568: 9.38 Antidote Only For You

9.38 Antidote Only For You

After that, there was Virus X-2 and Virus X-3. All of them ended up in utter failure. A few more Xiao Tuns died tragically under Zhao Bolin's experiment. Even then, Lu Yizhou could tell that Zhao Bolin was getting closer to the goal.  1

Virus X-2 was effective for fifteen minutes before Xiao Tun's body shriveled like the previous one.

Virus X-3 was effective for more than half an hour before Xiao Tun simply collapsed and breathed its last.

Like this, two more weeks passed by and an unexpected trouble came knocking on their door in the form of protagonist Li Zhu. 

"What is the meaning of this?" Zhao Bolin demanded with a dark face. In front of him, the soldiers had just escorted Li Zhu down from the helicopter. The last one to disembark was Commander Yang Tengfei. Zhao Bolin's glare immediately landed on him. "Have you forgotten our deal, Commander?"

"T–Teach…" Li Zhu looked at them back and forth with a pale face. He looked worse for wear and his eyebags were so thick they almost reached his cheeks. "It's me. I am the one who proposed to the government to join the team…"

Zhao Bolin's eyes snapped to him, surprised. "You?" 

In his memory, Li Zhu had always been a smart and creative student. He was sensible and obedient yet at the same time, full of curiosity and eager to learn. Zhao Bolin liked that kind of attribute on a student. However, he thought that he had made his point last time. Who knew that Student Li Zhu would go against his words and come back here?

Li Zhu scratched his head awkwardly. "Teach, do you happen to know a researcher named Li Yunru?"

"Li Yunru…" Something flashed in Zhao Bolin's eyes. He put two and two together and exclaimed in surprise, "Don't tell me…"

"He's my father." Li Zhu's expression became downcast. A bitter smile hung upon his lips. "His expertise is in genetic engineering. You guess right. He was one of the researchers who worked on the government's secret project." 

At first, Li Zhu was actually not sure about his father's whereabouts. He only knew that his old man was involved in a confidential research and seldom came home. When the disaster struck, Li Zhu tried to contact him to no avail. It was not until he heard Zhao Bolin and Yang Tengfei's conversation that he became doubtful of the kind of research his old man was involved in. He thought that he would be able to discover something if he joined Zhao Bolin's research team. Alas, Zhao Bolin's rejection was so decisive that he could do nothing but back down.

After being transported into the military camp, he met a veteran soldier who recognized him through the similarity between the father and son's face. It was only then that Li Zhu found out about his father's fate and his desire to create the vaccine was rekindled. 

"Please…!" Li Zhu was only short of prostrating under Zhao Bolin's feet. His eyes were red as he pleaded, "Please let me join the research team, Teach! I know… this whole mess is due to my father. He is one of the researchers who is responsible for creating the zombie's virus. As a son, I should….I should bear the sins of my father!" Tears rolled down his cheeks, making his already delicate appearance become even more fragile. "I promise I won't be a burden to you! I will do my best to assist you! Please take me in, Teach!" Unable to bear it anymore, he collapsed on his knees and wept bitterly.

Lu Yizhou, who was watching the proceeding from a distance, could only heave out a sigh. So this was why Li Zhu was so desperate to join the research team. 

He should have known that the world would not let the two protagonists separate that easily. 

He shifted his gaze to Zhao Bolin and knew what kind of answer his lover would give. He might be stubborn and eccentric, but he was not evil. Now that his student was begging him like this, how could he refuse? As Lu Yizhou expected, he heard Zhao Bolin let out a sigh. "Get up first."

Li Zhu shook his head, fat droplets of tears dripping from his face to the ground. He would not get up before Professor Zhao agreed to his preposition. Just as Zhao Bolin took a step forward to help him up, he was beaten by Commander Yang who grasped Li Zhu's arm and lifted the youth up from behind. Alas, Li Zhu had cried so hard that his knees grew weak. He stumbled and fell into Yang Tengfei's embrace. "S–Sorry…" Hiccuping, he tried to set himself straight.

"It's okay," Yang Tengfei replied in a low voice.

Lu Yizhou's brows almost shot to his hairline. Even though it was almost imperceptible, he could sense a tinge of gentleness in Yang Tengfei's tone which he had never heard before. He even let Li Zhu lean on him for support! What was this? It was only a few weeks so how could their relationship develop so quickly??

Subsequently, the matter was quickly set. 

Li Zhu would join the research team but he would not be working in Zhao Bolin's private laboratory. The fifth floor had many other empty laboratories which he could use. Taking into account that Professor Zhao had always been protective of his own laboratory, Li Zhu did not mind it at all. He was so happy that he almost burst into tears again. "Thank you…! Thank you so much, Teach! I won't let you down!"

The three of them returned to the fifth floor and Zhao Bolin dumped the data progress of the vaccine on Li Zhu. Now that they were on the same team, there was no need to hide it anymore but he still concealed everything about Lu Yizhou. 

Li Zhu's eyes were sparkling in awe as he studied the densely packed data. "Wow… in such a short amount of time, you have covered so many things. As expected of you, Teach!"

Taking the time when he was engrossed in studying, Zhao Bolin pulled Lu Yizhou aside. He studied the zombie's expression carefully and asked, "Are you angry?"

Lu Yizhou raised his brow, puzzled. 

Zhao Bolin cleared his throat. "Are you angry that I accepted Li Zhu into the team without asking for your opinion first?"

Lu Yizhou did not know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of question was that? Had he always been so narrow-minded in Zhao Bolin's mind? He reached out to muss up the silly professor's hair. [I've said it, no matter what you decide to do, I will support you.] 

"Hmph, you flatterer," Zhao Bolin muttered under his breath, his voice almost unheard if not for Lu Yizhou's superb hearing. "Wait here for me," he told Lu Yizhou before sauntering toward Li Zhu and giving him a single task. He should master this data by tomorrow because he would directly take part in the experiment. 

Asking a student to learn weeks of data in less than 24 hours… it was simply inhumane. Lu Yizhou was kinda speechless by how callous his lover was. However, Li Zhu did not look like he had any complaints, instead he looked so enthusiastic it was as if he wanted to eat the data into his stomach. Sighing, Lu Yizhou could only shake his head and let them be. 

After that, Zhao Bolin tugged him into the laboratory and locked the door.

Hearing the sound, Li Zhu's head snapped up in shock. His eyes went as wide as saucers and his jaws almost dropped to the ground. What… What did he just see? Professor Zhao brought that literature student into his laboratory?! Why?! 

Lu Yizhou could hear the surprised hitch on Li Zhu's breath outside. Helplessly, he glanced at Zhao Bolin who had an oblivious look on his face. [Can you be a little more subtle?] 

Lu Yizhou was certain that from now on, Li Zhu would try to get into the laboratory as well. He, as Professor Zhao's student, was banned from entering so what gave this literature student the right to?! That must be what was in Li Zhu's mind right now.

Zhao Bolin's EQ was as low as ever. He asked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Lu Yizhou heaved out a sigh. [Forget it.]

Perhaps this was fated to be. Just like how the confrontation between Zhao Bolin and the soldiers were meant to happen, Lu Yizhou's identity was bound to be exposed sooner or later. He could only go along with the flow.

Zhao Bolin soon threw the question to the back of his mind and lifted a familiar tube excitedly. "Guess what this is?!" Inside the tube was a similar blue solution to Virus X, however its color was deeper and darker. Before Lu Yizhou could even guess, Zhao Bolin had revealed the answer due to impatience. His lips stretched into a roguish grin. "I made this with your blood. It's an antidote created specially for you. I call it 'Anti-Lu'.

Lu Yizhou's eyes widened in surprise. An antidote only for him? This man… he had not even created the formula for the vaccine yet and he already had an antidote for him?!

Perhaps deciphering Lu Yizhou's incredulous look, Zhao Bolin tutted. "Human's bodies are just too weak to fight against the zombie's virus. That's why I have been stuck in the bottleneck. However, it's different for you. Your genes have been changed by the virus and your endurance has gone beyond that of ordinary humans. I only need to focus on the deadly part in your blood and create an antidote to modify it. In other words, this antidote can make you harmless for a short period of time."

He beckoned for Lu Yizhou, grinning. "Come here, it's time for another observation."

Lu Yizhou recalled the past observation Professor Zhao had done and in an instant, the hair on his body stood on its end.

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