The two of them locked eyes. Lu Linjiang waited for a moment, and seeing that she had no intention of speaking, he took the initiative. "My name is Lu Linjiang. May I ask if there’s something I can help you with?"
The woman remained silent, her gaze wary as she scrutinized him from head to toe. Lu Linjiang had no choice but to pull out his credentials. "This is my ID." He handed it to her. "I heard you’ve been looking for someone named 'Jiang' at Micro-U. Could you tell me who exactly you are looking for?"
The woman scanned his ID, her eyes flickering. After returning it to him, she pointed to her mouth and shook her head. Lu Linjiang froze for a second before realizing—she couldn't speak.
He thought for a moment, then repeated his question using sign language. *“If you are having trouble, I can help you.”*
The woman lowered her head slightly, then gave him a small smile and shook her head again.
Lu Linjiang was at a loss. He couldn't tell if her head-shake meant she didn't need help or if she didn't understand him. He tried asking again, slowing down his speech while continuing to sign. However, she ignored him. After staring at him fixedly for a few seconds, she suddenly started the engine and forced her way past him, nearly crowding him off the road as she drove away.
Lu Linjiang had never been so bewildered. He dialed the captain of the traffic police. "Chen Rui, do you remember that black Audi I asked you to keep an eye on?"
"I remember. The owner is a woman, no DUI. Why?"
"Did you check her license? What does she do?"
Chen Rui didn't even need to check his notes. "I checked. She has an international driver's license. She’s deaf-mute. Since there was no sign of drunk driving, we let her go. Why? Is there a problem on your end?"
"Hard to say. She just followed me for a while. When I stopped to ask her what she wanted, she wouldn't answer. I don't know what her deal is. Keep an eye on her from your end, just in case."
After finishing his instructions to Chen Rui, he returned to the car. Jiang Langmin had woken up at some point. Seeing him return, Jiang asked, "What happened? Why did you stop here?"
Lu Linjiang recalled what Chen Rui said about the international license. "Mr. Jiang, are you certain you don't know that woman who’s been looking for someone at Micro-U?"
Jiang Langmin looked at Lu Linjiang and gave a cold, mirthless smile. "Captain Lu, why are you so determined to link me to some woman?" He let out a soft huff. "Trying to make something out of a romantic connection... don't you think that's a bit low-brow?"
Lu Linjiang looked at him, speechless. "Maliciously speculating about other people's intentions isn't exactly high-brow either, is it?" He started the car. "She followed us for several blocks just now, she carries an international license, and your surname happens to be Jiang. That’s the only reason I asked."
Jiang Langmin looked out the rear window thoughtfully. "You stopped just because she was following us? Why didn't you just ask her who she's looking for?"
"I did. But she’s deaf-mute and refused to answer. I have no idea what she wants."
"Deaf-mute?"
"Yes," Lu Linjiang said, glancing sideways at Jiang Langmin. "Does that information ring any bells?"
Jiang Langmin arched an eyebrow. "None at all. I don't have anyone like that in my circle." He paused. "Captain Lu, maybe she’s looking for you. After all, your name has a 'Jiang' in it too."
Lu Linjiang: "..."
Jiang Langmin’s expression was perfectly normal, showing no signs of lying. Having the tables turned on him, Lu Linjiang fell silent and drove Jiang Langmin to the CDC. Guo Junyi was still asleep; he had spent most of the last few days in a stupor. For him, this was a mercy, as it meant he didn't have to endure the pain while fully conscious.
It happened that Zhuang Jingbo had just finished his shift and came to check on him. He stood outside the glass wall with Lu Linjiang, watching Jiang Langmin administer an injection to Guo Junyi.
"His temperature finally dropped today," Zhuang Jingbo said with relief. "Old Guo really danced on the edge of life and death this time."
Lu Linjiang hummed in agreement. Zhuang Jingbo looked around. "Jiang Cheng didn't come today?"
"He’s busy in the lab, so he stayed behind."
Zhuang Jingbo sighed. "Old Guo really is lucky that Jiang Cheng was around." He tilted his chin slightly toward Jiang Langmin. "Not only does the kid have guts and talent, but his connections are incredible. To be able to pull in a titan like Jiang Langmin and secure a lab and equipment just like that... Old Guo really hit the jackpot this time!"
Seeing how excited he was, Lu Linjiang shook his head with a smile. "If Guo Junyi heard you saying he hit the jackpot, I doubt he’d agree."
Zhuang Jingbo snorted. "He’s in no position to disagree. Let’s see him crawl out of bed and speak first."
By the time Lu Linjiang dropped Jiang Langmin back at Micro-U, it was nearly nine in the evening. For the past ten days, he and Jiang Cheng had been living and eating at the university for the sake of the experiments. Even though Jiang Langmin hadn't invited him, Lu Linjiang "professionally" escorted him all the way to the lab door.
Unfortunately, the lab didn't have a glass wall, so he couldn't see if Jiang Cheng was still inside. Lu Linjiang peered in twice, feeling a bit disappointed.
Jiang Langmin, who had been silent the whole way, finally spoke. "Do you need me to pass a message to him?"
Jiang Langmin was usually the picture of politeness. Even now, his tone and manner were perfectly civil, but to Lu Linjiang’s ears, the words sounded like a provocation.
"No need to trouble you, Mr. Jiang," Lu Linjiang replied with practiced courtesy. "If I have something to say, I'll tell Jiang Cheng myself."
Jiang Langmin nodded politely. "Micro-U isn't a convenient place for outsiders to linger. The security captain will be here shortly to escort you out. I’m heading into the lab now."
Standing outside the decontamination room as he was led away by the security captain, Lu Linjiang had no way of knowing that Jiang Langmin did not put on a hazmat suit to enter the lab. Instead, he opened a computer in his office adjacent to the decontamination room.
He used a proxy server to open his email and clicked into the spam folder. It was mostly filled with advertisements and various promotions. Jiang Langmin scrolled through, scanning each one, until he finally found an email received about ten days ago.
The email was from a stranger named "Martina." Inside, there was only one name: "Roman Salazar." As Jiang Langmin stared at the name, his entire aura turned as cold as a layer of thin ice.
He found three identical emails in the spam folder. Jiang Langmin recorded the sender's email address and then emptied the trash.
He sat in silence for a moment before clicking the internal comms. "Jiang Cheng, I’m not feeling well. I won't be coming into the lab tonight."
Jiang Cheng’s movements paused. "What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?"
"It’s nothing, just some stomach pain. Probably because of the irregular schedule lately." Jiang Langmin watched Jiang Cheng through the small monitor. "Don't worry. I’ll go back and take some medicine, then come back tomorrow."
Jiang Cheng didn't suspect a thing. He offered a few words of concern and continued his experiment. With his left hand, Jiang Langmin cut the communication; with his right, he pulled an object from his laptop bag that could be considered an antique—an old-fashioned phone with a nine-key keypad. Jiang Langmin powered it on and sent a message to the number associated with the sender's email.
He packed his things, taking only the antique phone. Clutching his stomach, he left the office and walked slowly toward the dormitory area in the rear building. Cheng Hao had temporarily cleared out two single dorms for their convenience; the two of them only returned there when they needed to change clothes. Jiang Langmin opened the door and stepped inside, unhurriedly changing into a set of black clothes. He checked himself in the full-length mirror, and once satisfied that nothing was amiss, he opened the wardrobe. He pushed aside the hanging clothes, revealing a control panel behind them.
He entered a string of numbers. The panel lit up, and the entire back of the wardrobe moved silently to the right, revealing a narrow door. Jiang Langmin slipped inside, passing through a cramped corridor that led directly to the emergency stairwell. He sent messages as he walked. By the time he reached the underground garage, Cheng Hao was already waiting by a car with a case in his hand.
"Going out this late?"
Jiang Langmin shot him a glance. "If you hadn't brought Lu Linjiang here without using your brain, I wouldn't have to go through all this trouble."
Cheng Hao gave a sheepish laugh. "I'll fire that brainless security captain later." Seeing Jiang Langmin get into the car, he asked worriedly, "Are you really going alone?"
"Are you going to go for me?" Jiang Langmin asked while buckling his seatbelt. Cheng Hao, leaning against the window, immediately took a step back. "No."
Jiang Langmin sighed. "Clean up the tracks."
Cheng Hao whistled. "I'll wait for your triumphant return."
Jiang Langmin put on a baseball cap, and the car slowly drove toward a more remote area. He drove almost a full circle around the outskirts of the city before arriving at a small park on the other side of Jinghai. This area had only recently begun development; the apartment complexes were still under construction, with scaffolding still hanging halfway up. The park was also slated for demolition, and usually, only stray cats and dogs frequented the place.
He parked the car in a secluded corner and walked along a dilapidated green belt for a while. Suddenly, he was blinded by a burst of intense light coming from ahead. Jiang Langmin instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes. After a long moment, he spoke.
"It's just me. Can you put the flashlight down now?"
