Chapter 222 Research
Lin Xi remained unmoved; Zhao Jing's words went in and out of her ears without disrupting her actions in the slightest.
She now has a very strong mental fortitude and will not show any obvious surprise.
Zhao Jing was not surprised. She put down the disposable cup filled with water, opened her cabinet, and tidied her appearance.
Lin Xi was blinded by the mirror and subconsciously glanced over, only to see Zhao Jing take out a lipstick from the cabinet and gently apply it in front of the mirror to cover up her unhealthy lip color.
Lin Xi sighed inwardly, but didn't say a word of concern or comfort.
After applying lipstick, Zhao Jing looked healthier, but her cold tone towards Lin Xi remained unchanged: "The vaccine was developed by our entire team led by our teacher. You used it without authorization, so you should hand over the experimental data."
Submit the experimental data.
The suffering Lu Wei endured from the virus and the worries of the other three people over the past few days could be summed up in just six words in Zhao Jing's eyes.
She's a researcher, so it's perfectly normal for her to care about data. What do living people matter? Even Lin Xi is just a walking specimen in her eyes.
Before leaving, Song Heng handed over the vaccine research project to Lin Xi. After Lin Xi escorted the specimens and various antibodies to the Watchtower Base, she continued to be in charge of the vaccine research project.
Faced with Zhao Jing's numerous questions, Lin Xi wanted to retort, but she couldn't implicitly admit that the vaccine had indeed been used on Lu Wei.
If this matter were to leak out, it would likely cause panic among the people at the Watchtower Base and bring trouble to Lu Wei.
Lin Xi's tone turned cold and hard: "I don't understand what you're saying. I've already explained why the vaccine was lost."
Zhao Jing gave a soft snort. Although she was testing Lin Xi, she had probably already made up her mind.
Zhao Jing changed into her regular clothes and prepared to leave work, while Lin Xi drank water and rested briefly in the locker room before preparing to continue working overtime.
Just as the two were about to part ways, Zhao Jing couldn't help but say:
"The first round of testing has proven that the first-generation vaccine has failed and its coverage is not comprehensive enough. You have live experimental samples at your disposal, so you really should hand over the data for on-site analysis."
Lin Xi looked at her expressionlessly, but her hands were already clenched into fists.
Zhao Jing is right; the first-generation vaccine was indeed not comprehensive enough.
After arriving at the Watchtower base, they have been conducting vaccine testing. Although the results of the first round of testing are not yet complete, everyone has already foreseen that this vaccine is not comprehensive enough.
A vaccine that cannot provide complete immunity against a virus is a failure.
While people are somewhat disheartened, this situation is perfectly normal. Vaccines are not easy to develop; many vaccines are finalized only after numerous trials and adjustments.
Not to mention a vaccine to deal with a powerful zombie virus.
Zhao Jing left after uttering this "reminder".
Lin Xi neither hit her nor argued with her. After Zhao Jing left, she leaned weakly against the cabinet door.
Zhao Jing reiterated the facts she didn't want to face—
The vaccine failed.
The vaccine administered to Lu Wei was a failure; even if it was effective, it was not comprehensive enough.
Although it was necessary to protect Lu Wei's privacy and safety, Lin Xi personally drew his blood and some tissue samples for research.
This is also why she has been working overtime for days, eager to find a remedy.
In the Watcher Research Institute, whether it was the staff who escaped back from the White Shield Base with Lin Xi or the staff newly sent to reinforce from the Watcher Base, most of them voluntarily stayed to work overtime after seeing Lin Xi working day and night.
They were unaware of Lu Wei's situation, but everyone had poured countless efforts into the vaccine project.
-
Lin Xi did not tell Lu Wei the vaccine test results. She left early and returned late every day, but she would set aside time to check on Lu Wei's condition and administer the medication.
The strange thing is that after Lu came to the Watchtower base, he never asked Lin Xi about his own physical condition. He just cooperated with Lin Xi to carry out various vital sign checks and drug injections every day.
If Lin Xi put herself in Lu Wei's shoes, she would probably keep asking the doctor how she was doing, whether she was normal, and whether there were any signs of infection or mutation.
But Lu didn't ask.
-
Lin Xi immediately set about combining reagents to prepare a new vaccine.
Although Lu Wei has consistently tested positive, he hasn't started to mutate yet, so there might still be a chance to salvage the situation.
She tried to comfort herself in this way, but in doing so, she unknowingly added endless pressure to herself.
After working overtime for several days, Lin Xi was exhausted, and her complexion visibly deteriorated.
Everyone says that her condition is very similar to that of Song Heng in the past, who was obsessed with vaccine research and never slacked off.
During a shift change, Lin Xi briefly changed out of her lab coat to go to the door to collect her dinner, but unexpectedly saw a familiar figure.
Lu Wei actually appeared at the research institute. He had been in isolation since leaving the isolation room and rarely went out, but now he came to the entrance of the research institute.
Several of the staff members who had worked at the Dawn Base knew him, and they greeted each other upon seeing an old friend in a foreign land.
Some people stopped to observe him.
Lin Xi stepped forward, blocking Zhao Jing's view. "Why are you here?"
Lu Wei: "I came to see you."
"..."
Lu Wei: "I was a bit bored, so I came out for a walk. You've been working overtime a lot lately."
Lin Xi nodded.
This is not the Dawn Research Institute, so Lin Xi is not required to perform management duties. Lin Xi can only work overtime for one thing: researching vaccines.
Lu Wei: "Although I am not a researcher, I know that scientific research cannot be completed in a short time, so don't put so much pressure on yourself."
Lin Xi lowered her head guiltily, unable to meet his eyes.
The cafeteria was crowded and noisy, and cooking at home was too much trouble, so they quickly ate a meal in the commercial area, which felt like they were back in the White Shield base pretending to be a couple.
"Let's spar in the training room later," Lin Xi suggested.
"Your condition...?"
Lin Xi: "No problem."
With nowhere to release the pressure, she wanted to sweat, to fight, to vent.
-
The living conditions provided to Lu Wei by the Watchtower Base met the standards for a major general. His house was on the military floor, but he himself had almost never been to any other area outside the military floor residential area.
Lin Xi, being a staff member, did not have the authority to enter the military training area. Xiang Xin and Liang Hui were both on missions outside and no one brought her in, so this was her first time in the sparring training room.
From the moment they entered the military region, passersby couldn't help but glance at them—
Lu Wei's military rank could be discerned from his attire, but since no one had ever seen this unfamiliar young major general before, they were all curious about his identity.
The training area was not considered part of the core military zone, so Lu was unable to swipe his ID card to bring Lin Xi in.
They found an empty classroom filled with soft furnishings to practice their skills.
Unlike exercising at home or doing handstands, Lin Xi and Lu Wei sparred very rarely.
The last time was when Lin Xi was drugged at the Dawn Research Institute and felt lost about her future, Lu Wei accompanied her to the training room to spar and vent her frustrations.
She was under immense pressure again this time.
Lu Wei in front of me... didn't say anything about his health, but being sidelined and isolated at home for so long would make anyone feel uncomfortable.
Lin Xi spends most of his time at the research institute. Although he maintains a regular fitness routine, he rarely uses his fighting skills. He struggles to fight due to exhaustion and low energy levels after days of hard work.
The difference in strength between her and Lu Wei was enormous. Lu Wei had reduced his strength somewhat, but she still couldn't gain the upper hand.
Moreover... she discovered that even when Lu Wei held back, the pain from his punches was still hard to ignore.
After several defeats, she began to desperately resort to brute force, but she became increasingly disorganized and unable to execute her plan effectively.
After another strong attack, Lu Wei seized the opportunity to exploit a weakness and almost got hit. However, Lu Wei went easy on him and reminded him, "Your advantage is not in strength. Adjust your breathing and use technique."
Lin Xi's fighting skills are mostly aimed at fighting zombies. Zombies generally have few fighting skills and mostly rely on brute force and biting to hurt people. Although they are highly lethal, good skills can also be used to exploit their weaknesses.
But Lu Wei is a living, breathing person, an opponent with rich combat experience, fighting skills, and strength that surpass Lin Xi's.
She couldn't hit his eyes, even if she didn't want to.
Some self-defense fighting techniques are quite tricky to attack, and Lin Xi didn't want to use those against Lu Wei.
In the process of sparring and learning, one can only release physical energy and sweat profusely while searching for fighting techniques.
For a moment, Lin Xi even foresaw a scene where she might fight against intelligent zombies in the future.
Lin Xi gradually mastered some skills. After breaking free from the struggle, she leaped forward and kicked Lu Wei with her right leg, causing her face to turn pale instantly.
"—!" She kicked Lu Wei solidly, but the pain almost made her cry out, forcing her to stop sparring.
Lu Wei also noticed her unusual behavior and helped her sit down on the spot.
Lin Xi endured the pain without crying out, praying that she hadn't fractured a bone.
Just then, the door to the training room opened, and several young men of similar age entered.
The leader was a colonel. They looked at the two people on the ground, and their expressions changed when they saw Lu Wei. It seemed that they knew Lu Wei.
"Isn't this Lu Wei? I didn't believe you when I heard you were here, but I didn't expect to actually see you."
Lu Wei glanced at them but didn't greet them. This suggested they weren't familiar with each other or had a bad relationship.
These people were all soldiers, and Lin Xi guessed that they might be Lu Wei's former classmates or colleagues.
The group approached them, their demeanor carrying a hint of ill intent. The leader glanced at Lin Xi and said with a faint smile, "The Major General really has some leisure time. We're out there fighting and risking our lives, and you're here having some fun with a woman."
The tone was somewhat familiar; Lin Xi immediately thought of Fan Yuchao from the White Shield Base, who also spoke to Lu Wei in a sarcastic and sarcastic manner.
Even among men, there is competition. They were about the same age, but Lu Wei's military rank was more than one level higher than theirs.
However, in the unfamiliar watch base, Lu Weikong had a military rank but no real power, and in some ways he was inferior to the builders of these watch bases.
After making sarcastic remarks, the man looked at Lin Xi on the ground meaningfully and said, "I heard that you went to the White Shield base and were partying with your girlfriend every night. I'm a little curious about what kind of woman she is..."
"Get out." Lu Wei stepped forward and stopped them from going any further.
The leader curled his lips and raised his eyebrows, saying, "This is a training room. Anyone can come in. Do you think this is your own home?"
A person behind him chimed in, "That's right. General Lu is having a great time fighting with women, why don't he spar with us too?"
Lin Xi clutched her swollen instep. For a moment she was worried about a fracture, but then she was deeply concerned about Lu Wei's condition.
Hearing what these people were saying, she was actually a little worried about them.
Although they intended to make things difficult for Lu Wei, they did not break the rules and took turns going up one by one.
Especially after the predecessors were knocked to the ground, they pounced on them defiantly.
The room was filled with screams and groans, and a crowd of onlookers gradually gathered outside the door.
Lu Wei was standing inside the door, Lin Xi was sitting, and the others were lying down.
"I think I've broken a bone..." someone cried out in pain.
Gradually, the onlookers realized something was wrong and came in to carry the injured person away for treatment.
Lu Weize stared at his fist, lost in thought.
-
Lin Xi and Lu Wei were summoned to a meeting with the base's senior management. Waiting for them were Major General Wang Jun, who had previously secretly welcomed them at the base, and Gao Zhixing, a representative from the research institute.
Everyone looked very serious.
The screen behind Wang Jun showed the surveillance footage of the sparring room. His face was grim: "You injured Xu Qian and six others."
Lu Wei hummed in agreement.
Lin Xi said, "They were the ones who suggested the competition."
Wang Jun: "That's not what I care about."
He gave Gao Zhixing a wink, and by then Lin Xi knew what they cared about.
Gao Zhixing: "Those six people all had fractures and cracks, some minor and some severe. A friendly sparring match shouldn't have gone to this extent."
Lu Wei didn't want to answer, and when Lin Xi was about to reply, Gao Zhixing waved his hand and continued:
“We reviewed the surveillance footage and found that Major General Lu’s actions were indeed a friendly spar and he did not intend to kill anyone, but he still caused such serious injury. Considering Major General Lu’s history of infection, we reasonably suspect that Major General Lu’s body has mutated and his bones have hardened.”
Gao Zhixing gave Lin Xi a meaningful look: "When we went through customs and security, Dean Lin also looked at the scan images. At that time, Major General Lu's bones already showed signs of hardening."
Lin Xi's heart sank.
At the time, Lu Wei's skeleton did not appear normal in the images, but Lin Xi forcefully glossed over the topic by only judging the brain mutation.
She sensed Lu Wei's change the moment she fought him in the sparring room.
The four of them went to the secret laboratory together and watched as Lu Wei underwent a new scan.
The bones had indeed hardened, but Lin Xi pointed to the brain scan and said, "There has been no mutation here, not at all."
At the same time, she breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since the first version of the vaccine failed, she had been worried that Lu Wei might mutate. Although she gave him a routine check-up every day, she avoided letting Lu Wei undergo a scan test.
Gao Zhixing and Wang Jun looked serious. Gao Zhixing said, "Given the changes in Major General Lu, we require him to come in for a brain scan once a day, and we are also taking measures to..."
Lin Xi: "Having these kinds of tests every day is very harmful to the body, I disagree."
Gao Zhixing: "Major General Lu has been vaccinated; he was a vaccine test subject. We really should..."
Lin Xi once again firmly refused: "I am following up on Lu Wei's subsequent examinations and vaccine response, but I do not agree to release the data. This is my condition for joining the vaccine research."
Gao Zhixing and Wang Jun pondered for a long time before sighing helplessly.
Song Heng is a pioneer in vaccine research, and he passed on all his experience and theoretical support to Lin Xi, who is currently the most knowledgeable person about vaccines.
In other words, she is key to the technology.
Therefore, considering Lu Wei's contributions to the relevant departments and other factors, the Watchtower Base agreed to Lin Xi's conditions.
Lin Xi knew about the dissatisfaction of the Watchtower Base, but she had to stand firm. She and Lu Wei were both worthy of being studied, one being an antibody carrier and the other a vaccine trial participant.
In this unfamiliar base where they had no power or influence, Lin Xi's existing knowledge and skills were her bargaining chips for self-preservation.
-
It was late at night when the two got home.
Routine inspection.
Lin Xi checked her heart rate by taking her pulse or carotid artery, measured her blood pressure with an instrument, and finally gently touched her face to the ground without checking her breathing.
The methods they use at home are very primitive.
Lu Wei remained silent the entire way.
Lin Xi never speaks during examinations, but today she couldn't help but say in a comforting tone, "We monitor your condition every day, you'll be fine."
Lu Wei remained silent for a long time before changing the subject: "How is your leg?"
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