Chapter 71
Leaving the glass passageway, they returned to the main laboratory hall.
Dr. Luo and the male corpse were nowhere to be seen, likely having been taken to a separate area for virus research.
Tang Shuyan led them to Dr. Luo's office and then closed the door.
"Let's continue our earlier discussion," Tang Shuyan said.
What "Yan Qing" knew was limited, so they had to find another approach.
Ye Huai explained: "The parallel world's Ye Tianlin showed me his identity card. It was S-class."
"Back in the First District, I saw his identity card in the instructor's study. It was only B-class. I didn't tell everyone because I didn't know that an S-class card represented the highest status."
Tong Yang fell into deep thought. If the parallel world's Ye Tianlin held such a high position, why was his attitude towards Ye Huai so strange? He even pretended to be the real world's Ye Tianlin to record a confession video just to cooperate with him.
If he was Ye Huai's biological father, why didn't he simply take him into the parallel world? After all, with his high status there, he could certainly provide Ye Huai with a better life and even administer a high-quality gene therapy to cure his illness completely.
If he wasn't Ye Huai's biological father, what reason did he have to be so good to him, even proactively revealing his identity?
Tong Yang asked, "Can you contact him?"
Ye Huai shook his head. "No. Every time, he appears on his own initiative. Before I met you, even though I felt something was off, I could only think he had developed a split personality."
Chu Shiyu said worriedly, "The secrets surrounding the parallel world's Yan Qing are far greater than we imagined, and we can't uncover them quickly. Right now, the most important things are to decipher the virus in the flawed products and understand the purpose of the parallel world's current actions."
"Kill them one by one as we find them. We know roughly when they'll enter the real world, after all," Xu Junyue said.
"It's not that simple," Tong Yang said gravely. "Even if we know the timing of the magnetic field energy cycle, we don't know their entry points. They definitely won't be limited to the capital or even the country. By the time we get news, it'll be too late."
That was the most tricky part.
Not knowing where they would appear, how much of the flawed product serum they had prepared... During the eighteen-hour magnetic field energy cycle, they could accomplish far too much.
The threats lurking in the darkness were the most headache-inducing.
Although Tong Yang could learn about possible future events through the gossip group, unfortunately, such information couldn't be exposed to the public or reported by the media. Even maintaining contact with the gossip group was of little help.
Tang Shuyan's expression was solemn as he said, "Most importantly, we don't know what consequences the virus from the flawed products will bring."
"That old fox Wu Pingxue didn't tell us anything about this at all."
"That old thing isn't trustworthy!"
Tong Yang said, "He's indeed not trustworthy. But one thing he said is correct: even if he didn't come to me, our ultimate goal is still to destroy the parallel world. He could easily sit back and reap the rewards."
"We can cooperate, but he's not trustworthy. At least our final objective is the same."
Unsure if Dr. Luo had contacted Police Officer Lin immediately after emerging, the body discovered this morning was still in the dissection room.
Tong Yang called Police Officer Lin to warn her about the virus in the corpse that had been injected with the flawed product.
"I know. Dr. Luo contacted me not long ago. The body is temporarily stored in a separate freezer. They'll dispose of it once they identify the virus source."
"That's good."
Tong Yang informed her about the interval of the magnetic field energy cycle, stating that people from the parallel world would enter the real world again in about four hours.
Police Officer Lin's tone was grave. "Alright, I understand. When will you all return?"
"Since we're unsure where they'll appear, we'll head out immediately if there are any discoveries once the second magnetic cycle begins."
"Understood. I'll brief my superiors so they're prepared to respond at any time."
"Okay."
After hanging up, silence returned to the office.
Chu Shiyu sighed. "If only 'Yan Qing' knew their entry points."
Tong Yang had already asked "Yan Qing"; she couldn't do that.
However, if she could sense the locations of parallel world humans, then those things hidden within the real world could also be rooted out.
Ye Huai looked slightly stunned. "Tong Yang, do you remember? They said before that people from the parallel world don't know what you look like, or even who you are, but they can know your location."
Tong Yang's gaze sharpened. "That's true."
Chu Shiyu said in surprise, "If they can know your location, could it be that..."
Yes, they must be able to know Tong Yang's location.
That man in the suit she killed in the alleyway that day.
He couldn't have just coincidentally appeared on Tong Yang's path.
The same goes for the others from the parallel world.
Tang Shuyan said, "If it can work in reverse, couldn't you also know their locations?"
Tong Yang pressed her lips together. "I probably can't know their locations."
She looked up at the others. "But the parallel world's time anchor point might be able to."
Chu Shiyu said, "Doesn't that explain why, after 'Yan Qing' was captured, they took such risks and exposed themselves to do this?"
"It all makes sense now. Everything makes sense," Tong Yang murmured. "Even 'Yan Qing' herself didn't know the secret. It might truly be possible to obtain the coordinates of everyone in the parallel world through her."
If their speculation proved correct, all the hidden agents of the parallel world lurking beneath the surface would float into view like buoys.
Then, all problems would be solved!
Xu Junyue looked at the others and said, "I feel like you're all calmly discussing something terrifying."
Remembering what Dr. Wu had said, Tong Yang immediately made a call to him.
"Miss Tong."
"Can the coordinates of all parallel world humans be determined through the parallel world's time anchor point?"
There was a brief silence on the phone, followed by a gentle laugh. "Miss Tong, you all are really... being this clever isn't necessarily a good thing."
Tong Yang's heart sank. "How do we do it?"
Dr. Wu chuckled. "Sometimes knowing too early isn't a good thing. The feeling of powerlessness isn't any better than knowing nothing."
"Enough nonsense! Are you going to tell us or not? Don't waste my time." Tong Yang's tone was harsh; she had absolutely no goodwill towards this old fox.
Dr. Wu paused, then sighed. "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but the timing isn't right. You are far from ready to contend with the Main World. If they become aware of your intentions, they'll have ample time to alter their plans, leading to actions that are even more cruel and inhumane."
Tong Yang's lips tightened into a thin line. Weren't they already inhumane enough? Injecting real-world humans with flawed products carrying a virus—who knows what consequences that will have?
"Miss Tong, take my advice. Pretend you don't know about this for now. Currently, you have more pressing problems."
More pressing problems?
Undoubtedly, it was the parallel world humans carrying defective products who would appear somewhere unknown in four hours.
"Miss Tong, we are both in a dangerous situation currently. Take care."
Tong Yang acknowledged and hung up the phone.
Since he had taken the initiative to cooperate with her, Dr. Wu had no reason to lie about such matters.
"What did Dr. Wu say?"
Seeing everyone's curious expressions, Tong Yang said, "The anchor point of the parallel world can indeed pinpoint their coordinates. He didn't tell me how, only that it's not the right time, that we can't do it yet, and knowing too early would instead cause a series of troubles."
Seeing they still looked puzzled, Tong Yang recounted the entire conversation between the two of them verbatim.
Hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought.
There were about four hours left until 15:30. During this time, they had nowhere to go. Dr. Luo and the team of researchers hadn't appeared either, so it was unclear if they had obtained any results. It probably wouldn't be that easy.
Bored out of her mind, Xu Junyue couldn't hold it in any longer.
"So boring!" Xu Junyue shouted, startling Tong Yang who was taking a nap.
"Taoist priest, take us to look around somewhere else! Or just let us out! I'll go hunt some game to improve our meals! The food here is terrible!"
It was past noon, and they had eaten the research base's lunch. Just as Tang Shuyan had said, it was very, very unpalatable!
For people like them, accustomed to fine delicacies from outside, it was indeed too awful. Nobody had eaten much.
Considering the unknown task awaiting everyone after 3:30, how could they have the strength to serve their country if they weren't full!
Tang Shuyan probably hadn't eaten his fill either. After hesitating for two seconds, he agreed.
"Then let's go."
"Let's go, let's go! This place is too boring, quiet as if there are ghosts."
The other three had no objections, and they all left the office together.
Passing through the experimental hall and opening the password-locked door, they returned to the place where they had encountered the "Spiders."
The room was empty, only the screen still playing that anime.
Passing by the sofa, Xu Junyue paused.
"Wait!" She stopped everyone. "Aren't there things to eat here?"
Tong Yang followed her gaze. The coffee table was laden with a variety of snacks of all kinds, even including several boxes of self-heating hot pot.
Probably provisions prepared by those guys.
"This... isn't really appropriate, is it?" Chu Shiyu swallowed and hesitated.
"What's inappropriate about it?" Tong Yang said expressionlessly.
Tang Shuyan said, "Nothing inappropriate."
Xu Junyue, her eyes gleaming with hunger, stepped onto the sofa and sat down in front of the coffee table. "Come on, come on!"
"Everyone eat, don't be shy."
Tong Yang walked around the sofa to the coffee table, picked up a few boxes of self-heating hot pot to check the instructions; she had never eaten this stuff before.
The remaining three also gathered around and sat down.
"Everyone, eat what you can, take what you can't! Absolutely no need to be polite!" Xu Junyue called out.
Tong Yang opened a lid and turned her head to ask, "Ye Huai, can you eat this?"
Ye Huai nodded. "I can eat it."
Xu Junyue teased, "When you're hungry, you can eat anything."
"What a pity, President Ye, Miss Chu from a wealthy family, and Taoist Priest Tang who's set to inherit the family business, can only follow the two of us eating some wild vegetables and weeds."
Chu Shiyu snorted. "Ever since I got familiar with Tong Yang, I haven't eaten much fine grain."
Tang Shuyan nodded in agreement. "I think that's true for me too."
Ye Huai smiled faintly. "On the contrary, it's quite often that we don't eat our fill."
Tong Yang added some water to the box and shot them a glare. "Eat it if you want, forget it if you don't."
"Sometimes I really think our boss is like a jinx. Wherever she goes, trouble follows."
Chu Shiyu stifled a laugh. "A little bit..."
Tong Yang threw a sharp glance their way, and the two immediately fell silent, then burst into laughter moments later.
"If you keep laughing, I'm leaving!"
Ye Huai tore open a pack of snacks and handed it to her. "Don't mind them, they're talking nonsense."
Tong Yang took the snack and lifted her chin. "If someone hadn't stopped me, I definitely would have left."
"Alright, alright! No more laughing!"
"Our boss isn't a jinx, she's a savior!"
Tong Yang: "..."
She stuffed the snack into Xu Junyue's mouth. "Shut your trap."
"Wow! So delicious!"
"The boss fed me snacks, she likes me!"
"Idiot." Tong Yang laughed and scolded.
After spending more time together, it was actually quite fun.
Tong Yang knew there were still many unresolved matters, but she also knew she couldn't solve everything alone. Leaving what she couldn't do to others and doing her best was enough.
As for the outcome, it was important, yet not that important.
After all, her initial goal was simply to survive herself.
After eating and drinking their fill, not much was left on the table. They took everything they could carry, left the trash on the table, and left the room feeling immensely satisfied.
Almost the moment they left, seven or eight people emerged from the password-locked door.
"Damn annoying! What kind of stupid meeting lasts this long, I'm starving."
"I really don't want to come back to this dump. The food is unbearable. Luckily, I brought some snacks in advance..."
"Ah!!!"
"Who the hell ate my lunch?"
"Damn! Who did it?!!"
Hearing the roars coming from not far behind them, Xu Junyue let out a satisfied burp.
"Awesome!"
"Starve those idiots!"
Having not received any messages from Dr. Luo or Police Officer Lin, they wandered around the research base and learned about many strange and bizarre tales.
Tong Yang wasn't listening very attentively, occasionally taking out her phone to check. No one in the gossip group had replied.
She asked if there were any future news related to this incident; being able to capture some would be great, at least providing some leads.
It's just that the perception of time flow differed between the two spaces, and it was unclear what time it was on their side. Half an hour passed with no reply.
"The world is vast, full of wonders. So interesting."
"Is the work of Bureau 749 this fun? If I had known, I would have pursued this direction earlier."
Tang Shuyan scoffed. "You? Can you just casually enter this place?"
"Not to mention those bastards, the 'Spiders,' do you know the backgrounds of those researchers before they came in? They are one-in-a-million geniuses, from well-off families with clean, impeccable records. Could you get in?"
Xu Junyue pouted. "I could just study hard."
"You say it so easily. You'd at least need to achieve Shiyu's level of grades."
"Ugh! You're so annoying! Don't bring up grades! Those 'Spiders' don't seem particularly special. How did they get in?"
Tong Yang was also very curious about this point.
Tang Shuyan said, "They naturally have their merits. In certain aspects, they are geniuses just like Tong Yang."
Tong Yang asked, "Including those related to the supernatural and occult?"
Tang Shuyan shook his head. "Not to that extent, nothing that miraculous. They are successors of some traditional schools within the country, the kind with limitless potential."
"Are there any successors of the Beggars' Sect among them?" Xu Junyue asked curiously.
Tang Shuyan shot her a sidelong glance. "No."
"What do you mean by that? Looking down on our Beggars' Sect, are you? Careful, or I'll beat you to death with my Dog Beating Staff Technique!"
"Get treatment early if you're sick." Tang Shuyan rolled her eyes at her.
Tong Yang asked, "Are they good at fighting?"
Tang Shuyan nodded. "Very good. Not like Xu Junyue here, who's all underhanded."
Xu Junyue pointed at herself. "Me? Underhanded? Boss, technically speaking, I'm more orthodox than you. He's calling you underhanded!"
Tong Yang didn't deny it. "I am a bit underhanded, indeed."
Her fighting style wasn't very technical; she mainly seized opportunities, her mind working a little faster than the average person's.
"Can Xu Junyue beat them?"
In terms of pure martial prowess, Xu Junyue was the strongest among them.
Tang Shuyan wore an inscrutable expression. "She'd probably be dead before the first move was even finished."
Xu Junyue's face darkened. "You're being biased, aren't you? How is that possible!"
After a moment of thought, Tong Yang said, "It's not just because she can't win, right?"
Tang Shuyan said, "Right. Besides being skilled, they're not stupid either. In a pure contest of skill, it might be evenly matched. But add brains into the mix, and Xu Junyue is guaranteed to lose."
"You're saying I have no brains?"
Chu Shiyu patted her shoulder, comforting her. "Don't take it to heart. Besides, his words might be crude, but the reasoning isn't wrong."
Xu Junyue: "..."
"Hmph! So what if I have no brains? With the boss here, what do I need brains for?" She planted her hands on her hips, full of pride. "Right, boss?"
Tong Yang glanced at her and didn't make a sound.
It wasn't that Xu Junyue had no brains; her train of thought was just different from normal people's, always fixating on strange points.
Looking at it this way, "those 'Spiders,' while unpleasant, would be quite useful as tools to utilize. They could solve a lot of trouble."
The time was approaching 3 PM, and they returned to the room.
The coffee table in the room had been cleared, and it was empty.
Opening the password-protected door, they entered the experimental hall where researchers were busy at their respective posts.
Returning to Dr. Luo's office, they had been there for less than five minutes when three or four people hurried past the door outside. They wore strict suits, had graying hair, carried black briefcases, and didn't look like researchers from the 749 Bureau.
Not long after they passed, a weary-looking Dr. Luo returned to the office.
Seeing everyone still there, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, you haven't left yet."
Tong Yang explained, "We were waiting for news from you and Police Officer Lin. We plan to set off directly from here."
Dr. Luo sat down at her desk and took a drink of water.
"Dr. Luo, what's the situation?" Tang Shuyan asked.
Dr. Luo shook her head. "We didn't find the virus source inside the corpse. I'm afraid it will take more time to locate it."
"Who were those people in suits who just passed by?" Xu Junyue asked curiously.
Dr. Luo said, "Several virology experts from the Academy of Sciences. We now suspect the virus is no longer on the body. His cells didn't die until nine hours after his death, which might be related to the virus. It's highly possible that by the time the cells truly died, the virus was already no longer in his body. Everyone who was near the corpse during that time is in danger."
Everyone's expressions changed, and their gazes turned to Tong Yang.
She was the one who discovered the body and had close contact with it!
Dr. Luo sighed. "Tong Yang, if the virus truly exists, you will likely be the first to show symptoms."
"What should we do then?"
"Can we prepare in advance?"
Chu Shiyu and the others asked anxiously.
Dr. Luo shook her head wearily. "We're not certain if the virus is real. The experts are still studying the tissue from inside the corpse. The few researchers who had close contact with the body have already been examined and show no abnormalities, myself included. So, we can only wait for symptoms to appear, observe the progression, and then examine the changes in the body."
"What if they die immediately upon showing symptoms?" Xu Junyue frowned.
Ye Huai shook his head. "Probably not. 'Yan Qing' said the real world has the capability to unravel the virus. Since there's a chance to solve it, immediate death is unlikely."
"But..." Chu Shiyu looked at Tong Yang with concern. "If a solution can't be found, Tong Yang might just..."
Tong Yang lowered her head thoughtfully, recalling the events of this period.
The male student's cells died nine hours after he was killed. The defective product carried the virus, but the virus wasn't found in the body after true death, and those who had close contact with the corpse showed no physical abnormalities.
Moreover, no one had shown symptoms yet.
The magnetic field energy duration was exactly twice the time of death: eighteen hours.
After the defective product was injected, the body took nine hours to truly die. How long would it take for the virus to incubate and spread?
Eighteen hours? Or nine hours?
Watching the clock move closer and closer to 3:30 PM, the second cycle of magnetic field energy was about to begin.
"Boss, you should give us your last words first! It'd be a shame if you miss the chance later!" Xu Junyue suggested.
Tong Yang pondered for a moment and found the suggestion not entirely unreasonable.
However, not knowing the timing or process of the symptoms, she might die without a chance to speak.
Today was Friday. Tong Le finished school at 3 PM; it was already dismissal time.
"I need to step out for a moment."
Tong Yang found a spot and made a call to Tong Le.
"Sis, I'm on break!" Tong Le said cheerfully.
"When are you coming back?"
Tong Yang hesitated. "Chu Shiyu and I have some things to do this weekend. We won't be back."
"Ah..." Tong Le's voice immediately turned dejected. "I see. I'll let Yang's mother know."
"Mm. I'm hanging up."
"Okay. Be careful, you two!"
"Mm."
Tong Yang hung up and returned to the office.
Xu Junyue asked, "Finished saying goodbye to your brother?"
Tong Yang: "..."
"What goodbye?" Tong Yang said, speechless.
Everyone in the room besides Dr. Luo knew her secret.
"Oh, right!" Xu Junyue remembered something. "You can still do that thing!"
She could still loop.
"More importantly, you all should quickly say your goodbyes to your families," Tong Yang said.
"Why?" Xu Junyue didn't understand.
Ye Huai said, "If the virus spreads through proximity, we probably all carry the virus."
His tone was as calm as ever.
Dr. Luo nodded. "Correct. So all of you will have to stay temporarily."
Xu Junyue: "..."
"Then let it be. If my Old Xu is from the parallel world, I won't let him off even as a ghost."
Chu Shiyu said, "That's assuming ghosts exist in this world."
"I think they do."
"Then you go and kill everyone in the parallel world first after you become a ghost."
"Makes sense. But my Old Xu has to die too."
Seeing they still had the energy to joke around at a time like this, Dr. Luo sighed helplessly. "How about you all write a will? The researchers can deliver it for you later."
"Good idea!"
At that moment, Tong Yang's palm vibrated. Looking down, she saw several messages pop up on her phone.
[Huh???]
【What's happened now?】
【Waking up to a different kind of thrill every day】
Tong Yang walked to the side by herself and opened a social media app.
Studying is for Making Money: 【Help me check if there are any news reports related to corpses coming back to life.】
Although the possibility was slim, what if the information had ultimately leaked?
【C-corpses coming back to life?】
【No way? Are things starting to develop in a supernatural direction now?】
【Let me have a look】
【Tong-jie, there is!】
Tong Yang immediately asked: 【When?】
If there was a specific time and location, they could avoid the people from the parallel world and then eliminate them all!
【May 9th, 1977】
Studying is for Making Money: 【?】
【Sorry, sorry, just joking. The earliest date online is around that time】
【There are no news reports about corpses coming back to life in 2024】
【What's wrong?】
【Did the parallel world do some more stupid shit?】
Studying is for Making Money: 【Keep an eye out for me. If there are any news reports similar to corpses coming back to life, and if the time is after November 2024, tell me immediately】
Studying is for Making Money: 【You can also tell me if there are any news related to me during this period】
After May 18th, Tong Yang had told them not to search for news about her, and even if they found trivial things, they didn't need to tell her. On one hand, she disliked living a life already known; on the other hand, knowing future events related to herself in advance would subconsciously influence her judgment.
Compared to a known future, she trusted her own judgment in the present moment more.
But right now, she couldn't afford to care about that. If there were news related to her during this period, she might find clues to solve the current predicament.
【Tong-jie, apart from the news about being the top scorer in the college entrance exams, there's been no news about you online for a long time】
【I didn't find anything either. Your photos have even been deleted online】
【A while ago, we could still see candid photos of you from various angles】
【Are you involved in some top-secret activity?】
【(Whispering) I searched for news about Tong Le. His information has also been encrypted by the authorities】
【Same for the young mistress】
Seeing the messages in the group, Tong Yang let out a heavy sigh. They didn't even know if they were alive or dead now.
"How are you? Are you feeling any discomfort?"
Ye Huai walked up to her and asked softly.
Tong Yang shook her head, "No."
"About the defective virus... is it possible that 'Yan Qing' was lying?"
Compared to him, Tong Yang knew "Yan Qing" a bit better.
Tong Yang said, "No possibility."
In that situation, the chance of "Yan Qing" lying to her and deliberately giving false information was less than one percent. If she had any brains at all, she wouldn't have been so easily caught by Tong Yang. In the end, she was just a child inexperienced in the ways of the world.
In the glass room, Tong Yang had asked about the virus, but "Yan Qing" knew nothing about it. What she said was all she had heard.
Ye Huai looked at the clock on the wall and said, "The second magnetic field cycle is about to begin."
Tong Yang closed her eyes and murmured, "What will happen?"
Time ticked by, the second hand moving click by click.
In the complete silence of the room, the clock's hands moved to 3:40.
The male student's time of death was at 9:41. Those two people from the parallel world had entered the real world at least by 9:40.
Eighteen hours had passed. The second cycle of magnetic field energy had begun.
Tong Yang frowned, connecting all the events that had happened in her mind, trying to weave them into a meticulous web.
Why?
What exactly does the parallel world want to do?
The cycle interval is eighteen hours. They don't care about exposing their identities, appearing recklessly on camera, yet they only killed two people, injecting them with the defective product.
During this time, they had over ten hours where they could have continued harming people in the real world, but nothing happened.
Ye Huai sat beside her, resting with his eyes closed.
Apart from waiting, they could do nothing.
"Boss, did the veins on your hand used to be this obvious?"
Suddenly, Xu Junyue's voice came through.
Tong Yang opened her eyes. Her right hand was already being held by Ye Huai.
"What's going on?" Chu Shiyu asked in astonishment.
Tong Yang looked down at the back of her hand. A green vine had replaced the original position of a vein.
Ye Huai rubbed the raised area on her skin with his thumb, frowning slightly.
"It itches." Tong Yang moved and pulled her hand back.
"Anywhere else?"
"No." Tong Yang told the truth.
Tong Yang rolled up her sleeve. Apart from that section of vine on the back of her hand, everything else was normal.
Dr. Luo strode over to her, examining the back of her hand. The vine was slightly thicker than a blood vessel, a section about the length of a fingernail raised on her skin.
"Come with me."
Dr. Luo's expression was solemn as he led Tong Yang out of the office. The others looked at each other and followed worriedly.
Dr. Luo took her to a laboratory with medical equipment, opened a package containing a syringe, inserted it into the raised vine, and drew out a greenish-brown unknown liquid.
"Are you feeling any physical discomfort?"
Tong Yang said, "No, just a bit of pain where the needle went in."
Dr. Luo glared at her, "Be serious! I'm not joking!"
Tong Yang looked helpless, "I'm not uncomfortable, really."
"Tang Shuyan, take this blood sample to Dr. An and have her examine it."
"No problem."
Tang Shuyan took the blood sample and left the room.
Dr. Luo took an X-ray of her hand. After sitting in front of the computer and waiting for a while, the image appeared on the screen.
"Boss, the bones in your hand are so pretty," Xu Junyue praised.
"Is that so."
"Quite nice-looking," Chu Shiyu said.
Tong Yang raised her hand to look at the vine's position and sighed, "What a shame."
Dr. Luo couldn't take it anymore and turned to glare at them.
"Be serious! We're not playing house!"
Dr. Luo moved the mouse cursor to the vine's location, "Look here."
Ye Huai bent down to look, his voice low, "A bud?"
"Mhm, this is just a leaf bud."
"Wow! Boss, you're going to grow leaves inside your body!"
"You, get out!" Dr. Luo snapped angrily.
"Sorry, my mistake." Xu Junyue covered her mouth, "I won't talk anymore."
Dr. Luo said, "Why is this phenomenon occurring? It's too strange."
Tong Yang said dismissively, "Something from a parallel world. No matter how strange, it's not strange."
"In any case, I won't die in the short term. You can use me as a test subject to develop an antidote."
"I'll take you for a full body check-up. The rest of you stay here. If any physical changes occur, tell me immediately."
"Okay."
"Understood."
Tong Yang was taken for countless check-up items. The process was long and tedious. By the time it was over, more than an hour had passed.
Dr. Luo brought her back to the room. The others were sitting inside.
"How is it?" Chu Shiyu asked.
Dr. Luo said, "Hard to say."
"What about you guys? Any physical changes?"
Chu Shiyu shook her head, "We're fine."
"However, Tang Shuyan came back and said that several researchers have undergone the same changes as Tong Yang."
Xu Junyue continued, "Officer Lin called Tong Yang but couldn't get through, so she called me instead."
"What did she say?" Tong Yang asked.
"Officer Wan and the two forensic examiners from yesterday are all showing strange symptoms, likely the same as yours."
"No one else is affected?"
"It seems not."
Ye Huai said, "I don't know the specifics of last night's situation. Finding the common factor among you is the key to identifying the virus's transmission route."
Tong Yang answered without hesitation, "Direct physical contact with the corpse."
She had touched the male student's body; Officer Wan and the two forensic examiners had also touched the body.
Dr. Luo was reviewing Tong Yang's test results, his expression grave. "Several researchers at the institute also touched the body, though most were wearing gloves."
Just then, Tang Shuyan returned with the blood sample analysis.
Dr. Luo took the report, his brow furrowed deeply. "Besides blood, your sample contains a type of tree sap."
"Tree sap?"
"Liquid secreted from a tree."
"Come here, we need to take another X-ray."
Over ten minutes later, Dr. Luo looked at the leaf bud visible on the new film, comparing it with the previous one.
"The leaf bud has grown."
"Mhm, the rate isn't fast."
Tong Yang leaned in for a look. After an hour, the bud in her blood vessel had grown slightly, but thankfully the speed was slow.
"At this growth rate, I won't be in life-threatening danger within three days." Tong Yang waved her hand. "Dr. Luo, developing an antidote within three days shouldn't be too difficult, right?"
Dr. Luo looked at her with a complicated expression. "Tong Yang, the chance of developing an antidote for a new virus within three days is almost zero."
Ye Huai pressed his lips together and said, "Tong Yang, you won't even be able to open a door with your right hand long before three days are up."
Tong Yang paused, surprised by his attentiveness. When she had opened the door to come in earlier, she had used her left hand.
Hearing this, Chu Shiyu stepped forward and grabbed her hand.
Tong Yang's fingers hung limply in mid-air; her entire hand had lost strength except for the very tips.
Ye Huai looked at her intently. "If an antidote can't be developed, even if you could... after death, you would already be immobile."
Tong Yang said, "An antidote will be developed eventually."
She lowered her eyes. The problem was, if the antidote wasn't developed before her death, everyone would be passively dragged into the cycle with her. They would never be able to develop an antidote then, unless all the researchers died with her repeatedly, entering the cycle again and again, using the memories restored at the point of death to continue their work.
Otherwise, Tong Yang would never escape the cycle.
Everyone who knew the truth of her cycle simultaneously thought of this point.
But developing the antidote was a task that could only be entrusted to the researchers.
Over an hour had already passed since the start of the second round of the magnetic field energy cycle, and it was still unclear if the parallel world would take any action against them.
Dr. Luo said, "We will do our utmost to develop an antidote. Even if we can't create a complete cure in a short time, slowing the leaf bud's growth should definitely be possible."
"Tong Yang, you should rest well."
With that, Dr. Luo hurriedly left the room.
Tong Yang sat in her seat, pulled out her phone with her left hand, and called Police Officer Lin.
"Any discoveries?" Tong Yang got straight to the point.
Hearing her voice, Police Officer Lin asked anxiously, "Tong Yang, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Let's talk business."
"You..." Police Officer Lin seemed to want to say something but hesitated. "We received reports. After 3:40 PM, two more identical cases were discovered elsewhere. The military has contained the situation before it could escalate."
Tong Yang said, "Avoid direct contact with the bodies. The virus spreads through physical contact with the corpses."
Police Officer Lin replied, "Don't worry. After learning the bodies might carry a virus, we've ensured all personnel involved have taken protective measures."
"That's good."
"How are Officer Wan and the forensic examiners?"
"They've been taken to the military hospital."
"I see."
"Tong Yang, you focus on resting. Don't worry about this matter anymore; we have it under control."
Tong Yang relaxed her body. "I know you can control it. But I'm a bit worried that this isn't the parallel world's goal."
Moreover, Tong Yang's personality was such that she had to push everything to the extreme.
After the poisoning, Tong Yang's reaction was even calmer than Ye Huai's, as if she wasn't the one poisoned.
In truth, she was quite furious.
The parallel world was full of utter lunatics, and that old fox Wu Pingxue was no different!
Right now, she was so irritated she wanted to kill every single person from the parallel world!
"Well, well, heard someone got poisoned?"
"Let me see what's going on?"
"Oh my? Why such an ugly face? Weren't those snacks tasty at noon?"
"Come on! Give me a smile!"
Several sarcastic voices suddenly came from the doorway.
Everyone looked up. The dead spider's legs had arrived.
Tong Yang leaned back in her chair, her expression placid. She desperately wanted to pounce and kill them all, but the more critical the moment, the more important it was to stay calm. Increased blood flow would undoubtedly accelerate the virus's growth.
"I'll smile at your grandpa!"
Before anyone could clearly see the figure, someone had already charged out.
"Ah!"
Xu Junyie, like a mad dog, targeted one of them, pinning him to the ground and pummeling him.
"Go on, yell some more!"
"Stop! I don't hit women!"
Caught off guard by her blows, by the time he reacted, he was already pinned heavily beneath her.
Xu Junyue possessed immense strength, her fists raining down like hail, leaving the other party no chance to fight back.
Chu Shiyu raised a cleaver, blocking the other "spider" members, snarling, "You started it, you deserve it! Get lost!"
The few people opposite remained composed, seemingly not taking Chu Shiyu seriously and indifferent to their companion being beaten on the ground.
Tang Li took half a step forward. "We were just—"
"Bang—"
A gunshot rang out, a bullet accurately striking the floor by her feet.
Inside the doorway, a boy holding a pistol looked on coolly, aiming the barrel at the center of Tang Li's forehead.
"Please do not come any closer. I have no desire to kill."
Tang Shuyan followed, clapping his hands mockingly. "Go ahead, try it. Outside ten paces, the gun is fast."
Tang Li raised an eyebrow. "And within ten paces?"
"The gun is both fast and accurate."
Tong Yang's gaze swept over the group. She walked slowly to the doorway, stepped expressionlessly on the chest of the man pinned down by Xu Junyue, then seemed to think of something, turned around, and stepped on him again before returning to the room entrance.
"Damn it!" The man almost coughed up blood from the stomp.
Everyone looked at her, puzzled by her back-and-forth actions.
Tong Yang said, "It's nothing. I just felt like stepping on him a couple of times."
Xu Junyue used her feet to push the man's arms aside. "Enough? Want to step some more?"
"I'll step on your..." The man was furious.
"Bang—"
A bullet grazed his ear and hit the ground. The searing heat made him instantly fall silent, a trickle of blood sliding down.
"Will you cut it out?!"
"This is a damn laboratory!"
"We already have a few plague carriers! Great! Now we've got more!"
Not far away, a researcher was cursing loudly.