Chapter 134

At 2 a.m. on August 18, Liu Wensheng was carefully reviewing the documents in his hands. As of midnight, Longxia had confirmed 58 cases, with 32 deaths. According to testing, Hugua H1 originated from the Polar Biological Virus, which mutates under high temperatures.

So far, twenty-three variants of the Hugua strain have been discovered worldwide. These variants continue to evolve, and if a severe mutation occurs, the virus could spread explosively, much like the Harma Storm.

“Sigh.” Liu Wensheng walked out of his office, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Outside, Qin Yun and several members of the Agricultural Group were returning to the Tulou. Upon seeing Liu Wensheng, they immediately stood at attention. “Commander Liu.”

“Just got back?” Liu Wensheng asked.

“We spent some time at the plantation,” one of them reported. Ever since receiving the Wishing Pool Mission, the Agricultural Group had been working overtime on research. After numerous trials and errors, they had finally identified a direction for soil restoration based on the plantation’s soil conditions. However, further research was still needed to implement their findings.

After the team finished their report, Liu Wensheng said, “Make sure you get some rest.”

“Thank you, Commander Liu.”

The researchers returned to their dorms, while Qin Yun followed Liu Wensheng back to his office.

“How’s the situation?” Liu Wensheng asked, massaging his brow.

Qin Yun opened the System Interface.

Host Name: Qin Yun

Unlocked Scenario: 【The Beginning of a Disaster】 (Red)

…

The current unlocked scenario was still red.

“Sigh.” Liu Wensheng was mentally and physically exhausted. Although Longxia had been prepared, Hugua H1 had spread with alarming speed. Once infected, there was no cure. Now, not only was the entire country under pressure, but even the atmosphere at the Farm was heavy with tension.

After a short conversation, the two of them headed to the Hope Greenhouse. After three years of growth, the Hope Tree had grown from a tiny sapling to five meters tall. For the past six months, it had been growing steadily at a rate of two centimeters per month. The Hope Tree stood like a quiet, gentle spirit. Whenever he faced difficulties, Liu Wensheng liked to come here to reflect in silence. But starting last month, the tree had stopped growing. The tips of its leaves were beginning to yellow.

The Hope Tree was a symbol of global hope. If hope disappeared from the world, its leaves would wither at an alarming rate…

Liu Wensheng picked up a fallen leaf from the ground and carefully placed it on the specimen table. These leaves were precious research samples. Although the Farm still didn’t fully understand their purpose, every fallen leaf was collected with care.

Qin Yun and Liu Wensheng stood in front of the Hope Tree for half an hour before leaving the greenhouse.

Liu Wensheng walked ahead, Qin Yun followed behind.

Qin Yun stepped on Liu Wensheng’s shadow.

Only now did Qin Yun notice the gray at Liu Wensheng’s temples. He was fifty-six this year, and after years of overseeing the Farm, both his body and spirit showed signs of wear that hadn’t been there three years ago…

The croaking of frogs echoed across the Farm. The two of them walked in silence, one behind the other. In the quiet, Liu Wensheng suddenly turned around and said seriously, “We’ll get through this.”

Qin Yun was momentarily stunned.

“The Food Crisis, the raw meat crisis, the locust crisis… Look at all the challenges we’ve faced. We made it through every single one. For five thousand years, Longxia has always been a land of hardship. But hardship breeds strength, and strength builds a nation…” Liu Wensheng rambled on.

Qin Yun gradually came back to his senses. The atmosphere in the Hope Greenhouse had been so oppressive. Liu Wensheng must have noticed his emotional burden and was doing everything he could to comfort him…

“Thank you,” Qin Yun said, feeling a warm glow in his chest.

Liu Wensheng patted him on the shoulder. “Keep your spirits up.”

The country was facing immense challenges, but he had never once thought of giving up. And Longxia never would either.

At 4 a.m., Qin Yun returned to his quarters.

Now it was 4:20. Qin Yun leaned against the Tulou window and looked out. From here, he had a clear view of the Farm’s Experimental Zone. The lights were still on, bright as day. Inside, researchers working night shifts were still hard at work.

A sense of peace washed over Qin Yun.

Liu Wensheng hadn’t given up. Longxia hadn’t given up. And neither had he. Not once.

It wasn’t just him. None of the Farm’s researchers had ever thought of giving up.

Hardship builds strength.

Longxia was a rock that could not be broken. Its people were just as unyielding.

…

“Secretary Qin!” Qin Yun had slept from 4 a.m. until 2 p.m. In a daze, he heard Zhang Hu knocking at the door.

“Mm.” Qin Yun responded groggily, still not fully awake.

“There’s been a breakthrough in the Technology Group!” Zhang Hu said excitedly.

Qin Yun jumped out of bed. He rarely slept in, but now he felt a surge of energy coursing through him.

Ten minutes later, Qin Yun and Zhang Hu were racing toward the Farm Laboratory.

“This is the latest Hugua Mask developed by the Technology Group…” Inside the lab, Sun Yiping held up a square-shaped mask as he explained.

The Hugua Mask was developed based on the Purification Mask and the Hugua Test Strip.

Twenty days earlier, the Farm’s Biology Group had used the Hugua genome to develop the Hugua Test Strip. After working around the clock, the test strips were now widely used in hospitals and among the general public.

While the Hugua Test Strip could detect the virus, the testing process was labor-intensive. The testing teams were overworked, and residents had to wait in long lines. Overall, it was a cumbersome process.

After the Hugua H1 outbreak, the Biology and Technology Groups formed a joint task force to develop a more convenient testing method. Through continuous research, the Technology Group had now created the Hugua Mask using existing technology and biological gene analysis.

The Hugua Mask, in addition to its purification function, was equipped with a Hugua Testing device. As users breathed through the mask, it could automatically detect the virus through exhaled air and saliva. If a positive case was detected, the mask would immediately trigger a Hugua Alert. With timely medical intervention, early-stage patients could potentially be treated before lung fibrosis occurred.

According to data from the Technology Group, the Hugua Mask has a 100% detection success rate. It doesn’t miss a single virus alert.

“Good!” Liu Wensheng clenched his fists tightly after hearing about the Hugua Mask’s capabilities.

Based on data from the Biology Group, patients infected with Hugua H1 experience a “lung stability phase” within the first 1 to 3 days, followed by a “lung infection phase” from day 3 to 15. After fifteen days, the chances of recovery drop significantly.

If treatment can begin during the early stages of Hugua infection, the chances of recovery increase dramatically.

“This is fantastic!”

“Does this mean the treatment success rate can go up?”

…

As Liu Wensheng finished speaking, the others were visibly moved, some choking up with emotion. Though they had been working in the Farm lab all this time, their attention had never strayed from the national case numbers. With every new case reported, it felt like a piece of their hearts was being torn away.

The Farm had appeared calm on the surface, but everyone had been living in a state of suspended uncertainty—a drifting feeling, directionless and powerless. Now, with the successful development of the Hugua Mask, that feeling had finally found solid ground.

“What’s the filtration rate?” Liu Wensheng asked, rubbing his eyes.

The Hugua Mask is a new type of mask developed based on the Purification Mask. According to previous studies, the Purification Mask had a virus filtration rate of 85%.

After Liu Wensheng asked, Sun Yiping replied, “Ninety-nine percent.”

Experimental tests showed that the Hugua Mask had a 99% virus filtration rate. The remaining 1% was due to improper use by wearers.

“Does that mean it can block 99% of airborne transmission?” Liu Wensheng asked.

“Yes,” Sun Yiping nodded seriously.

Viruses spread through various means—airborne transmission, foodborne transmission, contact transmission, and iatrogenic (medical-related) transmission…

Among these, airborne transmission is the most widespread form of human-to-human contagion.

Now that the Hugua Mask has been successfully developed, as long as residents wear it properly, the majority of airborne viruses can be effectively blocked.

“Good!” Liu Wensheng repeated the word again. In that moment, all their emotions seemed to converge into that single word.

Before Liu Wensheng could collect himself, Sun Yiping continued, “The Hugua Mask also includes an ID activation feature. It can’t be worn by anyone whose biological ID doesn’t match.”

In simple terms, users can only wear a mask activated by their own genetic ID. Masks assigned to others won’t activate the purifier or filtration functions.

This also ensures that if a user becomes infected, the Longxia Health Bureau can accurately identify each infected individual, reducing the risk of further transmission.