Chapter 269: Chapter 258: Mutate Again?
Xiao Lin looked at Sun Yifei strangely, but he’s not without emotional intelligence, knowing that Sun Yifei is only now inviting him because there must be something important. He nodded and said, "It’s been a long time since I chatted with Academician Sun. It’s not bad to go over for a cup of tea!"
Seeing how Xiao Lin was so deeply respected by Sun Yifei, both Liang Tianze and Dr. Tang felt uncomfortable, especially Liang Tianze, who watched Xiao Lin’s departing figure with a turmoil of emotions. When had he gotten involved with such a formidable person?
Sun Yifei’s office was large and luxurious, as the position of a dean at a major hospital seldom involves conducting medical research anymore. They typically manage administrative affairs. The reason Sun Yifei’s office was so big and luxurious was because it resembled more a medical research lab, filled with all kinds of high-tech equipment, and various experimental specimens stored in different glass containers.
In the office, four or five doctors and nurses were busy, and when Sun Yifei brought Xiao Lin in, the doctors and nurses seemed accustomed to it and didn’t greet Sun Yifei. They went about their work as if Sun Yifei didn’t exist, and he didn’t seem to intend for them to greet Xiao Lin either. He led Xiao Lin to the sofa in the northeast corner and sat down.
Sun Yifei personally went about making tea for Xiao Lin, who immediately tried to stop him: "Academician Sun, if you have something to say, just say it. There’s no need to make tea!"
"There are things to discuss, and tea to drink. Try this top-grade Da Hong Pao I recently got from a certain old man. It’s priceless on the market!" Sun Yifei was not in a hurry then, walked over to the safe behind his desk without trying to hide it from Xiao Lin, opened it, and took out a crystal-clear Jade Bottle, about the size of two fingers.
Upon seeing the setup, Xiao Lin knew that Sun Yifei was not joking about the top-grade Da Hong Pao, and he smiled, "Is this from the mother tree?"
"Yes, recently I heard there was an auction where twenty grams sold for two hundred thousand, ten thousand per gram. Actually, those twenty grams weren’t even from the mother tree. This belongs to a special supply grade, someone who can get this tea wouldn’t care about that two hundred thousand," Sun Yifei laughed.
Xiao Lin nodded. The best-grade Da Hong Pao from Wuyi Mountain hardly yields more than a pound in a year, and generally less than a pound. How could average people possibly get such top-quality tea?
Sun Yifei opened the Jade Bottle, poured out about a dozen tea leaves, and a refreshing fragrance immediately wafted over, even attracting the attention of the other people in the office, who looked over with envious eyes.
"It truly is good tea. I haven’t had this for quite a while!" Although Xiao Lin was not obsessed with the tea ceremony, encountering such top-grade tea would certainly merit a taste.
In no time, Sun Yifei had brewed the tea, and the entire room was filled with the delightful fragrance of Da Hong Pao, almost intoxicating to smell.
Sun Yifei didn’t bring up the matter, and Xiao Lin was happy to enjoy the fine tea. He took a small sip and said, "This indeed is picked from the mother tree. No wonder Academician Sun uses such precious containers for storage; using a Jade Bottle truly preserves the tea’s original flavor best!"
After watching Xiao Lin take a sip, Academician Sun became straightforward and said, "These are side matters. I wonder if Commander Xiao has received any notification?"
Xiao Lin was curious for a moment, but he knew Sun Yifei was about to get to the point. He had once heard that hands accepting gifts become soft, and tongues owning favors do not voice objections. Surprised, he asked, "What notification? Academician Sun, just say what you have to say!" Yet, a faint sense of unease arose in his heart, immediately recalling the issue of the HTC4 mutant virus, as it was his involvement with the HTC4 virus incident four years ago that connected him with Sun Yifei.
At this time, Sun Yifei’s expression became extraordinarily serious, unlike his previous carefree demeanor, as he solemnly said, "I just received a call from the Ministry of Health, directly from the Minister, saying that there is a problem in Jingliang Province. The HTC4 mutant virus is showing signs of an outbreak over there. In the past couple of days, over two hundred infected patients have been detected, with the total number of infections reaching into the thousands, and it’s estimated that the population at risk is around twenty million!"
"What? The HTC4 mutant virus is about to break out? Has it mutated again?" Xiao Lin’s demeanor tightened. Although he had anticipated that Sun Yifei was referring to this matter, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. Though he had never personally investigated the mutant virus, he was well aware of its ferocity, far surpassing the HTC4 virus of its time. The only saving grace was its slow rate of transmission. However, if the HTC4 mutant virus was showing signs of outbreak, could it have mutated again?
"The expert team hasn’t confirmed yet. The virus extracted from recently infected patients shows little difference from previous ones, and it will take about three more days for confirmation. I’m flying to Jingliang Province this afternoon. What about you?" Sun Yifei looked at Xiao Lin. The HTC4 virus of the past was neutralized under Xiao Lin’s leadership, perfectly resolving the ravage of that virus. It was that year that Sun Yifei leveraged this achievement to be elected as an academician at the Huaxia Academy of Sciences, receiving a national grant and rank equivalent to a bureau-level official.
However, when the results were announced to the public, Xiao Lin’s name was nowhere to be found, nor was there any introduction of him. Among the thirty-three members of the expert team, it was known that resolving the HTC4 virus was due to Xiao Lin’s keen discovery.
Xiao Lin shook his head, saying, "I haven’t received any notification. A few days ago, I heard that an antibody would be developed soon, but I didn’t expect it still hasn’t materialized yet. However, given this situation, even if the mutant virus’s antibody emerges, it might not be of much use, as it’s very likely this virus has mutated again!"
"I understand. Thank you, Commander Xiao!" Sun Yifei nodded, affirming that what Xiao Lin said was exactly what he had thought, but it wasn’t confirmed yet. It was arduous to meet Xiao Lin at this moment, and the classified information Xiao Lin could access was assuredly several levels higher than his own. Any judgment from Xiao Lin’s mouth wouldn’t be wrong. He wondered if the first batch of experts sent to Jingliang Province had considered this possibility yet?
And this was also why Sun Yifei wanted Xiao Lin to chat in his office. Since this matter hadn’t been publicly disclosed, it was naturally inappropriate to ask in the ward. As for the other doctors in the office, Sun Yifei trusted them quite thoroughly regarding what could be shared and what couldn’t; they should have that awareness.
"I wish Academician Sun success in promptly developing an antibody for the next mutation of the HTC4 mutant virus!" Xiao Lin said sincerely.
"I’m afraid this time, you won’t be able to avoid it either. Perhaps as soon as I board the plane, you’ll receive a call. Why don’t you make a call and check with the higher-ups?" Sun Yifei said with a smile. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets on . Your support is my greatest motivation.)