Chapter 11: “Ms. should be measured”

Apartment Building No. 5 (11)

The three of them thoroughly discussed every possible plan in detail.

Taking advantage of the mother bugs’ aversion to light, they planned to use the abnormal elevator to descend to the second floor during the disinfection times on the 2nd, 4th, and 6th floors.

Protected by the rules, Jiang Sheng would break the light bulbs in the second-floor corridor to lure the mother bugs down.

Then, with the property management holding the mother bugs at bay, the three would head up to the seventh floor.

Tu Qingxin had her doubts: “Property management… can they really fight the mother bugs?

Aren’t the corrupted all loyal disciples devoted to protecting the mother bugs?”

Jiang Sheng said, “I think so.”

“Why?”

“Because, bugs.” Jiang Sheng explained, “You all said before that the corrupted hate being called ‘bugs.’”

“Do people who have faith in God constantly chant ‘eliminate the bugs’?”

“…!” That’s right, Tu Qingxin belatedly realized that property management had treated them as ‘bugs’ from the start.

The abnormal state only made them repeat ‘bugs’ like a deeply engraved mark in their minds.

Luo Chenyi said, “Records show that before special management took over Apartment Building No. 5, a volunteer group was the first to discover and move in, using the seventh floor as their base, publicly calling themselves the Property Service Center.”

“The corrupted outside the door are basically members of that volunteer group.

They were infected during rescue operations and stayed here.”

“Generally, those infected by the mother bugs suffer severe consciousness distortion and generally worship or rely on the bugs. But—there’s always exceptions.”

Xiao Qing and Jiang Sheng both looked toward Luo Chenyi.

Luo Chenyi paused slightly, recalling from memory: “I once encountered a corrupted who stood on humanity’s side…”

“He had completely turned into a monster; all traces of human consciousness were gone.

Yet he followed his deepest faith to resist the invaders and protect humanity.”

His quiet recounting nearly shook Tu Qingxin’s understanding.

She had no doubt—practice was worth more than theory.

With Luo Chenyi’s rich experience entering the bug nests, if he said there were exceptions, there were indeed exceptions.

“Patrol…” Xiao Qing suddenly had a bright idea.

After the property management mutated, they wandered the building one floor after another, seeing everything as bugs—maybe they were protecting the residents!

Tu Qingxin looked at Jiang Sheng with mixed emotions: “His behavior… maybe he really is patrolling.”

Jiang Sheng leaned against the railing, listening to their discussion until it settled: “Have you thought it through?”

“Is there any better plan?”

“If not, then let’s try it.”

The next day.

The three got up early, rising at 6:40.

Even the dog was still asleep.

Mama was busy in the kitchen; Jiang Sheng deliberately went to check.

Today’s breakfast didn’t even have canned food.

Her bowl held a clear, bottomless… bowl of water?

They were completely out of supplies.

Jiang Sheng was speechless but silently steeled herself to leave.

She had to get out today.

Disinfection times: 11:00–15:00 and 19:00–23:00 on the 3rd and 5th floors.

And 6:30–11:00 and 15:00–19:00 on the 2nd, 4th, and 6th floors.

At exactly 7:00, the three were fully prepared, reviewing their plan and individual tasks one last time before stepping out the door.

With a “click,” Mama emerged from the kitchen and silently watched the cold, empty living room.

It went relatively smoothly.

The three lingered in the corridor for nearly ten minutes when the second elevator quietly appeared.

Tu Qing stared at the abnormal elevator, swallowing nervously: “This elevator… can it work normally?”

Jiang Sheng said, “At least it can take us up to the seventh floor.” She stepped into the elevator.

Luo Chenyi followed.

There was no turning back now; Xiao Qing squinted cautiously, carefully stepping inside.

“Tick-tock—”

Some sticky liquid dripped onto her clothes.

The twisted, shaking letters around looked like writhing maggots.

Tu Qing shut her eyes tightly; all she could hear was the thick, intermittent, sticky liquid gurgling.

Xiao Qing’s mental strength was at its lowest.

What she needed was to muster all her focus to resist the contamination and stay alert.

“Relax.” The calm voice whispered in her ear.

It was like a guide for the lost, a barrier that blocked out the contamination.

Xiao Qing’s discomfort immediately lessened.

Fortunately, besides stinging eyes, this abnormal elevator functioned just like a normal one, moving up and down smoothly.

Jiang Sheng glanced at the buttons closest to her feet.

1 1

She pressed the button just above “1.”

In a blink, they reached the second floor.

The elevator doors opened; property management hadn’t patrolled the second floor yet.

Tu Qing pressed the button on her earpiece and gestured for Jiang Sheng to do the same: “Press the first button you touch; it lets you communicate.”

Jiang Sheng replied, “Okay.”

Luo Chenyi said, “After breaking the light bulb, come back immediately, no matter if the mother bugs come down or not.”

Jiang Sheng lowered her eyes, studying the earpiece in her hand: “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

“Remember, don’t come out no matter what happens.”

“…“ Luo Chenyi’s right eyelid twitched twice.

Without looking at Luo Chenyi’s expression, Jiang Sheng put on her earpiece, shook her head to clear her thoughts, and decisively stepped out.

Xiao Qing kept pressing the door open button anxiously, watching Jiang Sheng’s retreating figure like a worried mother waiting anxiously for her child to come home.

Luo Chenyi was silent, his gaze following Jiang Sheng’s thin, solitary figure.

“Crack!” The light bulb shattered.

Darkness instantly fell. Jiang Sheng, used to the familiar dim light, tilted her head up and adjusted for a moment.

Luo Chenyi’s voice came through the earpiece: “Can you see our position?”

Jiang Sheng turned her head, glancing at a faint light tearing through the darkness nearby, and muttered a sarcastic reply.

Luo Chenyi said, “Come back.”

Jiang Sheng replied, “The mother bugs haven’t come down yet.” She paused, quietly listening. The sound of property management shuffling forward came clearly into her ear.

Property management had heard the noise and was rushing over.

But the mother bugs did not appear.

The plan wasn’t going smoothly.

Luo Chenyi said into the earpiece, “Jiang Sheng… come back quickly.”

Jiang Sheng hesitated for a second: “The plan continues; I’ll go lure them out.”

“You two stay in the elevator and wait for my signal.”

Luo Chenyi’s pulse beat hard. “Jiang Sheng, don’t take unnecessary risks—”

Before he could finish, Jiang Sheng’s figure disappeared from view.

The three shared the Bluetooth earpiece, and Xiao Qing heard their entire conversation.

She quietly glanced at Luo Chenyi’s stern expression, and somehow found herself trusting Jiang Sheng deep in her heart.

Jiang Sheng’s bold actions always had a safety net.

When they first met, even when Jiang Sheng didn’t understand the situation and was suffering memory loss, she used her abilities, taking on the identities of their clients.

Trust was like a seed planted, silently taking root and growing with the passing time.

“Captain Luo, Miss Jiang should keep her limits.” Xiao Qing cleared her throat lightly.

Captain Luo: …

Elsewhere, using the light from her phone, Jiang Sheng found the safety corridor.

She struck the stair railing with a hammer.

The knocking echoed loudly through the safety passage.

The sound of property management’s limbs writhing grew nearer and nearer, but the mother bugs remained motionless.

The rules repeatedly emphasized not to make noise, indicating the mother bugs were sensitive to sound.

Yet, despite the noise, they still didn’t appear?

“They’re really dead silent.” Jiang Sheng’s eyes were cold as a smile curled at the corner of her lips.

Xiao Qing asked, “What?”

The rustling sounds became clearer, seemingly very close.

Jiang Sheng suddenly lifted her head and took a step onto the stairs.

She quickly spoke to the two waiting in the elevator, “You guys go to the sixth floor!”

Xiao Qing glanced at Luo Chenyi, “Jiang Sheng?”

Jiang Sheng rapidly climbed the stairs, her phone’s light shaking wildly with every step.

“Captain Luo, trust me. Don’t come out.”

“Go to the sixth floor and wait for me.”

Xiao Qing and Luo Chenyi didn’t expect this situation.

They anticipated the mother bugs wouldn’t obey the plan but never expected Jiang Sheng to be so bold.

Xiao Qing was stunned for two seconds, then quickly pressed the button for the sixth floor.

The elevator ascended.

The tension and adrenaline made them forget all the contaminating letters around.

Inside the cabin was silent.

Both listened to Jiang Sheng’s urgent breathing through the earpiece.

Just as Jiang Sheng climbed to the fifth floor, the elevator reached the sixth.

As soon as it stabilized, Luo Chenyi prepared to rush out and support Jiang Sheng.

As if foreseeing Luo Chenyi’s move, the earpiece suddenly transmitted Jiang Sheng’s very cold voice: “Captain Luo—”

“We can’t face another monster.”

Her words were cold and merciless but effective.

Luo Chenyi froze in place.

Tu Qing silently sweated in the corner.

One more floor around, and it was the seventh floor.

Jiang Sheng took a breath, then climbed step by step.

Climbing stairs was exhausting.

She was starving.

Finally, she reached the seventh floor.

Before her eyes was a door smeared with black liquid, hanging like spiderwebs in the frame, dripping softly, seemingly mixed with something shining.

Jiang Sheng didn’t hesitate to push open the door, disgustedly shaking off the sticky liquid on her palm.

Tiny sparks like rain fluttered past her eyes.

She looked up—

It was a huge, mud-sculpted, phosphorescent moth.

Phosphorescent spots like stars filled her vision.

The deity was perched at the top of the corridor; its enormous wings almost covered the entire ceiling.

Gelatinous, feather-like scales were dotted with countless twinkling lights.

The tiny fragments of light on the scales reflected in Jiang Sheng’s eyes, making her pupils glow.

As she stared, Jiang Sheng suddenly felt her entire body crawling with an all-encompassing stickiness.

It was as if someone was watching her from head to toe, scrutinizing, mocking.

Suddenly, she realized—

Ah.

That wasn’t phosphorescence.

That was the eyes of a god.