Chapter 1

In the scorching summer, the intense heat of the sun and the incessant chirping of cicadas always made people feel irritable. At two o'clock in the afternoon, even fewer people were willing to venture out of their houses.

Chen Yang looked up at the passing vehicles. In this old community, there were no traffic lights, so one had to be extra cautious when crossing the street. After all, the tragedy of one death and two injuries last month still served as a stark reminder to the residents.

Seeing no vehicles, Chen Yang crossed the road, head lowered, and slowly made his way toward his building. He walked through a dilapidated alley, carefully avoiding the puddles on the ground, and after walking for about several dozen meters, he finally stopped in front of a five-story building built in the 1980s.

In this alley, many such small buildings stood side by side. Clotheslines and garments were scattered haphazardly, causing one to frown. However, in this dirty and chaotic environment, many young people from all over the country lived, seeking opportunities to make a name for themselves in the international metropolis of Donghai. They "willingly" lived here because of the cheap rent.

Of course, Chen Yang was not one of them. His status was "higher," not a penniless adventurer but someone with substantial capital. He was the owner of this small building and, as such, one of the landlords despised by the young people living here.

Though Chen Yang seemed too young to be a landlord, at the age of twenty-four, he should not have had much wealth. However, Chen Yang was a "rich second generation," and this small building was inherited from his parents.

With the building, Chen Yang could live without working, relying solely on the rent. His lazy nature suited this lifestyle. After graduation, he had tried a few jobs but found none satisfactory, so he gave up working. With the rent, he did not fear going hungry, and his parents had left him a noodle shop, which provided additional income. Moreover, he optimistically believed that when the government eventually demolished the area, he would receive a substantial compensation, making his future seem incredibly bright!

However, his idyllic life was interrupted last night, and even his future was now uncertain, causing Chen Yang great pain.

Opening the door downstairs, Chen Yang rushed to his first-floor residence. As the landlord, he had the right to choose the best living conditions, but Chen Yang did not like the second floor or higher. The earthquake he experienced as a child had left a deep psychological scar, making him subconsciously avoid living on higher floors to ensure he could escape quickly in case of another earthquake.

Taking out his key, he unlocked the door and pressed the button by the entrance. The lights in the two-bedroom, one-living room apartment illuminated the room, and Chen Yang's face turned even paler. He silently picked up a glass of water, took a sip, and sighed.

"Bang!"

The glass suddenly slipped from Chen Yang's right hand, shattering on the ground with a loud noise. Chen Yang's expression changed dramatically as he watched his right hand, which began to twist uncontrollably, extending over a meter like rubber, in a bizarre and unbelievable manner.

But what followed was even more chilling. The elongated right hand bent back, and the center of the palm began to tear, with layers of flesh rolling and soon forming a "mouth."

Yes, it was shaped like a human mouth, located in the center of the palm, but this mouth was far from friendly. It was filled with sharp, gleaming teeth, resembling the mouth of a great white shark.

As soon as the transformation of his right hand was complete, Chen Yang's expression of terror appeared, and his rubber-like right hand turned into a shadow, striking his left cheek with a force that sent him to the ground, spitting out saliva and screaming in pain.

"Human..."

After slapping Chen Yang's left cheek, his right hand, unaffected by him, bent and stretched autonomously, looking down at Chen Yang on the ground, and a voice came from the "mouth."

"I won't say this again. If you dare to disobey me, I won't hesitate to make you feel the meaning of pain once more."

"I, I won't dare..."

Trembling, Chen Yang knelt on the ground, head bowed in fear.

"Hmph, childish behavior. Do you think seeking out your human law enforcers will solve the problem? With your current technology, finding the issue with your body is nothing but a pipe dream."

The right hand continued to stretch and contract, occasionally bringing the "mouth" close to Chen Yang's face, increasing his fear.

Yes, Chen Yang now knew that what this "thing" said was true. In his panic, he had sought help from the police, naively believing they would assist him. However, after reporting to the police station, if he had not fled quickly, he would now be in a psychiatric hospital awaiting examination.

Yes, no one in the world would believe Chen Yang's story, or even if someone did, Chen Yang would not dare to tell it. Calming down, he realized that even if someone believed his "nonsense," he would likely be dead soon.

At this moment, Chen Yang deeply regretted his actions. If he had not wandered around last night, he might not have encountered this unknown "thing" from outer space, been parasitized, and faced his current dire fate.

What terrified him even more was that, after parasitizing him last night, this thing had spoken in broken, infant-like words, but now it spoke fluently. How had it managed to do this?

The greatest fear for humans comes from the unknown. Chen Yang did not know how this extraterrestrial being had achieved this, nor did he have much interest in understanding the mechanics. He only knew that this thing was not friendly toward him.

From last night to now, about sixteen hours had passed, and he had already been slapped five times and hit in the stomach thirty times. Yes, his right hand had absurdly attacked his own stomach. Was this a joke?

In the past, Chen Yang would have found this absurd, but now, with his right hand parasitized by an unknown extraterrestrial, this joke had become a reality. Faced with this reality, Chen Yang could not laugh.

"Now, stand up and get me a glass of water, quickly."

Chen Yang's body trembled. The pain in his cheek and the fear of this thing's words made him stand up immediately. Ignoring the glass shards on the floor, he used his left hand to pour a glass of water and held it next to his right hand.

The right hand, now like a piece of clay, could stretch and deform freely. Its fingers extended several centimeters, like ropes, wrapping around the glass and bringing it close to the "mouth" to pour the water in.

The glass of water was empty in less than two seconds. The right hand released the glass, and Chen Yang quickly caught it with his left hand to prevent it from meeting the same fate as the previous one.

"Um..."

Chen Yang hesitated, afraid to speak.

"Do you have something to say?"

The right hand circled around, and the "mouth" with its sharp teeth approached Chen Yang's face, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead.

"Your heart is racing, and you're sweating. It seems you're making a difficult decision?"

The "mouth" left Chen Yang's face, spun in the air, and suddenly extended to press the button on the living room TV.

The TV flickered to life, and the familiar image of the central news channel appeared in Chen Yang's view.

On any other day, Chen Yang would have had no interest in such news, but today, he sat obediently on the sofa, more docile than a child in kindergarten, listening with the reverence of a saint.

"From now on, you must spend one hour each day watching the TV..."

"Why?"

"Slap!"

A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Chen Yang's mouth. He covered his face with his left hand, looking at his right hand in terror.

"I don't want to repeat myself. Remember, every time you make me repeat myself, you will get a slap."

"I, I remember."

Trembling, Chen Yang dared not resist this unknown being.

"Alright, you can speak now."

The right hand stared at the TV, not turning its head.

"I, I..."

Chen Yang mustered his courage. "Um, may I ask what you want by parasitizing my body?"

"Slap!"

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