Chapter 259 Hidden Crisis
Inside the No. 7 confidential laboratory in Haitang Science and Technology Park.
Wearing a white coat, Zhou Jimin's eyes were bloodshot and his hair was a mess like a bird's nest, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.
"Mr. Bai, you've finally arrived!"
He saw Bai Shu walk in, pointing to a waterfall of green data scrolling across the screen, his voice filled with the fervor typical of a tech geek, "Look at this! It's simply a masterpiece of God!"
Bai Zhu's gaze fell on the screen, which displayed a complex molecular structure diagram and a dense list of elemental analyses.
"Get to the point." Her voice was calm.
Zhou Jimin felt as if he'd been doused with cold water, but his excitement remained. He pulled out a printed report from a pile of drawings and pointed to a data point with an unusually high peak:
“We performed mass spectrometry analysis on that plant sample, the ‘moonlight grass’ you mentioned. In addition to the known alkaloids and organic components, we discovered an extremely rare trace element!”
He pushed up his glasses and said, "This stuff is really far down the periodic table, rarer than gold in nature! It's extremely rare, but its activity is ridiculously strong! The nerve-affecting properties of 'Moonlight Grass' are very likely related to it!"
Bai Zhu's heart skipped a beat.
Where can this element be found?
“That’s exactly what I wanted to say!” Zhou Jimin’s voice rose again. “I have checked all the geological exploration data at home and abroad. Currently, the only place in the world that has been discovered and can form an effective mineral vein is only one place—deep in the Gobi Desert in the northwest, an ancient mineral vein codenamed ‘Mingsha’.”
Northwest! Mineral veins!
Bai Shu immediately recalled the mineral vein map that Shi Gandang had given her before leaving, which was wrapped tightly in oilcloth!
"Zhou Jimin, immediately compile all the data you just mentioned, especially the location information of that mineral vein, into a top-secret document for me." Bai Shu's tone left no room for argument.
“No problem! But Mr. Bai, artificial breeding... is very difficult.” Zhou Jimin’s expression turned serious.
"This element is the foundation for the growth of 'Moonlight Grass'. Without it, even if we simulate the perfect light and water, we can only grow ordinary plants. If we want to cultivate it artificially, we must first solve the problem of raw materials."
"I understand." Bai Shu nodded, turned and left. "Raise the security level of the laboratory to another level. All personnel involved in the project are strictly prohibited from leaving the premises."
After leaving the lab, Bai Shu didn't go home, but went directly to Qin Zheng's safe house on the outskirts of Beijing. She carefully unfolded the treasured map of the Northwest mineral veins on the table.
The edges of the blueprints were yellowed, and they were covered with a jumble of contour lines and mineral symbols in different colored inks. She took out the materials Zhou Jimin had given her and compared the two.
An area circled in red and marked "wind-eroded land" perfectly matches the latitude and longitude coordinates provided by Zhou Jimin.
Bai Shu's fingertips gently traced the area. She finally understood that the true value of this map wasn't the spodumene, but the sole source of "Moonlight Grass"! This was also "Eagle's Nest," the ultimate goal that "Mr. Shadow" had been searching for for a century!
Just then, the encrypted phone on the table rang sharply.
Bai Shu answered the phone; it was Qin Zheng.
“Young Miss,” Qin Zheng’s voice was low and urgent, “we’ve lost track of her.”
Bai Shu's eyes sharpened: "What's going on?"
"It's not that our people are incompetent." Qin Zheng's voice carried a hint of confusion and gravity.
"It's her... she vanished into thin air. Our people work in three shifts around the clock, without even blinking. This morning, Granny Mei left the Lu family compound, went into a dead end, and hasn't come out since. We sealed off that area and searched every house, but we couldn't find her alive or dead. All the neighbors said they'd never seen her before, as if she'd never existed."
Bai Shu's heart sank.
This isn't just missing, it's been erased.
"Mr. Shadow" made his move. Realizing that Granny Mei's connection had been exposed or had lost its value, he cleaned up the traces in the fastest and most thorough way.
This enemy was more decisive and ruthless than she had imagined.
"I understand." Bai Shu hung up the phone, grabbed his coat, and immediately rushed back to Courtyard No. 1.
Lu Jingyan returned in the evening and immediately sensed something was off as he entered. Su Wantang sat on the sofa, her tea already cold, but she remained motionless, seemingly lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" He walked over, took off his military jacket, and sat down next to her naturally, taking her cold hand into his warm palm.
Su Wantang raised her head and briefly recounted the disappearance of Granny Mei and Zhou Jimin's discovery.
“They’ve started clearing the chess pieces.” Lu Jingyan’s face was terribly gloomy, and the air around him was frighteningly low. “This means we’ve hit a nerve, and he’s starting to panic.”
He stood up, walked to the phone, and dialed an internal number.
"It's me, Lu Jingyan."
"Immediately activate the 'Hound' contingency plan. Keep a close watch on everyone we've been monitoring who has had contact with 'Eagle's Nest' or the Huo family in Hong Kong! I need to know every person they've met and every word they've said in the last 24 hours! Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I'll find out who 'Mr. Shadow' is!"
After giving the order, he walked back to the sofa and pulled Su Wantang into his arms again.
“They will definitely go to the mines in the Northwest,” Su Wantang said softly, leaning against his strong chest. “That will be the next battlefield.”
“I’ll go with you,” Lu Jingyan said without hesitation.
Su Wantang shook her head: "No, this time is different. Beijing is our base, and you must stay here. Since 'Mr. Shadow' was able to eliminate Granny Mei so quietly, it means that his infiltration in Beijing is deeper than we imagined. I won't feel at ease if you leave."
She paused, then continued, "In the Northwest, there's Qin Zheng, and also people I transferred from Shanghai. I'll go there as Bai Shu, under the guise of business negotiations, to investigate the situation there."
Lu Jingyan fell silent. He knew Su Wantang was right; reason told him it was the best arrangement at the moment. But the thought of letting her face the unknown dangers alone made his heart feel like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard for him to breathe.
It was late at night, and the bedroom lights were off, with only the cool moonlight streaming in through the window.
Su Wantang lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep. Her mind went over all the clues again and again, from Shanghai to Beijing, from Hong Kong to the Northwest, an invisible giant net was slowly tightening.
When Lu Jingyan came out of the bathroom, he saw her staring at the ceiling with her eyes open, so he lay down next to her and pulled her into his arms.
Can't sleep?
"Um."
He didn't say anything more, but simply stretched out his large hand and placed it on her flat stomach, using the warmth of his palm to soothe her unease little by little.
Su Wan... Tang gradually relaxed, leaning against his firm chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.
"Lu Jingyan".
"Um?"
"I feel like we've stirred up a huge hornet's nest." She laughed self-deprecatingly.
Lu Jingyan tightened his arms, holding her even closer. He lowered his head, his nose brushing against her cheek, his voice low and husky.
"Don't be afraid."
His hands, without her noticing, were now tightly clasped together with hers. The force was immense, as if he wanted to crush her hand bones, or perhaps it was a way of conveying boundless power to her.
"Wantang, no matter what lies ahead, whether it's a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, I will stand in front of you."
He didn't say something vague like "I will protect you," but instead used the word "block."
He used his own flesh and blood to shield her from all danger.
Su Wantang's heart felt as if it were being gently held by a warm, large hand. Having lived two lives, this was the first time she had experienced this feeling of complete reliance.
She turned over to face him, looking into his deep eyes in the dim light.
“Lu Jingyan, I won’t let you stand in front of me alone.” Her voice was soft, but it carried a resolute determination. “We’ll work together to drag that rat hiding in the gutter out and crush him.”
Looking into the light in her eyes, Lu Jingyan lowered his head and kissed her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com