Jiang Cheng stared intently at the hourglass inside the box, the apology he had felt for his earlier perceived rudeness completely vanishing from his face. He attempted to place the hourglass back, but as he set it on the table, he discovered that its two ends were of unequal size, making it impossible to lay flat. Jiang Cheng considered finding something to prop it up, but as he used a letter opener to adjust the height, he noticed a tiny temperature sensor near the edge of the hourglass begin to flicker.
Jiang Cheng’s face turned deathly pale, yet his voice remained steady. "Wang Ling, get everyone out. Call the police and the CDC. Evacuate at least the floors immediately above and below us!"
Silence fell over the dining room for a moment. Everyone wore expressions of confusion and shock; no one understood why opening a delivery package would suddenly result in being driven out of the room.
"Move!" Jiang Cheng’s voice wasn't loud, but it cracked through the room like a clap of thunder, jolting the dazed onlookers back to their senses. Wang Ling reacted the fastest. Though he didn't understand why, he knew Jiang Cheng was not one to make reckless jokes. Dropping his playful demeanor, Wang Ling began firmly ushering everyone out with hurried apologies, not forgetting to tell them to grab their coats. While they were putting on their shoes to leave, Wang Ling took the opportunity to call the police.
Once that was done, Wang Ling looked at Jiang Cheng, who was holding the hourglass steady with both hands. "What about you?"
"I’ll wait for the CDC." Jiang Cheng’s eyes never left the hourglass, ensuring he kept it perfectly balanced.
"What is this thing? Can't you just put it down?" Wang Ling paced around behind Jiang Cheng, but because of the gravity of Jiang Cheng's posture, he didn't dare step forward to touch him.
"The water and sand are reactants. Once mixed, they produce a large volume of gas that will burst the hourglass."
Wang Ling’s eyelid twitched involuntarily. He remained silent as Jiang Cheng continued, "And then the contents inside will be released."
"The contents? What contents?" Wang Ling couldn't wrap his head around it, looking at Jiang Cheng in a daze.
"Most likely a virus."
Wang Ling jumped like a startled cat, yelping as he banged his leg against the corner of the table. He clutched his leg for a long while before he could catch his breath. "V-v-v-virus? What kind of virus?"
"That depends on what he had on hand." By comparison, Jiang Cheng was much calmer, making one wonder if they had misheard him.
Wang Ling paced anxiously around Jiang Cheng. He couldn't help, so he could only watch over him.
Catching a glimpse of him from the corner of his eye, Jiang Cheng said, "Brother Wang, why don't you go outside and see if the CDC has arrived yet?"
Wang Ling instinctively took two steps toward the door before turning back. "You're trying to trick me! I gave them the apartment number; they can find their own way up!" He realized his voice was a bit too loud and, seeing Jiang Cheng struggling to maintain the hourglass's balance, immediately regretted his rashness. He worried that the sound waves from his voice might affect Jiang Cheng's stability.
Wang Ling didn't dare get too close, nor did he dare go far. He paced in small circles, suddenly realizing he hadn't updated Lu Linjiang yet. He pulled out his phone, remembered that Lu Linjiang seemed to be busy with something, and sent a brief text message explaining the situation. He then silently prayed that Lu Linjiang would see the message as soon as possible.
***
Lu Linjiang was currently speaking with Zhao Zhijie. The "Luo Jia" on the bed revealed only a silver back of a head. "He just took his medicine and fell asleep. You just need to keep watch here. Don't forget to call the nurse when the IV is finished. If anything happens, press the alarm; the main corridors of this floor will be sealed immediately, and the mobile unit will arrive within five minutes."
"Mobile unit?" Zhao Zhijie asked.
"Oh, it's just our colleagues who are also patients in this building. They've mostly recovered. This alarm is linked to their phones. We're short-handed right now, and we can't stop them from seeking treatment, so this was the only way to handle it."
Zhao Zhijie evidently hadn't expected such a method; he seemed momentarily at a loss for words. "How many people are there?"
"Hard to say." Lu Linjiang adopted a thoughtful expression. "Look at the Bureau—nearly half the staff is on sick leave. I made a special request regarding Luo Jia’s situation. I didn't force them, but they come in three shifts daily for their IV drips. Sometimes it's just a few, sometimes it's over a dozen. It depends on luck."
Lu Linjiang seemed entirely unconcerned. "But the main corridors will close once you press the alarm, leaving only two emergency exits. No matter how few people there are, it'll be enough. Don't worry, if there's a problem, we'll definitely catch them."
Zhao Zhijie finally nodded, seemingly reassured. "I just need to stay here, right?"
"Yes. Yang Bo, if you've got nothing else tonight, stay here with Zhao Zhijie to help out. After all, it's his first day, and he's been busy all day." As Lu Linjiang finished speaking, he waited for Yang Bo to use their pre-arranged excuse to decline. In that brief window, he looked down and quickly scanned his messages. The eight words in Wang Ling’s text—*Possible virus, Jiang Cheng can't leave*—made Lu Linjiang’s heart skip a beat.
"What is it, Captain Lu?" Zhao Zhijie keenly caught Lu Linjiang’s shift in demeanor.
"Something's come up..." Lu Linjiang instinctively tried to hide it, but he immediately realized the opportunity. "Something happened to Jiang Cheng. I have to go check on him. I'm leaving this place to you. Yang Bo, let's go."
Yang Bo, caught mid-sentence, looked confused. "Huh?"
"Jiang Cheng seems to be in big trouble. It's hard to explain in a word or two; I have to go." As Lu Linjiang spoke, he was already rushing out of the ward, leaving behind only one sentence: "Zhao Zhijie, I'm counting on you here!"
The two of them stepped into the elevator. Yang Bo was completely baffled. "Boss, what happened to Jiang Cheng?"
"Jiang Langmin made a move." Lu Linjiang stared anxiously at the elevator floor indicator.
Yang Bo scratched his head. "Didn't you specifically send Jiang Cheng back home?" Lu Linjiang had long been on guard against Jiang Langmin targeting Jiang Cheng and had intentionally sent him home before the operation. How had he still failed to avoid Jiang Langmin?
"I'm not sure what's going on. Wang Ling’s text was very vague." The elevator stopped after descending five floors. Lu Linjiang signaled for Yang Bo to get out. "You go back and keep an eye on him. I'm going over there."
"But..."
"No 'buts.' I have to go." Lu Linjiang held the door open button with one hand while gesturing for Yang Bo to hurry out. "This is clearly part of Jiang Langmin’s plan. If I don't leave, they won't feel safe enough to make their move. Tang Hua and the others have already arrived. You all proceed according to the original plan."
The elevator doors closed in front of Yang Bo. Zhao Zhijie stood before the elevator bank, watching as the lift stopped a few times before finally reaching the first floor. He didn't linger, returning immediately to the ward. Until he received a message on his phone confirming Lu Linjiang had left, the "Luo Jia" on the bed remained in the exact same position as when he had walked out.
Zhao Zhijie let out a long sigh. From his briefcase, he produced a syringe. He removed the cap and, with practiced movements, injected the liquid from the syringe into the IV bottle.
Yang Bo and Xu Sichen watched all of this from a temporary surveillance room set up downstairs. Only after Zhao Zhijie had hidden the syringe did Yang Bo speak. "To be honest, I actually quite admired this kid. He's very capable."
A rare look of melancholy crossed Yang Bo’s face. Xu Sichen glanced at him but said nothing.
"Are we going up now?" Yang Bo asked.
"I've already notified Tang Hua and the others. They're preparing to head up."
On the monitor, Zhao Zhijie was staring intently at the dripping IV, completely unaware that his every move had been exposed.
***
Lu Linjiang rushed back to the apartment like a whirlwind. Ren Lifei from the CDC was one step ahead of him, directing his team into the building. Lu Linjiang squeezed sideways into the elevator. Seeing the team in full biohazard gear, his heart sank further. "What's the situation?"
"Someone sent a device containing a virus via courier. Jiang Cheng is holding it. We're going up now to see how to handle it," Ren Lifei said succinctly.
This bit of information wasn't enough for Lu Linjiang to fully understand what had happened, but he didn't see Wang Ling anywhere, and Jiang Cheng was right upstairs. He said no more, focusing only on when the elevator would arrive.
The moment the doors opened, Lu Linjiang was the first to charge out. The floor had already been cordoned off. He pulled out his ID while rushing through the door. Once inside, he saw Jiang Cheng standing by the sideboard, holding a blue hourglass in his hands.
Lu Linjiang realized immediately that this was the device Ren Lifei had mentioned. Seeing that Jiang Cheng was currently unharmed, Lu Linjiang felt a slight relief and slowed his pace as he walked over. Jiang Cheng had already spotted Lu Linjiang out of the corner of his eye. He tilted his head slightly toward him and asked in a casual tone, "You're here?"
"Yeah." Lu Linjiang circled around to stand on Jiang Cheng’s other side, looking closely at the hourglass in his hands. "Can't put it down?" Though he knew it was a redundant question, Lu Linjiang couldn't help but ask.
"No. The ends aren't the same height, and there's a temperature sensor on it." As Jiang Cheng spoke, his hand moved slightly, brushing against one side of the hourglass.
Lu Linjiang looked closer. There was a tiny tactile sensor there, only visible when Jiang Cheng moved his finger slightly.
"I tried just now. If I move away, it starts flashing. It's hard to say what the next step would be."
"What could be inside?"
"Not sure. He’s been in charge of the lab for so long; it wouldn't be impossible for him to take a thing or two from the entire virus bank."
Lu Linjiang wiped his face, feeling his inner agitation grow.
Ren Lifei and a few others examined it, saying hesitantly, "Let's find a way to put it down first. We have an isolation box." As he spoke, he had an assistant bring over a container. "We'll place it in this isolation box first, then take it back to the lab for disposal. What do you think?"
Jiang Cheng gave a sound of agreement. As Ren Lifei was gesturing and considering how to assist, Lu Linjiang took the isolation box into his own hands. "I'll do it."
To ensure it was airtight, the isolation box was made of very heavy material. Jiang Cheng was standing by the sideboard, facing the wall, leaving very little room for anyone else to maneuver. It was only Lu Linjiang who, taking advantage of his height, stood behind Jiang Cheng and reached over him to place the isolation box in front of him, minimizing the distance Jiang Cheng needed to move the hourglass.
Jiang Cheng carefully maintained the balance, his hands moving with extreme slowness and stability as he lowered the hourglass into the isolation box.
"I'll let go on the count of three."
"Okay."
Having received Lu Linjiang’s reply, Jiang Cheng took a deep breath. "One, two, three!" He released his hands. Just as he was about to close the lid, the tactile sensor on the hourglass lit up. It flashed rapidly. The powdery substance inside the hourglass seemed to be affected by some external force, quickly passing through the middle connection and dissolving into the liquid on the other side.
Jiang Cheng froze, instinctively wanting to grab the hourglass again. But Lu Linjiang moved with lightning speed, lifting the isolation box and slamming the lid shut.
"Blast-proof box!"
Following Lu Linjiang’s roar, a police officer who had been waiting nearby pushed forward a prepared blast-proof box. Without a word, Lu Linjiang threw the isolation box inside and slammed the lid of the blast-proof box shut with a heavy *thud*.
Everyone heard a muffled *boom*, and then there was no more sound from the box. Ren Lifei and several assistants scrambled forward, wrapping the blast-proof box in airtight sealing tape. Only after ensuring there were no leaks did they finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Lu Linjiang felt a wave of relief wash over him, and he leaned his entire weight against Jiang Cheng. The explosion hadn't been massive, but the blast-proof box had still jumped. If they hadn't gotten the hourglass into the box in time, Lu Linjiang didn't dare think about the consequences.
***
