Chapter 69: The Value of Thrill
October 3rd, Wednesday, 9 AM. Army General Hospital, Dark Arrow Western Monitoring District Medical Supply Center.
In the comfortably warm observation room, Meng Huai lay alone on a plank bed wearing only shorts. Surrounding him were no fewer than ten medical instruments of varying sizes, with various monitoring leads attached all over his body.
Meng Huai looked at the ceiling with a calm expression, a hint of self-mockery at the corner of his mouth, feeling like a fish awaiting slaughter on a cutting board. For more than ten days, he had gotten out of bed each day to undergo various peculiar tests, ranging from bone marrow biopsies to blood draws.
As for the reason, he could vaguely sense some of it himself.
Since officially joining the Dark Arrow troops, Meng Huai had received over sixty injections of anti-blood invasion immunization agent. This record not only sent chills down his spine in the Western Monitoring District, it was likely one that would make anyone feel uneasy throughout the entire Dark Arrow force.
If such bizarre circumstances were applied to a regular Dark Arrow member, their health status would likely have exceeded critical levels multiple times.
The glass wall of the observation room was one-way transparent. Meng Huai slightly tilted his head, knowing that at this moment, there would surely be more eyes staring at him from the other side of the glass.
“Incredible! Comrade Meng Huai’s health check previously indicated stage two. Then, during his leave, he suddenly deteriorated to stage three due to acute liver failure, but now… look everyone, he’s back to stage two!”
Director Tang of the Medical Supply Center held a file folder, his hands trembling, unable to resist taking off his glasses and pressing his head against the glass wall, staring intently at the young officer on the bed.
The surrounding military doctors were mostly students of Director Tang. Seeing their mentor so astonished, they all dared not speak, flipping through their own documents with blank expressions.
Sudden footsteps were heard from the corridor behind them, prompting the military doctors to turn curiously. A young lieutenant, with an overly serious expression, appeared at the half-open door.
“Han Jie Li, Headquarters Intelligence Agency, here is my identification.”
The lieutenant showed his ID, causing everyone, including Director Tang, to freeze momentarily. The other person was from Headquarters and was indeed a high-ranking official from the Intelligence Agency, and his surname was Han.
“Director Tang, this is a directive document from the Headquarters Medical Supply Department. You are required to accompany Comrade Meng Huai to the capital. A plane is waiting at the military airport in the northern suburbs.”
Han Jie Li then took out another document from his briefcase and handed it to Director Tang. Faced with such a professional and seasoned figure, Han Jie Li did not dare to act arrogantly and instead wore a soft smile.
“Now?” Director Tang looked around at the military doctors, his face filled with doubt. “Should I inform Comrade Meng Huai?”
Han Jie Li took a step back, saluted everyone, and quickly left. Military personnel are duty-bound to obey orders, and upon checking the document in his hand, Director Tang quickly returned to his normal demeanor and directly pushed open the observation room’s door.
Zhong Jing’s Bentley luxury SUV slowly turned the corner, and just over two hundred meters ahead was the Golden River Club. However, Zhong Jing was somewhat surprised to find a business coach parked in front of the club.
The SUV came to a stop behind the coach, and he saw that the club’s doors were open. Nearly twenty members of the Hyacinth crew were coming out in succession, each carrying various sizes of bags.
“Hey, Zhong Jing!”
Zhou Ping, with a travel backpack and a suitcase, came out of the club holding hands with Jiang Yao. Upon seeing Zhong Jing standing dazed next to the SUV, both laughed and waved.
Today, Jiang Yao wore a French-style short-sleeved dress with a white long stocking and black leather shoes. Her light golden hair was braided into two pigtails, and she wore a round straw hat, exuding an autumn vibe that was strikingly appealing.
“You… didn’t you agree to go to Longquan Mountain today?”
Zhong Jing quickly grabbed Jiang Yao who was about to board the coach, bewildered. After all, he had specifically confirmed this with her over the phone before setting off.
“That’s right. Wan Jie is taking everyone to Longquan Mountain for an autumn team-building event. I never said I was going there with you alone.”
Jiang Yao rolled her eyes, tightened her grip on her travel bag, and directly boarded the coach.
Hey, the feeling of rolling your eyes at someone is really great! I love seeing him sulk!
Jiang Yao looked at the group of young women and the few male colleagues with head hung low and felt a slight thrill inside.
“Hyacinth, a bunch of blood clan members, what team-building could they possibly do…”
Zhong Jing stood dazed in front of the large business coach, feeling an inexplicable absurdity.
“What’s wrong? Are you unwell?”
A familiar voice came from his side. Turning his head, he spotted Wan Yue in sports attire, smiling as she stood at the club’s entrance. There was no one else behind her.
“Master, are you going to Longquan Mountain? A last-minute decision?” Zhong Jing grinned, unsure of what to say.
“My home is there, can’t I go?” Wan Yue lit a cigarette, glanced at the bus window with a calm expression. “I plan to take all the attendants and go to participate in the Hyacinth event.”
From Xingji Yunlong Springs to Fengxin Villa; we’ll be back to the capital in a few days.
“Is Jiang Yao a knight…”
Zhong Jing’s lips moved slightly, still feeling a bit unwilling. “Besides, isn’t Jiang Yan still in the club, sleeping? Won’t she be around to take care of things?”
“Having Zhao Peng and a few other knights is enough. Letting her stay here while you find all sorts of excuses to cling to her for these few days? With her combat skill, it’s not much different from that of an attendant.”
Wan Yue rolled her eyes, dropped her cigarette butt, and headed directly for Zhong Jing’s car. “Since you’re going, then I’ll take your car. You can stay in a hotel outside the mountain tonight, or at my place if you prefer.”
“……”
Zhong Jing twitched the corner of his mouth, having no choice but to follow Wan Yue.
Tilting his head slightly, he raised his gaze and saw Jiang Yao behind one of the bus windows grinning mischievously at him.
……
The business coach and the Bentley SUV drove one after the other on the city avenue.
Zhong Jing focused on driving, while Wan Yue sat casually in the passenger seat, her arm resting on the window, gazing leisurely into the distance. The wind gently tousled the few stray hairs on her forehead, and her face bore an uncommon tranquility.
“Zhao Peng told me yesterday that you’re the type who won’t stop until you dig into things, right? I’ll tell you now, the person coming to your home is a British blood clan baron from the Fujiwara family in Japan.”
Stealing a glance at the serious face of the young man beside her, Wan Yue suddenly muttered, “Jiang Yao ran into one of her knights on the way home that night. Fortunately, there was no hostility.”
Zhong Jing perked up his ears, gripping the steering wheel tighter without speaking.
“The Kamen Corporation is controlled by the Fujiwara family. In fact, the old guy in the Kamen family never had a granddaughter. This Kamen Harumi was adopted as a granddaughter of the Fujiwara family ten years ago.”
“Master, do you mean I may end up marrying a woman over a hundred years old?!”
Zhong Jing stared wide-eyed, regaining his senses after a long while, feeling both amused and helpless: “This Kamen Harumi has already started improving her qualities as a daughter-in-law in front of my parents. Goodness, yesterday she insisted on following my mother to learn how to make soup, how to cook Chinese food…”
“Do you have some bias against female blood clan barons? Kamen Harumi is only in her seventies, okay? She’s still young enough—she’s practically in the prime of life for an ordinary person…”
Wan Yue lit another cigarette, rolling her eyes again.
“Oh, just seventy-something… no, the core of the issue is not this! I just want to know what the hell the Kamen Corporation and the Fujiwara family are plotting! I can see they’re threatening my father.”
Zhong Jing felt both amused and exasperated, especially seeing Wan Yue’s nonchalant demeanor; it felt like their thoughts were completely misaligned.
“Ha-ha, the country isn’t anxious, why are you? Sending you a baron-level blood clan wife isn’t all that threatening, is it?”
Wan Yue blew cigarette rings out of the window, disdainfully looking at her disciple’s shocked expression, “Unless mixed with some other conspiracy theories, in theory, this matter could be seen as a win-win for both China and Japan. The only ones who would feel uncomfortable are some old turtles in the country.”
“If the Fujiwara family is merely planning to expand their business territory through a so-called marriage, that’s not so bad. What worries me is if they’re in cahoots with those old turtles in Europe, especially now appearing in China at this crucial moment…”
“What if there’s a conspiracy?”
Zhong Jing’s mood gradually calmed, realizing that true communication with Wan Yue was just beginning.
“小璟, do you know why China is called the world’s factory?” Wan Yue asked suddenly.
“Hmm… The world’s most outstanding infrastructure, a完善的全工业上下游产业链配套, relatively low labor costs, a highly qualified labor force, stable national policies, and a massive consumer market… all these factors inevitably attract global industrial capital to concentrate in China, making it the largest manufacturing country in the world.”
Zhong Jing thought for a moment and rattled off a string of commonly understood facts.
“The world of ordinary people is like that. But perhaps you do not know, in the world of blood clan members, China is still the world’s factory! It still possesses all the advantages you just mentioned!”
Wan Yue’s expression gradually turned cold, as if this conclusion was ironic to her.
Glancing at Wan Yue’s face, Zhong Jing felt a hint of doubt arise: “Are you referring to the biopharmaceutical field? I recall you said a few years ago that most of the technologies for anti-tumor and anti-aging drugs worldwide are held by pharmaceutical companies in Europe, America, and Japan, controlled by several blood clan family clans; Zhong Pharmaceutical has licensed production of several types.”
“I’ve seen some data, and over four million new malignant tumor patients are added in China every year, ranking first in the world. The demand for anti-tumor drugs is astronomical. The market for anti-aging healthcare products in China currently accounts for less than one-tenth of global consumption, but it has the fastest growth rate worldwide; becoming number one is just a matter of time.”
“So the Kan Yue Pharmaceutical representing the Fujiwara family is coming for this? If we put it that way, there’s no conspiracy after all.”
Zhong Jing listed a series of data, seeming to confirm Wan Yue’s previous statements.
“Ha-ha, you forgot to mention that in the cosmetics market, China ranks first in the world. Kan Yue Pharmaceutical is also the main global manufacturer of intermediate materials in cosmetics.”
As Wan Yue spoke, sunlight fell on her arm: “Perhaps the hand cream I’m using now contains intermediate raw materials provided by our pharmaceutical company.”
Zhong Jing grew more confused, unsure how Wan Yue’s mention of conspiracy theories related to all this.
“小璟, our blood clan is seen as a highly aberrant form of humanity in the eyes of secret institutions in various countries. However, purely from a biological dissection perspective, blood clans share few differences compared to normal humans, and there’s no reproductive isolation with them. Although they prefer to call us vampires.”
“Nonetheless, since we are labeled as aberrant humanity, there are inevitably some key differences between us and normal humans, or advantages that make them envious. For example, blood clans will never suffer from malignant tumors and are immune to most viral and bacterial infections; our lifespans far exceed those of normal people.”
Listening to Wan Yue, Zhong Jing gradually sensed an unsettling understanding emerging, his palms beginning to sweat against the steering wheel.
“In Zhong Pharmaceutical’s production workshop, there is a blood disorder long-acting agent called Yiwende, of which China consumes fifty percent of the global production, most of which are used by the Dark Arrow troops as anti-blood immunity agents. And one of the key raw materials, RMEC, is extracted from the livers and bone marrows of blood clans.”
The car swerved slightly, nearly colliding with a small sedan attempting to overtake; the furious driver honked sharply, seeing Zhong Jing drenched in sweat.
“Surprised? Ha-ha… The European-imported cosmetics your mother uses also contain extracts from blood clan pancreatic tissues, with anti-aging active ingredients that effectively keep skin youthful… The prices are staggering; high-end families worldwide are major clients.”
Moreover, the world’s strongest artificially synthesized antibiotics have their raw materials extracted from blood clan serum… and the special drug raw materials for treating Alzheimer’s are also extracted from the cerebrospinal fluid of blood clans…
Wan Yue spoke with the familiarity of someone recounting treasures, yet Zhong Jing felt his mind was numb beyond description.
“Are you saying… all of this is produced in China?”
Zhong Jing felt his throat dry, his voice trembling: “Kan Yue Pharmaceutical, no, the Kamen Corporation, oh no, the Fujiwara family, intends to establish these production lines in our country and obtain raw materials locally?”
“That shows you don’t understand. China is currently the only country still implementing a high-pressure crackdown policy against blood clans; it is also one of the countries with the most roaming blood clan members and black blood clans, second only to India. Moreover, every year a significant number of blood clan organs flow out of the country through various smuggling channels. Now to build factories directly domestically is a win-win, isn’t it?”
Wan Yue lit another cigarette, her expression turning even colder: “If they can solve part of the raw material supply issues locally, it would be the most favorable thing for those international medical industry capitals controlled by behind-the-scenes blood clan families.”
By comparison, while India and Africa may have more blood clan and black blood clan activity, they are still far from being the world factory and can only serve as pure raw material origins…
“Fuck the Fujiwara family! Isn’t this encouraging blood clans around the world to breed more?”
Zhong Jing’s face suddenly turned terrifying, his teeth nearly gritting to the point of breaking: “What about those old turtles in our country? Are they part of this too?”
“Hmm, very normal. This is called competition, domestic self-strengthening. Apart from hunting black blood clans, the Wang family also secretly imports a lot of random stuff from India, Africa, and South America every year, especially maintaining cooperation with the wandering blood clan forces skilled at smuggling like the Hermits’ Alliance… Various graded pills are the Wang family’s trademark, which can also treat rheumatism and immune diseases for ordinary people,”
“Your father, as a broker, likely has something going on in between as well; the state needs some special materials channels and turns a blind eye. The state allows the Kamen Corporation to invest in the country precisely because they allow many patented drugs to be produced domestically.”
“As long as the Wang family, Zhou family, Liang family and other old turtles don’t cause trouble or make foolish moves, and don’t treat the ordinary people of China as expendables, the Dark Arrow can maintain a delicate balance with them… As for the black blood clan lunatics, be it the Dark Arrow or our Hyacinth, of course, we’ll kill them without question! Just consider it waste utilization!”
Wan Yue let out a long breath, lazily shrinking into her seat as the coldness in her expression gradually faded.
“Perhaps what you’ll face isn’t just these minor quarrels related to ordinary people. As they can’t stand the light of day, they are also the ones sacrificing the majority of low-ranked blood clans, providing ways for ordinary people to alleviate pain or enhance happiness in exchange for huge profits.”
“But if one day you discover there is an even more terrifying group chasing after things even more unspeakable… Little Jing, do you think you can still continue being a warrior?”
“Master…”
Zhong Jing opened his mouth several times, unable to utter a word.
