Chapter 103 [Includes 20,000 units of nutrient solution]
Pei Yuheng was startled and, without thinking, put down what he was holding and quickly walked over: "Why did you come out?"
It was nearly two in the morning, and the crimson moonlight streamed through the glass into the silent corridor. Outside the window, tall buildings loomed indistinctly, and the howling wind sounded like the hoarse growls of a monster.
Pei Yuheng hadn't thought there was a problem at first, but now he felt that danger was everywhere, and that a monster might jump out from any corner at any moment and kidnap Xiao Xubai.
He quickly shielded the child in his arms, hurried back to the medicine storeroom, and slammed the door shut. Only then did he realize that a cold sweat had broken out on his back.
Before she could even utter a reprimand, a pair of small arms wrapped around her neck.
Little Xu's fluffy white head came closer and planted a big kiss on his cheek!
"Someone left a message saying that Dad is in a bad mood, so he called on me to cheer you up!"
Pei Yuheng thought about it for a moment and realized that Xie Xubai was behind it. He frowned and scolded, "This is simply ridiculous."
Even with Xie Xubai's immense strength as an adult, he couldn't be completely at ease, let alone after he shrunk.
During the time he was building the clinic, he often interacted with the elderly, women, and children. He discovered that although children's bodies were fragile, they didn't look sickly like Xiao Xubai.
Pei Yuheng strongly suspected that Xiao Xubai might have suffered a hard life in the past and developed some kind of illness, and he felt extremely distressed.
Seeing that the little guy's face turned pale just from being exposed to the cold wind, he hurriedly took off his coat and wrapped it around the child's body, then turned to adjust the room temperature.
Xiao Xubai realized Pei Yuheng's intention and tugged at his clothes from behind: "No, Dad, the medicine will spoil."
Medicines stored in the laboratory naturally have requirements for storage temperature and light.
Pei Yuheng paused slightly, surprised that a six or seven-year-old child knew this.
The next second, Xiao Xubai raised his hands, and golden light gathered in his palms, like stars in the night sky, gently illuminating the dim room.
“The light from spiritual energy won’t affect the medicine, and the heat it releases can be controlled within a certain range.” Xiao Xubai held up the golden light as if presenting a treasure, her eyes filled with laughter. “This way, Dad won’t feel cold when he’s tidying things up, and it won’t affect his vision.”
It's one thing for a child to be smart, but it's quite another for them to be able to articulate standard terminology logically.
Pei Yuheng was a little taken aback. When he met Xiao Xubai's big, dark eyes that seemed to say "Praise me, praise me!", he subconsciously rubbed them and praised him a couple of times.
As if possessed, he picked up the nearest medicine box and handed it to Xiao Xubai: "Do you know what this is?"
The name on the medicine box was complicated and long. Xiao Xubai looked at Pei Yuheng in confusion, stretched his neck and struggled to read the words, his whole little face scrunched up: "Um..."
Was I just overthinking it? Pei Yuheng was about to take the medicine bottle away when Xiao Xubai's eyes suddenly lit up: "I remember now, my mother taught me that it's injectable fat-soluble vitamins! Parenteral nutrition, to enhance immunity and prevent disease."
In that instant, Pei Yuheng was utterly shocked.
He quickly picked up the medicine box next to him, and Xiao Xubai answered him without hesitation after looking at it.
Following the shelves, Pei Yuheng picked up the medicine box at the very last row and suddenly realized something was wrong: the pharmacy manager had put it in the wrong place.
After glancing at it longingly from below, Xiao Xubai also spoke up: "COL-37 vaccine. Dad, protein-based biological products need to be kept in the refrigerator, otherwise they will spoil if the temperature is too high."
Pei Yuheng: "..."
He stared at Xiao Xubai's innocent face, his mind churning with shock, so much so that he could hardly speak.
Pei Yuheng himself was a genius who had been praised since childhood, but he believed that even at Xiao Xubai's age, he could not remember so many medicine names and their functions.
Why is Xie Yuchun, the child's mother, able to teach these things? Who exactly is she?
What's even more puzzling is why Pei Yu, after growing up, doesn't understand medicine and knows nothing about biopharmaceuticals.
"Is Daddy very surprised?" Not entirely ignorant, Xiao Xubai seemed to be well aware that he had done something amazing.
He was a little smug, but not arrogant or haughty. His eyes shone, revealing a maturity and calmness far beyond his age: "But I didn't learn it in one go. I had to memorize it hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of times before I could remember it firmly."
“My mother told me that I may fail many times in the future, so many that I can’t count them all. I will experience frustration, pain, and breakdown. But it’s okay. All failures will become the foundation for my success.”
Xiao Xubai grinned, his face radiant with sunshine: "We don't care about losses or sacrifices. As long as we succeed even once, we've already won!"
The simple truth, spoken with unwavering conviction in a child's tender, clear voice, resonates all the more powerfully.
Pei Yuheng stood there, stunned, and met the eyes of Xiao Xubai, who was looking up at him. The latter emphasized earnestly, "Dad, we can't waver."
"Mom said that anyone can question themselves and choose to run away, but we can't..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Xubai seemed to have all his strength drained away; his eyelids trembled, and his body began to sway unsteadily.
"Pei Yu!" Pei Yuheng exclaimed in alarm, quickly hugging him tightly and frantically checking his body. "How are you? Are you feeling unwell? Where does it hurt?"
"It's nothing, I'm not feeling unwell, just a little sleepy. I get sleepy whenever I use my brain too much. My mom says it's like my body is in shackles, and those shackles will get tighter and tighter, but they'll come off sooner or later."
Xiao Xubai stretched out her hands and limply hooked them around Pei Yuheng's neck, rubbing her soft little face against him.
“My dad calls me Pei Yu, and I heard it… ‘May you have abundance every year.’ The person left a message saying that my dad named me that, and I love it so much.”
"Actually, I have another name, Xie Xubai. My mother gave it to me, and I love it." He was a little weak and needed to catch his breath before he could continue speaking. His laughter was crisp and clear, and he called out to people in repeated voices, as if he couldn't get enough of it, "Dad, Dad, is Ayu's dad here? Is Baibai's dad here?"
The repeated calls of "Dad" filled with dependence and affection seemed to soothe Pei Yuheng's turbulent and desolate heart. His eyes reddened without him realizing it: "Yes, Dad is here, my dear, my dear."
Xiao Xu nuzzled against Pei Yuheng like a white cat: "Dad, do you believe me?"
"I believe you." At this critical juncture, even if a child said pigs could fly, Pei Yuheng would believe it without hesitation.
Xiao Xubai looked at him intently.
Those clear eyes shone on Pei Yuheng like light, burning brightly, making Pei Yuheng feel that he was being trusted wholeheartedly, that he was the strongest in the world.
As luck would have it, that's exactly what Xiao Xubai thought.
His father was a man of exceptional talent and learning, the best and most capable father in the world.
Xiao Xubai hugged Pei Yuheng tightly, his laughter soft but his words powerful, gradually rebuilding Pei Yuheng's wavering faith: "So Dad must believe as much as I do that you are amazing, incredibly amazing, super amazing! You will definitely succeed! You absolutely must not give up!"
...
The next morning, Xie Xubai woke up in Pei Yuheng's room, covered by two layers of blankets, sweating profusely from the heat.
He lifted the blanket and looked up to see Pei Yuheng's face, who handed him a cup of hot milk: "Just heated, not too hot."
The man's earnest gaze seemed to be filled with paternal radiance, making Xie Xubai's scalp tingle. He paused for a moment, then took the drink and drank it anyway.
He glanced at him briefly and realized that Pei Yuheng seemed to have fully recovered, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Then Pei Yuheng brought over an empty medicine box and asked him, "Do you recognize what this is?"
The medicine box was covered in German. Although Xie Xubai couldn't read, he had roughly memorized the pattern while he and Pei Yuheng were sorting through the goods. After searching his memory for a while, he replied, "COL-37 vaccine, for the prevention of cerebral aneurysms."
He then observed Pei Yuheng's expression and said knowingly, "My memory is faulty."
It's not a question, it's a statement.
Pei Yuheng asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"
Xie Xubai calmly analyzed: "I said before that I don't understand biopharmaceuticals, and I wasn't able to help in the lab. The only reason you suddenly brought this box of medicine to ask me is that I behaved illogically yesterday, which puzzled you, so you came to me for verification."
The predicted score was spot on.
Pei Yuheng couldn't help but sigh. He had coaxed Xiao Xubai into saying those words yesterday, and subconsciously reached out to pat the young man's head: "Not bad."
Xie Xubai: "...?"
Pei Yuheng pretended not to notice the other party's discomfort and recounted in detail his conversation with the little guy yesterday.
Even the composed Xie Xubai couldn't help but be surprised. The more he listened, the more excited he became, and his fingers unconsciously curled up together.
When he first couldn't find Xie Yuchun, he began to doubt his memory. Now it seems that the error not only exists, but is quite significant.
Putting aside the fact that Xie Yuchun had taught him so much advanced knowledge that he had inexplicably forgotten, his vague words of comfort and advice, combined with his current situation, revealed a profound meaning that could not be pondered too closely.
What exactly caused him to lose most of his childhood memories? Was it the influence of the rules? Did the constraints refer to limited cognition? No, perhaps it's far more complex than that!
Numerous doubts seemed to form an impenetrable net, binding everyone within it.
If Xie Yuchun himself could be found, most of the doubts would be resolved.
Xie Xubai had met several of Pei Yuheng's senior sisters, and it was confirmed that none of them were Xie Yuchun.
Pei Yuheng did not continue her studies after completing her master's degree. Besides the senior female students from her master's program, where else could she find other senior female students?
It was at this moment that Pei Yuheng looked at the medicine box and suddenly said, "Everyone has their own expertise. Even in biopharmaceuticals, there are many subcategories. Since your mother was able to teach you so much complex knowledge, either she is a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, or she is an expert in her field with knowledge in various aspects. I tend to think it's the latter."
Xie Xubai suddenly looked up: "What did you think of?"
"I'm thinking that if the mental power you've been able to use since childhood was guided by her, then her area of expertise is most likely related to neuroscience, which studies the brain."
Pei Yuheng said in a deep voice, "The content of this field is obscure and difficult to understand, and there are very few people who can achieve anything in it. She is not a student. With her abilities, she is probably a level three or even a level two professor—I guess she is in the provincial science and technology park."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xubai's muscles tensed instantly.
Pei Yuheng suspected that the young man was currently preoccupied with how to get to the provincial science and technology park as quickly as possible.
But Xie Xubai ultimately resisted the urge to go find the person.
He couldn't wait to see Xie Yuchun, but he also remembered that he was still a time traveler without a registered residence, and traveling alone carried the risk of time travel.
If this trip is not completed and I don't return for several years, then it will be too late.
Xie Xubai could only suppress his urgency and focus on solving the current predicament.
Fortunately, Pei Yuheng already had a plan in mind: "It is too difficult to create antiviral substances out of thin air. We don't have that much time, so we can only extract them from alienated people. But those people at the gas station can't do it; they can't really resist the pollution."
In other words, they need to change their research subjects, to a special case that will not be affected by human nature.
Xie Xubai suddenly looked up: "Wait a minute, there is one person who has not been affected at all."
Pei Yuheng asked in surprise, "Who?"
He said with bright eyes, "Me."
Whether in the future or now, he has always been a human being, never corrupted or tainted.
Pei Yuheng's smile froze, and without thinking, he retorted, "No way!!"
Anyone with a brain knows that becoming a guinea pig is never easy. One reason is the danger of the experimental process, and the other is the potential for lifelong side effects from the experimental drugs!
“There’s nothing I can’t do.” Xie Xubai’s expression remained unchanged, much calmer than ever before. “Without the past, there would be no future. I’m volunteering to save myself.”
"There's something else. No matter how much I exercised before, I couldn't improve my physical condition. I suspect there's something wrong with my body," Xie Xubai said sincerely. "I don't trust anyone else, so I can only ask you to help me check."
Pei Yuheng's brows furrowed so tightly they could trap a mosquito, refusing to back down an inch: "It's not that simple! The lab's internal security isn't as strong as you think. If I bring you in today, the news will spread throughout the entire base tomorrow, and you'll be roasted alive!"
That's human nature. It would have been better if Xie Xubai hadn't stepped forward. But once he did, countless hands eager for survival pushed him into the eye of the storm, leaving him no way to retreat.
Pei Yuheng: "I can help you with your physical examination, but you absolutely cannot become a guinea pig."
Xie Xubai suggested, "We can draw a vial of blood for research first, and keep its origin a secret from others."
Pei Yuheng's words seemed to have been wasted, and he was so angry that his liver ached, and his face turned as cold as ice: "Do you really have to push yourself onto the dissection table? Do you want me to plate and decorate it for you after I've dissected it?"
Xie Xubai's lips twitched slightly.
Pei Yuheng is like a lit firecracker now; if he dares to say another word, he'll probably get blown up.
Seeing the young man seemingly shut his mouth obediently, Pei Yuheng clutched his chest and took a breath. The next second, the little golden figure he had conjured from his mental energy tugged at his sleeve from behind, pleading, "Daddy, Daddy—"
Just that soft, sweet call almost melted Pei Yuheng's heart.
Not to mention, the little golden statue could sense his emotional change and pressed its advantage, repeatedly calling out: "Daddy, good Daddy, please talk to me!"
Pei Yuheng was completely at a loss. He picked up the little golden statue, gritted his teeth, and slapped it on its bottom. Then he looked up and met Xie Xubai's innocent eyes, and said coldly, "Come with me."
They did not go to the base laboratory.
Pei Yuheng found the guard, made an excuse to go out to collect samples, declined Dr. Li's offer to accompany him, and went with Xie Xubai through a secret passage on the first floor of the dormitory, through a dark and gloomy tunnel, to reach the basement.
Looking at the bright and clean interior, Xie Xubai was slightly surprised.
In Pei Yuheng's original fate, he would be locked in a dark and sunless basement by the Fu family to break his pride. Therefore, Xie Xubai did not use the basement when he was renovating the clinic.
Having not paid attention to this place for many days, I discovered that Pei Yuheng was secretly developing a basement.
The floor was gleaming and dust-free, and all the instruments were neatly arranged. The individual rooms were quite far apart, and the protective doors that I didn't manage to bump into appeared to be made of alloy and were three layers thick.
Pei Yuheng explained, "Those monsters might still have the potential to turn back into humans, but they are not ordinary patients. If the disease breaks out, no one will be able to subdue them, and they must be forcibly isolated."
"I plan to build special wards underground so that if any accidents happen, they won't affect the outside world."
The health quarantine center in Chengnan New District was negligent in this regard, which led to its collapse. Pei Yuheng had no choice but to take precautions.
Upon hearing this, Xie Xubai also recalled the underground base where S-level patients and Fu Zong were imprisoned.
—Dr. Li once said that an explosion had occurred at the hospital, resulting in heavy casualties and the destruction of most of the data. However, judging from the basement now, it seems that the underground base has not only been unaffected but has also expanded... Wait a minute!
Xie Xubai asked, "Can we reserve a room specifically for storing data?"
Pei Yuheng, puzzled by the young man's excited expression, nodded: "Of course, the basement has a complete moisture-proof and fireproof system."
What he didn't know was that what Xie Xubai truly wanted to preserve were his many deeds and testimonies that had been lost to history.
The underground ward was being built in secret, and Pei Yuheng himself wasn't sure if it could be completed. After all, resources and manpower were severely lacking, and he even had to do the cleaning himself during his rest time.
Given the previous incidents at the disease control center, which have caused researchers to shy away from monsters, it would be difficult to get them to agree to treat monsters as patients again.
Forgetting about those distant things, Pei Yuheng called Xie Xubai over to have his blood drawn.
Xie Xubai rolled up his sleeves, revealing his smoothly curved arms, with faint blue veins that were quite pleasing to the eye.
But as a father, all I could see was how thin he was! He was heartbroken.
"Why don't you eat more normally?" Pei Yuheng asked.
Xie Xubai: "..." He opened his mouth.
Pei Yuheng disinfected his wrist and frowned, saying, "Forget it, don't talk. Just hearing you open your mouth makes me angry."
His father was still angry, so Xie Xubai obediently shut up.
The research equipment in the basement was inadequate, so Pei Yuheng could only conduct simple checks. To actually test whether it could fight the virus, they would have to go to the laboratory upstairs.
He took Xie Xubai to the basement mainly to check the young man's health; a blood test was also needed, otherwise he wouldn't have agreed. Xubai's sickly condition ultimately became a source of anxiety for him.
The test results wouldn't be available for at least a few hours. Before going up, Pei Yuheng turned his back to Xie Xubai and drew a vial of blood from himself for antiviral research.
Caught off guard, Xie Xubai saw that the needle was already inserted. He couldn't very well forcefully pull the blood collection tube out, so he said urgently, "You—"
"What do you mean, 'you'? You have no manners." Pei Yuheng finished drawing blood without changing his expression, patted him lightly on the head, and turned to leave.
Prior to this, the lab members had tried to study Xie Xubai's mental power, but ultimately found that with the current level of technology, they could not explain why human mental power could be materialized, or perhaps they were simply too ignorant to classify it as a unique ability of Xie Xubai.
No one focused their attention on Xie Xubai's body. Pei Yuheng not only drew a vial of blood from himself, but also led people to the contaminated area to collect more than a dozen vials of blood, which were used as cover.
The test results came back that afternoon.
Xie Xubai's body has no antiviral substances, no gene mutations, and is as ordinary as can be.
But he is also extraordinary, simply because his various examination standards are far below those of normal people.
in other words.
He should be lying in a hospital bed, writhing in pain and coughing up blood, instead of acting like nothing's wrong, running around energetically.
When picking up the test results, Pei Yuheng deliberately avoided other people. The two of them stared at the appalling numbers on the report, wondering if they were hallucinating from exhaustion.
Pei Yuheng: "Did you notice these problems during your previous examinations?"
"No." The school has conducted several physical examinations, and these problems were not found. At most, there was only anemia and malnutrition.
Xie Xubai: "How about we test it again?"
Pei Yuheng frowned: "Hmm."
They were tested a total of three times, and all three times the results were the same.
The older father became increasingly distressed as he looked at the report; if his eyes had warmth, he would have burned it.
He clutched the report, his face clouded with worry, glancing warily at Xie Xubai every now and then, giving Xie Xubai the illusion that he was only one step away from death.
If this continues, forget about resolving Pei Yuheng's inner conflict; the other party might even cause him to develop a mental illness.
Xie Xubai had no choice but to hurriedly stop the inspection.
Over the past few days, observers have noticed that employees of a chain supermarket not far from the gas station have also been gradually returning. Returning to their posts, working, and reverting to normal life... the changes are exactly the same as at the gas station!
Not long after, a completely transformed chain supermarket officially reopened.
bite!
A notification sounded.
[Material integration complete, modeling and rendering complete, NPCs in place... The "Best Choice Supermarket" instance has been generated and is ready for trial!]
bite!
The "Hope Primary School" instance has been generated and is ready for trial at any time!
bite!
The "Snack Street No. 12" instance has been generated and is ready for trial at any time!
Ding! Ding! Ding! ...
[Jiang Group, Xu Real Estate Company, Fu Pharmaceutical, Hongxing Winery, H City Food Factory... numerous investors have already signed up and will soon be setting up operations in the city! Stay tuned!]
The "prosperity" of the Otherworld perfectly illustrates that the real world is in dire straits. After all, those NPCs are living people. In broad daylight, people are disappearing in droves, which shows how severe the situation outside is.
...
Xie Xubai and Pei Yuheng, who were walking on the road, turned around at the same time!
There were only a few figures on the road behind them. The guards, puzzled, asked cautiously, "Chief, Deputy Chief, what are your orders?"
Xie Xubai: "It's nothing."
The two exchanged glances.
It wasn't their imagination; for a fleeting moment, they felt a voice calling to them.
They followed the faint call to the warehouse, which was the topic of their discussion.
—Although the streets are full of damaged shops, the goods inside are either guarded by powerful monsters or contaminated by monster blood, secretions, etc. Fresh food has also spoiled due to the power outage and cannot be eaten.
As more and more survivors were rescued from the base, food and water became an even bigger problem.
Not long ago, the base finally managed to organize people to cultivate the land, but before the seeds could even be sown, a giant earthworm two meters long crawled out of the ground! Fortunately, Xie Xubai was there, otherwise there would have been any casualties.
Farming is no longer feasible; even plants and animals will be contaminated, and nobody knows whether the food produced will be edible or cannibalistic.
Xie Xubai and the other took the opportunity to inventory the few remaining supplies in the warehouse. They couldn't help but sigh. Before they could speak, that soft call lingered in their ears again.
Pei Yuheng tried to understand, then frowned and said uncertainly, "It seems to want us to quickly replenish our supplies and go to... the distillery?"
Xie Xubai could feel the longing of this intangible thing more clearly.
The other party was almost instinctively begging for supplies and manpower, and also wanted to renovate the buildings, seek development, want everyone here to have enough to eat and drink, and want to expand the territory, even hundreds of thousands of square meters would not be too much...
Xie Xubai suddenly realized: "Could it be that you are the 'rule' here?"
Author's Note:
Chongqing is still over 30℃, 34 today, 36 tomorrow, and 37 the day after tomorrow QAQ I can only update this later depending on the situation.
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