Chapter 53: The Distorted Secret
At nine o’clock in the evening, guests in the first-floor hall of the Golden River Club remained leisurely in their golden dreams. However, deep within the staff area, in a certain staff break room, the atmosphere was rather tense.
This is a report sent by a journalist on the scene: A fire broke out at the children’s welfare institute in District W about an hour ago. Police revealed that negotiations with armed robbers had previously broken down, prompting the police to launch a strong attack, resulting in the on-site shooting of one of the resisting robbers, while another robber set fire to the administrative building…
The fire originated in the first-floor library and has now spread to the third floor and the side staff cafeteria. Firefighters on-site are working hard to control the further spread of the flames…
On the television screen, local evening news is live-reporting a horrific fire, while Jiang Yan’s expression becomes increasingly painful, her skirt being tightly gripped by her hands, almost tearing apart.
The familiar gate, the familiar old tree, the familiar dormitory building, and the familiar small playground—all these represented home to Jiang Yan, now shrouded in towering flames and smoke.
Countless firefighters, clad in orange gear and carrying equipment, desperately wielding water guns to suppress the fire, seem unable to prevent this home from falling apart.
Minutes later, the scene shifts from the chaotic and raging fire scene back to the broadcasting van outside the welfare institute.
The latest report states that the police have successfully captured another armed robber, and all trapped individuals are safe. However, several elderly workers at the welfare institute were injured during the fire due to their limited mobility and are currently being urgently transported to the Second Branch of the Army General Hospital. The police stated that they would make every effort to treat the injured individuals… Further developments will be reported continuously by our station.
A few close-up shots briefly flash on the television screen, causing Jiang Yan’s pupils to constrict once again.
She saw a figure that bore a striking resemblance to the elderly Jiang Chunhua, covered with a white cloth, bound to a stretcher, being taken towards a special police vehicle. In the open special police vehicle, a black, box-like object was prominently visible.
This was a special sealed box specifically used for the containment and transport of blood-infected individuals, including those who had suffered from blood infection. The host on-site mentioned the destination for treatment, which chilled Jiang Yan’s heart.
The Second Branch of the Army General Hospital, on the surface, is the best hospital in the country for treating burns and scalds, but in the dark arrow Western Monitoring District, it is the only medical unit for emergency surgeries for blood infections.
If one does not die from the initial immune response to a blood infection, a highly specialized rescue plan can be employed to reverse the blood infection. Similar to leukemia bone marrow transplants, this involves deactivating all of the body’s bone marrow, followed by an expensive full-body blood replacement and special immune drugs, and finally, performing bone marrow transplants.
The entire rescue process is complex, extremely costly, and has only a golden time of less than twenty-four hours.
Even so, the final probability of reversing a blood infection does not exceed twenty percent, and even the blood-infected individual often cannot withstand the excruciating torment of full-body bone marrow deactivation, leading to shock and death.
Even if one survives the operation and successfully reverses the blood infection, the patient is usually left with lifelong illnesses, becoming a mere shell of a human, sometimes reduced to a vegetative state that only symbolizes the meaning of survival.
For the majority of front-line battle members in the Dark Arrow forces, once blood-infected, if they can live through the initial immune response, they would rather flee or commit suicide than undergo such a cruel emergency surgery, especially since there is often no time left.
The only choice before the emergence of this emergency rescue technology was to deal with blood-infected members directly on the spot. After its introduction, it remained the best and most humane option.
As for other choices, they are taboo topics in the Dark Arrow, forbidden from any discussion, as certain attempts have already proven to be failures.
Thus, for the Dark Arrow forces, it is better to focus on ways to improve resistance to blood infection rather than placing hope in surgeries post-infection.
Regardless of how expensive blood infection immune agents are or how many side effects they may have, they are far more affordable and humane than such brutal post-infection surgeries.
In Jiang Yan’s view, with the social influence of Elder Jiang Chunhua, the medical department of the Dark Arrow would probably be willing to invest significant resources to gamble on success. But success rates can only be left to fate; perhaps related news reports are already being drafted.
“That’s Elder Jiang! I have to save her! They can’t operate on her!”
Minutes later, Jiang Yan slowly stood up and turned towards Zhao Peng and Wan Yue in the room, revealing a serious expression.
“Are you an idiot?”
Wan Yue snapped a cigarette in a casual manner, though the sarcasm was evident in her tone, “Isn’t it obvious they’re just putting on a show for you? The old lady is over seventy; the probability of surviving a blood infection is maybe just below five percent. Do you really believe what you just saw on screen is genuine?”
Just because it resembles the person in clothing and body type, are you so sure it’s really her?
Burning down a decades-old children’s welfare institute, after countless investments, is also part of their act for me?
Jiang Yan’s face grew even paler as she shook her head vehemently, seemingly in desperate denial of Wan Yue’s perspective.
“Burning down a welfare institute, and managing to capture even a monster like you? How can that not be considered a profit!”
“Okay, I won’t provoke you anymore. Stop watching, calm down, and tell me what possible links there are between you and the welfare institute post-blood infection that Dark Arrow might investigate.”
Wan Yue directly turned off the noisy television to prevent Jiang Yan’s emotions from spiraling further and gestured for Zhao Peng to note down all the timestamps on a whiteboard.
Minutes later, as Jiang Yan described the events, Wan Yue’s expression grew increasingly subtle, the smile at the corner of her mouth never fading.
“Such a familiar scene, Zhao Peng, do you remember how Xiao Chen died ten years ago?”
“Although it wasn’t as grand as this time, it was basically the same; it involved exploiting people’s psychological weaknesses… you guys, never underestimate the Dark Arrow’s determination in handling major targets!”
Wan Yue blinked her beautiful eyes, delicately pointing at the whiteboard, “Before this timestamp, the children’s welfare institute in District W was completely unknown; after this, it appeared repeatedly on television media—too much of a coincidence.”
“And your personal situation must have been extensively analyzed by the Dark Arrow intelligence unit. Your relationship with Elder Jiang Chunhua, your feelings towards the welfare institute, and your attitude towards life, are your weaknesses.”
“The first remittance actually revealed your flaws. The second remittance confirmed your existence once again, and then within three weeks, this incident happened—the kind that the whole world should know about. Tell me, who else could be the target other than you? They are just playing with your heart, it’s an open plot, and the willing will be lured.”
Wan Yue’s series of analyses rendered Jiang Yan’s face ashen.
“No one knows the past Dark Arrow better than I do, or perhaps no one understands the current Dark Arrow better than you do. Am I right, Jiang Yan?”
In the end, Wan Yue laughed, flicked her cigarette butt, and walked out, with Zhao Peng hesitating for a moment before following suit.
“To catch me, they were willing to go to such lengths? That was Grandma Jiang’s lifelong hope! That is my home! … your oath to protect the people and national interests, who do you think you are?”
What does that oath count for…
It can’t be true; the Dark Arrow would never do these things!
By tomorrow night at the latest, Jiang Grandma’s blood infection reversal surgery will start…… I didn’t missee; that really is Grandma Jiang. Yes, I didn’t missee; it really is her……
Jiang Yan slowly sat back in her chair, her expression lost, angry, fearful, and doubtful, cycling back and forth.
Minutes later, Jiang Yan walked into Jiang Yao’s sleeping room.
Perhaps because her face was already a canvas of certain expressions, the attendant Xiao Ling tactfully withdrew.
Jiang Yao was sleeping very comfortably, a sweet smile lingering at the corners of her mouth, as though trapped in a beautiful dream.
“Xiao Yao, I might act foolishly again because I cannot accept it; Xia Yan is very pitiful, he is begging me, and he is cursing at me……”
As she finished, Jiang Yan covered her face with both hands.
……
After two o’clock in the morning, the Golden River Club was silent, most areas dimmed, with only a light still on in a certain area on the second floor.
Wan Yue quietly sat in a luxurious booth, leaning against the glass window, holding a glass of red wine, admiring the urban nightscape outside. Dressed in a snow-white chiffon gown, with black hair and red lips, she appeared graceful and dignified.
In the corner of the room lay two dirty, tattered black combat uniforms.
The door opened, and the familiar, steady, and rhythmic footsteps of Zhao Peng could be heard.
“Wan Jie, regarding the Wang family, Elder Jin seems unaware of the incidents in D City concerning Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao, or if he does know, he is tight-lipped.”
“Jiang Yao’s transition into a dormant state is quite promising; this breakthrough might directly elevate her to a mid-tier knight.”
As Zhao Peng spoke, he walked to Wan Yue’s side, a look of surprise and confusion on his face, “Jiang Yan is the same; during this period of continuous use of the major and minor golden elixirs, her growth is evident. At this rate, she is likely to advance to knight status within a month……”
“Let’s keep it brief with the Wang family; it’s hard to get them to be honest. Zhao Peng, I feel that that Elvin guy has set his sights on them. Not just the Engel family, but the Dark Arrow as well; this kind of elaborate layout hasn’t been seen in years……”
Wan Yue let out a gentle sigh, turning her head to look at a certain area of the floor: “Oh right, a few days ago, before I headed to D City, I arranged for you to discreetly investigate the welfare institute. Have you made any progress? I don’t ask first; you won’t say anything, will you?”
Zhao Peng was slightly taken aback, following Wan Yue’s line of sight to see the two black uniforms spread out on the floor.
In that instant, an unusual embarrassment flickered across Zhao Peng’s face, with a somewhat unnatural tone: “Well, it can now be confirmed that Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao are indeed Xia Yan and Gu Yao promoted by the W District welfare institute, and Jiang Yan has been volunteering at the welfare institute, having had several contacts with Meng Huai……”
Wan Yue lit a cigarette and after a few seconds spoke leisurely, “Xia Yan, Jiang Yan… Gu Yao, Jiang Yao… Zhao Peng, are you implying that I must believe they are actually the same person?”
“The Tang family’s big meatball… it must be from hell, grotesquely distorting human life… does that sound absurd to you? The Dark Arrow has female soldiers, but those two sets of Dark Arrow combat uniforms are not meant for women to wear at all… Zhao Peng, this matter must not be known by anyone else, including Zhong Jing.”
Turning back, there was a flicker of unrecognizable brilliance in Wan Yue’s eyes—surprise, confusion, absurdity, and a hint of self-mockery.
Suddenly, she felt she might have seen through some of the falsehoods regarding Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao long ago.
“I don’t have anything particularly in mind… didn’t Wan Jie say that blood infection is the greatest cruelty and absurdity in this world, and that the hyacinth won’t care about anything that happened before anyone got infected?”
Zhao Peng slightly lowered his head, his expression unreadable, his tone steady again: “Xiao Yan and Xiao Yao are both very innocent people, and they will be able to ease your worries in the future. Perhaps your ideals really will be realized with their help… If Xiao Yan insists on going this time, I can accompany her!”
After he finished, Zhao Peng straightened up, a serious expression on his face.
Wan Yue smiled and shook her head, turning back to gaze out at the night scene.
“Ha ha, to rely on the future of the hyacinth, you want to depend on two creatures more absurd than blood families?… But they are already part of the hyacinth; if Jiang Yan’s obsession is not alleviated, it will turn into a heart demon later. If she and Jiang Yao become members of the dark blood family, it will truly throw the world into chaos.”
“Both the Engel family and the Hidden Alliance, and the Dark Arrow have begun to pay attention to them; even the Dark Arrow has started planning meticulously.”
“What we can discover, they will find out sooner or later. Sometimes, I don’t even know if I’m particularly lucky or particularly unlucky…”
Wan Yue’s delicate murmurs drifted through the silent room, leaving Zhao Peng at a loss for words.
