transfer
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhouze clenched the paper cup in his hand and remained silent for a rare moment.
Then, under Shi Youchen's silent, inquiring gaze, he finally said, "Actually, I've always felt that Yan Zhiyuan is acting strangely lately."
"Although we occasionally quarrel, I know he has never been really angry with me, and he will not find various excuses to avoid me." Lin Zhouze thought about how Yan Zhiyuan always rejected his invitations or made various excuses, and he was often not in sight, so he couldn't help but feel worried.
"Ever since Li Luo's funeral, he's rarely done experiments with me. Lately, he's been missing even for meals or sleep. If you hadn't told me about the training plan today, I wouldn't have known he was here." Lin Zhouze felt a little disappointed. "Does he think I'm too much of a bother?"
Shi Youchen felt that Lin Zhouze was simple and pure, and easy to understand, but that didn't mean he was dull. If Yan Zhiyuan made him feel that way, then...
"You've been with Yan Zhiyuan for much longer than I have, so you definitely know him better than I do."
"He has always been sincere with us. If he thinks it's better not to tell us something, perhaps respecting his judgment is the best option."
"He won't hurt you." Otherwise, he wouldn't have run to District 9 in such a dangerous way.
Lin Zhouze was easily coaxed into submission. He drank the rest of his lemon tea in one gulp, stood up and stretched. "Yeah, I'm going back to the office then! Bye!"
After he left, Shi Youchen relaxed his leg muscles while thinking about Yan Zhiyuan's recent behavior. He seemed to be more serious than before, but perhaps he had received some news from the Maintenance Bureau. Given his status and personality, some changes in his daily behavior were normal.
That night, in Treatment Room No. 31, Shi Youchen met the "new experimental subject" that Yan Zhiyuan mentioned.
Mollier sat on the hospital bed, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Li Ming, seemingly having just finished a phone call, walked back from the window with a gloomy look on his face. He greeted the two people who came in, "Minister Yan, Shi Youchen, thank you for your help."
Yan Zhiyuan nodded to Li Ming and said, "Since you two are old acquaintances, there's no need for introductions. Let's get straight to the point."
Molly on the bed opened her eyes and spoke in a completely hoarse and hollow voice: "I'm poisoned." As soon as she finished saying this, her face turned pale, and the blood color on her face quickly faded away visibly, and then she looked like she was having difficulty breathing.
Li Ming pulled back a handful of her hair and said, "She's been like this for a while now, and the best doctor in the family has examined her. She's not physically damaged. You must find this strange, after all, Mollier herself possesses detoxification and healing abilities. In theory, her own energy can gradually dissolve the toxin as it circulates, but this poison is very unusual." Li Ming looked at Shi Youchen and asked, "Do you remember the assistance mission we took on a while ago?"
Shi Youchen nodded, then thought of something: "Is it...the poison from that time?"
Li Ming glanced at Yan Zhiyuan and said in a low voice, "The symptoms appeared shortly after that. We've been training together, and our food, clothing, housing, and transportation are no different than usual. The only variable is the people she interacted with at the mountaineering club in City A."
"Because the matter involved so many people, we didn't disclose it to the association. Morrill said he might be able to ask you for help."
Shi Youchen's brow furrowed. "That's too much! What if something unexpected happens? What are you going to do?" He strongly disapproved of the two men's risky behavior. At this moment, Morrill extended a hand toward him and whispered, "You can feel the energy in my body."
Upon hearing this, Shi Youchen took the gloves handed to him by Yan Zhiyuan with some hesitation, put them on, and placed his fingers on them.
The energy in Mollier's body hadn't dried up; instead, it was flowing vibrantly through his limbs. Shi Youchen was startled by this instantaneous feedback, and then he heard Mollier say weakly, "It's strange, isn't it? Ever since the onset of these symptoms, my energy has been more abundant than ever before. Perhaps I can even break through to the next level."
Li Ming added, "This virus has never appeared in the entire District 8 branch, nor in our joint training base. Now you understand why we dare not disclose it easily."
Yan Zhiyuan spoke up at this moment: "They were trying to contact you through me, but I discovered something unusual, and only revealed part of the situation under pressure." He reminded Shi Youchen, "Didn't you say you encountered a special virus in Area 5 as well?"
The news that District 5 had been completely taken over by the Association had already spread throughout the thirteen districts, but no one knew the specifics of what had happened there better than Shi Youchen. During his first training session with Yan Zhiyuan, he had been asked about his experiences in District 5, so it was not unreasonable for Yan Zhiyuan to associate these events with him.
Shi Youchen spoke slowly and cautiously, "The virus in Area 5 manifests itself as energy fluctuations generated by cellular engulfment. It typically doesn't last more than a few minutes in an ordinary person, but it seems to be carried by those with special abilities for a long time."
The sheets at one corner of the bed were clenched tightly, wrinkling inward. Mollier's fingers trembled as she asked, "What's the route of transmission?" Shi Youchen glanced up and realized she had strayed from the idea. "Water, but I've also been exposed to that virus and had no adverse reactions. Yours should be different."
Hearing this, the air in Mollier's nose began to flow again. She loosened her fingertips and suddenly felt a dull pain in her chest. She spoke incoherently, "So far, no one in my family has shown similar symptoms." Li Ming added, "Neither have any of the other families."
The room was silent for a long moment before Yan Zhiyuan's calm voice rang out, "Dragging it on isn't a solution. What are you planning to do? Are you really not going to report this to the association?" Li Ming hesitated, "Once we do, those people in the club will inevitably be implicated. The forces behind them are complex and intricate, and we're afraid it will bring trouble back to our families."
"Isn't this a problem for you now?" Shi Youchen had been typing away with his head down. Finally receiving a definitive reply, he took off his gloves and said, "If you trust me, go to District 9. I have a friend there who should be able to help you."
He did not have the family background of Li Ming and Morrill, nor did he understand the complicated interactions between various forces, but he understood that everyone had their own concerns, and the final consequences brought about by various concerns would only be borne by the parties involved.
It was obvious that the two people in front of him were prepared to bear any consequences.
Shi Youchen walked to the window and looked at the starless night. He admired the eighteen-year-old Molly and Li Ming. They were braver than his twenty-two self.
Three days later, Morrill and Li Ming went to District 9 to seek Lan's help. When they set out, Shi Youchen had just come out of the archives and happened to meet an acquaintance at the door.
Li Nuo, who had been promoted to the leader of Group 7 of the Management Department, was surprised when he saw Shi Youchen. He even thought he had seen the wrong person, but the body shape might be similar, but the face was definitely not.
"Mr. Shi!" Li Nuo excitedly ran to a stop three meters in front of Shi Youchen, bowed deeply to him, and then looked at him with a smile, "I didn't expect to see you here! Long time no see!"
Li Nuo wore light makeup, her pink blush making her look healthy, but Shi Youchen could see the weariness in her eyes. "Long time no see, Li Nuo. Are you waiting for someone here?"
It will take some time before spring comes and the weather warms up. Now the wind outside is still so strong that it hurts your face, and it's a cloudy day today.
Li Nuo tucked her messy hair behind her ear, her lips curling slightly. She said, "Well, I have an assistance mission today," muttering to herself that the chance encounter with Mr. Shi was probably the only worthwhile aspect of this mission. As soon as she finished speaking, the archives' doors opened to both sides, and three well-dressed middle-aged men walked out.
The man in the middle glanced at Li Nuo and Shi Youchen standing outside the door, and said with some dissatisfaction: "What are you standing there for? Go drive the car." Li Nuo reacted and apologized quickly, then said helplessly to Shi Youchen: "Sorry, Mr. Shi, goodbye." He rubbed his hands, turned around and trotted away.
Shi Youchen calmly walked down the stairs and passed a black private car at the corner of the intersection. Then, as he watched the pedestrians leave, he received a message forwarded by Yan Zhiyuan:
"The new chief of the Karanka tribe has been elected by a referendum among the entire tribe. Christopher Karanka will become the youngest chief in the history of the Karanka tribe." A photo was attached.
The man in the photo does look very young. His dark skin makes him look leaner and healthier, and there is a sense of pride between his eyebrows.
Shi Youchen thought he might have been in District 5 too long; everyone with that skin color looked familiar. He replied briefly to Yan Zhiyuan and turned to head toward the cafeteria.
For the next week, Shi Youchen received daily messages from Li Ming in District 9, sometimes interspersed with greetings from Lan. Li Ming suggested that with Lan's help, Molly's discomfort had eased somewhat, but the sample of the virus she was infected with was too small, and a definitive solution had yet to be found.
Beyond that, it was Ying Yungui's customary "trip report." Shi Youchen would open every photo or video he sent, and if he came across something truly remarkable, he would save it for study. For example, this time, Ying Yungui sent a first-person video of the "underwater cliff." Shi Youchen watched it several times, then clicked "save" when the video froze with Ying Yungui turning the camera toward his face.
On the other side, Ying Yunguigang and Kulin, who sent back the video, teamed up to break a very small underwater "domain". The two men who dived out of the water gestured to Reid on the shore, and all the data in the whole process was sent to the database of the association headquarters.
"The regular meeting is about to begin," Kulin said as he slowly unpacked his equipment. "The survey progress in the eastern part of Area 12 is 92%. We should be the fastest team."
Ying Yungui stroked his hair and said, "Anyway, I don't think any team can compare with us." Reid nodded and connected to the real-time connection with the headquarters.
On the other side of the screen, Frovitch and the head of the Information Analysis Department stopped whispering and turned to face the screen divided into dozens of sections. They said seriously, "Two things."
"First, the Global Superpower Management Association will conduct a full data update on April 1, 173 New Calendar, 21 days from now."
"Secondly, Team Alpha, currently surveying areas 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6, will immediately pause and proceed to the urgent mission described in the instructions sent to you. The remaining teams will continue their current missions."
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