At noon, several motorcades slowly entered the small square. Behind the mess hall, at the row of small stoves, Wan Yunting and Peng Yuxiang were, along with Squad Leader Niu of the kitchen company, decocting medicine for two soldiers who had just been infected with the Red Demon Lavirus.
"Doctor Wan..."
Yang Heguang, accompanied by Li Yuxiu and her assistant Xiao Min, arrived. Wan Yunting turned his head, saw them, stood up, and walked to greet Yang Heguang. He nodded to Yang Heguang, then smiled at Li Yuxiu and the others, "Doctors Li, you've arrived. You must have had a tiring journey. Have you had lunch?"
Li Yuxiu shook her head slightly. Wan Yunting smiled, "Let me take you to lunch. We can chat while we eat."
"Thank you," Li Yuxiu replied gently with a nod.
Wan Yunting turned to tell Squad Leader Niu to keep an eye on the stove's heat, then took the two women to the mess hall. He personally served Li Yuxiu a lunch, and got himself a bottle of drink. He sat in front of Li Yuxiu and asked, "Doctor Li, what made you decide to come and help?"
Li Yuxiu ate as she replied, "I'm very interested in seeing what this Red Demon Lavirus infection is all about."
Wan Yunting smiled. For someone like Li Yuxiu, who pursued medical knowledge, healing and saving lives was ingrained in her. Therefore, there was no need for excessive explanations. However, Wan Yunting still said seriously, "The Red Demon Lavirus is very terrifying. Once infected, there is only death."
Xiao Min, who was eating, was taken aback and said, "But I heard them say that you've already controlled the virus's spread in the human body?"
Li Yuxiu also looked up at him. Before coming, she had heard from the peacekeepers that Wan Yunting had controlled the virus with traditional Chinese medicine.
"It's only controlled the spread, but it hasn't been eradicated," Wan Yunting said, shaking his head. His brows furrowed slightly, and he said sternly, "This Red Demon Lavirus is not simple. It's different from the viruses like plague or cholera that we are familiar with. It belongs to the category of hot toxins."
"And since it's summer here, the virus spreads very quickly, and death is even faster. Some people get infected in the morning and may die of kidney failure by the afternoon."
"Currently, I'm only using the Bai Hu Tang recipe with rhinoceros horn to temporarily inhibit the virus's spread and deterioration within the human body. However, to kill the virus, these herbs alone are not enough."
Li Yuxiu nodded as she listened, and immediately put down her chopsticks, saying, "Can you take me to see the patients now?"
Wan Yunting's expression froze, then he smiled, "Don't be anxious. I'll take you there shortly. But please finish your meal first."
"Yes, Sister Yuxiu, eat first," Xiao Min also knew that her boss was a workaholic, especially when it came to serious patients, and was particularly obsessive and persistent.
Just then, Huang Hongying and Lin Dongxiang entered with a few others. Wan Yunting stood up and smiled, "Doctor Li, let me introduce you. This is Director Huang Hongying from our Capital Military Region Hospital. This is Director Lin, a national virus expert, and Professor Huang..."
"Ah, he's in the laboratory," Huang Hongying nodded with a smile and observed Li Yuxiu, saying, "You must be the eldest daughter of Old Man Li, Li Yuxiu? I've heard about you for a long time. An ambassador for the promotion of traditional Chinese medicine overseas, with medical clinics opened in over a dozen countries. Remarkable!"
"Hello, Director Huang. You are too kind," Li Yuxiu replied politely and humbly to Huang Hongying, "Compared to you all, what I've done is nothing worth mentioning."
Huang Hongying looked at her and Wan Yunting and smiled, "You two are indeed of the same kind, very low-key."
This remark caused Wan Yunting and Li Yuxiu to exchange glances, and they couldn't help but smile. Huang Hongying reached out and shook Li Yuxiu's hand, saying, "But I still want to thank you for coming to help. I heard from Doctor Wan that it was the batch of traditional Chinese medicine sent from your clinic in South Africa. Thank you so much."
Li Yuxiu smiled and said, "It's what we should do."
Huang Hongying nodded with a smile and then said, "Then please continue your meal. I need to head back to the laboratory."
Immediately, Wan Yunting asked, "By the way, Director Huang, didn't you say you were looking for some local patients infected with the virus to test the medicine on?"
Huang Hongying nodded, "Captain Luo is already negotiating with the UN. If there's any result, we will send a batch of medicine over for them to try."
"Alright," Wan Yunting nodded. Huang Hongying said no more, and led Lin Dongxiang out to return to the laboratory to continue their work...
After Li Yuxiu finished her meal, arrangements were made for their accommodation...
Li Yuxiu could not wait to see the soldiers infected with the Red Demon Lavirus. Wan Yunting, wearing protective clothing and gas masks, took her to the isolation building and began to examine the pulse and consult with the infected soldiers.
When military doctor Old Zhang saw Li Yuxiu, Wan Yunting briefly introduced her. Upon hearing that she practiced traditional Chinese medicine, the military doctors at the base were very enthusiastic. Everyone now believed that traditional Chinese medicine was the only way to treat the Red Demon Lavirus.
"Where are the two soldiers infected with the virus?" After Li Yuxiu finished examining the severe patients like Soldier Xiao Qiu, Wan Yunting asked.
"In the room next door. I'll take you there," said military doctor Old Zhang, leading them to the adjacent room. This room had only two beds, on which lay the two mildly infected patients who had been admitted that morning.
Their skin had also developed redness, but no pus-filled blisters had appeared. They had a fever of forty degrees, were listless, weak, and groggy, feeling very unwell.
"They were given the herbal decoction an hour ago," military doctor Old Zhang said as Wan Yunting and Li Yuxiu sat by the bedsides, taking the pulse of the soldiers. "Their condition seems to have improved a bit now."
"Yes, it has improved a bit," Wan Yunting said. Based on the pulse and his examination of the soldier's symptoms, the decoction of Bai Hu Tang with rhinoceros horn could indeed inhibit the deterioration of the virus in their bodies.
Old Zhang asked, "Doctor Wan, is it possible for mildly infected patients to be cured by taking your medicine?"
Wan Yunting shook his head slightly and said, "This medicine can only inhibit, not cure."
"Alright," Old Zhang sighed with some disappointment.
Wan Yunting reassured him, "Don't worry, everyone is working hard. We will surely find a way to treat the Red Demon Lavirus."
"Yes, we're counting on you, Doctor Wan," Old Zhang's spirits lifted, and he looked at Wan Yunting and Li Yuxiu with expectation.
The two exchanged a glance. Wan Yunting also asked, "Doctor Li, what do you think?"
Li Yuxiu was taking the pulse of another patient and said, "How did you come up with the formula of Bai Hu Tang with rhinoceros horn?"
Wan Yunting replied, "It was an accidental discovery. However, I initially added Jin Yin Hua, but it didn't work. Later, I added rhinoceros horn."
Li Yuxiu looked up, her wise phoenix eyes fixed on him, remaining silent for a long time.
"What's wrong?" Wan Yunting felt uncomfortable under her gaze.
Li Yuxiu withdrew her gaze and continued taking the soldier's pulse, shaking her head slightly, "I just think you're quite remarkable."
The sudden praise made Wan Yunting smile sheepishly...
The two spent a long time in the room examining the infected soldiers, continuously speculating about the virus and discussing what medicines could further inhibit or cure it. They talked with great enthusiasm. Since both of them practiced traditional Chinese medicine, Wan Yunting had been unsure who to collaborate with on researching the Red Demon Lavirus using Chinese medicine methods. Now that Li Yuxiu had arrived, Wan Yunting felt he had found a kindred spirit, and thus their conversations were naturally fervent. Consequently, they became inseparable, their discussions solely revolving around the virus, appearing almost obsessed. Zheng Xuelan, Zhao Peng, and others observing them even mistook them for a couple. Even Long Xingyu wondered if Wan Yunting and Nie Xiaoyu truly had no relationship.
The next morning.
"Doctor Wan, is your medicine ready?" Yang Heguang and Nie Xiaoyu, dressed in combat gear, arrived. Wan Yunting, who was packing the herbal decoctions with Li Yuxiu and the others, turned his head and called out, "It's ready, coming right up..."
"Put on your protective gear and gas masks, and gather in the square." Yang Heguang and Nie Xiaoyu left. A team of peacekeepers had already assembled in the small square, preparing to leave the base for a slum two kilometers away to test the medicine on infected civilians. After all, Wan Yunting's Bai Hu Tang with rhinoceros horn decoction had only been administered to their soldiers and had not yet been tested on foreigners. After all, the physiques of Caucasians and Black people are different.
Watching Wan Yunting and Li Yuxiu, even Huang Hongying and Lin Dongxiang followed. Long Xingyu and Huang Guoqi, along with another team, remained at the base's laboratory to continue their research...
"Depart...!" After everyone boarded the vehicles, Yang Heguang, who was leading the team, immediately ordered the armored vehicle at the front to start. The convoy slowly left the base and headed towards the slums of Nyc City...
Upon reaching the outskirts of the slum, where vehicles could not pass, Wan Yunting, Li Yuxiu, Huang Hongying, Peng Yuxiang, and others each carried a medical box. Escorted by Yang Heguang and Nie Xiaoyu and other peacekeepers, they all entered the slum together to begin a day of experimental medicine administration to the infected.
These local civilians infected with the Red Demon Lavirus were isolated in a virus-affected area. The local government was incapable of managing these infected civilians. Therefore, they could only watch these civilians die under the torment of the virus, with bodies casually discarded in pits without timely burial. It's possible that the diggers of the pits had already died before they could be buried. In the slum within the virus zone, no normal person dared to enter. Even the medical virus expert teams from other UN peacekeeping forces did not dare to bring people into the slum's virus zone. Only the Chinese peacekeeping forces dared to venture in. Even the bodies of these civilians were handled and buried by the Chinese peacekeepers. This was precisely why the soldiers became infected with the Red Demon Lavirus. Meanwhile, peacekeeping forces from other UN countries had long since fled, not daring to even approach...
Li Yuxiu looked at the slum, which resembled an inferno. Within the virus zone, decaying bodies tormented by the virus were visible everywhere. In the high temperature, even with a gas mask on, one could smell the foul odor of decaying corpses, with flies swarming everywhere, creating a massive impact on both sight and soul. Even Li Yuxiu almost gagged and vomited, but she managed to persevere.
"It's just ahead." Peacekeeping soldiers who had previously been responsible for handling bodies had conducted surveys and found an area in the slum where the virus was not yet severe. They chose this location to administer the medicine to the infected civilians. Seeing a group of infected civilians lying in rudimentary corrugated iron sheds, some in severe condition, some mild, some unconscious, some still conscious, their eyes were dull, as if they were prepared to die. Witnessing this scene deeply affected Wan Yunting, Li Yuxiu, Zhao Peng, and the others. The gazes of these people were filled with various emotions, prompting everyone to reflect on the fragility of life and the misfortune of being born in a chaotic country...
After a soldier communicated with the still-conscious infected civilians in the local language, Wan Yunting and the others began to give them the traditional Chinese medicine decoction and then waited patiently for their reactions...
However, on the outskirts of the slum, several foreigners in ordinary clothing, disguised as locals, were mingling in the slum, watching Wan Yunting and the others from a distance.