An Yan, for her part, first devised a detailed surgical plan for the bone cancer patient. After confirming that the cancer cells were indeed concentrated in the leg, An Yan planned to perform an amputation.
As for the pregnant Inoue Kawaetsu, her due date was within the next few days. She could undergo a C-section at any moment if she went into labor.
And the medicinal baths for Wada Sakurako also continued.
Throughout the initial process, nothing seemed to happen. No, that wasn’t quite right; during the third medicinal bath, the effects became visibly noticeable.
The bluish-black patches on Wada Sakurako’s face had clearly faded! This was evident just from watching the videos.
Some inquisitive netizens even made a request to An Yan’s team:
[Turn off the filters! Turn off the beauty mode! Turn off face slimming!]
Upon seeing the message, Wen Ya curiously asked the camera, "What’s a filter? And which button is for beauty mode? How do you turn these things off?"
After a round of explanations and instructions, Wen Ya said, "Oh, then we don’t have filters or beauty mode enabled here!"
[Miss, are you kidding? No filters means everyone on your team is *that* good-looking? Not a single ordinary one?]
After thinking for a moment, Wen Ya said, "I’m the ugliest!"
In Wen Ya’s eyes, their team was full of handsome men and beautiful women. Even Dr. Yan, the eldest, was once known as the campus heartthrob of Luocheng University’s medical department. So, comparatively speaking, she and Wen Ge were indeed the ones most likely to disappoint the audience, looks-wise.
Bullet-screen comments: [????????]
Amidst the chorus of doubt, a student from Luocheng University commented online: [I can attest! An Yan’s team really is full of handsome men and beautiful women. [Image][Image][Image]! Taken with the original camera, from the deadliest angles!]
[I’ll vouch for that too. [Image][Image][Image]. There were too many people, so I was a bit far. Everyone, just make do with these.]
[[Image][Image][Image]]
These photos were taken from who-knows-what obscure corners and at such tricky angles that even celebrities might struggle to look good. Yet, An Yan’s team pulled it off. Even in blurry shots, their features were discernible!
[I was wrong! I shouldn’t have doubted this young lady. You’re right, your whole team is attractive!]
[Miss, don’t be modest, you’re good-looking too! Not ugly at all!!]
[Everyone, quiet down and listen to me for a sec: Miss, do you have a boyfriend?]
[Hey, shameless person up front, you stole my line! Miss, I was just slow typing, but I actually asked before him. Answer me first!]
Lighthearted, teasing comments scrolled across the screen.
Matsumoto Mina’s face twisted with anger. Are these netizens sick or something? I, Matsumoto Mina, was also in the photos, looking sweet and cute! Why isn’t anyone complimenting me? In R Country, I’m a national goddess! No, that’s not what I should be concerned about. It’s been three days. Why does An Yan still have Dong Xuelian available? This defies science!
Matsumoto Mina made another phone call. "Confirm for me, have we really only sold one Dong Xuelian?"
"Impossible! Did you fail to record everything? Or did one of you commit an inside job and secretly sell it?"
"Miss Mina, please watch your words! The Dong Xuelian is managed with the highest security protocols. Instead of doubting us, perhaps you should suspect your Pharmaceutical Bureau! As far as I know, any researcher there with even a little seniority can apply for Dong Xuelian!"
With that, the other party hung up. Matsumoto Mina was so angry her stomach ached. But what they said was true; the Dong Xuelian was stored at the highest security level. Taking it out required three staff members of different levels to simultaneously insert their cards and verify their fingerprints to open the storeroom door. An inside job was simply impossible.
So, could it really be a problem with our Pharmaceutical Bureau? But even if I ask now, who would admit it? After all, besides the experimenter, no one else could possibly know exactly how much Dong Xuelian was consumed during an experiment.
"Ono!" Matsumoto Mina called out.
Ono Eishi immediately came over. "Miss Mina, what can I do for you?"
"I want you to check if anyone in the Pharmaceutical Bureau has been secretly selling Dong Xuelian to others!"
Ono Eishi was shocked internally but showed no emotion. Having moved in wealthy circles for years, he had perfected the art of maintaining a poker face.
"Understood." Ono Eishi agreed readily, as usual. He then turned, sat at his computer, and began contacting the Pharmaceutical Bureau to retrieve the Dong Xuelian’s inventory records.
Meanwhile, after sulking for a while, Matsumoto Mina looked thoughtfully at Ono Eishi. These past few days, he’s been the one in my team with the most contact with An Yan’s group. Moreover, for this trip to Z Country, Ono Eishi was in charge of preparing supplies, mostly medicine. I remember glancing at the list... it seemed to include Dong Xuelian!
While Ono Eishi was busy at the computer, she got up and went to the lounge. She opened Ono Eishi’s personal medical kit. The Dong Xuelian was gone!
"That bastard!" Matsumoto Mina’s face turned livid. No matter how many precautions you take, an inside job is the hardest to prevent!
Just as she was fuming, the lounge door opened, and Ono Eishi walked in. "Miss Mina, I’m sorry. I was the one who gave the Dong Xuelian to An Yan’s team."
Matsumoto Mina gritted her teeth. "Why did you do that?"
"You asked me to find a way to disrupt their work. I thought about it and realized that to gain their trust, I had to offer something. I only gave them the Dong Xuelian after confirming they had a way to cure Wada Sakurako!"
"Nonsense!" Matsumoto Mina was so angry she swore. "Without Dong Xuelian, Wada Sakurako would be dead by now!"
"No, Miss Mina, Dong Xuelian wasn’t their first choice. It was Snow Green Grass!"
Ono Eishi took out his phone and showed Matsumoto Mina a photo. It was indeed the Snow Green Grass Su Siming had shown him: dark green at the base, its color gradually lightening towards the tip, which was pure white.
"Back then, to make our Dong Xuelian the most prized treasure, we sent people to Z Country to buy up Snow Green Grass on a massive scale. For money, the common folk nearly eradicated all Snow Green Grass within Z Country."
"But Miss Mina, the report back then used the word ’nearly’! As long as the conditions are right, Snow Green Grass can still grow!"
"So I thought, instead of hoarding the Dong Xuelian, it would be better to use it to lull their team into a false sense of security! That way, I..."
Matsumoto Mina was furious. "Idiot! Snow Green Grass is definitely extinct! Our purchase terms required the entire plant, roots and all."
"Even now, we still have people offering high prices for Snow Green Grass. Forget about it regrowing in Z Country; even if it did, it would be dug up and sold in minutes."
Ono Eishi hung his head, not daring to utter another word.
"You self-righteous fool! Idiot! Moron! Imbecile!!" Matsumoto Mina cursed, growing angrier with each word, then heavily slapped Ono Eishi across the face.