After a long period of preparation and intense planning, the Planet Exchange finally held its grand opening ceremony.
Over two hundred planet leaders were invited to attend, and tens of thousands of buyers and sellers flocked to the event, hoping for good fortune. The starport's docking bays were already full, with luxurious spacecraft bearing the insignias of various planets gleaming in the sunlight, each with its own maintenance crew.
The luxury hotels in the Exchange's new city were all fully booked, with reservations extending six months into the future. Television stations and online media had been building hype for half a month. Not only Jiang Ye Star, but media from over five hundred planets had arrived. The streets near the Exchange were crowded with reporters carrying cameras, making it look like a film crew was shooting a movie.
The opening of the Exchange marked Jiang Ye Star's transition from an obscure small planet to a major economic hub, an undeniably impactful and landmark event.
On the day of the ceremony.
At eight o'clock in the morning, half an hour before the ceremony was scheduled to begin.
The area around the Exchange was already packed with people. Various luxury vehicles were arriving and departing, delivering extraterrestrial dignitaries to the venue. They gathered, chatting with each other, exchanging contact information, their faces beaming with smiles.
Inside the Exchange's office, Jiang Ye, dressed in a formal suit, had a furrowed brow and a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.
He sat by the sofa, a trash can in front of him, his mouth opening periodically in an attempt to vomit, but after a moment of painful contortion, nothing came out.
The medical team rushed in, a group of white-coated professionals busily setting up the medical equipment they had brought.
Jiang Ye had been fine yesterday. He had attended two meetings in the afternoon and a banquet with representatives of alien entrepreneurs in the evening, where he had enthusiastically discussed the bright future of planetary trade.
This morning, upon waking, Jiang Ye had felt slightly unwell. He attributed it to kicking off his covers during the night and catching a chill, not thinking much of it, assuming a bit of hot water would help.
He had rushed to the Exchange and, after observing the site setup for a while, suddenly began to feel unwell.
It started with a feeling similar to a fever, but his temperature was completely normal.
He felt weak all over, his mind hazy, as if he were hungover, yet he had clearly gone to bed early the night before, and the bedside display had indicated "The master slept soundly last night."
Now, he was starting to feel nauseous and was experiencing dry heaves.
"Sir, we need to collect some blood and saliva samples," a doctor with a white mask approached.
Jiang Ye nodded weakly, extending his arm to allow the doctors to draw blood, then spat into a tube for saliva.
"Would you be able to provide a urine sample in the restroom?" the doctor asked.
"Yes," Jiang Ye took the collection kit, stood up with difficulty, and walked unsteadily towards the restroom.
A moment later, Jiang Ye emerged from the restroom.
His appearance startled the doctors. He was pale, his forehead covered in sweat, looking as if he had been shot twice in the restroom rather than simply urinating.
A nurse quickly helped Jiang Ye to sit on the sofa. "Sir, please describe your current physical sensations. Besides feeling weak and nauseous, do you have any other feelings?"
A thermometer was extended, taking readings on Jiang Ye's forehead and hand. Someone then brought a towel to wipe his sweat.
"I'm weaker, completely without strength," Jiang Ye's breathing became heavy. "I'm very sleepy and want to sleep. Give me a stimulant injection; I need to hold on for another half hour to give my speech. I feel like I have a bad cold, but I'm not coughing or having a runny nose."
Another hand reached out, placing a small, pill-like metallic device on Jiang Ye's chest. The device vibrated slightly and then adhered quietly to his skin.
"His heart rate is very low," one doctor exclaimed in alarm.
"Sir's heart rate has always been low," another doctor replied. "His blood pressure is a bit low, and his blood sugar is also low. Let me see the record of his morning intake."
A guard stood at the door, his expression grave, and asked in a low voice, "Should we detain everyone who provided meals to the sir in the past few days?"
A nearby officer nodded and hurried out of the room.
Jiang Ye opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but sighed and remained silent. An intense fatigue enveloped him, making it almost impossible to think or speak. He slumped onto the sofa, his head hanging limply. His condition was rapidly deteriorating, its onset swift and its symptoms bizarre.
"We'll help you lie down on the bed to prop you up, and we'll give you acupuncture to stabilize your qi and blood, and also check for any gastrointestinal issues," two senior doctors approached.
Jiang Ye nodded, straightened up weakly, and was immediately helped onto a mobile bed. His shirt was hastily removed, revealing a well-muscled physique.
Lying on the mobile bed, Jiang Ye's mind buzzed. "What in the world is going on? I'm getting weaker and weaker... Damn it..."
"Report, sir! Your blood pressure and blood sugar are a bit low, and your uric acid levels have surged. However, no pathogenic bacteria or viruses have been detected so far, and your cardiopulmonary function is temporarily normal," a doctor reported quickly. "We'll conduct more in-depth examinations immediately. The doctor will give you acupuncture, and after taking some medication, you should feel a bit better..."
"Sir, please try to stay awake and talk to us," the nurse's tone was becoming anxious.
An ominous atmosphere filled the room. Jiang Ye's breathing became heavy one moment and faint the next, like a dying, injured animal. The medical equipment operated at full power, analyzing results, but no cause was found, leaving the doctors at a loss. The sir was originally a very strong person; his weekly physicals and daily health monitoring showed him to be exceptionally healthy, almost at an athlete's level. Today, he had suddenly fallen ill for no apparent reason!
The most terrifying aspect was the complete ignorance of the illness. There was no severe pain or exhaustion, only a strange sense of weakness and drowsiness that was worsening, as if his life were draining away with his sweat, or his soul was gradually leaving his body.
Jiang Ye's mind was becoming clouded. He struggled to speak intermittently, trying to stay awake as the doctors requested.
"Dispatch troops... dispatch troops immediately to find my son and wife, protect them."
"Do not over... over-publicize. Say I am unwell and the ceremony may be postponed..."
"Have Ju Lanlan handle the ceremony well. If I cannot speak on stage, she will represent me..."
"I can't hold on any longer, my vision is darkening, I'm going to faint... While I am unconscious... Shao Wandai will manage Jiang Ye Star, Liu Jizi will manage Bi Rong Star, Isabella will manage the Exile Star, and Xu Aoqing will manage the Meteorite Star..."
As Jiang Ye spoke, two IV drips had already been connected to him, and several pills were placed in his mouth. Someone pried open his eyelids to examine his eyes and used a tongue depressor to look at his tongue.
The acupuncturist rolled up his sleeves and began working, swiftly inserting long needles into Jiang Ye's body with fluid movements. Soon, his muscular back was covered in hair-thin needles.
"Blood pressure is up a bit, heart rate is sixty-five," a nurse called out.
"It's like poisoning, but I don't know what kind of poison," the acupuncturist said. "I'll stabilize the sir's condition first. You all hurry and investigate."
Jiang Ye let out a sigh of relief, feeling a surge of energy to his head, becoming slightly clearer. His mind began to function, and he felt as if he had been pulled back from the brink of death. Realizing he had almost fainted, he jolted, breaking out in a cold sweat.
A wave of intense fear washed over him. This illness was too abnormal.