Forty-nine rules of the end times

Chapter 312 News and Birthdays

"Hello everyone, this is North Star News Flash."

The investigation team traveled to the Panjang Police Station's vehicle, where a presenter was giving an urgent report on the in-vehicle television screen with a serious expression.

"The fourteenth doomsday rule, [Extraterrestrial Parasites], ended at 9:00 AM today. According to the latest information obtained from the Countermeasures Research Office, although the rule has ended, the threat it posed to humanity continues."

"Deep parasites, after the rules ended, became parasites of alien spores. These parasites still retain their human appearance and even memories, but the host's personal consciousness has been hijacked and replaced by the spores."

"Currently, relevant government departments are urgently studying how to identify parasites in the population. Until results are achieved, please remember: if you find anyone spreading spores in any form, please contact the authorities immediately."

The people in the car reacted differently when they heard the emergency news broadcast.

Chen Na's face was full of worry: "How come there are still spores after the rules have ended..."

“After the rules end, the remaining spores should only exist inside the parasites,” Guan Tong speculated. “These parasites probably… have the ability to spread and create more parasites.”

Even the usually joking Silver Fox frowned deeply: "Even if North Star locks most of the deep parasites in quarantine, it's inevitable that some will slip through. Even if there are only a few of them, they are still dangerous mixed in with the crowd."

"Yes."

“Your Beixing has managed this matter very strictly, but other countries might risk losing control,” Shangyuan Zi said.

She's right. Some other countries didn't establish quarantine zones from the beginning to the end of the rules, completely letting those deeply parasitic on the system roam free.

Some are built because they lack the capacity, and others because they feel it's unnecessary.

But whatever the reason, these countries are facing a perilous situation.

If a method for identifying parasites can be developed quickly, that would be good. But if it can't be developed in a short time, who knows how much damage these parasites hiding among humans will cause?

"I don't think we need to be too pessimistic." Guan Tong said when he saw the solemn expressions on their faces. "Think about it, during the rule period, when spores are everywhere in the world, it takes about a month for a person to go from parasitizing to becoming a parasite."

"The spores in the outside world have now disappeared, leaving only those inside the parasite. Even if they can spread, the conversion rate of new parasites will definitely be very slow, possibly taking several months or even longer... Humans should not experience a sudden collapse."

Silver Fox nodded: "That's true, humans still have time. But this is still a hidden danger that needs to be addressed."

"The following is a report on other important news today."

The news program on the screen continued, and after the host emphasized the issue of parasites several times, he switched to broadcasting other news.

"It is reported that at 10:00 AM, Gutman Konya, the regent of the Kingdom of Sisya, officially stepped down. His daughter, Yelena Konya, will succeed him in the position, and her formal inaugural address will take place at 3:00 PM..."

Guan Tong's heart stirred upon hearing this news.

From the time Yelena left the academy at the end of September to her becoming the head of state on January 1 of the following year, only a little over three months have passed.

As a teacher, he never contacted the person again after sending them away.

Her current position as the ruler of Cissia undoubtedly demonstrates her ultimate victory in the competition with her brother.

Guan Tong was happy for her, but she couldn't help but feel a little worried.

That means that once he finishes dealing with Yingqi's situation, he will eventually go to Xisya to collect the debt from her brother.

It's uncertain whether Yelena, as the governor, will allow him to do so.

However, Guan Tong didn't think too much about it. Things would work themselves out; she'd just let things take their course. The news briefly mentioned Ye Lianka's situation before moving on to the next item.

"...The manned rocket launch plan, which was postponed due to the rules of the apocalypse, has now been restarted. The 'Dream Boat One' of the Northern Star Kingdom and the 'Imperial Pioneer' of the Sisian Empire will be launched on January 12."

Upon hearing the news, Chen Na exclaimed with anticipation, "The rocket is finally going to launch! That's wonderful!"

“It’s good to launch during the rule interval. Otherwise, the new rules will be released on the 15th.” Silver Fox sighed. “Sigh, it’s supposed to be the first month of the new year, but they only give us half a month to breathe. The Fire Thief is really a bastard.”

She shook her head after saying that: "No. The current investigation is also a kind of work—if the next rule comes right after the investigation is finished, then it's practically endless!"

Guan Tong offered a friendly reminder: "It would be really frustrating if the investigation wasn't completed before the next rule was released."

"...No! We have to hurry! I don't want to drag this investigation out until the next rule!"

Several other people nodded.

Guan Tong thought so too; dealing with the rules alone was exhausting enough. Adding other troubles on top of that would be truly mentally and physically draining.

"what……"

Chen Na suddenly thought of something and looked at Guan Tong.

"Brother Guan, I remember your birthday is in January, right? I think you mentioned it when we were chatting during that big snow event."

Guan Tong paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, January 6th."

"Wow, that means it'll be your 20th birthday in just five days, Brother Guan!"

"Tsk tsk." Silver Fox clicked his tongue. "Only twenty years old? It's so good to be young. If I were a few years younger, I might be able to unleash even more potential."

Uehara Yuki and Suzuki both looked at Guan Tong with some surprise.

Guan Tong looks very young, but they all thought that Guan Tong only looks young and that, judging from her speech and actions, she was actually probably in her late twenties or approaching thirty.

Unexpectedly, he just turned twenty this month.

"Brother Guan, how are you planning to spend your birthday? I should have prepared a gift for you in advance!"

"Thank you, Xiaona, but no need. I haven't celebrated my birthday in a long time, and I doubt many people in this era care about celebrating it."

Chen Na, who usually goes along with Guan Tong, shook her head repeatedly: "That's not right. My mother celebrated my birthday the year before last and last year. She told me that the more difficult things are for a person, the more they should do things that make them happy, so that they will have the courage to overcome the difficulties."

Guan Tong was taken aback by Chen Na's words and was momentarily speechless.

Silver Fox agreed, laughing, "Haha, I think Xiao Na is right! The more difficult and desperate the situation, the more people should find ways to have fun. Otherwise, they'll all become depressed in the long run."

Although Shangyuan Zi and Suzuki didn't say anything, their expressions suggested that Chen Na's words made sense.

Guan Tong sighed: "Alright. But no need for a gift, just a blessing or a greeting card will do."

Seeing that Guan Tong agreed, Chen Na clapped her hands: "Okay, then I need to hurry, we'll be there in a few days!"

(End of this chapter)