Gu Xuemei blushed slightly, still using her habitual gesture of holding one arm with the other, which made her stand out even more. However, her youthful face made her look only twelve or thirteen years old, which was extremely disproportionate to her enormous size.
“I joined the medical aid team, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Gu Xuemei said, her head bowed.
Zhao Qiang looked at the military medical vehicles and said, "The strength deployed this time is quite strong. It seems that the country is taking this matter seriously."
Gu Xuemei nodded: "I heard that the team was led by the Sixth Vice Premier, and it seems that the infection situation is quite serious."
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, it has already started to spread through contact. If we don't find the virus and figure out how to deal with it as soon as possible, half of the people in Dongyang City will enter the diarrhea stage, and we don't know what symptoms will follow after repeated diarrhea."
Gu Xuemei clasped her hands together in prayer and said, "I hope everyone is safe and sound." She was a very kind girl.
With a screeching sound of brakes, a military SUV sped into the municipal government compound. The guards at the gate were unable to stop it in time and immediately alerted the soldiers patrolling inside. As a result, squads of armed police officers with live ammunition rushed out from all corners. Normally, the municipal government compound wouldn't be this tense, but with six vice premiers present, no one dared to be careless, hence the large number of armed police officers.
With a snap, the car door opened, and gun barrels were pointed at it. A man stepped out, laughing heartily, "Gentlemen, there's no need to be so tense. I'm just here to see someone."
Gu Xuemei ran over happily, "Shiqi!"
Zhao Qiang was taken aback for a moment, then ran over and tightly grasped Yang Shiqi's hand: "What are you doing here?"
Yang Shiqi embraced Zhao Qiang and Gu Xuemei, one on each side, thus bringing Zhao Qiang into close contact with Gu Xuemei. Gu Xuemei was his senior sister, and Zhao Qiang abandoned any romantic thoughts.
“I just got back from Africa. Things are pretty much settled there. I’m going back to China to rest for a month before going back. I heard that you and Xiaomei have both come to Dongyang City. Do you think I can not come?” Yang Shiqi chuckled.
The armed police officers recognized her immediately, and since she was driving a military vehicle and the license plate indicated she wasn't an ordinary officer, they all stepped back. However, unsure whether Yang Shiqi was suffering from diarrhea, they wouldn't allow her to enter the municipal government building, fearing she might influence the six vice premiers.
Zhao Qiang said, "It's good that everyone is settled. We can't help here, so let's go back to where I live."
Gu Xuemei said, "I have military orders to follow and cannot leave at will."
Yang Shiqi said, "I'll come find you after you've settled in. I won't bother you now."
After sending a text message to Chen Xinyu, Luo Xiaowei came downstairs. Yang Shiqi then drove the two of them back to the Haifeng Group's guesthouse in Dongyang City. Luo Xiaowei didn't know Yang Shiqi's gender. She checked the time and saw that it was dinnertime. Luo Xiaowei went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. Because of Yang Shiqi's arrival, they would need to add a few more dishes tonight, so it would definitely take longer to prepare. Thus, only Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiqi remained in the room.
Yang Shiqi suddenly threw herself into Zhao Qiang's arms, tears streaming down her face. "Old Zhao, I missed you."
Zhao Qiang stroked Yang Shiqi's short hair. "Hehe, I've only been away from Africa for a few days."
Yang Shiqi pouted and said, "I miss you every single day."
Zhao Qiang laughed and said, "Why are you acting like a little kid?"
Yang Shiqi said, "I'm not that old to begin with, and I just want to act like a child in front of you, so you have to pamper me."
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, I'll spoil you. Do you want some candy? Uncle has some here."
Yang Shiqi chuckled and quickly ran her hand over Zhao Qiang's abdomen: "I don't eat candy, but I might consider sausage."
Zhao Qiang cursed, "You've become so vulgar now."
Yang Shiqi said, "I learned it from you. I'm just saying it casually, unlike you, who secretly took Xiaowei to Dongyang City to enjoy your good fortune, and Chen Xinyu was involved in the process. Tell me, did you have two women on your left and right?"
Zhao Qiang touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed. "It's not as sordid as you make it out to be. Tell me about what happened in Africa after I left."
Yang Shiqi pulled Zhao Qiang to sit on the edge of the bed, their hands still clasped together. She said, "Everything is progressing smoothly. The situation in Tabtan is stable. Neither the government forces, the rebels, nor the bandits dare to provoke us. Those photos of man-portable aircraft are now on the US president's desk. Right now, unless we use long-range missiles, no one can deal with us in the desert. The test flights of the two transport helicopters have also been successful, and the drilling progress is fast. It is estimated that oil will be produced next month. The oil tankers leased through a third party have also been booked, and then crude oil will be transported back to China in a steady stream."
Zhao Qiang hummed in agreement: "The progress is good. You must have done a lot of work on it."
Yang Shiqi said, "It's all thanks to you. Without your modified drilling equipment, we don't know how long it would have taken to reach the oil well in that environment. You've shortened the construction period by at least two-thirds."
Zhao Qiang said, "It's nothing, as long as we achieve our goal."
Yang Shiqi said, "Don't worry, although Li Zhongyuan has acquired several existing oil fields, the rebels have been constantly harassing him, and the oil production is very low. Compared with our oil fields, they are far inferior. The country can naturally analyze this point, so the potential value of our oil fields far exceeds that of Li Zhongyuan. We have won this battle completely."
Zhao Qiang was relieved: "Okay, you don't need to worry about this anymore. I can finally put my mind at ease."
Yang Shiqi said, "But I still have something to ask of you this time."
Zhao Qiang said, "You're being a bit too polite today, even using the word 'beg.' It seems this matter won't be easy to resolve. If it's about letting me go back to Africa, I beg you to let me go. I don't want to go back for a while. Let me stay in China for a few days. If I'm carrying a diarrhea virus, it would be terrible for the people of Africa."
Yang Shiqi said, "It's not about Africa. You hardly care about them anymore. Xu Xiaoya, Luo Xiaowei, Hu Qian, and Liu Yiyi have all grown up, and even Chen Xinyu has started to become famous with your help. But it seems you've overlooked one person."
Zhao Qiang said, "Isn't your current position very secure? I went to great lengths, even abandoning my youth health product company, to help you."
Yang Shiqi said, "I know you're good to me, but I'm not talking about myself. You just saw her too."
Zhao Qiang asked, "Junior Sister?"
Yang Shiqi nodded: "Yes, don't you want to help her?"
Zhao Qiang said, "You think too highly of me. How can I possibly help my teacher's daughter?"
Yang Shiqi said, "Why can't I help? You shouldn't be saying that. In my eyes, you are an omnipotent god. I have high hopes for you. Xiaomei and I are good friends. Although she is also studying, she has an extraordinary learning ability and can handle any research work on her own. As long as she is given a chance, she will stand out."
Zhao Qiang said with difficulty, "But how can I give her this opportunity? Aren't you forcing her into it? If you're talking about who can give her this opportunity, you are more likely to be the one."
Yang Shiqi said, "I can't do it. I know nothing about her major. And scientific research can't be done by pulling strings or being a playboy. Since you can develop so many super devices, it shouldn't be difficult for you to help her once."
Zhao Qiang said, "I study inanimate objects, but she studies living things. These are two completely different things."
Yang Shiqi shook Zhao Qiang's arm and said, "I don't care, just help her. You've already successfully promoted so many strong women, what's one more? If you don't agree, I'll call Xu Xiaoya right now and tell her that you have an ambiguous relationship with that third-rate star Su Xiaosu who's recently gained some fame. Also, tell her about how you were sleeping with Chen Xinyu every day in Africa."
Zhao Qiang was sweating profusely: "You don't have to be so ruthless."
Yang Shiqi said, "This is not harsh. I will also take off all my clothes and show them to her, and then tell her that you once ate and lived with me in a tree hole in the primeval forest in the south for many days, and that you can count the number of moles on my body with your eyes closed."
Zhao Qiang was covered in sweat: "You might as well just say you're going to kill me."
Yang Shiqi said, "Are you going to help Xiaomei or not? If you were to help her, I wouldn't have done this, and I would have covered for you."
Zhao Qiang said, "I really want to help her, but tell me what to do, I have no idea how."
Yang Shiqi smiled and said, "It's good that you agreed. I can't think of the best way, but there is one right now. You can solve this virus crisis and then give all the credit to Xiaomei. Then let Chen Xinyu interview and report on her. That way, it will be hard for her not to become famous, and our goal will be achieved."
Zhao Qiang coughed and said solemnly, "Old Zhao, I regret to inform you that I am also helpless in the face of this virus crisis, at least for now. If I were, I wouldn't be watching my friend suffer from severe diarrhea in the hospital."
Yang Shiqi said, "That's because no one gave you motivation or pressure before, but now that you do, you'll be able to come up with a solution. I believe in you."
Luo Xiaowei pushed the door open and saw Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiqi sitting intimately together. She smiled gently and said, "Believe in what?"
Yang Shiqi stood up, pulled Luo Xiaowei over, and said to her, "Xiaowei, please ask Zhao Qiang for help, please ask her to help Gu Xuemei resolve this virus crisis."
Luo Xiaowei said, "Brother Yang, don't worry. I think if Zhao Qiang has a way, he will help without you having to ask."
Zhao Qiang said, "That's right, Xiao Wei is the one who truly understands me. As long as I can find a way, I will definitely help you."
Yang Shiqi stuck out her tongue at Zhao Qiang, her expression and actions were completely feminine, but fortunately Luo Xiaowei didn't see her secret move. Yang Shiqi pulled Luo Xiaowei's arm and said, "Come on, I'll help you cook."
Luo Xiaowei awkwardly pulled her hand away from Yang Shiqi's and said, "No need, no need. You chat with Zhao Qiang for a while, I'll cook by myself. I just wanted to ask you if you like your braised pork sweet or savory." Luo Xiaowei didn't know Yang Shiqi's true gender at this moment, so she naturally didn't want to have any physical contact with Yang Shiqi.
Yang Shiqi considered for a moment: "Sweet, I guess. Zhao Qiang loves it. We have slimming tea so we're not worried about getting fat. I really want to eat it too. Africa is such a desolate place, my mouth is practically tasteless."
Volume 2 [402] Virus Samples
[4o2] Virus sample
Chen Xinyu didn't return until after dinner because she received the special treatment of the six vice premiers and had dinner with them. In Luo Xiaowei's eyes, this was an extremely high honor, but in Yang Shiqi and Zhao Qiang's eyes, it was nothing special.
After dinner, everyone gathered in Zhao Qiang's room to watch TV. The programs were all reporting on the latest developments in the disease. Now it was impossible to keep it a secret from the outside world. The entire city of Dongyang was under lockdown and martial law. As soon as a patient was found, an ambulance would rush to the scene. Then, the armed police, police, and neighborhood committees would work together to disinfect and investigate the places where the patient had been. Although there was a shortage of manpower, they were able to manage even working around the clock.
Luo Xiaowei stood up and said, "I'm going back to sleep."
Chen Xinyu glanced at Zhao Qiang, then at Yang Shiqi. Yang Shiqi giggled, "Zhao Qiang and I will sleep together, so you don't have to worry about it. It will also save the guesthouse a room."
Chen Xinyu knew Yang Shiqi's gender, but she couldn't tell Luo Xiaowei, nor could she say in front of Luo Xiaowei that the three of them would sleep together. Helpless, she could only go back to her own room.
Yang Shiqi was quite well-behaved and didn't bother Zhao Qiang. After watching TV for a while, she took off her clothes and went to bed. Having just returned from Africa and then rushed to Dongyang City despite her travel fatigue, she was indeed exhausted and soon fell into a deep sleep. Zhao Qiang, however, remained by the computer. It wasn't that he didn't want to help Gu Xuemei that evening, but the problem was that he couldn't help her at the moment. Xiao Wei's analysis of the virus had yielded no results, and various drug experiments showed that the virus was immune to all drugs. Under these circumstances, how could he help Gu Xuemei? If this were a battle, he would have rushed in for Gu Xuemei without hesitation.
Xiao Wei walked back and forth on the screen with her hands behind her back. She seemed to have grown a few years older during this time, and her clothes were more mature. "Brother, everyone is anxious, but this matter cannot be accomplished by being anxious."
Zhao Qiang said, "Unfortunately, I know nothing about this, but Yang Shiqi insisted on asking me for help."
Xiao Wei said, "If all else fails, give the virus sample to Gu Xuemei first. It's not convenient for us to release it ourselves anyway, so it's better for her to find the virus first than to know nothing at all. They can do more experiments than we can, and maybe they can find some clues."
Zhao Qiang said, "That's the only way."
The entire Dongyang Central Hospital has been placed under strict lockdown. All the ordinary patients who were originally staying there have been transferred out. Now the hospital is only admitting patients with diarrhea. After a period of treatment, many of the diarrhea patients have temporarily recovered. However, considering the recurring illness of the Haifeng Group employees, they are not allowed to be discharged.
As time went on, the number of patients discovered every day increased exponentially. In the later stages, it was no longer possible to get infected by eating contaminated seafood; all infections were through contact. Unknown viruses remained on things that patients had touched, and healthy people who came into contact with them were very likely to ingest the virus through their hands. Usually, the virus would develop symptoms after an incubation period of more than ten hours, with symptoms similar to those of infection from eating seafood.
Zhao Qiang once conducted an experiment. He deliberately went in and out of the Central Hospital repeatedly and ate without washing his hands. However, no matter what he did, he did not show any symptoms. In the last experiment, Zhao Qiang went all out and ate the virus sample that Xiao Wei gave him. As a result, Xiao Wei tested his blood but found no trace of the virus.
Despite Zhao Qiang's selfless sacrifice, Xiao Wei did not detect any antibodies in his blood. As for how the virus disappeared in Zhao Qiang's body, this is something that Xiao Wei's equipment cannot detect; it requires a proper medical laboratory to do so.
Zhao Qiang sealed the virus in a test tube and then notified Yang Shiqi. He figured it was time for Gu Xuemei to produce some results. It wouldn't make sense if she discovered the virus as soon as she arrived. Two days had already passed, and the time was almost right.
Yang Shiqi hadn't been urging Zhao Qiang much these past two days. She knew Zhao Qiang would always keep his promises. When she saw the test tube in Zhao Qiang's hand, her face lit up with surprise: "You've figured it out?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's not that simple. This is a virus sample from the source of this infection. I can't develop a drug to deal with it myself, but I can give it to my junior sister and use their strength to overcome it."
Yang Shiqi said, "Okay, but you have to give the honor of discovering the virus to Xiaomei."
Zhao Qiang chuckled and said, "Do you think I'm the kind of person who wants to be famous? I'd love for someone to stand in front of me and take the fall."
Yang Shiqi laughed: "So this is killing two birds with one stone. But how did you find these virus samples? I haven't seen you doing any research. What's the use of just sitting in front of the computer all day?"
Zhao Qiang patted his chest and said, "Just trust me."
Yang Shiqi took Zhao Qiang's hand and said, "Mmm."
At this time, it was very difficult for ordinary people to get close to the central hospital because more than a dozen more deaths had occurred, casting a shadow of death over this infection event. The autumn wind was bleak along the way, which really gave people a sad feeling.
Standing outside the cordon, Zhao Qiang pulled down his mask, an essential item for going out. In addition, according to the notice from the Dongyang Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, wearing gloves was also mandatory. If patrol personnel found anyone not wearing gloves and a mask, they would be forcibly quarantined.
"Can we go in? I'm afraid it won't be easy for our junior sister to come out either," Zhao Qiang said to Yang Shiqi.
Yang Shiqi waved her hand: "Come with me, it's easy to get a pass."
As expected, Yang Shiqi produced a temporary access pass, and the armed police guarding the entrance let her through. The hospital had undergone a complete transformation; even the previously neglected corners were now spotless, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant. Everything was orderly, a stark contrast to the vomit and excrement that Zhao Qiang had previously witnessed.
Yang Shiqi ripped off her mask and said, "It's completely unnecessary. People who aren't infected can drink the virus and it won't bother them. People who are infected can't be protected even if they wear the mask very tightly."
Zhao Qiang also took off his mask with a smile. Of course, he had confirmed this, but Xiao Wei's analytical skills couldn't find the antibodies in his blood. Otherwise, it would have been easy to develop a drug to combat this virus based on it.
The emergency room was just ahead, the front line of this infection outbreak. Gu Xuemei was there. Before the two even reached the door, they heard the piercing sound of police sirens on the main road outside, and police cars were rushing by.
"What's going on?" Zhao Qiang asked. Yang Shiqi took out her phone to check and quickly found out the reason. She said, "It seems that something big has happened in the college area. A large number of students cannot bear the pressure and have poured out of the campus. They are preparing to take to the streets to protest. If we let them run around in the city, it will be a big problem."
Zhao Qiang shook his head and ignored it. Due to inadequate publicity and ideological work beforehand, Shan Hongfei hastily ordered a city-wide lockdown and martial law, so the public's resistance was very strong. In addition, there had been no progress in treatment for so long, so how could anyone not be anxious?
At this moment, only three patients who had just been admitted remained in the emergency room. After a simple examination, they were sent to their wards. Yang Shiqi grabbed a fully armed nurse who was walking out of the emergency room. The nurse was somewhat surprised to see Yang and Zhao with almost no protection and led them to a disinfection room.
"Shiqi, Zhao Qiang, why did you come in wearing ordinary clothes? This is no joke." Gu Xuemei pulled down her protective face shield, revealing another mask underneath. She looked sweaty and must be suffering a lot.
Yang Shiqi said, "Don't worry, we've been in contact with patients for quite some time, but nothing has happened. This means we already have antibodies. If you can find antibodies among us, you'll become famous."