In just one day, the algae had completely filled the Cube Space, while the red nematodes had only doubled in number.
"I've gotta speed up the experiment," Jing Shu muttered. "Too bad the Cube Space is only this big. I can't even divide it into more testing zones."
She looked frustrated. If the Cube Space were a bit larger, she could've split it into dozens of small compartments and run multiple experiments at once. Unfortunately, the already-crammed space had no room left. That was the biggest drawback of the Cube Space. She could combine sections to make a larger one, but the smallest division was stuck at one cubic meter.
Right now, half of those sections were filled with leftovers taking up half the space—stuff like carp tofu soup and seafood porridge. Since a cubic meter couldn't be split any smaller, she couldn't make new zones for testing. If the Cube Space didn't upgrade soon, she'd have to find some containers and pack up all this random food just to free up room.
"Forget it," she sighed. "Might as well deal with Hao Yunlai's case first."
She'd originally wanted to wait until Hao Yunlai's family agreed to the risks before trying this risky method, which was why she'd delayed for days. But then Yang Yang told her Hao Yunlai's entire family had been cursed to death, and since no one in Wu City could do anything about it, she might as well treat a dead horse like a living one.
After preparing the materials, she and Yang Yang agreed to meet the next day.
The following morning, Jing Shu was woken up by her noisy family chattering in the RV. The weather outside was still gloomy and cold. She wondered if those people camping behind the hill had frozen stiff overnight. The temperature had dropped fast, forcing even the fearless ones back indoors.
She left the bedroom and went down to the first floor, only to find everyone crowded in front of the TV, watching excitedly.
Wu City's morning news was on. The female anchor looked fresh-faced as she reported.
"According to data submitted by Livestock Breeding Center Deputy Director Jing An, Wu City has now issued licenses for fifty thousand chickens, two thousand cows, and five thousand pigs. Sixty thousand residents have received chicken-farming permits after completing training. Deputy Director Jing An stated..."
The screen cut to the farm, where Jing An appeared in his breeding suit, saying seriously,
"With just five virtual coins, you might draw a lucky number like 8888 or 9999, giving your chicken extra prestige when you take it for a walk. Please, those who haven't registered yet, bring your chickens for health checks, vaccines, and licensing, and complete your training to earn your chicken permit. Protect yourself and your beloved chickens, and help stop unlicensed breeding that spreads viruses.
This reminder is from Wu City's Livestock Breeding Center and Deputy Director Jing An: There are millions of chickens and ducks, but safety always comes first. Raise them properly, or your family will be crying in pairs."
The broadcast switched back to the anchor. "The rampant virus has infected large numbers of poultry. Illegal traders are selling infected birds on the black market. Remember, everyone, 'Unlicensed chickens aren't good chickens.' Report violations for a reward."
Jing Shu's mouth twitched. Her dad actually made it onto the news—and said that! She couldn't even finish the old saying that came to mind.
"Clap clap clap!"
Her whole family applauded like crazy, cheering him on. Jing An scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Guess it's time to license our Xiao Dou too. Not sure what category it falls under though. And those two little black chickens need one too. Oh, and the Lion Head geese—do they get licensed under Wu City or the capital? I heard it's tough to get capital permits, people are lining up for draws."
Jing Shu sat down, scarfing down Grandma Jing's breakfast like she hadn't eaten in days—crystal shrimp dumplings that were soft and fragrant, springy siu mai, crisp egg tarts, and soup dumplings as big as her bowl. She poked a straw in one, slurped the crab-roe broth, and almost burned her tongue before asking, "So once a chicken's licensed, you can't eat it anymore?"
After all, in her past life's apocalypse, she'd never raised chickens. All she knew was they were money-eating monsters that laid eggs when they felt like it.
Xiao Dou, who'd been happily pecking nearby, froze and stared at her in horror. What the hell did she just say? It had already started laying eggs to survive, yet she still wanted to kill it?
Jing An chuckled. "Of course you can't eat chickens bought from our official 4S stores. They've have go through annual inspections, fingerprint scans, even color coding's banned. If you break too many rules, the chicken gets sick or loses weight, we'll repossess it and cancel your license. But home-bred ones aren't regulated. You can eat those whenever you want."
Xiao Dou shuddered.
Jing Shu nodded as she kept chewing. "Alright, then go ahead and license Xiao Dou. As for the Lion Head geese, just register them in Wu City." Who knew if they'd ever return to the capital anyway?
She finished eating and left, ignoring Xiao Dou's pitiful stare.
Cold wind swept through the night as she stood in the wilderness, wrapped in a thick cotton coat and heavy pants.
"This is where Hao Yunlai lived?" she asked, staring at the creepy mansion surrounded by mounds of dirt. "Bah! You've gotta be kidding me. This place is built on a damn graveyard."
Yang Yang exhaled a puff of white breath and adjusted his military cap, looking sharper than usual. "This used to be the Hao family's old estate, Hao Wangjiao Village. They were a famous pharmaceutical clan in Wu City, about a hundred or two hundred people. Hao Yunlai cursed them all to death. So yeah, those are the ancestral tombs buried right here."
"Second form, activate!"
A wave of air rippled out as her Cube Space expanded around her. She heard cows mooing and bees buzzing inside, and her nerves finally settled a little.
Hao Yunlai really was terrifying.
Yang Yang kicked at the ground, his tight trousers creaking as his voice turned quiet and heavy. "You know, that family got rich making fake medicine, doing terrible things. Hao Yunlai was born cursed—he killed every relative one by one. When they realized he was a disaster star, they tried to kill him first, but none succeeded. So he lived on, carrying their hatred and the scorn of the world. No family, no sympathy."
Jing Shu went silent. She hadn't expected that lazy, easygoing man to have such a tragic past. Still, back in America, she'd only survived thanks to him.
"Even so," she said softly, "it doesn't make up for this hospital bill."
Yang Yang chuckled, breaking the heavy mood. Jing Shu carried her case inside. The gloomy old house was full of expensive redwood furniture covered in dust and deathly stillness.
Hao Yunlai lay in bed wrapped in thick quilts, still shivering and yet snoring faintly. Yang Yang shook his head. He'd been sleeping like that for over ten days.
An old, hunched, deaf-mute man was tending the stove, completely ignoring Hao Yunlai's trembling body.
"This old man's Hao San'er," Yang Yang explained. "The only one who didn't get cursed to death."
Jing Shu set down her medical kit and glanced curiously at the old man by the fire. "So he survived because his sins were the lightest?"