Jiang Cheng merely took Jiang Langmin’s words as politeness; the man was always prone to exaggeration when praising others, so it was best to let such comments go in one ear and out the other. The two of them buried themselves in the laboratory, rarely emerging except for essential meals and rest. Thanks to Jiang Cheng’s thorough preliminary preparations, the experiment proceeded smoothly. In just one week, the first set of triple codon replications for the Gaimore virus had successfully completed its mutation.
By then, both Jiang Cheng and Jiang Langmin had developed heavy dark circles under their eyes. Jiang Langmin stared at the meager results of their labor, then solemnly plucked a white mouse from its cage.
“It’s down to you! Sacrifice yourself for my great cause. If we succeed, your name will go down in history. Future generations will…”
Jiang Cheng figured Jiang Langmin was truly exhausted. Otherwise, the man—who rarely spoke during experiments unless necessary—wouldn't be prattling on like this, let alone talking nonsense.
“Future generations… forget it, they’ll just be lab rats too,” Jiang Langmin muttered as he slowly injected the virus into the mouse’s body before placing it in a separate cage. He grabbed another mouse, injected it with the same dose, and returned it to the group.
“We’ll know within three days if this group is a success.” Jiang Langmin fell silent for a moment, then seemed to remember something. “How has Guo Junyi been these past few days?”
They had been so preoccupied that Jiang Langmin hadn't paid attention to anything outside the lab since the vaccine development began. Only now, with the first stage complete, did he recall the catalyst for their work.
“He’s alright,” Jiang Cheng replied. He made sure to check on Guo Junyi’s condition during his meal breaks. In truth, he didn't even need to ask; Lu Linjiang sent him daily updates. “His temperature has been hovering around thirty-nine degrees. It occasionally drops below that, but it spikes back up quickly.”
“I want to go see him tomorrow morning before coming back to the lab.”
Jiang Langmin knew exactly what Jiang Cheng was worried about. Guo Junyi had been on the medication for so long, yet his condition had only stabilized at the level of the first day of treatment. It was highly likely that the drug’s efficacy had plateaued—or worse, the virus was beginning to mutate under the stimulation of the medication.
“Theoretically, he still has fifteen days,” Jiang Langmin said, looking at Jiang Cheng. “He can pull through.”
In reality, if Guo Junyi weren't in an isolation ward, he likely wouldn't have lasted this long. The persistent high fever had left him utterly exhausted. As time went on, the effects of the antiviral agent became less pronounced. Initially, he could still cheerfully finish his meals on his own; a week later, he was restricted to a semi-liquid diet.
The spark in his eyes was also fading. When Jiang Cheng went to see him, Guo Junyi was drifting in and out of sleep, trapped in a state of delirium.
“The fever won't break. Once the antiviral dosage exceeds thirty milliliters, we stop seeing any significant improvement,” Ren Lifei reported.
Jiang Cheng looked at the bedridden Guo Junyi with a heavy expression. “Reduce the dosage. Go back to fifteen milliliters; there’s no need for more. If the therapeutic effect isn't clear, a higher dose might actually accelerate the virus's mutation.”
Ren Lifei nodded. “That’s all we can do. How is the progress on your end?”
“The first set of mutations is complete. To be safe, we’re conducting trials on rats. But Guo Junyi might not have much time, so we’ll speed things up.” Jiang Cheng frowned slightly as he reviewed Guo Junyi’s medical records from the past week.
Seeing him fall silent over the charts, Ren Lifei asked, “What is it?”
“…It’s nothing.” Despite his words, the expression on Jiang Cheng’s face suggested otherwise.
Ren Lifei assumed he had concerns about the treatment plan. “If you think there’s an issue with how I’m handling things here, feel free to speak up. Everything is for the sake of treating Guo Junyi; don’t worry about social niceties.”
“No,” Jiang Cheng quickly explained, realizing the misunderstanding. “I’m just a bit confused. The efficacy of the antiviral agent is deviating significantly from my initial projections.”
However, the antiviral agent hadn't undergone formal testing; it had been used on Guo Junyi out of desperation. Given that he hadn't shown any adverse reactions yet, it was already a stroke of luck.
Ren Lifei knew the origins of the drug. “To be honest, if not for this antiviral agent, Guo Junyi probably wouldn't have made it this far. Even if he had, the heavy use of steroids would have left him with grim long-term complications even if a vaccine were found. As it stands, while he isn't doing great compared to a healthy person, he’s in much better shape than any other Gaimore patient.”
“There are always surprises in virus research. These uncrowned kings of nature won't let us conquer them so easily.” Ren Lifei patted Jiang Cheng’s shoulder. “Jiang Cheng, you’ve done remarkably well. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. We’ll do our best to help Guo Junyi hold on until you finish the vaccine. You and Dr. Jiang just focus on your work.”
Ren Lifei was nearly sixty. Working in a hazmat suit was no easy feat for someone his age, yet he insisted on entering the isolation ward every day to examine Guo Junyi and update his records.
Some people, even after seeing death countless times, never simply surrender to it.
Jiang Cheng made a copy of the medical records. As he walked out of the CDC, he was surprised to see Lu Linjiang waiting outside. The man had parked his car haphazardly by the curb and was standing by the open passenger door, watching for him.
“What are you doing here?”
Lu Linjiang waved him over urgently. “Quick! The traffic police are about to write me a ticket!”
Sure enough, two traffic officers were checking for illegal parking not far behind him. Jiang Cheng had no choice but to run over. Lu Linjiang ushered him into the car and hit the gas, speeding away. Jiang Cheng glanced in the rearview mirror, only then realizing something. “Aren't you colleagues? Couldn't you just say hello?”
Lu Linjiang glanced at him. “The traffic department is strictly impartial. They ticket everyone, insider or not.”
Jiang Cheng frowned at him. Only then did Lu Linjiang admit, “Fine, I was just afraid you wouldn't get in the car.”
Jiang Cheng: “…”
The car drove smoothly toward the suburbs. For a while, neither of them spoke. Out of habit, Jiang Cheng pulled out his phone to simulate the remaining experimental steps, calculating if there was any way to shorten the timeline. He was deeply focused. Lu Linjiang stole a glance at him while waiting at a red light, and his gaze lingered—so much so that he didn't realize the light had turned green until the car behind them honked.
Jiang Cheng’s train of thought was shattered by the long blast of the horn. He looked up. “What’s going on?”
“They should all be fined. Honking is prohibited on this stretch of road,” Lu Linjiang grumbled.
Jiang Cheng looked at the car that had been in front of them, which was now a hundred meters ahead. “…”
Having successfully bluffed his way through, Lu Linjiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever picked you up or dropped you off before.”
Jiang Cheng felt that Lu Linjiang was acting strange in every possible way today. He had no desire to dig up the old, moldy grievances of the past, so he gave a vague reply. “Probably. I don’t really remember.”
“It must have been hard for you to put up with me for so long.”
“…” Jiang Cheng gave Lu Linjiang a searching look. “What did you eat today?”
“I just feel like… things weren't easy for you back then, and I was a real bastard,” Lu Linjiang said very seriously, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
Jiang Cheng couldn't help himself; he shifted his weight toward the door. Lu Linjiang was amused by his defensive posture. “Don’t be nervous. I’m just stating a fact that I used to deliberately ignore.”
Jiang Cheng recalled the two times Lu Linjiang had inexplicably clashed with Jiang Langmin, and his confusion deepened.
“I actually…” Lu Linjiang faltered. The speech he had prepared seemed to have vanished, leaving him unable to get a single word out.
“Actually, it’s just a sense of possessiveness, isn't it?” Jiang Cheng said, looking at Lu Linjiang. “You didn't actually like me before, but once someone else showed interest, that psychological trigger made you subconsciously believe you did. All your actions are likely driven by an external force. Once that force disappears, you’ll go back to normal.”
Even though Lu Linjiang had known his perception of Jiang Cheng was flawed, the other man’s sudden shift from his usual harmless demeanor to this blunt, logical rebuttal left him speechless.
He knew the "external force" Jiang Cheng referred to was Jiang Langmin. Lu Linjiang tried to defend himself. “It’s not that. I just have an instinctive distrust of Jiang Langmin.”
To Jiang Cheng, this sounded even more ridiculous, but he decided to save Lu Linjiang some face. “The Cui brothers on Liucheng Island liked the same girl. Whether it was out of genuine love or because of their family’s unpleasant history, I suppose only they know for sure.”
“Lu Linjiang, I… we tried for so long. Is there any need to waste more time?” The previously light atmosphere had turned heavy. Jiang Cheng was a gentle person at heart; realizing his tone had been a bit harsh, he tried to soften the blow. “To be honest, it would be more believable if you said you’d fallen for Jiang Langmin than what you’re doing now.”
Lu Linjiang slammed on the brakes so abruptly that Jiang Cheng nearly bit his tongue.
***
