Chapter 7: Suspicion

Song Qiu leaned against the serving window, his eyes full of hope.

“One nutrition meal, please.”

The cafeteria worker had probably been waiting a long time for his first customer. He generously scooped two heaping ladlefuls of vegetables onto the tray and added two large steamed buns.

The free soup sat in a barrel nearby and had to be served yourself.

The thick brown liquid didn't look particularly appetizing, but Song Qiu still filled a large bowl.

The soup wasn't judging him for being poor, so how could he judge the soup?

Following the principle of sitting as close as possible, he found an empty seat nearby.

After taking one bite, he was so moved he nearly cried.

Today's dish was made from a mutated plant called Big Leaf Vegetable.

Its texture resembled romaine lettuce—crisp and refreshing.

It was the best meal he had eaten since arriving in this world.

While he was eating happily, the cafeteria worker stuck his head out from the serving window.

“Student, over here!”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You seem to eat a lot. I've still got plenty of food left over. Do you want some?”

People rarely ordered nutrition meals.

Sometimes nobody came at all.

Throwing away the leftovers felt wasteful.

“Yes! Yes! Thank you so much!”

Song Qiu immediately handed over his tray.

Good things like this actually existed?

He was incredibly lucky.

Under the astonished gazes of everyone around him, he went back for seconds, thirds, fourths...

Seven or eight trips later, he had single-handedly finished all the remaining nutrition meals that nobody else wanted.

Even the cafeteria worker was stunned.

“You've got quite an appetite.”

Rubbing his full stomach, Song Qiu smiled sheepishly.

“I don't know why, but I've been especially hungry lately.”

It was the fullest he had felt since transmigrating.

The sensation was amazing.

Energy seemed to flow through every part of his body.

In this condition, he felt like he could run another thirty-five laps without a problem.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Fully restored, Song Qiu headed back toward the dormitory.

As he rounded a corner, he unexpectedly came face-to-face with Mu Qianling and a young Alpha soldier in military uniform.

Song Qiu: !!

The Alpha was obviously from the military district.

The bright rank insignia on his shoulder made that clear.

If he kept walking, he would run directly into Mu Qianling.

Without hesitation, Song Qiu smoothly pivoted and changed direction, attempting to escape.

Mu Qianling had noticed the little maneuver immediately.

Without reacting outwardly, he glanced at the suspicious figure whose body had suddenly become stiff and awkward before continuing his conversation.

“You mentioned Phantom Ganoderma Grass?”

“Yes.”

The soldier nodded.

“Our scanners detected a mutated plant called Phantom Ganoderma Grass inside Contamination Zone R. Ancient records from before the disaster mention it. It's highly effective for producing powerful suppressants.”

“If we can obtain it, Alpha ruts might be reduced from once a month to once every two months. Long-term resource extraction inside contamination zones would become much easier.”

Contamination Zone R had appeared suddenly a few days ago.

Overnight, it swallowed a vast area.

Every military district rushed to compete for resources there.

The First Military District happened to have troops stationed nearby and secured a favorable position.

After conducting mechanical surveys, they immediately sent a team inside.

The soldier continued,

“Our people have already entered the zone. We should have news within half a month.”

“How many?” Mu Qianling asked.

“Eight. All A-rank.”

Mu Qianling frowned.

“Entering without an S-rank leader is too risky.”

Newly discovered contamination zones were normally explored by teams led by at least one S-rank operative.

Unexpected dangers could emerge at any time.

Mu Qianling had personally led many such expeditions and understood the risks better than anyone.

Though his tone remained calm, a hint of severity slipped through.

The soldier immediately felt his scalp tingle.

“At this time, every military district is racing for resources,” he explained.

“If we waited for an S-rank to arrive, we'd lose the opportunity.”

After a pause, he added,

“The scanners classified Zone R as a Dead Zone. All vital signs from the team remain normal. There shouldn't be any danger.”

Contamination zones were divided into two categories:

Living Zones

As if alive, they constantly changed and shifted.

Extremely dangerous.

However, they also contained abundant resources.

Dead Zones

Their internal structure remained fixed and unchanging.

Every visit revealed the same environment.

Resources gradually diminished as they were harvested.

Hearing this, Mu Qianling's expression eased slightly.

Even so, he remained unconvinced.

“No matter what, don't lower your guard.”

“Maintain twenty-four-hour monitoring.”

“The moment anything unusual appears, stop the investigation immediately.”

The soldier straightened and saluted.

“Understood!”

“I'll relay the orders immediately.”

By the time Mu Qianling finished speaking with the soldier, it was already afternoon.

Classes had resumed.

Since there was currently no urgent military work requiring his attention, he wandered through the academy grounds, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

Mu Qianling had tested as a double S-rank since childhood.

He had traveled through contamination zones alongside his family and, thanks to his extraordinary abilities, had been exceptionally appointed as a Colonel of the First Military District.

However, many people envied how young he was and how quickly he had achieved such a high rank.

Some deliberately stirred trouble.

As a result, the military district had ordered him to attend the academy before returning to active service after graduation.

One week earlier, intelligence had indicated that a humanoid mutant had infiltrated the academy.

His current mission was simple:

Find it and kill it.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The scorching early-summer sun blazed overhead.

Most military students were physically powerful and full of energy.

Many training on the athletic field were drenched in sweat.

Mu Qianling immediately spotted Song Qiu among the crowd.

The Beta was running along the outer track.

Golden sunlight illuminated his hair.

The breeze fluttered the hem of his uniform shirt.

Even among hundreds of people, he stood out.

The memory of last night's contact still lingered in Mu Qianling's body.

A faint warmth spread through him.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The afternoon training was more running.

Wan Zhongchang claimed it built endurance.

The requirement was fifty laps.

Song Qiu was currently on lap forty-nine.

Only one remained.

He exhaled heavily.

A metallic taste filled his throat.

Even swallowing hurt.

Song Qiu had noticed something strange.

His physical condition was far better than before.

After thirty laps, he still had energy to spare.

He wasn't even sweating.

Maybe, he thought, it was because he had eaten such a satisfying lunch.

Then he noticed a familiar figure casually strolling nearby.

Song Qiu focused his eyes.

It was Mu Qianling.

His background must be incredible, Song Qiu thought enviously.

He doesn't even need to attend class and can just wander around campus all day.

A trace of admiration appeared in his eyes.

From Mu Qianling's perspective, however, the scene looked very different.

The Beta's gaze seemed suspicious.

Combined with the fact that he had immediately fled when he saw military personnel at lunch...

It was strange.

Very strange.

Among so many students, Song Qiu was the only one behaving differently.

Mu Qianling narrowed his eyes.

Then he sent a message through his terminal.

𝄄𝄀 Investigate Song Qiu's background. 𝄄𝄀