Superstars of Tomorrow

Inside a rest lounge on the fifth floor area B in Unit One of the research facility.

Blood trickled from the forehead of a young researcher clad in a white lab coat. His lips and face were both equally pale. Large globs of clear fluid, either tears or sweat, kept falling to the ground.

At his side, a sharp cold blade was pressed against his neck and made him break out in goosebumps.

The person wielding the knife had a malicious look. The skin that he exposed was a strange red as though it had been scalded with hot water, and he was breathing heavily.

The person with the knife was the target being pursued by the Whale Island Guard. The one being threatened was a young researcher and also a student of Prof. Nick. His academic results this year had been outstanding and he had received an opportunity to remain on the island. Although he was only able to do some odd jobs and cheer on the project leaders given his current status, this was already more than enough for him to boast about.

Today, just like any other day, he had completed the work assigned to him and came over to rest for a bit. He had just stepped in when he received the notice from Unit Manager Nick informing everyone to stay within their rooms as best as possible, cooperate with the search and report if there were any abnormal happenings. An island guard had come over ten minutes ago to ask questions, and the researcher had said that everything was normal and that he hadn’t spotted any suspicious characters. The island guard also advised him to lock up the room, and he did as was told.

This young researcher had locked up the door after the guard left, but when he had turned around, he had discovered someone coming out from the fridge.

The young researcher felt that his luck today was really horrendous. His experiments hadn’t gone smoothly and he had run into this sort of situation. He had tried to resist, but his body wasn’t well trained since he spent most of his time in the lab. Just when he had found the courage to make a move, he had been hit. His head was still hurting. However, fear made him neglect the pain. He didn’t even know how much blood he had lost.

The young researcher had thought that he was going to lose his life, but as the minutes passed, it seemed like the infiltrator didn’t have any intention of killing him right away. The infiltrator also didn’t seem like he wanted to flee. Neither did it appear like he wanted to extract any classified information about the research projects. Instead, his bloodshot eyes were permanently fixated on the door.

After the initial wave of terror passed, the young researcher regained some sense of rationality. He didn’t dare look directly at the infiltrator and peeked at the knife from the corner of his eyes. His pupils shrank when he saw the bloodied blotches on the infiltrator’s arm. He then caught a glimpse of a sealed vial in the infiltrator’s other arm, and his tears flowed once more.

He was familiar with this sort of sealed vial. As a researcher in the field of toxicology, he saw these sorts of sealed vials every day. They were used for the storage of toxins and pathogens. However, the vial in the infiltrator’s hands was already opened. That meant to say that this rest lounge was already contaminated.

“The time… is almost upon… ” The knife-wielding infiltrator panted heavily as though he was in a lot of pain. As he said that, he coughed out a mouthful of blood.

The young researcher trembled violently as he watched the blood land on his body.

The infiltrator gave a maniacal smile but didn’t say anything else. He stuffed a cleaning rag into the young researcher’s mouth and struck his head again, causing the clotted wound on his head to start bleeding once more.

Outside the rest lounge.

Fang Zhao had tracked up to this spot before stopping. He raised his hand and signaled the guards that were heading over to move back.

Zhao Chao and the Whale Island Guard captain were watching the surveillance display with furrowed brows. There were very bewildered.

“What does he mean by that?” The Whale Island Guard captain asked.

“Maybe he heard something.” Zhao Chao had just said this when he received word from Fang Zhao and his expression changed abruptly.

The Whale Island Guard captain had also broke out into cold sweat and contacted his men that were following after Fang Zhao to keep their distance and await instructions. At the same time, he quickly dispatched a Hazmat squadron over.

“They won’t make it in time.” Unit Manager Nick activated that floor’s isolation and quarantine procedures.

At the next moment, the door to the rest lounge before Fang Zhao was opened.

The young researcher was already in a slight daze and couldn’t see clearly exactly what was going on. He knew that he was being held hostage at knifepoint and that the door to the rest lounge had been thrown open. In his heart, he was very worried. He knew about the consequences of the pathogens vaporizing. He wanted to shout and tell everyone what had happened to get Unit Manager Nick to activate the quarantine procedures, but he was unable to. He could only see a vague figure in front of him, then…

Bang!

The young researcher felt the vice-like grip on his back loosen.

Behind him, the target of the Inspection Team and Whale Island Guard was dead with his eyes wide open. There was a bullet wound through his head,

Inside the facility’s control room, the two captains had just decided to deploy snipers when they saw Fang Zhao raise his gun through the display screen.

A voice sounded through Zhao Chao’s earpiece. “Reporting in, Captain. Target has been shot dead.”

Zhao Chao: “…”

Whale Island Guard captain: “…”

The inspection team that Zhao Chao led generally only assisted in apprehending suspects. Most of the time, the Whale Island Guard would take action first whenever there was a situation. Very rarely were there circumstances where other parties acted even quicker than the Whale Island Guard.

And in the situation that had just occurred, taking action required immense courage and precise judgment.

Old timers in the island guard might have known to shoot the target dead right away if there was an opportunity. However, those from the inspection team were slightly milder. Even if they had good aim, they might have hesitated to shoot because of the researcher in the front or might have considered leaving the target alive in order to follow up with interrogation. Once the opportunity was missed, the damage would have been even greater.

The squad leader of the Island Guard stood a short distance away and had witnessed the scene of Fang Zhao shooting so decisively. He thought to himself, Huh, mild?

But no matter what everyone was thinking, the target had already been shot dead. The spread of pathogens was confined to a small area, and everyone in that area was taken to be quarantined.

Unit Manager Nick got a hold of the details of this type of pathogen.

“It is a synthetic virus created by some people trying to court disaster. It is half-finished and can’t be considered a completed product. It is spread by airborne transmission and has limitations to its invasiveness of a body. However, if it is troublesome when it does successfully invade the body. The period it takes for symptoms to show depends on different constitutions. The shortest is a few minutes and longest is twenty-nine days. It is very difficult to measure its incubation period, and I’m afraid you have to remain here in quarantine for a month.”

“That means that even when the Whale Island Conference concludes, you still can’t return back to celebrate the festivities. Welcome to the Memorial Day stay-behind team.”

Memorial Day was the most important holiday every year. The working class all had a rare long holiday. It was also the best time of the year for families to have a reunion.

Shortly before coming to Whale Island Region, Fang Zhao had told Great-grandfather Fang that he would be returning back to Yanzhou for Memorial Day.

Under the current circumstances, he really had no way of returning. He would need to explain to his great-grandfather.

However, now wasn’t the time to think of all that.

“Is it treatable if I get infected? What is the mortality rate?” Fang Zhao asked.

“It can be treated. The mortality rate of contracting this virus isn’t considered high. It’s only seventeen percent,” Unit manager Nick said.

Zhao Chao had been standing silently at the side listening. When he heard this, his heart skipped a beat. A mortality rate of seventeen percent was already very high!! Only people like Nick who spent all their time handling mortal viruses and diseases would find this figure low!

As the inspection team captain, Zhao Chao felt guilty watching Fang Zhao be put in quarantine. Fang Zhao wasn’t even thirty yet and he was only working here temporarily. If it hadn’t been a critical situation, he also wouldn’t have let Fang Zhao take the lead and rush forward.

This time, the others were still alright. Because of Fang Zhao’s notification, that guard squadron hadn’t gotten to close. After the target was shot dead, the quarantine had been quick, and the chances of them being infected were very low. The only ones possibly at risk were Fang Zhao and that unlucky researcher.

“How is the condition of that researcher?” Fang Zhao asked.

“There aren’t any big problems. Although he suffered some injuries, he had fortunately been administered two types of antidotes yesterday according to laboratory procedures. Those two antidotes have a preventive effect towards this sort of virus. The effect lasts for twenty-four hours, so it hasn’t expired yet. However, he still has to be isolated and quarantined for a month, even if he recovers. The two of you and that Island Guard squad on that floor will all be joining the Memorial Day stay-behind team,” Unit Manager Nick said.

The guilt in Zhao Chao’s heart grew. By saying this, did Nick mean that Fang Zhao was the only one at risk?

He had been doing very well in the art circles and had been drafted over for an assignment. Now he was under quarantine. Quarantine was still alright though. As long as he wasn’t infected, one month would pass really quickly. But if he was infected…

Zhao Chao wanted to console Fang Zhao. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Fang Zhao ask, “That person who was shot shouldn’t have been in possession of the pathogen for too long. Now, it appears that he only opened the sealed vial after he entered the rest lounge. Where did the pathogen come from?”

Unit Manager Nick nodded his head. “Our findings have determined that only that area was contaminated. Therefore, he indeed opened the sealed vial after entering the rest lounge. This sort of sealed vial requires some time to be opened. We still do not know where the pathogen is from, but that is a job for the investigation bureau. As for why he showed symptoms so quickly, it’s because he received some medical stimulants beforehand. His nerves and muscles were overly stimulated, so his cells and organs functioned exceptionally quickly.”

“Something is wrong,” Fang Zhao said. “It still hasn’t ended.”

Before Zhao Chao and Nick could ask, the two of them received calls at the same time.

The Whale Island Guard captain also had a bad premonition when he questioned the injured researcher on some details. He had gotten the other two research facility units to do some self-checks. Afterwards, he received a reply that Unit Three of the research facility had lost a vial of a super pathogen.

Unit Three’s unit manager had been negligent, and someone had found a loophole. he would definitely be reprimanded, but now wasn’t the time to investigate who was responsible for the lapse.

Zhao Chao immediately contacted his team’s personnel and gave instructions for the dogs that were adept in this area to be brought over.

Unit Manager Nick didn’t look too happy, but he hadn’t blown his top yet.

“The one missing is also a type of synthetic virus, but it belongs to a super pathogen grade. If this pathogen is released, all vertebrates on Whale Island Region will suffer a calamity. However, pathogens of this grade are sealed in vials with many layers of security. The material of the vial is special, and forcibly trying to open it requires quite some time. With the current search intensity on the island region, the person who stole the pathogen simply wouldn’t have had the time to open it. However, if he escapes, the consequences will be unthinkable.”

“Fortunately, this was discovered in time. Whale Island’s various entry points have already been sealed.” Zhao Chao looked towards Fang Zhao. “We will need to borrow your Curly Hair for a bit.”

Quite a number of inspection dogs only listened to the commands of their respective trainers. Curly Hair was just a dog that didn’t have a professional background. He was smart but lacked critical thinking and didn’t have a sense of responsibility. He only listened to Fang Zhao. Zhao Chao could only bring Curly Hair before Fang Zhao.

Curly Hair wanted to rush over when he saw Fang Zhao. He still pawed at the safety glass after knocking into it but was stopped by Fang Zhao.

“Curly Hair, bring Captain Zhao Chao to search for people. Find the lost vial of pathogens. Don’t let the thief leave Whale Island!”

Curly Hair crouched at the other side of the glass whimpering. He was unwilling.

Fang Zhao squatted down and gazed at Curly Hair, separated by the glass. “I can’t go out now. Let Captain Zhao Chao bring you along for a mission. After the mission is complete, we can go back. I’ll let you play some new games.”

Because there were other people present, Fang Zhao didn’t dare make his message too clear. However, Curly Hair understood what Fang Zhao meant. His two ears pricked up and he wagged his tail. He walked over to Zhao Chao while gazing at Fang Zhao.

Zhao Chao replayed what Fang Zhao had just said and analyzed it.

First, find the lost vial of pathogen.

Second, don’t let the person who stole the pathogen leave the island.

Nothing was left out. Everything should be fine.