Chapter 54: Stand-In Starfish, Terrifying Transmission!

The defense communicator was a special communication tool developed by Happiness City.Shaped like an old-school mobile phone, it was sturdy, exceptionally durable, and combined some functions of modern smartphones. In critical moments, it could serve as protective gear, capable of withstanding three impacts of about 400 joules.

Best of all, the defense communicator was free!

Any resident of Happiness City for over 60 days could register to receive one.

Of course, this generosity came with a catch, once outside Happiness City’s range, the device turned into a brick, unable to make calls or access internal functions.

Even for calls between the buffer zone, inner city, and industrial district, special permissions were required, which were rarely granted and mostly reserved for public account communications.

Even Liu Bi, a fourth-stage inspector, had to apply for permission through the checkpoint for special circumstances.

“The thing that infected He Fei was a special parent source. When he died, it had already spread and parasitized the surrounding guards.”

“What?”

Cheng Ye’s heart sank, his hand instinctively reaching for the pistol by his bedside.

But seeing his newly reinforced security door, his tension eased slightly.

“Big B, aren’t you in the industrial district? How do you know…”

“That’s exactly why it’s a big problem.”

Liu Bi’s voice rasped like sandpaper. “The unknown infection source that infected He Fei has been named by the institute, codenamed ‘Stand-In Starfish.’ It’s an animal-based hydrophilic infection source with extremely eerie and terrifying abilities. Tests confirm it spreads through both bodily fluids and contact!”

“Contact?”

Cheng Ye’s heart jolted.

In the inspector’s handbook, contact-based infection sources were among the most terrifying.

If not detected and handled immediately, the virus would spread like wildfire.

Countless sanctuary cities had collapsed overnight due to such infections!

“Exactly,” Liu Bi said rapidly. “The same infection source appeared in the industrial district this afternoon. After investigation, it was found that the infected entity there had only brief contact with the one in the buffer zone. The Cross Legion immediately locked down the workers who had contact with it.”

“After inducement tests, only three out of nineteen were infected, but those three had contacted other workers, leading to new infections…”

“The industrial district is now under martial law, undergoing a full-scale sweep. But since it’s spread here, you can imagine the situation in the buffer zone…”

Of course he could.

With exponential transmission, it wouldn’t be surprising if the entire city was already overrun with infected entities.

Cheng Ye took a deep breath, his gaze falling on his injured leg and the unopened box of nutrient paste by the bed.

“Can we still hold it?”

“We can!”

Surprisingly, Liu Bi’s answer was resolute. “The stronger the transmission, the stricter the outbreak conditions, and we can try to eliminate it before it triggers. Tests show that when humidity around the infected exceeds 98%, the Stand-In Starfish activates. If that state persists for over 30 minutes, it enters the second-stage outbreak. Below that threshold, it remains dormant and spreads.”

“Theoretically, if the host lives in a dry area, the infection might never trigger in its entire lifecycle.”

“And around Chuan City, there’s no rain forecast for the next three days. That’s the key to life and death!”

“The Infection Source Research Institute is working around the clock to develop a method to eliminate or kill the Stand-In Starfish. Based on past efficiency, results should come by tomorrow night or the morning after, when city-wide containment will begin.”

At this, Liu Bi’s tone grew grave. “But you must remember, many sanctuary cities prepared for over 30 days with extreme measures, yet none ever fully eradicated an infection source.”

“Don’t rely on luck. An outbreak is inevitable, and it’ll happen at the next rainfall!”

Rainfall?

Cheng Ye quickly switched to the weather module on his defense communicator, unsurprisingly finding it disabled.

“Can’t predict the next rainfall?”

“No. We don’t have weather satellites. Cloud data comes from Beacon Sanctuary City. This year’s atmospheric chaos makes it impossible to predict beyond three days. Rain could come anytime after that.”

Anytime?

Cheng Ye had two options, pack up and flee to the wilderness immediately or stay and fight with Happiness City to the end.

But without prior preparation, where could he flee? He might run straight into an infected nest!

Damn it, after this, he’d have to set up a safehouse outside the city.

“If it breaks out, how do we respond?”

Cheng Ye asked without hesitation.

A sigh, heavy with weariness and emotion, came through the receiver.

“Big B?”

“The industrial district and buffer zone can’t communicate, especially in times like this. But do you know why I could call you?”

“Hm?”

“Ding Yishan called me. He wants me to come back and protect you!”

?

Both ends of the call fell into an eerie silence.

Ding Yishan?

In an instant, Cheng Ye considered three or four possibilities, but this name wasn’t one of them.

“Why?”

“You’re asking me?”

Liu Bi’s tone carried an obvious sense of inevitability.

Asking Big B, who was far away at the hydroelectric station, about this did seem a bit unreasonable.

“Can you come back?”

“Well… hold on, let me check.”

On the other end, inside the communication room at the top of the hydroelectric station, Liu Bi glanced at the eight soldiers guarding the door, then leaned out to look below.

In Industrial District B, over a hundred heavy armored infantry vehicles patrolled, their glaring headlights crisscrossing into an impenetrable web of light.

In the distance, more than twenty bright yellow tanks guarded key intersections, their barrels uniformly aimed at entry and exit points, preventing any infected entities from sabotaging the station.

Above, swarms of drones buzzed like locusts, red lights flashing beneath them, equipped with potent tranquilizer guns capable of knocking out an adult black bear in five seconds.

Farther off, about a dozen helicopters shuttled back and forth, their searchlight beams like silver chains from the sky, casting swaying light trails on the ground.

“Cheng Ye?”

“Go ahead, Big B.”

“I might… not be able to get out.”

Liu Bi lowered his voice. “The defenses here at the hydroelectric station are a bit… tight. How about I ask if they can bring you to me?”

Damn!

Big B was a genius!

Why hadn’t he thought of that?

But before Cheng Ye could ask about the feasibility, a stranger’s voice came through the receiver. “Inspector Liu, we’d love to pretend we didn’t hear anything, but your voice is just a tad loud. We… uh, aren’t deaf.”

The man emphasized “a tad.”

“Sorry, but per inner city orders, the hydroelectric station is on S-level alert. Whether it’s you or the person you’re talking to, anyone appearing in the restricted zone will be shot on sight.”

“Not even with checkpoint credentials?” Liu Bi asked, unwilling to give up.

“Even if Station Chief Ding came, you see those twenty-eight Rhino tanks at the passage? I hear one shot isn’t too painful!”

“Oh, and the eighteen Phantom helicopters patrolling? They’re equipped with A-3 30mm chain guns. Those are transcendence machines too.”

The call fell into another eerie silence.

After a moment, Cheng Ye swallowed hard. “Big B? What’s this about twenty-eight Rhino tanks and eighteen Phantom helicopters?”

“Is that the ‘just a bit’ I’m thinking of?”

“Uh…”

Liu Bi hesitated, then changed the subject as if he’d forgotten everything. “Don’t worry about that. The hydroelectric station is Happiness City’s most critical asset. The real question is, what are you going to do?”

“What about Sister Luo?”

“The house is safe, and it’s in the suburbs with few people. As long as she stays put, the Starfish infected…”

Liu Bi suddenly remembered. “Right, I forgot to tell you the characteristics of the Stand-In Starfish!”

“The next part is critical. I’ve written down the key points from the industrial district on paper. I’ll read them to you. Hit the record button.”

“Okay!”

Cheng Ye perked up, quickly pressing the function key on the side of his communicator.

“The Stand-In Starfish infection has three stages: parasitism, outbreak, and fusion.”

“I mentioned the parasitic stage, no obvious symptoms, only detectable with increased humidity, forming a faint starfish mark on the forehead.”

“During the outbreak stage, the mark rapidly worsens into a tumor, sealing human consciousness within it while the infection source controls the body. Symptoms include extreme hunger for food, significantly increased aggression, and bloodlust.”

Hunger for food?

Starfish are carnivorous. If an outbreak hit, what would count as food?

Cheng Ye couldn’t help glancing toward the Big Meat cafeteria. Unfortunately, their twin-tailed breeding scale likely couldn’t feed tens of thousands of Starfish-infected entities.

“Due to transmission via bodily fluids and contact, combined with hunger and heightened aggression, its outbreak behavior resembles S-1 series zombies.”

“In the fusion stage, the Stand-In Starfish grants the host extreme defensive and digestive recovery abilities. Tests show it can fully resist kinetic impacts below 300 joules. For recovery, if the host has fewer than seven fatal wounds, consuming about 50 kg of food can fully heal. Over seven fatal wounds, instant death.”

300 joules?

Standard police pistols with 9mm rounds had kinetic energy between 300 and 400 joules.

The Bison combat pistol’s energy was around 570 joules.

This contact-based infection wasn’t that strong. Barrett, in just the outbreak stage, withstood an entire magazine without issue, yet the Stand-In Starfish’s fusion stage was weaker than the Corrupt Vine’s outbreak phase.

Cheng Ye sighed in slight relief, then marveled at Happiness City’s robust system.

In smaller settlements or sanctuary cities, facing an unknown infection source, who could gather so much critical data in less than a day?

“You borrowed 100 contribution points before. Haven’t used them yet, right?”

“Hm?”

Cheng Ye paused, then whispered, “Not yet. Been busy reinforcing my door and getting a new security door.”

“Good, I was about to remind you to change your door!”

Liu Bi’s tone was urgent. “To avoid panic, the next three days will have an information lockdown. The checkpoint won’t provide defensive gear; you’ll need to buy supplies yourself. You can submit for reimbursement later, up to 150 contribution points for anything below stage three. Don’t skimp on spending.”

“It’s late now, but first thing tomorrow, go to the Great Wall Rapids Equipment Store and order gear. Use the code: ‘East Mountain Rises Again.’ That’s the urgent code for Easterner inspectors. Get these:

“First, a fitted protective suit to block Stand-In Starfish contact transmission.”

“Second, a specialized backpack isolation box to contain infection sources and prevent secondary infections.”

“Third, a long gun—rifle or shotgun, your choice!”

“And…” Liu Bi paused, lowering his voice so much that even with the speaker on, Cheng Ye had to press it to his ear to hear.

“Your dad left a military armored vehicle, gas-powered, hidden in the abandoned underground garage of the Chemical Plant Workers’ Compound. It’s equipped with two heavy machine guns with automatic fire control and enough supplies to last half a year. Only use it if the buffer zone is completely lost, or it’ll be seen as desertion, barring you from Happiness City forever!”

“Once out of the city, Sister Luo knows safe locations. She’ll take you to my hideout in the ruins. Stay there… until this disaster ends!”