Chapter 1712: Kill the Virus

Zhang San, whose complexion was rosy but whose movements and gaze already clearly showed fatigue, slowly set his water glass down on the snow-white rubber coaster without making the slightest sound.

Guo Qingbin lowered his eyes, his gaze locking onto the dial of Zhang San's left wristwatch. Because of the distance, Guo Qingbin could not read all the data on the dial, but based on the flickering lines on it, he could confirm that Zhang San's current condition was not good.

What exactly was wrong with Zhang San's body that made him risk his life to test a new drug? Was this drug the reason Wu Chengyu had not hesitated to make a complete break with Lan-1 Base in order to relocate his family into the territory of Northern Sector One? Guo Qingbin lowered his eyes and rested them.

Zhang San raised his head and surveyed the colleagues and experts from other fields in the conference room, whose expressions varied, and gave a straightforward and rigorous answer in a feeble voice.

"Professor Wu's tumor originated from the erroneous replication of his own cells under high-speed metabolism; the toxin inside 31-1 is the precise destruction of specific gene sequences by foreign chemical substances. From the perspective of the classical pathology model, there is no causal chain between the two that fits the logic of the existing textbooks."

Zhang San raised a hand and pressed his forehead, as if enduring the pain in his brain domain triggered by thinking, gathering the strength to speak. After an eight-second pause, he raised his skull-like head again and looked at Jiang Xue, the researcher from Lan-1 University who had posed the question.

"Before answering Professor Jiang's question, let me first ask all of you in return: in the past six months, how many high-level Evolvers around you have suddenly fallen seriously ill? In the evolution forest of your base, how many large beasts have shown symptoms similar to those of 31-1? Have you conducted a full examination of them and an in-depth analysis of the causes?"

No one dared to meet Zhang San's eyes, because none of them had seriously analyzed the data Zhang San had mentioned.

"Through testing of samples collected from Hui-3 Mountain Region No. 31, it has been confirmed that humans mixed a gene-targeted thallium toxin into pine resin and placed it inside 31-1's territory. Hui-3 Base has not yet captured the poisoner, and it is unclear what their purpose was in poisoning 31-1. On the other hand, the cause of Professor Wu Chengyu's illness has not yet been determined. Based on the intelligence I have, I cannot determine whether there is a connection between the two."

The answer Zhang San gave left the experts present feeling disappointed.

Jiang Xue of Lan-1 University summoned her courage to press further. "Thank you very much for your answer, Director Zhang. I will submit a project application as soon as I get back and launch a correlation investigation. Director Zhang, could you share with me a copy of the intelligence you have already obtained that can be made public?"

At this sensitive and panic-stricken moment when Lan-1 already had a top-tier researcher suffering from cancer, Jiang Xue dared to announce at the seminar that she would, from a professional standpoint, conduct research into the correlation between the two, demonstrating her sense of responsibility and courage.

Zhang San appreciated this kind of young talent. After a slight nod and a pause of several seconds, he began to share the intelligence he currently possessed. "Regarding these two matters, I only have three pieces of intelligence that are of value."

"The first: half an hour before the emergency disaster-mitigation procedure for Hui-3 Mountain Region No. 31 was activated on January 26, a human squad leading evolved macaques invaded Hui-3 Evolution Forest, advancing toward 31-1's core activity zone. After being spotted and locked onto by Hui-3's patrol personnel, this squad did not resist; they directly detonated the bombs they were carrying and all died in the explosions. The Red-1 experts from Hui-3 investigating the major explosion case, as well as Professor Zhu Xin in this very conference room, have confirmed that this squad's equipment and residual chemical agents are unique to the Blue Blood Alliance."

The experts already knew this piece of intelligence, so their expressions showed no obvious change.

"The second: the mechanism of the gene-targeted toxin that 31-1 was poisoned with is identical to the mechanism of the gene-targeted soybeans that Liehuo researcher Wang Rujiang is currently developing. Liehuo Squad has established genetic profiles of the large beasts in Hui-1 Evolution Forest and in the Hui-3, Hui-5, and Hui-8 Evolution Forest regions neighboring Hui-1. Multiple captured Liehuo defectors have all received a notice from Liehuo Brigade Commander Deng Yufeng, stating that Qu Fangzhou, Liehuo's vice-captain in charge of intelligence, has betrayed the squad."

Hearing this piece of intelligence, the experts could no longer stay calm, and they scribbled furiously in their notebooks, recording the key points and the questions they wanted to ask. Guo Qingbin raised his head and looked at Zhang San.

Zhang San's breathing grew weaker, but everyone could still hear him clearly: "The third: after Wu Chengyu, a former researcher at the Lan-1 Research Institute, was diagnosed with a malignant tumor, the Blue Blood Alliance extended an olive branch to him, promising that as long as Wu Chengyu brought two brain-domain evolved dogs and joined the Blue Blood Alliance, Blue Blood could cure him. The treatment method is: after removing his tumor, replace all the blood in his body with the blood of recovery-type Evolvers. Blue Blood claims they have already cloned multiple recovery-type Evolvers."

After Zhang San finished sharing this intelligence, the conference room immediately erupted.

"Director Zhang, is it true that they have cloned multiple recovery-type Evolvers?"

"Professor Fu, can replacing all the blood in the body cure cancer?"

"Third Brother, when did Wang Rujiang of Hui-1 begin his gene-targeted soybean research? Have these soybeans already spread?"

"Director Zhang..."

"Beep beep! Beep beep—"

The noise in the room exceeded the decibel level Zhang San could tolerate. He raised a hand and pressed his forehead, and his wristwatch emitted a clear alert tone.

Only then did the experts recall the noise regulations for today's seminar, and they immediately fell silent. The conference room door was pushed open, and Zhang Jingwu and Zheng Chen, fully armed, led their team charging into the conference room.

Just as Xia Qing was supporting her swaying idol, and Zhang He and Zhang Song rose and hurried over, Guo Qingbin suddenly asked, "Tianfeng, have you also fallen seriously ill?"

The experts in the room widened their eyes. Xia Qing, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, turned her head, and a chilling killing intent shot straight at Guo Qingbin.

Guo Qingbin ignored everyone and secretly activated his same-frequency evolution ability to directly link to the brain domain of Fu Tianfeng, who was in a weakened state.

Only when a connected brain-domain Evolver is in an unguarded or non-resistant state can a same-frequency Evolver use their own brainwaves to connect with the other party's brainwaves, causing the other party's entire brain domain to open fully to them, allowing them to successfully read the other party's brain-domain information.

Fu Tianfeng was currently in a state of being unable to resist—this was the moment, and possibly the only moment, for Guo Qingbin to read his brainwaves. Guo Qingbin was desperate to know what Fu Tianfeng had been doing over the past two years and what new drug he was currently testing; of course he would not let this opportunity slip.

Guo Qingbin's brainwaves latched onto Zhang San's chaotic and feeble brainwaves, and he rapidly deployed his same-frequency ability. After cracking Zhang San's brainwave frequency, Guo Qingbin immediately adjusted his own brainwaves to match it and began reading Zhang San's brain-domain information.

But what surged back along the established connection was not the information flow Guo Qingbin had expected, but an immensely vast and violent information flow he had never experienced before! This information flow, like a high-voltage current, rushed through the established brainwave bridge straight toward Guo Qingbin's brain.

"Ah—!!!"

Guo Qingbin clutched his head and let out a piercing scream.

"Beep beep, beep beep—" Zhang San's body tilted backward, and his wristwatch sounded the alarm again.

Watching with their own eyes as two big shots simultaneously suffered an accident, all the experts in the conference room were dumbfounded. Before they could collect themselves, Xia Qing directly crushed the beeping watch face and calmly gave the order, "Captain Zhang, make him shut up."

"Yes!" Zhang Jingwu and Zheng Chen charged forward at the same time. Zheng Chen grabbed the neck of the researcher blocking in front of Guo Qingbin, and Zhang Jingwu reached up and dislocated Guo Qingbin's jaw.