Director Wang’s X-ray vision has gained a new function! All applause, flowers, and votes—shower them upon him!
The Mad Mosquito Virus, referred to as the mm virus, is an abbreviation derived from the first two letters of the English terms md and mqui.
Why is it that a virus first discovered by the Chinese was given an English name? Because the student who discovered it and named the virus, Wang Zhuo, simply didn't have the time to waste any more brain cells on the nomenclature!
As for the Wang-brand medicine used to treat the Mad Mosquito Virus, he fell asleep before he even had a chance to name it, and later the director of the Affiliated Hospital of the Medical University gave it the codename "Angel Number One," which was actually derived from the name Anqi.
After the "relevant departments" seized the research fruits that rightfully belonged to Wang Zhuo, they didn't change these designations, continuing to use the names "mm virus" and "Angel."
For the people of today, the specialized medication for the Mad Mosquito Disease is indeed the life-saving Angel for the patients.
Yet, such an "Angel" dedicated to preserving life has failed to reach this small place called Zhihe County in Hexi Province. The hospital wards are full of quarantined patients, suffering from a shortage of doctors and medicine, while the news broadcasts claim the epidemic within the country has been brought under complete control and drug supplies are ample. Where exactly is the problem?
……
Li Shouyi sat nervously opposite Wang Zhuo in his office. Wang Zhuo had already instructed the soldiers to usher out all the other doctors, leaving just the two of them.
“You probably don’t yet grasp the severity of the situation, do you?”
Wang Zhuo sneered, pressing him: “Do you know why these soldiers are here?”
Li Shouyi stiffly shook his head, his gaze flickering evasively.
“Stop playing games with me!” Wang Zhuo thundered. “You started administering medicine to the patients late, and you only started doing so when we arrived. Do you really think I don’t know what’s going on?”
Li Shouyi remained silent.
“Li Shouyi!” Wang Zhuo suddenly roared, startling Li Shouyi into snapping his head up to look at him.
A light, almost tangible, shot out from Wang Zhuo’s eyes, striking deep into Li Shouyi’s very soul. His voice boomed like thunder as he interrogated, “Speak! Where has the 'Angel' medicine allocated to Zhihe County gone?!”
This gaze was imbued with his special ability, capable of causing the subject’s mind to momentarily falter, forcing an instinctive and truthful answer to his questions. Afterwards, when the subject recalled the event, there would be a gap of hazy memory.
“I-it was…” Li Shouyi’s eyes darted around in confusion, his expression showing clear struggle and hesitation, but he finally spat out the answer: “It was withheld by County Magistrate Cheng.”
Wang Zhuo paused. Could it be true, as Qin Xue had suggested, that the state had indeed dispatched the medicine, and the shortage in Zhihe County was due to local issues?
Seizing the moment while Li Shouyi was still disoriented, he immediately pressed further: “Why did he withhold the medicine?!”
Sweat beaded on Li Shouyi’s cheek. He struggled to articulate, “I heard—I heard it was being smuggled abroad to be sold!”
The moment the words left his mouth, he snapped back from his dazed state. His eyes cleared, and he instinctively shook his head, momentarily confused about what had just transpired.
Wang Zhuo had only just discovered this new feature of his X-ray vision and wasn't entirely sure how Li Shouyi was feeling, but he wasn't worried about exposing his ability. Li Shouyi would surely convince himself afterward that he had been so terrified that he suffered a momentary dizzy spell.
Wang Zhuo didn't press further about County Magistrate Cheng or the smuggling, wary that it might jog Li Shouyi’s memory regarding the few lost seconds. He merely remained silent, a cold expression fixed on his face, processing the information.
After a moment, he asked coldly, “How many Mad Mosquito Virus infected patients are there in the entire hospital?”
“Over seventy,” Li Shouyi replied truthfully.
Wang Zhuo glanced at him and asked, “And in the entire county? How many hospitals are equipped to house patients with the Mad Mosquito Virus? How many patients are there in total?”
Li Shouyi was about to evade the question by claiming ignorance, but a sharp glare from Wang Zhuo made him flinch violently. He quickly corrected himself: “There are three hospitals in the county capable of treating these patients. In total, there are about two hundred patients!”
Wang Zhuo nodded. “Out of these two hundred people, has anyone received the Angel treatment?”
“This…” Li Shouyi’s face once again contorted with difficulty, unsure how to answer.
“You don’t want to answer, is that it?” Wang Zhuo gave a faint, cold laugh. “Fine then. Since you’re being uncooperative, I’ll ask someone else.”
Relief? No! Hearing Wang Zhuo say he would drop the matter, Li Shouyi didn't feel happy; instead, his body jerked with fear. This was clearly an opportunity to redeem himself, and missing it would likely lead to lifelong regret!
Wang Zhuo’s gaze, subtly laced with his ability, had indeed acted as a suggestion. This was the opposite of the forceful application used moments before, yet it possessed a different, subtle efficacy, causing Li Shouyi to subconsciously drop his guard and prepare to reveal the whole truth!
He hesitated for a moment, then finally ground out through clenched teeth, “The Angels were intercepted. Only a few critically ill patients received treatment, or perhaps some individuals of rank and status. However, a new batch of medicine should arrive soon; by the day after tomorrow at the latest, all patients will receive treatment.”
“Why were they intercepted? Where did they go?” Wang Zhuo cast him a faint look and continued to inquire.
“I suspect smuggling,” Li Shouyi decided to go all the way, revealing everything in one go. “For two hundred patients, the county will definitely inflate the numbers to three hundred or five hundred, and then smuggle those medicines overseas. They’ll stall the patients’ conditions for a while; after all, if managed properly, no one will die immediately. Once the new batch of Angel medicine arrives, they can treat them then.”
Wang Zhuo had already formed some initial analysis, and upon hearing Li Shouyi’s words, all the clues connected, leading to a sudden realization!
It turned out the situation was even more serious than anticipated, potentially involving the national interest and hinting at serious suspicion!
That County Magistrate Cheng, who intercepted the Angels, must have kept a small quantity to control the local death toll from the Mad Mosquito Disease and to treat those with social connections or status, while selling the vast majority of the Angels abroad. These could be developed nations that hadn't yet received official Chinese "Angel Aid," perhaps some overseas medical institution, or maybe even the black market. This had gone beyond mere embezzlement and corruption; it bordered on aiding the enemy!
His brow furrowed. He asked doubtfully, “Aren’t medical units part of the government system? How could a County Magistrate control them?”
Li Shouyi had forgotten that he himself had provided the initial clue about County Magistrate Cheng. Hearing Wang Zhuo ask, he assumed Wang Zhuo already possessed insider knowledge, so he spilled everything without reservation.
“County Magistrate Cheng is the supreme ruler of Zhihe County. His older brother is the secretary to Vice Governor Han…”
Wang Zhuo murmured an "Oh," sinking into thought. If Zhihe County had secretly shipped the Angels out immediately, using the fastest means of transport, they could have delivered the batch abroad at least three to four days before the nation provided its first official Angel aid to friendly nations. This was a grave matter that could not be handled unilaterally.
He should call Qin Xue!
He called a soldier in, instructing him to have Li Shouyi wait outside the door. Wang Zhuo then phoned Qin Xue, giving a detailed account of the situation in Zhihe County.
Qin Xue listened quietly, occasionally interjecting to ask for specific details. After Wang Zhuo finished, he paused for a moment in thought, then solemnly instructed Wang Zhuo not to leave the hospital and to await his word.
……
The atmosphere at Zhihe County Hospital was tense. Many Mad Mosquito Virus patients and their families were pleasantly surprised—the medicine had arrived!
But Wang Zhuo, observing coldly, noticed that the dose of Angel administered to each patient was only half the required amount. While this could somewhat control the illness, without continuous treatment, the condition would revert to its current state after only about a dozen hours.
Clearly, this was a manufactured situation orchestrated by County Magistrate Cheng, who was tightly monitoring the hospital. He could fool the patients, their families, and many hospital staff, but he could not fool Wang Zhuo’s X-ray vision.
The exact units of leukocyte inhibitors in the saline bags were plain as day through Wang Zhuo’s sight.
It seemed this was all the Angel reserve left for the entire county. It had originally been set aside for any sudden infection among county leaders or their families, but now, to deal with Wang Zhuo and his unexpected entourage, they had been forced to reluctantly bring it out in a bid to pass off a sham.
Wang Zhuo could guess with his knees that the other two hospitals in the county were certainly still suffering from shortages, because the county’s entire reserve of Angels had long since been transferred away by County Magistrate Cheng!
……
Bai Lu woke up.
The newly replaced Wang-brand agent had an immediate effect. Her sluggish white blood cells were engaged in a sustained struggle against the infected comrades, and her body temperature rose noticeably as the battle intensified, flushing her bright face a rosy hue.
“Siyuan?”
A familiar yet slightly unfamiliar face was right beside her. She instinctively tried to rub her eyes, wondering if she was mistaken.
Siyuan quickly pressed down on her arm—this was no time for games, given the IV drip!
“Xiao Bai, it’s me, yes. Instructor Wang and I rushed here from Jiangzhou to save you!” Siyuan said with a bright smile. “We’ve switched you to the new medicine; you’re safe now.”
“Thank you. Wang Zhuo is here too?” Bai Lu showed surprise mixed with a trace of apprehension, clearly harboring complex feelings for Wang Zhuo.
Siyuan smiled and nodded. “He’s here. But he’s dealing with some other matters. This Zhihe County—I don’t know what kind of mess they made, but they managed to lose the Angel medicine allocated by the state. Instructor Wang is furious, and the consequences will be severe!”
“Thank you both so much,” Bai Lu expressed her sincere gratitude, a feeling called emotion flowing through her heart.
Siyuan waved her hand dismissively. “We’re family; why be so polite?”
As they were chatting, light footsteps sounded from the hallway, and soon a tall figure pushed open the door. Bai Lu’s vision blurred slightly—it was the figure she longed for, the one who occupied her every thought, the Wang Zhuo whom she found impossible to confess her love to!
“Awake?” Wang Zhuo smiled gently at the tearful Bai Lu. “Rest for a bit. After you eat something, we’ll be on our way. We’re heading to Lanzhou first!”