Chapter 52: Don’t Forget, I’m a Scientist

  Zhang Leitian fainted on the spot. Before losing consciousness, he glanced at Liu Dong, who was cowering in the corner. Damn it, you bastard, you’ve screwed me over big time.

  Zhang Yang only learned afterward that to rescue him and Qiao Xier from Qianshui Police Station that night, the stationed Blue Sword Assault Team in Meining, local armed police, the city riot squad, and over a hundred officers from nearby precincts were all mobilized — and the reason was actually quite simple.

  When Executive Vice Mayor Xia Guoqing of Meining City was informed by Professor Shangguan Hong about Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier’s disappearance, he blew up immediately. He called the city’s Public Security Bureau and the Yue Tian District Police Chief and cursed them out: Damn it, how do you manage your people? The world’s top oncology experts and the entire city’s leadership are waiting for the main figures of the UICC conference, and they were kidnapped in broad daylight — and you’re still sitting there?!

  The two chiefs panicked and immediately promised to issue alerts and launch a citywide search for Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier.

  Shangguan Hong quickly objected. He told Xia Guoqing that the kidnappers’ motives were still unclear, and the two missing individuals — especially Zhang Yang’s importance — needed no elaboration. As for Qiao Xier, her identity absolutely couldn’t be disclosed. His conclusion was that this was likely the work of hostile agents or foreign operatives with malicious intent against Huaxia, and the kidnappers must be extremely dangerous. Only a covert rescue could be carried out.

  Hearing that, Xia Guoqing grew nervous and immediately contacted the local military garrison for assistance. Upon learning that someone from the Qiao family had been abducted, the Southern Xia Military Region’s Blue Sword Assault Team stationed in Meining was deployed without hesitation.

  The city police realized the situation was serious and launched a criminal investigation, using satellite signal tracking to locate Qiao Xier’s position — and discovered she was at Qianshui Police Station.

  Initially, they only intended to make a call to demand their release. But when they called, the officer on duty — one of the auxiliaries involved in Zhang Yang’s arrest — answered. Hearing someone angrily inquiring about Zhang Yang, he snapped back, “Yeah? Wait here and collect his corpse,” and hung up.

  The caller happened to be a Blue Sword member. Hearing that, he exploded with fury, and within minutes the entire unit mobilized — leading to the complete raid on Qianshui Police Station.

  Zhang Leitian was dismissed, while Liu Dong and the two auxiliaries were detained on the spot. Liu Dong was so terrified he pissed himself, stammering that Bai Liangfeng had ordered everything.

  “I’ll confess! I’ll report everything—”

  But Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier, eager to return to the conference, didn’t hear a word of it.

  When they returned to Meining University, the academic discussion was at its peak. At first, Professors Shangguan Hong and Zheng Yuntai were presenting the “Dragonborn” Project — the atmosphere still relatively calm.

  But once the main city leaders and unrelated guests left, the formal academic debate began — and the mood turned tense.

  “Excuse me, Professor Shangguan, may I interrupt for a moment?” Dr. Ibu from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was the first to break the silence. He gripped the materials tightly, his long finger rhythmically tapping the table, showing his impatience.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Shangguan Hong hesitated, then nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “Thank you. There’s no doubt your proposed supercell is a historic breakthrough. Though we don’t yet know the detailed process, I believe it’s worthy of a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Congratulations, Professor Shangguan — you and your team have done something remarkable.”

  “However, I noticed the genetic division mechanism of your supercell. It multiplies at dozens of times the rate of cancer cells, quickly destroying them. But as we know, different malignant tumors produce different antigens. Even with immunotherapy, we must develop different anti-tumor solutions for different cancers. That’s why we have drugs like Erbitux, Avastin, and Tykerb, each targeting different mechanisms.”

  “Yet your supercell appears capable of devouring all antigen-induced primary cancer cells. That means you’ve likely decoded the universal key of cancer antigens — fascinating indeed. But I have a question everyone here must be wondering: since these cells self-replicate through foreign genetic programming, what happens after all cancer cells are destroyed? Can these foreign genes coexist with the human body? And if not, how do you plan to suppress them?”

  Dr. Ibu had pinpointed the critical issue. It had been over half a month since Meining University’s research announcement. Though details of cultivation weren’t disclosed, seasoned experts quickly identified the core problem.

  Of course, Shangguan Hong had expected this question — though his true preparation was supposed to come from Zhang Yang. But with Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier missing at such a crucial time, he couldn’t help but sense a conspiracy.

  Fortunately, shortly after the conference began, he received uplifting news — Zhang Yang and Qiao Xier had been safely rescued.

  Whether or not they’d actually found a suppressor gene didn’t matter right now. Knowing they were safe was relief enough. Shangguan believed that with them around, finding that gene was only a matter of time, however unlikely it seemed.

  “Indeed, Dr. Ibu has raised a question we cannot avoid — one that I’m sure is on everyone’s mind. But let me be frank with you all.”

  Shangguan Hong paused, deciding to admit the biggest flaw in the “Dragonborn” Project — that the suppressor gene for the supercell hadn’t been found yet. He knew it would cause an uproar, perhaps even accusations of falsification, but he also believed the supercell itself was revolutionary enough to shake the biological world.

  But before he could speak, a clear, sweet female voice rang out from the far end of the hall.

  “Sorry to interrupt. I’m late.”

  The voice was slightly breathless, but her fluent English pronunciation remained crisp — carrying a natural charm.

  Everyone turned to look. A tall, fair-skinned girl stood at the doorway, dressed stylishly yet youthfully.

  The attendees were mostly senior experts, all well into their later years. Seeing such a young, beautiful girl stride in suddenly, Dr. Hill, the UICC Chairman, frowned slightly. He looked at Shangguan Hong, silently questioning — why the hell did you let a pretty girl walk into an academic conference?

  This was supposed to be a research symposium.

  “Ahem… sorry. My name is Joyce. I’m a member of Meining University’s ‘Dragonborn’ Project team — the Super Anti-Cancer Cell Research Group.” With her hair now loose from its ponytail, Qiao Xier radiated elegance and charm. Clutching her folder, dressed in a gray professional skirt uniform, she exuded both confidence and grace, drawing every man’s gaze.

  But her words — and her age — nearly floored everyone.

  “What?”

  “Impossible.” “You’re joking, right?”

  The room erupted in disbelief. How could someone so young and beautiful be one of the creators of the Super Anti-Cancer Cell?

  Yet her identity was quickly confirmed by Shangguan Hong and the others. Qiao Xier calmly took a seat beside Zheng Yuntai.

  In other words, there was no doubt about who she was.

  She gave Shangguan Hong a confident smile, cleared her throat, and addressed Hill and Dr. Ibu fluently in English: “Actually, I’m in charge of integrating the self-suppressing gene within the supercell, so I can answer Dr. Ibu’s question directly.”

  The words made every UICC expert perk up — even Shangguan Hong and Zheng Yuntai were stunned. What did this girl just say?

  Could it be that she and Zhang Yang had actually found the suppressor gene?

  And where the hell was Zhang Yang now?

  Qiao Xier glanced at Shangguan Hong and Zheng Yuntai again, flashing them a confident smile. The three were still in a daze.

  “Dr. Ibu, Professor Shangguan has already explained the supercell’s mechanism for devouring proto-cancer cells, so I won’t repeat that. Instead, I’ll briefly discuss the self-suppressing function of the supercell.”

  “Wait!” Qiao Xier’s statement had shaken the world’s leading oncology experts to the core — but their rational minds screamed that this was impossible.

  Such a young girl — unless she was an angel sent by God to deliver humanity’s salvation — how could she conceive such a thing?

  The interruption came from a senior expert of the German Academy of Sciences. He glanced at Qiao Xier, then turned to Shangguan Hong. “Professor Shangguan, may I assume this is a planned, good-natured gesture meant to lighten the atmosphere of the meeting?”

  Shangguan Hong looked at Qiao Xier — at her flawless, radiant face glowing under the lights like a goddess with a halo.

  He knew his student well — this 21-year-old undergraduate, personally recruited by him as a graduate student in immunology, was a prodigy with intellect and passion far beyond her years.

  Of course, her knowledge alone wasn’t enough to discover the suppressor gene for Zhang Yang’s supercell.

  But Shangguan Hong believed in her. If she said she found it, then she found it — perhaps with Zhang Yang’s help, or maybe they discovered it together. Who could know? But right now, she was the one standing here.

  He smiled faintly, turned to Dr. Hill and the German expert, and said, “Dr. Sean, when Newton caught the falling apple, he didn’t eat it — and thus discovered gravity. Perhaps this beautiful girl, too, has caught her own apple — and decided not to eat it. Don’t you think?”