Chapter 1648: Meeting and Discussion

"Take me with you?" Zhao Ping looked at Chen Yu with an expectant face.

"Take you for what? You'd just be extra baggage." Chen Yu glanced at him: "Stay in Chinatown and behave yourself; tell me if anything happens."

"My strength isn't that bad." Zhao Ping felt a bit awkward; his strength was above average even in their department, but he hadn't expected Chen Yu to look down on him so much.

"That won't work either. Get lost, escort Xin'er home, and don't get involved in anything else." Chen Yu waved his hand.

"Yes." Although reluctant, Zhao Ping had no choice; he had to leave with Xin'er.

At seven in the evening, they arrived at the meeting place agreed upon with Yamamoto Masao.

This was a building at the Lake Heart Pavilion, reached by a long corridor leading directly to the center of the lake; in the small wooden house at the lake's heart, Chen Yu met Yamamoto Masao.

Having not seen him for a few days, Yamamoto Masao's appearance had changed significantly; his eyes were bloodshot, filled with red.

Furthermore, his eye bags had sunken deeply, and his whole person looked like a green-faced beast.

It seemed this guy hadn't had an easy time these past few days; the number of people infected with the virus on their side was doubling, and even if this guy didn't sleep and worked twenty-four hours a day, he probably couldn't keep up.

Moreover, the people above weren't so easy to fool, and now that their situation was becoming increasingly serious, this guy had already been given an ultimatum.

"You're in good spirits, Yamamoto." Chen Yu sat opposite Yamamoto Masao and smiled: "I believe in your professional ability; I believe that if given a little more time, it won't be long before you can figure out the characteristics of the virus."

"If given another half a year, you'll have a way to suppress the virus's activity; oh, in a year, you'll be able to produce vaccines and medicine targeting the virus's situation."

"Hmm, not bad, worthy of being the premier virus expert in Fusang; these illnesses aren't difficult for you at all."

"Chen Yu, if it really comes to that point, do you know how many people in our Fusang will die?" Yamamoto Masao looked at Chen Yu through gritted teeth.

If it were any other time, he certainly wouldn't tolerate Chen Yu mocking him, but now it was different.

He needed the other party's help, and he also believed Chen Yu had a way to solve the virus directly, so he had to lower his noble head.

"About a third will die, I suppose. Hehe, it doesn't matter; your reproductive ability is quite strong. I believe in thirty years, your numbers will be back up."

Chen Yu laughed: "Isn't it just right to have a third fewer people? With the current food crisis, think of how much food you'll save with so many fewer people."

"Baka..." Yamamoto Masao slammed his fist on the table; he stood up, glared at Chen Yu in anger, and roared hysterically: "Chen Yu, show some respect; there are some things that shouldn't be joked about casually."

"I know, human life is at stake, so of course it shouldn't be joked about casually." Chen Yu stood up and sneered: "But the one who treats the lives of your citizens as a game is you, not me."

"You directed your people to inject viral strains into patients who had already recovered; isn't that a game to you?"

"You're talking nonsense! I never directed anyone to inject viral strains into patients; that is a deranged act, how could I possibly do such a thing?" Yamamoto Masao slammed his fist hard against the table.

He roared hysterically: "Everything was Noda acting on his own initiative; this person did such things to frame me just to curry favor and please me."

"Then let him come out for a confrontation." Chen Yu sneered: "If he says it was his personal act, I won't pursue it."

"He is already dead; he had a car accident on the road yesterday." Yamamoto Masao said gloomily: "So he has no way to come out and confront you now."

"So, there's no proof of death." Chen Yu spread his hands: "Who do you think you can fool with words like that? I'm not an idiot."

"Chen Yu, regardless of everything, the current situation is very serious." Yamamoto Masao said helplessly: "I would like to ask you to help; can we put aside our past grievances?"

"Actually, if I don't intervene, your population here will drop by a third; I think many people would be happy to see that." Chen Yu glanced at him.

"Yes, so what do you want?" Yamamoto Masao clenched his fists: "You can state your conditions now; I will agree to them."

"The only condition: admit your mistake at a press conference, acknowledge that you directed Noda to inject the viral strains into the patients, and then apologize to me in front of your citizens. If you can do that, I can step in and solve this matter for you." Chen Yu smiled slightly.

"You know that's impossible." Yamamoto Masao's fists tightened, and he muttered: "I represent the image of an industry."

"And especially at this critical time, the higher-ups pushed me forward to boost morale, so I cannot make mistakes, and there cannot be any stains on me."

"Then what are you talking about?" Chen Yu sneered: "Since there's no sincerity, then just let the situation develop."

"Aside from this condition, you can propose other terms, and we will agree to them." Yamamoto Masao said: "Only this one is not possible."

"Then I'm sorry, I only have this one condition. If you can't satisfy this condition, then we don't need to talk anymore; there's no need." Chen Yu spread his hands.

He stood up, straightened his collar, and was about to leave: "Most of the villages around the port have already started having problems."

"Over the next three days, your death toll will keep doubling. I've finally seen a situation like in some manga; haha, a whole village dead at once." Chen Yu was quite gloating.

"Chen Yu, you cannot watch us with such schadenfreude and remain indifferent; you are a doctor, they are living, breathing lives in your eyes, you cannot stand by and watch." Yamamoto Masao was still making a final effort.

"I'm sorry, I am not a doctor; I only understand medicine. You also know those people are living, breathing lives, but for the sake of your so-called face, you don't care about these lives at all."

Chen Yu sneered: "If you don't even care, you expect me to? They are not my people; you expect me to feel pity? How can you be so naive and childish?"

Yamamoto Masao clenched his fists tightly; facing Chen Yu, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

Yes, he didn't even care about his own citizens, let alone others.

"I can apologize, but I have conditions." Yamamoto Masao finally made a concession: "I cannot become the villain, so it cannot be stated directly as viral strains, but rather a medical accident, an accident."