Weak and Bedraggled

Climbing out of the nutrient pod, she felt refreshed and full of energy.

After rinsing off the nutrient fluid in the washroom, she changed into the clothes the nurse had prepared for her in advance, then headed to the 48th floor first.

She needed to go home and pick up her work communicator.

Fortunately, the suspended rail had already resumed operation. She quickly returned home, grabbed the communicator, and boarded the tram heading to the Administrative Building.

On the tram, Tu Ran saw a message from Li Wenchuan.

It told her to go to the Administrative Building to pick up her weapons after waking up, then come to the Medical Department, as it was severely understaffed.

Exiting his chat, Tu Ran saw a message from Ding Naiqing.

It had been sent at one o'clock that morning.

He was complaining. "Sister Ran, I'm so jealous of you. I'm exhausted. Why are there so many injured people? Why do they keep mutating? I'm about to die of overwork!"

At two in the morning, he sent another.

"Sister Ran, are you still asleep? Ah, I envy you so much. Just now, another person mutated and bit a doctor. My god, that doctor's area is under my jurisdiction. If something happens to him, I'm responsible. Captain Li Wenchuan is going to chew me out."

At four in the morning.

"Hurry up and come, Sister Ran. I need you."

Tu Ran's brows knitted tightly.

Had things escalated this badly?

Were survivors who hadn't mutated at the time still able to mutate later?

From Ding Naiqing's messages, Tu Ran deduced that the Federal Government had arranged for all wounded survivors to be sent to the Medical Department, with Pioneers and Executive Department guards jointly supervising.

"I'll be there soon," Tu Ran replied.

Ding Naiqing didn't respond, and Tu Ran guessed he was busy.

Exiting the chat, she opened up the Federation's news for today.

The headlines across all sections were about the appearance of the infectious aberrant species.

[Shocking! Another new aberrant species has appeared! Highly infectious, transmissible through blood!]

[Humans eating humans! After being infected by the infectious aberrant, you'll devour your own kind!]

Below was a photo of train Q4245.

The photo was a surveillance screenshot.

It captured her surrounded by a swarm of aberrants, hacking wildly with her curved blade.

Tu Ran stared at the weak and bedraggled figure in the photo and clicked her tongue.

Why not use the shot of her leaping up heroically and splitting an aberrant's head open with one slash?

People in the carriage were also discussing the incident.

Only then did Tu Ran notice that the carriage, usually packed at this hour, now held only a scattered handful of passengers.

Everyone probably knew about what had happened on the suspended rail the day before and couldn't bring themselves to ride it right away.

Arriving at the Administrative Building, Tu Ran headed straight to the Pioneer Team's armory.

She suited up in her combat gear, put on her helmet, grabbed her favorite QF77A2 second-generation submachine gun, and prepared enough ammunition.

Before leaving, her gaze fell on a pile of dust-covered cold weapons.

She picked out a blade of moderate length from among them, weighed it in her hand—the balance was just right—and hung it at her waist before leaving the armory.

Taking the tram, she arrived at the Medical Department.

'I'm here.'

Tu Ran messaged Li Wenchuan.

'What's the arrangement?'

Li Wenchuan replied quickly: Go to the fourth floor of Building B in the Inpatient Department and hand over with Ding Naiqing.

'Understood.'

After replying, Tu Ran headed toward the Inpatient Department.

The Inpatient Department consisted of four buildings, and soldiers were now stationed around the outermost perimeter.

During this special period, everyone coming and going had to be screened.

A soldier stopped her. "Show your pass."