Zhong Ling didn't speak. Just as Sun Hang was about to turn around, she suddenly grabbed the can of bubbly mixed drink on the coffee table, pulled the ring open, and took a big gulp.

Then, she fell straight down.

Fortunately, the carpet next to the coffee table was thick and plush, otherwise, Sun Hang estimated Zhong Ling might have ended up with a concussion from such a fall.

"Well, that's simpler."

Sun Hang picked up the drunken Zhong Ling and threw her onto the bed in the guest bedroom.

He was just turning to leave, took two steps, thought for a moment, then turned back, found a new unused blanket from the closet, and covered Zhong Ling with it.

As he turned around, he discovered that Specter001 was already silently standing at the entrance to the guest bedroom, gazing at him gloomily.

"Uh, could you move aside, please?" Sun Hang gestured at the specter to move aside.

The specter obediently moved to the side, watching Sun Hang walk out of the guest bedroom and up the stairs to the second floor.

...

...

The next day.

Sun Hang, dressed in pajamas, had just walked out of the master bedroom when he smelled a fragrant aroma wafting from the direction of the kitchen.

"Waking up with breakfast ready... doesn't seem bad," Sun Hang muttered softly, lazily making his way downstairs.

Zhong Ling, wearing heat-resistant gloves, brought two plates to the dining table. One plate had toast, fried bacon, and butter pudding, while the other had aromatic fried dumplings, their surface wrapped in golden egg and green onions—Western and Chinese breakfast side by side, the difference was clear.

"Not much usable stuff in the fridge, just make do," Zhong Ling said as she took off the heat-resistant gloves, handing a pair of chopsticks and a fork to Sun Hang.

"This isn't making do... it's so Versailles," Sun Hang rubbed his hands, ready to dig in. But the next second, he noticed Zhong Ling's face was pale, and she occasionally rubbed her forehead and temples with her fingers.

"Heh," Sun Hang chuckled, "I told you not to drink, but you wouldn't listen. Hangovers are terrible, right?"

"I'm fine," Zhong Ling said, keeping a straight face, pulled out a chair, sat down, and rolled up a slice of bacon with a fork.

"The dumplings are good," Sun Hang used a Western fork to pick up a dumpling, rebellious as ever, putting it in his mouth and chewing while saying, "This is from that unfinished pack of frozen dumplings, right... Never thought they'd taste so delicious fried."

"You shouldn't use a fork to eat dumplings," Zhong Ling reminded.

"Is there a difference?" Sun Hang glanced at the fork in his hand, "It's convenient."

"Frozen dumplings don't have broth, so it doesn't matter," Zhong Ling said seriously, "But authentic fried dumplings should have broth made from meat jelly and stock in the filling. When fried, the meat jelly turns to broth, and if you pierce the skin with a fork, the broth will spill out."

"Master, you are right," Sun Hang sincerely acknowledged Zhong Ling, folding his hands together, "I was uncouth."

Sun Hang quickly cleared the dozen fried dumplings on the plate. Just as he was about to get a glass of water, his phone that was set aside suddenly rang.

The call was from Yang Qi, and the first thing she said after connecting was, "Sun Hang, the preparations are complete. The time is set for this afternoon at 2:00 p.m."

"So soon?" Sun Hang was taken aback, "I thought it would take two more days."

"I knew you were anxious, so I stayed up working overnight with colleagues," Yang Qi's tone held a hint of exhaustion, "If you have no issues, the institute will send a car to pick you up in a bit."

"I don't have any issues, but you won't have any problems, will you?" Sun Hang asked, "Careful not to drop dead..."

"Not a big deal, when I did my undergraduate thesis, pulling all-nighters was routine," Yang Qi replied, "By the way, is Zhong Ling at your place?"

"Yes, why?"

"Bring her along later," Yang Qi instructed, "If you fail, we'll immediately switch to Plan B."

"Plan B is to transform Mr. Wang into an equipment specter, isn't it?" Sun Hang asked.

"Yes, but if Plan B also fails, there's Plan C..." Yang Qi stopped halfway through.

"Non-lethal disposal?"

"...Yes."

"Okay, I got it," Sun Hang agreed, "Anything else?"

"No," Yang Qi suddenly added, "Hey, Sun Hang..."

"What?"

"If things are impossible, don't force it."

"In my memory, you've said that to me many times."

"But you never listen..." Yang Qi's tone contained a hint of annoyance and complaint, "This time, don't mess around, okay?"

"Alright, alright," Sun Hang agreed wholeheartedly, "I definitely won't mess around."

"Really?" Yang Qi still sounded skeptical.

"Really!"

...

...

At 1:55 p.m., 160 kilometers west of Tianfu City, Zero Experiment Field.

The massive trench created when Dragon Rock Fortress moved had been filled. Hundreds of modular buildings formed a large circle with a radius of two kilometers. In the center of the circle, there was an overturned bowl-shaped glass dome.

Wearing a heavy protective suit, Sun Hang stood inside the glass dome. Yang Qi, Candle Dragon, Zhong Ling, and a crowd of staff from the institute were outside the dome, watching everything inside with grave expressions.

Inside the glass dome with Sun Hang was a giant "sarcophagus."

Countless pipelines and cables connected to this giant sarcophagus, covering the glass dome's floor and extending beyond the dome.

"Pressure in valves one to six is normal," the operator's voice transmitted through the glass dome, "Pressure inside the containment vessel is decreasing, expected to equalize in twenty-five seconds."

"Liquid nitrogen is being extracted, please monitor changes in the target infection process constantly."

"Extraction pump is working normally, pressure coefficient is decreasing normally, target state remains stable."

"Liquid nitrogen extraction completed, target infection process is accelerating, but remains within expected values."

"Preparation to dismantle containment vessel in three, two, one."

Dozens of mechanical arms surrounding the "sarcophagus" moved in orderly fashion, dismantling the large "sarcophagus" piece by piece—this "sarcophagus" was actually an external container for transporting the Eternal Freeze Coffin, used to replace the underground containment facility's liquid nitrogen pool during transport.

The liquid nitrogen inside the sarcophagus had been completely extracted, gradually revealing the Eternal Freeze Coffin.

Sun Hang slowly approached, standing in front of the Eternal Freeze Coffin.

"Infection process accelerating again, hurry up with time!"

"Eternal Freeze Coffin will open in five seconds," Yang Qi's voice sounded in Sun Hang's headphones, "Sun Hang, be ready!"

"Okay," Sun Hang nodded, giving a thumbs-up to everyone outside the glass dome.

"Swoosh!" A burst of white smoke erupted from the seams of the Eternal Freeze Coffin. The next second, the lid of the coffin shattered, fully exposing Wang Xiyi lying inside.

"Target body temperature is rapidly increasing! Infection process accelerating significantly! Approaching the danger threshold!"

"Quick! Start absorbing immediately!"

"Sun Hang!"

The protective suit Sun Hang was wearing was specially designed—it wasn't fully sealed, leaving closeable holes all over the body. Dozens of pale fungal threads emerged from these holes, piercing into Wang Xiyi's body.

Devouring ability activated... Sun Hang felt a scorching, violent energy coursing through the fungal threads into his body. The next second, his blood seemed to boil.

He felt like his body was burning fiercely.

Simultaneously, Wang Xiyi's body began to transform—a pair of hard black dragon horns broke through the skin on her forehead, elongated caudal vertebrae emerged from her back, stark white bones began secreting bright red flesh, forming a powerful tail in the blink of an eye, and the tail's end was wrapped with metallic, gleaming black scales.

Her human characteristics became fewer and fewer, while her dragon characteristics grew more prevalent.

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