Chapter 421: 414: Trouble caused by Greediness

Unexpectedly, just as he returned, his grandmother was admitted, and several other patients with similar symptoms were admitted alongside her. They were all feverish without explanation, in tandem with various other symptoms, which were rapidly developing. Most troubling of all, the illness seemed to be contagious.

Gu Ning took a seat and the Dean then presented some information. “We have discovered a new virus in your grandmother and several other patients. We’ve never seen this before. The virus has a rapid onset and we have uploaded it to the Beijing virus database for study. The study should yield results soon, but the patients are deteriorating so rapidly that we fear time may not be on our side. Please think about any possible causes. If we can find the source, we can treat it more effectively.”

Gu pulled his thin lips tightly. He didn’t know. He had just returned from a mission in the border rainforest. Not long after his return, these incidents had begun to unfold.

He was caught off guard by the incident, unable to trace its origins.

Leaving the Dean’s office, he pulled out his cell phone and called his parents. “Dad, Mom, do you know what grandma has eaten?”

He had asked this question before, but their answers were always the same: she had not eaten anything unusual, only home-cooked meals made by the nanny. Gu’s mother was at a loss. She sat on the sofa, covering her faces with her hands, her head aching, as she prepared items to bring to the hospital.

The family had been through so much over the years, much of it burdensome and stressful. It wasn’t easy watching her eldest child’s rebellion and her second child’s dangerous activities. Now her elderly mother was in this condition. How would she cope if anything happened to her…

“Mom, please think again,” Gu Ning sat in the waiting chair, feeling weak and helpless.

“Hold on,” Gu’s mother stood up and called for the nanny who looked after her mother in their home.

“Sister Xu, can you think of anything unusual about my mom lately? Who has she met, and what has she eaten?”

The nanny thought for a long time but shook her head. “Auntie Zhang is just as she always has been. She uprooted the blooming flowers in the yard to plant vegetables, saying planting flowers was a waste of good land. It’s much better to grow vegetables.”

Gu’s mother shook her head and sat back down on the sofa, drained and somewhat neurotic.

Just as the nanny was about to leave, she suddenly remembered something. “Oh, not long ago, the neighbor brought Auntie Zhang a bowl of something.”@@novelbin@@

“Something, what something?” Gu’s mother stood up. “Did they say what it was?”

“It was…” The nanny thought for a moment. “I think it was some kind of meat. Auntie Zhang wanted to save it for Uncle Zhang, but Grandma Li said the meat was very nutritious and should be eaten hot. She said it was snake meat…”

Gu’s mother quickly rang her son.

“Snake meat!” Gu Ning stood up quickly and went to find the Dean.

“You’re saying, the meat of the purple-red snake?”

The Dean felt a drop of cold sweat on his forehead. “The kind of snake that could be contagious if eaten?”

Gu Ning nodded. “I can’t think of any other kind of snake meat that could cause such illness.”

“I’ll contact the virus database immediately.”

When the Dean got in touch with the virus researchers, he learnt they now understood the virus’s properties, although they had yet to develop a relevant antibody. It would take time, a lot of it, to develop a strategy to combat this virus. While they had time, the patients didn’t – they were rapidly deteriorating, with multiple organ failures. The worst-case scenario was drawing near; they might not last till the research was completed.

What’s more, this illness was highly contagious in its later stages, similar to dengue fever. The patient’s breath would carry bacteria, which was what made the current situation so challenging – not just the overall situation, but also the current condition of the patients.

At this point, Tang Yuxin was packing her things into her new fridge. Her phone rang as she emerged from her house.

Walking over, she picked up her phone from the table. It was Gu Ning.

She picked up her phone, put it to her ear, and started munching on a biscuit.

“What?” She put down the biscuit in her hand. “You’re saying someone has eaten that snake meat? What are the symptoms?” She was jotting notes as she spoke on the phone.

“Numerous red spots all over the body, respiratory failure, shadow in the lungs, and unexplained viral infection. While the virology analysis has begun, time is of the essence.”

“Mmm, got it. I’ll head over as soon as I finish packing.”

Before long, she had arrived at Beijing General Hospital with her belongings. She was familiar enough with the place to navigate it without assistance.

She glanced at her watch, but noticed a woman’s peculiar gait just ahead.

With a swift stride, she reached out to steady the woman.

“Thank you…” The woman gave a weak smile, her complexion extremely poor.

Tang Yuxin felt her pulse and after groping in her pocket for a moment, pulled out a piece of candy and handed it to her.

“Hypoglycemia. Eat this first.”

The woman accepted the candy and ate it, but she still seemed unsteady on her feet.

“Help me,” Tang Yuxin called out to a passing nurse. Together they helped the woman, who seemed on the verge of fainting.

In a matter of moments, the woman had been taken to a ward and hooked up to an IV.

“What happened to her?” a doctor asked as he entered the room.

“Typical hypoglycemia and neurosis. She’s exhausted from lack of rest,” Tang Yuxin replied as she tucked the woman in. Turning to face the doctor, she was met with a welcoming smile.