Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Action

Once the nest hatched, Feng Ling didn’t feel triumphant so much as relieved.

It was like someone had yanked a crushing weight off her shoulders. The pressure vanished, and her whole body went light—too light, almost dizzying. Strength poured through her limbs. The hole in her chest tightened and knitted shut at a visible pace. Every last shred of fatigue and irritation got scrubbed clean, leaving only a sharp clarity that made her want to laugh.

Only then did she look down at the two little things on the grass.

Mm… too small.

They were only a little bigger than the kittens that had died.

It made her wonder if it was because there hadn’t been enough “fresh flesh.” If she could get a bear that had only just died, or something even larger—a rhino, a hippo, an elephant—would the life she birthed come out bigger?

She’d have to wait for the next nest-building to test it.

Huang Fu Miao Miao stood there the whole time, stunned into silence. She’d never imagined Feng Ling could create monsters.

Feng Ling scooped up the spider and the bird and put them on the back seat, ready to leave. The moment they spotted the two kittens barely hanging on, they lit up with excitement. The black Cat Spider was the worst—it flared its sharp mandibles and lunged as if it couldn’t wait to feed.

Huang Fu Miao Miao blurted, “They don’t recognize their own compatriot?”

“They wouldn’t,” Feng Ling said, catching Cat Spider and the bird without effort. Her voice stayed flat. “This isn’t rebirth or revival. I used the kittens’ flesh to make a different species.”

That was Mother Nest’s real trump card. You could bring new life—and you could bring extinction. Life itself answered to you.

Cat Spider and the bird settled down, each clinging to one of Feng Ling’s shoulders. From the moment they were born, their minds were linked to Mother Nest’s will. They could read Feng Ling’s likes and dislikes and follow simple instructions. When she didn’t allow them to treat the kittens as food, they stopped trying to hunt on their own.

The engine turned over again. Feng Ling drove one-handed and flicked on the switch at her collar.

“Where are you? I need a doctor.”

Su Yu Qing’s voice came through the earpiece, calm and clipped. “Intersection one hundred fifty meters from Meng Jia Hotel, near Hua Mao Tower.”

Feng Ling stepped on the gas and headed for Hua Mao Tower.

She was honestly a little embarrassed. Time was tight, though. Before the operation, she could only hand the kittens off to someone relatively reliable.

The Inspection Bureau’s medical staff were the best option.

With a straight face, she placed the two kittens—still too weak to open their eyes—into the doctor’s hands. She cleared her throat. “I know I should find a veterinarian, but I’m worried they won’t last until I finish what I’m about to do.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” the doctor said, even more casual than Feng Ling. She took the kittens and wrapped them in a blanket with practiced speed. “We studied veterinary medicine too.”

Feng Ling paused. “…Huh?”

Another doctor laughed and explained, “Sometimes inspectors get injured and can’t shift back to human form. They end up stuck half-human, half-beast. We have to know how to treat that, so we keep veterinary knowledge on hand.”

The two doctors started complaining to each other like they’d been waiting all day for an excuse.

“Half-human, half-beast is nothing. The real headache is insectification. Those shells are hard as steel—needles won’t even go in.”

“Tell me about it.”

Feng Ling hadn’t expected that. Not even a little.

Not far away, Su Yu Qing called her name. “Feng Ling.”

She looked over and walked up. “Everything set?”

Zhou Zhou’s eyes widened the second he saw what was on her shoulders. “What the hell are those?!” He pointed at Cat Spider. “A little polluted entity?!”

Cat Spider clearly hated being pointed at. Eight fluffy cat paws grabbed Feng Ling’s ponytail, and it climbed up to sprawl on top of her head like it owned the place.

As for the other one—catbird… no. Feng Ling stared at it for a second and decided, just like that, she was calling it Cat Owl. The way it tucked its neck and perched on her shoulder made it look exactly like a white owl wearing a cat’s face.

Feng Ling lifted her empty wrist and grinned. “I hatched the last nest. If my chest gets pierced again later, I’ll be fine. Half an hour, tops.”

Zhou Zhou gaped. “So you went out and had a child somewhere?”

“Enough,” Su Yu Qing cut in, not even letting the joke land. “We’ll talk later. First, the plan.”

He unfolded a floor plan of the hotel and tapped it as he spoke. “This is a budget hotel. Six floors, small footprint. I had a network technician crack the hotel’s internal system and pull the bookings. Right now, there are only seventeen occupied rooms below the fourth floor. If we get those guests out first, we can dramatically cut civilian casualties during the operation.”

Zhou Zhou traced the lines on the plan with his finger. “Only one fire stairwell. That helps. Cut the power, stop the elevator, and the aberrant can’t fly away even if it grows wings.”

“As requested, this entire block will lose power in eight minutes,” Su Yu Qing said. He handed Feng Ling and Zhou Zhou each a black waist pack. “Grenades and flashbangs. Grenades are emergency use only—watch your throws and don’t hit a teammate. Flashbangs are to support the perimeter snipers and gunners. If any window shows a light source, we’ll immediately launch a small rocket at that room. When that happens, get clear.”

Zhou Zhou whistled. “Cool.”

“Captain Su!” A team member jogged up fast. “We spotted a suspicious individual climbing out of a window and leaving the hotel. Do we intercept?”

Su Yu Qing frowned and checked the feed on his tablet. The video showed a man stumbling forward in a long trench coat. In the grainy angle, it looked like he didn’t have arms.

“Don’t intercept,” Su Yu Qing decided immediately. “We don’t spook them. Tell everyone to stay sharp. Eight minutes—then we move.”

“Yes, sir!”

Su Yu Qing turned to Huang Fu Miao Miao, who had been huddled behind Feng Ling like she could disappear if she stayed small enough. He handed her a headset.

Neither Feng Ling nor Huang Fu Miao Miao were officially on the roster, but Su Yu Qing assigned tasks like it didn’t matter.

“Your job is to confirm how many aberrants are on floors four, five, and six,” he said. “We may need to adjust on the fly.”

Then, like he was tossing a bone to a stray, he added, “If you complete it, I can guarantee you’ll be able to live normally in my jurisdiction. Your identity won’t be a problem.”

Huang Fu Miao Miao glanced at Feng Ling and swallowed. She didn’t say what she was thinking: I don’t have a choice.

Su Yu Qing looked back to Feng Ling and Zhou Zhou. “Once Huang Fu Miao Miao is inside, you two enter through the window of the second room on the west side of the first floor. We checked. The backup generator is stored there.”

“Got it!” Zhou Zhou grinned. Veins jumped along both arms as they swelled and reshaped into exaggerated beast claws.

Feng Ling stared toward Meng Jia Hotel, her palms itching. “Let’s go.”

Su Yu Qing watched them both, voice low and heavy. “Be careful.”