This endeavor requires extensive experimentation and a considerable investment of time.
Upon discovering that An Qi also carried the virus, she and An Qi were immediately isolated. Until a viable treatment could be researched, every new infection carried the potential cost of a human life.
And if the epidemic were to spread, it would undoubtedly be a catastrophe!
The experts began to question An Qi—a crucial process involving numerous queries across a broad spectrum of concerns.
Meanwhile, Wang Zhuo joined another team of experts, plunging into the research dedicated to eradicating the virus. Whether it was contagious was a secondary concern; saving An Qi’s life now took absolute priority!
Had it not been for the transfer from the Second General Hospital, Wang Zhuo would never have been admitted to this expert contingent. However, the affiliated hospital of the Medical University knew him well, aware that he had been involved in the entire development process of Wangchao Wuliang and the Xin Sheng Hair Removal Potion. Though young, he was already an established figure in the field of medicine.
Although clearing blood-borne viruses wasn't exactly his area of expertise, no one on the research team slighted him. The experts from the Second General Hospital had consulted twice without identifying the virus, yet he spotted it instantly. This feat alone was enough to demonstrate his capability.
The first day slipped away just like that.
He Ye, who studied stomatology, could offer almost no assistance and was deeply worried about Wang Zhuo’s safety. She lay awake past midnight before realizing that she had genuinely fallen in love with Wang Zhuo as a person, rather than simply being concerned about the twenty percent shares she hadn't yet secured.
Xu Chu was sent back to school by her grandfather, who had rushed over. Xu Xinhang feared the virus's transmissibility; if his precious granddaughter were infected before the antibody was developed, it would be an unforgivable sin.
Wang Zhuo dismissed his bevy of female admirers, leaving only Fu Xinran behind. This was partly due to her persistence and partly because she was genuinely the only capable partner he had.
Wang Zhuo held one unwavering conviction: An Qi must not die. This problem must be solved!
That night, countless people who cared for him prayed silently for him and An Qi.
...
Solving a novel virus can be simple, or it can be exceedingly difficult.
Humanity took months to conquer SARS, but it required hundreds of years to eradicate smallpox.
Moreover, some relatively unknown viruses are eliminated in their infancy right as they emerge.
Wang Zhuo was racing against time; he had to destroy this virus before it claimed An Qi’s life!
By the third day, the transmission route had been roughly determined: the virus could not spread through droplets or casual contact. It required a certain volume of blood as a vector to complete transmission.
Upon hearing this report, everyone frowned slightly.
"Similar to AIDS?"
"Could frequent, prolonged contact cause spread? Like these patient sisters; they are practically inseparable."
"How much blood volume is required for the vector?"
Experts voiced their insights one after another. Wang Zhuo suddenly asked, "Any news from the epidemic monitoring division these past two days?"
Fu Xinran replied, "They called once the afternoon before yesterday, saying everything was normal. I don't know if they've been contacted since yesterday."
"There might already be other patients, they just haven't discovered them yet," Wang Zhuo stated grimly. "Call them immediately and check the situation."
Experts are human; who doesn't have friends and family? Wang Zhuo’s words struck a chord, and everyone looked toward Fu Xinran, clearly expecting her to make the call right then and there.
After the call ended, everyone cursed under their breath. What did they mean by "more people have colds due to abnormal recent temperatures"? What did they mean by "the deaths of a few elderly people might be due to old age"? What did they mean by "the number of untreated patients cannot be quantified"?
Wasn't the Epidemic Monitoring Center established for precisely this purpose?!
"It’s fortunate Wang Zhuo thought of this. The monitoring center staff are completely unreliable! They treat the Mayor’s orders like background noise!"
"Let’s call Secretary Xiao Liu for Mayor Wang and report them!"
"So irresponsible. This concerns the safety of tens of millions of people in the entire city; this is sheer folly!"
"Wang Zhuo, thank goodness you thought of it!"
Listening to the experts' heated discussion, Wang Zhuo managed a wry smile and shook his head. "I wasn't thinking that deeply. I just wanted to find a few more patients for clinical observation, making it easier to cure An Qi’s illness sooner."
...
A testing strip gently stirred in a beaker. Wang Zhuo’s eyes were bloodshot; he hadn't slept properly in two nights, only catching catnaps on the sofa when exhaustion became unbearable.
Fu Xinran felt her heart ache for him but dared not urge him to rest, as An Qi’s life was at stake.
His handsome face was now covered in stubble, and fatigue had etched itself onto his features. Occasionally, a yawn would escape, carrying a faint scent that seemed to momentarily break the intensity of the scene.
Yet, Fu Xinran didn't find it unpleasant at all; instead, she was deeply moved by this man of deep loyalty and feeling.
Among this research team of over twenty people, many experts had assistants, but she was undoubtedly the most beautiful. Unfortunately, Wang Zhuo, by her side, was too preoccupied with the research to appreciate it, wholly dedicated to saving An Qi’s life.
Saving An Qi’s life meant saving An Qi’s life too. The two sisters, suffering the same affliction, were both admitted to the ICU ward. An Qi’s constitution was stronger, and the discovery was timely, so her condition was temporarily under control.
But newly discovered infected patients were being sent in sequentially, and news had finally begun to spread outward.
Do you remember the panic caused by SARS in 2003? The situation was already trending in that direction because the transmission route had finally been found!
The main culprit was a small insect Wang Zhuo had explicitly identified: the mosquito!
Mosquitoes are pests that can never be completely eradicated. Wherever humans are, they leave their trace; they are ubiquitous and insidious. During SARS, patients could be isolated to curb transmission, but if this new virus spreads, who can separate mosquitoes from humanity?!
On the sixth day of the expert team’s formation, Qin Xue arrived!
On the seventh day, the first case appeared in Beijing!
On the eighth day, personnel from the Ministry of Health arrived!
On the tenth day, provinces like Guangdong and Zhejiang also reported the epidemic and formed medical expert teams to conquer the virus!
On the eleventh day, Fu Xinran was shaving the sleeping Wang Zhuo with an electric shaver when earth-shattering news arrived: central government representatives were coming!
In the evening's happiest half-hour news broadcast, there was still no mention of the relevant news. Instead, five full minutes were dedicated to promoting a nationwide sanitation campaign. Unfortunately, Wang Zhuo was immersed in his research and had no time to watch television.
After listening to Fu Xinran’s retelling, Wang Zhuo nodded. "Eliminating the breeding channels for mosquitoes can also achieve a certain degree of control over the epidemic."
While Wang Zhuo was washing his hands, Fu Xinran added, "I just finished a video call with Linlin. She is truly listening to you, staying home and not going anywhere."
Wang Zhuo shook his head. "If she were truly listening to me, she would have driven back to her hometown immediately."
Fu Xinran could only offer a bitter smile. The affairs of Wangchao Wuliang were now entirely shouldered by Gan Lin. Both she and Wang Zhuo were stretched too thin; there was no way Gan Lin would leave at a time like this.
...
His X-ray vision pierced through the test tube, magnifying the image a hundred, a thousand times. White blood cells became as large as footballs, their details crystal clear!
Wang Zhuo tried his best to conserve the use of his extraordinary ability, resting whenever possible, but the frequency of use was unavoidable, leading to an inevitable depletion.
However, during this period, he relied on his firm belief to overcome the aftereffects of sleep deprivation, existing in a state of pathological excitement, bordering on manic.
Another chemical agent had been cleverly evaded by the damnable virus. This virus hid inside its host, only splitting off when it came into contact with other viable cells. The drug's inhibitory effect on it was minimal.
Shaking his head, Wang Zhuo affixed a label to the test tube and returned it to its place. He sat down, rubbing his temples with both hands, closing his eyes to rest.
Fu Xinran grew increasingly worried about his health. In the last two days, as An Qi's condition worsened, his rest periods became more frequent, and he had visibly thinned out from exhaustion. His face was so gaunt it was almost unrecognizable; if she hadn't been by his side every day, she might not have recognized him.
Walking over to him, Fu Xinran knelt down, her heart aching, and gently urged him, "Wang Zhuo, you are too tired. Go take a shower and get some proper sleep."
"I dare not sleep..." Wang Zhuo sighed bitterly. The overdraft on his abilities had accumulated to a terrifying level recently. If he let his guard down and slept, who knew how long he would sleep? He might wake up to find everyone waiting for him to attend An Qi’s memorial service!
For An Qi’s life, for his unwavering conviction, he absolutely could not sleep!
"But if you don't rest now, before her illness is cured, you’ll collapse from exhaustion first." Fu Xinran instinctively reached for his cool hand, warming it between her palms.
"Do I look pathetic?" Wang Zhuo asked, touching his own face with his free hand, the sensation feeling foreign.
Fu Xinran felt an urge to cry, but she forced a smile so as not to affect his mood. "Rome wasn't built in a day. Scientific research isn't like a martial arts novel where one medicine cures all ills or poison fights poison—you taught me that."
"Poison fighting poison, huh?" Wang Zhuo managed a tight smile, thankful that Fu Xinran had applied lip balm, preventing his lips from cracking. "The other experts have already tried countless types of compounds, but none had any effect."
As he spoke, his eyes suddenly widened, practically emitting tangible light, and he shot up, startling Fu Xinran.
"I seem to have overlooked a very serious issue!"
He turned around in a frenzy of excitement, knocking over a chair without noticing, and rushed toward a corner of the laboratory!
He overlooked a serious issue, yet he was so happy? Fu Xinran paused, then suddenly understood his words: he had thought of a method they hadn't considered before!