Mental Illness Evolution Manual - Chapter 100

Xu Lin was an ordinary soldier who followed the legion to the front lines of Gaoshan City to wipe out the rebels.

Nothing special, just an ordinary person. She didn’t join the army with a lofty ambition to defend her country. She did it because once you had military registration, besides your citizen level being directly upgraded to level three, you also had some privileges and subsidies in life, and the salary was also very high.

Her family was of average means. The money she had saved in the three years she had been in the army was enough to buy an apartment. With a house and a car, and some savings left over, she felt secure about her life.

She was planning to leave the army directly at the end of this year and start a small business. She had also proposed to her girlfriend, and the wedding was set for next year.

You could say it was a simple life that was easy to see through.

If it wasn’t for the unexpected incident with Azberto.

The legion Xu Lin was in was transferred, and she could only follow. On the one hand, she prayed that she wouldn’t be so unlucky as to die on the battlefield. On the other hand, she couldn’t help but fantasize about how much reward she could get if she earned military merit.

Money was worthless now, no matter how much you had, it wasn’t enough.

A teammate in her squad teased her, saying that she had to treat them to drinks before her wedding. She laughed and cursed, “Treating you guys, a bunch of animals, to a drink would bankrupt me. Get lost, get lost, get lost.”

She was saving her money to buy jewelry for her wife.

The group of them laughed and joked for a while, then the assembly whistle blew. Everyone immediately ran out to line up.

Their battalion was assigned to the second wave of the charge. Xu Lin was fully equipped, she held her gun, she was both nervous and fantasizing.

But the change happened too quickly. The mutated potion was dropped from the sky, landing about two kilometers in front of her.

In an instant, the thick green mist spread out. Xu Lin’s face turned pale, her pupils trembled. She knew what it was, no one didn’t know what it was.

The army instantly lost control. Everyone panicked and fled backwards, but the potion spread too quickly.

Xu Lin ran desperately, but it caught up to her. She held her breath, her legs ran forward frantically, her face turned red from holding her breath, but she couldn’t hold it any longer, she took a breath.

It’s over.

Xu Lin thought in despair, she was going to die.

She stood there. But after a while, nothing happened. Around her, countless people fell to the ground, either unconscious or dead. The visibility wasn’t good, and she couldn’t tell whether these people were still alive.

Some were rolling around on the ground, as if they were being burned, struck by lightning, their expressions twisted in pain, they let out inhuman howls.

Only a few people, like her, were standing there in confusion, they were lucky ones who weren’t affected.

But from Azberto’s perspective, he would think that these “lucky ones” were the most useless and pathetic people. They couldn’t accept the transformation, they had lost the key to evolution, they would forever be ordinary people, living ordinary lives.

Isn’t it good to be an ordinary person?

Xu Lin didn’t know what had happened. The Federation hadn’t announced the effects of the mutated potion to the public. They only said it was a biological toxin used by terrorists to attack.

All the survivors who had been rescued before were being controlled. Among them, there were people who had awakened abilities. If they were allowed to return to society like this, it would be a huge shock to the order.

Once people knew that abilities could be artificially created, social stability would be instantly destroyed. Those in power, those who were desperate, would definitely want to have abilities. And they wouldn’t be subject to legal supervision. The entire Federation would probably crumble.

As it was already under a lot of pressure.

So Xu Lin didn’t know that this wasn’t a toxin. In essence, you could even say it was a good thing.

But she knew that she hadn’t been poisoned, or rather, the poison was latent. No matter what the reason was, she was fine now.

Xu Lin quickly started running again. It was too dangerous. Her heart was pounding like a drum. She only had one thought, and that was to escape, to get out of here.

She was a trained soldier, she could run a marathon. Xu Lin threw away her heavy rifle, leaving only two pistols, to reduce her load.

But no matter how far she ran, the mist always surrounded her. But the good news was that she had reached the rear of the legion, there weren’t many people here.

Xu Lin planned to hide in the underground training ground. There were many single rooms there, each room had a thick iron door outside, suitable for hiding.

Everything was going according to plan. The training ground door was right in front of her. Suddenly, she heard a rumbling sound in the air, like something was flying in the sky, making a sonic boom.

She was a soldier, she knew what that was.

Xu Lin’s face changed drastically, she ran forward desperately, but how could human legs compare to the speed of a missile?

It landed behind her, not close to her, but not far from the explosion.

Death came quickly. There was no lingering consciousness before death, no flash of memories, no recollections. Her brain was blank, she didn’t have time to think about anything. Her body was like a mistake on a canvas, being erased bit by bit.

She died.

She wasn’t the only one.

Public opinion exploded again, even more violently than before.

It was too exaggerated, too arrogant. Countless people were angry, panicked, and distrustful of the Federation. The hearts of the people were shaken.

Was Azberto really that powerful? He was just a general. The Federation wasn’t without other generals. Why was he so arrogant? From the moment he declared rebellion, he had been causing all sorts of major events, major news. The Federation didn’t even have the power to resist.

Some people with ulterior motives had been stirring up trouble since the rebels first emerged, spreading rumors that were unfavorable to the government and the president.

The explosion of several missiles was too loud to cover up. With the help of those with ulterior motives, the incident quickly caused a stir.

“How long has the president been in office? She has indeed done a lot of things, she has many achievements. But to be honest, she’s quite old, right? When people get old, their judgment declines. Look at this rebel incident. I don’t feel like the Federation is doing anything!”

“The president is cautious. The commander she sent is also cautious. I say, a villain like Azberto should be bombed with a nuclear bomb, killing everyone! We don’t bomb them, and now they’re bombing us. Look at how many people have died. They shouldn’t have died!”

“My son went to war with the legion. He was only twenty years old! He died for no reason. Did he die on the battlefield? Did he die fighting the enemy? No! He died because of the commander’s stupidity!”

“I don’t know what to say. I’ve completely lost faith in the current Federation.”

“The rebels can’t be dealt with. They’re sending people to kill in major cities. I don’t feel like the army is protecting us. It’s strange. Don’t we pay so much tax every year? Don’t we deserve to be protected from harm?”

“The rebels are running around killing people in major cities. It’s as easy as grabbing sheep from a sheepfold. Is this the Federation’s city, or the rebels’?”

“We’re in danger every moment. When will this end? I’ve had enough.”

“We haven’t even won a single victory in the confrontation with the rebels!”

“What about the people who were infected with the biological toxin? There’s no explanation. They just say they’re developing an antidote. What’s going on? I don’t even know if my friend is alive or dead!”

“What is the Federation doing!”

The public’s emotions were already on the verge of rage and collapse. Everyone was afraid, they were on edge, they were venting their resentment and anger at every opportunity. Those with ulterior motives simply took advantage of the situation and directed their anger towards the president, causing her to lose the support of the people.

The president had been in office for too long. Although her hair was white, medical technology was so good now, her body was still strong. In the next election, barring any surprises, she would be re-elected.

How could this be?

As long as she was in office, the people above her were her confidants. It would be difficult for others to get ahead.

People live to pursue power and wealth, to climb up. Besides, you’re only one step away now. The carrot dangling on the fishing line is right in front of you, it’s never been this close. You can bite it with just a slight lift of your head. Anyone who doesn’t seize the opportunity is a fool.

The entire Federation is restless, the people are full of resentment, it’s a headache.

When the Minister of Finance went to see the president, he didn’t see much worry on her face. She was always tight-lipped and confident.

The staff in the office were dismissed. The Minister of Finance said softly, “Azberto is dead, but Gaoshan City and the legion were bombed. We need to send people to rescue them quickly. There are a lot of casualties.”

“Go and arrange it,” the president said, “You also handle the follow-up control of the Polov family. Ze Rui will be with you.”

“Release this news to stabilize the public.”

“Understood.” After saying this, the Minister of Finance nodded slightly and walked out of the office.

It’s not that the Federation doesn’t want to release good news, it’s just that there’s really no effective progress in the mutated potion.

This process is irreversible.

People who acquire abilities will become very aggressive in the short term, they will be irritable and prone to anger, and they will have memory loss. These people absolutely cannot be released back into society like this. They must be stabilized, restrained, and then the Federation will absorb them into various departments.

And more people are still suffering mentally. Those who survive will become ability users. Those who don’t survive will mostly die directly, they can’t be saved.

All the doctors are helpless.

The potion has been collected and compressed, but it’s impossible to study its composition and find an antidote in a short period of time.

The church has been researching abilities since its inception. It took them so many years to achieve this result. If the Federation could easily analyze it, wouldn’t they be a joke?

But if they release this conclusion, it would make the Federation look too incompetent. So they have to drag it out, drag it out for a while, and release the bad news after the good news.

City reconstruction is actually the easiest thing to do out of all the things they need to do.

As for the rebels who are running around, the president is deliberately letting them do this.

But she’s not just trying to kill two birds with one stone, using his hand to clean up those desperadoes, as Azberto thought. She wants to take this opportunity to strengthen the supervision of major cities and revise the law.

The current laws are too lenient on criminals, thanks to the deliberate efforts of the tycoons.

Major cities are highly autonomous, which is also very unfavorable to policy implementation.

Public opinion is a good thing. The people are stupid, they follow the crowd, they have a narrow vision, they are short-sighted, and they are easily led.

The president knows that some people are fishing in troubled waters. She not only doesn’t suppress them, she even encourages them.

Everything has its opposite.

The president is a very good president. She took over at the age of forty, and she has been re-elected ever since. Until this year, she is seventy-nine years old. Ten years per term, the next election is coming up soon.

Some demons and ghosts are busy jumping out, trying to bring her down.

But she is too strong. When the position of President of the Federation was first established, it didn’t even have real power. It was just an empty shell. The real power was in the hands of the mayors, councilors, and heads of the tycoons in major cities.

They decided on every policy, the president only needed to sign it.

Until she took over and began to reclaim power. This process was very difficult, many people died. There were more than three top tycoons before, but now there are only the Yan family, the Dongye family, and the Polov family.

The three of them control important lifelines, they can’t be easily touched.

The tycoons’ children are far worse off than before. Their desire to act above the law, to kill, to engage in petty crimes, forces them into secrecy. Openly acting on their impulses is impossible; their behavior is now far more constrained.

Admittedly, ordinary people are not considered people in their eyes. The big families with connections don’t consider the small families to be anything. They are high and mighty, arrogant and domineering.

But this is already a changed state.

Before, there was no such thing as concealment. People with a little power could kill at will, they could rape others in public, and the security guards would even help them keep watch.

The Federation’s institutions at that time were truly the running dogs of the tycoons.

Society at that time couldn’t be called a civilized society. It was just a jungle with a different shell.

Until this president took office, things slowly began to change. The tycoons began to restrain themselves, because they gradually realized that this president was different from the previous ones. She had truly consolidated her power, she had gained the loyalty of several councilors, and this number was still increasing.

She is an ambitious person.

The online abuse had been going on for too long, but the winds direction slowly changed.

“I think some people are being too ridiculous. They’re saying that the person above is useless. Don’t forget that when the Licheng earthquake happened, who went to help with the disaster relief and rebuilt all the houses for free? Wait for those rich people, they’ll never be able to do that in their lifetime.”

“Yes, and there are also policies to help the people, scholarship policies. If it wasn’t for these, I don’t know how many of you would even have the opportunity to go online or learn to read.”

“You eat from the bowl and then scold the cook, right?”

“Life is so much better now than before. At least if you work hard, you can still find a job. Who else would you change to? That BLS? I think he’s only good at telling jokes.”

The explosion incident fermented, the two groups of people argued even more fiercely. Suddenly, a new post appeared on the homepage—Rebel leader Azberto has been confirmed dead, the rebels are no longer a threat.

Everyone was stunned.

They were just spitting venom, spraying each other, saying that the Federation army was useless. How come Azberto suddenly died, and the war is over?

What are we still arguing about? Go home and get some sleep.

Soon after, the president’s personal account released a video. This face, which often appeared in political news, the elderly woman with white hair, had a clear look of grief on her face.

“This war has brought us too much pain. Countless families have been torn apart, separated from their wives and children, their homes have been destroyed. Although the culprit who caused all this has been killed, the losses cannot be reversed, and the dead cannot come back.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see his evil intentions. Every person who sacrificed themselves was a unique existence in the Federation. The families of those who died in the war will receive some compensation. I know this cannot make up for the loss of your loved ones, but it’s the only thing I can do.”

“Regarding the remaining rebels who are running around, I really want to catch them and kill them quickly. They are lurking in major cities, they are like ghosts, they are arbitrarily harming Federation civilians. I am also very heartbroken about this.”

“When I discovered them, I immediately issued an order for every city to mobilize 50,000 troops to protect them. But each city has its own laws. In order to respect local customs, the army has lost some mobility. They often arrive after the fact. I feel very guilty about this. It was my negligence, I didn’t communicate and coordinate with the mayors in advance, which led to this big mistake.”

“Regarding the people who were infected with the biological toxin, everyone is concerned. Unfortunately, the toxin is very strong. Only less than one-twentieth of the people who were rescued survived.”

“And they also need follow-up treatment to recover. The research institute cannot guarantee that they will all be able to return to normal life. A considerable proportion of them may have to spend the rest of their lives in bed.”

“Azberto’s actions were completely anti-human. Everything he did was unforgivable. But don’t let hatred blind you. How to move on and live again is what we should be thinking about. The destroyed cities are being rebuilt, the suffering is passing. Humans are a race that can never be defeated. All the hardships we have experienced will only make us better.”

“I hope everyone can work together, unite as one, and overcome this difficulty.”

This video wasn’t long. It didn’t have any serious political rhetoric. It was more like a heart-to-heart talk, a personal statement from the president, expressing her own views.

But between the lines, she secretly threw the blame on the mayors of major cities, she gave them a lot of eye drops. She put the blame for not suppressing the rebels in time on them.

The most important thing was that everything she said was true.

Didn’t the Federation send troops? They did. Didn’t they go to protect the civilians? They did. Many people were rescued, they posted their stories online. This is a matter of public record.

Then how come the rebels are still alive?

It’s because the mayors suppressed them.

The troops that were transferred were all the president’s loyal troops. Now they were openly and legitimately stationed in their territory, and they were staying there. How would these councilors feel?

Someone else’s hand was reaching into their own backyard. They had to control it quickly.

They didn’t allow the army to connect to the internal network, they didn’t allow the local investigation department to work with them, they didn’t give them the right of passage. They kept them in one place. When the rebels really came, they saw that the situation was not good, they didn’t want to use their own guards, so they let the Federation’s people fight them.

The people might not be very intelligent, but they weren’t toddlers either.

One coincidence, two coincidences, three, four… what else could you say?

Public opinion is a double-edged sword. Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. If you don’t use it well, it can become a blade that stabs you.

Yan Xianchuan didn’t know about these things that were happening online.

She was lying in the underground branch of the Resistance, surrounded by medical staff who were studying her injuries.

The rescue operation was very smooth. Faced with the state machine, those who had been infected with the mutated potion couldn’t resist at all.

Mercury led the team directly to their location and dug them out.

The group was first carried onto a car, then directly onto an airship. Their comrades’ bodies were also taken away.

There were too many rescuers, they were too mixed up. The exact number could only be recorded by each team. The five of them weren’t recorded. There were many vehicles coming and going, no one noticed them.

The other people’s injuries were easy to treat. External injuries were bandaged, internal injuries were sent to the medical bay.

The doctors surrounded Yan Xianchuan, not because her injuries were serious, but because they were too minor!

After a day, the affected area had self-repaired, the nerves and bones had grown back by half. It seemed like the most troublesome part was about to heal completely. Even if they didn’t operate, if they gave Yan Xianchuan some time, she would be able to heal herself.

This recovery ability was clearly abnormal.

Several doctors formulated a surgical plan to accelerate this process, connecting the broken nerves and suturing the wound. As for the missing piece of flesh on her leg, they would use tissue and muscle that had been cultivated long ago to fill it in, then sew on artificial skin. She would lie in the medical bay for a night, and she would be as good as new, as if she had never been injured.

She was given a general anesthetic, she was unconscious. Although she also received a blood transfusion, after the anesthetic wore off, she went straight back to sleep until the next day.

When she woke up, she was alone in the room.

Yan Xianchuan climbed out of the medical bay. She was her usual bouncy self again.

Ordinary people couldn’t recover like this, waking up fully healed. It was thanks to her own physical abilities that she could do this so easily.

The repair fluid in the medical bay was a pale white, viscous liquid. It wouldn’t stick to her body, but she still went to take a shower and changed into the clothes provided by the rest room.

It was still the same linen shirt and long pants set.

When she looked in the mirror, she realized that her hair had grown a little longer. It was now below her collarbone. Yan Xianchuan pinched the ends of her hair, thinking, I should get it cut.

She liked short hair, it was less trouble.

It was already winter, her hair seemed to have grown very quickly without her noticing. In reality, time had quietly passed.

After drying the water off her face, she pushed open the bathroom door and went out. She saw Lu Mingqiu sitting on a chair. She looked up when she heard the sound, a smile appeared on her face.

“Good morning!” Yan Xianchuan said loudly.

“It’s afternoon now,” Lu Mingqiu chuckled, her gaze fell on her dripping hair, “Why don’t you dry your hair? Go get a towel.”

“Although it’s afternoon, it’s our first time seeing each other today. There’s nothing wrong with saying good morning,” Yan Xianchuan said confidently, going back to the bathroom to get a dry towel.

Lu Mingqiu took it, then pulled her hand and made her sit on the chair. She wiped her hair and said helplessly, “You’re right, good morning.”

“I’m really glad you’re okay.”

As she spoke, she leaned over and kissed Yan Xianchuan behind her ear.

Yan Xianchuan immediately fell silent, her earlobes slowly turned red.