“One must always remain hopeful. If Gaimore has a self-healing property, perhaps you’ll pull through if you can just hold on for one more day!” Jiang Cheng encouraged.
Guo Junyi tilted his head, his eyes crinkling into a smile as if lost in thought. “Then I truly would be a pioneer, the first in history—I’d be in the record books!”
That same night, Yao Jingbo arranged a ward for Guo Junyi. He didn’t even need to pull any strings; the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was already on high alert because of Guzman. Upon hearing that Guo Junyi, who had been in close contact with Guzman, was also infected, the entire CDC immediately escalated to a Level 1 combat readiness state.
As one of the people who had been in close proximity to Guo Junyi, Shen Lei was urgently summoned back in the middle of the night. She nearly lost her mind when she learned he had been infected with Gaimore.
“I...”
“You won’t be infected. You didn’t have any contact with his bodily fluids,” Jiang Cheng said, immediately sensing her anxiety and offering comfort.
“And you are?” Shen Lei asked, puzzled. This man had been there since she arrived, and even the director treated him with great courtesy.
“My name is Jiang Cheng. I’m a researcher from Hughes.”
Realization dawned on Shen Lei, and she finally felt at ease regarding Jiang Cheng’s assurance that she couldn’t be infected. The CDC immediately organized an expert panel to analyze Guo Junyi’s condition.
Ren Lifei, a member of the expert panel, asked Jiang Cheng, “Dr. Jiang, would you be willing to join our treatment team?” Jiang Cheng’s resume at Hughes was simply too impressive to ignore. If he joined, his personal abilities would be a massive boon to the treatment; more importantly, they might be able to access Hughes’s resources through him.
Though the hope of curing Guo Junyi was slim, it would undoubtedly allow them to gain a deeper understanding of Gaimore’s characteristics.
Jiang Cheng welcomed the invitation. He shared all the research papers related to Gaimore stored on his computer. Although the CDC staff had read most of these papers, the versions Jiang Cheng shared included his own insights and interpretations, categorized by different research directions.
Ren Lifei skimmed through them and sighed in admiration. “As expected of a talent capable of entering Hughes!”
Jiang Cheng felt a bit embarrassed. “Actually, my seniority at Hughes is quite low. Once I get in touch with them later, they might be able to provide a better plan.”
As he spoke, Jiang Cheng checked the time. “Since you all have things handled here, I’d like to head to Tuocheng first. I heard the previous victim, Guzman, visited there. Perhaps I’ll find something new.”
This was undoubtedly a good plan. Jiang Cheng and Shen Lei took a night bus toward Tuocheng. Halfway through the journey, Jiang Langmin finally called.
“Thank goodness you finally called.”
Jiang Langmin let out a soft chuckle. “What, did you miss me?”
Jiang Cheng glanced at Shen Lei beside him and leaned slightly toward the aisle. “No. Senior, Guo Junyi’s test came back positive. He’s infected.”
There was silence on the other end for a moment. After a long pause, Jiang Langmin said, “Cheng Hao told me everything was fine. How did this...”
“Yes, he only started running a low fever tonight.” Jiang Cheng paused. “Senior, I feel like something is wrong... When Guo Junyi performed the autopsy on Guzman, Guzman had been dead for over twelve hours. How could it still...”
Jiang Langmin sighed. “It’s like the old saying: it’s all down to luck. This afternoon, Mrs. Tao invited the entire institute to her place to say goodbye to Professor Tao. One second she was speaking perfectly fine, and the next, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.”
“What?” Jiang Cheng asked in shock. “How is she now?”
“We sent her to the hospital. She has no family nearby, so we’ve set up a shift rotation for everyone to watch over her. When you called earlier, it was pure chaos, and I couldn’t get to the phone.”
Jiang Cheng leaned back wearily against his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It really is a turbulent time... By the way, I couldn’t reach you earlier, so I contacted Professor Wentworth. He...”
“What happened to him?”
“He’s ill. He’s already been moved to the ICU.”
“...” Jiang Langmin let out a soft sigh. “This is truly... Is there anything I can do to help with Guo Junyi’s situation?”
“I’d like to ask you to help me with the final steps of my research,” Jiang Cheng said. “The antiviral agent I’m working on only needs the final synthesis and purification. I’ve already written out the procedural design; it’s on my computer. I’ve also prepared the reagents in my personal storage locker. Once it’s done, please find a way to send it to me.”
Jiang Langmin didn’t hesitate. “Alright. Once it’s finished, I’ll deliver it myself. I wouldn’t feel right giving it to anyone else.”
Jiang Cheng felt a bit apologetic. “I’m really putting you out.”
Jiang Langmin’s tone finally lightened. “There’s no need for such politeness between us.”
Jiang Cheng didn’t have the energy to dwell on such things. He exchanged a few more polite words before hanging up and sending his password to Jiang Langmin. It was nearly dawn, but he didn’t feel the slightest bit sleepy. He simply opened his laptop and checked his design over and over again.
When the two of them stepped off the bus, the sky over Tuocheng was just beginning to brighten. By the time they made their way to Liucheng Island, a large crowd of tourists was already waiting at the pier.
Compared to Jinghai, Liucheng Island felt as though it were standing on the tail end of spring, ready to leap straight into summer. Jiang Cheng hadn’t expected such a large temperature difference; after all, there was still unthawed snow in the nooks and crannies of Jinghai.
He rolled up his sleeves and picked up Shen Lei’s suitcase. The section of wrist he exposed was alarmingly thin, looking as if it were merely skin wrapped over bone. Shen Lei looked at her own wrist and then his, feeling conflicted. “Jiang Cheng, let me carry the suitcase myself.”
“It’s fine.” Jiang Cheng shifted slightly away. “I only have one bag anyway; it’s no trouble.” He searched for a moment before finally finding the sightseeing bus stop marked on the map. “Let’s get on the bus first. I’ll ask Lu Linjiang where they are.”
Lu Linjiang hadn’t expected Jiang Cheng to come. He and Yang Bo had spent the night scouting Liucheng Island, thoroughly circling the place. They had discovered that the Elegant Taste Pavilion was significantly larger than the other shops. They had also made a trip to the ranch outside the village; it was located at the foot of a hill and seemed to house quite a few animals.
Aside from becoming more familiar with the terrain, they hadn't gained much. When they returned to Immortal’s Joy, the owner was either still awake or had already gotten up. He was sitting on the sofa next to the cash register, brewing Kung Fu tea and listening to the radio with his eyes closed.
The dogs in the courtyard were barking fiercely. Fortunately, they were leashed; otherwise, they likely would have charged. Boss Cui tapped his teacup against the table, coughed, and spat loudly. The dogs immediately fell silent and retreated to their kennels.
“You’re back,” Boss Cui said, standing up. “There isn’t much to do on the island at night besides a few small bars. Did you have fun?”
Lu Linjiang gave a polite smile. “It was alright. You’re up early, Boss?”
Boss Cui nodded. “I’m getting old; I don’t need much sleep. It’s good to be young like you.”
“That’s about the only good thing,” Lu Linjiang remarked. “In the end, you elders are still the formidable ones.”
Boss Cui’s expression froze for a split second before he laughed. “Not at all, not at all. You young people are too modest. Want some breakfast? Should I have some sent up in a bit?”
Lu Linjiang shook his head. “No need. That ‘Boiled Thousand Troops’ from last night hasn’t even digested yet. Thanks anyway, Boss.” He yawned as he headed upstairs. “Boss, that dish was a total rip-off. Instead of sending breakfast, why don’t you give me a discount on the room rate?”
Cui Shihai chuckled, teacup in hand, his eyes cold as he watched Lu Linjiang and Yang Bo disappear around the corner of the stairs.
Lu Linjiang hadn't even had the chance to fall into a deep sleep before he was jolted awake by the sudden vibration of his phone. He groanningly tried to turn it off, only to see two familiar characters on the screen.
“Jiang Cheng.” Lu Linjiang’s mind cleared instantly. Jiang Cheng had sent a message saying he would arrive at Liucheng Island shortly. Lu Linjiang stared at it for a moment, then immediately jumped out of bed, threw on his clothes, and headed for the pier.
When he arrived, he saw Jiang Cheng shielding Shen Lei amidst the crowded throng, waiting in line for the sightseeing bus. Jiang Cheng used to be very inconspicuous; even though his features were handsome, he had a strange lack of presence. Even if he were standing right next to you, no one would particularly notice him.
But now, he could be recognized at a glance in the crowd. It wasn't just because Jiang Cheng was several shades paler than everyone else, but because there was a unique temperament about him in his chestnut-colored sweater. Standing among a group of tourists who looked both curious and restless, Jiang Cheng appeared entirely serene, as if time itself slowed down around him.
Lu Linjiang snapped out of his daze, wondering if he had slept too little last night and made his brain a bit sluggish. Using his tall, sturdy frame to his advantage, he squeezed through to Jiang Cheng’s side and asked, “Why are you here?”
Jiang Cheng didn't notice him until Lu Linjiang was almost right in front of him. Seeing him push through the crowd despite the reprimands of those around him, Jiang Cheng could only offer apologetic bows. “I’m sorry, he’s my friend.” Once the commotion in the crowd subsided slightly, he answered, “I came to take a look. I thought I might be able to help.”
The crowd began to move forward. Lu Linjiang extended his arms, using his body as a shield to completely block off the crowd behind them, finally giving Jiang Cheng some breathing room.
“How is Guo Junyi?”
Jiang Cheng shook his head. “He tested positive. He’s started running a low fever again. We don’t have much time left.”
“How long?”
“Optimistically, no more than twenty days.” Jiang Cheng spoke as he walked, looking back at Lu Linjiang. The surrounding chatter was too loud, so he had to lean a bit closer to Lu Linjiang to avoid having to shout. “In reality, twenty days is being optimistic. Factoring in various elements, we might only have fifteen days. Within that time, assuming we find the host and successfully synthesize a vaccine, that alone will take at least two to three days.”
“Even if everything goes smoothly in the later stages, we might actually only have ten days.” As Jiang Cheng was speaking, Lu Linjiang suddenly reached out and grabbed him. Jiang Cheng startled and instinctively looked back, only to realize that if Lu Linjiang hadn't pulled him, he would have walked right into Shen Lei.
“Thanks.”
“The timeline is that tight...”
“Do you have any leads?” Shen Lei asked.
“A few. The current problem is that we don’t have any concrete evidence,” Lu Linjiang said with some frustration.
Jiang Cheng glanced at Lu Linjiang. He hadn't shaved, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face was oily; it was obvious he hadn't slept all night. No one would blame Lu Linjiang for being inefficient, but with Guo Junyi’s life hanging in the balance, the phrase “just do your best” was impossible to say.
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Fatal Virus | Chapter 38 | A Race Against Time | Novela.app | Novela.app
