Deserved? Or Damned?

The force behind those shoves was tremendous, leaving the man no room to resist. He was thrust out, tumbling onto the pile of corpses, startling the insects into a frantic buzzing frenzy.

But the reprieve was brief. The swarm caught the scent of fresh blood and meat, and in an instant, they converged on him like a living shroud, descending without hesitation to feast.

A bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat. A few pale beams of light struck his terrified face, and he finally noticed the newcomers. He twisted his body and lunged toward Song Weishi and the others. "Help me! Please! You're the rescue team, right? Save me!"

The group sidestepped his charge without a flicker of expression. He stumbled and tripped, and the swarm enveloped him even more densely. The bites were small, each one barely a sting, but his vitality was visibly draining away, a testament to the swarm's relentless assault.

They had overheard the argument through the door moments ago. It was clear the people inside had been perfectly capable of surviving together—so why had they shoved this man out? Was it pure spite, or something far worse?

The man was complicit in whatever had happened, and Song Weishi felt no inclination to save him. Besides, with no protective gear in his current state, he was already beyond saving.

Within moments, his body was riddled with insects. His eyes, filled with venomous hatred, locked onto the group as he futilely slapped at the swarm. But the insects only multiplied, and his efforts were useless.

"A suit! Give me a suit! Give it to me!" he roared.

No one responded. Insects crawled into his mouth, and he tasted blood—whether his own or that of the creatures feeding on him, he couldn't tell.

The group watched in cold silence. Even Chu Miaoxuan made no move to help.

Song Weishi guessed he wasn't anyone important. His worker's uniform marked him as a nobody, easily expendable.

His body was shriveling, yet he still struggled, then turned back to hammer on the sealed door. "Open up! The rescuers are here! Open the damn door!"

No response came from inside. A sneer filtered through. "Nice act. Keep it up. Why don't you stay out there with your friend? You two can catch up."

The voice dripped with mockery, treating his life as if it were worth nothing at all.

When all hope was lost, a gut-wrenching scream erupted from him—the sheer despair of waiting for death. But he didn't have to endure it long. With one final lunge, he tried to rip the protective suits off Song Weishi and her companions, a last desperate gambit. He missed, then collapsed onto the ground, motionless.

The swarm descended en masse, feasting on his flesh until a new mound of meat rose beside the door.

Their suits were coated with a special layer that kept the insects at bay for a while, so they weren't in immediate danger. But that coating was finite, degrading over time. Time was of the essence; they couldn't afford to linger outdoors.

The group lingered outside the door, none of them eager to enter. The people inside were repulsive—saving them would be a stain on their conscience.

Was it really worth it?

All because there were high-ranking officials from District Two inside?

No wonder District Two couldn't compete with District One. With vermin like this among their ranks, growth was impossible.

At least Xie Huiqing kept a shred of basic humanity, still caring about the citizens under her charge.

Finally, Chu Miaoxuan let out a sigh, stepping over the corpse on the floor to knock on the door.

The knock echoed clearly. There was a moment of silence, then the sound of shuffling footsteps.

Chu Miaoxuan called out, "Anyone in there? We're the District One rescue team."

Excitement erupted from within. "Yes! You're finally here! Hold on, we're opening the door!"

Chu Miaoxuan readied the disinfectant spray, and the moment the door cracked open from the inside, she unleashed a torrent at the entrance. The team slipped in one by one, executing the maneuver seamlessly, and no insects managed to breach the room.

It was a storage room, its protective door well-designed, which was why the swarm hadn't infiltrated. There were vents inside, so the air was fresh, but the room was pitch-dark, lit only by the flashlights they'd brought.

Inside, there were only three people—far fewer than the reported number. The men looked disheveled, bearing various cuts and bruises, but their spirits were high. They hadn't been struggling much in here.

"Finally! Are you under Chief Xie's command?" asked the man in front, wearing a pair of rimless glasses that lent him an air of refinement. Even now, he rolled up his sleeves and placed a hand on his hip, striking a pose.

Chu Miaoxuan nodded. "Yes. Are you Minister Wei?"

The man frowned, clearly unhappy with the title, but nodded anyway. "That's right, I'm Wei Qing. How do we get out of here? Is the transport ready?"

Chu Miaoxuan handed over three protective suits and raised the spray bottle. "It's waiting below. First, we'll do a full disinfection, then suit up. The Qingying vehicle is parked right outside."

Wei Qing exhaled in relief. The two men behind him exchanged gleeful glances, ready for their decontamination.

"Why are there only a few of you? Our intel said at least seven people were holed up here. Do you know where the others are?" Song Weishi asked bluntly. She saw no reason to be cordial, so she aimed straight for the sore spot.

Chu Miaoxuan glanced at her but didn't intervene.

Wei Qing's face soured, and he averted his eyes, looking guilty. "Oh, them. They got separated from us when the swarm attacked on our way up. They might've found shelter in another room. Just get us out first; you can come back for them later."

They were dead. All of them. Yet Wei Qing didn't spare them a single thought, casually telling the team to come back for them—practically throwing the rescuers' lives away.

If it weren't for Xie Huiqing's sake, Song Weishi would've started beating him right then. She had zero tolerance for people who wished her harm.

Xie Yi tugged at her arm from behind, urging caution.

Song Weishi pulled free and fixed her gaze on Wei Qing. In the darkness, the trio felt like they were being watched by a venomous serpent, a creeping chill running down their spines.

But getting out was the priority. Song Weishi stepped back and picked up the spray bottle, dousing them with disinfectant.

The liquid stung as it hit their insect-bitten wounds. All three men let out pained groans, and Song Weishi secretly increased the spray density until it pooled on their skin, dripping down.

They couldn't take it anymore, yelping and thrashing in agony. A satisfied smile curled Song Weishi's lips, and she felt a bit better.

The others shared a silent grin. That's right—why be polite to people like this? A little pain was just what they deserved, and they'd all feel better for it.

Wei Qing couldn't bear it any longer. "Enough! That's enough! Okay, okay! There are bugs out there—let's talk once we're outside. A few little insects won't matter. Just give us the suits. I can't take any more of this."

Chu Miaoxuan reluctantly stopped spraying and handed over the suits. The trio scrambled into them, wincing and hissing through clenched teeth.

Song Weishi laughed inwardly, already plotting how to get back at them later.

Once they were ready, the three men clenched their fists and headed for the door. Chu Miaoxuan took point, leading the way. The corpse by the door had already been drained dry, its flesh hollowed and shrunken—a stark contrast to before.

Bones held together by tattered, punctured skin lay sprawled on the ground. She stepped over without a second glance.

The plan was to backtrack through the fire escape they'd used earlier. The insect population there was still dense, but it was relatively safe.

Song Weishi trailed behind the group, watching as the men instinctively glanced at the floor before deliberately looking away and continuing after Chu Miaoxuan. It confirmed her suspicion: they hadn't simply lied by omission. They'd killed those people deliberately.

She kept her distance, wary of every move they made.

The stairwell was pitch-black, the fireflies' glow nearly useless, creating only a faint ribbon of light. When the flashlights swept across, the insects scattered like starry motes, transforming the dark corridor into a starlit sky.

In an ordinary summer, this would have been a breathtaking sight. But now, it only felt unsettling and eerie.

Wei Qing and the others shuffled nervously in the middle, eager to escape yet too scared to push ahead of Chu Miaoxuan.

The two men flinched at every step, making noise and startling easily—nothing like the cold-blooded types who'd shoved someone to their death moments ago.

Song Weishi rolled her eyes internally, itching to kick them down the stairs.

Before she could act, Chu Miaoxuan stopped at the second-floor landing. Two strange, oversized bulbs glowed in the middle of the staircase.

Everyone froze, their flashlight beams converging on the spot. A massive spiny mantis stood upright in the middle of the stairwell, its pale eyes locked onto them. Its beautiful wings stretched almost the entire width of the stairs, radiating pure menace.

The three men, already jumpy as startled birds, let out a collective shriek and barreled past the team, scrambling upward.

Song Weishi cursed them for the idiots they were as the mantis, drawn by their movement, crouched and leaped, its powerful hind legs propelling it straight at them—utterly ignoring the larger group right in front of it.

It was sheer stupidity. They'd panicked and bolted, practically begging the predator to chase them.

"Stop running! Running only makes it chase harder!" Chu Miaoxuan shouted.

But the three men were beyond reason, screaming and sprinting upward with all the speed they could muster.

Attracted by the commotion, insects poured out of the safety door like a dark serpent coiling upward—a spectacular, terrifying sight.