Fatal Virus | Chapter 37 | The Struggle for Breath | Novela.app

Jiang Cheng felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body in an instant. He braced himself against a table with both hands, letting out a long, heavy sigh. Yao Jingbo stared at the screen, unable to speak for a long time. Neither of them said a word; for a while, the only sound in the laboratory was Guo Junyi’s light snoring. Suddenly, Jiang Cheng jolted into motion. "I need to find the lab staff to help!" Yao Jingbo reacted quickly, pointing to a corner. "That computer has external internet access." Jiang Cheng rushed over and powered on the computer while simultaneously dialing Jiang Langmin’s number. It should have been dinner time in Denmark, but for some reason, Jiang Langmin didn’t pick up. Jiang Cheng had no choice but to stop calling and leave a message instead. There weren't many people involved in the Sirius research on Gaimore back then—Professor Tao, Luo Jia, Jiang Langmin, Gavin Winsett, and a few others, totaling seven people. Aside from Professor Tao and Luo Jia, Jiang Cheng tried to contact everyone else, but to his disbelief, not a single person responded! "What's going on?" Jiang Cheng stared at his contact list, stunned. He began to doubt himself—was he really such a failure that he couldn't find a single person to help him at such a critical moment? Yao Jingbo stood behind him, asking in confusion, "What happened?" Jiang Cheng gave a bitter smile. "I didn't realize how poor my social standing was until the moment I actually needed someone..." He looked helplessly at the unresponsive list until a name suddenly popped up: Wayne Worth! Given Wayne Worth’s reputation in the industry, it was impossible for him not to have a sample of the Gaimore virus strain! Jiang Cheng quickly sent a message to Wayne Worth. A moment later, a reply actually came back. Jiang Cheng’s fingers trembled with excitement as he hit the keys. He tried to organize his thoughts into words but found himself unable to type. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a few seconds before he decisively opted for a video call. He expected Wayne Worth to be on the other end, but instead, a blond, blue-eyed young man appeared. "You... excuse me, where is Professor Worth?" Jiang Cheng asked, puzzled. The young man tilted his head helplessly. "I'm Dean Worth, Wayne Worth’s son. My father fell ill after returning from Professor Tao’s funeral. He hasn't woken up since." Jiang Cheng could hardly believe it. "I saw him at the Professor’s funeral. Although he didn't seem to be in a great mental state, his physical health appeared fine!" Dean shrugged. "It’s a viral infection." Jiang Cheng and Yao Jingbo were both shocked. "A virus? What virus? What are his symptoms?" Dean spread his hands in a gesture of futility. "We don't know. The doctors say it might be an unknown virus. He had a persistent headache after he got back, which soon developed into pneumonia, and then he fell into a semi-coma. He spent his whole life studying viruses, only to be struck down by one in the end." Jiang Cheng was momentarily speechless. For a split second, he suspected a conspiracy. However, Luo Jia had targeted Professor Tao because the Professor had discovered his data manipulation; Guo Junyi’s infection was a complete accident. No one could have predicted that Jiang Cheng would seek help from Professor Worth at this exact moment. He slowly exhaled, as if trying to vent the frustration building in his chest. "I’m so sorry. I originally wanted to ask the Professor for help; I had no idea his situation was so dire." "It’s alright, you couldn't have known," Dean said with a regretful smile. "I can't be of much help. Good luck to you." Jiang Cheng disconnected the video, his hope deflated. He instinctively turned to look at Guo Junyi, only to find that he had woken up at some point and was standing right behind them. "Guo Junyi..." Yao Jingbo, arms crossed, turned around and nearly bumped faces with Guo Junyi. He jumped half a foot in the air. "Damn it! You walk without making a sound? Are you trying to scare your father to death?" Guo Junyi moved back slightly. At some point, he had already put on a face mask. "Why would I want to scare you to death? I’m still waiting for you to handle my remains!" Yao Jingbo instinctively looked at the screen. The projector was still on. Unless Guo Junyi was blind, he definitely knew what was happening. Yao Jingbo felt a bit flustered, unsure if he should try to close the program now that the damage was done. Guo Junyi followed his gaze and let out a short laugh at the screen. "In the years I've held a scalpel, including Guzman, I’ve handled three hundred and seventeen bodies. I like to think I’ve come to terms with life and death. Although I never expected my own end to come in this form, still..." He looked at Jiang Cheng and Yao Jingbo with a smile. "Still, thinking about it carefully, it’s not that surprising." Yao Jingbo’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. With the mask on, only Guo Junyi’s eyes were visible. "You too—you’re a doctor yourself. Are you really taking this harder than I am?" "I fucking..." Yao Jingbo cursed, but found himself at a loss for words. "Exactly. We have a doctor here, and I study viruses. It might not be that pessimistic yet," Jiang Cheng said, standing up. "When you fall into the water, you have to struggle, even if the weeds wrap tighter and tighter around you. Otherwise, how could you face the last breath of air leaving your lungs?" Yao Jingbo’s brain finally started working again. "Right." Then, processing the words, he frowned at Jiang Cheng. "Wait, wouldn't that just make you die faster?" Jiang Cheng gave him a meaningful look. Realization dawned on Yao Jingbo, and he fell silent. As a medical professional, he knew exactly how painful uncontrollable internal bleeding could be. If a cure was impossible, shortening the course of the disease was indeed a mercy. Jiang Cheng shook his head, forcing himself to stay calm. "Since we know the source of the infection, Guo Junyi, can you tell us where that person had been?" This wasn't classified information. Guo Junyi replied, "Tuocheng. Lu Linjiang and the others have already headed there." "Wild meat..." Jiang Cheng and Yao Jingbo said in unison. "These people... they always think that 'I didn't evolve for thousands of years to reach the top of the food chain just to be a vegetarian' is some brilliant theory. Did millions of species on Earth evolve for all those years just to be eaten by you?" Yao Jingbo gritted his teeth in anger. "Besides, it’s not like anyone is forcing them to be vegetarians. They really think their mouths are big enough to swallow the whole world!" "To evolve for so many years only to still be controlled by carnal appetite—don't they feel like their evolution was a waste?" Jiang Cheng wasn't as indignant as Yao Jingbo. "If it really was caused by eating something, that might actually be a good thing. At least if we find the host, we might be able to extract antibodies directly." Jiang Cheng turned to Guo Junyi. "You said Lu Linjiang went to Tuocheng? I’ll call him!" *** Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo were crouching under a tree in front of Cui Bin’s room. The January nights in Tuocheng were quite chilly. The light coming from Cui Bin’s window was dimmer than the others in the area. "This room... seriously, it’s the size of a postage stamp." "Focus," Lu Linjiang said. "Back then, Cui Bin’s uncle stole his inheritance and kicked him out. Do you really think he came back just because he couldn't make it elsewhere?" Yang Bo chuckled. "If it were me, even if I was doing poorly, I’d come back acting like a big shot. If I didn't even have the money to fake being rich, why would I come back? These days, jobs that provide room and board are rare, but they exist." They had already circled the village chief’s house. The building was originally a decent, large rectangle, but this awkward, mismatched section had been tacked onto the back courtyard. At first glance, one might mistake it for a public restroom. Compared to the main house, which was practically a villa, the section Cui Bin lived in was pitifully small. "This village chief is quite a character, too." He appeared to be helping Cui Bin by renting him a place at a very low price. But looking at the house in person, it was barely habitable. Once you put in a four-foot bed and a wardrobe, Lu Linjiang doubted there would be enough room for a person to turn around. "Unless Cui Bin is an idiot, I don't believe he’s content being treated like this." Yang Bo looked back toward the distant "Immortal’s Joy" restaurant. "Captain Lu, there’s one thing I don't get. When Cui Bin saw Guzman’s photo, he clearly reacted strangely. I don't believe he came back without an agenda. If it were me..." "If it were you, what?" Yang Bo gave a wicked grin. "If it were me, I’d claim there was a problem even if there wasn't, regardless of what was actually going on in my uncle’s shop. An eye for an eye, right?" "But why hasn't he said anything?" "..." Yang Bo was stumped. "Is it because his moral standards are higher than yours?" Yang Bo clicked his tongue. "...Impossible! I am the gold standard!" Lu Linjiang gave him a look of disdain. "Or perhaps he doesn't have evidence..." Lu Linjiang leaned against the tree. "He was swindled out of his house and money by his uncle and then driven from his hometown. After a lesson like that, no matter what his purpose is for returning, he would understand that without solid evidence, he has to be extremely cautious with his words and actions." "Is he that clever?" "He was clever enough to lead you right into a crowd; I don't believe he lacks that much brainpower." Lu Linjiang was about to say more when the phone in his pocket vibrated. Seeing the name "Jiang Cheng" on the screen, he immediately answered. "How is it?" "Positive," Jiang Cheng said quickly. "Have you tracked down where the person was infected?" "No..." Lu Linjiang said with difficulty. He had worked under Chu Juxian for many years, and even as a rookie, he had never been afraid to admit he hadn't found a lead. Lu Linjiang had always believed that no killer could slip past him; a temporary lack of findings just meant he hadn't integrated enough information yet. However, at this moment, he was extremely reluctant to admit that after being here for a day, he had found almost nothing. This wasn't just because of Guo Junyi’s test results; more importantly, he didn't want to disappoint Jiang Cheng. Fortunately, Jiang Cheng didn't seem to mind. "It would be best if you could find out exactly what he ate. That would give us a high chance of finding the host. If we can confirm the host, everything will be resolved." Lu Linjiang gave a soft grunt of affirmation. Jiang Cheng hung up, his mind already planning the next steps. "Dr. Yao, we need an isolated infectious disease ward now." "That won't be a problem," Yao Jingbo replied. "I have plenty of friends at the CDC; I just need to give them a heads-up. Anything else we need to prepare?" "The CDC should have antiviral drugs..." Jiang Cheng paused. Everyone present knew that existing antivirals would likely be useless against Gaimore. "We have to try anyway. Even if it only delays things by a single day." "Quite the desperate struggle, indeed..." Guo Junyi remarked with a sigh. *** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 修斯 | Sirius | A research project or group involved with the Gaimore virus. 韦恩·沃斯 | Wayne Worth | A renowned virus researcher. 迪恩·沃斯 | Dean Worth | Wayne Worth's son. 驼城 | Tuocheng | Literally "Camel City," the location where the infection source is suspected. 神仙乐 | Immortal’s Joy | The name of the restaurant/establishment in the village. 崔斌 | Cui Bin | A local man in Tuocheng who is a person of interest in the investigation.