Chapter 953 Finale (Part 1)
Netizens’ reactions after seeing this announcement: ???
What the hell is Qi Mu Pharmaceutical doing?
What is Antidote 1.0? Has it been approved by the state?
Although Qi Mu Pharmaceutical has been very popular in the past two years, because it was founded too recently, people cannot associate it with attributes such as "brand, authority" and so on.
This Cheng poisoning incident endangers the general public. In everyone's mind, only official intervention or an authoritative pharmaceutical brand can solve this disaster.
But now, Qimu Pharmaceutical, a popular online brand that has been established for less than two years, has actually released such an announcement so brazenly...
Isn't this really just a way to attract attention and gain popularity?
Netizens are paying close attention to this poisoning incident and are worried about the people who have been poisoned. At such a critical moment, Qi Mu Pharmaceutical suddenly jumped out to take advantage of the situation. This is simply taking advantage of the situation!
So, netizens were angry.
Everyone rushed to the official Weibo account of Qi Mu Pharmaceutical to fiercely condemn the incident. Die-hard fans of the Daxian specialty store also came out to explain the situation.
[Everyone, calm down. The Qimu family has never been one to seek attention. Maybe they've actually developed an antidote?]
Most people scoff at this statement.
Are you kidding me?
Even the official medical team failed to develop an antidote. How could Qi Mu Pharmaceutical, a popular internet company that has only been operating for two years, develop one?
[Enough with the Qi Mu family's crazy fans. The composition of the poison in this incident is extremely complex. Even so many industry leaders can't figure it out. How can Qi Mu figure it out? Unless you tell me their company has a master of ancient medicine!]
Ancient medicine, this word is distant and unfamiliar to modern people.
But thousands of years ago, ancient medicine ushered in a golden age.
Ancient medicine is actually an abbreviation of ancient martial arts medicine. Thousands of years ago, when ancient martial arts were prevalent, a group of miraculous healers emerged, capable of resurrecting the dead. These healers possessed such remarkable skills that they were said to be able to reattach severed arms, restoring them to full mobility.
In an era dominated by ancient martial artists, these ancient healers forged a glorious era. They healed the wounded and the dying, providing free medical treatment throughout their lives, and rescuing the common people from dire straits. The common people, grateful for their kindness and, since they did not know the names of these ancient healers, affectionately and respectfully referred to them as "miracle healers."
These miraculous doctors who healed the wounded later founded a school of ancient medicine.
The name of the sect is——
No injury door.
May there be no more pain in this world, and may the disciples of Wushang Sect be able to eliminate all death and separation in the world.
This is the founder of ancient medicine. Ancient medicine also started from Wushang School and gradually passed down.
However, the world changes, the times change. As time goes by, technology gradually replaces human labor, and ancient martial arts gradually become scarce.
To preserve their heritage, the ancient martial arts families retreated into seclusion, never to return to the mountains. And those ancient healers also concealed their identities, becoming ordinary people hidden in the bustling city.
At this point, the ancient doctors completely disappeared in the torrent of history.
However, although they disappeared, the stories of the ancient doctors who saved lives and healed the wounded have been passed down from generation to generation.
Ordinary people have never heard of ancient warriors, but they have heard of the reputation of ancient doctors in various unofficial histories, official histories, and gossips.
In everyone's mind, the god-like status of ancient healers is unshakable. Even in this technological age, people still have respect for ancient healers.
So, as soon as that netizen mentioned ancient medicine, everyone became excited.
Please don't compare Qi Mu's medicine to ancient doctors, okay? There's no comparison! Ancient medicine has been lost, so don't try to trick Qi Mu into giving you medicine!
The status of ancient healers in the medical world is equivalent to Zhuge Liang's status in the military strategist world; both are legendary figures. Comparing Qi Mu's herbal remedies with ancient healers is like showing off one's sword in front of Guan Gong.
[Ancient medicine has been lost for hundreds of years. How could there be a successor to Qi Mu's medicine?]
I really hope that Qi Mu Medicine has an heir of ancient medicine in charge. Because if the ancient healer still exists, this poisoning incident will definitely pass safely.
While everyone was marveling at the legends of the ancient doctors, they were also mocking Qi Mu for trying to ride on the popularity of the medicine.
No one believed that Qi Mu Pharmaceutical could produce an antidote. Some of the more extreme ones even went to the website of the relevant department and reported Qi Mu Pharmaceutical with one click.
The poisoning incident caused a huge uproar, and netizens scolded Qi Mu.
However, just as public opinion was becoming increasingly intense, Yue Xiong, the head of the medical team, posted a Weibo post using the official account:
Yue Xiong: Thank you to @Qimu Pharmaceutical and its chairman, Ms. Ruan Qi, @softruanqi, for producing the antidote for the public free of charge. I also thank Ms. Ruan Qi and her master, Mr. Nie Beilou, the current head of the Wushang Sect, for providing the antidote formula free of charge. Version 1.0 of the antidote, produced in partnership with the government, will be officially available in Qimu Pharmaceutical stores tomorrow. Purchases are limited to two per ID card. Please purchase as needed. Thank you.]
After Yue Xiong posted on Weibo.
Everyone: ?????
The Internet is full of question marks.
Everyone was stunned.
Yue Xiong’s Weibo post was very short, but everyone remained silent for a long time.
The entire network has been silent for an unknown amount of time, but Ruan Qi, who hadn't posted on Weibo for a while, is now online.
She reposted Yue Xiong's Weibo using her own account.
Ruan Qi: When the people are in danger, all disciples of Wushang Sect have the responsibility to help. Ancient doctors have no other strengths, only their medical skills to repay the country. May the world be free from harm and live in peace and health.
Everyone: ...
If their memory is correct, there seems to be only one @软软王国柒 on the entire Internet. Her profession is an actress, singer, and popular artist.
...So, why did Yue Xiong tag an artist?
Did he get the wrong account?
Is there another person named Ruan Ruan Qi on Weibo?
...Probably not.
So... the boss behind Qi Mu Pharmaceutical, which has been incredibly popular in recent years, is Ruan Qi?!
She even developed an antidote?!
But isn’t she a star? ! !
This is a lot of information, I'm a bit confused. Let me sort it out... Yue Xiong tagged Ruan Qi, the chairman of Qi Mu Pharmaceutical. She and her master developed the antidote. So... Ruan Qi knows medicine? A female celebrity knows medicine?
I'm not too surprised to learn that Ruan Qi knows medicine. This sister can play games, play the piano, and is a leading figure in academia. I can accept even more medical skills. But... her master is Nie Beilou... doesn't that name sound familiar to you?
Nie Beilou disappeared for twenty years, and many people have forgotten the man who was once famous as the most outstanding scholar in China.
However, history and the Internet will not forget him.
As soon as you search on the Internet, countless news and legends related to "Mr. Beilou" will come into view.
[Oh shit! I remember now! Isn't Nie Beilou the incredibly powerful Mr. Beilou from back then?!]
Ahhhh, I remember it too! Twenty years ago, the flood in City X caused tens of thousands of people to become seriously ill. All the major hospitals were helpless. In the end, it was Mr. Beilou who stepped in and turned the tide, saving everyone!
No wonder this name sounds familiar to me. My dad was one of the survivors of that flood! He also contracted a disease, and it was Mr. Beilou who cured him. If it weren't for Mr. Beilou, I might not be here!
Everyone is not familiar with the name 'Nie Beilou'.
However, the four words "Mr. Beilou" are deeply ingrained in the memories of generations.
It's said that Mr. Beilou studied medicine from a young age, mastering his skills to remarkable perfection before the age of eighteen. In his early adult years, Mr. Beilou traveled alone to the countryside to offer free medical treatment. He stumbled upon a village plagued by a serious illness. The villagers, isolated and conservative, resorted to human sacrifice to eliminate the disease in an effort to stay alive.
Mr. Beilou intervened in time to save twenty young men and women from being burned alive. Afterwards, he wandered the village for three days and developed a cure for the disease.
Under Mr. Beilou's treatment, nearly 500 people in the village all survived. And because of this incident, the 18-year-old Beilou became famous in China.
From then on, the eighteen-year-old Beilou began his legendary life.
He cured diseases, saved lives, and brought the dead back to life. From high-ranking officials to ordinary people, countless patients were cured by his hands.
The "Doctor Beilou" everyone spoke of gradually became the "Miracles of Beilou." It wasn't until the flood in City X more than twenty years ago that the Miracle of Beilou turned the tide, saving tens of thousands of lives. From that point on, the Miracle of Beilou became known throughout China as Mr. Beilou, a renowned figure.
Mr. Beilou's name is engraved in the genes of the generation of twenty years ago.
Especially those who had experienced the flood in City X, they worshipped him like a god.
Netizens who originally didn't know who Nie Beilou was instantly became crazy online after learning that he was Mr. Beilou.
Nie Beilou is actually Mr. Beilou!
Mr. Beilou disappeared for twenty years and appeared again!
Mr. Beilou is actually Ruan Qi’s master!
Everyone was excited and shocked, but soon, netizens discovered another highlight -
[Wait a minute! Wushang Sect…isn’t that the legendary ancient medical sect? ! ! !]
Everyone:! ! ! ! !
Before, everyone's attention was on Nie Beilou's identity, completely ignoring that the sect he and Ruan Qi belonged to was called "Wushang".
Now everyone finally reacted.
Wushang Sect... Wushang Sect... Isn't that the legendary ancestor who created ancient medicine?!
Thousands of years ago, a group of ancient doctors who saved the dying and healed the wounded founded the Wushang Sect!
[Oh my god! Ruan Qi and Mr. Beilou are ancient healers? Is this true?]
[It must be a duplicate name, right? Didn't they say that the Wushang Sect disappeared hundreds of years ago?]
[He just disappeared, not died. Maybe he just went into seclusion. Mr. Beilou's medical skills are so high, he must be an ancient doctor!]
Everyone is wondering whether the Wushang Sect where Ruan Qi is located is the legendary Wushang Sect.
Soon, someone found information related to the Wushang Sect.
According to historical records, when the ancient Wushang sect was founded, a plaque inscribed by the sect leader himself hung at the main entrance. The plaque contained eight characters: "May the world be free from harm, peaceful and healthy."
May everyone be safe and sound!
Isn't this what Ruan Qi just posted on Weibo?!
So Ruan Qi and Mr. Beilou are the inheritors of the ancient medical Wushang School!
They are ancient healers!
An ancient doctor who had disappeared for hundreds of years suddenly reappeared, causing an uproar in the country.
This time, not only people on the Internet, but also people in real life went crazy.
All the major WeChat groups in the capital's wealthy circles were frantically flooding the screen with messages at the same time.
The fan groups of Qimu Pharmacy and Daxian Store also went completely crazy.
The craziest ones are the fans in the entertainment industry.
Honestly, they were just chasing a celebrity. But... the real star turned out to be a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner?!
"Ruanbao is a big shot in academia, I can accept it; he's the Dragon God of esports, I can accept it; he's the genius pianist Vivian, I can still accept it. But now! You're telling me she's a legendary ancient healer?! The direct disciple of the Wushang Sect's leader?! Am I crazy, or is this world crazy?!"
Ever since Qi Mu Pharmaceutical developed the antidote, I've been completely bewildered. Qi Mu Pharmaceutical belongs to Ruan Bao, she's a medical prodigy, and her master is Mr. Bei Lou, an ancient healer from the Wushang Sect... Ruan Bao, how many more shocking things are there that I don't know about?
Who the hell am I following? I'm following an ancient healer? The legendary ancient healer?!
[Oh my god! Ruan Qi is an ancient healer, and she's also the chairman of Qimu Pharmaceutical. So... all the medicine I bought at Daxian's store before was based on an ancient healer's prescription?!]
This netizen grasped the key point.
All of Daxian’s fans were shocked.
yes!
Ruan Qi is the chairman of Qimu Pharmaceutical and a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. So, aren't those little pills her company sells based on long-lost ancient medical recipes?
No wonder those little pills work so well!
I've been taking ancient medicine for a year...
[Such a cheap little pill, but it turns out to be an ancient medical remedy...]
[I just finished a box of Tianwang Hair Growth Pills yesterday and threw the bottle in the trash. I'm going to pick it up right now! I'm offering it to you! I'll burn three sticks of incense every day!]
For the Chinese, the mystique of ancient healers is like an ordinary person encountering an immortal cultivator, or a monkey from Mount Emei encountering Sun Wukong. They are mysterious, powerful, and even omnipotent.
Countless netizens flocked to Ruan Qi's Weibo, wanting to see the style of the inheritor of ancient medicine.
At the same time, the faith value prompt sound in Ruan Qi's system rang frantically.
Faith value +10000…+10000…+10000…
It used to increase by hundreds, but today it’s increasing by tens of thousands.
Ruan Qi was stunned by the crazy rise in her faith value. It was not until Bai Li told her about what happened on Weibo that she understood what had happened.
For a moment, Ruan Qi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
She really didn't expect that the identity of an ancient doctor would make everyone so excited.
To her, whether ancient or modern, doctors are simply doctors who treat illnesses and save lives. Human life is not distinguished by status, and the same applies to doctors.
Ruan Qi never considered ancient healers to be noble or omnipotent. She thought for a moment, then opened her phone and replied to a comment in the Weibo comment section.
Whether ancient or modern, all doctors deserve respect. Learning never ends, and the ocean of medicine is boundless. We still have much to learn.
These words are said very modestly, and at the same time they are also telling everyone in a tactful way: ancient doctors are human beings, not gods, and they need to learn like everyone else.
The netizens' enthusiasm, which was almost crazy, finally cooled down and gradually calmed down after seeing this comment.
People began leaving messages in the comment section of Ruan Qi's Weibo, asking her questions related to the ancient doctor and the poisoning incident.
Just as Ruan Qi was responding to netizens' comments, the Qimu Pharmaceutical Factory began working overtime to expedite the production of antidote version 1.0.
Due to the sudden increase in Faith Value, Bai Li's system was upgraded again. As a reward for the upgrade, Bai Li gave Ruan Qi ten puppets.
Including the previous ten, Ruan Qi now has a total of twenty puppets. Based on their efficiency, producing 10,000 bottles of antidote per day should not be a problem.
So, that night, the lights in the Qi Mu Pharmaceutical Factory were on all night.
By dawn the next day, all 10,000 bottles of antidote had been produced. After expedited testing and packaging, Antidote 1.0 was finally available on the shelves of the Daxian store before it opened at 8:30 AM!
"Five thousand bottles were put on the shelves in our physical stores and another five thousand online. They were all sold out in less than a minute after they were put on the shelves," said Yu Jinxiu, the general manager of Qi Mu Pharmaceutical, over the phone. "Boss, consumers are pushing for more both offline and online right now. Too many people have been poisoned, and we simply can't afford to sell even ten thousand bottles."
Ruan Qi was currently at the sect.
She put down the test tube, took off her white coat, walked out of the laboratory, picked up the water cup and drank it all in one gulp.
After her thirst was completely quenched, she said to Yu Jinxiu, "The factory is already working overtime. They should be able to put another 50,000 bottles on the shelves by 11 o'clock tonight. Have the operations department post an announcement online and put a pre-sale link on the online store."
Yu Jinxiu replied "Okay", and suddenly the sound of Ruan Qi drinking water came from the phone again.
He paused and asked doubtfully, "Boss, how many days have you not had water? Are you thirsty?"
Ruan Qi gulped down another glass of water, wiped her mouth, and said, "I've been staying in the lab since last night. Forget water, I haven't even had time to eat."
Yu Jinxiu: "Is it to develop an antidote?"
"That's right." Ruan Qi touched his rumbling stomach and sighed. "My master and I are studying the genetic sequence numbers in the Nightmare poison. Only by figuring out the sequence of these sequence numbers can we completely cure the Nightmare poison. The version 1.0 antidote currently on the market can only alleviate the symptoms of poisoning, but it can't completely eliminate the toxin."
Yu Jinxiu had studied biomedicine in school and had some knowledge of gene sequencing. Hearing Ruan Qi's words, his brows furrowed.
"Can the sequence of serial numbers be cracked?"
"It's very difficult." Ruan Qi didn't hide anything from him and said frankly, "Even if we can crack it, it will take time. Maybe half a year, maybe a year, or even several years."
Yu Jinxiu: "But the victims of poisoning can't wait."
"Yeah... they can't wait." Ruan Qi sighed softly, "It's basically impossible for us to crack the sorting. Now there is only one way..."
"What?"
Ruan Qi opened her mouth and was about to answer Yu Jinxiu's words when the door of the lounge was suddenly pushed open.
Ruan Qi raised her head.
Jiang Yan, dressed in a dark green uniform, and Xi Jiu, dressed in a camouflage field uniform, walked in.
Ruan Qi was stunned when she saw the clothes on Xi Jiu. She turned around and said to the phone, "Ah Xiu, I have something to do here. I'll hang up first."
Yu Jinxiu responded and ended the call.
Ruan Qi put away his phone, glanced at Xi Jiu's combat uniform, and his expression gradually became solemn.
"Jiujiu, what are you doing..."
Xi Jiu walked to Ruan Qi, raised his hand, and gently touched the dark circles under her eyes with the tip of his thumb.
Ever since the poisoning incident, the little girl hadn't had a good night's sleep. She and Nie Beilou spent day and night in the laboratory, just to find the best antidote formula.
"Are you tired, baby?" Xi Jiu asked with concern.
Ruan Qi didn't answer him. Instead, she grabbed his fingers and asked uneasily, "Jiujiu, why are you wearing this?"
Xi Jiu is not a member of the army, but he holds an important position and often wears this field uniform to lead everyone in training.
But as far as Ruan Qi knew, there had been no military exercises recently. There could only be one reason why Xi Jiu wore this outfit—
"Baby, I might have to go abroad."
Ruan Qi's expression suddenly changed.
She grabbed Xi Jiu's hand and asked nervously, "Are you going to find the headquarters of Organization X?"
Xi Jiu nodded and gave her an affirmative answer.
"Yes. Based on the clues provided by Cheng Qi, we have preliminarily determined the location of Organization X's headquarters. I will take people there to investigate. If conditions permit, it would be best if we can steal the genetic sequence information of the Nightmare poison."
Although Ruan Qi developed version 1.0 of the antidote, due to the lack of knowledge of the gene sequence, this version of the antidote only treats the symptoms and not the root cause.
There is only one way to completely eliminate the toxin, and that is to sneak into the headquarters of Organization X and steal the finished sample of Nightmare Toxin.
Only by obtaining finished product samples can we analyze the genetic sequence and develop the most perfect antidote.
Ruan Qi knew this was the only way.
But she agreed intellectually, but emotionally she didn't want Xi Jiu to go.
The methods of Organization X are too weird. There may be many strange poisons in the headquarters. What if Xi Jiu is not prepared and gets poisoned?
Ruan Qi looked worried. She held Xi Jiu's hand tightly and asked him, "Do you really have to go? Can you think of another way?"
Xi Jiu felt the little girl's nervousness and gently curled her hand into a ball, wrapping it in his palm.
"I don't want to leave my baby either. But for now, I'm the best candidate to join Organization X."
There are many experimental subjects in Organization X whose human potential has been developed. They are all invulnerable to swords and guns and have iron skin and bones. Ordinary people can't deal with them at all.
Only ancient warriors have the ability to fight against it.
As the head of China's number one ancient martial arts family, Xi Jiu is at the rare level of Grandmaster. He is the best candidate to deal with Organization X's experimental subjects.
"This time when I go to Organization X, I will bring Gu Feiyang and the others with me. Baby, I will definitely come back safely, don't worry."
Xi Jiu gently comforted Ruan Qi.
But Ruan Qi always felt uneasy, as if the man would never come back.
Jiang Yan couldn't help but feel distressed when he saw his niece so nervous.
He thought for a moment and comforted Ruan Qi, "Don't worry, Xiao Qi. We've made every possible preparation before letting Lao Jiu go this time. He's been accompanied by many ancient martial arts masters. With their strength, even if they can't steal the poison sample, they'll be able to save their lives and escape unscathed."
Ruan Qi also knew that with Xi Jiu's strength, even if he couldn't steal the sample, he could still save his life.
But there are always unexpected things. As long as Xi Jiu is not 100% safe, she will always be worried.
However, no matter how worried he was, Xi Jiu had to do his business, and Ruan Qi would not stop him.
She asked about the departure time, gave them some detailed instructions, and then let Xi Jiu and Jiang Yan leave.
…
After Xi Jiu left, Ruan Qi stayed in the laboratory for a long time.
The Qimu Pharmaceutical Factory is producing antidotes in an orderly manner. The victims' conditions have been improved and the domestic situation has temporarily stabilized.
Under the leadership of Nie Beilou, the Wushang Sect emerged again and dispersed to major hospitals to treat the poisoned people.
Everything is slowly getting better.
No one knows that behind this calmness, a group of people will risk their lives to travel to another land and steal the hope of life for all the victims.
Xi Jiu's departure date is scheduled for this Friday.
Today is Wednesday, and there are only two days left until Friday.
Because this mission was extremely dangerous, Xi Jiu gave everyone two days off so that they could say goodbye to their families properly.
He also handed over all his official duties to Assistant Mu and Gong Qi, and prepared to concentrate on accompanying Ruan Qi for a few days.
But what surprised him was that Ruan Qi seemed to be particularly busy these two days.
Obviously, the domestic situation has stabilized, and even Nie Beilou can spare some time to rest, but Ruan Qi is even busier than before, staying in the laboratory 24 hours a day, and can't even be found.
Xi Jiu wanted to see the little girl, so he went to Wushangmen every day these days. But Ruan Qi seemed to have suddenly awakened her work spree, so absorbed in it that she didn't even have time to see him.
Xi Jiu had no choice but to ask Nie Beilou.
Nie Beilou's reaction was even stranger.
He just glared at Xi Jiu coldly, said nothing, snorted coldly, and left.
“…”
Xi Jiu was completely confused.
He stayed at Wushangmen for two days.
Two days later, the day of departure arrived.
Even if Xi Jiu was reluctant, he had to leave Wushangmen. He sent a long message to Ruan Qi via WeChat. After the message was sent, he looked at the closed door of the laboratory with longing, gritted his teeth, and left.
…
An hour later, Xi Jiu appeared at the helipad of Q Base.
This operation was classified as top secret at level 3S. Apart from Xi Jiujiangyan and others, even Old Man Xi and his men only knew a little about it vaguely.
Therefore, there were very few people who came to see him off before he went abroad this time, only Jiang Yan and several leaders from relevant departments.
At this time, the Q Base's action team and the official ancient martial arts masters had already arrived. To conceal their presence, everyone wore casual clothes and stood quietly at the bottom of the aircraft's gangway, awaiting Xi Jiu's orders.
Xi Jiu changed into a black windbreaker, black trousers and combat boots that made his strong legs look slender, and every step he took brought a biting wind.
He strode to the bottom of the gangway, glanced at everyone expressionlessly, exuding low pressure and displeasure.
It's uncertain when he will be back from abroad this time. Ruan Qi has been so busy these days that he can't find anyone. Xi Jiu can't see the little girl, and the whole person exudes an aura of "Don't mess with me, I want to kill you."
Seeing him like this, the Q Base Operations Team subconsciously tensed. The officially dispatched ancient martial arts masters didn't know Xi Jiu well, but they all keenly sensed the murderous aura emanating from him. The murderous aura of a Grandmaster was too much to bear. The originally arrogant ancient martial artists were completely suffocated by the pressure, their initial resentment turning into complete submission.
Xi Jiu didn't know that he had subdued a group of troublemakers invisibly.
He took out his phone and took a look. The screen was black, with no WeChat or text messages.
The girl didn't send him a message.
This realization made Xi Jiu feel even worse.
He put away his phone and issued an order in a cold voice. After everyone stood up straight, he said, "Count up."
Starting with Gu Feiyang at the head, all the ancient martial arts masters reported their numbers in turn.
“1!”
“2!”
“3!”
“…”
There were a total of twenty ancient martial arts masters, and they finished counting their numbers very quickly.
When the twentieth person shouted '20', Xi Jiu raised his hand slightly and prepared to let them board the plane.
At this moment, the sound of wheels rolling over the ground came quickly from behind Xi Jiu.
The twenty ancient martial arts masters standing face to face with him all looked behind him, their eyes wide open in shock.
Bai Yuchen raised his hand in disbelief and pointed behind him: "Nine, nine nine nine brother..."
These people's reactions made Xi Jiu confused.
He glanced at Bai Yuchen, frowned, and was about to turn around when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him -
"21! Report! The 21st member of the action team is in place!"
The tarmac was very quiet, with only the gentle breeze blowing.
The girl's soft and sweet voice blew past Xi Jiu's ears with the breeze and struck his heart.
Xi Jiu was stunned.
After realizing what was happening, he turned around abruptly.
Not far behind him, Ruan Qi, wearing a white windbreaker and carrying a large backpack, was sitting on a small electric scooter and looking at him with a smile.
Xi Jiu: "..."
The usually calm and collected man acted foolishly for the first time.
He stared blankly at Ruan Qi, who shouldn't be here, and for a moment he even lost the ability to speak.
Jiang Yan reacted quickly. He walked up to Ruan Qi and asked anxiously, "Girl, why are you here? They're about to board the plane. Go back!"
Ruan Qi didn't listen to Jiang Yan.
She got off the electric scooter, tightened the backpack on her back, and said with a smile: "Uncle, I am number 21 in the action team. I can't go home. I have to go on the mission with everyone else."
Jiang Yan's blood pressure rose when he heard this.
"What nonsense! What do you mean by number 21? There are only 20 people in this operation! Where did you get the number 21? Go home now, or I'll call your parents!"
Facing his uncle's glaring eyes, Ruan Qi remained fearless: "It's no use calling. My parents know I'm here, and so does my master."
When Jiang Yan heard this, he was so angry that his blood vessels almost burst.
"Your parents know? They just let you do whatever you want?!"
"Uncle, I'm not doing this rashly." The little girl looked dissatisfied. "I have enough ability to participate in this operation. I came here today after careful consideration."
"What have you thought about carefully? You just can't bear to part with Lao Jiu!" Jiang Yan was furious and scolded her for being lovesick.
Ruan Qi wasn't ashamed, but rather proud. "I admit that I came here for Jiujiu, but more importantly, I came here for everyone on the team. Organization X has been conducting human experiments for nearly twenty years, and they've developed countless types of toxins. Uncle, can you guarantee that no one will be harmed by these toxins?"
Jiang Yan was speechless.
He can't guarantee it.
Even though Xi Jiu and his men were masters of ancient martial arts, they didn't know medicine or how to detoxify. The antidotes they carried were only effective against common poisons, not the more arduous ones developed by Organization X.
Jiang Yan was speechless and could only try to defend himself: "If Organization X really released the poison, Lao Jiu and the others could just run away. The mission is indeed important, but lives are more important."
"But uncle, if Organization X really releases the poison, it will be too late for Jiujiu and the others to escape." Ruan Qi's face was filled with solemnity. "No one knows Organization X better than me. They have many methods and even more ways to poison people. Uncle, we can't risk everyone's lives."
What Ruan Qi said made a lot of sense, and Jiang Yan had nothing to refute.
However, due to emotional reasons, he was still reluctant to let Ruan Qi participate in this operation, so he could only persuade her earnestly: "Xiao Qi, there is a doctor in the team. The one in white clothes, he is also an ancient doctor with high medical skills."
Ruan Qi looked in the direction Jiang Yan pointed and saw a young man in a white T-shirt.
She thought about it and walked up to the man.
"Are you an ancient healer?" she asked.
The young man knew Ruan Qi's identity, and when she walked towards him, he couldn't help but tense up.
At this moment, facing Ruan Qi's question, his voice trembled nervously: "Yes, yes! My name is Nanfeng, and I am from an ancient medical family."
Ruan Qi said "Oh" and asked, "How many years have you been studying medicine?"
"Ten, ten years."
"Only ten years..." Ruan Qi frowned and tilted her head to say to him, "My uncle said that your medical skills are very good... Are they as good as mine?"
This question made Nanfeng's legs go weak and he almost fell to his knees.
He said weakly, "Miss Ruan, please stop joking with me. My family is just an ordinary family of ancient doctors. How can we compare with the Wushang Sect? My father said that your medical skills are not even comparable to his."
What Nanfeng said is true.
Ruan Qi's medical skills were indeed far superior to most masters from ancient medical families. Even Nie Beilou would say that he was even better than his master.
After getting Nanfeng's answer, Ruan Qi turned to look at Jiang Yan.
"Uncle, you heard it, this Doctor Nan's medical skills are not as good as mine. I will go with them, it will only benefit me and not cause any harm!"
“…”
Jiang Yan was so worried that his hair turned white.
He had finally found his younger sister and niece, so how could he bear to let Ruan Qi go to such a dangerous place.
But he couldn't refute what Ruan Qi said, so he had no choice but to ask Xi Jiu for help.
"Old Nine, say something!"
Xi Jiu has been acting like an idiot ever since Ruan Qi appeared.
Hearing Jiang Yan's voice at this time, he finally woke up, and his cold eyes fell on Ruan Qi's face.
"Baby, you've been locked up in the lab these past few days. Is it related to today's schedule?"
"Yes." Ruan Qi smiled and patted the huge backpack behind him. "I've developed a lot of small pills these days. There are detoxification pills, nerve paralysis pills, tear-inducing pills, and all kinds of functions. I'll distribute them to everyone in a while!"
The eyes of the action team members lit up instantly.
This is a pill developed by ancient doctors!
If they take these medicines, will they not be poisoned?
Everyone looked at Ruan Qi with burning eyes. When Jiang Yan saw their reactions, his head hurt even more.
He turned his head and glared at Xi Jiu, lowering his voice: "Don't let her win people's hearts here, persuade her to go back!"
Xi Jiu moved his lips, walked up to Ruan Qi, and gently touched the bottom of her eyes with his fingertips.
Compared to the previous few days, the little girl's dark circles are more serious, and it is obvious that they are caused by staying up all night.
Xi Jiu looked distressed and asked in a low voice, "Baby, are you sleepy?"
"I'm fine, just a little sleepy." Ruan Qi tilted her head and rubbed her cheek against the man's palm. "But the thought of going on a mission with you makes me feel refreshed."
There were slight bloodshot eyes in the little girl's eyes, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.
She looked at Xi Jiu with anticipation. Xi Jiu's heart trembled, and a feeling of soreness spread in his chest.
"Baby," he blurted out his true feelings, "I don't want you to go."
Ruan Qi's smile faded a little, and she looked at him and asked, "Are you worried about danger?"
Xi Jiu said 'hmm'.
"Organization X is mysterious and strange, and I don't want you to be in danger. Baby, can you stay home?"
After asking this question, there was silence in the air.
Everyone was on edge, waiting for Ruan Qi's answer.
Ruan Qi raised her head and stared into Xi Jiu's eyes for a while.
"No!" she finally said.
Xi Jiu was helpless: "Baby..."
"Calling me baby is useless." Ruan Qi's eyes were filled with stubbornness and persistence. "You're worried that I'm in danger, so you let me stay home. I'm also worried that you're in danger. Can you please not go and stay in the imperial capital?"
Xi Jiu's lips moved, and he looked embarrassed.
Ruan Qi: "You can't, right? Because you are not only my fiancé, you are also the head of the First Family and the protector of everyone. You have your mission, your responsibilities, and things you must do. What about me? Jiujiu, isn't this my responsibility?"
Xi Jiu opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Ruan Qi continued, "I am the next head of the Wushang Sect, a disciple of the great scholar Mr. Beilou, and the heir of the ancient medical tradition. Since birth, I have been entrusted with the mission of saving the dying and healing the wounded. In this land, all lives are my responsibility. As your fiancée, you can refuse my request. But as the next head of the Wushang Sect, no one has the right to object to my participation in this mission. Not even your uncle or you!"
The girl's tone was soft, yet powerful. Every word she spoke was like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart again and again.
The surroundings were very quiet, with only the breeze blowing, carrying Ruan Qi's firm voice into the sky.
Xi Jiu said nothing, and neither did Jiang Yan. Though they appeared calm, their hearts were already rife with turmoil.
Ruan Qi glanced at the two of them, tightened the shoulder straps of her backpack, held her head high and chest puffed out, and said in a resounding voice, "As the 267th Young Master of the Wushang Sect, I request to participate in this operation. This is the seal of my sect leader, Nie Beilou. I hope Minister Jiang and Instructor Xi will approve it!"
After she finished speaking, she took out a letter from her jacket pocket. On it was clearly engraved a large vermilion seal.
It symbolizes the supreme status of the leader of Wushang Sect.
When Jiang Yan saw the seal, his face became serious. He quickly walked over, took the letter and opened it.
On the snow-white letter paper, there was only a simple sentence written:
[The world is safe and peaceful. Disciples of my sect should risk their lives to bring peace and prosperity. —Nie Beilou]
These simple twenty-two words vividly express Nie Beilou's attitude, and also show the character and spirit of Wushangmen, the founder of ancient medicine.
——Although the Wushang Sect has gone into seclusion, it has never left the world.
When the people are in trouble, Wushangmen will definitely go all out and risk their lives.
Jiang Yan was stunned by Nie Beilou's eloquent words and held the letter in his hand for a long time without saying a word.
Ruan Qi looked at him and said softly, "For everyone who joins the Wushang Sect, the first lesson they learn is to save the dying and the wounded, and to sacrifice their own lives. We possess abilities that are superior to those of ordinary people, so we must be prepared to make even greater sacrifices. With great power comes great responsibility, and the Wushang Sect will never shirk its responsibilities. So, Minister Jiang, you cannot refuse my request to participate in this mission!"
Ruan Qi no longer called Jiang Yan uncle, but instead addressed him as Minister Jiang in a businesslike manner.
This name made Jiang Yan realize that the person standing in front of him was not his soft niece, but Ruan Qi, the young master of Wushang Sect who possessed superb medical skills.
Jiang Yan was silent for a long time, then raised his head and looked at Xi Jiu.
"Old Nine, what do you think?"
Xi Jiu didn't reply.
He looked at Ruan Qi steadily.
Ruan Qi also looked up at him. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with the stubbornness and determination that only a traditional healer, determined to save the dying and heal the wounded, possessed.
In this glory, Xi Jiu felt that his selfishness, weakness and meanness were all exposed.
Why was he unwilling to let Ruan Qi participate in the operation?
Because I was afraid she would be in danger.
Why are you afraid that Ruan Qi is in danger?
Because he was afraid of losing her.
He couldn't bear the pain of losing Ruan Qi, so he selfishly ignored Ruan Qi's identity and mission as an ancient doctor, and kept her in the imperial capital like a trapped canary.
But he forgot that Ruan Qi was not a canary.
She has the most sacred mission and the most tenacious heart in the world.
She had studied medicine hard for nearly twenty years and deserved to realize her own value, rather than being left behind in the imperial capital by him as a rich lady unable to realize her ambitions.
Xi Jiu suddenly felt ashamed of his selfishness and meanness.
He exhaled deeply and spoke slowly, "As your fiancé, I don't want you to participate in this operation. However, I am now the leader of the action team... Ruan Qi, on behalf of everyone on the action team, I welcome you to join."
Ruan Qi's eyes suddenly lit up with joy.
Jiang Yan's blood pressure suddenly rose.
He looked at Xi Jiu in disbelief: "Lao Jiu, how could you..."
"Uncle Jiang," Xi Jiu looked at him calmly, "Xiao Qi has her own responsibilities and ambitions. We shouldn't confine her in the name of love."
Jiang Yan was stunned.
He felt sorry for his younger sister and niece, whom he had finally found, and held them in his hands for fear they would melt. In his excessive caution, he forgot that the children of the Jiang family should not be kept in a greenhouse.
Whether it is his own children, or Bo Ye and Ruan Qi, they should not hide behind their parents and become a second-generation rich who do nothing.
Because he cared too much, Jiang Yan forgot the integrity that the children of the Jiang family should have.
Xi Jiu's words were like a heavy hammer, waking him up.
"I'm being paranoid." Jiang Yan sighed. "You're right. Xiaoqi has grown up. She has her own ambitions and responsibilities. As parents, we can worry, but we can't stop her."
When Ruan Qi heard this, she quickly asked, "Did your uncle agree?"
"Do I have a choice?" Jiang Yan gave her a displeased look. "You've even brought up your master. What else can I say?"
Ruan Qi curled her eyes and smiled secretly with pursed lips.
Jiang Yan looked at her, sighed, and earnestly warned her, "Since you want to go, then go ahead. But I have one request - don't act stubbornly and obey orders. Run quickly if there's danger and try not to get hurt. You must come back safe and sound. Your parents and I are waiting for you in the capital."
Ruan Qi immediately straightened her chest and raised her head, raised her hands and swore: "I promise to be obedient! I will definitely return home safely!"
The little girl's confident look was so adorable that Jiang Yan couldn't hold it in any longer and laughed helplessly.
The departure time was approaching, and everyone stopped talking and got on the plane in an orderly manner under Xi Jiu's orders.
Ruan Qi followed at the end of the team, waved to Jiang Yan, then turned around and walked into the cabin.
After the little girl's figure completely disappeared, Jiang Yan withdrew his gaze, raised his hand and patted Xi Jiu's shoulder heavily.
"I'll leave Xiaoqi to you. You two must come back safely."
Xi Jiu nodded slightly, his eyes firm and gentle.
"Don't worry. I will protect Xiao Qi with my life and bring her back safely."
…
Between layers of white clouds, the plane gradually flew to an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Since this mission was top secret, in order to conceal the truth, all the transportation used by the action team was provided by Xi privately.
Xi Jiu directly applied for a direct flight to a city near Organization X and used a private jet to take everyone there.
At this time, on the plane.
The original soft and luxurious sofa was replaced with an ordinary first-class seat. The cabin was spacious, more than enough to accommodate thirty people.
Ruan Qi sat by the window, holding the huge backpack in her arms.
Bai Yuchen, who was sitting in the back, couldn't help but stand up and look over curiously.
"Sister-in-law, what's in your bag? It looks so heavy."
Ruan Qi didn't say anything, she just unzipped her backpack and took out the things inside one by one.
Injections, pills, powders, plasters, and various...
"Mask? Clothes?"
Bai Yuchen picked up a strange-looking white mask and looked puzzled: "Sister-in-law, why are you wearing a mask?"
"It's for protection against viruses." Ruan Qi took the mask apart and gave a brief demonstration. "This is a gas mask I made myself. It can block most poison gases and bacteria. It's better than the one you're wearing."
Medical gas masks are relatively large and uncomfortable to wear on the face.
But masks are different.
The mask is light and breathable. Most importantly, the gas mask developed by Ruan Qi has excellent isolation performance. It can block any poisonous gas that is not particularly tricky.
No one expected Ruan Qi to be so amazing that he could even develop a gas mask. At this point, everyone couldn't sit still anymore and stood up from their seats to gather around Ruan Qi.
"Sister-in-law, what is this dress for?"
"Doctor Ruan, what about these glasses? Are they also anti-toxic?"
"And this bracelet, what functions does it have?"
Everyone asked questions at once, and Ruan Qi answered them one by one in an orderly manner.
"This garment is worn next to the skin, protecting it from toxins and germs. The glasses are also designed for far-infrared night vision. This bracelet can emit laser pulses, making it very convenient for cutting metal."
These days, apart from developing the antidote, Ruan Qi spends all his time making these weapons.
She is Qi Sha, who possesses the best talent in weapon manufacturing; at the same time, she is an ancient healer and hacker, with extremely high medical and computer skills.
The combination of these skills allowed Ruan Qi to design countless weapons that were beyond the public's knowledge.
Everyone in the action team felt as if they were watching a science fiction blockbuster. Those advanced weapons and equipment that could only be seen in movies were actually in their hands.
Bai Yuchen was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out: "Sister-in-law, you are too awesome..."
"As expected of the Young Master of the Wushang Sect, he can even research gas masks!"
"Ms. Ruan is so amazing! With her intelligence, I want to be her fan!"
Although they were originally strangers to each other, they quickly became friends because of the equipment developed by Ruan Qi.
Ruan Qi looked at them with a smile, and suddenly someone gently pulled the hand hanging by her side.
She turned her head and saw Xi Jiu standing behind her, staring at her with a pair of cold eyes.
Ruan Qi raised her eyebrows slightly, turned her head away, and deliberately ignored him.
Seeing this, Xi Jiu showed a hint of helplessness on his handsome face, and bent down to whisper in her ear.
"Is the baby angry?"
Ruan Qi turned her head away and said nothing.
Xi Jiu grabbed her hand and coaxed her softly, "I'm not stopping you from participating in the operation, baby. I'm just worried about you. Organization X's methods are too ruthless. What if something happens to you..."
Ruan Qi suddenly turned her head.
"You're afraid something might happen to me, but aren't I afraid something might happen to you?" She interrupted the man, looking at him stubbornly with her peach blossom eyes. "You said we'd live and die together, but now you're leaving me to take risks. It would be fine if you come back safely, but if anything happens to you, I'll go with you right away... Ugh! Ugh!"
Before the little girl could finish her words, Xi Jiu covered her mouth with his hand.
"Baby, don't talk nonsense."
Ruan Qi glared at him: "Mmmm!" I said!
Xi Jiu was angry and helpless, but he didn't dare to lose his temper with her. He could only coax her like an ancestor, "That word is unlucky, don't say it. Be obedient, baby."
Ruan Xiaoqi didn't want to obey.
She shook her head vigorously, swatting the man's hand away from her face. Then, with her peach blossom eyes wide open, she whispered, "What's so unlucky about this? 'If you live, I live. If you die, I die.' Isn't that what you said? You made a promise and then forgot about it, didn't you? You scumbag!"
The little girl has always been very gentle, rarely loses her temper like this, and rarely is she so unreasonable.
Xi Jiu was so embarrassed that she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She patiently coaxed him, "I haven't forgotten. Baby, I won't forget any of my promises to you. It's just that this mission is very dangerous..."
"So what?" Ruan Qi asked him back, "We are one. We should face danger together. Jiujiu, ten years ago, I watched you drown in the river. Do you want me to watch you face danger alone again ten years later? Jiujiu, you can't be so cruel!"
The cold brother from ten years ago was a pain that Ruan Qi could never let go of. If she hadn't been so weak back then, she wouldn't have watched him being thrown into the river.
And now, ten years later, Xi Jiu actually wanted her to watch him face danger alone.
This is too cruel for Ruan Qi.
She looked at Xi Jiu stubbornly, her eyes gradually turning red.
Xi Jiu's heart skipped a beat.
He had always known that the Iceberg Brother was Ruan Qi's heart knot, but he didn't expect that this knot was so deep.
He reached out and hugged her distressedly: "Baby, don't cry, I was wrong."
Ruan Qi buried her face in his chest and asked in a hoarse voice, "Will you leave me alone?"
"No, I won't even die." Xi Jiu hugged her tightly, "If there is danger, we will face it together. No matter life or death, I will not abandon you."
Ruan Qi: "Are you serious? You're not lying to me?"
"Well, I won't lie to you." Xi Jiu promised in a low voice, "I won't abandon you. Baby, you can't abandon me either. No matter life or death, we must be together."
…
More than ten hours later, the plane landed on the tarmac of Xi's branch in Country M.
The 22-person action team got off the plane and then drove to City C.
According to the information Cheng Qi had provided, Organization X's headquarters was located on a seashore in western Country M. Since human experiments required frequent transportation of corpses, this location should be sparsely populated and without surveillance cameras.
The western part of Country M, on the coast, is sparsely populated. These three conditions combined ultimately point to the Benga Ocean, the world's largest ocean.
The Menggayang is closely adjacent to the western part of Country M. Several areas in it have not yet been developed, are sparsely populated, and have no cameras.
However, which of these areas contains the headquarters of Organization X?
It is still unknown.
However, because they need to conduct human experiments, Organization X must frequently capture living people. Capturing high-ranking officials would attract public attention, so the best choices are the poor in the slums or the homeless.
So, Xi Jiu asked the Eagle Department to investigate the missing persons cases in Country M in the past ten years.
The investigation revealed that in western Country M, near the Bengayang region, there was a very small city, City C. This city suffered from poor economic development and public security. This, coupled with poor educational conditions, led to a generally low quality of life for residents, and fights and brawls were common.
And these are not the most important.
Most importantly, this City C is called the 'Lost City'.
It was called this because people were always disappearing in City C. Whether they were locals or outsiders, once they entered the city, it was like entering a maze, and they could disappear without a trace.
This characteristic of City C caught Xi Jiu's attention.
He investigated the history of this mysterious city over the past twenty years and found that City C was only renamed the 'Maze City' ten years ago, and the constant disappearances in City C also started ten years ago.
Ten years is a very sensitive node.
Organization X received help from the Cheng family and began conducting human experiments ten years ago.
So, could the disappearance of people in City C be related to Organization X?
Could those who disappeared have been captured by Organization X?
Xi Jiu listed City C as the key suspect. This time when they came to Country M, their first target was this city.
It takes about a day to take a bus from Xi's branch to City C.
We took turns driving, resting in the car when we were tired, and eating and drinking in the car when we were hungry. After enduring a whole day, we finally arrived at our destination.
"Do you want to rest for a night before taking action?" Bai Yuchen glanced at Ruan Qi's face, "Are you a little tired, sister-in-law?"
When everyone heard this, they all looked towards Ruan Qi immediately.
Perhaps it was because she hadn't slept much for half a month straight, but Ruan Qi's complexion wasn't looking great. She was already pale, and after two days of traveling, her face had lost even more color. And due to lack of sleep, the dark circles under her eyes had grown increasingly darker, a truly alarming sight against her pale face.
Xi Jiu originally wanted Ruan Qi to get off the car and rest, and when he heard Bai Yuchen say so, he immediately nodded.
But Ruan Qi waved her hand.
"I'm fine," she said nonchalantly. "I just didn't sleep well, that's all. But I'm in good health. If we were to fight now, do you believe I could beat you all?"
She waved her little fist, and an invisible aura of ancient martial arts surged out.
Everyone's breathing was instantly choked, and Ruan Qi's internal energy was like a mountain, pressing heavily on their hearts.
Suddenly, everyone's expression changed.
I originally thought that Ruan Qi was only good at medicine, but I didn't expect that her ancient martial arts were also so powerful.
Isn’t this girl so awesome?
She has both intelligence and physical strength, so they can't help but want to be her fans?!
Ruan Qi used practical actions to let everyone know her strength.
Xi Jiu frowned worriedly: "Baby, are you really not tired?"
"I'm really not tired." Ruan Qi looked at him with a smile. "When I was a kid, my daily training intensity was much higher than this. I've gotten used to it. Time is running out, so let's quickly find the X headquarters."
Xi Jiu made sure again and again that Ruan Qi was not pretending, and only then did his heart settle down.
He opened the electronic map and retrieved the location of City C.
"This is City C. Drive another six hours further and you'll reach Mengjiayang. The area between Mengjiayang and City C is undeveloped and is a pristine, barren rock forest. Organization X's headquarters is very likely located within this forest."
But the problem now is, even if they know the approximate location of Organization X, how can they find the entrance and exit?
Cheng Qi had said before that the headquarters of Organization X was built underground, and the entrance was heavily guarded by high-tech equipment, which would trigger an alarm if not carefully guarded.
It is definitely not possible to force your way in, you can only use your wits.
But how to outsmart it?
"Let's go into the city first and see, maybe we can come up with a solution."
At Xi Jiu's suggestion, the 22-member action team was divided into five teams and dispersed across City C.
Ruan Qi and Xi Jiu brought three other ancient warriors and headed directly to the most famous slums in the city according to the directions on the map.
Due to its backward economy and extremely poor public security, the buildings in City C all exude a sense of desolation and decay. This sense of desolation grows particularly pronounced the closer you get to the slums. There are mottled walls, filthy streets, bored shopkeepers in front of doors, shouting and cursing echoing from alleyways, and even street corners covered in bloodstains from fights.
As Ruan Qi walked forward, she felt more and more a depressed and decadent atmosphere lingering in the air.
Suddenly, a scream came from the alley nearby.
Xi Jiu subconsciously protected Ruan Qi behind him. From the alley on the left, a woman covered in blood suddenly rushed out.
“Help! Help!”
The woman screamed in accented English.
Behind her, several ferocious men holding steel pipes were chasing her relentlessly with murderous intent.
The woman rushed out of the alley, her eyes subconsciously looking around for help. Suddenly, she saw Xi Jiu, who had a strong and cold aura, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
"Help me! Help me!"
The woman rushed towards Xi Jiu like crazy, but before she could get close to him, she was stopped by an ancient warrior.
The woman instinctively grabbed the ancient warrior and screamed at him hysterically: "They are going to beat me to death! Save me! I will die!"
Because she was too excited, the woman used too much force while roaring, and the blood on her head splashed onto the ancient warrior like raindrops.
The ancient warrior, who was a bit of a germaphobe, felt extremely uncomfortable. He resisted the urge to hide and turned to look at Xi Jiu: "Boss..."
Xi Jiu looked at the woman indifferently, without a trace of pity in his eyes.
It could be said that he felt no compassion for any member of the opposite sex except Ruan Qi. Even though this woman looked pitiful, Xi Jiu had no intention of saving her without knowing the reason behind her situation.
"Don't meddle in other people's business, the mission is important."
Xi Jiu said this coldly, took Ruan Qi's hand and turned to leave.
However, Ruan Qi stood still and did not move.
"Baby?" Xi Jiu turned around in confusion.
Ruan Qi raised her chin towards the woman: "Jiujiu, I want to save her."
Xi Jiu frowned slightly when he heard this.
Although Ruan Qi was a doctor who cured illnesses and saved lives, he wasn't a pushover. He had no idea whether the woman was good or bad, and given Ruan Qi's personality, it was impossible for him to save her without authorization.
Unless, she had other purposes in saving that woman.
Xi Jiu understood Ruan Qi's thoughts in an instant, and without saying a word, he turned around and made a gesture to his subordinates.
The ancient warrior whose clothes were grabbed by the woman received the order and immediately took action, subduing the men who were chasing him in a few moves.
"Boss, what should we do with these people?" the ancient warrior asked while holding down the men.
Xi Jiu didn't want to get involved in the feud between these people, so he said calmly, "Let them go. Don't let me see them before tomorrow morning."
The implication was that he would protect this woman until tomorrow morning. After tomorrow morning, he would no longer interfere in their feud.
The men pinned to the ground understood Xi Jiu's words. Although they were not happy about it, they still chose to compromise in the face of absolute force.
Several men covered their wounds and limped away.
Seeing that the crisis was over, the woman breathed a sigh of relief, let go of the ancient warrior's clothes, turned around and was about to leave.
"Hey, hey, hey? Where are you going?" The ancient warrior quickly stopped her, "I saved you, and you don't even say thank you?"
Because the danger was over, the woman completely relaxed, and this relaxation revealed her true nature.
She impatiently opened the ancient warrior's hand, cursed a little, and rolled her eyes, showing no gratitude at all.
The ancient warriors were so angry that they laughed.
"Stop! We have something to ask you!"
The woman pretended not to hear and walked straight ahead.
At this moment, a sweet and soft female voice came from behind her: "If you dare to walk out of here, I will notify those men and ask them to come and catch you again."
These words were like a key that suddenly locked the woman's movement.
She suddenly turned around and glared at Ruan Qi who was speaking, cursing at her, which was obviously not a nice thing to say.
Xi Jiu's face suddenly turned cold.
He took a step forward and was about to speak, but Ruan Qi spoke first.
"I don't care how much grudge you have with those people, or whether you are a victim or not. That's between you two, I don't care. But I saved you, so you must repay me. Otherwise, I will return you in the same way I saved you. I'm not kidding, I hope you can learn from the current situation."
The woman didn't expect that Ruan Qi, who looked like an angel, could say such cruel words.
She opened her eyes wide in disbelief and screamed loudly with blood all over her head: "You want to send me back? Let them beat me to death? I'm just a weak woman, you can't do this!"
"Weak woman?" Ruan Qi raised an eyebrow, glancing at her waist with a playful expression, "Why are you wearing a long-sleeved coat in such hot weather? Are you hiding something shameful inside?"
The woman who was shouting just now seemed to have the pause button pressed, and her whole body stopped in an instant.
Ruan Qi looked at her reaction and curled her eyes. "Those men smelled of cooking oil, and one of them had many burn scars on his right hand. If I'm not mistaken, they should run a restaurant, right? And you smell the same as them, and there's a grease stain on the back of your coat, and your coat is bulging... Madam, you didn't steal food from a restaurant and get chased and beaten, did you?"
These words seemed to touch the woman's sore spot, and she felt like she was struck by lightning.
"How do you know?!" the woman asked subconsciously, and when she reacted, she hurriedly covered her mouth.
Ruan Qi laughed softly.
"Looks like I guessed right? Not only are you not innocent, you stole someone's food. No wonder they chased you and beat you up. Ma'am, stealing is against the law. Do you think I should take you to the police station?"
The woman was a little panicked at first, but when she heard Ruan Qi say that she would send her to the police station, she actually burst out laughing.
"Police station? The police in City C are just for show. You might as well send me back to that restaurant instead of there!"
"That's fine." Ruan Qi also laughed, "Then I'll send you back to the restaurant and let those men punish you."
As she said that, Ruan Qi was about to go over and catch her.
Seeing that she was serious, the woman immediately started to panic again.
"No, no, no! They'll really beat me to death! You can't send me there!"
Ruan Qi paused in mid-air, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then will you listen to me or not?"
The woman rolled her eyes but said nothing.
Ruan Qi glanced at her, then turned and whispered something to Xi Jiu. Xi Jiu nodded, took out his wallet from his clothes and handed it to Ruan Qi.
Ruan Qi opened his wallet, quickly took out several large bills, and shook them in front of the woman.
"As long as you listen to me, all this money will be yours. How about it?"
The moment a woman sees money, her eyes can no longer hold anything else.
She stared at the big bills and reached out to grab them, but Ruan Qi was faster, swinging her arm and putting her hands behind her back.
"Ma'am, you don't get paid if you don't do anything."
The woman was so anxious that she couldn't eat it. She said, "What do you want me to do? I'll do whatever you say! Just give me the money first!"
Of course Ruan Qi wouldn't give her the money.
She took out a large bill from among several, handed it to the woman, and said to her, "Answer me a question, and don't lie. One bill for one question, how about that?"
What else can I do?
It’s just great!
Women wouldn't even dare to dream of such a good thing!
She nodded quickly and said impatiently: "What do you want to ask? I will never lie!"
"Very good." Ruan Qi held up the big ticket and spoke slowly, "First question, where do you live?"
Woman: "No. 124, Rosay District."
Rossai District is the most famous slum in City C, and it is also where Ruan Qi and Xi Jiu plan to go.
Ruan Qi glanced at Xi Jiu without leaving any trace, and continued to ask the woman: "How long have you lived in Luosai District?"
Woman: "I've been there since I was born, more than 20 years."
"Very good." Ruan Qi handed her two large bills, then took out a third. "Third question, do people often go missing in City C?"
This question made the woman pause in staring at the banknotes, and her gaze shifted from the banknotes to Ruan Qi's face.
"Why are you asking that?"
Ruan Qi didn't answer, but just shook the banknotes in his hand.
The woman hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gave in to the money and answered truthfully, "Yes. People often go missing in City C, and my nephew is one of them."
Ruan Qi didn't expect that the woman was actually related to the missing persons case, and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
"When did your nephew disappear? Was there anything unusual before he disappeared?"
"No." The woman shook her head. "He disappeared two years ago. He went out to play that day as usual, and never came back. The same goes for everyone else. Anyone who disappears in this city never returns."
Ruan Qi: "You didn't call the police?"
"Call the police?" The woman scoffed sarcastically. "Didn't I tell you that the police cymbals in City C are just for show? So many people go missing in this city every year that the police cymbals aren't even bothered to look for them."
Ruan Qi: "Has your family ever thought about looking for it yourself?"
"I've been looking for him for a month, but I can't find him." The woman looked nonchalant, as if it wasn't her nephew who was missing, but a stranger. "It's impossible to find someone who goes missing in this city. My nephew is most likely dead. Instead of wasting time and effort looking for him, I might as well have another one."
The people in this city seem to have become numb, and losing a few people doesn't matter to them at all.
In other words, it was the inaction of the police in City C that forced them to turn a blind eye.
Ruan Qi felt a little heavy in her heart.
She handed the woman a few banknotes and continued asking her, "Do you know where most of the missing people live?"
"I know. Most of them are from slums. The rich ones are picked up and dropped off every day by cars and accompanied by bodyguards. How could they disappear? Oh, and after my nephew went missing, his parents and I searched for him for a while. Guess what I found?"
Ruan Qi: "What?"
The woman didn't speak.
She blinked and stretched out her hand to Ruan Qi.
Ruan Qi immediately gave her three big tickets.
The woman took the money, smelled it, and smiled with satisfaction.
She finally relented and said to Ruan Qi, "During the month I was looking for my nephew, I discovered a pattern. I found that a few people would go missing in this city every week, and they were always missing on Friday nights."
This discovery surprised everyone in the task force.
Ruan Qi glanced at Xi Jiu and said to the woman, "Every Friday night? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," the woman said confidently. "I know most of the people in the slums. I know when someone's in trouble. Every Saturday morning, I hear about someone missing. So I assume they all disappeared on Friday night."
This clue is really important to Ruan Qi.
She quickly asked, "What common traits do those missing people have?"
"Specialties?" The woman thought for a moment and shook her head. "Probably not. Young, old, male, female, all have them. If I had to point out a similarity... it's probably that their families aren't well off; many are homeless. And some are just children who love to play on the streets."
Homeless vagrants and children who love to play on the streets seem to have nothing in common, but they actually have one thing in common.
That is - they often roam the streets.
People who often wander the streets are easily targeted and their daily movements can be easily discovered.
If Organization X wants to capture people for human experiments, these types of people are the easiest to target.
Ruan Qi was thinking a lot, but he remained calm and asked the woman, "Besides these, are there any other discoveries?"
"I think he's gone." The woman thought about it seriously, and suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, in the first few years, more women disappeared in the city than men. But later, women were afraid to go out at night, and the number of missing men gradually increased. Little girl," she glanced at Ruan Qi, "people like you should never go out at night. If you do go out, make sure to take your man with you. This is my advice to you for the sake of money."
Ruan Qi was somewhat surprised by the woman's kindness.
She was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled: "Okay, I'll listen to you. Thank you for answering my questions truthfully. The money is yours."
Ruan Qi handed a handful of bills to the woman.
The woman immediately grabbed the money anxiously, held it in her hand and counted it carefully.
"You actually have so much money!" she said happily, "Little girl, you are so generous!"
Ruan Qi smiled and said softly, "Based on the consumption level in City C, this money is enough for you to live comfortably for half a year. Go and pay for the meal at the restaurant later, and don't steal anymore."
The woman didn't know if she had listened or not. She waved her hand nonchalantly, clutching the money: "Okay, okay, I get it. It's okay, I'll be leaving now. Bye!"
The woman held the money in her hand as if it were a treasure and walked away happily.
Ruan Qi looked at her departing back, and the smile on her face gradually faded.
She turned and looked at everyone.
"What do you think of what I just said?"
Everyone was still digesting the information provided by the woman and no one spoke for a while.
After a moment, an ancient warrior said, "If what that woman said is true, then someone goes missing every Friday night. So this Friday... Oh, what day is it today?"
"Thursday." Another person checked his phone.
Ancient Warrior: "Today is Thursday? Isn't that only one day left until Friday? Will there be more missing people this time?"
"Isn't it just right that someone's missing?" another person said. "We can take advantage of this opportunity to catch the people from Organization X. Boss, should we make a plan? We can ambush them tomorrow night and catch those traffickers?"
Everyone looked at Xi Jiu.
Xi Jiu pondered for a moment and was about to nod when he heard Ruan Qi suddenly say, "This isn't good."
"Not good? What's wrong with it?" someone asked.
Ruan Qi: "Our goal this time is to infiltrate Organization X and find a sample of the Nightmare poison. 'Find Organization X, destroy Organization X' is what we need to do. Just capturing a few human traffickers won't achieve anything."
"We can force those traffickers to tell us the address of Organization X."
"But what if they don't tell us?" Ruan Qi asked. "Organization X's members are all specially trained, so it's hard to force anything out of them. And even if we do, if they don't return on time, Organization X will notice something's wrong. Wouldn't we then alert them?"
What Ruan Qi said makes a lot of sense.
The people in Organization X have all undergone professional training, and it is very difficult to force information out of them.
Furthermore, even if they forced the truth out, they couldn't just release the traffickers. And if they didn't return, Organization X would surely notice something was amiss. Alerting them would only make the mission doubly difficult.
Therefore, ambushing to catch human traffickers is not the best method.
"Then what should we do? This is the only way to contact the people of Organization X..."
"Actually, there is a better way." Ruan Qi suddenly spoke.
"What method?"
"We'll use their trick against them." Ruan Qi raised his head, looked at everyone, and said slowly, "They want to capture someone for experiments, so I'll pretend to be that person. From today on, I'm a member of the slums. Wait until tomorrow night, and let them arrest me directly."
I overestimated my typing speed and thought I could finish the finale in five days, but in the end I only managed to write a few tens of thousands of words.
I'll post the finale (Part 1) first, and then give me two days to write the finale (Part 2). I'll update on September 8th, see you then.
(End of this chapter)
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