GBP Chapter 144 Drink this bowl of "Meng Po soup"
Chapter 144 Drink this bowl of "Meng Po soup"
Captain Zhou arrived very quickly, almost speeding all the way with the sirens blaring.
When he led a team of fully armed chemical defense soldiers, wearing heavy protective suits, and walked into Renxin Pharmacy as if he were going to defuse a nuclear bomb, all the residents of the street stuck their heads out to watch.
"My God, is war about to break out?"
"Could it be that the pharmacy is actually researching biological weapons?"
"I knew that Dr. Wang was abnormal! What normal person could make someone cry and laugh at the same time?"
The neighbors were talking about it.
Captain Zhou ignored all that and went straight to the backyard. When he saw the energy-devouring spore frozen into a black "artwork" by liquid nitrogen and still emitting a faint green light in the biosafety box, even this experienced special forces captain, who had worked on the front line of border drug enforcement for ten years, couldn't help but gasp.
His hand instinctively reached for the pistol at his waist.
"This...this really is the first experimental subject of Project 'Abyss'?" Captain Zhou's voice came through the protective mask, trembling slightly. "We've been investigating for half a year, using intelligence networks from three provinces. We never expected it to appear here so openly and brazenly in this way."
He turned to look at Wang Minyu, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "Do you know? Just three days ago, we intercepted a batch of smuggled biological samples at the border. One of them was a spore similar to this thing, and before our experts could even study it, it exploded. Of the thirteen people in the entire lab, nine died on the spot, and the remaining four are still in the ICU."
"Then your protective measures are not good enough." Wang Minyu leisurely sipped his tea, which was Pierre's freshly brewed "calming tea"—made with mint, licorice and a little brandy, it was cool and refreshing, just right to calm the nerves.
He put down his teacup, took out a neatly printed bill from his pocket, stamped with the red seal of "Renxin Pharmacy," and handed it over.
"It's 880,000 in total." Wang Minyu's tone was as relaxed as if he were saying, "The weather's nice today." "The courier handling fee is 500,000, which is the industry standard price. You can ask SF Express if you don't believe me; they charge the same price for handling hazardous materials. The compensation for emotional distress is 300,000. There are more than a dozen people in our store who were almost drained dry by this thing. That's not unreasonable, is it? And the remaining 80,000 is for the damage to my liquid nitrogen tank. Pierre brought that back from France; you can't buy it on the market."
He paused, then gave a "I'm very kind" smile: "Since we've had a pleasant working relationship, I'll round it down to 800,000. We accept WeChat, Alipay, corporate transfers, and bank cards are also fine, but there will be a handling fee."
Captain Zhou's eye twitched once, then again.
He felt that Wang Minyu's skill in striking bamboo poles was even more impressive than his skill in healing.
This isn't a doctor, this is a bandit!
"Dr. Wang, you..." Captain Zhou took a deep breath, trying to reason with him, "This thing was sent to you, so strictly speaking, you're also a victim. Our intervention is to help you..."
"Help me?" Wang Minyu interrupted him, raising an eyebrow. "Then can you help me appease the residents of this street? Look outside, what's the talk about now? Will my shop even be able to open tomorrow? Will I still have this 'demonstration base' sign? Will you compensate me for these intangible losses?"
Captain Zhou was speechless.
He knew that Wang Minyu was telling the truth.
Once this kind of thing gets out, even if the authorities deny it, the public will still have doubts.
"Moreover," Wang Minyu added, "if I hadn't reacted quickly and frozen it with liquid nitrogen, what you would have received now wouldn't be a complete sample, but a 'Changxiang City Large-Scale Power Outage Accident Report.' How much money would you have to spend on the cleanup then? Eight hundred thousand? You got off easy."
Captain Zhou remained silent.
He took out his phone, walked to the side, and whispered to his superior for instructions.
A few minutes later, he returned, looking rather grim, but still nodded: "Money is no problem. But we must take this thing away immediately and destroy it. It's too dangerous."
"Destroy it? What a waste." Wang Minyu waved his hand, looking like a spendthrift. "Such good 'energy blocks' are simply wasted. You know what? If this thing were thoroughly researched, it might be able to solve the energy crisis."
"What do you want to do?" Captain Zhou stared at him warily.
"Don't be nervous." Wang Minyu smiled. "I'm not building an atomic bomb. Here's what we'll do: you can take the stuff, but you have to leave me a small piece, about... this size."
He gestured with his thumb and forefinger to indicate the size of a fingernail.
"What do you need this for?" Captain Zhou's voice rose eight octaves. "Do you know how dangerous this is? What if it comes back to life..."
"No, that won't happen." Wang Minyu interrupted him, pointing to Su Qing who was taking notes next to him. "We have professional biology PhDs here, as well as the most advanced cryopreservation equipment in the city. Moreover, our 'demonstration base' recently has a research project called 'Research on the Energy Conversion and Medicinal Value of Silicon-based Life Forms in Extreme Environments'."
He spoke with utmost seriousness, as if he were genuinely conducting academic research: "This is a great opportunity to fill a gap in our domestic research, and who knows, we might even publish a few SCI papers, bringing glory to our country. You can't possibly lack that much awareness, can you?"
Captain Zhou looked at Wang Minyu's face, which seemed to say, "I just want to cause trouble, but you can't do anything about it," and took a deep breath.
He knew he couldn't stop this madman at all.
Moreover, in a sense, Wang Minyu's statement makes sense.
If we can learn something from this, it will definitely benefit the country.
He made another phone call, this time taking even longer to get instructions.
Finally, he hung up the phone and nodded helplessly: "The higher-ups have agreed. But there are three conditions: First, you must sign a confidentiality agreement; second, the research process must be conducted under our supervision; and third, you will be fully responsible if any accidents occur."
"No problem," Wang Minyu readily agreed. "By the way, about the 800,000..."
"The money has already been transferred to your account," Captain Zhou said through gritted teeth.
Wang Minyu took out his phone and glanced at it. Sure enough, a bank SMS notification showed that 800,000 yuan had been deposited into his account.
He smiled with satisfaction: "Captain Zhou, it was a pleasure working with you. Remember to call me again if there's anything good like this next time."
Captain Zhou's face turned green.
Under Su Qing's surgical precision, a small fragment of spore, smaller than a fingernail but still emitting a faint green glow, was carefully separated and stored in a specially made, sealed container filled with inert gas.
The container was "borrowed" by Su Qing from her former laboratory. It was said to be able to withstand temperatures as low as -200 degrees Celsius and as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius, and it wouldn't break even if thrown into lava.
"Remember this," Captain Zhou warned sternly before leaving, "This thing must never come into contact with any form of energy source. Electricity, heat, light, even bioelectricity—nothing is allowed. If it awakens, the consequences will be unimaginable."
"Don't worry, I value my life." Wang Minyu waved his hand.
After seeing off Captain Zhou and his fully armed chemical defense troops, the onlookers gradually dispersed, and Renxin Pharmacy finally returned to peace.
But a shadow fell over everyone's hearts.
"Master, what...what do we do next?" Li Siyuan asked worriedly, his voice still trembling. "That 'S' organization is starting to use any means necessary. They dare to send us things like this; will they send bombs next time?"
"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it." Wang Minyu carefully placed the container containing the spore fragments under the deepest jar in the backyard, the one specifically used for fermenting "intangible cultural heritage stinky tofu."
The jar maintains a constant low temperature and high humidity year-round; it's Old Cai's "fermentation sanctuary," prepared using a secret family recipe. Wang Minyu felt that this place was safer than a bank vault for storing things.
"They have high technology, we have... the wisdom of our ancestors." Wang Minyu patted the jar. "And don't forget, we are now an 'officially certified' demonstration base. If anything goes wrong, the state will cover for us."
He spoke casually, but in his heart he was plotting something else.
With Dr. Gao captured and Li Mo rescued, Peak Bio's "ground" experimental base will undoubtedly suffer a severe blow. But the real "Abyss Laboratory," hidden underground, is the true threat.
There has been no news from Qin Xue for almost half a month.
I don't know if it's been exposed, or...
Just as Wang Minyu was pondering, an unexpected figure appeared at the entrance of the pharmacy.
He was an old man with gray hair, wearing a faded old military uniform.
Several faded medals were still pinned to his uniform. His back was ramrod straight, but his steps were somewhat unsteady, and he leaned on a wooden cane.
He didn't register or say anything. He simply walked silently to the small stool by the door, sat down, took out a yellowed black-and-white photograph with worn edges from his pocket, placed it on his lap, and looked at it quietly.
The photo shows a young woman with a sweet smile and two braids. She is wearing a simple white shirt, and there is a field of sunflowers in the background.
The old man didn't make a fuss or seek medical attention; he just sat there quietly for an entire afternoon.
His eyes were empty and sad, as if the whole world had nothing to do with him.
"Boss, what's wrong with this old man?" Zhao Na asked softly. She had already poured water for the old man three times, but he hadn't touched it. "He's been sitting here for three hours, not drinking water or eating. I asked him if he felt unwell, but he didn't say anything."
Wang Minyu put down the medical book in his hand, walked over, and sat down next to the old man.
He didn't say anything, but just sat quietly with the old man for a while.
Then, he activated the [Aura Observation Technique].
From the system's perspective, the old man's head was shrouded in a layer of hazy mist.
The mist wasn't a sign of illness, but rather a deep, unyielding sorrow and despair.
Patient: Chen Jianjun
Age: 76
[Occupation: Veteran (participated in the Sino-Vietnamese War and was awarded a second-class merit)]
Symptoms: Alzheimer's disease (early stage), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mild depression.
[Current emotions: extreme sadness, longing, and...fear of being forgotten.]
[Note: His memories are slipping away like sand. What he fears most is not death itself, but forgetting the person he loved with all his life before he dies.]
Wang Minyu's heart was clenched tightly.
"Sir, is that your wife in the photo?" Wang Minyu asked softly, his tone as gentle as if he were coaxing a child.
The old man's cloudy eyes twitched, and he slowly turned to Wang Minyu, then nodded slowly.
"She's very beautiful," Wang Minyu said sincerely.
"She...sacrificed herself." The old man finally spoke, his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded, each word as if squeezed out from his throat, "Thirty years...I'm almost...almost forgetting what she looks like."
As he spoke, tears streamed silently down his face, crisscrossing the wrinkles, and dripped onto the yellowed photograph.
"The doctor said I have Alzheimer's." The old man's hand was tightly gripping the photo, his knuckles turning white. "In a few years, I might... forget who she is. I won't even remember her name."
His voice was filled with despair and fear.
That fear was even stronger than facing death.
Wang Minyu fell silent.
Alzheimer's disease is one of the "incurable diseases" in modern medicine.
Organic lesions of the brain are almost always irreversible.
He can cure cancer, fight against biological weapons, and even "revive" the dead, but he also felt a deep sense of powerlessness in the face of this "curse" of time.
"I...I've heard that you have miraculous medicine here that can cure all kinds of diseases." The old man raised his head, looking at Wang Minyu with an almost pleading, hopeful gaze. "Doctor, I don't want to live to be a hundred, nor do I want mountains of gold and silver. I just...I just want to dream of her clearly one more time before I die. Just once."
His voice was so humble it was heartbreaking.
Looking into the old man's cloudy but hopeful eyes, Wang Minyu felt a deep, tender touch in his heart.
He stood up, took a deep breath, and walked back to the pharmacy.
"Pierre." His voice was more serious than ever before.
"Yes, boss." Pierre was in the kitchen researching how to make "popcorn" with liquid nitrogen when he heard Wang Minyu's voice. He immediately put down what he was doing and ran out.
"Tonight, 'Midnight Diner' will be closed." Wang Minyu's voice carried an undeniable solemnity. "We'll only be serving one dish."
"What are you doing?" Pierre was taken aback.
"Make a bowl of..." Wang Minyu paused, looking out the window at the gradually darkening sky, "...the 'Meng Po soup' that can help people regain their memories."
late at night.
The kitchen of Renxin Pharmacy was brightly lit.
Everyone was kicked out, leaving only Wang Minyu, Pierre, and Su Qing.
Pierre's expression was even more focused than when he participated in the finals of the Bocuse d'Or.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
On the cutting board in front of him were several strange "ingredients" that ordinary people would never think of appearing in a kitchen.
A "calming jade" fruit, freshly picked from the backyard, still carrying the scent of earth and morning dew.
Those were mutated eggs cultivated by Old Cai using special methods, which were said to have calming and tranquilizing effects.
A few dried leaves of the "True Words Agave," exuding a unique aroma that is both minty and sandalwood.
That was a rare plant I got from Qin Xue; it has the effect of enhancing memory.
A small handful of "forget-me-nots," specially supplied by Old Cai, which are said to evoke childhood memories and bring tears to the eyes.
And... a fragment of an "energy-devouring spore" that Su Qing ground into powder with precision instruments, smaller than a speck of dust, and still emitted a faint green light under a microscope.
"Boss, are you sure you want to use this?" Su Qing pointed to the small, almost invisible pinch of black powder, her brow furrowed. "We haven't fully understood the toxicity of this stuff yet. What if..."
"There's no 'what if'." Wang Minyu's eyes were firm. "This thing can absorb energy, which means it can activate those dormant neurons in the brain. As long as the dosage is controlled properly, it's the best 'catalyst'."
He stood aside, like a strict director, personally guiding every step.
"The egg whites are extracted and slowly cooked at a low temperature, then whipped into the finest foam. The temperature is controlled at 65 degrees Celsius, neither too high nor too low. This is called 'cloud,' representing the lightness and transience of memories."
Pierre carefully separated the egg whites, slowly heated them in a constant temperature water bath, and then whipped them little by little with an electric mixer.
The foam was as delicate as clouds, and it would dissipate with a gentle breath.
"Agave leaves and daylily buds are instantly frozen with liquid nitrogen and then ground into powder. This is called 'dust,' representing the sedimentation and accumulation of memories."
Su Qing put on protective gloves and put the few leaves and grass into the liquid nitrogen tank.
"Sizzle—"
A cloud of white mist rose up, and the plants were instantly frozen into crispy flakes.
She used a mortar and pestle to gently grind them into a fine powder, as fine as flour.
"Finally, dissolve that tiny bit of 'spore powder' in high-proof liquor to use as a 'guide'. Remember, you can only use one spore; not even one more."
Wang Minyu's voice was so serious, as if he were performing a life-or-death surgery.
Pierre's hands were as steady as a finely tuned machine.
He used molecular gastronomy techniques to gradually blend these seemingly unrelated, even somewhat absurd, elements together.
He first gently poured the cloud-like foam into a warm, rustic white porcelain bowl.
Then, sprinkle those few shimmering "dust" particles evenly on top.
Finally, using a straw as thin as a hair, carefully drop a drop of white wine containing dissolved "spore powder" into the very center.
"laugh--"
The moment that drop of wine fell, the whole bowl of "soup" seemed to come alive.
The bubbles began to slowly rotate and merge, eventually turning into a bowl of seemingly ordinary, even somewhat bland, transparent liquid.
It has no fragrance, no color, just like a bowl of ordinary water.
But under the light, it gleams with a soft, moonlight-like sheen.
"This...is this going to work?" Li Siyuan looked at the bowl of "soup" through the glass door, his face full of disbelief. "It looks like a bowl of plain water."
"I don't know." Wang Minyu shook his head, a hint of uncertainty appearing in his voice for the first time. "This is no longer within the realm of medicine. This is... a gamble. A gamble with time, with fate."
He carefully carried the bowl of "Meng Po soup" to the old man who was still sitting at the door, clutching the photograph tightly.
"Grandpa, have some." Wang Minyu's voice was soft and gentle.
The old man looked up at the clear, moonlight-like liquid in the bowl, and then at Wang Minyu's sincere eyes.
He didn't hesitate, nor did he ask what it was.
He simply stretched out his calloused and scarred hands, tremblingly took the bowl, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
Then, he closed his eyes, leaned against the wall, and relaxed completely, as if he had finally unloaded the burden he had carried for thirty years, and fell into a deep sleep.
Time passed, second by second.
Everyone held their breath and watched the old man silently.
No one spoke, and they even tried to keep their breathing as quiet as possible.
One hour...
Two hours...
Just as dawn was breaking, the eastern sky began to lighten with the pale glow of dawn.
A single tear suddenly slid down the corner of the old man's eye.
The tears were crystal clear, shimmering in the morning light.
Immediately afterwards, a satisfied, happy, and childlike smile appeared on his face.
That smile brought tears to the eyes of everyone who saw it.
"I...I saw her." The old man slowly opened his eyes, looked at Wang Minyu, and although his voice was still hoarse, it was full of joy and gratitude.
"She was wearing that red dress, the one she wore on our wedding day. She was standing in the sunflower field, smiling at me... She said she had been waiting for me..."
As the old man spoke, tears welled up in his eyes again.
But this time, they were tears of happiness.