Both parties wanted to extract some information from her, or simply recruit Shu Tang for their use.
After days of repeatedly analyzing the videos.
Chen confirmed one thing: this girl might not be brave and resourceful, because even the bravest couldn’t act so naturally in front of Subject 001. There was only one explanation: this girl was a bit naive.
Although it was incredible, Chen still felt that this was probably the truth.
But at that moment, Shu Tang overturned Chen’s judgment.
Shu Tang skillfully navigated between the top leaders of both sides without showing any sign of weakness, especially with her smiling yet silent demeanor, which seemed very scheming.
Chen’s gaze was very complex as he sat opposite her, handing her a cup of freshly filled hot tea.
Shu Tang, wearing a large coat, was looking out the window. Her cheeks had become plumper recently, and due to the cold, they were attractively rosy, like a begonia blossom dewed with moisture, yet her expression was profoundly inscrutable.
With her hands in her pockets, Shu Tang thought with a cryptic face: Why does Little Chen keep staring at her?
This kind of gaze was very familiar to Shu Tang—
Ever since she had come out, everyone had been staring at her with a mixture of reverence and puzzlement.
Shu Tang was clueless, but she didn’t want to reveal her confusion, so she also adopted an inscrutable expression.
In fact, during the time she was sitting there, Shu Tang had vaguely realized that something was amiss.
Because everything that happened after she came out was completely different from what she had imagined; Director Zhou didn’t appear to scold her, and the attitude of the rescue personnel seemed overly nice.
The intern who used to be ignored, suddenly received star treatment. She vaguely realized some discrepancies between her perceptions and reality, but she didn’t have time to think it through.
Shu Tang found that, having left for only a few hours, she was already missing the time when she was trapped in Zone 01 with the mermaid.
Chen said, “Miss Shu, have you ever thought about changing jobs?”
Shu Tang snapped back to reality.
Ah, this familiar prelude to firing an intern.
Losing an internship job was no big deal; what had happened had happened, and there was no use regretting it.
After all, even if it happened again, Shu Tang would still come back to find Little Rose.
She had promised Little Rose to visit him tomorrow, and to keep visiting him often…
Chen said, “Have you thought about transferring from the emergency department to work in Zone 01?”
Shu Tang was startled, her eyes immediately lighting up.
Chen smiled and said, “We need a therapist to enter Zone 01, and the benefits are very good.”
However, she hesitated for a moment, “Would Director Zhou agree?”
Chen Sheng continued to smile, “No worries, I am the head of Zone 01, and I have a very good relationship with your dean. My word carries weight.”
Shu Tang looked at Chen Sheng differently now.
To be honest, she had always thought he was just a security team leader. She never expected him to be a minor leader like Director Zhou.
But maybe because they started discussing work, Shu Tang felt like she was suddenly grounded again, the feeling of suspension she had just experienced instantly vanished.
She relaxed immediately and began discussing salary and benefits with Chen Sheng.
She started by asking, “Brother Chen, do we have to do overtime in Zone 01?”
Chen Sheng replied tactfully, “We operate on a 26-hour duty system.”
Regardless of weather conditions, they had to be there if something happened in the restricted area.
Shu Tang’s enthusiasm was half-extinguished.
Chen Sheng said, “However, coming here, you can become a permanent staff.”
Holding a hot tea, Shu Tang kept waiting for Chen Sheng to mention the salary, but he didn’t mention it for a long time.
Chen Sheng revealed a mysterious smile, “Working in Zone 01 offers limitless prospects.”
What she heard was: The salary is very low, there’s no financial future, only potential.
Her fiery heart was completely extinguished.
She put down the teacup and immediately switched back to a less formal address, “Little Chen, could you pass me the sugar?”
Chen Sheng: “…”
He still passed the sugar over, waiting for Shu Tang’s response.
Firstly, for personal reasons, Shu Tang was definitely willing to help Little Rose, especially since there was only one patient in Zone 01, meaning the workload was light.
Secondly, the salary for a permanent position was definitely better than an internship.
After considering it for a while, Shu Tang agreed.
Initially, Shu Tang was very nervous facing such a big setup in Zone 01, especially being interrogated in turns. But after talking to Chen Sheng, she relaxed immediately.
She felt it wasn’t much different from the emergency department here—exploiting newcomers, no financial prospects.
Working anywhere is still working, and here she could even slack off a bit.
Chen Sheng actually wanted to ask Shu Tang how she managed to get close to the Founder, the more details the better, but with many people around, he did not ask. Instead, he just told Shu Tang, “If you have any issues in the future, you can always come to me, you’re always welcome.”
Shu Tang thought about it and glanced at Chen Sheng.
She had interacted with Little Chen a few times before. He was a man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, seemed to have good character, and Shu Tang noticed that he seemed quite concerned about Little Rose—at least on the day of the incident, he would come out to find someone to rescue Little Rose.
He didn’t seem that irresponsible.
With that thought, she pulled out a somewhat wrinkled medical record book from a plastic bag.
She said:
“I’ve conducted a full examination for him, and here are some data I’ve collected, but I can’t quite understand it. If there are other senior therapists in zone 01…”
Shu Tang was very aware of her own capabilities, which is why she hadn’t considered taking on the role of a therapist in zone 01 all by herself.
Chen Sheng’s steps suddenly halted.
Shu Tang didn’t know why he suddenly became fixated on the medical record book.
Chen Sheng looked extremely agitated.
It wasn’t until he saw the “Blue Rose Observation Record” on it.
Chen Sheng: “…”
Shu Tang: “Brother Chen?”
His feelings were complicated: “No, just call me Little Chen.”
…
By the time the tea was finished, the sky was almost bright.
Before leaving, Chen Sheng also arranged an assistant for Shu Tang.
Though called an “assistant,” this person was actually one of Zhu Yan’s former subordinates, with extensive combat experience in the polluted areas. Chen Sheng had called him over with a single phone call, assigning him just one task: to protect Shu Tang.
After all, if something happened to her, their chance for a turnaround would vanish, which was something Chen Sheng could not tolerate.
Shu Tang’s assistant, Wu Yue, was an alpha with the spirit of a black bear.
Shu Tang initially thought she would just call her assistant “Little Wu,” but when she looked up, she saw that Little Wu was actually quite old, probably almost forty, and a very big, serious, and stable alpha with an aura of decisiveness. Unable to bring herself to call him “Little Wu,” she awkwardly changed it to “Old Wu.”
Anyone with clear sight could see that this man was no ordinary individual.
And the first time Shu Tang saw him, she thought: A sad salaried worker laid off at 35.
Old Wu, feeling her sympathetic gaze: ?
Shu Tang had been an intern until ten minutes ago when she was made permanent, and she was still not quite used to suddenly having an assistant.
However, Old Wu was nice and didn’t look down on her just becoming permanent. He even took the initiative to walk her to the dormitory.
It was late today, and the emergency department’s power had not been restored, so Shu Tang was arranged to move into a new dormitory.
Old Wu lived next door to her and told her, “If there’s any noise or anything you need, just call me.”
The new dormitories in Zone 01 were not only single rooms but also had kitchens, bathrooms, and balconies. The furniture was already provided, and Shu Tang didn’t need to prepare anything—she could just move in with her bags.
Shu Tang moved into her new dorm and started by taking a shower.
After she emerged, the communicator had almost fully charged.
She called her parents to tell them about her day and to let them know she was safe.
Her mother, very worried, chattered on for half an hour. Listening to her mother’s nagging, Shu Tang shared the good news about her new job and being confirmed as a permanent employee.
Once the call ended, the room fell completely silent.
If this had been a few days earlier, before going to sleep after washing up, she would have chatted under her blanket with the mermaid.
Though the mermaid seldom replied, mostly just listening quietly, Shu Tang enjoyed talking to him. She would talk about what she planned to eat the next day and then gradually fall asleep.
A sea breeze from afar blew the curtains open, and the two nestled together easily drifted off to sleep.
Sometimes, she shared with the mermaid her fears of getting scolded by Director Zhou, or her worries about not meeting deadlines.
Now, Shu Tang had finally set aside all the constant worries that had been troubling her.
But, for some reason, lying on the pristine white sheets, she found herself unable to sleep.
She realized that having just left the Bastille, she was already missing that simple little bed.
Moreover, the events of today upon her return made Shu Tang feel uneasy.
For example, Zone 01 was not abandoned as she had imagined; in fact, Chen Sheng was quite responsible.
Or why such an important figure as Director Qiu wanted to meet her and ask those strange questions.
Or why the newly confirmed intern next door, Old Wu, was assigned such a large assistant role.
All these changes, even the strange looks from the unfamiliar people here, instinctively made her uneasy.
It’s odd, when she was forgotten by the main forces in the Bastille and surviving in the wilderness with Little Rose, she only felt peace and leisure;
Yet, back in human society, even with rescue and no longer worrying about survival or supplies, that sense of security had vanished.
Perhaps it was the change to a new work environment, or perhaps because she was unfamiliar with Zone 01.
Lying on the comfortable large bed, she tossed and turned for a long time without falling asleep.
She sat up and drew the curtains open.
It had started to drizzle again in South Island City.
Looking out the window, she suddenly felt an urge to run away right then, back to the Bastille.
But she knew this was Zone 01, far different from the loosely guarded emergency department; sneaking in to find the mermaid was nearly impossible.
She put on her coat and stepped out, and Old Wu next door heard her footsteps and asked, “Miss Shu, where are you going?”
Shu Tang paused:
“There was a little stray cat that used to come to sleep with me every night. I came out to see if it had come looking for me.”
—Of course, it hadn’t.
Shu Tang wandered around nearby, but, as expected, saw no sign of the mermaid.
Shu Tang returned to her room, feeling dejected.
However, she suddenly remembered the mermaid’s enormous spirit body.
Thus, she released her own spirit body within the room.
As soon as the orange drumstick appeared, she effortlessly spotted a huge figure outside the window.
It was a translucent, beautiful blue fishtail slowly gliding through the profound ocean.
Serene yet magnificent.
The towering buildings seemed to shrink in comparison.
If someone with a fear of large objects saw this scene, they would likely feel suffocated.
But at the sight of that blue giant, the anxious, spinning orange drumstick relaxed.
She moved to the window with light steps, and the orange drumstick leaped, limbs extended.
Because her body was small and the power in Zone 01 had not fully restored, Shu Tang managed to evade detection and, unbeknownst to anyone, jumped next to the enormous figure.
She struggled for a while before climbing into the body of the blue giant.
Unaware, her actions resembled those of sneaking out to find her mermaid at midnight—
The restless stray cat quietly curled up next to the familiar, warm body of a person, finding comfort only by rubbing against them.
Feeling the warm embrace of the spirit body, the orange drumstick instantly relaxed.
Her previous melancholy swept away.
The drumstick, with left hooks and right hooks, swam through the blue translucent spirit body.
It even found that it could leave cat paw prints on the mermaid’s spirit body.
The drumstick wandered around, leaving a trail of paw prints on the blue giant.
…
In the forbidden area, the mermaid did not return but stayed in the dilapidated building, waiting for the elevator to light up again.
To the mermaid, stillness was normal, as no one had visited this forbidden place for a decade.
Thus, “he” could maintain a motionless state for a long time.
Only when the mermaid felt something warm and fuzzy at his feet did he slowly move, focusing on his own spirit body.
Most people’s spirit bodies require a “release” process, losing awareness of their physical body once their spirit is released; however, the mermaid was not bound by this limitation and could clearly feel a fuzzy, round orange ball appear beside his large body.
Due to the pheromones, the mermaid almost instantly recognized it as Shu Tang’s spirit body.
The mermaid froze.
The enormous creature in the sky calmed down, seemingly aware of its own frightening appearance, so it didn’t react and stiffly let the kitten move about.
“It” watched the kitten walking around inside its spirit form, excitedly leaving a trail of plum blossom paw prints, then stretching lazily, rubbing against the mermaid’s massive spirit form, and finally finding a comfortable spot (on the top of its head) to lie down and sleep.
Originally, the huge blue creature in the sky always moved in a “drifting” manner, slowly gliding across the sky at a fixed rate, as if it were “breathing.” When this beautiful and massive blue creature slowly passed over the buildings, the city seemed very small.
But now it had stopped and was very careful not to move.
—Because there was an orange chicken drumstick lying on top of its head.
A small one, yet it felt like a great weight.
A long time passed.
Perhaps it was the tactile sensation from the spirit form that woke the mermaid. “It” opened its eyes, only to realize that it had been in one position for too long and its limbs were getting stiff.
The mermaid recalled her saying: One shouldn’t sit and sleep on the ground; one must return to the bed to sleep, otherwise, one could get a “herniated disc.”
Her reasons were always plentiful.
The mermaid didn’t know what that term meant, but it remembered every word she said. Thus, “it” moved its stiff body and slowly got up, walking towards its nest.
“It” was going back, waiting for her to wake up.