Chapter 278 Re-entering the Secret Laboratory
January 10, 2025.
Lin Xi and Song Heng were recruited to go to the secret research institute to participate in the I virus vaccine research project.
Before leaving, she arranged for her parents to return to their hometown and explained that she would be absent from this year's New Year's Eve dinner due to work reasons.
Lin Xi is now seen as unfathomable by Lin Yi and Zhao Qiong, and in front of the villagers of Yun Village, he is even exaggerated to be doing an extraordinary scientific research mission, the kind of thing involving participation in secret experiments.
That's the truth.
Zhang Xiulan's family treated Lin Yi much better than in previous years. Moreover, those who had previously isolated and gossiped behind Lin Xi's back when he returned to his hometown alone became more welcoming to Lin Xi's family, sharing fresh fruits and vegetables from time to time.
The strange, birdcage-like house has changed its reputation in the eyes of others.
"This was requested to be built by Lin Lao Er's daughter, I heard it was for scientific research."
"Graduates from the Capital University are truly different; I've never seen such a strange house before. I wonder how much it cost."
"I heard that it's full of smart home appliances, as well as solar charging and water purification devices. The cost of living will be much lower in the future."
An ordinary person who builds a "birdcage" will be considered "crazy" or "paranoia".
A researcher with an extremely high academic background and a mysterious work style built a "birdcage," which, in the eyes of outsiders, seemed unfathomable and had ulterior motives.
Lin Xi didn't hear any negative comments, nor did she encounter anyone who pointed fingers at her to her face. As for what was being said behind her back, she didn't know and it didn't matter.
When a person becomes powerful, the people around them all have kind faces.
After Zhao Qiong and Lin Yi resigned from their jobs and returned to their hometown, they had nothing to do. Lin Xi suggested to them, "You can farm to pass the time, but don't overdo it."
Zhao Qiong and Lin Yi were both born in rural areas and worked in the fields two or three decades ago. Now, it is much easier for them to pick up planting techniques again than for Lin Xi to learn them from scratch back then.
Adapting to life in the safe haven of Yunxiang in advance, just in case...
Lin Xi clenched her fist, hoping there was no "what if".
Based on her past life experiences, she already has a way to protect herself and the lives of those she cherishes, but in this life, she hopes that the world can avoid the zombie apocalypse and continue to develop smoothly.
Lin Xi returned to the laboratory to conduct secluded research, while Lu Wei focused on monitoring Zhang Zheng's actions, which he was ready to capture at any time.
Along with Song Heng, some academicians and professors were recruited into the I-virus research group. Some of them were well-known figures on television, while others, like Song Heng, were pragmatic individuals who did not seek fame or fortune.
They were all unaware that the virus originated from Zhang Zheng. This information was known only to Lin Xi, Guo Xingyuan, and the core members of the organization, and everyone had signed confidentiality agreements to prevent its disclosure.
"This must be the most dangerous virus that humanity has ever encountered!" Song Heng said after reviewing the virus analysis.
He took the virus seriously while also preparing for new research challenges.
Since the relevant authorities have not yet directly arrested Zhang Zheng, and Zhang Zheng himself is very intelligent and cautious, he has never gone to the hospital for medical treatment in China in recent years, it is impossible to extract samples from him. Forcing him to use the excuse of "physical examination" will definitely arouse his suspicion.
Therefore, the project team adopted Lin Xi's suggestion.
Samples were taken from Zhang Zheng's blood relatives.
Lin Xi knew perfectly well that antibodies existed in the cerebrospinal fluid, but it was not convenient to tell everyone such a precise answer directly.
She has already demonstrated extraordinary abilities in I virus research, and cannot be the one to report the standard answer.
Just like a very difficult exam paper, getting a high score will earn praise, but getting perfect scores in a row will arouse suspicion from some people.
Thanks to the project team's efficient operation, antibodies were quickly extracted from the cerebrospinal fluid of Lin Xi, Lin Cheng, Lin Yi, Lin Jie, and Gu Yixuan. These antibodies had both overlapping and different components.
Among them, Lin Cheng, Lin Yi, and Gu Yixuan had the most antibodies, and they were more closely related to Zhang Zheng by blood.
Next is the research on multispecific antibodies. Lin Xi has published several papers on multispecific antibody research and is a rising star in the medical research community. However, what many people do not know is that her ability and level in specific research tasks are no less than those of her predecessors who have been working in this field for many years.
Some people praised Lin Xi for her extraordinary talent and promising future.
But Lin Xi herself knows that her current achievements are the result of her tireless study and experimentation in both her past and present lives.
The development of a vaccine often takes years or even no time. In the previous life, the vaccine took five years to be fully developed, thanks to the support of the entire scientific research team in society at that time.
The world can't wait that long.
Although Lin Xi is not in a position to directly reveal the answers, as a participant, she can appropriately advance the research process.
For example, when conducting research on multispecific antibodies, he intentionally or unintentionally gave Song Heng some inspiration.
For example, when the antibody was developed and adjuvants were formulated, Lin Xi subtly narrowed down the possibilities for Guo Xingyuan.
In his previous life, Lin Xi was a key member of a vaccine research project, commonly known as the researcher who invented the vaccine.
However, the success of the vaccine was jointly achieved by Song Heng's team at the time and the No. 3 Laboratory of the Central Base Research Institute. Song Heng and Guo Xingyuan played a significant guiding role for Lin Xi in this process.
Without Song Heng's guidance and Guo Xingyuan's support, Lin Xi would not have been able to complete the vaccine research before 2033, or even ever.
There's some truth to the saying "One generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade."
Existing scientific research and technologies are all developed based on the research of predecessors.
Lin Xi, as a successor from the future, returned the credit to those who came before, and she remains an important participant in the process.
Virus test strips were invented before vaccines. Among the three important tools for research—virus disinfection, vaccines, and test strips—test strips were the least difficult to develop.
After the research was successful, the relevant departments contacted medical device manufacturers to secretly mass-produce the devices, which would soon be put into inspection at major customs offices.
With Lin Xi traveling around visiting people and subtly giving them insightful hints through casual conversation, the antidote was quickly developed.
March 29, 2025.
[A: Arrested.]
Lin Xi stared at those three simple words for a long time.
At this moment, there was neither the excitement of disbelief nor the relief of calm.
Based on the painful experiences of previous lives, accidents often arrive before tomorrow.
The fact that Zhang Zheng has an overseas team behind him is a good example of this.
The first message Lin Xi replied to when she picked up her phone this time was his message.
[33: My research is also complete, and we're putting it into production.]
[33: He was arrested, but were there any others?]
Lu Wei did not give her a direct answer, but instead said that they could talk in person if they had the chance.
It seems to be classified, a secret that makes it inconvenient to leave behind any information or evidence.
April 20, 2025.
Lin Xi and Song Heng boarded a flight back to Nanhua.
Song Heng's bald patch had grown even larger, leaving him both delighted and somewhat incredulous.
"It's hard to imagine that such a deadly virus could be overcome so quickly."
Lin Xi was frantically replying to messages, echoing, "Indeed, indeed. There's strength in numbers."
Song Heng crossed his hands on his knees and looked at Lin Xi from the side.
Feeling the gaze, Lin Xi was momentarily confused about what he wanted to do.
She tentatively asked, "Are you worried that there isn't enough clinical trial data to prove the vaccine's feasibility?"
This is a question that Song Heng has always been concerned about.
Song Heng: Not really.
What is that?
Song Heng narrowed his eyes, then suddenly whispered, "Both Dean Guo and Academician Shen mentioned that they were inspired by your casual conversations and complaints at a certain stage, which helped them avoid many trial-and-error steps and thus accelerated the progress of the entire project. And when I was researching multispecific antibodies, I also overheard you inadvertently revealing crucial information. How do you know so much about viruses?"
Lin Xi blinked and suddenly realized that Song Heng had become wiser—in terms of emotional intelligence.
He has always been engrossed in scientific research and rarely pays attention to people.
Guo Xingyuan and the other senior academicians all knew that Lin Xi, the youngest researcher in the team, was Song Heng's student. After the research project was completed and everyone was less stressed, the others praised Lin Xi in front of Song Heng.
Gradually, Song Heng heard many people say, "Back then, Lin Xi casually said xxxx, and I thought of xxx."
Too many coincidences.
Song Heng's gaze sharpened: "From virus analysis to inactivation drug development and vaccine formulation, how come you 'just happened' to mention key information in three different projects? You must be..."
Lin Xi swallowed hard.
Could Song Heng possibly guess that she was reborn with a standard answer?
The next moment, Song Heng said with a serious expression, "You have a great talent for medical research. Given time, you will definitely surpass your teacher. Good boy, go back to Nanhua and work hard! Hurry back to the lab, let's study the xx virus together. My project has been stalled for a long time because of researching the I virus vaccine!"
Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the first sentence, but then she was both amused and exasperated: "Teacher, please forgive me..."
-
After selling their old house in the urban village of Nanhua D District, Lin Xi's family temporarily rented a two-bedroom apartment. Although the apartment was newer than their old house in the urban village, it was somewhat cramped.
Now that Lin Xi has returned, she feels a sense of emptiness. Lin Yi and Zhao Qiong are still in their hometown of Yunxiang, and no one is taking care of it.
She sent a message to Xiang Xin and, at Xiang Xin's enthusiastic invitation, moved directly into her home in Nanhua, saving Lin Xi the trouble of cleaning the house.
"How's it going? Do I get a chance to play?" Xiang Xin was very excited to see Lin Xi, and with a serious expression, she paid tribute to the anime character: "I dedicate my heart to my country!"
Lin Xi looked at Xiang Xin's expectant gaze and shook her head with some reluctance.
This child has always wanted to be a passionate young man who saves the world, but he has never had the chance to perform on stage.
Upon hearing the second half of the slogan, Lin Xi recalled certain scenes from her previous life, shook her head helplessly, and said in a very soft voice, "Then it's better not to have a chance to play."
-
Lu Wei had been out of contact for a while. Given his special status, it was common for him not to reply to messages for several days.
Lin Xi exited the message page again.
Perhaps they are on a secret mission.
She let out a long sigh.
Before she could hear any updates about Zhang Zheng's situation, Song Heng was about to drag her back to the research institute.
"I don't know where Zhang Zheng is off to, leaving behind a mess to clean up. His contract was signed in the name of the research institute, and if he doesn't come back soon, it will expire."
Everyone at the research institute knew that Professor Zhang Zheng hadn't appeared for a long time, but no one knew the specific reason, and the director of the research institute also kept it a secret.
Thus a classic guess emerged: "He either went abroad or committed a crime and went to jail."
To some extent, topics that become memes all have their own universal reasons.
-
After Lu Wei returned, he had a face-to-face meeting with Lin Xi to discuss the progress of the incident. It was indeed a very difficult secret mission, but fortunately, it was completed.
The two paths they each chose eventually converged in one direction.
-
Zhang Zheng's situation is very special. He is suspected of multiple crimes, including endangering public safety and espionage, and it is generally difficult for him to obtain visitation rights.
However, Zhang Zheng has a special circumstance: he is a virus carrier, and his guarding and care are carried out in cooperation with the police and the research institute.
Lin Xi met Zhang Zheng.
This wasn't the first time she had sat down and talked to Zhang Zheng face-to-face.
The two had sat facing each other like this when choosing mentors in their previous life.
Those were Lin Xi's students awaiting their results; now Zhang Zheng is a prisoner awaiting trial.
Zhang Zheng, whom Lin Xi hadn't seen for half a year, sat calmly opposite her, wearing handcuffs and a mask. His gaze was gentle and even kind as he looked at Lin Xi: "My second brother is mediocre and unambitious, but I didn't expect you to have such good potential."
Lin Xi wasn't surprised that he knew her identity. She gently shook her head: "My teacher said that you are the real gifted one."
She was just an ordinary person who honed herself through her rebirth ability.
Zhang Zheng's lower face was covered by a special mask, so his expression couldn't be seen. But there was a hint of smugness in his tone: "That's true."
Lin Xi had seen him speak before. Just like the father who mentioned "Second Brother" Lin Xi earlier, Zhang Zheng, a middle-aged man, had a well-mannered facade. He always spoke gently like a polite gentleman, but his words were devoid of emotion.
Zhang Zheng added, "You and Xiaoxuan are both very lucky; you weren't born in Yunxiang, that poor, remote place."
Lin Xi listened quietly. From Lin Yi's description and Zhang Zheng's personal resume, she could tell that Zhang Zheng disliked Yunxiang.
He considers himself a highly gifted and intelligent person, but he is trapped in the remote village of Yunxiang, unable to get better development and opportunities due to poverty.
Lin Xi coughed lightly: "I'm not here to look for relatives. Professor Zhang, let's talk about the I virus. You are suspected of espionage, and everyone in your organization was arrested recently."
“Oh. I knew the outcome the moment I was arrested.” Zhang Zheng was not surprised.
He was unusually calm.
This terrified Lin Xi.
Zhang Zheng: "You've already cracked the virus, so I have nothing to say."
Lin Xi: "We have deduced that your motivation for creating the virus was to cure your own illness, but later you used the virus in bioweapon research and returned to the country as a 'spy' to find an opportunity to poison and cause trouble."
"A spy?" Zhang Zheng seemed to chuckle. "I created a top-tier virus not just to play spy games."
For Zhang Zheng, the small town of Yunxiang could not confine him, but China's research regulations restricted his research projects, and due to health reasons, he entered a secret overseas laboratory.
But in the eyes of this "exceptionally intelligent" man, there is no place that can accommodate him; his stage is the whole world.
A certain foreign force simply provided the opportunity.
But he would not be content to be used by others.
Therefore, the zombie outbreak first occurred in China in previous generations, but later the whole world was not spared.
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