Chapter 303: Advertisement' Text Message

Zheng Tan did not, just because of this, conclude that the needle-free injector was related to Qin Tao's move; he flipped through the experts' quarrel again, and the opposing side produced various negative evidence.

The needle-free injector works by pressure injection, without the slender needle of a regular syringe, but the person being injected is not completely sensationless; the injection sensation varies from person to person—some feel nothing, while some users say it feels like being flicked by a finger. The injection effects also differ: 30% of people show no trace after injection, 50% have red spots on the skin after injection, and another 20% exhibit bleeding after injection.

Perhaps these data are not that accurate, but at least they indicate that there might be some connection; if Qin Tao had once discovered similar traces on his own body, then combined with these descriptions, the likelihood would be greater.

Zheng Tan spent the whole day at home studying the magazines left at Jiao Yuan's place. He flipped through several volumes, but only two mentioned needle-free injection; Zheng Tan read them carefully and, using his not-so-high intellect, speculated some possibilities—indeed it was plausible. It would be good if those doubts could be confirmed by Qin Tao.

Science magazines are indeed a good thing. Perhaps much of what's inside seems flashy but impractical to many, or the related knowledge is somewhat obscure, but Zheng Tan has already learned a lot from these magazines—some from his own reading, most from hearing Jiao Yuan and Xiao Youzi talk about them in daily life.

Having wandered off in thought, Zheng Tan brought his focus back, pondering how to send this still-unverified clue to Er Mao and Qin Tao.

Actually, Zheng Tan really wanted to swagger and just toss the magazine in front of Qin Tao and Er Mao, loudly saying, 'Look. I've found a possible clue,' but unfortunately, Zheng Tan couldn't.

After thinking, Zheng Tan put away the magazines at Jiao Yuan's place, went out, and ran toward the small woods at the edge of the residential area, then turned on his phone.

Zheng Tan had heard Qin Tao recite his phone number; after coming to Chu Hua Shi, Qin Tao had changed his number, and when he made a call during the triumph, the other party couldn't see the caller ID, so Qin Tao gave out the number. Zheng Tan wasn't sure if he remembered it correctly, but he decided to try.

After turning on his phone, as usual, he received harassing texts and missed-call notifications from Liuba, though it was much better than before. After waiting for the various prompts on his phone to stop, Zheng Tan entered the number he remembered.

One digit Zheng Tan remembered wrong; originally he had planned that if Qin Tao's number kept failing, he would switch the text recipient to Er Mao. Unexpectedly, it actually succeeded—after five attempts, the person who answered the call was finally Qin Tao. When Qin Tao said 'wei,' he sounded somewhat impatient and couldn't hide his irritability; Zheng Tan confirmed it was him and immediately hung up, not bothering to see Qin Tao's reaction, and went straight to composing a text.

He placed his paw on the keys, then Zheng Tan stopped again.

How should I write it?

Zheng Tan poked his head out of the tree hole, glanced around looking for some ad copy, etc.; occasionally people come by this road to post ads for gyms or optical shops, and Zheng Tan intended to take inspiration, but he didn't expect that with just a sweep of his gaze he would see an advertisement posted on a tree, looking like a newly posted one; Zheng Tan hadn't been around these days, so he didn't know about it.

He examined the ad copy closely: 'xx Hospital, three-minute dreamlike painless abortion procedure, giving you the safest guarantee……'

After a glance, Zheng Tan pulled his head back into the tree hole and moved his paw to edit the text.

While Qin Tao was in a confidential discussion with Er Mao analyzing the investigation results, he felt his phone vibrate once—this ringtone was a text notification. He took out his phone, saw it was an unfamiliar number, the same one that had just called without speaking, furrowed his brows, and Qin Tao opened the text.

"Third-generation SB needle-free injector, absolutely genuine import! 0.3-second dreamlike painless injection, giving you the safest guarantee……"

Qin Tao: '……' How does this look so familiar? When he first arrived, a flyer shoved at him on the street seemed to have similar wording.

Wait a moment!

Needle-free injection?!

Seeing Qin Tao's expression change after receiving the text—from weird to solemn to full of killing intent—Er Mao asked, 'Beast, what's wrong?'

Qin Tao handed the phone to Er Mao.

After seeing the text's content, Er Mao glanced at the phone number again, raised an eyebrow. Four '6's?

"Needle-free injection, huh—I actually know a bit about this." Er Mao patted his forehead; if he hadn't seen this text, he would have almost forgotten about it.

I had heard about it once by chance before, but at the time I didn't pay much attention because of certain matters; this thing actually appeared quite early, and I heard that around the millennium soldiers in some foreign armies were already carrying this kind of needleless injector, with ampoules in their medical packs containing anti‑nerve‑gas, biochemical weapons and related drugs to deal with certain disciplinary situations on the battlefield, yet even the newer, cost‑reduced models are still relatively expensive, especially the higher‑quality needleless injectors—a ordinary person could never need them, so widespread adoption is difficult and few people use them domestically, while abroad patients with diseases such as diabetes need to use them frequently to self‑inject insulin, interferon and the like, so they are used more often there.

"High-pressure needle-free injection and professional disinfection equipment more strongly ensure sterile operation; if mishandled, they might cause avoidable skin infection damage—could the injection site become infected?" Qin Tao pondered; he had once noticed a spot on his back while looking in the mirror, and at the time he didn't think much of it, only believing it was an insect bite; later the mark faded and he never saw it again. Now, upon reflection, that mark indeed looks somewhat like an infection.

"This thing is small in size, easy to carry; even patients with vision defects can use it, requiring little needle‑puncture skill."

After sending the text, Zheng Tan feared they would call back to 'order,' so he simply turned off his phone and then returned to the residential compound.

In the evening, when Zheng Tan saw that there were people at Er Mao's home, he went over for a stroll; only Qin Tao and Er Mao were there, and the two were discussing matters.

Er Mao's investigation proceeded quickly, and Qin Tao's side was not idle either. From a few words in their conversation, Zheng Tan guessed that they had gained a lot, and the suspects secretly targeting Qin Tao behind the scenes had also been narrowed down.

The girlfriend who rolls in bed with him, the caregiver he trusts, and some people who have conflicting interests with Qin Tao. If neither of the first two had instructed Qin Tao to absolutely not believe, as for who gave the instruction, Qin Tao roughly has some suspects in mind.

"Those few bastards!!" Qin Tao tried to control his emotions, but he couldn't help the veins on his forehead throbbing.

Compared to Qin Tao when he was frenzied, this guy now counts as calm; otherwise he would have already started flipping tables.

After looking at the materials in his hand, Qin Tao gave a self‑mocking smile: 'Ice three feet thick does not form in a single day.'

Zheng Tan pondered that sentence carefully. Was it, from the side, indicating that Qin Tao realized his own stupidity wasn't just a matter of a day or two? Otherwise, how could he have been schemed against by the people around him without noticing? Those people doing this directly intend to ruin Qin Tao, waiting for those who could support him to lose hope; if Qin Tao continues to court disaster, his future will be a blanket of gloom with no sunshine.

Zheng Tan pondered that sentence carefully; could it be indicating from another angle that Qin Tao has realized his own stupidity hasn't just been for a day or two? Otherwise, how could he have been the target of a covert move by those around him without ever noticing? Those people, by doing this, are essentially trying to ruin Qin Tao completely, so that anyone who could support him becomes disappointed; if Qin Tao continues to bring about his own downfall, his future will be shrouded in gloom with no sunshine in sight.

Zheng Tan cannot stare at Er Mao and Qin Tao every day to watch the investigation progress. He can only infer how far things have come from the occasional expressions and aura he sees on Er Mao or Qin Tao when he runs into them. Judging from the recent behavior of these two, the progress should be smooth.

That day, Zheng Tan ran to the kindergarten to watch Zhuo Xiao Mao's classmates, the little brats, show off their skills. In the talent‑display class, some three‑year‑old or even younger children stood up one by one in front of the classroom to perform; for such young kids, quite a few can recite the Three‑Character Classic and ancient poems. Seeing those little brats recite ancient poems and the Three‑Character Classic with unclear pronunciation, Zheng Tan doesn't know whether today's children are innately precocious or it's due to education, but they are far stronger than he was back then. Although he can't recall exactly what he was like as a child, he has heard people say that he indeed cannot compare to these little brats here.

As for Zhuo Xiao Mao, this little guy seems to have no interest in showing off at all; when Zheng Tan wasn't around, he would prop his chin and stare blankly, and when Zheng Tan approached, he would walk to the window beside where Zheng Tan was, sometimes whispering a few words to Zheng Tan.

After the talent‑display class ended came free‑play time; the little brats mostly went to the slide and such, while Zhuo Xiao Mao followed Zheng Tan, chatting away beside him. He talked nonstop, and Zheng Tan just had to listen.

One person and one cat stood by the wall corner, when suddenly they heard a voice.

"Hey, Hei Tan! Whose kid is this? You two are pretty close?" Qin Tao's mood has also improved a bit; he found someone to confide in, and he also uncovered some things. The doubts and irritability he had bottled up for so long now have an outlet, so he no longer needs to worry about becoming a nervous wreck. Seeing Zheng Tan, he even has the heart to joke.

After walking over, Qin Tao sat on the edge of the flowerbed beside the fence, looking at the little child standing by the wall railings in the courtyard next to Zheng Tan. Seeing that the child wasn't afraid of him, Qin Tao, who rarely had a playful mood after his condition changed and became hard to control following his affliction, knew that many kids and animals are sensitive to his inexplicable irritable aura, usually avoiding it if they can, and if they can't avoid it they tend to be wary—but this child in front of him is not.

After Qin Tao walked over, he sat on the edge of the flowerbed beside the fence, watching the child standing next to Zheng Tan in the courtyard's walled enclosure; seeing that the child was not afraid of him, Qin Tao, for once, felt a playful mood, knowing that since being infected his temperament has changed dramatically and become hard to control, many children and animals are sensitive to the inexplicable aggressive aura around him, avoiding it if they can and feeling timid if they cannot, but the child before him was not like that.

"Little guy, what's your name?" Qin Tao asked.

"Huh, that name is nice, but it still doesn't sound as good as my big brother's name."

Zheng Tan gave Qin Tao a sideways glance; this guy is almost thirty, yet he lets Zhuo Xiao Mao, who is under three, call him brother, whereas normally these kids see Er Mao and directly call him uncle.

Qin Tao lifted his leg, waiting for Zhuo Xiao Mao to proactively ask his name; unfortunately, Zhuo Xiao Mao showed no interest at all.

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Qin Tao asked again.

Zhuo Xiao Mao shook his head.

"Why?"

"You're Hei Ge's friend, so I'm not afraid," Zhuo Xiao Mao said.

After listening for a while and finally understanding the meaning of Zhuo Xiao Mao's words, Qin Tao became even more curious, but he didn't ask further.

"Brother's been bullied—will you help me curse the bad guys together? If you curse once, I'll buy you a bag of lollipops." Qin Tao said this while pulling a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it, and then blowing a series of smoke rings.

Zhuo Xiao Mao lightly bit his finger, "What should I curse?"

Qin Tao: "Come, take a deep breath and chant with me—all a bunch of bastards!"

Zhuo Xiao Mao looked at Qin Tao, gathered his breath, and said: "Bastard!" (To be continued…)

Zhuo Xiao Mao looked at Qin Tao, took a breath: "Bastard!" (To be continued...)