novelStep By Step, the Ending
| ← Ch.597 | Ch.599 → |
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
"Mr. Giant Crocodile, why are you with them..." Ming Hai still had some expectations inside.
He stared at Giant Crocodile.
But Giant Crocodile wasn't in the mood to care about him at all.
Upon hearing this, Old Master Yang completely collapsed.
He took an involuntary step back, almost sitting on the ground.
Cheng Juan didn't even spare him a glance.
The Xu family and the Underground Alliance...
He didn't want to care about them right now!
He just looked in a panic at Qin Ran and held her face in his hands."Shall we go to my junior first?"
Qin Ran also wanted to settle the Xu family's affairs.
Just look at Cheng Juan now. He had always been noble and self-sufficient, and no matter what kind of matters he encountered, it wouldn't affect the way he placed himself above the common populace.
But now, he was nervous and at a loss.
Qin Ran stared at him for a long time before saying helplessly, "Okay, I'll come with you. Don't worry."
Cheng Juan's fingers were unstable as he buttoned Qin Ran's coat for her.
He hurried away with her.
After they left.
Both Ming Hai and Old Master Yang were taken. Old Master Yang had always been known as a wolf in sheep's clothing, but at this time, he couldn't even laugh. He just stared at Cheng Huo unwillingly as he held onto him.
"How did you convince Giant Crocodile?" Unwilling and reluctant, Ming Hai couldn't think of how Giant Crocodile was on their side.
He had obviously been the first to contact Giant Crocodile through Ouyang Wei.
Cheng Huo looked at him with complicated eyes and said with slight sympathy, "Do you know who Giant Crocodile's brother, Lone Wolf is?"
Lone Wolf?
Ming Hai looked up, and his lips twitched."Who?"
"Qin Ran, " Cheng Huo said lightly.
Boom.
Ming Hai's eyes turned listless, and he was in a state of shock.
No one knew that while the night seemed peaceful, half the sky had fallen in Beijing.
...
Not far away, Hao Dui and Cheng Jin were still dealing with the rest.
Staring at Qin Ran's back, Cheng Tu let out a sigh of relief."No wonder I always felt like Miss Qin was very strange. It turned out that the third most powerful person in the Underground Alliance was her..."
Giant Crocodile and Cheng Tu had always been hostile, but now, he didn't have time to take care of him. He could only ask Cheng Shui in substandard Mandarin, "Did they just say that my brother has a virus in her body?"
Cheng Shui's complexion wasn't very good as he shook his head."I'm not sure what the situation is. Boss and the others should be in the Medical Research Institute now."
Gu Xichi was at the Medical Research Institute.
"Thanks." Giant Crocodile didn't say much else. After getting his answer, he directly turned and left.
He headed for the Medical Research Institute.
Cheng Shui stopped in place. He also wanted to see Qin Ran's situation, but they had to persist here.
Thoughts flashed in his mind, and it was a long time before his head suddenly jerked up."No!"
"What's wrong?" Now that Hao Dui had captured everyone, he walked over after hearing him."We've won a complete victory today. It was easier than I thought."
"Easy?" Cheng Jin also felt like something was wrong upon hearing Hao Dui.
Among the five brothers, Cheng Shui and Cheng Jin were both military divisions of Cheng Juan, and both were close to him in terms of strategy and other aspects.
"Don't forget why the Underground Alliance remained silent for two years and only recently came back, " said Cheng Shui as he looked at the people around him. Having traveled around Continent M, he naturally knew the situation there very well. It turned out that the Underground Alliance had civil unrest, and then there was news of the death of the deputy leader who had been sitting firmly in third place..."
But Qin Ran wasn't dead, which meant she had faked her death back then.
According to Cheng Shui's understanding of Qin Ran, something must have happened inside the Underground Alliance at that time. It had probably been a rebellion or something...
Otherwise, the Underground Alliance wouldn't split.
With her means, it would be impossible to find her if she wanted to hide.
She had only stepped out now because of the Xu family and the civil strife in Beijing...
Exchanging glances, Cheng Shui and Cheng Jin thought of a possibility."Someone set up a bureau to force Miss Qin to come forward!"
Cheng Jin clenched his fists."We can think on the bright side. Understandably, they set Miss Qin up, but there's no need to spend so much effort on the Xu family..."
Shaking his head, Cheng Shui turned to look sideways at Cheng Tu."Cheng Tu, how did you stop Yang Shuyan?"
"Giant Crocodile stopped him at the border airport. It didn't even take much effort..." Although Cheng Tu was reckless, he still had some brains. Hence, he also felt like something was wrong upon hearing Cheng Shui's words.
Even Cheng Juan feared Yang Shuyan, so how could Giant Crocodile stop him so easily?
It was impossible even with Xie Jiu's help.
"Cheng Jin, we must plan for the worst. I'm afraid that there's a bigger conspiracy behind this incident, " said Cheng Tu. Thinking of Cheng Juan's instructions, Cheng Shui pushed his glasses and narrowed his eyes."Even with Giant Crocodile and the others, we can't lower our guards."
He lowered his head and whispered something to Cheng Tu.
After listening, Cheng Tu glanced at him in surprise.
...
Medical Research Institute.
"Sorry, Sir..." Several guards stopped the stranger, Giant Crocodile.
Giant Crocodile neither looked at him nor stopped.
The man beside him grabbed the guard with a smile and pressed the door switch. He entered a few strings of codes on the computer, found Gu Xichi's laboratory, then threw the magnetic card to Giant Crocodile."Boss, West building, B502."
Giant Crocodile entered.
The guard's eyes widened in horror.
"Brother, don't worry. Our Boss just wants to see Dr. Gu Xichi." When Giant Crocodile's subordinate watched his figure disappear, he released the guard, patted his sleeves, and smiled in comfort.
After Giant Crocodile and the men left.
The guards exchanged glances."Lao San, should I call the police? Those people don't look simple. Young Master Cheng just went to find Mr. Gu..."
"No need." Lao San looked at the group of people with dreadful eyes."Just pretend you didn't see this today. I'm afraid Beijing really isn't peaceful anymore..."
The other guard also nodded."The Gods are fighting, so we mortals should leave them alone and pretend we didn't see anything."
Several people agreed.
Inside Gu Xichi's laboratory.
Qin Ran leaned on the experimental instrument and held an electronic tester in her hand.
"What kind of broken machine is this!" Gu Xichi violently kicked the machine.
Cheng Juan had told him about Qin Ran the day before yesterday.
Qin Ran's blood was indeed abnormal.
"I've already analyzed Xiao Ran's data you gave me yesterday. Ten cases were investigated in the hospital's large database. We're still collecting data from other hospitals. It's very similar to the upgraded version of the virus in Old Master Cheng's body. This kind of virus is very similar to the unknown Y3 virus." Gu Xichi frowned."There shouldn't have been a large-scale spread. Brother, you'll have to control the flow of people in Beijing before the results come out."
During the past two days of nonstop research in the laboratory, Gu Xichi had solved the nucleic acid molecules but still hadn't figured out about the protein structure.
He had temporarily named it the Y3 virus.
The database was too huge. At first, Gu Xichi had studied Chen Shulan by himself for a long time and had only successfully researched it with Cheng Juan's help. With only two days left now, Gu Xichi hadn't even had time to observe a lab rat.
Viruses in medicine would only be suppressed and not completely destroyed.
It was more terrifying and thrilling than the Ebola virus.
This wasn't a simple project.
"Okay." Cheng Juan glanced in Qin Ran's direction through the glass and said lightly, "I'll make the order."
Gu Xichi frowned."How on earth did this spread?"
He pursed his lips and glanced at Qin Ran, who was holding the instrument in one hand and indifferently playing with her mobile phone in the other."She... knows?"
"Yeah." Without looking up, Cheng Juan's voice sounded as calm as ever."Give me Elder Xu's death certificate."
Retracting his gaze, he took the test tube and calmly looked at the jumping data.
A thick virology book was placed on the side.
"Is the situation very complicated?" Giant Crocodile appeared silently behind them."Do you need my help?"
"You're..." Gu Xichi was startled by Giant Crocodile's sudden appearance.
B502 had various infrared rays and mechanisms designed for him by Qin Ran, and most people had to get Gu Xichi's consent to enter. So how did this person swing by so silently?
"Lou Yue." Giant Crocodile glanced at him and pointed outside."That's my brother outside."
He was Qin Ran's friend.
Since Qin Ran had many weird friends, Gu Xichi put aside his doubts for now. Anyways, she had personally designed this mechanism herself.
Seeing that Cheng Juan wasn't surprised to see him, Gu Xichi didn't hold back from him."You have men under you?"
Giant Crocodile nodded.
"Okay, help me stabilize the Research Institute." Gu Xichi took a report and walked over to him."Give me two men. I want to hold an emergency meeting."
"Qing Lin, follow him." Giant Crocodile tilted his head towards Qing Lin.
Qing Lin waved to him."Mr. Gu, I'm Qing Lin. Please give me any orders!"
Gu Xichi raised an eyebrow. Based on Qing Lin's aura, it was obvious he wasn't a simple character.
However, the virus was more important now, so Gu Xichi didn't bother with these people.
...
The Medical Research Institute's emergency meeting.
Gu Xichi's fame had spread far and wide internationally, and he even had the Cheng family behind him. His status in the Medical Research Institute was high, and most people had heard of his name without seeing him in person.
At the meeting he held, almost every researcher and person in charge of the Medical Research Institute came.
Beijing hadn't been peaceful recently. The Medical Research Institute and the Cheng family weren't having a good time, but they were still faring better than the Xu family.
Large families like the Cheng family had a lot of inside information. Because the Xu family had invested too much in Continent M previously, they were almost desperate now, and their foundation had been shaken. The Cheng family was hence not as unsteady as the Xu family. At most, they were unsteady because of Cheng Wenru's internal fight with Cheng Raohan, and because the Nie family was eyeing them covetously.
Compared to the shaky Ouyang family and the headless Xu family.
Both the Cheng and Qin families were relatively peaceful.
Most of the people in charge of the Medical Research Institute were members of the Cheng family.
They all came to Gu Xichi's emergency meeting.
Standing at the forefront, Gu Xichi placed his hands on the table."Form two groups."
Cheng Weiping, the Dean of the First Hospital, looked at the report and started to panic when he realized the importance of this matter."Mr. Gu, I'll notify the major hospitals to isolate their patients!"
People all over the world had been talking of an unknown virus discoloration.
A long time ago, an existing expert said that if the virus in some laboratories was taken out, it could wipe out humans several times over.
Compared to his unknown virus, the struggle between the four major families was really nothing.
"Don't spread the news of the Y3 virus." They were afraid of mass panic that would make the situation even more uncontrollable.
"We know." Cheng Weiping solemnly looked at Gu Xichi."But we haven't been able to figure out the virus's protein molecules..."
"We've contacted the Medical Organization for this matter." Gu Xichi looked around and continued, "The entire laboratory is researching the Y3 virus. We need to provide virus samples and information. Dean Cheng, bring a group of people to continue this."
Medical Organizations were the most authoritative palaces in the medical world.
No matter what, everyone would rest assured as long as the "Medical Organization" was involved.
People in the office now felt a roller coaster of emotions. Their hearts had fallen to the bottom of a valley at the mention of the Y3 virus just now. But after hearing that the Medical Organization had taken action, their moods once again rose.
"The Medical Organization actually stepped out to help." The people in the conference room held up the materials."This matter is good for the Research Institute and the Cheng family in all aspects. Go and report it to the Young Master and the Young Lady!"
The Medical Research Institute belonged to the Cheng family, so this kind of important matter must be discussed with Cheng Wenru and the others so that the news could be kept under control.
...
The lights in the laboratory were turned on overnight.
Gu Xichi was contacting the Medical Organization while Cheng Juan was observing big data and conducting various studies.
A piece of glass separated Qin Ran and Cheng Juan. At this time, she was calling Qin Xiuchen, her voice as calm as ever."Arrange for someone to pick up Xiao Ling as soon as possible."
"Xiao Ling?" Qin Ling was still studying abroad with Tang Jun, but Qin Ran must have her reasons for saying this. Since she didn't say much else, Qin Xiuchen didn't ask too much either."Okay, I'll make preparations."
She hung up the phone and sighed in relief before leaning back.
She reached out and squeezed her throat.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Cheng Juan came out with a blanket. His thin and cool eyebrows turned much gentler after seeing her.
"I can't sleep, " Qin Ran said indifferently.
Her sleep quality had always been poor.
Cheng Juan knew this.
Glancing at her tense neck and worried face, he couldn't help but pause. His long eyelashes hung down as he reached out to touch her face.
But Qin Ran avoided it.
"I heard it all." Qin Ran sighed. She took the blanket from Cheng Juan's hand and wrapped herself in it."The Y3 virus."
She looked up and smiled at him."Aren't you afraid of death?"
Qin Ran had been unscrupulous when she had been unaware of this previously.
But now, she was afraid.
She didn't study medicine, but her biology wasn't bad. She knew how terrifying and threatening this virus was to be worse than Ebola.
Gu Xichi hadn't worked out how this virus was transmitted yet.
Sister Ran, who had always been fearless, was now afraid that something would happen to Cheng Juan.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Juan's calm eyes gradually deepened, and his drooping eyelashes trembled. He reached out and grabbed Qin Ran's collar without saying anything. Then, he lowered his head fiercely and slowly slid his palms beneath the blankets to intertwine his fingers with hers.
Qin Ran didn't have time to react before she felt the thin and hot air beside her, and his clear hot breath on her face.
Cheng Juan had always been gentle and elegant, but his actions at this moment were willfully tough.
"Stay here obediently. Leave the rest to me."
...
Cheng Juan got up and unbuttoned his top button.
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing a thin section of his wrist.
"My Dad gave this information to me back then, " he said.
Gu Xichi, who was concentrating on studying the virus, was completely unaware of what happened outside the glass. He only tilted his head when he heard the sound."Old Master Cheng's information. All right."
Gu Xichi had stayed there for more than a year to study Old Master Cheng's condition.
Turning around, he found a copy of Old Master Cheng's document from the computer and printed it out."Why did you suddenly think of him?"
Gu Xichi had studied for a whole year and had a lot of information.
There were 50 pages in total.
The two waited for him to slowly print it all out.
Cheng Juan took the printed materials and looked through them one by one.
Gu Xichi knew what Cheng Juan was thinking immediately."You're suspecting..."
Cheng Juan remained silent and focused on Elder Cheng's condition.
He read all 50 pages in less than five minutes.
At the same time, Gu Xichi looked at the two's conditions...
"Ran Ran also has insomnia." After reading, Gu Xichi discovered shocking facts."She... She has mild mania and emotional instability. I always thought her poor sleep was a family genetic disease..."
Comparing her condition with Old Master Cheng, he found several overlaps.
The most important one was the need to be suppressed with the Daylily.
Gu Xichi felt a shiver run down his spine after reading it."Brother, how did you think that your Dad and her..."
"They both use the Daylily." The paper in Cheng Juan's hands gradually changed shape.
But it still wasn't right. Qin Ran behaved differently from Elder Xu and Elder Cheng.
Otherwise, Cheng Juan wouldn't have observed it for so long.
As if thinking about what Gu Xichi would do next, Cheng Juan raised his head and said calmly, "The virus in her body wasn't fully activated before. It existed just like the billions of other cells in her body and only affected her sleep. It was activated only recently because of the Xu family."
This theory made perfect sense.
Gu Xichi suddenly lowered his head. At the thought of how Cheng Juan had asked him for Elder Xu's death certificate just now, he hurriedly pulled it out from a pile of documents and scanned through it.
He had never doubted Elder Xu's death.
When Elder Xu died, he had also been there to witness Qin Ran's self-blame and pain.
No one knew better than Gu Xichi how affectionate and righteous Qin Ran was.
But...
Now...
Cheng Juan sneered."Xu Shiying knew that he had the virus. He was so anxious to spread it to Continent M to escape the destiny of being under the control of others."
But what he shouldn't have done was die all alone and reveal things to Qin Ran before his death.
Perhaps Xu Shiying valued Qin Ran's potential and wanted her to repay him with guilt so that she would protect the Xu family from future turbulence!
Or maybe it was really for Qin Ran's sake, and he wanted to inspire her with his own death.
Cheng Juan choked.
His eyes turned deep and cold.
He had always thought that at least before the age of 16, Qin Ran lived with Pan Mingyue, Wei Zihang, Song Luting, and Pan Mingxuan, whom he had never seen...
She could be chic and carefree.
Cheng Juan closed his eyes.
Having lived under everyone's scheming ways, he was already accustomed to it.
He didn't really care.
But now that it was Qin Ran...
"I remember that she was different from other people since the beginning..." Gu Xichi muttered. He couldn't help but turn to look at Qin Ran outside. His heart was bitterly cold. Back in Yun Cheng, he had always worried about Qin Ran's state."Who started scheming against her since birth..."
"The Daylily..." Gu Xichi took a deep breath. It wasn't the time to check this now. He looked up at Cheng Juan and said, "The most important thing at the moment is to find someone who grows the Daylily. Since it can alleviate your father and Xiao Ran's illness, we can definitely find what we want from it. Brother, this might be the only way to break through! Can you find someone?"
"Don't tell her about this, just leave it to me." Cheng Juan took his phone and called Cheng Mu.
Because of Qin Ran, Cheng Mu and Father Lin had been responsible for the Daylily. The two had even worked out a garden of them.
After finding Cheng Mu, he called Cheng Shui and indifferently instructed a few things.
...
At this time, Cheng Mu followed his brothers around without a goal.
When he saw the cool and methodical arrangements of his brothers, he felt a little disappointed.
But he hid his inner disappointment and followed Cheng Jin to arrange the blockage of all entrances and exits in Beijing.
His phone suddenly rang.
It was Cheng Juan.
On the other end, Cheng Juan gave some instructions. Suddenly energetic, Cheng Mu turned to Cheng Jin."Brother, I can't help you anymore."
While talking on the phone, Cheng Jin glanced at him and raised an eyebrow in surprise."What are you doing?"
"I'm going to the hospital and Research Institute to help Master Juan." Cheng Mu puffed out his chest and took out his phone to contact Father Lin.
Behind him, Cheng Huo bit a cigarette."He can even go to the Research Institute to help Boss?"
Was he kidding?
...
3 am.
Beijing's black street.
The woman carrying the camera had a strong and healthy figure. Stepping on the back of a man whose face couldn't be seen, she laughed lazily.
She pressed the headset in her ear."Boss Chang Ning, I've caught him. Some people will come to the second street to bring him back."
"Hurry up." Chang Ning hadn't slept a wink. He tidied his clothes and quickly came out.
He Chen placed the camera on the man's back.
Only then did she look up at the people in black on the opposite side.
Raising her right hand, a few bullets scattered randomly onto the ground, making a clattering noise. He Chen put one hand in her pocket and said, "Brothers, you want to snatch him from me? I've been fond of this man for more than a year. It won't be that easy to snatch him from me."
The man opposite her was like an iceberg, full of a vicious aura like a Raksha (a demon in Buddhism).
He frowned and glanced at He Chen's headset.
Then, he raised his hand to stop his men."You're from 129?"
He Chen laughed harmlessly."More or less."
"Go." The man glanced indifferently at her, his eyes fixed on her ears for a moment. Then, he turned around and directly disappeared into the night.
Not far away, He Chen stepped harder on the man's foot. She squinted at the other man's disappearing back, slightly puzzled. There was no information about the man in her database.
Not long after, Chang Ning rushed over. He frowned upon seeing the bullets scattered at her feet."Something happened?"
"A few weird people came." He Chen put down her feet and asked the others to take the man away. She reached out to hook up the camera next to him."I caught Poison Dragon for you."
"Okay." Chang Ning nodded and looked at how Poison Dragon had been beaten up like a pig by He Chen. He paused for a moment before saying, "Something happened to Lone Wolf."
"What?" While sorting out her camera, He Chen lifted her head."With Cheng Juan and the Underground Alliance, what could happen to her?"
"A virus." Chang Ning explained it briefly and then said solemnly, "Now the whole city is under emergency measures."
"Her vigilance is that bad?" He Chen frowned.
Chang Ning thought for a moment and shook his head."I'm afraid... the virus might have been latent in her body from a long time ago."
Only then could it be explained.
"With Gu Xichi and the others, shouldn't it be okay?" These things weren't within He Chen's knowledge.
"It depends." Chang Ning retracted his gaze.
Nodding, He Chen slung the camera over her shoulders."This Poison Dragon is very good at disguising. He was the third most wanted criminal from Matthew, and many other forces had been keeping an eye on him. It took me a year to hide and lead him to Beijing to successfully arrest him. But that weird Raksha wants to snatch him away from me. You should keep him carefully."
"Okay." Chang Ning glanced at her and ordered for Poison Dragon to be taken back.
He Chen waved her hand."I'm going to see our Little Lone Wolf."
Chang Ning went back with his subordinates to imprison Poison Dragon.
He should have contacted Qin Ran when he caught Poison Dragon.
But now...
Chang Ning thought for a while and called Cheng Juan.
"Tsk, he's such a difficult character. Boss, why did you arrest him?" Slag Dragon yawned and walked over to Chang Ning's office."He Chen's actions will definitely infuriate Matthew, who has been wanting to arrest Poison Dragon for several years."
However, only a thousand-faced spy could catch Poison Dragon, who had been running around the world.
No one else could do it.
"He's the main offender of Ninghai Town's 712 case." Chang Ning glanced at him.
"Cough, cough—" Slag Dragon looked up in shock."Someone there managed to alarm Poison Dragon? Could it be a big boss? But that's not right, either. We didn't even know her identity at that time."
"It was Lone Wolf's grandma, " Chang Ning said lightly.
Unlike Chang Ning and He Chen, Slag Dragon didn't understand Qin Ran's situation. But when he heard about Qin Ran's grandma, he widened his eyes involuntarily."What kind of person is the big boss's grandma?"
Chang Ning ignored him.
He walked over to the computer and waited for Cheng Juan while mobilizing the data.
It was almost 4 am when Cheng Juan arrived.
He came in with big strides.
"Director Chang..." Cheng Juan always treated Chang Ning and the others very politely.
"Just call me Brother Chang." Chang Ning casually waved his hand and gave him a copy of the information."We're a family, no need to be polite."
Cheng Juan received the information and paused."This is..."
"I checked her grandma's information last year. You should also know that at that time, her grandma was critically ill because all the drugs in Beijing had been transferred." Chang Ning glanced at him.
"I know." Cheng Juan nodded. He hadn't thought too much at that time.
"It's two forces." Chang Ning pointed at the information."It's very complicated, and countless people are caught in the middle. Recently, after Slag Dragon and He Chen returned, the Underground Alliance people emerged. We only found out then, but there's still a lot of vague information."
Even 129 had taken a year to find out.
Looking down at the information, Cheng Juan was bombarded with thoughts."Professor An of the Beijing University's Medical Laboratory?"
He knew this Professor An, who was a very famous old professor in the Medicine Department of Beijing University.
He had never taught Cheng Juan, but because Professor An had always been inspired by charity, Cheng Juan had heard of him before.
"We can only investigate to this point. The rest will be handed over to you. There's someone else I just reviewed. I think only you can find out something." Chang Ning nodded at him.
He was naturally aware that Cheng Juan was the boss of the Criminal Police Brigade.
Cheng Juan kept the information."Who?"
"Poison Dragon, " Chang Ning said slowly.
Cheng Juan looked up fiercely.
...
At 6 am, Cheng Juan came out of the 129's gate.
Near April, the temperature in the morning wasn't very high, and the air was still quite chilly.
Cheng Juan bit the cigarette lightly in his mouth, his spirits raised.
Instead of returning to the Research Institute, he took out his phone and called Lu Zhaoying.
Lu Zhaoying's entire mind was now on the Lu family, and he had no idea what happened to Qin Ran.
"Master Juan?" Lu Zhaoying was a little puzzled to receive Cheng Juan's phone call.
Cheng Juan stopped at the intersection, slender and tall. He puffed a smoke ring and asked softly, "Do you have Wei Zihang's phone number?"
Half an hour later.
In a cafe beside University A.
Wei Zihang hurried over with a book and sat down across from Cheng Juan, looking energetic."Young Master Cheng, did something happen to Sister Ran?"
Cheng Juan pushed a cup of milk tea to him and shook his head lightly."No, I'm here to ask you a few questions."
"Go ahead." Wei Zihang had always been in awe of Cheng Juan.
Even if Beijing's rumors about Cheng Juan had flown all over.
"Regarding your Sister Ran, " said Cheng Juan casually while stirring the coffee with a spoon."How much do you know about her childhood?"
"Sister Ran?" Wei Zihang glanced at him. He also fell silent at the mention of Qin Ran.
Cheng Juan quietly waited.
Wei Zihang took out a cigarette from his pocket and slowly lit it. After a long while, he glanced at him."What kind?"
"Anything strange, just tell me." Cheng Juan leaned back and pulled his collar with his other hand, his voice slightly dull.
He resembled Qin Ran's usual inadvertent appearance.
"When she was a child, she often left for no reason. She said she was playing truant... But I know she probably went to Beijing University's Medical College to find someone." Since Wei Zihang and the others had already acknowledged Cheng Juan, he didn't hide such information from him. He mentioned one thing he couldn't figure out."And once, she came back in the middle of the night drenched in blood..."
Wei Zihang was very detailed.
He also saw clearly how Cheng Juan tightened his grip on his spoon and revealed his blue veins upon hearing about Qin Ran being covered in blood.
"What about her godfather? Do you know about him?" Cheng Juan asked again.
"Are you talking about the Yunguang Consortium?" Wei Zihang couldn't help frowning at the mention of the Yunguang Consortium. News of the Yunguang Consortium had spread all over Beijing recently, and he also disliked Old Master Yang."I don't know. Neither her nor Grandma Chen ever mentioned it."
Cheng Juan nodded.
It wasn't surprising that a person like Chen Shulan knew Old Master Yang, but it was surprising if she recognized a godfather and kept it hidden from everyone else.
Reaching out to take the coffee cup, he took a sip and then turned to Wei Zihang, his emotions fading from his face."Thank you."
After separating from Wei Zihang, Cheng Juan didn't return to the Research Institute and first went back to Ting Lan to take a bath and change his clothes. The smell of smoke on his body and the fatigue in his face disappeared.
Only then did he drive to the Medical Research Institute.
Qin Ran was still in the lounge at Gu Xichi's laboratory.
Gu Xichi was her main caregiver now.
Standing at the door, Cheng Juan adjusted his expression and state first before walking towards her. He was slender and handsome, and when he walked in, the light hit his face, highlighting his sharp eyebrows and adding color to the cold laboratory.
"I'll go for a news run first. I'll see you later." When He Chen saw Cheng Juan, she packed up her things and left.
Cheng Juan greeted He Chen before sitting down across from Qin Ran. With a determined expression, he put down her breakfast in front of her."I brought the breakfast made by the chef."
He arranged the breakfast and tableware one by one, then said calmly, "Eat."
"Okay." Qin Ran crossed her legs and glanced at the food on the table. It was a little too much.
But she didn't say anything.
Cheng Mu, Father Lin, and Gu Xichi all came out."Thank you, Master Juan!"
Cheng Mu glanced at Cheng Juan, then sat down across from Qin Ran. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and ate a bun.
Father Lin ate while discussing the issue of "activity" with Cheng Mu.
After Qin Ran finished eating, she glanced at them. These people didn't treat her as one to be "isolated" from. She pressed on her aching temples.
She raised a leg and kicked Cheng Juan's foot."Master Juan, can't you..."
Restrain them?
While discussing the research topic with Gu Xichi, Cheng Juan tilted his head, took out a lollipop from his pocket, peeled it, and then put it into her mouth."Be obedient, " he said calmly.
Seeing how calm he was, Qin Ran rubbed her nose involuntarily and remained silent.
"I brought the computer for you, " Cheng Juan said.
Fine.
Qin Ran stared at the computer on the desk and thought for a long while. She couldn't continue to harm people like this, so she could only help Nan Huiyao and Brother Ye control the data remotely.
After thinking about it, she opened Song Luting's WeChat and sent him a message—
[Big Brother Song, help me to take care of the Research Institute and Scholar Liao. ]
Song Luting had keen senses. Qin Ran had disagreed to let him participate at first, and now, she had made this remark.
Without hesitation, he called her.
Qin Ran just breezed past it."You know that the Cheng family and the Yunguang Consortium have met with problems recently. I'll handle it here."
Song Luting was smart and knew that something was wrong, but he also knew that Qin Ran couldn't say."Recently there was a rumor of a flu going around. You must take care. Since you like wearing a mask, it should be fine."
He had carefully nagged Pan Mingyue, Wei Zihang, Qin Ran, and Mu Nan.
Sitting on the table, Qin Ran dangled her long legs and chuckled softly as she glanced in Cheng Juan's direction."Okay, Big Brother Song. You have to be careful too."
She hung up.
Then, she looked at Cheng Juan and slightly frowned."News of the virus has been publicized. Big Brother Song just told me."
"This matter involves too many people, I can't control it." Cheng Juan wasn't very bothered and just said casually, "We can only control the speed of proliferation, but not all the news."
After all, every hospital had quarantined patients, and those doctors and nurses would always tell their family members.
There was no such thing as an airtight wall in the world.
Sooner or later, the news would leak out.
On the other end, Song Luting hung up and looked down, his eyebrows drooping. He quickly dialed Wei Zihang's number.
...
With the participation of the Medical Organization and the Lin family, the Research Institute had begun a new research direction. This topic brought together almost all the top talents in the world.
It also included the Lin family's weird "Daylily" series.
A vaccine had been identified.
The Cheng family had suffered from all the setbacks in the previous period and had been greatly injured. During the recovery phase, the sudden appearance of the Medical Organization and mysterious plants made public caused their stocks and financing to skyrocket.
All the management figures of the Cheng family's Research Institute sat at the conference table in a meeting.
Cheng Raohan's face was flushed and he was high-spirited."This time, our Cheng family has achieved considerable success. The Beijing virus is well controlled, and there are the Continent M's Medical Organization and the people behind the 'Daylily'. Our Research Institute will become famous this time! Moving into Continent M is just around the corner."
"Eldest Master has good management." The head of the Research Institute complimented."After all, you're here, and it has attracted many people."
Initially, Cheng Raohan had a good relationship with Ouyang Wei. After investigating the "Daylily", he had made great fanfare and everyone was now aware of it.
On the other hand, Cheng Wenru had never preached such things.
But because of that, most people were complimenting Cheng Raohan.
"Eldest Master, there hasn't been any movement in the Yunguang Consortium and from Ming Hai recently. There have been rumors that they've been arrested. Why don't we take this opportunity to go all out and show it to the Nie family..." someone said.
All aspiring people wanted to go all out, especially Cheng Raohan, who was still proud of his achievements. Upon hearing this, he only thought for a while before nodding."Okay!"
...
Cheng Juan didn't know nor care about Cheng Raohan's situation.
He, Gu Xichi, Father Lin, and the people from the Medical Organization had already found an inkling.
In the laboratory.
Cheng Juan took a test tube and glanced at Qin Ran playing a game with her legs folded. He lowered his head and rearranged the experiment in his hand.
The phone in his pocket rang. Looking down, he saw that it was Cheng Jin.
"I've found Professor An." Cheng Shui was at the airport now. The airport had restricted traffic recently, so he could only enter and not exit. He walked to a quiet place and continued, "He has returned to the Beijing University's Medical Laboratory."
"Okay." Reaching out, Cheng Juan slowly took off his white coat and walked outside.
While playing a game, Qin Ran paused.
She was playing a game of the Kyushu Tour with her own account. Her speaker was turned on and Lin Siran's voice could be heard."Ran Ran, carry me. Carry me, I want to kill him!"
"Don't worry." Qin Ran bit a lollipop. She had been busy in Beijing and hadn't been so idle in a long time. She calmly manipulated the characters and said leisurely, "I'm carrying you."
"F*ck, Lin Siran, you're not human. How could you let Sister Ran carry you and absorb your injuries!" A male voice sounded.
Cheng Juan looked up and recognized the voice as He Wen, Qin Ran's high school classmate.
He wanted to tell Qin Ran to come with him. But after seeing her play so happily, he didn't want to disturb her.
He went out lightly.
It wasn't far from Beijing University.
Cheng Juan drove all the way there.
It didn't take him long to reach Beijing University.
Now that the major hospitals in Beijing and people in the medical community had learned about the virus, people had started panicking. Beijing University's Medical Laboratory had also established a medical team to study it.
Cheng Juan was no less a madman than Qin Ran in the Medicine Department of Beijing University.
So much so that his shadow had been shrouded in the heads of people in the Medicine Department, and many people knew him.
"Senior Cheng? Why are you here? Who are you looking for?" He parked his car at the gate of the laboratory and someone spoke excitedly after recognizing him.
Closing the car door, Cheng Juan glanced over."I'm looking for Professor An. Do you know where he is?"
There were only a few professors in the Medicine Department, and not many professors were surnamed An.
Especially Professor An, who was an old professor that had been doing charity and helping orphans. He was even more famous in medicine school.
The male classmate hurriedly said, "I know Professor An. He's helping others in the department. I'll take you to him!"
"Thank you, " Cheng Juan said politely.
The teaching building of the Medicine Department wasn't far.
The boy quickly brought him to the classroom.
Professor An was still in a lesson.
Cheng Juan didn't dare call him suddenly, so he entered from the back of the lecture hall and sat in the last row.
His temperament was too special, and his overwhelming aura and appearance attracted everyone's attention as soon as he entered. Soon, someone recognized him.
Professor An was a gray-haired old man who lectured slowly. When he saw that half of the class was looking at Cheng Juan, he couldn't help but smile. As a surgeon who had never failed, Cheng Juan had a well-known reputation in the medical profession.
"Since everyone is unwilling to listen, shall we listen to Senior Cheng's class?"
Cheng Juan was forced to attend half the class.
After class, Professor An pushed his glasses and glanced at him."You're looking for me because of Elder Ning's granddaughter, right? Come to my office."
The matter between Cheng Juan and Qin Ran was no longer a secret in the Beijing circle.
"Sit." Professor An poured a cup of tea for him."What is it?"
"I want to know everything, including her and her grandma." Cheng Juan held the teacup, his face calm.
Both he and Chang Ning had checked Professor An's background.
"It's amazing that you found me." Professor An pushed his glasses and held his cup of tea.
"Do you know about the Y3 virus in Beijing?" Cheng Juan asked lightly
Professor An wasn't bothered."I heard about it."
"She has it." Cheng Juan looked at him expressionlessly.
Bam—
The hot tea in Professor An's hand fell onto the marble floor. His eyes stared at Cheng Juan dully and the corners of his mouth trembled.
Cheng Juan waited patiently for him to return to his senses.
After a long while, Professor An finally stood up. He walked over to the cabinet, took out a bunch of keys, opened the lock, and took out a white bottle.
There was a scribbled "Q" on it.
Cheng Juan stared at the white medicine bottle.
"This was hers." Professor An placed the bottle in front of Cheng Juan, pausing for a moment."Since you found me, you should know about the Underground Alliance?"
Cheng Juan nodded, his eyes fixated on the white medicine bottle.
"She has been making deals with the Underground Alliance, using these to continue her life with her grandma. Her grandma died after her grandpa's death, but she dragged her back for a few more years." Professor An's eyes were a little lost, and his tone was undetectable."You should also know what kind of organization the Underground Alliance is. She has been hiding the task of trading a life for a life from her grandma since she was 14."
Cheng Juan tightened his hands on his knees.
He had already filled in the remaining blanks.
Qin Ran regarded Chen Shulan as her own life and had been trading with the Underground Alliance for her.
He didn't know how she did those tasks, but she must have gotten merit from them and was now in the deputy position.
She had become a thorn in many people's eyes.
Back in the slum, even without him... Even if Qin Ran hadn't experienced the 712 incident, she wouldn't have escaped from the Underground Alliance's schemes...
No wonder...
No wonder she had only called Gu Xichi at first, no wonder she had faked her death.
She must have realized it herself.
Fortunately, she had never revealed her identity. Otherwise, according to the Underground Alliance's methods, she wouldn't have been left alive.
Yang Shuyan.
Cheng Juan silently repeated this name.
He mostly understood that Yang Shuyan might have noticed Qin Ran's identity not long ago, which was what started the Xu family's big show.
"Back then, the core figures of the crater were discovered. Ning'er and his wife, Old Master and Madam Qin, your Father, and Elder Xu all died. Professor Chen was experimenting with the medicine and I tried to stop them from making their move. But as you know, I'm only a professor, so everything I did was useless." Professor An's voice was old and feeble."Anyone whom Old Master Yang wants dead will die. I thought he would let Ran Ran go. I didn't expect..."
Old Master Yang had already been caught by Cheng Juan, but he didn't say anything to Professor An. He just stood up and bowed deeply to him."Thank you."
He wasn't thanking him for telling him all these, but for his care towards Qin Ran.
Cheng Juan turned around and left.
Behind him, Professor An looked out the window.
"No need, I also had a deal with her." After a long while, Professor An took out a gold card. He lowered his head and murmured, "She does the tasks and transfers all the money to me except the medicine..."
...
Cheng Juan left the teaching building.
The sun shone above his head, but he didn't feel any warmth.
He took out his car key, but as soon as he walked to the side of the car, he saw a slender figure leaning against the door.
It was Song Luting.
He also wore a white research coat, looking rigorous. Though his facial features weren't as defined as Cheng Juan's, he had rare self-discipline, unlike most young people."Mr. Cheng, we need to talk about Ran Ran."
Cheng Juan knew Song Luting.
He stopped and looked at him for a long time.
Song Luting listened quietly, his expression remaining the same. After a long while, he finally said softly, "Can you take me to see her?"
Cheng Juan knew that Qin Ran didn't want her friends to know about her situation, but Song Luting was too sensitive and he couldn't hide it from him. Hence, he nodded."Get in the car."
"Thank you, " Song Luting said.
Both of them remained silent all the way.
Not long after, the car arrived at the Research Institute.
But they found a bunch of reporters at the entrance, yelling in shrill voices.
"Excuse me, why is there a person carrying the Y3 virus if the medical school isn't isolated!"
"Excuse me, who will be responsible for the lives of everyone in Beijing?"
"I heard that the Y3 virus carried by Miss Qin is more powerful than in all the infected people. Is that true?"
"..."
Cheng Juan frowned involuntarily and turned the car into the underground garage entrance. He took out his phone and dialed Cheng Shui."What's going on at the medical school?"
"Boss, I was just about to call you. Half an hour ago, news of the Y3 virus was spread." Cheng Shui's voice sounded very serious."Miss Qin's affairs aren't known by anyone. The medical school is in a mess now!"
Cheng Juan remained expressionlessly."I see."
He parked the car.
Getting off the car, he directly went to the underground garage elevator and went to the B5 floor.
Song Luting had also heard Cheng Shui and was feeling very anxious. Rare anxiety appeared on his face, and he couldn't calm down without seeing Qin Ran's current situation.
B502.
When Cheng Juan entered, Cheng Wenru was standing at the door.
At this time, she had lost the imposing aura of a strong woman. Suppressing her anger, she turned to Cheng Juan."Why didn't you tell me about such a big thing?!"
"It wasn't necessary." Cheng Juan's voice was calm and unwavering, and his face remained the same as always as if he didn't know about Qin Ran's matters.
Cheng Wenru was about to say something, but Cheng Juan stopped and turned to her and Song Luting, smiling. He said in a very low voice, "Don't go in to see her emotionally."
Cheng Wenru looked at him, stunned.
Her eyes turned red.
Usually, even when Qin Ran coughed once, he'd frown for half the day. Under such circumstances, no one was suffering more than Cheng Juan.
Song Luting stood at the door and adjusted his attire for a while before entering.
Inside.
Cheng Juan glanced at Qin Ran. She was still playing games with Lin Siran, her mental state no different than before.
Looking around, he frowned involuntarily."Where's Gu Xichi?"
"Master Juan." Cheng Mu glanced in Qin Ran's direction and lowered his voice."Eldest Master knows about Miss Qin and wants to send her away."
Nodding, Cheng Juan reached out to pull on his white collar."Which conference room is he in?"
Cheng Mu told him an address.
"Okay." Cheng Juan smiled and nodded slightly before heading straight to the conference room.
In the meeting room.
Cheng Raohan and most of the people in charge of the Research Institute were inside.
"No, Dr. Gu, a dangerous person like Qin Ran must be sent away. The virus in her body is more powerful than all the others infected." Cheng Raohan demanded."Now that the media has been alarmed, Weibo is also discussing it. Everyone in Beijing is at risk. She can't stay here. By being in the Research Institute, she's putting everyone at risk."
"Exactly, Dr. Gu."
"..."
Gu Xichi naturally refused to agree to such a thing. He stared at Cheng Raohan.
Before he spoke, he heard a soft voice from outside."Junior, there's no need to haggle with them. Let's go."
It was Cheng Juan who spoke calmly, wearing a snow-colored shirt and black trousers.
Everyone in the Research Institute knew Cheng Juan.
They also knew how much help Cheng Juan had been to the Cheng family.
But at this time, their lives were their priority. Even though they knew that Gu Xichi and Cheng Juan were here and that Qin Ran wouldn't affect anyone in the Research Institute, they were still afraid.
Now, they were united with the Medical Organization, and wealth was right around the corner. They didn't want to make any mistakes.
Thus, most of them didn't dare to look at Cheng Juan and remained silent.
Cheng Raohan opened his mouth and said, "You also know that Weibo is pressing for public opinion. Several family members already called me, so I don't have any other choice..."
Out of the countless families in Beijing, the richer ones cherished their lives even more.
They had come to the Research Institute to get a vaccine and couldn't tolerate Qin Ran.
Without saying a word, Cheng Juan glanced at him and turned to leave.
Gu Xichi stared at Cheng Juan for a long while and frowned."Okay."
The moment Cheng Raohan saw Cheng Juan, his shoulders shrank subconsciously. He was also a little afraid of Cheng Juan now.
But now that Cheng Juan said nothing and directly surrendered to having Qin Ran taken away, Cheng Raohan sighed in relief.
He watched as Cheng Juan left.
Now, the Research Institute, the Medical Organization, and the mysterious "Daylily" had two research teams. The good days were still to come, and Cheng Juan had also left. For him, this was an extremely good thing.
Cheng Raohan couldn't help but laugh.
He happened to see Cheng Wenru standing at the door."Don't regret it later."
...
Cheng Juan flipped through Weibo while returning to the laboratory.
This incident had been announced by an entertainment blogger.
The comments below were all one-sided.
[Although I'm Qin Ran's fan, I have to say, isn't she being too selfish? She's disregarding the lives of other people?"
[She's now staying in the Research Institute. Everyone is now in danger of being infected by the Y3 virus. By staying there, what if she accidentally infects other people?]
[... ]
Occasionally, some people said that the virus was unlikely to spread through the air.
But such comments were all ignored.
Although the Y3 virus was terrifying, with the Medical Organization, the Lin family, and the news of a new vaccine coming out, the nobles in Beijing and the netizens weren't actually worried and were just gossiping.
Cheng Juan sneered.
He bit a cigarette and lightly walked to the laboratory."Get ready and take everything."
"What's going on?" Cheng Mu glanced at Gu Xichi, who was following Cheng Juan.
Gu Xichi shrugged and sneered."That group of idiots. I guess they don't know that your Master Juan loves the beauty and not the country."
"Huh?" Cheng Mu didn't understand.
Gu Xichi glanced at him and remained silent. He took the computer and went out with Cheng Juan with the necessary experimental equipment.
The group returned to the manor.
"No..." The car stopped at the door. Cheng Mu had a keen sense of smell and squinted his eyes slightly."Master Juan, someone has broken into the manor!"
...
At the same time.
The people in charge of the two research groups in the Research Institute realized they couldn't contact the Medical Organization."How could this be possible? Didn't we just transfer a piece of data?!"
"Mr. Gu and Mr. Lin are gone? What happened?!"
Everyone exchanged glances. Some kept dialing the phone, while some went to find Cheng Weiping, Cheng Raohan, and Gu Xichi.
Cheng Raohan was dealing with a reporter."I know everyone is concerned about the new vaccine, but please don't panic..."
After he had dealt with the reporter, he received a call from the Research Institute.
Upon hearing what the person on the other end said, his expression changed drastically.
He hurried back to B502.
He happened to bump into Father Lin, who was dragging a suitcase out.
"Mr. Lin, Mr. Lin, please stay!" Cheng Raohan immediately called after him."Has the Research Institute neglected you in any way..."
Father Lin was calling Cheng Juan at the moment. Upon hearing this, he looked up, his voice a little honest, and said inexplicably, "I came because of Ran Ran. You know Ran Ran, right? She's my daughter's best friend. She even helped my daughter get into Beijing University. I'll follow wherever she goes. Hey, sir, are you okay?"
| ← Ch. 597 | Ch. 599 → |