Tong Yang pressed her body close to the wall, removed her earphones, and listened carefully to the sounds outside.
The old wooden door was pushed open, and footsteps slowly approached.
"Doctor Liu, I'm here for treatment."
The woman's voice was hoarse, as if something was stuck in her throat.
Old Man Liu let out an almost inaudible sigh and said, "Come over here."
The woman walked to the counter, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"What seems to be the problem?" Doctor Liu asked.
"My throat."
"Open your mouth."
"Your throat has already begun to fester."
The woman's tone was flat, without any inflection, sounding utterly eerie.
"I want a new one."
A new one?
Tong Yang frowned, thinking of the human organs hanging in the backyard.
Doctor Liu said, "Come back in a couple of days."
The woman's voice paused. After a few seconds, she spoke again, "Several young girls have newly arrived in town. I want their throats and their skin."
Newly arrived young girls?
Could she be talking about the few of them?
Doctor Liu's tone was helpless. "They are just passing through by chance; they'll leave tomorrow."
"It doesn't matter. They haven't left yet."
"Those people haven't arrived. Even if you find them, it's useless," Doctor Liu said.
"When will those people come?" the woman asked.
Doctor Liu replied, "I don't know. Those people will bring new things. Don't set your sights on normal people anymore."
The woman's fingers scratched the tabletop, producing a piercing sound, blood dripping from between her fingers onto the floor.
"I want their skin! Just capture them, and wait for those people to arrive!"
"Capture them! Their bodies must be very healthy!"
"Forget it. The new things will arrive in a couple of days. Come back then. Don't harm those children," Old Man Liu said.
"No! I want their things!"
"You saw them, didn't you? They are so beautiful, so young..."
Old Man Liu's tone hardened: "Enough! I won't help you anymore!"
The woman gave a sinister, low chuckle and stood up. "It's fine."
"You're just a useless person anyway."
"Just capture them, hand them over to those people, give them the regeneration drug injection, and then the skin can be grafted to me."
Just imagining it made the woman unable to contain her happy laughter.
Tong Yang wrapped her arms around herself and put her earphones back on.
Amidst her mad laughter, the woman left the traditional medicine shop.
"Did you hear that?" Tong Yang asked the person on the other end of the earphones.
Ye Huai replied, "Mm, I heard."
"Be careful."
"Okay, you too."
Hearing the sounds coming from the room, Doctor Liu was greatly alarmed.
"Who's there?"
Tong Yang stopped hiding and walked out.
"What are you doing here?" Doctor Liu asked, his eyes wide with shock.
"Climbed over the wall. You can call the police."
Tong Yang walked to the counter and saw the bloodstains soaked into the table. "Things have come to this, and you still don't plan to talk?"
Tong Yang looked at him coldly and sat down boldly.
Old Man Liu's face shifted through various expressions, and he said sharply, "I warned you to leave this town early. Now, even if you want to leave, you can't!"
Tong Yang remained in her casual, indifferent posture. "I'll leave when I want to. It's not your place to say otherwise."
Tong Yang crossed her arms, looking at Old Man Liu across the counter. "If you won't talk, then I'll start guessing."
"You're working for people from a parallel world, trafficking human organs. Those people you supposedly cured with exaggerated claims actually had their organs replaced with ones from the parallel world."
With every word she uttered, Old Man Liu's face grew uglier.
"'Regeneration drug'? Its real name should be 'gene drug,' right?"
"A human body injected with the gene drug can regenerate indefinitely, including tissues and organs. But you're too old; you couldn't possibly perform replacement surgeries on patients. Coming to your traditional medicine shop for treatment was just a cover. In reality, you didn't do anything."
Old Man Liu's face turned deathly pale. "How do you know all this?"
Tong Yang's lips curved upwards. "How?"
"Because while you were arrogantly working for the parallel world without knowing any better, we were protecting the real world, completely unaware. Do you know what price that demands?"
Tong Yang spoke with conviction, though she was actually just trying to scare Old Man Liu. Strictly speaking, her goal wasn't to protect the real world.
Old Man Liu's facial muscles tensed. "Those people are helping us unconditionally."
Tong Yang sneered. "Helping you?"
"Helping you with what? Birth, aging, sickness, and death are natural laws. Everyone faces death one day. Helping you with what?"
"Using the regeneration drug to cure your illnesses? Old man, have you lost your mind? Do such pie-in-the-sky good deeds really fall from heaven?"
Old Man Liu's face turned ashen, and he remained silent.
Tong Yang's smile faded. "Have you ever thought about it? Whose bodies were those organs they delivered dug out from?"
"That woman wants our skin. Didn't you hear her?"
"Do you think they are helping you?"
Tong Yang stood up and walked to the medicine cabinet. She opened a drawer; the herbs inside were dried out and moldy.
"How long has it been since you treated anyone? Since you could diagnose hereditary and non-hereditary heart conditions, your medical skills must have been quite good, right?"
"Why then?"
Old Man Liu sat quietly in his seat. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "You're right."
"A pie-in-the-sky good deed often brings greater misfortune."
Tong Yang raised an eyebrow at him. "So? What do you plan to do?"
"I'm old. I'm afraid I won't meet a good end. I don't want to work for them anymore," Old Man Liu said, his expression weary. "At first, I just wanted to save people."
"But unfortunately, there are many diseases in this world that cannot be cured, yet don't cause immediate death either. They only leave endless suffering, making life worse than death." Old Man Liu closed his eyes. "I've seen too many people like that."
Tong Yang checked the time. There was less than an hour left until his time of death.
"I thought using organs from deceased humans to benefit other ordinary people suffering from illness and pain was a good thing. I was grateful to them."
"But, how could things be that simple? Young lady, just as you said, from whose bodies were those healthy organs dug out?"
Old Man Liu opened his eyes; they were moist. "I only found out later that the people whose organs were taken had to be alive during the procedure for the organs to maintain their vitality."
"Human greed is insatiable. Things obtained too easily will fuel the greed in one's heart. Originally, they would only use the organs those people brought over. But after understanding the process, what they desired became everything within their sight."
If healing a disease that both traditional and Western medicine were powerless against required no price, Old Man Liu would have still found it gratifying.
But when the consequences began to surface bit by bit, he realized it was unbearable.
By then, it was already too late to turn back.
"After working for them, how many people have you treated?"
Old Man Liu sighed, "Too many to count."
Tong Yang fell into thought. With Old Man Liu's reputation established, people seeking his treatment must have come in an endless stream. It was likely that ninety percent of the town's residents had had physical contact with him since then.
"Young lady, the past cannot be changed. Now I am determined to stop working for them, to cease aiding their wicked deeds. You can call the police. I am willing to face legal judgment. However, please do not disturb those who have had organs replaced and have returned to peaceful lives."
Tong Yang said, "Very regrettably, when I said you would die tonight, I wasn't joking."
Old Man Liu gave a bitter smile, "Evildoing inevitably brings about self-destruction. Fortunately, I have the chance to confess my wrongdoings before I die, which eases my conscience a little."
"Young lady, I can see you are not ordinary people. You seem to be tracking those individuals. They are far too dangerous, appearing unpredictably. You should leave this place as soon as possible."
Tong Yang didn't speak, staring at him for several seconds.
Old Man Liu seemed unaware of one thing.
"What do you plan to do? Wait for death?" Tong Yang asked.
Old Man Liu wiped the tears from the corner of his eye, "I've lived long enough. It's time to die."
Tong Yang's expression turned strange, "Do you know there's something wrong with your body?"
Old Man Liu was taken aback, "What problem?"
"You really don't know?" Tong Yang's words were cryptic, "Weren't you injected with something by the parallel world?"
"Injected..." Old Man Liu's expression became dazed, "Yes, there was."
"That was a defective version of a genetic drug, containing a potent toxin," Tong Yang studied his face. "The virus spreads through physical contact with the pathogen carrier. The time from infection to the onset of toxicity is not fixed."
Watching Old Man Liu's face turn as pale as paper, Tong Yang gave a cold laugh.
"However, the time of toxicity onset is remarkably uniform. It occurs nine hours after the death of the pathogen carrier's cells. The time from onset to death should be within two days. Furthermore, our country has not yet developed an antidote."
After hearing Tong Yang's earth-shattering revelation, Old Man Liu's legs gave way, and he actually slid right off his chair.
"Then, then..."
"The entire town, no, everyone who has had physical contact with you since then, will succumb to the toxin and die nine hours later," Tong Yang's expression became solemn. "Including my friend, not long ago."
Tong Yang walked to the counter, placed her hands on the edge of the table, and looked down at him. "Now, do you still want to wait for death?"
"How could this be..."
Old Man Liu's face was devoid of color, barely able to utter a complete sentence.
Tong Yang looked at him like this, her eyes filled with scorn.
Regardless of Old Man Liu's original intentions, Tong Yang utterly despised this kind of self-righteous yet foolish person.
"Our purpose in coming to the town today is precisely to keep you alive," Tong Yang straightened up and checked the time. "If you want to die, you can, but only after we develop the antidote."
Old Man Liu slumped on the floor, his complexion ashen. "How long will it take? I may not have much time left."
Tong Yang narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean?"
"I have a terminal illness. Only one month left," Old Man Liu's voice trembled.
Tong Yang frowned, "One month is too short."
"I... I'm sorry..."
Regardless, there was still some time.
The members of the 2026 gossip group were unaware of this incident, likely because the town's location was too remote. In the timeline, after Old Man Liu's death and the townspeople's poisoning, the military intercepted the news and sealed off the town.
However, Tong Yang worried that similar towns were not few in number.
Due to the existence of time anchors, although the parallel world couldn't invade the real world on a large scale, they could infiltrate the real world in this manner. If the situation continued to develop, even without a massive invasion, the real world would be destroyed by the defective virus.
Tong Yang checked the time and asked, "What's your situation over there?"
In her earpiece, Ye Huai's breathing was rapid, as if he were engaged in strenuous activity.
"Some people have come."
"How many?"
Ye Huai's voice was hoarse, "Not sure, probably a lot."
"Can you handle it?" Tong Yang asked.
"Yeah, I'll break free and find you in a bit."
"Okay."
The call wasn't disconnected. The sounds coming from the other end indicated the situation seemed very urgent.
"They are humans from the real world," Ye Huai's breathing stabilized slightly, though the background noise remained very chaotic.
Tong Yang said, "Yes, they have organs from parallel world humans inside them."
"Ahhhhhh! What do we do?"
"Xu Junyue, can we kill them or not?"
"What are these things!"
In the background noise, the voices of Chu Shiyu and the other two could be heard.
Tong Yang quickly took Old Man Liu to the backyard. Once in the courtyard, she swiftly climbed onto the courtyard wall. She could see many figures crowding near the corridor window on the second floor of the hotel, but couldn't make out where Ye Huai and the others were.
"Where are you?"
"Heading upstairs."
"Are there people on the first floor too?"
"Yes."
Tong Yang pressed her lips together. The people surrounding them were probably all those who had received parallel world organ replacements. Perhaps influenced by the organs, they had become so deranged.
"You all get to a safe place first," Tong Yang said.
With Old Man Liu's time of death approaching, Tong Yang didn't have time to go back and help them, nor could she bring Old Man Liu along. She simply couldn't look after him.
"Okay, I understand."
Tong Yang quickly called Mr. Du and briefly explained the situation to him.
"Can we take action?"
Finally, Tong Yang asked.
These people posed no real threat to Ye Huai and the other three. The main issue stemmed from the real world; they couldn't easily take action against them.
However, Tong Yang believed the current circumstances permitted it.
Mr. Du said, "They have already crossed the bottom line of law and morality. The state has granted you the authority to adjudicate criminals. I will immediately send people to assist you."
"You just need to complete the mission. Prioritize your own lives above all else. Leave the rest to us."
Tong Yang said gravely, "I understand."
After hanging up, her voice call with Ye Huai automatically reconnected.
"How's the situation?"
Ye Huai panted, saying, "We've taken shelter on the rooftop."
"Mr. Du said we have the authority to adjudicate criminals."
Ye Huai's voice paused briefly, "I understand."
After speaking, his voice grew more distant, as if he were talking to someone beside him.
"Take action. Rendezvous with Tong Yang."
"Understood!"
"I've been wanting to fight back! You think I'm a pushover just because I haven't shown my strength!"
"So annoying, I just fell asleep!"
"Get lost!"
These individuals all had the blood of parallel world humans on their hands. The people before them, having replaced their organs with those from the parallel world, were behaving no differently from parallel world humans. Moreover, with state authorization now granted, there was no psychological pressure.
Time ticked by. A few minutes later, a figure stood by the hotel balcony railing and waved at Tong Yang.
"Is it over?"
"Okay, we're on our way."
"Alright."
Tong Yang jumped down from the courtyard wall and looked at Old Man Liu leaning against it. "Find a safe place to hide."
"Preferably somewhere that can only fit one person."
Old Man Liu stared blankly. "What about you?"
Tong Yang glanced at him sideways. "Me? Upholding justice, can't you tell?"
"Forget it, come with me."
Tong Yang grabbed him by the collar and hauled him back to the herbal medicine shop.
Hiding him alone anywhere wasn't safe; who knew where those guys might show up.
"Get in."
Tong Yang pointed to the area under the counter, telling him to hide there.
Right under her nose, she didn't believe anything could go wrong.
Old Man Liu looked at her, bent down, put away his cane, and hid under the table.
"Knock knock—"
At the same moment, knocking sounded at the door.
Tong Yang asked, "Are you here?"
Ye Huai said, "What? No, we just got downstairs."
"I see."
"Trouble?"
"Probably."
"Be careful. We still have people to deal with here. We'll come over after we finish."
"Okay."
Tong Yang bent down and snatched the cane from Old Man Liu's hand. "Borrowing your cane."
Old Man Liu huddled under the table and reminded her, "Be careful, young lady."
"Worry about yourself."
"Knock knock—"
The knocking came again, sounding slightly more urgent and forceful.
Tong Yang tightened her grip on the cane and walked over.
Meanwhile, at the hotel.
The corridor was stained red with blood, forming a small stream that flowed down the stairs.
Ye Huai and the other three, covered in blood, quickly ran out of the corridor and into the lobby.
"What are you all doing?" The owner sat behind the counter, looking at them with confusion.
The four walked towards her without a word.
"Why are you all covered in blood? Quick! Wipe it off!"
The owner walked out from behind the counter holding a cloth.
Tang Shuyan swung the telescopic baton from his sleeve, striking her hard on the temple. Instantly, blood flowed and she fell to the ground, unconscious.
Tang Shuyan deftly retracted the baton and sighed. "I knew there was no other way."
"After all, it was I, this humble Taoist, who killed you."
The white cloth fell to the floor, revealing the dagger the owner had been hiding in her hand.
"Let's go."
"Go."
After leaving the hotel and locking the main door, they hurried towards the traditional Chinese medicine clinic.
Before they could get close, a figure suddenly flew out from inside the door.
Simultaneously, sounds of a struggle came from the medicine shop.
They quickened their pace. The sound of heavy objects striking flesh was particularly clear.
Seeing the person on the ground trying to get up, Xu Junyue rushed forward and kicked him in the chest.
The other three followed closely behind, witnessing the scene inside the shop.
Tong Yang held a brown cane, its tip stained bright red.
She had her foot on a man's chest, beating his head with the cane, one blow after another.
The man lay motionless on the ground, having already lost the ability to resist.
There was another person in the room, limping towards the counter.
Noticing this, Tong Yang quickly walked behind him, raised the cane high, and smashed it down hard on the back of his head.
The impact was so great it even broke the cane. The man swayed and finally collapsed to the ground.
"Wow! Boss is amazing! Taking on three alone!"
Xu Junyue, who had subdued the person outside, cheered excitedly.
Tong Yang was covered in blood. Hearing the voice, she slowly turned around. Her face was smeared with blood, her breathing was ragged, and a knife was embedded in her abdomen, bleeding profusely.
"Tong Yang!"
Exhausted, Tong Yang leaned on the counter and sat down on a chair.
Still not good enough, skills not varied enough, need to grow.
These guys were indeed different from the parallel world humans she'd encountered before. Even though Tong Yang had ambushed them with the element of surprise, she still got stabbed, though she managed to avoid vital organs in time.
"Wow! Boss, you're so awesome!"
"Fighting three and only got stabbed once!"
Tong Yang clutched her abdomen, cold sweat beading on her forehead. She lifted her leg and gave Xu Junyue a light kick. "Screw you, stop with the sarcasm."
"How is it?" Ye Huai asked with a frown.
"It's fine, avoided the vital spots."
"Those people are catching up!" Chu Shiyu ran in from outside.
Tong Yang found a comfortable position to lean against and said, "You guys deal with those things first."
"L-let me take a look at you."
Old Man Liu scrambled out from under the counter on his hands and knees.
Tong Yang wasn't wearing thick clothes, and the knife hadn't gone in too deep, so it wasn't an immediate threat.
While the four dealt with the others, Old Man Liu fetched some supplies to stop her bleeding.
Not long after, the sound of car engines came from the road.
Bullets from rifles fitted with silencers hit their targets' bodies.
Everyone subtly breathed a sigh of relief. Backup had arrived.
At four in the morning, Tong Yang was hastily carried onto a military truck by them.
With one troublesome matter resolved, the remaining problems were left to the military. Tong Yang leaned against the truck wall, yawned, and fell asleep.
It wasn't that she couldn't hold on due to blood loss; she was just genuinely exhausted from staying up so late.
When Tong Yang woke up, it was already daytime.
The familiar smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils. The wound on her abdomen had been stitched and bandaged, and she felt little pain.
Tong Yang lay in a private hospital room with no one else around.
Sitting up, she saw her phone on the bedside table. Picking it up, she saw many messages on social media.
[We've gone ahead first.]
[When you wake up, the military will send a helicopter to take you back to the capital. We'll meet up then.]
[Let us know when you're awake.]
[We handled it.]
Ye Huai had sent the messages several hours earlier.
Tong Yang checked the date. It was already December 2nd; she had slept for a full day and night.
During that time, Ye Huai and the other three had gone to the next energy cycle location and resolved the matter smoothly.
Learning is for Making Money: [Awake.]
Learning is for Making Money: [Where are you?]
Ye Huai: [On a train, on the way back to the capital.]
Ye Huai: [How do you feel?]
Learning is for Making Money: [Alright.]
Learning is for Making Money: [I'll arrive later.]
Ye Huai: [That's good. We'll be in touch.]
[Okay.]
Ending the conversation, Tong Yang checked her other messages. Nothing important, so she didn't reply.
A set of clothes, prepared in advance, was placed on the sofa. Tong Yang went to the bathroom to change.
The wound wasn't deep; it would be fine as long as she didn't engage in strenuous activity.
Seeing that Tong Le had called not long ago, Tong Yang casually washed an apple and called back.
"Sister!"
"Class over?"
"Yeah! Sister, have you been really busy lately? I couldn't get through on the phone. I was so worried."
Tong Yang took a bite of the apple. "Didn't pay attention to my phone. Next time I don't answer, call Chu Shiyu."
"Okay, I got it!"
Tong Yang calculated the time. "Wait for me after school tomorrow afternoon. I'll take you guys out to eat."
"Great!" Tong Le said happily.
"Alright, that's it. Hanging up."
"Bye, sister."
"Yeah."
The next cycle was scheduled for after 3:30 PM, and the location was in the capital. After dealing with it, she could just in time go pick up Tong Le from the elementary school affiliated with Peking University.
After packing up her things, Tong Yang opened the hospital room door and was startled to find two soldiers standing outside.
She wasn't surprised for long. She was still being hunted, after all; of course they wouldn't just let her lie in a hospital room alone.
"I need to return to the capital," Tong Yang said.
Ye Huai had likely communicated with them beforehand. One of the soldiers nodded at her and said, "Please follow me."
Tong Yang was taken to the hospital rooftop, where a helicopter was already waiting.
"Thanks," Tong Yang said, offering her thanks before boarding the helicopter.
Due to the highly confidential nature of the incident, the accompanying personnel were only there to assist and ensure their safety. Not a single word was spoken during the entire flight.
After several hours in the air, around six in the evening, Tong Yang was delivered back to her point of departure—an open area near the Shuangbai District Public Security Bureau.
Upon landing, Police Officer Lin and several other officers were waiting nearby.
Having learned Tong Yang was injured, Officer Lin moved to support her, but before she could get close, Tong Yang hopped down lightly, nimble as a swallow.
"Take it easy, aren't you injured?"
"Minor injury. I'm starving," Tong Yang said.
Police Officer Lin replied, "Ye Huai and the others arrived at the bureau not long ago. They're waiting for you to eat together."
"Let's go."
Tong Yang was indeed hungry; she hadn't had a proper meal in days.
"What do you want for dinner?"
Tong Yang stated decisively, "Meat."
"You'll get your fill."
Back at the Public Security Bureau, Ye Huai and the other three were sleeping in the break room.
Tong Yang had at least gotten a comfortable sleep thanks to her injury, but they had been on the move, worn out from the constant travel.
Perhaps hearing the door open, Ye Huai, who was sitting by the window, looked up, his expression weary.
Police Officer Lin knocked on the table. "Wake up, kids. Weren't you all clamoring to eat as soon as Tong Yang arrived?"
The other three were roused by her voice, sitting up one after another, each face etched with exhaustion.
Compared to them, Tong Yang could only be described as radiant and refreshed.
"That tired?" Tong Yang was astonished, never expecting even Xu Junyue to look so utterly drained.
"Tired."
"Very tired."
"Extremely tired."
"Boss Ye almost had a heart attack and got carted away."
Tong Yang glanced at him. "That serious?"
Ye Huai explained, "We didn't catch them at first. They ran into the mountains, and we chased them for a while."
Tang Shuyan also wore a look of utter fatigue. "Not 'a while'—three hours."
Dark circles hung under Chu Shiyu's eyes. "The worst part was how dark it was. The mountain paths were tough, and the distance wasn't that great, but we just couldn't close the gap no matter what."
Tong Yang understood. Otherwise, the people from the parallel world would have had a chance to return within those three hours. The distance was likely just far enough that they couldn't catch up, but the parallel world people couldn't get back either.
"Let's go. Eat and then go rest."
"Go, go, go."
"Starving! Today, I'm definitely sleeping until the end of time!"
"Come on, dinner's on me tonight."
"Wow! Thanks, Sis Lin!"
"Thank you, Police Officer Lin!"
"Sis Lin, I want hot pot!"
"No. We need to consider the two patients. Let's have something lighter."
"Sichuan food!"
"Sichuan is too spicy. Not suitable."
"Fine then, Cantonese food it is."
"Cantonese works."
"Let's go! I'm starving!"
After all the turmoil these past few days, everyone was exhausted.
After dinner, Police Officer Lin booked several rooms nearby for them to rest properly.
Ye Huai's family doctor arrived shortly after, confirmed he was not in serious condition, and left only after delivering stern instructions, still somewhat uneasy.
However, the doctor was quite pleased with Ye Huai's attitude, clearly sensing he was now taking his health seriously. It would be even better if he stopped running around everywhere.
Having rested enough, Tong Yang went back to the Public Security Bureau with Police Officer Lin to be debriefed and to understand the situation.
She recounted everything that had happened to Police Officer Lin and also learned from her about the subsequent handling of the town after they left.
They hadn't been wrong. Old Man Liu had been injected with a defective gene serum, and countless people in the town were infected with the virus.
Fortunately, the virus transmission method required physical contact with the pathogen. Old Man Liu had never left the town, and those who sought his treatment were all residents of the town or nearby areas, so the spread was under control.
However, Old Man Liu's physical condition wasn't great, and he probably wouldn't hold on much longer. Although the 749 Bureau had several high-quality gene serums in hand, they were reluctant to use them unless absolutely necessary.
The military had already cremated the bodies of those who died in the hotel that day. The survivors were sent in batches to the Academy of Sciences for research, attempting to identify the replaced organs in their bodies and analyze any abnormalities.
Furthermore, the military was conducting a large-scale investigation across the country to see if there were similar situations in other towns. The results were still unclear.
Police Officer Lin said, "The town's network has been cut, and the military has a complete lockdown. The news won't spread further."
"Any leads on the people infected with the virus in the previous two cycles?"
Police Officer Lin sighed and shook her head. "No."
"Our investigation found that the cities where the defective serums appeared also had suspicious blood donation organizations of unknown origin, all of which vanished afterward. It's said that before donating, the 'caring individuals' were required to receive some kind of preventive injection. The compensation for donation was extremely generous, abnormally so."
Tong Yang's expression turned grave. "If they're from the parallel world, that's terrible."
Police Officer Lin said, "We've located some of those individuals. They're undergoing examination. To avoid public panic, the police had to claim there were no issues."
"A vaccine for the virus needs to be developed as soon as possible," Tong Yang said solemnly.
Police Officer Lin replied, "The vaccine development is progressing relatively smoothly. It should be ready within two weeks. The problem is we suspect the scale of infection has expanded to unimaginable levels. Even if we develop the vaccine, it will be difficult to address the current situation."
Tong Yang pressed her lips together. There wasn't much she could do to help with this; the 749 Bureau would have to find a solution.
"All this information—you obtained it by contacting the future me?" Police Officer Lin asked.
Tong Yang nodded. "Yes."
"Anything else? Any other information?"
Tong Yang paused for a moment. "The future you said that I betrayed the real world."
Police Officer Lin was taken aback. "What?"
"You? Why?"
Tong Yang shook her head. "I don't know."
Resting her chin on her hand, her expression grew profound. "I've been thinking about it. Aside from the parallel world repeatedly hurting me and the people around me, why exactly am I resisting them?"
"For the sake of the real world? For humanity? It doesn't seem like either."
"I'm not that noble. Everything I do is just to satisfy my own selfish desires."
"What if the parallel world was willing to cooperate with me and give me back a peaceful life?"
Police Officer Lin's expression became extremely solemn, her lips tightening. "Tong Yang."
Tong Yang looked at her. "I've already refused."
"Back when Ye Wen went missing, Dr. Wu wanted to cooperate with me."
She refused, feeling furious at Dr. Wu's actions and disdaining any cooperation with them.
"I never really thought about the true reason for refusing them, and even now I haven't figured it out."
She paused briefly, then continued, "Some people from the First World, like Dr. Wu, have developed disagreements with the parallel world."
"What?" Police Officer Lin was stunned, not expecting her to change the topic so quickly.
"The parallel world version of me might not get involved in these matters, but if my First World counterpart is still alive, I believe she would be a very formidable existence."
"Your First World self? What do you mean?"
Tong Yang said, "What I mean is, the high probability of my future betrayal of the real world is most likely connected to the First World."
"When that time comes, no matter what happens, please believe me. I will absolutely not become anyone's slave. Please tell me all the information I need."
Police Officer Lin looked at her deeply for a moment, then said solemnly, "I believe you."
"The Tong Yang I know would never betray the real world."
"When the time comes, I will tell you everything you want to know."
Tong Yang smiled, "Thanks."
Police Officer Lin said helplessly, "I should be the one thanking you. You've helped us a great deal."
"Next time, please try to get me a bigger bonus. Your bureau chief is too stingy."
Police Officer Lin chuckled, "Alright, I will. Let me drive you back to the hotel."
Tong Yang shook her head, "No need, I'm going out."
"Out? At this late hour? Even though people in the Capital's black market wouldn't dare do anything to you, news of you hunters from the parallel world stopping the virus spread has probably already reached the parallel world. There's no guarantee they won't try something against you."
Tong Yang said, "It's fine."
"Fighting alone, I'm confident I won't lose. If I'm taken into the parallel world, I'll slaughter them all before coming back."
Police Officer Lin was amused by her arrogant tone and said, "Do you realize you're injured? Where are you going? I'll drive you."
Tong Yang didn't refuse and gave the address for Ningping Manor. She wanted to go have a chat with that old fox, Wu Pingxue.
Sitting in the car, Tong Yang remembered something and asked, "How are things on Tang Li's end?"
Tang Li had taken half of the "Spider" force and infiltrated the parallel world, and hadn't returned yet.
Police Officer Lin said, "The infiltration and evolution are progressing smoothly, but obtaining any effective information will probably be quite difficult."
Tong Yang nodded, "Bringing back a few batches of high-quality gene serums would be enough."
"...Don't you think that seems even more difficult than getting effective information?"
Tong Yang said with all seriousness, "Indeed it is."
"But it's easy for me to talk without feeling the pressure."
"You're really candid."
Having communicated with Wu Pingxue in advance, upon arrival, Tong Yang told Police Officer Lin to go back and rest early, and walked into Ningping Manor alone.
"You're this arrogant? You dare come in alone?"
Tong Yang ignored her, walking straight ahead without even a glance.
"I'm talking to you! Can't you hear?"
Tong Yang said, "I don't talk to people with no brains."
"?"
Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu stamped her foot in anger, "Who are you saying has no brains?"
"Whoever asks, has no brains."
Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu glared at her fiercely, "You're the one with no brains!"
Tong Yang said with a faint, mocking smile, "Neck doesn't hurt anymore?"
"What..." Halfway through, her eyes widened in fury, looking behind Tong Yang, "Where is that man? The man who was with you? I haven't repaid him for that arrow yet!"
Tong Yang said, "You'd better not do that."
"Why?" Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu looked puzzled, "Didn't he shoot me to get revenge for you?"
"Yes." Tong Yang nodded.
"Then what's wrong with me getting my own revenge and shooting him back?"
Tong Yang smiled gently, "Because before that happens, I'll kill you. Understand?"
"You..." Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu's eyes widened, "You two..."
"Enough nonsense. Where's the old fox? My time is precious."
"Old fox? You call Dr. Wu an old fox?"
"Otherwise? 'Old bastard,' do you prefer that?"
Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu's face turned from green to purple and back again, "I'll fight you to the death!"
"Get lost."
"Hilarious."
A familiar voice came from behind the door.
He Jingjing looked at the two with amusement and said, "She's toying with you like a dog. Could you try to have a little more memory?"
"What's it to you?" Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu glared angrily.
"Oh, and you. I almost forgot." Tong Yang said expressionlessly.
"You..." He Jingjing gritted her teeth, "Your ability to infuriate people is getting better and better."
"Flattery will get you nowhere."
Tong Yang walked around the two, entered the main hall, and found that old fox Wu Pingxue had been sitting inside all along, watching the show without making a sound.
"You're here."
Tong Yang casually took a seat, "Mm, pour the tea."
Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu stared in disbelief, "What did you say?"
"I'm thirsty. Pour the tea. Didn't Dr. Wu teach you how to receive guests?"
"You... I... Dr. Wu..."
Wu Pingxue watched them with leisurely composure and said, "Pour the tea."
Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu was obedient, though reluctant. She stepped forward roughly and filled the cup to the brim with tea.
Tong Yang didn't mind, picked it up and took a sip, "The tea is good, but the person serving it is off-putting."
"You dare say Dr. Wu's tea is off-putting??"
He Jingjing sneered, "Idiot, she means the person pouring the tea is off-putting."
Parallel World A's Chu Shiyu flushed red with anger, on the verge of flipping the table.
Wu Pingxue said helplessly, "You all... No matter what, you'll have to live together day in and day out from now on. Can't you be a little more polite to each other?"
Tong Yang frowned, "I have to stay with these people?"
"Of course."
"Can I refuse?"
"I believe Miss Tong is not someone who goes back on her word."
Tong Yang looked at He Jingjing and the other with considerable distaste.
To prevent the situation from worsening further, Wu Pingxue asked, "It's rare for you to seek me out. What is the matter?"
Tong Yang said, "I want a solution that solves the problem completely."
Wu Pingxue put down his teacup, letting his hands rest naturally on his lap, "What do you mean?"
"This can't go on. Running around to different places every day is unsustainable. I need a permanent solution, a way to stop the parallel world from frequently dumping defective products into our real world."
Wu Pingxue nodded approvingly, "I can tell you the method."
Tong Yang narrowed her eyes, "Conditions?"
"Naturally."
"What conditions?"
Wu Pingxue's eyes held a smile as he said, "From now on, you cannot participate in this incident, nor contact anyone related to it."
Tong Yang's face darkened, "Why?"
"Because you need to focus on a more important task."
Tong Yang's eyes were shadowed with a dark intensity. After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "Dr. Wu, let me confirm something—are we in a cooperative partnership?"
"Yes."
Therefore, if she wanted to obtain information, she needed to offer her labor as payment.
Similarly, if Dr. Wu wanted her to do something, he would also need to pay a certain price.
"So, once our cooperation concludes, I am free to move against you at any time, correct?"
Dr. Wu gave a faint, knowing smile. "Of course."
"Then... a pleasant partnership?"
"A pleasant partnership."
