Drug resistance was a sequence Jiang Cheng had originally captured from a wave of influenza viruses in the Americas, which he then used to draft a specific genetic string. That sequence had a natural template in the wild, but as for whether antibodies existed, none had appeared during that major outbreak. Jiang Cheng had later modified it, adding and deleting segments until it became the current version. Therefore, the antibodies in Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo’s systems could only have been acquired after those modifications.
Compared to the infected Tang Hua and Xu Sichen, Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo shared several differences. However, the most intuitive one—and the first that came to Jiang Cheng’s mind—was that all three of them had been to Liucheng Island. Since Guzman’s death was inextricably linked to Jiang Langmin, could they have obtained the antibodies there?
The moment this thought occurred to him, Jiang Cheng immediately drew his own blood for testing. If he also possessed the antibodies, his hypothesis would be confirmed, and the investigation could proceed much more directly.
Yang Bo still felt as though he were walking on clouds. Having just had three hundred milliliters of blood drawn, he was still pressing a cotton ball to his arm. "I went to Liucheng Island and turned into a national treasure? This is too bizarre! Hey, Jiang Cheng, is this enough? There are so many people in the city who need antibodies; you’re not going to drain me dry later, are you?"
Lu Linjiang felt a constant urge to drain the excess "water" out of this scatterbrain’s head. He looked at Yang Bo with what he considered a benevolent gaze. "Jiang Cheng, can you extract the water from his brain to see if there are antibodies in there?"
"Stop fooling around, both of you." Jiang Cheng packed the blood bags. "Walk slowly on your way out, and remember to eat something in a bit. Don't overexert yourselves these next two days; get some rest."
Perhaps because of Jiang Cheng’s instructions, Lu Linjiang actually stayed holed up in his office for the entire day. Yang Bo and Xu Sichen spent the time combing through Jiang Langmin’s life history, their primary takeaway being that the man’s life seemed to be played on "cheat mode."
"Looking at this resume, I’m starting to doubt if my IQ even hits the passing mark," Yang Bo lamented.
Xu Sichen spared him a glance. "You struggle to keep up with normal people, let alone this guy. Why bother comparing?" She kicked her stool aside and stepped into Lu Linjiang’s office. "Boss, I’ve re-examined the data on Jiang Langmin. The overseas companies he used to manage were actually quite profitable initially. They only went under later because of several large expenditures."
"Oh?"
"At the same time, the deficit in Jiang Shenghang’s company was covered. The amount used to cover it was almost identical to those expenditures," Yang Bo added from behind her. "This uncle and nephew duo are certainly interesting."
Lu Linjiang nodded to show he understood, but his eyes remained fixed on his computer screen.
Xu Sichen and Yang Bo leaned in side-by-side, peeking at the screen from either side.
"Boss, what are you looking at?" Xu Sichen asked, her eyes already scanning the display. Lu Linjiang had accessed the internal network and pulled up a person's file. "Zhao Zhijie? That name sounds familiar."
"The local cop from Liucheng Island," Yang Bo said. "A pretty decent guy. Why? You thinking of transferring him here?"
Lu Linjiang glanced at him, answering indirectly, "I also think he’s quite decent."
"His logic is clear, and he’s efficient in his work."
Lu Linjiang kept staring at Yang Bo until the latter began to feel uneasy. Yang Bo stopped praising Zhao Zhijie and asked cautiously, "Boss, what’s the angle here?"
"I’ve been thinking about something. Based on the records, Guzman wasn't a man given to leisure. Why would someone like him go to Liucheng Island? Cheng Hao took the blame for Guzman’s death, and while that remains suspicious, Cheng Hao claimed Guzman provoked him because Guzman wanted to save Luo Jia. That part is somewhat credible. Could his trip to Liucheng Island be related to that?"
Xu Sichen recalled the details carefully. "But according to the timeline, when Guzman went to Liucheng, Tao Minxing was still alive. What would he be doing there then?"
Lu Linjiang said in a low voice, "It didn't necessarily have to be after the incident." He looked at Zhao Zhijie’s profile on the screen. "Our opponent isn't the type of person who only thinks one step at a time."
"Captain Lu, what does that have to do with Zhao Zhijie?"
"There are nearly a hundred restaurants of all sizes on Liucheng Island. From a geographical standpoint, Baiweiju isn't the best choice. While it is large, the probability of Guzman happening to pick that specific one isn't actually that high when you think about it, is it?"
Xu Sichen finally caught the scent. "Are you suspecting that someone intentionally pointed him in that direction? To create the illusion that Guzman simply ate something bad and got sick, they led him to Baiweiju."
Yang Bo rubbed his chin. "If we look at it from that angle, this person would first need to be very familiar with the local area. Second, they would need to be able to easily gain Guzman’s trust—or at least, be someone Guzman would trust." He leaned forward to look at Zhao Zhijie’s photo. "In that case, a local officer like Zhao Zhijie fits the criteria perfectly. But why?"
Lu Linjiang shook his head. Just then, his phone rang. He checked the caller ID; it was Jiang Cheng.
"How is it?" Lu Linjiang asked.
"My blood test showed a weak positive for antibodies," Jiang Cheng said, his tone tinged with regret. "It means I was infected, but I didn't form effective antibodies. This makes it hard to determine if I caught it with you two or if I was infected during this current flu outbreak."
"It sounds disappointing, but now that Yang Bo and I have antibodies, we don't have to worry about you getting infected." Yang Bo and Xu Sichen exchanged a look, both feeling a simultaneous urge to kick over the "dog food" being served to them.
"There’s still one thing I don't understand," Lu Linjiang said. "Can you obtain antibodies without an injection?"
"Of course," Jiang Cheng replied. "Oral administration works. Although theoretically less effective than an intramuscular injection, it’s not impossible to produce antibodies that way."
Lu Linjiang’s suspicion was confirmed. He exchanged a few more words with Jiang Cheng before hanging up. He looked at Yang Bo. "Do you remember the water Zhao Zhijie poured for us on Liucheng Island?"
Yang Bo was momentarily dazed, but the memory soon returned. When they went to Liucheng Island, the weather was still transitioning from winter to spring. Although tourists were wearing light clothing, it was far from hot. Yet, the water Zhao Zhijie served them was always cold. Yang Bo hadn't paid much attention to it at the time; he could drink water at any temperature and wasn't picky. But now that Lu Linjiang mentioned it, it did seem slightly odd.
"On an island like that, they are very particular about health practices like 'removing dampness and avoiding cold.' If you pay attention, you’ll see the local residents all drink hot water. Zhao Zhijie’s way of treating guests was quite an anomaly." As he spoke, Lu Linjiang dialed Wang Qi’s number.
Wang Qi picked up quickly. "What is it, Captain Lu? Have you finished reviewing the case files?" After fully investigating the smuggling case, Wang Qi had sent a copy of the files to Lu Linjiang. Seeing Lu Linjiang call now, he assumed there were questions about the records.
Lu Linjiang hadn't had time to look at them at all. He offered a few perfunctory remarks before getting straight to the point. "Captain Wang, do you still remember that Zhao Zhijie from Liucheng Island?"
"Zhao Zhijie? A very fine young man," Wang Qi replied.
"Yes, I think he’s quite good too. I’d like to ask you to keep an eye on him for me. I’m thinking of transferring him over here."
"Oh?" Wang Qi sounded surprised, then teased, "Captain Lu, you’re poaching people from all the way out here? You must be determined."
Lu Linjiang gave a noncommittal hum. "We’re short-handed. I noticed the kid was good when we were on the island. I’ll send up a report later, and then you can talk to him."
Wang Qi suspected nothing. Lu Linjiang exchanged a few more pleasantries before hanging up.
Although he now had a target, it was based on nothing more than Lu Linjiang’s conjecture. In the investigation of cases related to Jiang Langmin, Lu Linjiang’s greatest frustration was that most of his leads were mere deductions. The opponent was meticulous, leaving almost no substantive clues. Even with this poisoning incident, where Jiang Langmin had been tripped up by his own people and left a fingerprint, it wasn't enough to form a solid chain of evidence. With a reasonably competent lawyer, he could achieve a perfect acquittal.
"Check on Zhao Zhijie. See if his timeline overlaps with Jiang Langmin’s at any point."
Lu Linjiang left the Bureau. The once-bustling streets were now deserted. He didn't go directly to the CDC; instead, he went to the municipal hospital. Currently, in all of Jinghai, there was no place more crowded than the hospital. Lu Linjiang waited through three rounds of elevators before finally squeezing in and heading to the thirteenth floor.
This was a private room, very small and exceptionally quiet. Luo Jia lay on the bed, an oxygen tube connected to his nose.
"Will he ever wake up?" Lu Linjiang asked.
The doctor on duty shook his head. "With a fall like that, waking up or not waking up are both within the realm of possibility. We can't make a prediction."
Lu Linjiang sighed. "Well, that’s awkward." His expression, however, showed no disappointment. His eyes were fixed on Luo Jia, filled with calculation.
He stayed in Luo Jia’s room for a long time, leaving only near nine o'clock. Even at this hour, the hospital elevators were incredibly busy. Lu Linjiang checked the time and took a detour to the infusion room. Despite the crisis, the infusion room was still packed with people. Lu Linjiang did a lap but didn't see anyone from the Bureau. Just as he was about to leave, someone darted out and bumped into him.
The man let out a cry, clutching his IV stand and raising his voice. "Hey! Don't you look where you're going?"
Lu Linjiang glanced at the man’s IV bag. "I'm sorry."
Unexpectedly, the man wouldn't let it go. "Is 'sorry' enough? If 'sorry' worked, what would we need the police for! Look at my hand, the needle jumped!"
Sure enough, the man’s hand had begun to swell rapidly. Lu Linjiang called a nurse over to handle it. The man grabbed Lu Linjiang. "You tell me, what are you going to do about this!"
Lu Linjiang said calmly, "How about this: since you said an apology is useless and mentioned the police, let's find them. Do you want to call them, or should I?" He pulled out his phone as he spoke.
The man hadn't expected such a response. For a moment, he couldn't find his lines and stood frozen. Lu Linjiang waited a beat. "If you aren't calling the police, then I’ll be going."
Lu Linjiang watched as the man’s swollen hand twitched, but the man didn't dare grab him again. Just as Lu Linjiang was about to turn away, he caught a glimpse of the name on the man’s IV bag: Zhou Wei.
This incredibly common name made Lu Linjiang pause. At the same time, Zhou Wei pulled out his own phone. "You think you can scare me? Fine, let's call the police!"
His phone was inside a men’s wallet. Because he was hooked up to an IV, it took some effort to open it with one hand. "Calling 110 is free anyway. I’m not letting you off today!"
Lu Linjiang, who had been standing still, suddenly moved. In one swift motion, he snatched the man’s wallet. "Nice item you've got here!"
Zhou Wei hadn't expected someone to dare rob him in front of so many people. He immediately began to shout, "First you hit me, now you're stealing my wallet! Is there no law anymore?"
People in the infusion room began to look over. Some curious onlookers even stepped closer. A nurse rushed back to the station to call security.
Lu Linjiang pulled out his credentials and held them up for Zhou Wei to see. "We’ve met before. Don't you remember?"
Zhou Wei looked at the police ID, then at Lu Linjiang. The blank confusion on his face showed he didn't recognize Lu Linjiang at all. Lu Linjiang gave an "oh" and continued, "It’s no wonder. You were in the interrogation room at the time, and my colleague was taking your statement. I was outside, so you wouldn't have seen me. My mistake."
***
