Chapter 92
After being subtly insulted, Dr. Li felt a little embarrassed, but the awkwardness was fleeting.
If the intelligence is true, and Xie Xubai does indeed have the ability to purify pollutants, then that would be fantastic news for everyone.
Therefore, everyone's gaze towards Xie Xubai became incredibly fervent, including that of Dr. Li.
The staff pulled Xie Xubai aside and bombarded him with questions, their excitement making them incoherent: "Young man, don't be afraid. Do you know what pollutants are? They're those monsters you see on the highway. What method do you use to purify them? Could you demonstrate it to us again later?"
Once they start talking, they just keep going on and on.
The terms "pollution level," "pollutants," and "contaminated area" were only recently used; they were still researching the origins of the monsters and the pollutants. No one could have imagined that a common flu would escalate into a Cthulhu-esque zombie apocalypse!
Those who perceive the truth of the world should be transformed into monsters.
However, Xie Xubai observed that the mental energy fluctuations emanating from the staff members indicated that they were still human.
The group's expressions betrayed their anxiety, as if facing a formidable enemy. Like ordinary humans who had stumbled into a bizarre world, they were desperately trying to find a way to cope.
Seeing this, Dr. Li knew he couldn't stop it, so his expression darkened, and his critical and harsh gaze fell on Player A.
Player A raised an eyebrow, then rolled up his sleeves, revealing his well-defined biceps, and removed some of his disguise.
The person who was just thin suddenly became tall and strong, and was extremely imposing when he got close. His eyes narrowed and flashed with a dangerous light.
So Dr. Li swallowed back everything he wanted to say.
Only one person remained.
Compared to the other two, Pei Yuheng, with his slender and small frame, seemed particularly easy to bully, as if he couldn't lift a finger.
Noticing the man next to him cheerfully pulling Player A over, Dr. Li frowned and said bluntly, "If those two are determined to enter the contaminated area, no problem, but you must let this person go!"
After being repeatedly stopped, the man's smile froze, and he seemed to get angry: "Li Anmin! You are only a temporary representative of the epidemic prevention department, and you have no right to interfere with whether security checks allow people to pass!"
Dr. Li sneered, "I can't control security checks, but I can control the resources allocated to the epidemic prevention department. If you're so capable, let him in. I'll see who dares to give him even half a protective suit. Unless you take off your own and let him wear it, then I won't say another word."
Their eyes met, and it was as if a fierce spark exploded in the air.
At the same time, the embarrassing situation that only insiders knew flashed through my mind.
—The source of the pollution is unknown, and no suitable method has been found to extract the pollutants from the monster's body. There are almost no effective treatments, and the so-called antiviral drugs are still under development.
Having witnessed the entire process of a normal person being transformed into a giant slug without any warning, who would dare to take off their protective suit? Wouldn't that be tantamount to courting death?
Therefore, it was truly unexpected that Xie Xubai and his companions were able to reach this point safely. However, no one could guarantee that they wouldn't encounter any trouble if they continued onward.
Especially Player A, in the drone footage, this person was already contaminated, and the virus may still remain on this person's body.
Even though the staff were eager for Xie Xubai to go in, the three of them needed to stay for 24 hours to observe the situation and see if there were any signs of change.
Seeing Dr. Li's stubborn attitude, the man gritted his teeth and said, "Anyone can be included as a temporary staff member if they are willing. This is an order from above. If you insist on causing trouble, aren't you afraid of being held accountable by the directors and supervisors?"
"Go ahead and report it," Dr. Li said bluntly. "Don't you even know when that order was given? Back then, there wouldn't have been this farcical situation of volunteers suddenly turning into monsters and attacking staff!"
"I'll say it again: contact the higher-ups as soon as possible and have them send in professional troops as reinforcements. Don't send just any Tom, Dick, or Harry in!"
"Did I fail to request reinforcements from above?" the man asked angrily. Wasn't Dr. Li's pointed tone implying that he didn't care about other people's lives?
His anger surged, and he blurted out, "I've made seventeen calls to my superiors in two days, and every time the dispatcher promised to send people over as soon as possible, but without exception, they all disappeared without a trace! Several search and rescue teams haven't returned since they went out, communications are cut off, and they're most likely dead. What am I supposed to do—"
"What did you say?"
"Several search and rescue teams have also lost contact? Is it the same situation as before?"
"What about the director and the others? Did something happen to them too?"
Seeing the other staff members casting surprised and uncertain glances at him, the man suddenly realized that he had let something slip and quickly shut his mouth.
But it was too late. His words revealed that many people had died, and for some reason, reinforcements had not arrived. The entire epidemic prevention center was already stretched thin, which was why they accepted Xie Xubai and his two companions who came to their door.
Pei Yuheng's expression tightened, and he immediately inquired about the safety of his mentor, Zhou Chaosheng.
Zhou Chaosheng was among the first group of experts to join the research team, and the staff around him all remembered him. Unfortunately, after Zhou Chaosheng disappeared during the research process, no one has been able to track him down.
Pei Yuheng's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.
The man, who was hesitant to look the crowd in the eye, continued to struggle: "If we come into close contact with the pollution, the risk will naturally be a little higher, but you only need to lend a hand from the side. You don't need to have close contact with the pollutants. Occasionally, you can help move supplies. The possibility of something going wrong is very small."
He himself sounded unsure of his words, his smile forced, and he became increasingly hesitant as he spoke.
He was neither a member of the Alliance's political or military apparatus, and like Dr. Li, he was forced into this role and appointed temporarily, leaving him extremely anxious.
Even knowing that doing so was unethical and would harm Xie Xubai and the other two, they were ultimately swayed by their despicable human nature and chose to drag them into the fire.
Dr. Li wanted to sneer, but when he forced a smile, his face remained dark and he couldn't manage a laugh.
He still wanted Pei Yuheng, who seemed powerless, to leave, for who knows when this place might fall.
It wasn't entirely for Pei Yuheng's safety. The search and rescue team hadn't returned, resources were becoming increasingly scarce, and protective suits were life-saving and in short supply. There was no reason to waste them on a useless mascot.
Before he could even speak, Pei Yuheng's gaze fell on a dark blue stain on his cuff, and he analyzed, "Self-prepared D63 solution, highly absorbent. Those monsters look like slugs and leeches, so could they, like these mollusks, have their mucus balance disrupted by high-concentration solutions?"
"If that's the case, I know a more efficient refining and extraction method that can greatly reduce the original material loss by at least 20% while achieving the same effect."
"At least a 20% reduction? Are you kidding me?" Dr. Li almost couldn't contain her anger when she heard his arrogant words. She laughed out loud. "Do you even know our attrition rate? You just blurt out 20%?"
“Around 6.5%, no more than 7%,” Pei Yuheng said neither humbly nor arrogantly, “but I can reduce it to below 5%.”
Dr. Li's smile vanished, for Pei Yuheng's guess was entirely correct.
He scrutinized the young man before him again. He had a cool and aloof appearance, but his eyes held a clear and bright light, as if no filth in the world could shake him. He wore an ordinary white shirt and suit pants, with a prominent waist. He was clean and upright, reminiscent of the bright and vast moon hanging high in the night sky.
Even knowing the occasion was inappropriate, Dr. Li couldn't help but reveal a keen interest, eager to find talent: "You're a chemical engineering major?"
Pei Yuheng shook his head: "No, I majored in bioengineering, but I'm just a little interested in chemistry."
"..."
Dr. Li's breathing quickened instantly. He turned and asked someone to bring over the protective suit. Not only did he leave it for Pei Yuheng to quickly change into, but he also wanted to personally lead the person inside: "I'll take him in first. Maybe he can find a way to extract the pollutants from the monster's body!"
Compared to Xie Xubai's mysterious purification ability, it's obvious that Dr. Li has more faith in modern medical technology, because even if Xie Xubai can save people, he is only one person and cannot save the entire South New District.
The other staff members were dumbfounded by the speed at which the man changed his expression.
Seeing that Dr. Li only mentioned his own name and not Xie Xubai and the other two, Pei Yuheng frowned and stopped in his tracks: "I have to go with my friends."
“You can’t go. They’re going to a highly polluted area. There are not only slugs there, but also many ferocious and dangerous monsters. Staying here is the safest option.”
As Dr. Li spoke, a deep gloom hung over his brow, as if he still harbored lingering fear of the highly polluted area.
But Pei Yuheng came to find someone; he couldn't just sit idly in the back waiting for news.
Xie Xubai looked around, taking in the changes in the staff's expressions.
These people are still in shock. The sudden bad news revealed by the man has dealt them a heavy blow, and they are even considering giving up.
They were just ordinary people, and it's already quite remarkable that they only thought of running away at this point.
Xie Xubai suddenly asked, "You said you requested reinforcements from above, but no one has come yet. Have you ever thought of personally going to the Alliance's political scene?"
The man said with a bitter face, "How could we not have sent people out? They also disappeared without a trace afterward. The drones searched everywhere but couldn't find them. Some sections of the road were also affected by magnetic field interference, making it impossible to get images. We simply couldn't determine what happened."
As he spoke, he looked at Xie Xubai and the others with sympathy: "So you know now, it's not that I deliberately tricked you, but even if you want to leave, you probably can't go back."
Their only hope was that they could still make calls, but now that they have been repeatedly fobbed off by the people in the Alliance government, that hope is about to turn to ashes.
Player A's expression suddenly changed drastically. He leaned close to Xie Xubai's ear and whispered, "Boss, we can't get in touch with the Little Magician."
The team channel was unusable, so he was using a communication tool. He didn't know when it started, but there was no sound coming from it anymore, only a static sound like an electric current flashing.
Xie Xubai's extended spiritual power also failed to find anyone nearby. Logically, the magician should have arrived at the South New District before them.
Pei Yuheng also had a bad feeling and asked about the whereabouts of his senior brothers and sisters, but the answer he received surprised him.
"My senior brothers didn't come? How is that possible!"
Pei Yuheng's senior brothers and sisters had set off two hours earlier, and by the time they called to inform him, they were already on the highway.
There were giant slugs blocking the highway, but none of the heads on them were familiar faces.
Pei Yuheng had initially felt somewhat relieved, but upon hearing this, his heart began to race again, his hands and feet turned cold, and he took out his phone to call the others. The dial tone felt like a heavy hammer striking his heart.
Unexpectedly, the signal was normal, and the call was connected.
The background noise was very loud, and it seemed that reporters could be heard reporting on the situation with microphones. Pei Yuheng's senior brother could only helplessly shout, "Hey, Yuheng, where are you? I don't see any of you."
Pei Yuheng's face lit up instantly: "Senior brothers! Are you all alright?"
"Huh? What do you mean nothing's wrong?" The person on the other end of the phone seemed completely out of it, their voice filled with confusion.
Xie Xubai reacted first and asked, "Where are you now?"
"Where?" the senior student asked, even more puzzled. "The health quarantine center in the South City New District, wasn't that where we agreed to meet?"
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