Fatal Virus | Chapter 110 | The Trap is Set | Novela.app

Lu Linjiang finally managed to drag Jiang Cheng out of the laboratory. The man had been working day and night for several days; Lu Linjiang felt like he was watching someone perform a moonwalk just by the way he moved. "Look at you. Ren Lifei hasn't even mentioned paying you yet. Just give them a general direction and be done with it; there’s no need to do everything yourself. If you do too much, someone might even think you’re overstepping and look for a chance to make life difficult for you. In this world, you have to keep a card up your sleeve—give others a path to walk, but leave a back door for yourself as well." "That fellow Ren Lifei is a real fox, too. He works people who don't cost him a dime to the bone. If you were to collapse from exhaustion, he wouldn't care since you're not one of his own. He wouldn't even have to pay the medical bills. His calculations are truly..." Lu Linjiang suddenly cut himself short. Jiang Cheng’s entire body had slumped, his head leaning against the car door. He was clearly fast asleep. Lu Linjiang’s rare bout of nagging, which had been bottled up like a blooming iron tree, was choked back into his throat before it could be fully released. Jiang Cheng’s breath hit the windowpane, creating a small patch of mist. Lu Linjiang sighed softly and focused on driving even more smoothly. Jiang Cheng was indeed exhausted. Even after they reached the apartment and Lu Linjiang carried him all the way into the bedroom, he didn't wake up. After settling him in, Lu Linjiang took a quick shower, changed into clean clothes, left a note on the table, and headed out. Though he had been nagging Jiang Cheng, he wasn't much better himself. If he hadn't needed to drag Jiang Cheng back to rest, Lu Linjiang would certainly still be working around the clock. Halfway through his drive, Lu Linjiang received a message from Luo Jia’s attending physician. The doctor recounted everything regarding Zou Liming’s visit in detail. Lu Linjiang hung up the phone, an inscrutable smile playing on his lips. Yang Bo was dozing outside Luo Jia’s ward. Lu Linjiang stared at him for a moment until, perhaps sensing the gaze, Yang Bo struggled awake. Catching Lu Linjiang’s eyes unexpectedly, Yang Bo jumped like a startled cat. "Captain Lu! What are you doing?" Lu Linjiang seemed entirely unaware of the pressure he exerted on others. He looked at Yang Bo and asked, "Don't you feel like we've been shorthanded lately?" Yang Bo’s brain was still in a post-sleep fog. "What? What? Shorthanded? Yeah! We're swamped!" He looked at Lu Linjiang dazed, completely failing to grasp the intent behind the question. "Then don't you think we should bring in some extra help?" "Yes, definitely!" Yang Bo wondered if he had slept too long and was hallucinating. The team had been short-staffed for more than just a day or two; this question was utterly pointless. If there were anyone available, they would have been transferred over long ago. At the very least, Xu Sichen could have gone home to rest for a few days instead of coming to work every day with a runny nose. "That’s why I filed a request. It should be approved soon. We won't have to suffer through these alternating shifts anymore." Yang Bo stared at Lu Linjiang blankly. He understood the words, but he had no idea what Lu Linjiang actually meant. It wasn't until the next morning, when Zhao Zhijie appeared in the Municipal Bureau office, that Yang Bo, clutching a steamed bun in his mouth, finally understood. "Yo, long time no see! Captain Lu said he had a surprise for us a couple of days ago—turns out it was you!" Yang Bo took the bun out of his mouth to greet Zhao Zhijie. "So early? Have you had breakfast?" Zhao Zhijie looked travel-worn, a duffel bag at his side. "Not yet. What do you have there?" "Vermicelli, fresh pork, and diced chicken." Yang Bo handed the bag over. "But I can't tell which is which. Pick one and test your luck." Zhao Zhijie casually grabbed the one on top. "Fresh pork!" He took a bite; it was vermicelli. Yang Bo shrugged. "Better luck next time." He finished his last bite of the bun and asked, "I told Captain Lu last night that we were really desperate for people, but I didn't expect you to show up so fast. Not bad, you're a real pal!" "I only got the news in the middle of the night. The higher-ups told me to report immediately. The paperwork isn't even finished yet." "Oh." Yang Bo nodded. "We really are out of people. Look at us—the injured, the sick... our group is actually the most complete one in the entire bureau right now." As they spoke, Xu Sichen walked in wearing a surgical mask. Hearing footsteps, Zhao Zhijie instinctively turned to look, which allowed Yang Bo to catch Xu Sichen’s eye and give her a wink. Xu Sichen first saw an unfamiliar face, then saw Yang Bo behind the man, making faces at her. Although she didn't understand what Yang Bo was up to so early in the morning, she saw him mimic a cough. Her normally straight back immediately slumped, and she let out a cough that made her look terminally ill. Zhao Zhijie’s greeting was drowned out by her earth-shattering coughing fit. She finally managed to stop, gasping, "Sorry, I've been quite ill lately. And you are?" "Our savior!" Yang Bo interjected before Zhao Zhijie could speak. "Let me introduce you. This is Comrade Zhao Zhijie, who has been ordered to support us in our time of need. Zhao Zhijie, this is Xu Sichen. She’s been working through her illness for several days now." The name "Zhao Zhijie" immediately made things clear to Xu Sichen. Relying on the mask to cover most of her face, she wasn't afraid of him noticing anything. she simply pretended to be too weak to stand straight. "Ah, finally someone to take over the shift! Then I won't have to go to the hospital to swap with Captain Lu later, right?" Zhao Zhijie followed the lead. "A shift? I can go." "Go where?" Yang Bo stopped him. "You haven't even unpacked. Has the dormitory been arranged for you yet? You should at least get settled first; you can't take your luggage on a shift." "I'll go to the hospital later. You get settled here first, then swap with me tonight." Yang Bo spoke with an air of authority, firmly setting the schedule. Zhao Zhijie hesitated for a moment. Xu Sichen had already dialed the logistics department. "Logistics says they're already arranging a room for you. Just wait a moment; they'll send you the details soon." Zhao Zhijie could only nod. "Alright then." "Then you stay here and familiarize yourself with the case we're working on. I'm heading to the hospital." Yang Bo placed the bag of buns on Xu Sichen’s desk. "If you're done with your work, head out early today. With Zhao Zhijie covering for us, you should take the chance to rest." Xu Sichen picked up the bag and noticed a stack of case files underneath. She knew exactly what was supposed to be on her desk; she flipped through this extra file and found it was actually the one for Luo Jia’s case. Xu Sichen addressed Zhao Zhijie, "The files are here. Find a seat; there are only three of us in this office, so feel free to use any of the empty desks." Once Yang Bo left the bureau building, he immediately called Lu Linjiang. "Boss, you wouldn't believe it. Zhao Zhijie is already here." "So early?" Lu Linjiang was dozing in Luo Jia’s ward but snapped fully awake at the news. He sat up straight and remarked, "He’s certainly proactive!" "It's a good thing we rushed those materials out last night, or today would have been difficult." After bothering Yang Bo the previous night, Lu Linjiang had turned around to pester Chu Juxian for the approval. Simultaneously, he had contacted Luo Jia’s attending physician to forge a medical report overnight. Only after dawn did he have Yang Bo bring it back to the bureau and place the fake case file on Xu Sichen’s desk. All of this had been prepared for Zhao Zhijie to see, but Lu Linjiang hadn't expected the man to arrive so quickly. If he had dawdled even a little last night, things would be awkward right now. "Captain Lu, what now?" "Go get some rest. Even at his fastest, I bet he won't make a move until he finishes reading the files. I'll stay here." Lu Linjiang added, "But before tonight, remember to get the wig ready." After settling into the dormitory, Zhao Zhijie immediately returned to the office. Xu Sichen sat at her computer organizing data, looking utterly listless. "Xu Sichen, do you want to go back and rest?" Zhao Zhijie initiated the conversation. "I was thinking that, but I have to finish entering this data first." Zhao Zhijie thought for a moment. "Entering data? How about I help you? That way you can leave earlier." Xu Sichen considered it and nodded. "Alright then. There’s only one page left. Just finish entering it. It’s the record from their meeting yesterday. You need to see it anyway, so this kills two birds with one stone." Xu Sichen let go of the task readily. "I'll go write a leave slip then. I'll leave this to you." She packed her things in a few quick motions, gave a cheerful wave, and departed. Zhao Zhijie watched her leave, then unhurriedly walked over to Xu Sichen’s desk to examine the meeting records. The case described was a crime against public safety—the suspect intended to release a highly lethal virus in a public place. Zhao Zhijie’s hand couldn't help but tremble slightly. He instinctively glanced toward the door. Less than two-thirds of the usual staff were at the bureau today, and most were wearing masks and looking drained. As it approached three o'clock, no one was passing by the CID office at all. Zhao Zhijie had already observed upon entering that there were no surveillance cameras in this office. At this moment, in this place, he was entirely alone. After scanning the empty office once more, he sat down and began to focus on entering the data. Once Xu Sichen left the bureau, she went straight to the city hospital. In what was originally Luo Jia’s ward, only Lu Linjiang was present. The sheets on the hospital bed were smoothed flat, but the comatose man was nowhere to be seen. "Luo Jia has been moved?" Xu Sichen asked. "Yeah. Leaving him here would just get in the way." With neither Yang Bo nor Tang Hua present, Xu Sichen asked worriedly, "Will he really make a move tonight?" Lu Linjiang gave a slow grunt of affirmation. "Luo Jia learned that Guzman and Martina are both dead. He had an emotional breakdown and passed out again..." Xu Sichen remembered this was a line from the "meeting minutes" Yang Bo had handed her, written in a flamboyant scrawl. "If he doesn't take this chance to deliver a fatal blow, is he going to wait for the man to wake up and bite him?" "What will he do?" "That’s hard to say. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Lu Linjiang checked the time. "That kid Yang Bo... I sent him to buy something, and he’s taking forever." Before he could finish, Yang Bo came scurrying in, clutching a large black cloth bag secretively. With a quick motion, he locked the door behind him. *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 任立飞 | Ren Lifei | A character mentioned as a stingy boss/colleague. 楚居闲 | Chu Juxian | A character from whom Lu Linjiang sought approval. 唐华 | Tang Hua | A member of the investigation team. 发套 | Wig / Hairpiece | A prop for the sting operation. 刑侦队 | CID / Criminal Investigation Division | The department within the Municipal Bureau.