Chapter 43: The 43rd Day of Livestream Selling
If the meeting had not still been going on, Zhou Mingda would have contacted her teacher, Academician Zeng Chunhua, at the very first moment.
In fact, she had already sent the preliminary investigation report, as well as her personal deductions, to her teacher through the internal encrypted app. Her teacher had higher clearance than everyone present. Codenamed “Sage,” she could view all public and non-public information, as long as it was closely related to global evolution.
As for whether this matter was actually connected, her teacher would judge for herself.
It was just that Zhou Mingda felt that what was happening in Qingzhou City now happened to align with a research direction her teacher had once proposed for improving genetic lesions—the effect of high-order energy fields on promoting cellular mitochondrial efficiency.
“What does that mean?” The reckless men of the operations team listened and understood nothing.
Lin Xiang answered on her behalf, because this also involved the content he was currently researching. More accurately, the reason his teacher’s wife had formed a deep impression of him had started with this theoretical hypothesis of his. “Although the mainstream physics community currently regards natural energy as a continuous, non-uniform disturbance to known physical constants, I believe it can become orderly. At the very least, there may be a possibility of slowing down this Brownian-motion-like phenomenon.”
What constants?
What motion?
Most of the people present wore the same confused expression. Those who knew would call it mutual sympathy between poor students; those who did not might think Lin Xiang had evolved some kind of group hard-control buff.
“Our current understanding of natural energy has two dimensions: level and intensity. In other words, the maximum usable energy within a single vertical level, and the horizontal ladder of energy-level advancement. But personally, I think there is a third data factor that affects it, and that is the internal order of the power.”
“…Could you put it a little more simply?”
Lin Xiang’s female assistant, Xiao Li, had long anticipated such a day and gave the simplest analogy on behalf of her boss. “We have always assumed storms on the sea are the normal state, but the truth may be the exact opposite—the current Qingzhou City may be what the ocean is supposed to look like when calm. For the past two years, we may have unknowingly been living inside a continuous ‘energy storm.’”
An extreme environment destroyed most seeds. Although it also urged resilient little grasses to break through the soil, the grasses would not grow tall.
Zhou Mingda said, “Some foreign teams believe genetic collapse is irreversible unless the person awakens an ability. They firmly believe this is the only way life can find a path for itself.”
Either become a blade of grass, or die.
“They believe this global evolution is a screening process, a survival-of-the-fittest elimination in which the superior prevail and the inferior are weeded out.” God would help humanity preserve the strong and discard the weaker ones who were destined to fall behind.
“And we do not fully agree with this view. Evolution is indeed evolution, but that does not mean we must abandon so-called ‘weak’ ordinary people. My teacher believes more in the theory of coexistence. The web of life is complex and exquisite, and every node is extremely important. The true meaning of evolution is not simple elimination, but the wisdom of mutual dependence. No species can survive alone.”
As for how to change the current deadlock, that was the direction Zeng Chunhua, Zhou Mingda, and the others had been working toward all along.
Lin Xiang’s environmental storm theory had given them an extremely novel concept. Their previous treatment direction had always been to improve the genes themselves, but what if the wrong thing was not the DNA, but the external environment?
Captain Yan finally understood a little. “Qingzhou City is making the natural energy that has been violent and chaotic become regular. At least, it has positively improved part of the environment we are in, so we no longer have to face wind and rain all the time?”
“Yes.” Disordered gene expression might undergo orderly correction in a specific environment.
In fact, Lin Xiang had not cared before whether survival of the fittest or coexistence of all things was more reasonable. He only stood on the side of truth.
Until his brother also developed genetic disease.
Even if survival of the fittest turned out to be correct, he would still find a possibility of breaking this cruel theory from within the impossible. Not to mention that the current facts were gradually proving that this overly compassionate theory of coexistence might actually be the true foundation of the world.
Just as his brother firmly believed, this world was ultimately gentle.
“At present, we still don’t know what factor is changing the environment. It may be some kind of X element we have never discovered before, scattered through the air. It may also be similar to how plants perform photosynthesis, transforming harmful substances into beneficial ones…”
“It may also be a fixed object,” someone said quietly.
“Objects can become spirits too?” His colleague beside him widened his eyes in disbelief.
Although the higher-ups had repeatedly stated that in the current global evolution, all of this had a scientific theoretical foundation, everyone privately still had their own habitual way of describing it.
“Yeah. Haven’t you heard about the Imperial Jade Seal in the Yongji Temporary Palace becoming a spirit? It keeps insisting it’s the emperor. A bunch of cultural relic experts are now going to the imperial palace in the suburbs every day to ‘listen to the sacred teachings,’ hoping His Majesty will say some real historical materials during ‘court assembly.’ And they’re terrified its faith will collapse, so everyone working there now wears court robes. It’s like a real-life murder mystery game. My friend got promoted to ‘Chief Eunuch’ because he’s especially good at acting like a eunuch.”
“Whoa.”
“Ahem.” Zhou Mingda coughed and pulled the off-topic conversation back. “Yes, it could also be an object. As small as a glass bead buried in the soil, or as large as some obvious landmark building. All are possible.”
“It’s even possible that this person, animal, plant, or object doesn’t know what it has affected.”
“In short, this search may be extremely, extremely difficult for everyone.”
The image on the large screen changed at the right time, showing a map of Congshi Town in Qingzhou City. A most likely inferred area had been circled on it, including a small river running through the entire town, as well as the residential houses and factory buildings along both banks, centered around an ancient bridge over the river. All of them fell within the possible range.
“But please, everyone, work together with one heart. Do not skip over any detail, and do not let go of any possibility. Regardless of whether you personally think something is suspicious or not, please report it immediately and leave the judgment to us.”
After the meeting ended and everyone else had left, Zhou Mingda once again emphasized to Lin Xiang, who was still organizing materials, “Regardless of whether you personally think something is suspicious.”
Lin Xiang merely raised his head with a smile. “I don’t know what you mean, Senior Sister.”
“Normally, there may be power struggles, factional conflicts, and endless matters of this kind or that kind. But please also believe that in the face of a shared disaster, we can always unite as one and stand together. The country will not forget anyone who has made a contribution, nor will it forget anyone who has given for the nation. My teacher is a very good example. She has received excellent protection and care, and she can also display her talents in the field she excels in.”
“Teacher’s wife is indeed very great.” Lin Xiang had already stood up. He was still smiling, but the smile did not reach his eyes. “But isn’t our current priority to find the reason behind Qingzhou’s huge change?”
“Is your protection really what he wants?”
Lin Xiang did not answer, because he had already walked out, leaving behind a back view that seemed not to have heard Zhou Mingda’s final sentence at all.
—
While the entire Special Administration Bureau was being run ragged by this subtle transformation, what about Lin Zhao, the person who had caused all of it?
He was lining up for a physical examination.
His younger cousin had told him before that he needed a follow-up examination after taking the medicine for a month. Because of the winery matters, he had delayed it day after day. Now that he had finally almost finished brewing the last batch of spiritual plants Lady Hu had given him, he finally had time to get checked.
It really was not because he was afraid of seeing a doctor that he had kept dragging it out.
Really not.
1114 nodded furiously beside him. “Zhaozhao, I believe you! You’re already an adult. You’re not like Grandma Zheng’s three-year-old grandson downstairs, who starts howling from far away the moment he sees the hospital because he’s afraid of injections.”
Lin Zhao: Well said. Don’t say it next time.
Jiangzuo City had only one top-tier hospital. It was always crowded, always surrounded by the smell of disinfectant. Lin Zhao had been here countless times since childhood and knew the place like the back of his hand, because his mother had once worked in this hospital.
Unfortunately, things had changed, and the people were gone. There was no longer Dr. Lin from cardiac surgery here, nor the gatekeeper uncle who always smiled and asked him, “School’s over, Zhaozhao? Hurry to the cafeteria. The pork rib soup at Window No. 2 today is so fresh and tasty.”
Everything had become very modernized and efficient, with bright, clean windows and orderly queue numbers.
Starting this year, the genetics department even had a building of its own. It was not tall, only two stories. It was right beside the outpatient building, so one could walk straight over.
It was not because genetic disease was so profitable, but because there were simply too many people coming to see doctors for this illness. More and more.
It was not just people from Jiangzuo either. Patients from all over the country and several neighboring provinces and cities had come here because of Zhou Mingda’s reputation.
Lin Zhao had 1114 make an appointment through the mini program in advance, booking a time slot from 2:30 to 3:00 in the afternoon.
Because he could not get up in the morning.
Afraid that his unfamiliarity with the process would delay things, he arrived at around 2:15. But after he paid at the automatic ticket machine, took his number, and found the genetics building, he discovered that the first floor was already packed with people.
Lin Zhao and 1114 both looked incredulous. The last time Lin Zhao had gone to see a doctor for genetic disease had been in the capital, Yongji. At that time, there had not been that many people with genetic disease yet. Even at a hospital in the capital, he had managed to get a number a week in advance. Of course, he had still needed to queue when he went to the hospital, but it had not been a scene like this.
Patients, patients’ family members, medical workers hurrying back and forth—everyone filled the entire corridor. There was not even a place to sit.
Lin Zhao originally did not want to go through his younger cousin and trouble his senior sister, owing such an unnecessary favor. It was just an examination, after all. Even now, Lin Zhao had not changed this thought. He only regretted not bringing a folding stool so he could at least rest his feet.
Queuing was really boring, so there were always warmhearted people who started chatting.
The auntie in front of Lin Zhao was one of them. Beside her was a quiet young woman. Lin Zhao had initially thought the daughter was the patient, but after chatting for a while, he discovered that the optimistic auntie was the patient. The young woman was not her daughter either, but a companion her daughter had hired for the appointment. She had traveled all the way from the big city of Chunshen to Jiangzuo to see the doctor.
This was already the auntie’s third time taking the high-speed rail back and forth for appointments. “I’m in the transition from early to mid-stage genetic disease. Dr. Zhou said I’ve maintained it very well. For a situation like mine, most people turn within three to five months, but I’ve only just entered the mid-stage now. Why? Because I keep exercising. Tai chi, Baduanjin.”
The auntie was truly talkative. She could chat and laugh with every stranger, which kept the atmosphere at the scene from feeling quite so heavy and tense.
Because of her, Lin Zhao basically heard everyone’s situation among the nearby patients.
There were many with early signs, with a few early-stage and mid-stage cases interspersed among them. One elderly man was in the early stage, and his children were already worried sick, clutching the jade plaque in their hands and praying for divine protection. Then, out of nowhere, they heard a young couple holding a child say, “Our Chaochao is… late-stage.”
The entire place fell silent.
Chaochao, wearing a little tiger-head hat, was still looking around, unaware of what was happening. The child could not understand early-stage or late-stage. He only knew that he seemed to be the only one like this. “I’m so special.”
Some adults could not bear it and turned their heads away.
After a brief stunned silence, the sick elderly man took the jade plaque from his children’s hands and insisted on stuffing it into the child’s hand. It was a lucky charm he had prayed for before the Medicine Buddha.
Others began offering comfort in a flurry of voices. “I heard that in Qingzhou City next door, someone’s illness hasn’t changed for more than half a month. They were treated here by Dr. Zhou too. He’ll definitely get better.”
Lin Zhao was still holding the machine-printed slip in his hand, dazed, not knowing how to speak.
The warmhearted auntie had already said, “Oh my, young man, you’re in the wrong line. The number you registered is for a follow-up examination. Examinations are all on the second floor, not here. Hurry up, don’t waste time in the wrong queue.”
Even after Lin Zhao was pushed toward the elevator leading to the second floor, he still felt a little slow to react. When he turned back, he could still see Chaochao shaking the pretty jade plaque in his hand, while the auntie nodded at him. Yes, yes, go up from here.
“Is there any way we can help them?” Lin Zhao asked his system in a low voice. Could the cultivation method be practiced by everyone? Would the spiritual wine help treat them? Were there any good medicines from other planes that could be bought?
He truly was not afraid of seeing doctors. Since childhood, he had never been afraid of taking medicine or injections. What he feared was returning to the day he got his medical report, looking at the words written in black and white on paper, at an illness that had basically been declared incurable, and hearing himself ask why it had to be him—while also constantly wondering why no one had come to help him.
To be honest, even now, Lin Zhao still did not know the answer.
But the elevator had already opened, and above it was written this line:
Go become the adult you needed when you were young. Go become the hero you needed.
Author’s Note:
“Go become the hero you needed”: something I saw online. Quoting it here.
