Though Li Shouyi was reluctant, he was escorted onto Wang Zhuo's helicopter and flown together to Lanzhou.

At the airport, he was immediately taken away by personnel who had been waiting there. Because the matter involved national strategy, it was of utmost importance; thus, the van that collected him didn't even have a license plate, and all the personnel were clad in plain jackets—the "Jacket Men."

At the same time, County Magistrate Cheng was located via satellite tracking through his mobile phone, and an arrest was subsequently carried out. Of course, for someone in his position as a leader, this process was perhaps better described not as an arrest, but as an invitation "to come for tea."

Bailu was settled into a military hospital. During this time when the whole world spoke of the Mad Mosquito with terror, China, aided by the Angel [Medicine], was gradually returning to normal production and life. For Bailu, who had received the treatment, the current situation was merely a severe cold that required a few more days of IV drips to be completely cured.

The progress of humanity is, in itself, a miracle. Many serious diseases that once claimed millions upon millions of lives in history can now be resolved with a single injection or a box of oral medication.

And the architect of this latest miracle was none other than our protagonist, Wang Zhuo!

Three days after arriving in Lanzhou, Bailu was already able to walk freely in the hospital corridors. She possessed a naturally robust constitution, and coupled with Wang Zhuo's meticulous treatment, her rapid recovery was within expectations.

However, whenever she faced Wang Zhuo, she appeared somewhat nervous and unable to meet his gaze with ease. This struck Wang Zhuo as quite amusing; the girl was tall and imposing, yet in matters of romance, she acted like a young maiden experiencing her first blush of affection.

A gust of easterly wind blew through, and the temperature in Lanzhou finally showed signs of warming up in February. Wang Zhuo returned to Bailu's ward with a peculiar expression after taking a call from Xiao Wanjun.

Noticing his strange demeanor, Siyuan, who was busy peeling an apple for Bailu, asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

"The situation in Zhihe County has been thoroughly investigated," Wang Zhuo replied with a wry smile. "I never expected that Beiji would run into such a serious incident. If I hadn't made this trip personally, this matter might have simply been swept under the rug!"

Siyuan and Bailu immediately looked intrigued. Siyuan asked, "A serious incident? Can you tell us about it?"

"There are confidentiality requirements..." Wang Zhuo chuckled, sitting down in the chair beside the bed. "But there’s no need to keep secrets from you two. Besides, I’m not a civil servant, so even if I don't adhere to confidentiality rules, no one can really do anything to me..."

"Exactly, hurry up and tell us," Siyuan said gleefully. "Xiao Bai and I have ironclad discretion. We promise not to tell anyone after hearing it!"

Wang Zhuo grinned, unable to resist making a subtle little joke, and nodded: "I know your mouth is tight..."

Siyuan burst into laughter. Bailu paused for a moment, then understood the implied meaning of "tight mouth." Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, making her look like a perfectly ripe apple.

Wang Zhuo cleared his throat and spoke as if nothing was amiss: "The county magistrate of Zhihe County is named Cheng Yuanfan. When the Angel [Medicine] was first distributed to the city over ten days ago, he falsely inflated the number of patients—claiming there were one hundred when there were only thirty—and consequently received three hundred doses of the Angel. He kept fifty doses for the hospital and handed the remaining two hundred and fifty to his mistress, a Japanese spy."

"A spy?!" Siyuan exclaimed in shock.

"That's right, a spy. But she is a native-born Chinese who is merely working for the Japanese," Wang Zhuo shrugged. "Those two hundred and fifty doses of Angel were immediately smuggled out of the country by the spy and delivered to the Japanese. That means, because of this fellow Cheng Yuanfan, the Japanese obtained the Angel and began their research over ten days earlier than the time China first provided aid to Japan!"

Siyuan immediately cursed in anger: "A national disgrace, a traitor!"

Bailu’s face showed deep indignation, her cheeks puffed out in fury.

Wang Zhuo, however, didn't dwell on it. This world is inherently filled with deceit, intrigue, and conflicts of interest. If the Japanese could plant spies in China, how could China possibly refrain from using the same tactics against them? Relations between nations are fundamentally a game of maneuvering and calculation. Even allied nations frequently undermine each other. How much more so between China and Japan?

Simply put, it all comes down to ability and strength—whoever has the capability dictates the terms of the world! The Japanese managed to steal his Angel, and he knew anger was useless. When he had Siyuan steal Japanese research achievements for his use, it was also a matter of taking what was available, justified by circumstance!

It was Siyuan who lacked this broader perspective; she was delighted stealing things from the Japanese for Wang Zhuo to use, yet felt righteous indignation when the Japanese stole something from Wang Zhuo. She was still too immature.

"But the Japanese research efficiency isn't optimistic..." Wang Zhuo smiled faintly and continued: "I also received word that the Japanese paid a considerable price and just ordered half a million doses of the Angel from us. This order included not only the money for the purchase but also political compromises on other fronts. This suggests they haven't achieved the desired results in deciphering the Angel..."

Japan is also a northern nation. Although densely populated, its developed economy and good sanitation meant the Mad Mosquito disease had not spread severely. This country possesses world-leading epidemic prevention capabilities against disaster and pestilence. If these five hundred thousand doses of Angel were deployed to smaller nations like Thailand or Vietnam, they might only offer symptomatic relief, not a cure. But if deployed in Japan, it could essentially control the nationwide epidemic for a short period.

To date, the total number of reported cases in all of Japan is less than two hundred thousand, less than the death toll in some small African nations.

The Japanese calculation is precise: they only need to successfully crack the manufacturing method of the Angel, or develop a substitute, before these five hundred thousand doses are used up, allowing them to become self-sufficient and cease dealing with China.

"I knew it..." Siyuan immediately became smug. "How could something developed by Instructor Wang be so easily deciphered? Wangchao Wuliang was difficult enough. Xinsheng wasn't extremely difficult, but it wasn't easy either. And this batch of Angel is no different, right?"

Bailu also wore an expression of adoration. The problem that all of Japan's medical experts failed to solve was accomplished by Wang Zhuo single-handedly—an idol!

"Stop flattering me, okay?" Wang Zhuo chuckled dryly. "Honestly, it's nothing profound. It just requires a precise numerical value for controlling the efficacy of the Inhibitor Enzyme. All the experts currently working on deciphering the Angel understand this key point."

"Oh, they just can't achieve that precision, right?" Bailu asked softly.

Wang Zhuo nodded with a smile. This was true. That parameter was currently a top national secret; even the experts who participated in the research alongside Wang Zhuo didn't know it. To replicate that participation would require countless experts and massive amounts of experimentation. A slight deviation in the value would cause the virus to see through the "lazy" disguise and attack indiscriminately, rendering the Inhibition Acid completely ineffective.

One could imagine how many decryptors were cursing their luck right now. In a world full of capable minds, Wang Zhuo certainly wasn't the only genius to think of using the Inhibition Acid to combat the Mad Mosquito virus, but they all failed, without exception, to control the efficacy of the Inhibitor Enzyme at that delicate value. Any deviation, more or less, would cause the disguise to fail. Wang Zhuo himself required continuous, prolonged analysis using his Super Perspective Eyes to obtain this specific value. For those decipherers to try and crack it using microscopes, spectroscopic instruments, and machinery—it would exhaust them to death!

It was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Wang Zhuo could sweep his Perspective Eyes over the area, and the holographic image would present itself, revealing even the smallest embroidery needle without distortion. But others could only look on in despair—a vast ocean containing only a tiny needle. How on earth could they find it?

"How long do you estimate it will take for others to replicate the Angel?" Siyuan asked enthusiastically.

Wang Zhuo smiled and answered truthfully: "I didn't have much confidence originally, but hearing today that even the Japanese haven't succeeded in cracking it after using it for so long, and have even ordered five hundred thousand units from us, my current analysis is that no one will be able to replicate the Angel for at least three months."

The three-month projection was actually an analysis done by domestic experts, relayed by Qin Xue to Xiao Wanjun, who then conveyed it to him.

Siyuan playfully stuck out her tongue: "Three months? Does that mean some countries might have no one left alive?"

"Of course not," Wang Zhuo replied, half-laughing, half-crying. "The supply issue for the most critical raw materials has been resolved, and production capacity has been unleashed. Domestic production is fully capable of supplying the entire world. Furthermore, the United States has also developed a treatment drug, although its cost is higher and its effectiveness is slightly inferior to the Angel..."

Actually, the cost advantage of the Angel wasn't overwhelmingly significant. Even though the cost difference was a factor of one hundred compared to the American drug, a difference between thirty cents and thirty dollars wasn't substantial when the selling price was around a thousand yuan.

Some might argue that when production reaches hundreds of thousands or millions, the advantage becomes obvious, but that advantage only manifests during later price wars. If the Mad Mosquito treatment drug degrades to the point of fighting a price war, it means it has lost its strategic significance. At that point, it's only about earning petty cash from exporting medicine. Never mind major power struggles—even Wang Zhuo wouldn't bother with such trivial amounts of money.

"How will that fellow Cheng Yuanfan be dealt with?" Siyuan asked indignantly. "He almost cost Xiao Bai her life. Instructor Wang, you can't just let him off easily..."

"If he manages to get a suspended death sentence, he'll be incredibly lucky," Wang Zhuo scoffed. "This man is essentially finished, but his charge will likely be corruption or similar offenses, not treason. We don't need to do anything; someone will naturally avenge Bailu..."

Siyuan instantly felt a sense of satisfaction. Bailu hadn't expected the county magistrate who nearly caused her death to face such a severe fate, leaving her with complex emotions and nothing to say.

"I think Bailu's health is nearly recovered. Since the conditions here are good, she should stay and fully recuperate before returning," Wang Zhuo said with a smile. "But I have to head back to Jiangzhou first; there's a pile of business waiting for me there..." Siyuan and Bailu both froze simultaneously, surprised that he would propose leaving at this juncture.