Tao Qiyue stared blankly for a moment, and after confirming she hadn't misheard, tears streamed down her face.
Thank heavens, a miracle had finally occurred.
Xu Hanchen pulled Dr. Li aside and asked, "Can you tell us what happened? Weren't you saying the child was close to death before?"
"How come now..."
Everyone perked up their ears, listening for Dr. Li's explanation.
Dr. Li looked troubled, glancing at Tao Qiyue and Number Nine before looking back at Xu Hanchen.
Before Xu Hanchen could say anything, Number Nine wisely stated, "I'll wait outside. You guys chat."
"I'll head out too," Tao Qiyue added.
Xu Hanchen had intended to ask Tao Qiyue to stay, but seeing her already walking away, he abandoned the thought and turned back to Dr. Li. "Can you tell me now?"
Dr. Li then recounted Chen Jinzhao's condition during the surgery to Xu Hanchen. Hearing this, Xu Hanchen broke into a cold sweat, never imagining the situation in the operating room was so perilous. Fortunately, Chen Jinzhao had managed to pull through himself.
"Are there any side effects?" Xu Hanchen asked.
Dr. Li hesitated. "It's too early to say for sure. But if Elder Xu wishes for more detailed information, I recommend a genetic sequencing. At the very least, a blood test might help identify the root of the problem."
Xu Hanchen realized that Chen Jinzhao's body had indeed undergone some kind of mutation. However, his bodily data could not be leaked, lest it attract the attention of malicious parties. Therefore, Xu Hanchen rejected the suggestion, deciding to wait until Chen Jinzhao recovered.
He also sternly warned Dr. Li that everyone involved in the rescue must not divulge Chen Jinzhao's condition, or they would be treated as leakers of state secrets and face severe punishment.
Sweat beaded on Dr. Li's forehead as he quickly agreed.
After the combined efforts of the medical team, Chen Jinzhao finally woke up on the morning of the third day and was transferred to a regular hospital room.
During this period, Xu Hanchen remained inactive, not wanting to alert their opponents prematurely.
The moment Chen Jinzhao opened his eyes, he saw Xu Hanchen sitting by his bedside. Seeing Chen Jinzhao awaken, Xu Hanchen smiled. "Kid, you're finally awake. Do you know that if you hadn't woken up, I would have purged the entire northeastern provinces?"
Xu Hanchen intended to make those from the Divine Kingdom accompany Chen Jinzhao in death.
"Thank you for your concern, Elder Xu. How many days have I been unconscious?" Chen Jinzhao asked. Xu Hanchen pondered for a moment. "Not counting the night you were admitted, today is the third day, meaning you've been unconscious for two days and three nights."
Chen Jinzhao nodded.
Xu Hanchen seemed hesitant to speak, which Chen Jinzhao noticed. He gave a wry smile. "Old man, if you have something to say, just say it. What is there to hide between us?"
"Alright, I won't beat around the bush then. I have something important to tell you." Xu Hanchen's expression turned serious.
Chen Jinzhao tried to sit up to listen, but Xu Hanchen gently pressed his shoulder, telling him to lie back down and rest.
"It's like this..."
"During your resuscitation, your heart stopped multiple times, and your internal organs were on the verge of failure. Then, for reasons unknown, a miracle happened, and you pulled back from the brink. The professors determined that your body had undergone some kind of mutation. However, I didn't let them conduct further examinations to avoid leaking your vital statistics. Do you know about this?"
Chen Jinzhao did not hesitate and nodded. "I do know a bit. I mentioned a little to you before. However, it seems the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, so I don't see the need for deeper checks."
Xu Hanchen gave Chen Jinzhao a profound look and then grunted in acknowledgment.
"Fine, I respect your decision."
Their conversation then shifted to the Divine Kingdom's research institute.
Chen Jinzhao's heart skipped a beat when he heard that Xu Hanchen had nearly leveled the Divine Kingdom Pharmaceuticals. He let out a wry laugh. "If we really do that, it will definitely enrage the Divine Kingdom's research institute, and they might do even more insane things. I've already located one of their outposts. I'm not sure if they've left yet."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Xu Hanchen's gaze instantly sharpened.
Realizing Chen Jinzhao had been unconscious for two days and three nights, Xu Hanchen chuckled and said, "I almost forgot you were injured. Tell me the location of that outpost now, and I'll have Barbarian Bear lead five hundred elite soldiers to flatten it."
Chen Jinzhao knew he was not in good condition and would only be a burden on the front lines if he went. He then told Xu Hanchen the location of Niutou Mountain.
"Oh, right, Elder Xu." Chen Jinzhao remembered something.
"My cousin, Wu Lingyun, has fallen into the hands of the Divine Kingdom. If you find the Divine Kingdom's research institute outpost, please keep an eye out for her whereabouts."
"Understood. You rest well," Xu Hanchen said, patting his shoulder.
Speed is of the essence.
After confirming Chen Jinzhao was out of danger, Xu Hanchen hurried to the Northeast Military Region to personally command this small-scale war, determined to uproot the outpost completely and allow no one to escape.
After Xu Hanchen left, Tao Qiyue arrived.
Chen Jinzhao chatted with her for a while, and Tao Qiyue was finally at ease. Chen Jinzhao asked her to attend to her own matters and not to hover around him. Despite her reluctance, Tao Qiyue could only do as Chen Jinzhao instructed.
When everyone had left, Chen Jinzhao finally found some peace.
He felt the changes within himself. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he felt he might be stronger than before.
When one gains power, one must inevitably lose something.
He wondered how much of his lifespan remained.
After lying in bed for a while, Chen Jinzhao got up and walked to the window to call Li Qiutao.
Li Qiutao seemed busy with something. He chuckled when he heard Chen Jinzhao's greeting. "What made you think of calling me? Have you been well in the Northeast all this time?"
Chen Jinzhao always felt his uncle was mysterious. He was sure he knew about some events from the past but was unwilling to tell him. He wondered how many people were involved in those secrets from years ago. Chen Jinzhao shook his head and dismissed the thought.
"Uncle, I have something to tell you." His tone was grave.
"What is it?"
Li Qiutao's tone also became serious.
Chen Jinzhao said, "Lingyun has disappeared. She might have been hidden by people from Divine Kingdom Pharmaceuticals. From what I know, the backend of Divine Kingdom Pharmaceuticals should be the Wu family. As their son-in-law, do you know her whereabouts?"
"You said Lingyun has disappeared?" Li Qiutao sounded surprised, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.
Chen Jinzhao confirmed it.
Li Qiutao said gravely, "When did she disappear? Since she went north, she's sent me voice messages every day. How could she have disappeared?"
Before Chen Jinzhao could say anything, Li Qiutao realized something. "I understand. Someone impersonated her, right?"
"Yes, the person impersonating Lingyun has been killed by me. However, I still don't know her whereabouts," Chen Jinzhao replied.
Li Qiutao took a deep breath.
"I understand."
"You don't need to worry about this matter. I have a general idea of who is responsible. With all the guts in the world, they wouldn't dare to do anything to my daughter."