The Frenzied Savior - Chapter 34

The unique genetic sequence of the toxin was destroyed in a stroke of luck, as the seemingly impenetrable virus finally met its natural predator.

The nemesis of this specific toxin from the A48 galaxy turned out to be something as simple as the pollen from Earth’s golden osmanthus flowers.

Because he hadn’t been able to find a substance capable of breaching the outer defensive layer of the toxin’s genetic sequence, Fu Qingya’s research had been deadlocked from the start.

Having run out of ideas after yet another failed fusion, Fu Qingya was dragged out by Luo Mingyuan for dinner. Afterward, he set aside the chemicals in the lab, smoothed out the slight wrinkles in his clothes, and walked toward the hospital garden with heavy steps and half-closed eyes.

He sat down on a stone bench, slouching in an exhausted heap, and stared up at the trees through the hazy moonlight.

Above him stood a golden osmanthus tree, its leaves a vibrant green and its orange buds full and ripe. A thick, sweet fragrance filled the air, clinging to his skin and clothes.

Fu Qingya was not a fan of floral scents. Surrounded by the overwhelming aroma of osmanthus, his first instinct was to get up and move further away.

Perhaps it was fate, but as he stood up, a gentle breeze brushed past. The wind caressed the golden osmanthus branches above him, causing a few stray petals to flutter down and land on his shoulder.

Unaware of this, he simply moved to a different spot and continued to stare blankly at the drooping branches nearby.

This was his personal way of relaxing. Whenever his research hit a bottleneck or a problem seemed insurmountable, he liked to take a walk, sit outside, and find something in nature to zone out on, clearing his mind completely.

Doing this often brought him flashes of inspiration or unexpected breakthroughs, and over time, it had become a fixed habit.

After sitting for about half an hour, more people began to appear in the area for evening walks. Most were elderly patients hospitalized for minor aches and pains.

As the chatter of the old men grew louder, Fu Qingya, who had no interest in socializing, lifted his eyelids. After a moment of dazed silence, he stood up and returned to the lab to start a new round of research.

Whether it was his social anxiety or sheer exhaustion, when he spotted the fallen petal on his shoulder while changing into his protective gear, he felt a strange impulse to bring it into the lab.

He placed it to the side, treating it like a pretty ornament to brighten his mood and add a splash of warmth to the sterile, white research room.

After glancing at the flower bud he had neatly placed in a glass dish, he felt a surge of unexpected cheer and picked up his instruments to continue developing the antidote.

To his amazement, the process felt as if he were being guided by a divine hand. He succeeded at an eerie, lightning-fast pace.

Fu Qingya’s eyes lit up. Some unique, essential core element had appeared by accident, but what was it?

He dropped half a drop of the solution into a dish containing Li Xiaowen’s blood. He watched as the pale purple liquid instantly destroyed and consumed the strange substance clinging to the blood cells. He knew he had found it.

Carefully, he placed the newly developed antidote into a dialysis machine.

Soon, the mystery was solved.

This accidentally successful batch of medicine contained traces of osmanthus fragrance. It must have been picked up when he brushed against the tree, and because he hadn’t cleaned himself thoroughly enough, the scent had inadvertently blended into the mixture during the development process.

To the usual Fu Qingya, such a lapse would have been an error worthy of a self-inflicted slap to the face. Today, however, it was a godsend, a miracle.

Because of this mistake, an antidote that could save countless lives had finally come into existence.

As Fu Qingya repeatedly tested the serum, nearly a thousand more people joined the “suicide queue.” They were discovered by hyper-vigilant school teachers and prevented from finishing the act before being rushed to the hospital.

Since many of these people were still conscious, Luo Mingyuan took the opportunity to speak with them. He keenly noticed the inner struggle written all over their faces.

Every single one of them came from a happy home and lived a fulfilling life, and their grades were among the best in their schools.

These students showed no prior signs of mental illness, yet when speaking with Luo Mingyuan, they expressed an inexplicable sense of dejection, listlessness, and a longing for death. However, when he pressed them with quick questions, their answers revealed a state of absolute, terrified resistance.

Everything proved that they were not attempting suicide out of their own will, but were being manipulated by something inexplicable, forced into these self-destructive acts.

Furthermore, this “something” still couldn’t be detected by any instruments. They had no way of even grasping what it was.

Closing his clipboard, Luo Mingyuan turned and walked away with a cold expression. This poison was even more lethal than he had imagined, and the person behind it possessed a far greater supply of the toxin than he had feared.

In less than three days, the number of people infected by this strange poison had soared to 1,300. Most were high school students. If this continued, they would no longer be able to suppress the public outcry.

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