Chapter 39: All-or-Nothing Gamble

Jiangnan's silhouette stood tall as a pine, yet exuded a cold indifference that kept others at a thousand-mile distance.

A man like this is like cold snow atop a high mountain—awesome, yet irresistibly inviting.

A faint yearning flashed in Ye Wan's eyes.

Just now, because of her short-sightedness, she had already missed an opportunity.

Will she let this chance slip away again?

Ye Wan wrestled internally; she knew the danger of Smallpox Rash, but she didn't want to miss crossing paths with this man again.

A flash of insight struck her mind; she suddenly grasped the key. Jiangnan is also human, yet he fears not Smallpox Rash—what does that mean? It means he has a way!

Thinking of this, Ye Wan clenched her silver teeth, and a solitary courage rose within her.

She decided: she would go with Jiangnan!

"Jiangnan!"

Ye Wan quickened her steps, caught up, and blocked Jiangnan's path.

Jiangnan's steps halted, his sword-like brows slightly furrowed, his cold gaze fixed on Ye Wan:

"What is it?"

"I want to go to Qinghai County with you!"

Ye Wan met Jiangnan's stare, her tone firm.

Jiangnan heard this, his brows furrowing tighter, his tone serious:

"I have no time for your nonsense; Qinghai County is dangerous."

"I'm not being frivolous!"

Ye Wan straightened her back, puffed out her chest. She stared at Jiangnan, her face earnest, and said:

"Smallpox Rash may be dangerous, but I trust you have a way! Moreover, we'll have to cooperate later; getting familiar now is better, isn't it?"

"Miss Ye, this is no child's play."

Jiangnan's tone remained icy, unmoved.

"I understand!"

Ye Wan nodded, her voice tinged with urgency.

"I can guarantee I'll obey your orders and never cause you trouble! If I fail, then let me..."

She paused, gritted her teeth, raised her hand to the sky and swore,

"Let heaven strike me down with thunder!"

Ye Zhentian heard this, his complexion turning pale, and hurried forward to intervene:

"Wan'er, stop fooling around! Smallpox Rash is no joke, you..."

"Grandfather, my mind is made up!"

Ye Wan cut off Ye Zhentian, her gaze steadfast as she looked at Jiangnan,

"Jiangnan, will you let me go with you, okay?"

Jiangnan remained silent, his eyes scanning between Ye Wan and Ye Zhentian. He didn't want to take the willful miss, yet Ye Wan's determination surprised him.

Ye Zhentian looked at Jiangnan with difficulty:

"Jiangnan, my young friend, look at this..."

Jiangnan replied lightly:

"I don't mind, but Murong Wan is your Ye Group's partner; you must ask her opinion."

Ye Wan's heart tightened; Jiangnan's words clearly handed the decision to Murong Wan.

Will she agree to her?

Ye Wan looked at Murong Wan with a trace of grievance and a plea.

"Sister Murong, I know I was wrong before; I truly want to make amends, so let me go with you, okay?"

Murong Wan looked at Ye Wan, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes.

She disliked Ye Wan's arrogance, yet the sincerity now moved her a little.

Murong Wan, naturally kind, couldn't bear to see Ye Wan disappointed, especially since the other had already given a guarantee.

"Alright."

She finally nodded and said:

"I can agree, but you must keep your promise; all actions must follow Jiangnan's command."

Ye Wan heard this, instantly beaming, and quickly patted her proud chest, promising:

"Thank you, Sister Murong, I will obey!"

Ye Zhentian watched his excited granddaughter and couldn't help a long sigh.

"A grown girl shouldn't be kept!"

So he bowed to Jiangnan, pleading:

"Mr. Jiang, please be sure to bring Wan'er back safely. I'm begging you!"

……

Ye Zhentian arranged a dedicated car, speeding all the way to return Jiangnan's party to Jinghai City.

Before the wheels settled, Jiangnan saw a frantic figure pacing back and forth outside the Tianyu No. 1 villa; it was Su Meiruo.

But the beautiful doctor looked ill; her complexion was pale, her eyes rimmed red, clearly having not slept all night.

When the car door opened, Su Meiruo rushed forward, speaking at a rapid pace:

"Jiangnan, you finally returned! Something big happened!"

Jiangnan's sword-like brows tightened as he leapt off the road:

"Speak!"

"Jinghai's medical system… has collapsed!"

Su Meiruo's voice carried a slight tremor,

"In just one day, confirmed smallpox cases have already exceeded five thousand! Hospitals are overcrowded, medicines are in short supply, and a large number of doctors and nurses have also collapsed! Now the whole city is panicked, on the brink of chaos!"

Jiangnan's eyes darkened, a chill emanating from within his body. He asked nothing further and decisively said:

"Prepare a vehicle immediately, go to Qinghai County!"

Su Meiruo had been waiting for a long time; upon hearing Jiangnan's agreement, she immediately waved and called the driver over.

"Mr Jiang, the matter cannot be delayed, please go!"

Jiangnan nodded, and glanced at Murong Wan and Ye Wan behind him, then paused and said:

"Both of them will go as well."

Su Meiruo slightly frowned; she didn't understand why Jiangnan wanted to bring the two dead weight along.

But she was well aware of Jiangnan's prowess. So she dared not defy him, nodded and said:

"Alright, Mr Jiang."

……

Two hours later,

At 12:30 pm, the convoy arrived at Qinghai County.

However, the scene before them made everyone gasp a cold breath.

The entire county town was dead silent.

The streets were empty, not even a dog's shadow could be seen. Every household's doors and windows were tightly shut, as if it were a ghost town.

"What's happening? Where have all the people gone?"

Ye Wan couldn't help but gasp softly.

Su Meiruo's expression also turned solemn:

"Before I arrived, I contacted the person in charge of Qinghai County; they said… the situation is serious, but not yet at the level of a lockdown!"

Jiangnan remained silent, squinting his eyes, keenly sensing an unusual aura lingering in the air.

"Get out of the vehicle!"

At Jiangnan's command, everyone immediately disembarked, standing on the open street, a nameless sense of oppression enveloping their hearts.

"I'll go knock and ask!"

Ye Wan volunteered bravely, walked to a house's door, and pounded the doorboard forcefully,

"Is anyone there? Open the door! We're here to help!"

However, the only response was a blanket of silence.

"It seems no one is home!"

Ye Wan turned back, looking at Jiangnan,

"Could they have contracted the disease and gone to the hospital?"

Jiangnan shook his head, about to speak,

Suddenly, a thick fog surged from all directions without warning, instantly shrouding the entire Qinghai County in a white haze.

Visibility dropped sharply, soon reaching a point where one could not see a hand in front of them.

"Not good!"

Jiangnan's complexion slightly changed,

He lunged forward and seized Murong Wan's and Ye Wan's wrists,

At the same time, he shouted to Su Meiruo,

"Hold your breath, there's Miasma in this fog!"

The three women were all startled, then their faces turned pale!

What on earth has happened in Qinghai County?