Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 176

In front of the student’s computer desk, there was an intimate photo of Duan Yang and his teacher. While Lin Chen still had some puzzlement, most likely this “teacher” Duan Yang mentioned was probably Mr. Duan Wanshan*, who supported the medical construction facilities in Africa. With reverence, Lin Chen carefully observed the older man in the photo.

*Note: Duan Wanshan (段万山) and Duan Yang (端阳) are not related. They are different Chinese characters.

Mr. Duan Wanshan looked like a typical scholar. In the photo, he was wearing a beret and a checkered scarf. Perhaps because he was holding an umbrella in his hand, it gave Lin Chen the impression that he once studied in England, revealing an elegant academic aura and making him even more admirable.

Thinking of this, Lin Chen turned his attention to Teacher Duan’s student.

The young man’s face looked a little red under the desk lamp. He had already retreated to the chair and sat down.

Lin Chen thought for a bit, then asked, “Do you or do you not want me to ask about your relationship with your teacher?”

The kitten in Duan Yang’s hand gave a gentle meow; its eyes were as blue as the sky, as if it were answering his question.

“Alright, I won’t ask,” Lin Chen replied seriously.

“No… It’s not what you think.”

“What do you think I think?”

Duan Yang was so tongue-tied at the moment that he couldn’t speak. Lin Chen smiled. Unexpectedly, he was in a good mood. He sat on the beanbag casually.

Duan Yang looked even more depressed than before. “Teacher Duan was my undergraduate tutor. Originally, he only supervised graduate students, but he made an exception and brought me in. During summer vacation of my junior year, he suddenly resigned and joined Doctors Without Borders in Africa. When he left, he didn’t even send me a text message.”

“How weird.” Lin Chen’s hand hung to the ground as he sat on the beanbag. He knocked on the floor and looked at Duan Yang.

“What’s weird?”

“Since your teacher didn’t say goodbye and didn’t send a text message, why did he suddenly contact you about adverse drug reactions many years later. Does your teacher have no former colleagues or friends? How can he leave such an important matter to a student?” Lin Chen asked.

“I!” Duan Yang’s face turned red again, looking extremely cute under the light.

“Hm?”

“I secretly inquired about it. How could teacher leave this kind of thing to me? He wouldn’t say a word to me.”

Seeing that Duan Yang’s gloomy expression wasn’t fake, Lin Chen started to get confused over this twisted relationship. “Inquired?”

“My former shijie went to work as a teacher in the Dana Region. I asked her to tell me some news about my teacher from time to time. She secretly told me stuff on and off. It was probably at the end of last year or the beginning of this year that my shijie and the others accidentally found that a paper by Professor Tan Kang was very close to a drug that my teacher had studied. At that time, Professor Tan Kang had already published his paper, so it’s difficult to prove that he may have plagiarized my teacher. They thought it was just a coincidence, but later, they realized that it might really be teacher’s research results that were leaked. Because the experimental conditions of the Dana Region were too poor, they would regularly send things to laboratories in big cities for analysis…”

“And some of those labs belong to Zhourui Pharmaceutical?”

“I don’t know the details. It could just be a laboratory that Zhourui invested in, but there’s no way to prove that my teacher’s research findings were actually stolen from a lab.”

“Unless you find a key person and admit that he leaked something, but even then, the other party has already obtained the drug’s patent rights, and patent ownership is difficult to verify.”

“Indeed, it’s very hard.”

“What happened after?” Lin Chen asked.

Hearing this, Duan Yang suddenly laid down on the bed and let out a long sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know what happened afterwards. My shijie didn’t stay in the Dana Region for long.”

“Why didn’t she stay there for long?”

“Because… Because my shijie kept sending me secret messages about teacher and when he found out, he drove her out and back to the country.”

Hearing this, Lin Chen suddenly dragged out his tone. “Student Duan Yang…”

“What?”

“There’s a word called idiot. Do you think this suits you?”

“Consultant Lin.” Duan Yang smiled bitterly. “Don’t make fun of me, okay? Don’t you have anyone you care about? You miss them all the time, but you never hear from them, so you have to beat around the bush to get news about them.”

Lin Chen thought, ‘I can’t even beat around the bush to get news now.’ He suddenly didn’t want to talk to Duan Yang about caring or worrying any longer. He continued with his unfinished question from earlier. “I still think there’s a problem here. According to what you said, you’re actually a nosy person. Since your teacher is aware that this new drug with serious side effects is about to enter the market, why didn’t he personally step forward? Even if communication problems exist in the Dana Region, he should have entrusted this to a third party.”

“This is also where I’m worried.” Duan Yang looked solemn. “I really don’t know what happened later, but I have been paying attention to academic journals at home and abroad. No one has published papers of an opposing nature. In academia, we still have to rely on experiments and data. I always feel that teacher’s experiment hasn’t been completed, so he hasn’t published his paper. I can only guess he didn’t expect Zhourui Pharmaceutical to complete Phase 4 of clinical trials so quickly, but I really don’t know what’s going on.”

Lin Chen nodded.

The problem now was that Zhourui Pharmaceutical intended to launch a new drug that may cause adverse reactions. The person involved was in the Dana Region making him difficult to reach. All that was left was a current veterinarian who was fired from a hospital trying to prevent this from happening, but that was like a mantis trying to stop a car.

“So why exactly did you invite me to your residence?” Lin Chen suddenly asked.

“I have something I want to give you. Can you get up for a bit?” Duan Yang said softly.

Lin Chen was taken aback for a moment before realizing that the young man had hidden something inside the beanbag he was sitting on.

“Why are you so careful?”

Lin Chen felt his legs were a little numb, so he didn’t immediately stand up.

“Just last month, I found that my computer seemed to have been moved. In the evening, there was a collective barking from the pets in the pet store. I went downstairs and found that the door was open, as if someone had snuck in. Since then, I have used a desktop computer to connect to the internet and kept all the data on a laptop that’s not connected to the internet.”

“So, what I’m sitting on…”

“Is my laptop,” Duan Yang replied.

Lin Chen hurriedly got up, but the moment he stood up, he suddenly felt dizzy. He held onto the wardrobe, but his knees softened, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Later, he was awakened by something licking him. The back of his hand was tingling, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on Duan Yang’s bed. He looked down and realized that it was the kitten that Duan Yang was holding that was licking his hand.

Lin Chen tried to sit up, and found it wasn’t difficult. When he sat up, he saw a needle in his arm, and Duan Yang was hanging up an IV bag.

Seeing him wake up, the young man hurriedly said, “Why are you in such poor health?!”

“I was in a hospital when you called me out.”

Hearing what he said, the young man said embarrassingly, “Sorry, I didn’t know.” He paused, and his expression changed, like a doctor looking at an indefatigable patient. “Your neutrophils are seriously decreasing. Did the hospital check on this? Can you show me your medical records?”

“Did you give me a blood test?” Lin Chen was speechless.

“We’re in a pet hospital. It’s not like we can’t do simple tests.”

Lin Chen looked at the liquid that Duan Yang gave him. “Then this is?”

“Glucose. The ratio is fine. It can be used on humans.”

Lin Chen resisted the urge to pull out the needle. He was afraid that if he did this, the young man in front of him would beat him.

In awe of the doctor, Lin Chen replied obediently, “I had my whole body checked. There’s nothing serious and the primary illness is slowly decreasing.”

“Then you must pay attention. The decrease in neutrophils can easily lead to repeated infections. It’s been hot recently, so make sure you don’t catch a cold or something. Also, what’s with that injury on your hand?”

Lin Chen looked down at the gauze around his palm. “Let’s talk about what you want to give me first.”

Duan Yang was someone who was easily distracted.

Hearing what he said, the young man let out an “oh” and took out a small SD card from the bedside table. “This is all the relevant data about the new drug. Some are the contents that my shijie passed on to me, and some are the results of my own animal experiments. There is also some scattered data from Zhourui Pharmaceutical that a friend obtained.”

Lin Chen frowned. “Friend?”

“Yes, he’s in management at Zhourui. He revealed a lot of inside information to me, but I can’t tell you who he is. Otherwise, his life may be in danger.”

Lin Chen looked at the small SD card in Duan Yang’s palm and said solemnly, “But I can’t take this.”

“Why?”

“There may be evidence obtained through illegal means. If I read it, then the relevant chain of evidence may not be admissible to the court.”

“But!”

“No buts.” Lin Chen put his feet down from the bed, lifted the adhesive tape that was fixed to the back of his hand, pulled out the needle, and then pressed the bleeding point with his other hand. “Have you given this thing to anyone else?”

“My friend also has one.”

“Don’t let others know that you have this material. Also, I suggest you make fake data and put them on your computer, then hide this SD card.”

“Because other people already know that I have this material, so the previous infiltrator was looking for this?”

Lin Chen asked, “Do you have anything else of value?”

Duan Yang shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

While speaking, Lin Chen had already put on his shoes and began to walk to the door.

Suddenly, the young man realized something and tried to stop him. “Consultant Lin, if you don’t want to look at it, fine, but that doesn’t mean you can go home now. You must show me your medical records tomorrow.”

“There are no records.” Lin Chen started walking downstairs.

“How can that be if you’ve just been hospitalized?”

“Obviously, because I escaped.”

Unexpectedly, Lin Chen was stopped by a huge tabby cat, allowing Duan Yang to grab his arm. “I’ll take you to the doctor tomorrow.”

“Aren’t you a doctor?” He turned around and asked the young man incredulously.

“Ah?”

“I’ll come see you tomorrow. I’m really tired now and want to go home and rest.”

“Then I’ll take you back. I’m worried about you when you’re like this.” While Duan Yang was talking, he started to look for his keys.

“No need,” Lin Chen said to Duan Yang. “We don’t know each other well. If you’re a bad person, wouldn’t I have revealed my address to you?”

Duan Yang’s mouth dropped open, unsure how to respond.

“Look, I just don’t like people coming into my residence. I live close by.” Lin Chen shook his phone and walked towards Yanjia Lane. “I’ll call you when I get home. Don’t worry…”

After he finished speaking, Lin Chen walked into the expansive night.

In fact, he didn’t lie to Duan Yang. When he left Duan Yang’s pet shop and turned left, he could hear the sound of water. After walking along the river for about eight minutes, he had reached home.

It was very late, so there was almost no one in the alley.

Perhaps it was because he just had an IV infusion or had lain down for a while, but he no longer felt dizzy. Rather, he was completely sober, so he could think seriously about the time he left home and whether he needed to change the sheets. At least before he saw the person waiting for him under the eaves, he felt he was still clear-headed.

In the night, the man standing under the eaves was neatly dressed. It was obvious he had been waiting for a long time.

Lin Chen suddenly regretted that he didn’t let Duan Yang take him home, because the person who was waiting for him on Yanjia Lane and was standing in front of Xing Conglian’s house was quite a troublesome man.

And this troublesome man happened to be named, Huang Ze.

The author has something to say:

Huang Ze: I heard that someone missed me?

Kinky Thoughts:

Guess we need a shura field…

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 175

This was the second time Lin Chen heard the keyword “Dana Region”. If it weren’t for Mrs. Jiang’s relationship, his knowledge of this area would be limited to “don’t ever go even if your life depended on it”. But now, because of Doctors Without Borders, he found his psychological distance from the Dana Region seemingly getting closer.

It seemed that one day he would set foot there.

He looked at the young man in front of him again.

Before entering the shop just now, he had been sitting across the road, observing him.

After all, there were too many bad people nowadays, and he had to use some method to confirm that this young man wasn’t someone with evil intentions. Based on his resume, Lin Chen specifically chose a meeting place near the high school the other party attended, which the young man wasn’t even aware of. When he couldn’t find him, the young man didn’t become angry but was just anxious and seemed at a loss.

These reactions made Lin Chen feel that this young man, who didn’t have much heart, was simple and persistent.

This was his current judgment.

However, for a person who didn’t have much heart, he just confided in him in a snack shop about the shady plot of a pharmaceutical company’s intention to kill approval experts and steal other people’s research results. Lin Chen felt he needed time to digest this information.

He lowered his head, picked up the spoon, and sipped on his hot soup.

“Consultant Lin!”

Seeing that he wasn’t speaking and was just drinking soup, the young man urged again.

“The clam soup here is delicious. I used to come here with my friends. You should try it,” Lin Chen said.

“I—!” The young man wanted to say more, but in the end, he became obedient. He bowed his head and sipped on the soup.

In the next moment, the young man almost spat out the soup. Lin Chen looked up and saw that he had barely swallowed a mouthful, yet tears were about to flow out of his eyes. Lin Chen looked down at the soup bowl in front of him, feeling as if they weren’t eating the same amount of spiciness.

The young man continued to cough. Lin Chen took a napkin from the table and handed it over, but his kindness was rejected.

“This kind of inferior napkin has excessive bacteria and fluorescent agent content. You should never use it.” As the young man said this, he coughed and took out his own tissues from his backpack. He handed one to Lin Chen and then covered his mouth.

Lin Chen looked at the tissue in his hand helplessly. From many details, it could be seen that this young man had a meticulous and considerate character. Although he had a slight obsession with cleanliness, a doctor would always prefer things to be cleaner.

The number of people in the shop gradually increased. When there were too many people talking, no one would pay attention to what they said.

Lin Chen lowered his head and took a sip of the soup. When he raised his head again, the young man’s cough gradually stopped. “Mr. Duan Yang, what does this matter you mention have to do with me?”

Hearing him ask this, there was obvious disappointment in the young man’s expression.

Lin Chen knocked on the table and was unmoved. “Regarding the clues about Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s deliberate murder of Director Li, I’ll inform Vice Captain Jiang of the Yongchuan Second Division. He’s Director Li’s husband and will be the one who’s more concerned about her safety than you or me. I also killed the murderer. Zhourui Pharmaceutical will launch a PR offensive to deal with me. At most, it was just for the sake of their corporate image. If I don’t care, then there’s no point.” Lin Chen glanced at the young man sitting across from him. “As for the theft of your teacher’s research results or what’s wrong with the drug, first, I have no power, and second, medicine is not my specialty. I really don’t think I can help you.”

The young man lowered his head slightly. Lin Chen didn’t know if it was because the soup was too spicy or something else, but the tips of his nose and eyes were a little red. “Yes, as you said, you can’t help.”

He said this to himself, then picked up his backpack and stood up.

Lin Chen didn’t stop him.

But when he walked to the door, he suddenly turned back and bowed to him, then said, “Consultant Lin, before you refuse me, please go somewhere with me.”

Looking at the bright eyes of the young man, Lin Chen finally felt some relief.

……

The municipal hospital was probably the place that Lin Chen really didn’t want to visit again, especially since he just killed a hostage-taker at a hospital. When he saw the whitewashed walls and smelled the scent of disinfectant, he became a little uncomfortable.

Duan Yang took him to the neurology ward on the tenth floor.

Without saying a word, the young man pulled him to sit down on the bench facing the ward. He was forced to look at an old man who was stumbling in the corridor of the opposite ward but insisted on holding onto the handrail as he struggled to move forward.

The old man walked slowly. His uncoordinated limbs showed that he had just experienced a stroke that almost took his life. The left half of the brain was infarcted or hemorrhaged, so his right side was completely useless.

At this moment, Duan Yang said softly, “Consultant Lin, I used to be a resident doctor here. There are a total of 150 beds in the neurology ward of Hongjing Municipal Hospital, which receives over 130,000 outpatients every year. Nearly 5,000 people are hospitalized here, and more than 50% of their hospitalization is due to cerebrovascular diseases. This proportion is more than 1.7 million in the country. When an elderly person lives here, it means that their life is gradually coming to an end. Please look at that grandpa across from you and imagine if, at this time, a new drug appeared on the market that claimed to gradually stimulate the repairs of neurons in his brain so that he could move normally as before he had a stroke. Do you think this drug is of epochal significance?”

Lin Chen was a little shocked. “This is impossible.”

“Why?” Duan Yang asked rhetorically.

“So far, scientific research has concluded that brain neurons will not continue to grow and cannot repair themselves, unlike skin, after minor damage. Moreover, cutting-edge technology in nerve repair research is now focused on neural stem cell transplantation. I doubt any drugs can achieve this effect.”

Duan Yang was a little surprised. “Consultant Lin, you have knowledge in this field?”

“Psychology is an interdisciplinary subject. Although I do not specialize in cognitive neuroscience, I have read a few books for my exams.”

Duan Yang said softly, “I also find it incredible that this new drug breaks through the traditional neurotropic drugs such as ganglioside¹ and cytidine disodium triphosphate² and directly claims that it can stimulate neuron repair. If such a drug appears, many elderly people will risk losing everything for this new drug.”

¹Drug used in many countries and is thought of as a promising alternative treatment for preventing several neurological diseases, including cerebral ischemic injury. However, clinical efficacy in patients with ischemic strokes is still uncertain.
²Drug believed to be able to rectify membrane damage and provide benefit in CNS disorders and injury (including strokes). Clinical trials so far have shown inconclusive evidence of whether it’s effective for stroke patients.

“Wait, didn’t you say that your teacher discovered this drug?” Lin Chen couldn’t help asking. Although he hadn’t been to the Dana Region, he could slightly guess the research conditions there. It would be an incredible thing in and of itself if someone managed to discover this epochal new drug there.

“Actually… This is the problem. The drug discovered by my teacher doesn’t have the effects claimed by Zhourui Pharmaceutical. It’s more similar to ganglioside, but it’s more effective than similar drugs.”

“Then why do you think that Zhourui Pharmaceutical stole your teacher’s research results? Maybe they are two different types of things?”

“I’ve seen the chemical formula of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s drug. It’s almost the same as the one my teacher discovered.”

“That is to say, there’s still a difference?”

Duan Yang nodded. “The problem isn’t the difference. It’s not that they may have copied my teacher’s research result, but that my teacher said this kind of drug has serious side effects. In fact, he was in the process of studying common diseases in the Dana Region when he discovered this drug by accident.”

Lin Chen felt a terrifying feeling approaching. “You mean, if Zhourui Pharmaceutical forcibly promotes this drug on the market, it may lead to large-scale adverse drug reactions?”

“Yes, it’s possible.” Duan Yang leaned on the bench a little dejectedly. He scratched his hair in irritation. “Even large-scale adverse drug reactions are only a possibility. There could be subtle changes in the molecular formula of such a drug that can cause adverse reactions. What’s more, I have no way to prove that the new drug developed by Zhourui Pharmaceutical did steal my teacher’s research results. Their related papers were published earlier than those of my teacher. Professor Tan Kang, who presided over the development of this new drug, has a much higher academic status in the industry than my teacher. If it weren’t for the anonymous letter I sent to Director Li, which was followed by a murder attempt on her, I wouldn’t have found there might really be a dark inside story to all this.”

Lin Chen listened carefully to the young man’s narration. He listened to his confusion and struggle and looked at the old man who was struggling to walk while holding onto the railing and asked, “Tell me first, what are the so-called side effects?”

“Long-term use can cause cognitive impairment and emotional problems.”

“Zhourui’s new drug has entered the approval process, indicating that they have passed Phase III of clinical trials. Not to mention early animal trials, didn’t they find this side effect?”

“Which is why I suspect the results of their clinical trials were falsified,” Duan Yang said solemnly.

Lin Chen fell into deep thought.

Now the problem had changed from pure scientific research plagiarism to the falsification of experimental results. If the former was still a moral issue, the latter involved the safety of patients. If Duan Yang’s suspicions were true, it would be a major public safety issue. But the problem was that the young man sitting next to him was questioning the research results of an academic giant and a famous pharmaceutical company. This in itself was a fantasy. If researchers in related fields could hear what was being said, they would probably get up and point at the young man’s nose and ask, “What qualification do you have to question this?”

At this moment, a similar voice sounded behind them.

“Yo, our great scientist is back!”

Lin Chen turned his head and saw a young resident doctor with greasy hair and a pink face walking towards them.

When Duan Yang heard this, he was like a little leopard that was fiercely aroused. He immediately clenched his fists and stared at the man with wide eyes.

However, to Lin Chen’s surprise, after the man taunted Duan Yang, he walked up to him arrogantly and said, “That guy was fired from our department. I suggest you don’t believe what he’s spouting. He has a pretty bad reputation around here.” As the man spoke, he tapped his own head and sneered, “He’s always thinking he knows some big scientific secrets and doesn’t do his job. Always thinking about trying to save the world. Ha ha.”

Lin Chen held down the angry young man who seemed to want to punch the guy and looked at the resident doctor standing in front of him and asked, “What do you mean by brain problems?”

“Of course, it’s a mental illness.”

“No,” Lin Chen said.

“What do you mean no?”k

“I mean that he’s not mentally ill.” Lin Chen stood up and said to the resident doctor in front of him, “As a doctor of neurology, you need to improve your medical literacy a bit.”

“What do you mean?”

Lin Chen turned around, gently pulled Duan Yang up from the bench, and asked him, “Do you understand what I mean?”

Duan Yang nodded.

Lin Chen pointed to Duan Yang and said to the resident doctor with oily hair, “He understands, but you don’t. Who do you think has a problem with their brain between you and him?”

Things like trash-talking must be said and then immediately walked away from, as one must never give the other person any chance to strike back.

After Lin Chen finished speaking, he immediately pulled Duan Yang out of the municipal hospital. It was finally dark. The long street was full of traffic and was brightly lit, but the young man next to him didn’t say a word.

Lin Chen had already read Duan Yang’s resume in advance. It was clear that the young man next to him was expelled due to medical malpractice when he was promoted from resident physician to attending physician last year. Now it seemed there may be another inside story to this.

“Let’s talk. What’s going on?”

“Consultant Lin, thank you just now.”

“That is not an answer to the question,” Lin Chen said coldly.

The young man scratched his head and looked embarrassed. “Zhourui Pharmaceutical has a very good relationship with our hospital. I was careless before and have been posting articles questioning Professor Tan Kang’s experimental results. It seems they found out it was me, so they maliciously retaliated.”

Seeing the young man’s indifferent face, Lin Chen couldn’t speak for a while. In the end, he could only say, “Why were you being stupid and getting so easily discovered?”

“I didn’t know the water here was so deep at first.”

“So why are you pretending to be a reporter to lie to me?”

“Ah?” The young man didn’t expect him to mention this matter again, which made him feel ashamed. “I was fired from the hospital, and now I’m working at a pet hospital. I thought…”

“You thought that your background didn’t have enough strength to speak, and it would be easier for me to believe you if you pretended to be a reporter.”

Duan Yang nodded.

The young man’s eyes were dark and clean.

Lin Chen said to him solemnly, “Status doesn’t mean much. Even if you become a beggar on the street, as long as you have a clear conscience about what you say, you can say it openly. Don’t be afraid.”

The young man suddenly stopped. He rubbed his eyes, turned around, and strode forward.

Lin Chen didn’t know how Duan Yang had been suppressed for more than a year, but when he saw the pet shop where the young man was working, he realized something.

It was a dilapidated two-story building very close to Yanjia Lane.

As soon as he entered the store, he was greeted by cats and dogs that barked in various volumes. There were more than a dozen cages in the small shop, which only made it seem more crowded as a result.

Duan Yang first let out the cats to relax, then hugged a long-haired puppy and led him up to the second floor.

“Actually, I sometimes think being a veterinarian is much easier than working in a hospital. You can charge 300 yuan for neutering, and I can even mark it up by 150. When it comes to spaying female cats and dogs, I can even earn more…”

Lin Chen listened to what the young man was saying casually while observing the structure of the room on the second floor.

“Are you doing drug testing here?” He was surprised.

Duan Yang opened his bedroom door and said, “No, no. I was doing it before but didn’t make any progress, so I just kept it as a pet for fun.”

The young man’s bedroom was the smallest of the three rooms. With a bed and desk taking up most of the space, there was only room for a beanbag. Lin Chen put on indoor slippers and walked into the room. At first glance, he was attracted by the whiteboard on the wall. It was covered almost entirely with dense pharmacological formulas, which made his scalp feel numb.

He subconsciously looked at the desk. Just as his gaze swept past, Duan Yang subconsciously wanted to cover something up. Lin Chen turned his head sideways; he had already noted all the things on the desk clearly. If he read it correctly, what the young man wanted to cover up seemed to be a picture frame on the table.

There were two men in the photo frame. One of them was a little older, and the other was Duan Yang when he was younger. He had his arms around the slightly older man and was smiling brightly.

“Is that your brother or father?” Lin Chen asked casually.

Probably even Duan Yang realized how guilty his actions were just now. After hearing this question, the young man became even more embarrassed.

“It’s my teacher.” The young man blushed as he answered.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 174

“Who’s Director Li?” Zhang Xiaolong’s curious voice sounded.

“The wife of Vice Captain Jiang of Yongchuan Second Division. She’s a neurosurgeon.” And the woman who locked me up for two days…

Lin Chen glanced back at the police officer, put the letter on the table, copied down the order number of the courier envelope, and said, “Call a colleague from the forensic department and see if they can extract fingerprints.” After speaking, he handed the envelope to Zhang Xiaolong. “Check the recipient of the courier number and ask them to identify the sender. Also, look up to see who’s the owner of this number.”

Zhang Xiaolong was a little confused. “Is something wrong, Consultant Lin? What is this hostage-taking incident?”

Lin Chen couldn’t explain all the ins and outs of what went down given the time, so he could only answer, “I hope nothing will happen.”

The tasks he assigned were simple enough. Even without the help of others, Comrade Zhang Xiaolong completed most of them before getting off work.

“Consultant Lin, this person is really weird. You have to be careful.”

The police officer handed over the results. Lin Chen took the information in hand, read it carefully, and frowned involuntarily.

He nodded to the police officer and thanked her, then folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket as he headed out.

Zhang Xiaolong called to him, “Consultant Lin, are you going out to work by yourself? Do you want someone to accompany you?”

Lin Chen looked around. Normally, Xing Conglian would probably have gone to the parking lot and driven the Jeep around, but now, there were only police officers packing up and getting ready to get off work. He said, “No, I’m relatively free, so I don’t mind going alone.”

Although he said this, without a full-time driver and the chatter of others, it was indeed a bit boring.

He was walking along the hot street to the overwhelming sounds of cicadas and the noise from the traffic. After walking for a while, he sat down on a bench and then called the number.

About half an hour later, a young man wearing a cap got off the bus stop across the road and hurriedly ran into a snack bar.

Lin Chen saw that the other party was looking for someone calmly at first and then became anxious. He stopped a clerk, as if asking some questions. After finding nothing, he rushed out of the store and started making a call.

Lin Chen felt his phone, which he had placed on the bench, start to vibrate. He looked at the young man across the road, picked up the phone, and pressed answer.

“Where are you?” A young man’s voice came from the other end.

Lin Chen didn’t speak and instead stood up.

The moment he stood up, the young man looked over. Seeing the sign of the other party rushing towards the side of the road, Lin Chen calmly said, “I’ll come over. Go into the store and find a seat by a window.”

After he finished speaking, he hung up. The young man was at a loss for a moment, but he obediently followed his instructions. He turned around and walked back into the shop.

The place he chose was close to Hongjing No. 3 High School. It was just after school, so there were many students in the shop coming to fill their stomachs after class. When he entered the store, the young man was wiping the table with some disinfectant wipes he had carried with him. The moment he saw him, the young man subconsciously wanted to stand up, but Lin Chen pressed on his shoulder and sat down opposite of him.

At the beginning, they didn’t speak. Lin Chen just carefully looked at the appearance of the person in front of him.

Although he had already seen the photo of the other party from the information Zhang Xiaolong handed over, the feeling of meeting each other in person was different after all. The young man’s cap was placed on the table. He had a crew cut and was wearing black-rimmed glasses. How could he describe the gaze under the glasses? It was completely different from every reporter he had seen. There was no shrewd look in his eyes trying to explore everything. On the contrary, he was more like a high school student who had just walked out of Hongjing No. 3 High School. He had clear eyes with a strange determination.

“Please introduce yourself,” Lin Chen said to the young man. He put his hand on the table and felt slightly wet from the back of his hands. When he looked down, he found that the young man had actually wiped down his side of the table as well.

“Hello, Consultant Lin. I’m a reporter from the Hongjing Evening News. I know that you handled that hostage-taking situation in Yongchuan Second People’s Hospital two days ago. I want to report a clue to you.”

The other party spoke proficiently, as if he had recited these lines many times.

“Please tell.”

“You’re in danger right now.” The young man leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

Lin Chen didn’t have much reaction to this. “I would like to hear the details.”

Just as the young man was about to speak, a waiter in the shop happened to come over.

“Two servings of clam soup.” He raised his head and asked the young man, “Is it okay if it’s slightly spicy?”

The young man was taken aback and nodded blankly. The waiter then turned and left. Probably because the young man felt that his attitude was too rude just now, it only made the young man more anxious. “Now Zhourui Pharmaceutical has joined forces with major media to hype you as a murderer of the mentally ill. Why don’t you know anything!”

Lin Chen sighed. He couldn’t explain to the other party how he had been living a life of imprisonment for the past two days, so much so that he really didn’t know anything about the progress of the hostage-taking case.

“It seems that you know a lot more about the case than me. Can you talk about it?”

The young man swallowed and plucked up his courage. “The name of the deceased who was killed by you is Li Ming. He’s a deputy director of Zhourui Pharmaceutical who’s in charge of submitting new drugs for review.”

“New drugs?”

“Yes. The reason why they wanted to kill Director Li is because Director Li is one of the medical experts in charge of drug marketing approval at the Drug Evaluation Center of the State Food and Drug Administration. All experts have passed the approval except for Director Li, who sent a rejection letter.”

It wasn’t until this moment that Lin Chen was startled. This case was simply unbelievable. “You mean, it’s because Director Li tied up the approval of this new drug that Zhourui Pharmaceutical is about to promote to the market, so they are trying to kill her?”

The young man nodded solemnly. “Correct.”

“Regardless of whether Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s motives for murder are established or not, there is an even bigger question: Why didn’t Zhourui Pharmaceutical choose a more secretive way of killing Director Li but instead chose a supervisor pretending to be mentally ill to kill her? Are they not afraid they will be listed as suspects?”

“Because no matter how Director Li dies, as long as the police investigate, Zhourui Pharmaceutical will be a prime suspect. Instead of being suspected secretly, it’s better to just jump out. Moreover, the deceased Li Ming did have a history of mental illness. If you hadn’t shot him dead, he’s very likely to be identified as having a sudden mental disorder… And the reason for his sudden mental disorder is, of course, because Director Li rejected the new drug approval that he was in charge of, thus putting him under immense pressure at work, which would lead him to kill Director Li because of this. Zhourui Pharmaceutical has arranged a series of evidence. After the death of Director Li, these things will gradually show up in front of the media and the police. Although it’s not foolproof, you should be very clear that sudden mental disorder is hard to explain. If there’s a psychiatrist that can be bought by them during the judicial appraisal process, the success rate of this matter would be greater than 95%. And…” The young man paused before continuing, “This would also be an example to all other parties who dare hinder the launch of this new drug, as they will think twice about their safety.”

The inside story described by the young man was too shocking. Lin Chen suddenly regretted choosing to talk to him about these bloody shady things inside a snack bar. He thought carefully about the possibility that the young man had told him. In fact, remembering the final, decisive gaze of the deceased, if he hadn’t shot first, Mrs. Jiang would’ve died. Even so, he still thought there was something wrong with this. “This is too bold, and the cost is not proportional to the benefit. I’m not convinced.”

“But it is! Consultant Lin, you have no idea how much money is invested in the research and development of new drugs. That is billions of dollars and tens of billions of profits. There is no successful pharmaceutical company that doesn’t step on human life. Do you know how many people have died due to adverse drug reactions? Do you think these pharmaceutical companies are socially responsible? They never are!”

The young man’s tone was heavy and impassioned. Lin Chen knew well that he was trying to persuade him, and he carried the passion that was unique to the young who hadn’t been smoothed by the world.

Lin Chen had tested this young man for a while. He was punctual, well-educated, and didn’t seem to be scheming. From the bottom of his heart, he was willing to believe the young man who had just appeared out of nowhere and given him a very strange clue. But the most critical question that needed to be asked was, “How do you know?”

“I found it,” the young man replied without hesitation.

Lin Chen was a little disappointed to hear the young man’s answer.

At this moment, the waiter came by to serve the clam soup. Lin Chen took out 50 yuan from his pocket and handed it to him, then stood up from the table and prepared to leave.

“Where are you going?!”

The young man raised his voice and grabbed him.

“You know, the premise of cooperation is trust. I’m sorry, but you don’t trust me, so I’m leaving.”

“Isn’t it enough trust that I came to see you?”

Lin Chen looked at the gradually empty school across the street and asked, “Was this store open when you went to school here?”

The young man’s pupils suddenly shrank. “You investigated me?”

“Because I live quite cautiously, Mr. Duan Yang.”

Lin Chen didn’t know what the young man in front of him was thinking. He came to him pretending to be a reporter from the Hongjing Evening News. Wouldn’t this identity be revealed by the police once they checked? Although he wanted to leave, the shame and pain in the young man’s eyes at this moment forced him to sit down in front of him again.

“You’re not a reporter for the Hongjing Evening News, so don’t say that there aren’t any lies in this matter. To be honest, how did you even know about this matter?”

The young man pursed his lips and finally made up his mind. “The reason why Director Li sent the rejection letter is precisely because I sent her an anonymous letter. In fact, I sent an anonymous letter to all the experts in charge of the approval process. Only Director Li believed me, so I can’t bear to see what might happen to her.”

“I don’t believe you.” Lin Chen had reviewed this young man’s file. He resolutely said, “You’re just a veterinarian in a pet shop. Why do you know such inside information?”

“Because that kind of drug wasn’t developed by Zhourui. The real discoverer was my teacher. They just stole my teacher’s unfinished research result. My teacher is Duan Wanshan, and he has been engaged in the medical treatment of the Dana Region. You can search any official website of any major foreign media and find reports on him. I’m not lying!”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 173

The MSC medical service station was located in a herdsman’s village on a tributary of the Rival River.

There were domed thatched huts and potholes on the auburn mud road everywhere. Sometimes, under the baobab trees on the side of the road, they could see children drinking milk under women’s wary eyes. However, Xing Conglian found that when he looked around, there weren’t any strong men anywhere.

Perhaps the men went out herding, or there were some activities in the village that didn’t allow men to participate. Of course, it was also possible that the men in this village were forcibly mobilized to the front lines. Any of these scenarios were possible, but Xing Conglian didn’t care for the time being. Wang Chao had already woken up in the back seat and was retching out the car door. This was a normal reaction after getting a slight concussion. It seemed that he should be fine, but the situation of the female bodyguard wasn’t optimistic.

Kang An probed the bodyguard’s breath with his hand and said, “Boss, have we arrived yet? She’s going to die.”

Xing Conglian stretched out his hand and slapped the bar owner, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. He was getting drowsy due to blood loss. “Where is this place?”

The bald-headed bar owner looked around with blurred eyes but couldn’t answer.

Xing Conglian had no choice but to avoid the potholes on the road as he searched for a building that resembled a hospital or health service station, relying solely on intuition. Finally, three connected small buildings appeared in front of him.

The small buildings were an open, sun-drying field covered with army-green pergolas. After getting closer, Xing Conglian discovered that there were mats under the pergola, and dozens of local residents who were receiving treatment were lying on them. Passing through the mats was the emergency room. Many people were sitting on wooden benches, waiting quietly. There were doctors in white coats working hastily inside and outside the “hospital”.

Xing Conglian jumped out of the car and slammed the door. What surprised him even more was that, except for the obvious black people, the doctors here were all black-haired and yellow-skinned Asians. He tentatively shouted “Doctor” in Chinese.

All the Asians turned their heads together, and one of them hung up their stethoscope and ran towards him.

“What happened?” the man began to ask questions from a long distance away.

Hearing a reply in his native language made Xing Conglian excited. He quickly answered, “We were involved in a car accident. The lady is in the worst condition. She slammed into the windshield, and her chest was hit hard by the steering wheel. I suspect she has a few broken ribs and severe internal bleeding. The bald man sitting in the front seat was swiped by a bison, and his arm is broken. The young man in the back seat has a slight concussion. The remaining person is fine.”

After Xing Conglian reported the situation as fast as a cannonball, he found the doctor had frozen in place.

“What’s wrong?” Xing Conglian asked.

“Nothing. It’s just touching to hear Chinese all of a sudden.” The young doctor stretched out his arms to hug him, then quickly let go. He called another doctor over to bring a stretcher, carried Kanachal out of the backseat, and immediately sent her to the small gray cement building for surgical treatment.

Kang An helped Wang Chao out of the car.

The doctor pointed to the mat on the ground and said to the dizzy young man, “Lie down and I’ll check on you.”

Mr. Xiao Wang kept his eyes wide open during his illness and resisted the desire to vomit. He said resolutely, “I’m going to die! I! No!”

Xing Conglian looked at the mats on the ground and thought that these Chinese doctors must’ve brought them. However, the mat was so completely blackened that he couldn’t bear to let Wang Chao lie on it.

He went back to the trunk and took out a floor mat and spread it on the ground. Only then was Wang Chao reluctantly willing to lay down.

The doctor poked Wang Chao on the forehead and said, “I let you lie here for your own good. Usually, those who enter the back buildings are the seriously ill patients, like those who have AIDS or Ebola…”

Wang Chao was so frightened that he wanted to throw up even more.

The doctor broke Wang Chao’s delusions and said solemnly, “Normally, we would do an MRI, but we don’t have such a machine here. All we could do is have you lie here all night. If you don’t die, you can be discharged tomorrow.”

After he finished speaking, he straightened up and was about to leave.

Xing Conglian finally couldn’t help but shout at the other party, “Doesn’t he need an infusion?” He pointed to a patient receiving an infusion in the distance as he asked.

The doctor responded, “Disposable needles and anti-inflammatory drugs are very precious, and they should be reserved for those who need them the most.” He poked the young man on the ground with his thumb. “He’s fine. Observe him overnight, and he’ll be good tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” Xing Conglian said seriously.

The other party looked at him, scanned him from head to toe, and then, as if he suddenly thought of something, asked, “Where are you going?”

“To the rainforest,” Xing Conglian said.

The doctor wanted to say something else but was suddenly called to attention and immediately turned his head and ran back into the small building.

The small “hospital” was busier than he thought. It wasn’t until the evening that Xing Conglian saw the young doctor who had helped them again.

Wang Chao had fallen asleep on the floor mat and refused to use the blanket that a nurse had brought over.

Kanachal’s operation was successful. A rib had pierced her lungs, but her life was no longer in danger. The bald bar owner was with her. It seemed their relationship was deeper than that of an ordinary boss and underling, but Xing Conglian didn’t care about that.

The starry sky on the grassland was beautiful late at night. Kang An was taking a nap by the Jeep. He stayed with Wang Chao, resting his head on his hands as he lay on the ground.

“Missing your girlfriend?” Xing Conglian suddenly heard Chinese from behind. He turned his head and saw the Chinese doctor walking leisurely from the small building.

Xing Conglian didn’t answer his question.

The young doctor laughed and squatted down in front of him familiarly. “I used to want to bring my girlfriend to Africa. I thought it would be romantic to lie on the grassland and watch the starry sky, but after I came here, I thought it would be better to forget such thoughts.”

Xing Conglian looked back at the small cement building that couldn’t be considered a hospital and nodded. “Is it because the conditions are too bad?”

“It’s more than bad; it’s worse. Does this look like a place for people to stay…” He looked around as he muttered.

Xing Conglian lit a cigarette and thought it was comical. “Then why are you still here?”

“It’s my call of duty!”

“Speak sensibly.”

The doctor glared at him with a look of youthful vigor on his face. “When I graduated from university, I saw an ABC report that a Chinese doctor had stayed in the Dana Region for ten years. Together with MSC Doctors Without Borders, he completed the establishment of a basic medical system in the most difficult part of the world. I was deeply inspired and decided to follow the example of my predecessor and support the construction of Africa.”

Xing Conglian took a puff from his cigarette. “Very idealistic.”

“Yeah, I think so too.” The doctor began to babble again. “Actually, there are so many Chinese doctors here, and all of them were bewitched by Dr. Duan. Probably it’s because he’s so handsome that it’s almost magical. My brain was telling me to run away as I regretted it as soon as I came, but I couldn’t leave.” As he spoke, he knelt beside Wang Chao and continued to check on him.

“Why can’t you leave?” Xing Conglian found this funny.

“I have been here for two years and studied general medicine. At that time, my parents had already found me a structured job at a health service station in my hometown, but after I came here, I told myself, fuck the health service station. There is no place in the world that needs me more than here.”

Xing Conglian blew out a ring of smoke and narrowed his eyes slightly. “It really does sound like a call of duty.”

The young doctor put down his stethoscope and listened to Wang Chao’s heart and lungs. He then pointed to the small cement building and said, “No, no, I’m bewitched by a treacherous man. I once doubted my sexuality. Why else am I still here because I saw a photo of Teacher Duan? He is indeed a remarkable person. See that concrete building behind me? The aseptic operating room just saved your friend’s life. She wouldn’t have survived tonight due to her injuries if it wasn’t for that, and this is all thanks to Teacher Duan!”

Xing Conglian glanced at him and finally noticed the abnormality in the conversation. “You’ve talked quite a bit, and every few sentences you touted Teacher Duan. What are you aiming at?”

The little doctor said nervously, “We lost contact with Teacher Duan a week ago. We’re afraid something has happened to him. When we last contacted him, he was in the Gaomeng tribe. I heard that bald man say you are going there. Could you please try and see if you can find him? If something has happened to him, please help him!”

“Why are you asking me?” Xing Conglian asked.

“After all, we’re in a foreign country and can only count on compatriots of our own nation.” The little doctor patted him on the shoulder, then sat on the ground dejectedly. “Actually, we also want to send some people to find him, but the situation in the rainforest is a bit complicated right now. Many people are unwilling to go, and those who have agreed haven’t responded. We don’t know what to do. I’m begging you!”

Looking at the little doctor with his hands clasped in front of him, Xing Conglian didn’t know getting into a car accident had led him to shoulder the strange mission of saving the founder of the basic medical system in the Dana Region.

……

Just when Xing Conglian had taken on another mission and was about to head into the rainforest, Lin Chen also encountered something strange, so much so that he had to escape from Mrs. Jiang’s control and slip back to Hongjing without even paying the hospitalization bill.

Of course, to get to the bottom of the key reason for his escape, although it wasn’t unrelated to the fact that Zhang Xiaolong had called him and told him that someone had sent an anonymous letter to the police station, the fundamental reason was because Mrs. Jiang had asked the sharp question of “Are you lovelorn for Xing Conglian?” the night before. Lin Chen felt that if he stayed any longer, it wouldn’t be conducive to his physical and mental health.

He returned to Hongjing by taking the high-speed railway from Yongchuan. When he arrived at the Hongjing police station, it was still during working hours.

Zhang Xiaolong screamed when she saw him. She rushed over and stared at him for a long time. “Consultant Lin, you’re really back. I’m not just hallucinating, right?”

Lin Chen smiled and shook his head. “I don’t think so.” After he said this, he deliberately paused to give Comrade Zhong Xiaolong time to collect herself. He then heard her say, “Xing Conglian and Wang Chao haven’t come to work for several days, and they haven’t asked for leave. Do you know where they went?”

He felt Zhang Xiaolong’s ability to open a can of worms was equally matched to Jiang Chao’s, but he had no choice but to lie for his two colleagues, who he had no idea where they were. “They are temporarily doing something. I’ll ask for leave on their behalf… for a month. I was in the hospital for a few days and forgot about it.”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaolong took a deep breath. “Are you okay, Consultant Lin? Why were you hospitalized, and how did you hurt your hand again?!”

Lin Chen found a chair and sat down. He rubbed his ears as he said, “I’m standing in front of you, aren’t I? This means I should be fine, right?”

Seeing the police officer wanting to continue nagging, he hurriedly interrupted, “What’s going on with this anonymous letter?”

“Oh! That!” After Zhang Xiaolong finished, she ran away in a hurry and came back after a while. “This morning, the guard received an anonymous letter addressed to you. In the white sand case, didn’t someone keep sending you letters? We were all scared to death and didn’t dare open it, so I could only call you.”

When he received the anonymous letter, Lin Chen’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He knew that he was expecting the sender to be Xing Conglian, who had been missing for many days, but soon, when he saw the handwriting on the courier slip, his heart rate dropped from its highest peak to its lowest in an instant. The handwriting obviously didn’t look like it belonged to Wang Chao or Xing Conglian.

He flipped through the front and back of this anonymous express mail. It was a standard express envelope from the Shunshui Express Company. Although there was no obvious identification of the sender, it might be from someone in Hongjing who was asked to send it by Wang Chao or Xing Conglian. With a glimmer of hope, he took out a knife from the pen holder on his desk.

Just when he wanted to cut the letter open, Zhang Xiaolong held him down. “Consultant Lin, what if there’s anthrax in it?!”

Lin Chen was taken aback. He didn’t know where Comrade Zhang Xiaolong got such whimsical ideas, but things like anthrax were too far away from their daily lives. He shook his letter and said with a smile, “Then you keep your distance.”

After he finished speaking, he carefully cut open the seal of the envelope with the knife.

Of course, there was no powdered anthrax; only a thin sheet of A4 paper was inside.

He pulled out the letter and unfolded it. Zhang Xiaolong gasped beside him.

Lin Chen was very surprised by the content in the letter. It was printed in standard Arial No. 5 font: [I am a reporter from the Hongjing Evening News. I know the truth about Director Li’s being taken hostage. If you want to know too, please call me.]

[TEL: 18934567890]

Kinky Thoughts:

Well, in fact, Zhang Xiaolong’s thoughts aren’t so whimsical. There was a series of anthrax attacks in 2001: the 2001 anthrax attacks.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 172

Lin Chen’s face was pale. His eyes were shut tightly. One hand was hung down on the stretcher, and the other was placed by his side.

Xing Conglian’s heart tightened when he saw the blood spattered on his shirt. It could be blood from the hostage-taker, but it also could be from him being injured.

The stretcher flashed past the camera for a short time. Wang Chao quickly took a screenshot and zoomed in on the image. They coincidentally carefully observed the shapes of the bloodstains on Lin Chen’s shirt and finally confirmed that it was stained later and Lin Chen wasn’t attacked in the office.

Xing Conglian calmed himself a little, but words such as overworked and illness flashed in his mind again, and the heart that had just relaxed tightened again.

“Check the case and see what’s going on.”

Perhaps it was because Xing Conglian’s tone was too cold that the guide sitting in the front passenger seat noticed the abnormality. The bald bar owner turned around and asked, “My distinguished guests, why are you so flustered?”

The words of the clan relative who left the bar were full of a strong pseudo-aristocratic accent, which might have some connection to the fact that the Angodo Republic was once a French colony. At this time, Xing Conglian felt that Kang An, the bald head in front, or even the woman who was driving frantically were all extremely irritating. He simply didn’t know why he had to run to this shithole and left Lin Chen alone in Yongchuan. Not only did he leave the case follow-up, but the emotional matters were also unclear. Now, Lin Chen was being carried out on a stretcher.

He glanced at the nosy bald head faintly. The bar owner turned around bitterly, not daring to say a word.

Lin Chen’s case quickly appeared on the screen.

Words such as “neurasthenia*” and “insufficient blood supply to the brain” were shown.

*Medical condition characterized by lassitude, fatigue, headache, and irritability, associated chiefly with emotional disturbance.

The diagnosis was clearly stated: The patient fainted due to being overworked.

Xing Conglian looked at the doctor’s prescription. In addition to “mannitol¹” and “betahistine²“, the doctor also prescribed a large dose of tranquilizing drugs, which showed just how bad Lin Chen’s mental state was.

¹Medication that helps enhance the flow of water from tissues, including the brain and cerebrospinal fluid, into the interstitial fluid and plasma. || In this case, it’s to alleviate Lin Chen’s brain swelling.
²Anti-vertigo medication commonly used to alleviate vertigo symptoms.

The only thing that satisfied him was the doctor issuing a one-week hospitalization order. He thought that with Jiang Chao’s ability, Lin Chen wouldn’t be discharged from the hospital within this week.

The ward number was marked on the hospitalization form, so Wang Chao adjusted the surveillance video of the corresponding floor without him giving further instructions.

Unfortunately, when the scene appeared, no matter how Wang Chao adjusted the monitoring angle, they could only see the door plate on Lin Chen’s ward and a small area of the beige tile inside the ward. The white wall blocked their sight, with the visitor rules hanging on them as if they were mocking him.

At first, they could still see medical staff entering and leaving the ward; soon, they couldn’t see any staff members, which indicated that Lin Chen’s condition should have stabilized.

But this was just “should”.

Lin Chen “should” be on an IV drip. Lin Chen “should” have his wound on his hand sewn up. Lin Chen “should” be sleeping. Lin Chen “should” have a calm expression…

All these “should” were just speculations. There was no substitute for the fact that Lin Chen was lying on the other side of the wall and he couldn’t see him.

In fact, he knew Lin Chen was probably lying on the other side receiving treatment, and he was also comforted by the fact that Mrs. Jiang was working at Second People’s Hospital. The ward arranged for Lin Chen by the medical staff shouldn’t be bad. However, he suddenly discovered that a wall was more like a rift in a valley that was separating him and Lin Chen by 180,000 miles. In short, it was annoying as hell.

Emotions were blocked in his chest, making it difficult to relieve.

“Smoke.” He stretched out his hand to Kang An. The other party carefully put the cigarette pack in his hand with a lighter.

Xing Conglian pulled out a cigarette and was about to ignite it when he crumpled it up irritably and threw it out of the car.

Wang Chao turned his head and asked him eagerly, “Will it be boring for A’Chen Gege to be lying alone?”

“Turn it off,” Xing Conglian said as he gave one final glance at the surveillance screen.

Just as they were peeping at Lin Chen, the surrounding sand was no longer grayish-brown. The Jeep gradually drove into a green pasture. They were about to reach the last stop in the Dana Region—Rival, a border city of the Angodo Republic.

Compared to the Dana Region, the Angodo Republic was relatively peaceful. Although the former president of the Angodo Republic was a powerful man with 18 wives, his son, the current president, was still a good president who was ambitious and dedicated to the welfare of his people. He wasn’t only committed to reselling oil but also promoted universal health care and free education and paid more attention to consolidating the border defense, which had effectively prevented invasion of the country by crazy warlords who suddenly wanted to expand their territory in the Dana Region.

Looking at the rich pastures that gradually appeared around him and the old French wooden houses dotted among the cattle and sheep, Xing Conglian didn’t even know how a killer who drank human blood could give birth to such a good son.

Suddenly, the Jeep accelerated for some unknown reason, and the woman’s crazy laughter came from the front seat.

The female bodyguard who was driving the car became extremely excited when she entered the pasture. Xing Conglian had found a person whose driving skills were comparable to Wang Chao’s.

The speed was so fast that Wang Chao became nervous and stuffed his laptop back into his backpack.

“Drive slowly and pay attention to safety,” Xing Conglian instructed in Gaomengnese.

Perhaps it was because the noise was so loud that the driver didn’t hear him.

At this moment, Xing Conglian keenly noticed a herd of horses running towards them from the side and rear. The sound of nearly a hundred horses’ hooves was as powerful as thunder in a rainstorm.

The sound of the horses stimulated the driver’s wildness even more. “Wow~~” the female bodyguard shouted and continued to slam on the gas.

“Distinguished guests, don’t worry. Rival’s cattle and horses never hurt people.” The bald head laughed and looked back to comfort them.

“What’s on the right side!” Xing Conglian pointed to the front of his right and shouted. A bison had appeared and was rushing towards them.

“Brake quickly!” The bar owner’s face changed drastically. The female bodyguard finally noticed the abnormality, but there were galloping horses from behind and a bison in the front. She slammed on the steering wheel in desperation, barely managing to avoid the horses, but the front passenger seat was swiped by the bison.

The Jeep bumped violently. Xing Conglian slammed into the car window. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kang An flying out while Wang Chao bumped into the front seat.

After a while, the sound of horseshoes gradually dissipated, and the surrounding area finally returned to quiet.

Xing Conglian rubbed his neck and opened his eyes. He looked to his sides and found Wang Chao’s eyes were closed, and he had lost consciousness.

Xing Conglian hurriedly checked his vitals and found he had a slight concussion, but he was generally fine.

Kang An had rough skin and thick flesh. He rolled a few laps on the grass, then got up by himself and walked towards the Jeep.

On the front passenger seat, the bald bar owner’s hand that was close to the car door hung limply. His arm was profusely bleeding, and he was groaning at the moment. It was obvious that he had been hit by the wild bison just now.

The most seriously injured person was the female bodyguard who was driving. Kanachal had slammed her head against the windshield. Xing Conglian laid Wang Chao flat on the seat and got out of the car to check on the female bodyguard. Her pulse was weak, and her face was covered with blood.

“Where’s the nearest hospital?” Xing Conglian asked the bar owner.

“There is no hospital, but I seem to remember… MSC Doctors Without Borders has set up a medical station that’s not far from here.”

Xing Conglian made a simple fix on the female bodyguard and Wang Chao, then sat in the driver’s seat. The car swung around and set off in the direction directed by the bar owner.

……

Lin Chen didn’t know how he fainted. To be precise, before opening his eyes, he had no impression of fainting at all.

He only remembered that he seemed to have said he wanted to go home, and then his eyes turned dark. It turned out that this kind of thing as mindfulness only had a reverse effect on him.

The cold sensation of the IV entering his vein came from the back of his hand. He opened his eyes slightly and looked around. Sure enough, he was now lying in a hospital bed and had changed into a hospital gown. Although the smell of disinfectant was pungent, it was far better than the smell of blood.

Honestly, it was embarrassing to say that he fainted because he killed a suspect.

Lin Chen moved his other hand. When he raised it, he realized that he was wrapped in thick gauze, making it difficult to move.

He really didn’t want to lie down anymore. He stretched out his hand with difficulty and touched the help bell at the head of the bed.

Soon, a little nurse rushed in.

“What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” the nurse checked nervously.

“When can I be discharged from the hospital?” Lin Chen asked.

The nurse was stunned. She opened her mouth and wanted to chide him, but she suddenly remembered something and gave him a look, then she ran away.

Not long after, a beautiful lady in a white coat stepped into the ward.

Mrs. Jiang sat down at the head of the bed.

“Sorry to trouble you,” Lin Chen said as he tried to get up, “but I really want to go home.”

Hearing what he said, Mrs. Jiang rolled her eyes and acted like a chief doctor reprimanding a patient. “If Lao Jiang hadn’t said you don’t have a girlfriend, I would think you were lovelorn or something.”

Lin Chen was halfway through sitting up when he suddenly stopped. He remembered a sentence from a certain book he read—the best doctor could see a patient’s state of mind at a glance. These words weren’t absolute, but they seemed quite apt to Mrs. Jiang.

“My current emotional state is a little more subtle than lovelorn,” Lin Chen said.

“I don’t care,” Mrs. Jiang said cruelly. She stood up and forcibly pressed him back into bed.

Lin Chen laid down helplessly. “I seemed to have saved your life just now. Can you please be a little gentle?”

“I’m saving lives every day, and I have never had any favors returned.”

Lin Chen sighed and decided to admit defeat.

“Lie down for a week. Don’t make me repeat it again,” Mrs. Jiang warned.

“My current psychological problems are more serious. Lying in a ward is not conducive to recovery.”

“You mean to say that it’s boring to lie alone, right?”

Lin Chen nodded.

“I’ll chat with you,” Mrs. Jiang said bluntly. “Let’s talk about your emotional problems.”

“Don’t you have your own job to do?” Lin Chen finally knew what it meant to not die if you don’t seek death* as he asked this with a wry smile.

*(不作死就不会死) Internet slang referring to looking for trouble (AKA fuck around and find out/play stupid games, win stupid prizes).

“I don’t have a shift today. My operation was completed this morning.” Mrs. Jiang crossed her legs, leaned on the bedside table, and looked at him with gossipy eyes, as if she were looking forward to the “emotional problems” he spoke of.

Lin Chen avoided her gaze and looked out the window, trying to search for a way to change the subject.

“I heard that you served in MSC Doctors Without Borders in the early years?” he asked suddenly.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“It’s really related to the case.”

“Yes, when I was a sophomore in college.”

“Can you talk a little bit more in detail, such as where you went?”

“West Africa.”

Lin Chen looked at the doctor bathed in the sun in front of him with some admiration.

“Isn’t it amazing? I was participating in medical assistance in the Angodo Republic, which is very close to the Dana Region, so sometimes our medical team will go deep into the Dana Rainforest. However, while the Angodo Republic is a complete country, the Dana Region…”

“The legendary unregulated zone?”

Mrs. Jiang smiled. “I participated in medical assistance because I felt that the international community can ignore many people dying of illness every year, but we as doctors can’t.”

Lin Chen nodded.

Mrs. Jiang was a little dissatisfied. “What do you mean by nodding? What I said just now is obviously great, so there should be applause.”

Lin Chen raised his scarred hands, expressing his helplessness.

“Actually, for us doctors, going there was truly an experience.” Mrs. Jiang leaned back in her chair and started reminiscing.

“If you go there for the first time, what you see at the beginning is a vast expanse of sandy soil, followed by a huge mountain range across West Africa. Even the cattle and sheep raised by humans are wild. After crossing the border of the Angodo Republic and entering the Dana Region, there are thin women and children everywhere. Dilapidated vehicles and shabby homes littered the roadside. There’s a lot of reclaimed land under the mountains. Because of the terrain, various anti-government armed forces, drug cartels, and terrorists set up stations from the bottom to the top of the mountains, but these people have a good attitude towards doctors. When you climb over the mountains to the peak, you can see the Dana Rainforest sweeping the world. If you go there, you will find that the rainforest is completely different from what it looks like on the surface. There are not only a large number of hidden militants but also various primitive tribes and legendary man-eating pythons, as well as a large number of poisonous plants. Among them, there is an herbal medicine that is a hundred times more magical than meth. The synthetic stuff isn’t even comparable. There are also some diseases that are extinct in our country but very common there. In short, it’s a very sentimental place.”

The more Mrs. Jiang spoke, the more excited her eyes became. “I really want to go back and have a look.”

Lin Chen suddenly asked, “You liked it so much, why did you come back in the end?”

“Oh, that’s because the handsome guy on our medical team told me that the skills I’ve learned could help more people in big cities that have a complete basic medical facility. There are no such good medical facilities in the Dana Region. I certainly can’t open a patient’s skull under a kerosene lamp. He said it was too wasteful for me to spend all my day in the rainforest treating headaches and brain fever, and it was better if I left quickly.”

“So you went back?”

“Yes.” Mrs. Jiang tucked her hair behind her ear. “What a pity.”

“It must be a very handsome doctor.”

“How do you know?’

“Because you have a girlish look in your eyes right now.” Lin Chen smiled slightly.

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