"Hello everyone, this is the Beixing News Flash."
Inside the moving vehicle carrying the investigation team to the Bandzhen Peace Officer Headquarters, the news anchor on the car's TV screen was broadcasting an ergency report with a serious expression.
"The fourteenth Doomsday Rule, [Extraterrestrial Parasitism], ended at 9 AM today. According to the latest information obtained from the Counterasures Research Office, while the rule has ended, the threat it poses to humanity continues."
"Deeply parasitized individuals have beco parasitized forms of the alien spores after the rule ended. These parasitized forms still retain their human appearance and even mories, but the host's personal consciousness has been hijacked and replaced by the spores."
"Currently, relevant official departnts are urgently researching how to identify parasitized forms among the population. Until results are achieved, everyone is urged to rember: if you discover anyone spreading spores in any form, please contact the authorities imdiately."
The expressions of the several people in the car varied as they heard the ergency news broadcast.
Chen Na's small face was full of worry. "How can the spores still exist after the rule ended..."
"After the rule ended, the remaining spores should only exist within the parasitized forms," Guan Tong speculated. "I'm afraid these parasitized forms... have the ability to spread and create more parasitized forms."
Even Silver Fox, who liked to joke, now had a deep frown. "Even if Beixing has locked most of the deeply parasitized individuals in the Quarantine Zone, it's inevitable that a portion will slip through the cracks. Even if this portion is only a small number of people, they're very dangerous mixed within the population."
"That's right."
"Your Beixing manages this strictly enough, but other countries might risk losing control," Uenoshi said.
She was right. So other countries, from the beginning to the end of the rule, never established quarantine zones, completely leaving the deeply parasitized individuals to their own devices.
So lacked the capability to build them, so felt it unnecessary.
But regardless of the reason, these countries now face the current dangerous situation.
It would be fine if a thod to identify parasitized forms could be researched quickly. If it can't be developed in a short ti, who knows how much destruction these parasitized forms hidden among humans could cause.
"I don't think we need to be too pessimistic," Guan Tong said, seeing their grave expressions. "Think about it. During the rule period, when spores were everywhere across the world, it still took a month from the start of parasitism to becoming a parasitized form."
"Now the spores in the external environnt have disappeared, leaving only those inside the parasitized forms. Even if they can spread, the transformation speed of new parasitized forms will definitely be very slow, possibly taking months or even longer... Humanity probably won't experience a sudden collapse."
Silver Fox nodded. "That's true, humanity still has ti. It's just a hidden danger that needs to be resolved eventually."
"Next, we broadcast other important news of the day."
The news program on the screen continued. After emphasizing the parasitized form issue several tis, the anchor switched to other news.
"It is reported that at 10 AM this morning, the Administrator of the Kingdom of Xisiya, Gutman Konya, officially stepped down. Succeeding him in the position is his daughter, Ye Lianka Konia. The formal inauguration speech will take place at 3 PM..."
Guan Tong's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this news.
From the ti Yelanka left the academy at the end of September to now, the first day of January the following year, when she beca a nation's Administrator, barely over three months had passed.
As her teacher, he hadn't contacted her again after seeing her off.
Her becoming the Administrator of Xisiya undoubtedly ant she had ultimately prevailed in her competition with her brother.
Besides feeling happy for her, Guan Tong couldn't help but feel a trace of hidden concern.
That was, after resolving matters here in Sakura Prayer Country, he would eventually have to go to Xisiya to collect the debt from her brother.
Whether Yelanka, as the Administrator, would allow him to do so was uncertain.
But Guan Tong didn't think too much about it. The boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridgehead; he would just go with the flow when the ti ca.
After talking about Yelanka's situation for a while, the news moved on to the next item.
"...The manned rocket launch plan, postponed due to the Doomsday Rules, has now been restarted. Beixing Country's 'Dream Boat One' and the Xisiya Empire's 'Empire Pioneer' will launch on January 12th."
Chen Na's eyes sparkled with anticipation upon hearing this news. "The rockets are finally launching, that's great."
"It's good to launch during the rule interval period. Otherwise, by the 15th, a new rule will be announced again," Silver Fox sighed lightly. "Sigh, it's the first month of the new year, yet we only get half a month's breathing room. That Fire Thief really is a bastard."
She then shook her head. "No, wait. Our current investigation also counts as work. If the investigation ends just as the next rule starts, that would be completely non-stop!"
Guan Tong offered a friendly reminder. "What would really be bad is if the investigation isn't finished before the next rule is announced."
"...No way! We have to finish as soon as possible! I don't want to drag this investigation into the next rule!"
The others nodded in agreent.
Guan Tong thought the sa. Dealing with the rules alone was exhausting enough. Adding other troubles on top would truly wear a person out, both physically and ntally.
"Ah..."
Chen Na suddenly thought of sothing and looked at Guan Tong.
"Brother Guan, I rember your birthday is in January, right? During that big snow rule before, I think I heard you ntion it in casual conversation."
Guan Tong was taken aback for a mont, then nodded. "Yes, January 6th."
"Wow, so in just five more days, it will be your 20th birthday, Brother Guan!"
"Tsk tsk," Silver Fox clicked her tongue. "Only twenty, youth is wonderful. If I were a few years younger, maybe I could have unlocked more potential too."
Uenoshi and Suzuki also looked at Guan Tong with so surprise.
Guan Tong looked very young, but they had assud he just had a youthful appearance. Judging by how he spoke and acted, his actual age was probably in his late twenties, close to thirty.
They never expected he would only turn twenty this month.
"Brother Guan, how do you plan to celebrate your birthday? If I had known earlier, I would have prepared a gift in advance!"
"Thank you, Xiao Na, but it's not necessary. I haven't celebrated my birthday in a long ti, and in this era, not many people have the heart for celebrations anyway."
Chen Na, who usually went along with Guan Tong, shook her head repeatedly this ti. "That's not right to say. Mom celebrated my birthday both the year before last and last year. Mom told , the more difficult the tis, the more people should do happy things. That way, they have the courage to overco difficulties."
Guan Tong didn't expect Chen Na to say this and was montarily at a loss for words.
Silver Fox, however, strongly agreed and laughed. "Haha, I think Xiao Na is right! The more difficult and despairing the environnt, the more people should find so joy for themselves. Otherwise, everyone would beco depressed in the long run."
Although Uenoshi and Suzuki didn't speak, their expressions showed they also thought Chen Na's words made sense.
Guan Tong sighed. "Alright then. But forget about gifts. A spoken blessing or a written card is enough."
Seeing Guan Tong agree, Chen Na clapped her hands. "Great! Then I need to hurry, it's only a few days away!"
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