Colección Hiromi

Capítulo 27

Among those who died of Fan syndrome at Xinjingyuan, a very small number developed abnormalities in their internal organs, becoming "Tai Sui" (a type of rare fungus). Whether Rembrandt knew this beforehand is crucial.

It now appears that he had at least two boxes containing the Tai Sui (a type of rare fungus). Of course, the boxes may have originally been used for other purposes, but if it is confirmed that Rembrandt deliberately transferred one Tai Sui to another person... without explaining the situation of the Tai Sui to the government and concealing the existence of a third party, could this be a premeditated and meticulous plan? In other words, the outbreak of Fan's syndrome in Xinjingyuan could be part of that plan.

If this is confirmed, the terrifying threat posed by the Virus Knight will no longer be just a 10% chance, and a connection will be drawn between this mysterious figure and Rembrandt.

To be honest, I don't want to see this.

He Xi stared blankly at the Tai Sui that she had cut a small hole in, seemingly muttering something, but I couldn't quite hear it.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her.

He Xi snapped out of her daze and said, "I just realized what a shocking discovery it would be if this really is a Tai Sui. Studying it would practically guarantee a Nobel Prize in Medicine."

No, compared to its importance, the Nobel Prize in Medicine is nothing.

"Oh? It's strange, but is it that important?" Guo Dong and Da Ren also looked at He Xi with curiosity.

"My God! Look!" He Xi suddenly widened her eyes, pointing at Tai Sui's wound, "It's healing! Such an amazing speed, even faster than platelet clotting!" We looked closely, and sure enough, the wound had stopped oozing mucus, and a very thin film had formed on the surface. It had only been a few minutes, yet it had already changed so much; it seemed it wouldn't take a day to fully heal.

"My God, this really is Tai Sui." He Xi exclaimed once again.

I have rarely seen her so surprised. How much shock must it take to make her so emotional?

But I still don't understand where the key point is.

"The Tai Sui really is transformed from human internal organs, it's incredibly bizarre." The expert shook his head and sighed.

"You need to understand that all the researchers before studied the Tai Sui as an independent organism. Can you imagine an organism that was originally part of another organism? Evolution and variation of organisms in nature are constantly taking place, but it is always an organism that mutates into another slightly different organism, not an organ of an organism that mutates into another organism!"

My mouth dropped open. This kind of biological mutation has truly overturned the understanding of all biologists!

"Uh, it's like how Sun Wukong can create an incarnation just by plucking a hair," the expert said.

"This discovery will reshape the entire evolutionary theory system in the biological community today, and will also significantly revise our understanding of organisms." "I've heard of many strange evolutionary cases. How come I've never found anything like this before?" I asked.

"There are many evolutionary cases that leave biologists speechless, such as the bait of the anglerfish."

But…'What kind of bait?" The expert's interruption was completely off-topic, but it wasn't the first time he'd been so pedantic.

“The anglerfish is a type of sea fish,” He Xi patiently explained. “This fish moves slowly, and to hunt, it has evolved a highly deformed fin spine near its mouth. This fin spine looks very much like a small fish, with a head, body, tail, pectoral fins, and pelvic fins, and even black spots like eyes. The anglerfish can make this lifelike little fish realistically swim sideways in the water, and most fish attracted by it will be eaten.” “Wow,” the expert whistled.

"It is indeed very rare for something like this to evolve, but compared to the Tai Sui, it's nothing. If we have to talk about similar examples, it's more like...'" "What, there really is one?" I asked.

"Do you know about mitochondria?" "I vaguely remember, they're a component of eukaryotic cells." "Yes, all life on Earth is able to absorb oxygen thanks to mitochondria. Without mitochondria, there wouldn't be any advanced life on Earth today. But initially, cells didn't have mitochondria. Before they entered cells, they were bacteria or viruses. They successfully integrated into cells in ancient times through some means we don't yet understand. These two different life forms merged into a completely new life form—the most spectacular miracle in the history of life on Earth. It is because of this miracle that we exist, and the world we see." "Two organisms merging into one? Bacteria enter the cell, become mitochondria, become part of the cell—that's the exact opposite of the Tai Sui (a mythical creature associated with mitochondria). No wonder you thought of that," I said.

"Yes, even this completely opposite case is unique. And this opposite example caused a tremendous upheaval in the biological world, so..."

He Xi didn't finish her sentence, but the implication was clear.

If organisms that came together caused such a great upheaval, what about when they separated?

No wonder He Xi values the biological significance of Tai Sui so much; now I can feel its weight too.

“If my speculation is correct, then many questions about Tai Sui will be answered,” He Xi said, pointing to the Tai Sui. “These two Tai Sui are just beginning to take shape, so their original forms are more obvious. The longer time goes on, the more their appearance will change. And Tai Sui formed from different internal organs will look different from the beginning. It’s even possible that the internal organs of other organisms could become Tai Sui, which is why the Tai Sui we usually find all look different. And the reason why internal organs mutate into Tai Sui is probably due to genetic mutations.” “Genetic mutation, isn’t it because of the Fan’s virus?” I asked.

"Have you forgotten how the Fan virus kills people?" He Xi asked me back.

"Oh right, it's done by modifying human genes." I suddenly realized.

"Generally speaking, gene mutations only occur during reproduction, such as in cases of birth defects. It's rare for a dominant gene mutation to occur halfway through an organism's life, but this isn't absolute. Many viruses modify the host's genes when they invade an organism, and occasionally this modification causes serious consequences. The Fan's disease virus just happened to activate the 'Tai Sui' switch. If it weren't for the Fan's disease virus, the probability of the organism mutating into a Tai Sui would be extremely small, but the Fan's disease virus amplified that probability." So, it's not that Fan's disease causes people to explode and die, but rather…

"Instead, the internal organs inside the body are activated, vying to rush out and become Tai Sui (a type of supernatural being). Once the internal organs have escaped, the body, as the host, can no longer survive," He Xi continued my words.

To address a person as such, when they are merely the shell of a host, is truly...

"It's like a carp leaping over the dragon gate," the expert said.

He Xi smiled: "Yes, only a few internal organs can become Tai Sui. The vast majority of internal organs, just like their original hosts, become a pile of rotten flesh." I wanted to wipe the cold sweat from my forehead, but the hood blocked it. The thought of internal organs coming to life and trying to escape was terrifying. I could hear the thumping of my own heart and looked at the Tai Sui in front of me, which had once been a human heart.

Another chill ran down my spine.

"Moreover, internal organs must accumulate a considerable amount of energy to break free from the constraints of the body and become independent organisms. Therefore, they endlessly demand energy from the host. Just think of the hyperactive symptoms in patients with Fan syndrome. This explains why the Tai Sui has bioenergy disproportionate to its size and function." "But to go from an intelligent, advanced organism to this... a lump of mindless flesh, isn't that degeneration?" I asked.

“Brother, you are not a fish, how can you know the fish’s joy? Maybe this Tai Sui has a lot of ideas, but it can’t show them because it has no hands or feet. Wait until it grows hands, feet and eyes after many years, hmph. Isn’t it said that Tai Sui has mysterious powers?” Da Ren said with a serious face.

That was Zhuangzi's saying, but pointing it out for him... let's forget about it, why bother?

“So what if it degenerates? It’s a mutation, and mutations don’t involve evolution or degeneration. Biological evolution is not… ‘Lu Xiangqian, you have some problems with your understanding of evolution,’ He Xi said.”

Evolutionary theory has been debated for over a hundred years, and there are many different schools of thought. I muttered to myself.

The door creaked open, and Li Ding walked in.

"Captain Guo, I inquired about the situation. Rembrandt was in charge of cleaning and handling the bodies of those who died from Fan syndrome." Upon hearing this, the identities of these two powerful figures were confirmed.

“Rembrandt never went to the residential building; he always worked in this building, so the guess that he directly handed the Tai Sui to a resident of Xinjingyuan can be ruled out. Furthermore, during his work, he didn't contact any unrelated people; unrelated people simply couldn't enter the gates of Xinjingyuan.” So that means he couldn't transport Tai Sui A out of Xinjingyuan? Guo Dong asked, frowning.

"Wait, you said Rembrandt was in charge of handling the aftermath of the body?" I asked Li Ding.

Li Ding nodded.

“I remember once seeing a white Iveco van drive into the community and park next to that temporary reception building. Someone told me it was a hearse, there to pick up bodies for cremation.” “Yes, I’ve seen that too,” He Xi said.

Guo Dong glanced at Li Ding, who then walked out quickly without saying a word. Clearly, his investigation hadn't been thorough enough.

"Once I even helped put the corpses into sacks," I said, shaking my head. "They'd basically bled out, the muscles were deathly white, and they were all openly disemboweled..."

"Stop, stop," the expert said, his face pale. "Brother, don't go on. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up."

I smiled. I've had a poor appetite for a long time.

Li Ding returned quickly.

"The vehicle belongs to Longhua Funeral Home, and the driver, Wei Ziyi, is an employee of the funeral home. He is on call 24 hours a day, and as long as there is a phone call here, he will bring the vehicle over. The body is pre-packed into a sack and will be cremated immediately after arriving at the funeral home."

"Burn it immediately?" Guo Dong asked.

"Yes, at least that's the procedure."

"So who's responsible for calling Wei Ziyi?"

"It's Rembrandt."

Guo Dong pointed to the phone on the table: "Use this one?"

"Yes, Xinjingyuan has two dedicated lines. One is required to be open 24 hours a day in case of calls from higher-ups, and it's in Director Ouyang's office. The other is for the medical center's daily external communications, also in Director Ouyang's office, but it's an extension at Rembrandt's office." I said.

"So, Rembrandt did have the opportunity to put the Tai Sui A into sacks and mark them, but if these bodies were to be cremated immediately upon arrival at the funeral home... did he take notes of Wei Ziyi's phone number?" Guo Dong asked.

"Got it. Shall we call now?"

It's almost midnight now.

"Let's fight now," Guo Dong said decisively.

The call was quickly connected, and after a brief explanation, Wei Ziyi answered Li Ding's questions.

It was indeed Rembrandt who made the calls each time, but Wei Ziyi didn't know this foreigner before. Each time he drove over, Rembrandt would simply sign his name in a logbook without any further interaction. Wei Ziyi insisted that everything was done according to procedure: the bodies were transported there, and the sacks were sent to the incinerator without delay. Although theoretically the bodies were no longer infectious, Wei Ziyi was still required to wear a disposable mask and rubber gloves, and unauthorized personnel were strictly prohibited from approaching the sacks containing the bodies. This also prevented the possibility of anyone stealing anything from the sacks.

As Guo Dong listened to Li Ding and Wei Ziyi's exchange, his eyebrows furrowed more and more tightly.

“Ask him how many times he’s been here,” Guo Dong suddenly said.

After Li Ding finished asking the question, Guo Dong nodded to him, indicating that the call could end.

“Wei Ziyi made a total of twenty-one trips,” Li Ding said to Guo Dong after hanging up the receiver.

"Go ask those soldiers at the gate; they should have records of the vehicles coming and going. They should know how many times they've recorded them."

Just now, I had a vague feeling that there might be a problem in a certain place, and Guo Dong's words made me shout in my heart, "That's it!"

Iveco vans are very common vehicles, and it's quite easy to find one that looks exactly like the hearse. The drivers always wear masks, making it difficult for strangers to recognize them. As for the identification procedures, Rembrandt handles them all; he finds someone to drive and impersonate the driver, so no one else will notice.

Li Ding rushed in, a smile on his face, and shouted, "Twenty-three times! The record at the door says twenty-three times!"

Guo Dong breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to me and He Xi and said, "Looks like we've finally caught him red-handed."

The two additional instances were on the afternoon of November 16th—the day after I was granted access to Xinjingyuan—and on November 20th. Presumably, Rembrandt sent Tai Sui A away on one of these occasions.

Because the cremation of the deceased at Xinjingyuan was conducted using an emergency procedure, there was no original plan to properly separate the ashes and return them to the deceased's family. If this incident hadn't happened, no one would have thought to check the number of vehicle trips; Rembrandt's plan was remarkably foolproof.

“Rembrandt only gave away one Tai Sui initially, and he kept the other two in his office, seemingly planning to take them away after the pandemic ended. Does his decision not to risk giving them away again mean that he achieved his goal with just one Tai Sui?” Li Ding said.

“It’s possible,” Guo Dong said.

I couldn't help but think of the Virus Knight's declaration—the experiment is complete!

Is it necessary to use the Tai Sui (a type of fungus) in the experiment?

I suddenly thought of Fan Zhe's confession—immortality.

How long can the Tai Sui live?

Could research related to Tai Sui (the Grand Duke Jupiter) be connected to immortality?

“No matter who obtained the Tai Sui, they wouldn’t burn it to eat. To achieve their goal, they can’t rely on primitive methods alone; that means they need equipment, very professional equipment.” He Xi spoke slowly, as if she were still thinking as she spoke. She was also doing her best to uncover the secret that Rembrandt and Van Zhe had covered up with their lives.

“If you were to work in criminal investigation, you would definitely be a top-notch expert,” Guo Dong praised. “Tonight, we’ll compile a list of all qualified biological laboratories in Shanghai, including private ones, and see if anyone has borrowed them recently.”

"And the chemistry lab, and if possible, the physics lab too. Sometimes these disciplines aren't as clearly separated as people think," He Xi added.

“Okay.” Guo Dong pondered for a moment and said to He Xi, “There’s something I need to tell you. We will contact Interpol immediately to ask them to conduct a certain degree of investigation into Heller International, including some of its personnel.”

“I understand,” He Xi nodded.

The phrase "some people" definitely includes Van Heller. As for He Xi herself, Guo Dong's words already showed his goodwill; even if an investigation were launched against her, she certainly wouldn't be made difficult for him until any suspicious points were found.

“It’s very late today, you should all go back and rest. This case may still trouble you, especially Ms. He. It seems we’ll need your insights on some medical issues related to Tai Sui,” Guo Dong said.

“This is my case,” He Xi said in a calm, unquestionable tone.

"What's wrong?" I noticed He Xi's unusual behavior next to me.

Her body tilted slightly, her forehead pressed against the cold car window, the streetlights outside illuminating her pale face.

She kept her mouth tightly shut and didn't answer me.

Her originally delicate skin trembled, and goosebumps seemed to rise all over her long neck.

There is no doubt that she is in serious discomfort.

My eyes moved down, and I saw her two hands intertwined, pressed against her lower abdomen.

I grabbed her hand and asked urgently, "Could it be...could it be there?"

"What's wrong? Are you sick? Should we go to the hospital instead?" the driver in front said.

"No need," He Xi said.