Tranxending Vision - Chapter 369

Chapter 369: 369

The one who had gone mad was a physicist named Luo Su . He was young, in his thirties . The people in the laboratory were rushing out when Xia Lei got to the laboratory . Luo Su was inside waving a experiment-use hammer about and smashing the equipment up . The floor was a mess of papers and broken pieces of equipment .

Xia Lei spotted Ning Jing . Her head was bleeding and she was in such a panic that she did not see him and ran straight into him .  

“What happened to your head?” Xia Lei grabbed her by the hand and asked in concern .  

“Luo Su…” Ning Jing suddenly started crying . “He’s gone mad . He wanted to smash the bronze book and I went to push him away but he was stronger . He hit me on the head with the hammer… Whuuh…”

She was weak and timid and could not bear this sort of horror .

“Don’t cry . I’m here, no one can hurt you,” comforted Xia Lei .  

It might’ve been better not to comfort her for Ning Jing buried herself further in his embrace and cried even more loudly .  

The group of experts who had escaped the laboratory all looked at the embracing pair, their gazes odd .

Xia Lei was embarrassed but he could not simply push the sobbing Ning Jing away; it would be too ungentlemanly of him .  

Two soldiers came running over and they charged into the laboratory to subdue the rampaging Luo Su .  

“You pieces of trash! I am one of the Eastern Depot’s Embroidered Uniform Guard*! Kneel before me!” Luo Su shouted as he struggled to release himself from the soldiers .  

The soldiers were men who depended on their brawn for their livelihood - Luo Su stood no chance . The soldiers seized him and moved him out of the laboratory like a trussed chicken .  

“Mama, why did the sky go dark?” Luo Su suddenly said, his voice child-like .  

Xia Lei’s heart thumped . ‘He’s in the same condition as Chen Kexue . His personality keeps changing rapidly and it doesn’t matter if it’s man, woman, elder or child . Is the same power affecting his brain?’

Xia Lei’s gaze went abruptly to the two pieces of ancient alloy in the laboratory . The experts here called it ‘Metal X’ but he preferred to call it ‘ancient alloy’ .  

The two pieces of ancient alloy still sat on a metal platform but the scanning equipment had been destroyed by Luo Su’s hammer .  

Just then, Wang Lei and Long Bing came running over . Long Bing’s hair was still wet and it was apparent that she had rushed out of her shower before even having the time to wipe her hair dry . However, she had not forgotten to put on the anti-bacterial suit as per regulations in her haste; she was just missing the face-mask .  

Long Bing saw Ning Jing sobbing broken-heartedly in Xia Lei’s arms the moment she arrived and she wrinkled her brows as she muttered, “This punk . Always a woman wherever he goes…”

“Doctor Ning, go to the medical room and patch yourself up,” said Wang Lei in dissatisfaction . “You are already in your late twenties . What is there to cry about for a small thing like this? Go on, move . Don’t disrupt the work that has to be done here . ”

Ning Jing felt wronged and looked gloomily at Wang Lei before she pulled herself out of Xia Lei’s embrace and walked to the medical room .  

Wang Lei was an old, strict scientist and a little unfeeling . Ning Jing did have a problematic personality but he should not have berated her so, especially in front of so many people .  

Xia Lei had some level of respect for Wang Lei at first, especially since he was an established National Scholar and a Doctor of the sciences but he now felt some disgust towards him .  

It was a virtue to respect and love one’s elders but it was not right to take advantage of one’s seniority to bully others .

Wang Lei went to Xia Lei after making Ning Jing go away . “Mr Xia, didn’t you say that you had some thoughts on the matter? Tell me . Tell me now . ”

“I said I needed some time to straighten my thoughts,” said Xia Lei .  

“Tell me everything you know . I’ll help you straighten your thoughts out . ” Wang Lei was anxious .  

Xia Lei wrinkled his brows . “Scholar Wang, do you think I am a person who needs your help to straighten out my thoughts?”

Wang Lei paused, and his face turned ugly . No one had spoken to him like that, not for many years . Xia Lei was the first .  

Long Bing drew close and nudged Xia Lei, telling him to watch his tone .  

Xia Lei pretended not to notice . “Scholar Wang, I was the one who brought this alloy back . I nearly lost my life in Afghanistan because of it . You guys don’t know what I’ve been through . I bribed the armed tribesmen to make the journey easier and open up paths for us to take . And what is this now? Excluding me and limiting me, as if I’m going to steal that alloy and the results of your research away . Let me tell you that I wouldn’t even hand it to you if I didn’t feel like it . ”

“Mr Xia, I know you have contributed much,” said Wang Lei with a solemn face, “But this is not the time to talk of contribution, or credit for work done . You just need to tell me all that you know . ”

Anger flared in Xia Lei . “Are you saying I am here to claim credit?”

“Then what do you mean?” Wang Lei’s face was dark with discontent .  

Xia Lei was so angry he gave a laugh . “What do I mean? Simple . Do I owe you guys anything? You’ve been arranging for me to do this and that from the moment I arrived, and I don’t know what’s going on - who knows what you’re trying to make me do!”

“You-” Wang Lei was rooted to the spot with anger .  

Long Bing knew that Xia Lei had definitely not come to claim any credit, and that Wang Lei had misunderstood him . She knew what it was like to have been mistaken by others and it was normal for Xia Lei to feel uncomfortable about it but such a strong reaction was just too much . The development put her in a spot and she didn’t know how to resolve it .  

Xia Lei thought to himself, ‘I’ve already decided to bid Bureau 101 goodbye so offending Wang Lei is a great excuse to exit . It’ll be better the angrier he is, so there’s no need to hold back . ’

“Fine . Fine!” Wang Lei caught his breath at last and he pointed a finger at Xia Lei as he said, “Leave! I don’t believe that we won’t be able to conduct any research without you!”

“Sure, I’ll leave . You think I want to stay here? I wouldn’t want to come even if you carry me here on a palanquin!” Xia Lei was really ripping into Wang Lei .  

Wang Lei shook with anger . He pointed at Xia Lei but looked at Long Bing . “You see this, Chief Long? See what sort of person you’ve brought here! I’ll be reporting this to the higher-ups!”

Long Bing smiled wryly and forced herself to chide Xia Lei . “Xia Lei, hold back your words, okay? It’s nothing big anyway . You…”

Xia Lei boldly cut her off . “No, say nothing more . I’ll go see Doctor Ning and I’ll leave . ”

He was going to grab the opportunity to ask for valuable information in the medical room, then make himself scarce . Let Wang Lei be hopping mad!

Just as Xia Lei was about to walk to the medical room, a woman wearing a white coat came running from the medical room, crying out in panic, “Oh no, no…It’s terrible . . . ” 

“What’s the fuss?!” snapped Wang Lei .  

The female doctor took a steadying breath . “Doc, Doctor Chen Kexue is de, dead!” 

“What?” Wang Lei and the group of experts were stunned .  

Xia Lei and Long Bing’s gazes met, and both were filled with surprise and confusion .  

Then everyone’s gazes went to the newly-crazy Luo Su at almost the same time . They were all thinking the same thing - If Chen Kexue died, then would Luo Su die too?

Luo Su, who had been mumbling all this while, suddenly laughed hollowly . “All of you shall rest with me in my grave!”

It was hair-raising for the whole group to hear that . The people close to Luo Su quickly scrambled to get further away .  

“What are you still standing there for? Quick, take Doctor Luo to the medical room!” said Wang Lei .  

The two soldiers hurried to the medical room with Luo Su . From their expressions and quick strides, it was obvious that they had long wanted to throw him in the medical room and put distance between him and them .  

With Chen Kexue’s mysterious death, the newly-crazy Luo Su was now like a leper and no one was willing to come into contact with him .  

“Come, let’s go take a look . ” Wang Lei wiped at the cold sweat on his forehead and led the way to the medical room .  

Long Bing made to follow him but Xia Lei pulled her back by her arm .  

Long Bing looked back at him . “What?”

Xia Lei drew close to her ear and said quietly, “If it’s some sort of virus then they are probably mostly infected already . Don’t get too close to them . ”

“Huh?” Long Bing’s expression shifted .  

“Put on your face-mask on . ” Xia Lei had put on the anti-bacterial suit properly when he had rushed over, mask over his mouth and all .  

Long Bing followed suit and patted Xia Lei on the shoulder gratefully .  

Some people stayed around the doorway and some followed Wang Lei in to see Chen Kexue’s condition . Everyone had their anti-bacterial suits on and their faces covered .  

All eyes were on Chen Kexue on the bed .  

Chen Kexue’s face was bloodless . His eyes were closed and his mouth half-open, frozen in a death rattle . Other than these, there were no signs of poison or other abnormal things on his body which could have caused his death . He looked like he was asleep .  

“I tried to save him but it was useless . Doctor Chen said he would die and he did . There was no indication of death before he actually died,” said the female doctor .  

“Put Luo Su in isolated observation . Gather all the doctors and make a special team . We must find the cause of Doctor Chen’s death, and we have to protect Doctor Luo,” said Wang Lei .  

“Yes, I’ll make calls right now . ” The female doctor walked further into the room .  

At that moment, Luo Su, who had been bound to the bed by the two soldiers suddenly started screaming in terror . “Don’t come here, DON’T COME HERE… DON’T KILL ME… AAAAAHHH . . . . ”

A scream . A gurgle . Luo Su opened his mouth slowly and it did not shut again . His eyes closed, never to open again .  

“Crap! Doctor Chen said the same thing earlier and died!” The female doctor rushed to Luo Su’s side and pressed him on his chest . There was no response . She then used the cardiac defibrillator on him .  

She gave up a few minutes later .  

The room was filled with silence as a wordless terror spread in everyone’s heart .