On his way to work the next morning, Lu Linjiang dropped Jiang Cheng off at the CDC. The place was already overcrowded. He double-checked Jiang Cheng’s mask before finally letting him out of the car.
"I'll pick you up after work. Be careful when you're in contact with patients. Remember to rest and drink water. The work belongs to them, but your body is your own. Got it?"
Jiang Cheng nodded obediently and reached for the door handle, only to have the hem of his coat firmly snagged. He turned back in surprise, finding Lu Linjiang looking at him with a heavy expression. "You forgot something."
Jiang Cheng looked around. He had only brought his phone and laptop, both of which were in his hands. "No, I didn't forget anyth—" Lu Linjiang’s eyes narrowed. Halfway through his sentence, Jiang Cheng finally realized. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Lu Linjiang’s cheek. "Right, right. Forgot this."
Only then did Lu Linjiang let go. Jiang Cheng’s eyes crinkled into a smile. Lu Linjiang didn't know what he was smiling about, but he instinctively smiled back. Jiang Cheng stepped out of the car, leaned down by the window, and looked at Lu Linjiang. "Then I'll wait for you tonight."
Lu Linjiang drove to the police station, only to find that the morning rush hour wasn't particularly congested today.
Yang Bo was sitting at his desk eating breakfast. These days, he no longer had to bring breakfast for Lu Linjiang or deal with his boss's picky and difficult palate. As Lu Linjiang walked past him, Yang Bo’s sharp eyes caught sight of the soy milk the captain was drinking. He had brought that same brand for Lu Linjiang before, and he remembered the look of pure disdain on Lu Linjiang’s face vividly.
"Captain Lu, didn't you say the soy milk from that shop tasted terrible?"
Lu Linjiang glanced at the cup in his hand. "Oh, Jiang Cheng bought it."
The expression on Yang Bo’s face nearly contorted. "So now it tastes good?"
Lu Linjiang looked at him. "Are you stupid?" Then, amidst Yang Bo’s bewildered expression, he added, "Jiang Cheng bought it. I have to finish it no matter what."
Yang Bo and Xu Sichen: "..."
Having been fed a faceful of "dog food" first thing in the morning, the duo expressed their silent contempt with their eyes.
Lu Linjiang finished the last sip, pulled the information board over, and quickly sketched several simplified diagrams of the subway layout. "Alright, let's get to work." He pulled a box of magnets from a drawer. "Come on, place the people according to the surveillance screenshots."
The three of them split the task and quickly pinned the photos onto the board. Looking at the finished board, Lu Linjiang’s face was so grim his thoughts were unreadable.
After a long silence, he finally moved. Lu Linjiang took a red marker and, referring to his notebook, began circling heads on the board.
The three diagrams captured three different time intervals during Chen Xintian’s commute. Lu Linjiang finished circling them quickly. The first diagram had the fewest circles; the middle one wasn't much better; but by the third one, near the time she disembarked, the number had surged. The two deceased individuals were also in the third diagram.
Then, Lu Linjiang placed checkmarks next to several circled people in the third diagram. At first, the other two were confused, but they soon noticed a pattern. The people with checkmarks were all those currently known to be in serious condition.
"I took a walk around the city hospital yesterday. These are all passengers who were on this subway train. And these..." Lu Linjiang tapped the people with checkmarks. "Are the ones in serious condition. Among them, Liu Qi and Han Huimin have already passed away. Zhang Zhiyu is in the ICU. Although Chen Xintian is in slightly better shape than them, according to the feedback from the doctors, her condition is still considered severe compared to the general public. Do you see the problem?"
"Based on the timeline, the number of patients clearly increased during the second half of the trip," Xu Sichen noted.
Yang Bo followed up: "Not just that. Look at the severe cases—they were all on Chen Xintian’s side of the carriage. Chen Xintian, Zhang Zhiyu, Liu Qi, and Han Huimin, the four most severe cases, are almost in a straight line. Compared to the left half of the carriage, it seems much worse."
"Exactly. It's very clear. The patients with the most severe symptoms we know of were all clustered in this half of the carriage during the latter half of Chen Xintian’s ride." Lu Linjiang tapped a spot on the board.
"What happened?" Yang Bo asked instinctively.
Xu Sichen, wearing a mask, couldn't help but sneeze again. Lu Linjiang handed her her water bottle. "I tried to pinpoint the timing yesterday. The only inference I can make—unless there were subtle movements we couldn't identify—is that one thing happened: this person spilled some water."
Lu Linjiang pointed to the man wearing the bucket hat. "From the moment this person boarded until he got off, his face was never captured clearly. Even in the few shots we have, it's very blurry. Under these circumstances, he is highly suspicious."
Yang Bo and Xu Sichen stared at the man Lu Linjiang was pointing to. Then, Xu Sichen said with a heavy nasal tone, "If we want to confirm this theory, we just need to check the status of the people around him."
Lu Linjiang circled several people around the bucket hat. "Yan Yichen is already being treated at the city hospital. As for the rest—Dai Yao, Lin Guangjun, Feng Xuanqi—check the major hospitals across the city in a bit to see if there’s any news. As for this 'Bucket Hat,' search with everything we've got. Leave no stone unturned to find him!"
The two acknowledged the order. Lu Linjiang looked at Xu Sichen. "How are you holding up? If you can't make it, take a break. I can pull in more staff."
"I can push through," Xu Sichen said. "I'm already taking medicine. Resting would just mean going home; I'd rather stay busy. Maybe I'll get better faster that way."
"Don't push yourself. We've already lost one person to sick leave," Yang Bo advised.
"I know my limits. Plenty of people in the bureau are pushing through just like me. If this really was intentional, every extra hand helps." Seeing Lu Linjiang’s worried look, she promised, "If I really can't handle it, I'll definitely ask for leave!"
Lu Linjiang sighed silently. "Fine. Use your best judgment."
***
Before he knew it, Jiang Cheng had worked straight through to the afternoon. This wave of virus was aggressive, and none of the currently known antiviral agents had shown significant efficacy. Having already read the materials provided by the CDC, Jiang Cheng had bypassed the study of existing effective drugs upon arrival and went straight to work on the viral genome.
Ren Lifei was also incredibly busy, but as he passed the laboratory door, he noticed Jiang Cheng was still inside. The boxed lunch he had bought for him was sitting on the outer office desk, clearly untouched.
Ren Lifei tapped on the glass. "Dr. Jiang, shouldn't you eat first?"
Jiang Cheng looked up from the equipment. "Ah, Director Ren. Just call me Jiang Cheng. Almost done. The results will be out in just a moment."
Ren Lifei was deeply impressed by this outside expert's dedication. "Jiang Cheng, staying in front of the machine won't make it go any faster. Why don't you eat first? Do you want me to heat it up for you?"
"No, no, no need. I'll do it myself." Jiang Cheng hurriedly washed and disinfected his hands before coming out.
Ren Lifei teased him, "Captain Lu gave me a thousand instructions and ten thousand warnings. If he knew you hadn't eaten by this hour, he'd probably say we were enslaving you."
Jiang Cheng felt embarrassed as he put the food into the microwave. "I'm sorry to trouble you with buying my lunch. Thank you."
Shen Lei, who walked in carrying some files, smiled at his words. "Then you're thanking the wrong person. Lu Linjiang timed it perfectly and ordered the delivery himself." She glanced at the microwave. "You haven't eaten yet?"
"Mm."
"If I hadn't called him, he'd still be busy right now." Ren Lifei shook his head. "By the way, I've read the paper you brought. It's quite fascinating. Why haven't I seen it published?"
Jiang Cheng explained the situation at the time. "Actually, it's always been on my mind, but I just couldn't find the time."
Ren Lifei nodded, then suddenly asked, "Jiang Cheng, I recall you're graduating this year, aren't you?"
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Yes. Once the thesis is settled, I'll be done."
Ren Lifei naturally knew the content of his thesis. "That paper of yours—it wouldn't have any problems no matter where it was submitted. I'm sure your mentor must be very pleased." The old man asked craftily, "Since graduation is just a matter of time anyway, have you thought about where you want to go afterward?"
Jiang Cheng had naturally thought about it. Before receiving the letter from Worth, he had planned to return to the university in the US where he did his Master's to continue his research. But that letter had changed everything. From the moment he dropped everything to rush back to China, leaving again would likely not be as simple as it once was.
Moreover, he didn't seem to have any desire to leave again.
Ren Lifei’s question was undoubtedly an olive branch. The microwave beeped, signaling the heating was finished, but Jiang Cheng was in no hurry to get his lunch. Suppressing a smile, he said, "Not yet."
Ren Lifei had clearly expected this answer. "Look, how about coming to work for me?" Ren Lifei had asked around before coming and had a general idea of Jiang Cheng’s situation. Seeing that his relationship with Lu Linjiang had mended, he naturally felt the possibility of the young man going abroad again was slim.
Jiang Cheng gave a brilliant smile. "Well, that depends on the salary."
Ren Lifei: "Huh?"
"Director Ren, if the salary is right, I can work anywhere."
The words couldn't have been more direct. Ren Lifei smiled and nodded. "The benefits will be excellent."
As they were chatting, the indicator light in the adjacent lab lit up. Jiang Cheng jumped up and rushed inside. Ren Lifei called out twice but couldn't stop him. He sighed, "He won't even eat his food!"
Shen Lei huffed, about to say something, when she saw Jiang Cheng, who was standing before the equipment, suddenly turn pale. His expression became terrible. Ren Lifei, who was waiting for the results, noticed it too. He turned on the intercom. "Jiang Cheng, what is it?"
Jiang Cheng didn't seem to hear him, staring with a deathly pale face at the results displayed on the machine. The nearby researcher also took a few looks and shook his head blankly at the two people outside the lab, indicating he didn't see anything unusual. Ren Lifei waited a moment before finally asking again.
Only then did Jiang Cheng look up, speaking one word at a time. "This is a mutation of Influenza A."
To the CDC, a mutation of the flu virus was nothing new. Minor changes every five years and major ones every ten were standard; the changes in nature were always faster than medical interventions. But that didn't explain why Jiang Cheng’s face looked so ghastly.
Sure enough, Jiang Cheng continued. "There is a sequence... it's the one from my paper."
"Director Ren, this flu epidemic is man-made."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 渔夫帽 | Bucket hat | Refers to the suspicious individual on the subway. |
| 狗粮 | Dog food | Chinese internet slang for public displays of affection (PDA). |
| 刘奇 | Liu Qi | A deceased subway passenger. |
| 韩慧敏 | Han Huimin | A deceased subway passenger. |
| 张志宇 | Zhang Zhiyu | A subway passenger in the ICU. |
| 严一辰 | Yan Yichen | A subway passenger seeking treatment. |
| 戴姚 | Dai Yao | A subway passenger being tracked. |
| 林广君 | Lin Guangjun | A subway passenger being tracked. |
| 冯萱琪 | Feng Xuanqi | A subway passenger being tracked. |
| 任立飞 | Ren Lifei | Director of the CDC. |
| 甲型流感 | Influenza A | The base virus of the current outbreak. |
