# Chapter 562: This Is the Good Thing I Was Talking About
There was always a smile on her face, far from the fragile appearance she showed outwardly. Xu Huo could also tell that this wasn't a choice forced upon her by circumstances, but something she had planned from the very beginning.
"First, drag the Grand Archon into the water, then drag both the Archon and the government into the conflict. Whether these two steps are completed or not isn't very important—the purpose is to divert attention. The core plan is to open the fungal nest and infect the entire city." He looked at Lang Lang, "You've been preparing for a long time, haven't you?"
Lang Lang looked up at the mycelium above, "Almost twenty years. Back then, when I was thrown into the quarantine zone with my family, I hid in underground crevices to survive. Later, I crawled along the cracks downward, eating the fungi in the caves when I was hungry, and somehow I managed to survive."
"My family, and my uncle's family—Lang Lang's father—dozens of people, slowly all died off. Only a few children hid underground, avoiding the xenomorphs and other infected pursuers." Xin Hui said, "Later, we discovered that this fungal nest was far larger than what the General Administration had surveyed, and it was still growing. That's when I knew that the ground beneath Clown City had long been infiltrated by fungi, just not yet brought to the surface."
"And Clown City also took measures, reinforcing the ground with metal plates. The reason Clown City was built into its current form is that those in the know deliberately stretched the city's height to stay away from the ground. And given the depth of the underground nest, even if the fungi corroded the hardest rock, Clown City wouldn't be buried immediately—there would be plenty of time to escape."
"With such a major change in Clown City, didn't the advanced players intervene?" Xu Huo asked.
"Clown City doesn't have many advanced players to begin with." Xin Hui said, "Even if there were, could a mere Clown City keep them? This place was already a precarious city. Anyone who knew the truth, except those who couldn't leave, had already gone."
She gave a sarcastic smile, "Clown City never had many players to begin with. Most were outsiders who had no sense of belonging to the city."
Xu Huo nodded slightly, "But I see that the General Administration has deployed quite a few people to search the city. Clown City's strength isn't as weak as you imagine. Sooner or later, all your people will be caught. The explosion's intensity isn't enough to demolish the entire city—it only affects a small area. After dealing with your people, the General Administration can seal things up again just like before, and in no time, they'll have the surface covered."
"Unfortunately, your revenge, prepared over twenty years, might end in a single day."
Xin Hui's expression darkened, and she turned to look at Lang Lang.
Lang Lang stroked the black fungi on the rock. It was clearly highly toxic—the moment her hand touched it, her skin turned pitch black. But before the toxin could spread to her wrist, it rapidly receded. When her hand returned to normal color, the scars on her waist that had been exposed also disappeared.
Xu Huo narrowed his eyes slightly. He suddenly understood why, even in this situation, Xin Lang remained so composed—it was because she herself was an infection source. The fungi she carried were probably far more than just a few types. These fungi maintained a balance within her body. But what would happen if she died?
Even if the underground nest couldn't accomplish its goal, she could still achieve her purpose through herself.
The sounds of screams and rescue efforts rose and fell above ground. A flicker of pity passed over Xin Lang's face, then she looked at Xu Huo, "I'd like to ask you for a favor."
"Destroy Clown City's underground structures?" Xu Huo said, "Last night, you sent someone to kill me, but that person came and went quickly. Today, you appeared voluntarily—your target should be the props I used."
"Correct." Xin Lang nodded, "What just happened also proves I wasn't mistaken. But I don't want you to destroy all of Clown City."
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow, "The protective wall? What benefit would I get from doing that?"
"I can't give myself to you," Xin Lang smiled slightly, "But I guess that's not why you followed me here. However, I can give you something good—something any player would dream of."
The fate of a spore—Xu Huo couldn't be sure if this spore referred to the energy candy in 179's possession, and this task had no clear direction. However, the task was triggered when catching 179, and Xin Hui understood the underground nest. They also planned to use the fungi as leverage, so the people most closely related to this task should be Xin Lang's group.
He had accepted the "olive branch" Xin Lang extended. Demanding her body was merely an excuse for both sides to temporarily compromise.
"Tempting words, but how can I believe you without seeing the real thing?" Xu Huo said, "You can hear the commotion outside. Outer zone players are involved. At the very least, I need to see some sincerity."
Xin Lang paused, then pointed at his wrist, "I can neutralize the fungi on your body right now. But I doubt you'd trust me to operate directly. How about we get out first and talk later?"
Xu Huo didn't want to stay here long either. He followed the sisters back to the surface. Nearby, a rescue vehicle drove up and stopped in front of them. A young man opened the back door, "Sister Lang Lang, get in quickly!"
Several people got into the car and drove straight away from the incident site.
Everywhere now, rescue vehicles were rushing about. One car leaving didn't draw much attention. Amid the chaos, the Clown City government was clearly understaffed and couldn't control this area. Besides, dust was spreading everywhere, and many people were fleeing outward.
Along the way, people kept pounding on the rescue vehicle, trying to get on board. But the driver only accelerated, even running over several citizens who tried to block the way and force them to stop.
"These people have enjoyed twenty years of blood and tears from the Cleanup Zone warriors. Now it's time for them to pay!" Xin Hui said with a fierce expression.
"They benefited without knowing it, and now they're paying the price without knowing it. That's perfectly reasonable." Xin Lang said calmly.
Hearing this, Xu Huo couldn't help but take another look at her.
Xin Lang's expression didn't change. She asked the young man who opened the door to extend his hand. He too had been infected by the fungi—multiple swollen patches of different colors appeared on his arms and neck, his face was flushed, and his lips were black.
"Sister Lang Lang, don't waste your strength saving me. If I die in Clown City, maybe I can take a few with me." The young man said with a smile.
But Xin Lang grabbed his hand and used her fingernail to cut her own hand. Strangely, from her blood flowed something like white silk threads—extremely thin, hard to see without close inspection. Those white threads followed her blood onto the young man's arm and seeped into the broken areas of the swelling.
Within just a few seconds, his arm began to deflate, and the strange colors rapidly faded. Three minutes later, all symptoms of fungal infection on his body had disappeared!
"This is the good thing I was talking about." Xin Lang turned back with a smile.
(Chapter End)