Chapter Ten: Returning to My Alma Mater, Zhu Lan's Teacher!

Hooligans are nothing more than a gang of bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. Zhu Lan’s advanced security gear, a product of his own Fantasia Technology, was more than enough for the job. While not lethal, it was still far beyond the reach of common thugs. All the security personnel were retired soldiers; dealing with hooligans was child’s play for them.

Zhu Lan hadn’t been too hard on Li Sanhan either—after teaching him a lesson, he simply let him take his men and leave. As for the man’s words, whether true or false, Zhu Lan didn’t care.

“Well done. You’ve familiarized yourself with the area, haven’t you?” he asked.

Yu Dongming nodded. “Boss, I know the place inside and out now.”

Zhu Lan nodded in return.

Suddenly, the sound of engines rumbled in the distance. Zhu Lan and Yu Dongming both looked up to see several cars approaching from afar.

The vehicles pulled up in front of them. Glancing at the insignia on the cars, Zhu Lan frowned. “The Bureau of Industry and Commerce?”

Sure enough, a few men in blue uniforms stepped out. Their brows furrowed as they surveyed Zhu Lan and his group. “Who’s in charge here?” one demanded.

“I am. What’s the matter?” Zhu Lan stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

The leader scrutinized him from head to toe. “We received a public report that you’re operating without a license. Please present your documentation.”

“Qin Shi, go call Cheng Xue and have her bring the company’s documents,” Zhu Lan instructed without further inquiry.

Soon, Qin Shi returned with several files in hand.

Catching Zhu Lan’s look, Qin Shi nodded and approached the Bureau officers, handing over the documents.

The leader didn’t take them himself but had one of the others inspect them. One man even produced a device resembling a payment terminal to verify the documents’ authenticity.

“Captain, the documents are genuine!” the man confirmed.

The leader shot the man a glare, about to speak, but was subtly tugged aside by a companion, who discreetly pointed toward a corner of the compound.

Following his gaze, the leader fell silent.

“Thank you for your cooperation. It seems we received a false report. Our apologies for the disturbance,” he said.

As quickly as they had come, the Bureau of Industry and Commerce took their leave.

Zhu Lan had noticed what the man had discreetly indicated, but said nothing. He collected his documents and headed upstairs to his small office on the second floor of Warehouse Three, the company’s main building. Though nothing compared to his previous office in size, it was exquisitely decorated—a cozy and comfortable space.

“Boss, people from the Fire Department are downstairs!” Cheng Xue burst in with the news just as Zhu Lan sat down.

Zhu Lan smiled. “Let them inspect whatever they want. Tell everyone to cooperate fully. Let Yu Dongming know to keep an eye out and not let them play any tricks.”

Cheng Xue nodded and left.

Sitting back in his chair, Zhu Lan sank into silence. First the hooligans, then the Commerce Bureau, and now the Fire Department. Anyone would be a fool to believe this wasn’t deliberate.

“I don’t recall ever offending anyone,” Zhu Lan muttered in confusion. Fantasia Technology hadn’t even launched a single product yet; there was no one he could have crossed. Fang Ren certainly didn’t have the clout to orchestrate anything like this—it was out of the question.

For years, his life in the city had been unremarkable. Especially during the past two years, he’d never held a job for long, nor had he offended anyone. Of the ten positions he’d held, nine were jobs no one else wanted. There was no way he could have done anything to warrant this kind of government scrutiny.

He’d noticed the way the Commerce Bureau acted—if there hadn’t been surveillance cameras, there was no telling what petty trouble they might have tried to cause.

In the afternoon, more officials arrived. The police, on the pretext of a search error, combed through several warehouses.

Zhu Lan accompanied them the entire time, anxiety gnawing at him.

If a handgun were discovered in his warehouse, the consequences would be severe enough. But if the virus was found, it would spell the end of the world. Zhu Lan couldn’t even be sure he’d survive the first wave of infection himself.

It was only after the police left that Zhu Lan collapsed into his chair, drenched in cold sweat, his back soaked through.

When they searched the storage room, Zhu Lan had nearly intervened, but the three officers, seeing how dusty it was, merely glanced in from the doorway and moved on.

He breathed a sigh of relief. The handgun and the virus were stashed together in that very room.

After a meal cooked by his housekeeper, Zhu Lan told Yu Dongming to stay vigilant, then retreated to his room, leaving today’s task of “improving the laboratory” unfinished.

Though nothing had happened, the lab was discovered. Zhu Lan had simply claimed it was company confidential. The police hadn’t pressed further—after all, he’d registered the business as a biotech company, and it would be odd not to have any equipment.

And since the devices Zhu Lan produced were unrecognizable to those outside the field, he could only worry but do nothing more.

“Damn it, who’s targeting me?”

His face was still pale from the day’s events. If the virus had been discovered, he truly didn’t know what he would have done—perhaps manifested a gun and killed the officers on the spot.

If that had happened, Zhu Lan would have done it, no matter if it was for his own sake or for the world’s—anyone with knowledge had to die.

The incident weighed heavily on Zhu Lan. The virus was becoming increasingly dangerous; he needed a place that was absolutely secure.

But no matter how he racked his brains, he couldn’t think of anywhere safe enough.

Even a bank vault wasn’t reassuring. If the virus so much as leaked, the world could end. Movies had made it clear—the virus could be transmitted not only through air but also water. More importantly, the province was an island, and the city lay by the sea. If even a single fish in the ocean were infected, the consequences would be unimaginable.

No one could possibly count the number of fish in the ocean, but it was at least in the trillions.

Zhu Lan had long ignored the virus, out of sheer terror of it leaking. He knew how to destroy it, but the temptation of the virus had always stopped him from taking that final step.

“It seems I need to move faster. I just hope the next few days pass peacefully.”

The next day, after giving a few instructions, Zhu Lan drove the Mazda that Cheng Xue had bought for him to the city.

Nearly three hours later, he arrived at the most famous city in the province—a city renowned not only for its military presence but also as a tourist destination. Of all who vacationed by the sea each year, at least seven out of ten chose this place.

Driving along familiar roads, Zhu Lan parked, stepped out, and gazed at the familiar scenes before him, sighing. “I never thought I’d return here again.”

“Zhu Lan?”

Turning at the sound, Zhu Lan was surprised. “Fang Zang? Is that you?”

The newcomer was dressed in a well-fitted suit, a few books in hand. “I can’t believe it’s really you!” Fang Zang exclaimed, walking over.

“What are you doing here?” Zhu Lan asked curiously. This old classmate of his had always been a good friend.

“After graduation, I earned my doctorate and became a teacher here. But what brings you back?” Fang Zang gave a brief account. “By the way, how have you been these years? You must be doing well—you’re driving now!”

Zhu Lan smiled wryly. “So you became a teacher. Who would have guessed?”

“I’m here to see Professor Qin. Do you know if she’s still around?”

“Professor Qin? Oh, that’s who you’re looking for! Just head to Laboratory Building Six—the one whose foundation was being laid when we graduated. Do you want me to take you?”

Zhu Lan was taken aback, about to answer, when he noticed Fang Zang glance subtly at his watch. Shaking his head, Zhu Lan declined, “No need—class must be starting soon, right? You go ahead. I can find my way.”

Fang Zang nodded. “Alright then. Let’s keep in touch.”

Zhu Lan nodded, watching his friend leave. He retrieved a sealed file from his car and made his way toward the place he remembered.

It took over twenty minutes for him to find Building Six.

Staring at the six-story laboratory, Zhu Lan was astonished. City University was the best in the province, its campus vast, boasting six classroom buildings, three faculty residences, a library, a swimming pool, and over a dozen athletic facilities. In addition, there were seven specialized laboratory buildings. Its research capabilities ranked among the nation’s top ten. As a semi-military institution, the university was tasked with developing equipment for the navy—after all, the city hosted the country’s second-largest naval base.

Zhu Lan’s return to his alma mater was to seek help from his teacher. The gene serum was simply too important; he needed someone with the authority and credibility to handle it.

His mentor, Professor Qin Min, was a renowned biologist specializing in microbiology, famous not only domestically but around the world. More importantly, Professor Qin was a woman of fifty-six, born to illustrious parents—her father had participated in the atomic bomb project as a physicist, and her mother, a Harvard astronomy graduate, had made immense contributions to the nation’s astronomical efforts.

With such a background, Professor Qin could easily have worked at Tsinghua University or a national research institute. Yet she chose a life of comfort, leaving the capital for the southern province. The development of City University owed much to her influence; no one dared offend her, given her parents’ lifelong service to the nation.

After registering at the entrance, Zhu Lan was soon allowed inside. The biology labs were not nearly as tightly guarded as those for naval equipment research. As Professor Qin’s student, a quick verification was all he needed.

Outside a laboratory, Zhu Lan saw his teacher inside, focused on her work.

He waved.

Sensing something, Professor Qin looked up and, upon recognizing him, smiled and gestured toward a side room.

Glancing over, Zhu Lan saw it was a small office. He nodded and walked over.

Inside, the office was simple: just a desk, a computer, and nothing else. Shelves lined the walls, filled with books on biology—most of them in foreign languages.