Response

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

Yang Tianyou shook his head.

"For instance, the Taihao Typhoon Incident, and what kind of existence is Taihao? And the crisis you mentioned?"

"I don't know. I can't say. I've told you everything I can."

Captain Chu looked at Yang Tianyou. Although dissatisfied, he did not press him any further.

"What about Xu Chen? His inspiration is high enough. Why didn't you tell him about the whole incident?"

"He's worth far more than you, far more than any of us. If I told him, He would notice him. But if he discovers it himself, that's different."

Captain Chu nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Yang Tianyou and thought he was like a toad that only jumped when poked: he would only speak when questioned. But he was running out of time. Captain Chu had already had a premonition of that, and now it was a certainty.

He still had unanswered questions, but there was something urgent he needed to do now.

The absurd request he had written earlier to have Xu Chen killed had been rejected, but it would certainly remain on record. It had served its purpose. Next, he planned to write another request concerning Xu Chen, hoping to give him some help. If what Dean Yang said was true and time was short, then every bit of help he gave Xu Chen would be precious.

Each bit could improve their chances of winning against that mysterious creature.

"I'm going now. Don't you have anything to say?"

Dean Yang thought for a moment and said, "Please, go ahead."

Captain Chu scoffed and shook his head. He was satisfied with what he had gained from this visit, but he also felt the price had been extraordinarily high. Not only had two lives been lost, but he had also drawn His attention.

What means will He use? Captain Chu thought it over carefully but found no answer. It was too idealistic; he couldn't imagine it.

He planned to visit the two people who had just died, as a way of paying his respects.

As Captain Chu was about to step through the door, Dean Yang suddenly spoke. "Wait."

The Class A hazmat suit was extremely heavy, and he couldn't turn his head to look behind him. Captain Chu turned around clumsily in place. "Hmm? What is it? Something else to say?"

Yang Tianyou looked at Captain Chu and was silent for a while before making a decision. "Taihao... This name has extraordinary power. If you face that existence and feel you're in danger, say the name. We can pay the price and help protect you from His harm."

Captain Chu said nothing. He glanced at Yang Tianyou, then turned and left.

He went to his room and discussed everything he had just learned with his five-person Think Tank.

"If what Yang Tianyou said is true... everything we've learned now is the result of the contest between Taihao and Him." The veteran detective muttered to himself as he wrote and sketched in his notebook. Using the logical thinking he had cultivated over the years, he did his best to reconstruct what had happened for everyone.

"He will prevent any information unfavorable to Him from spreading. That's what happened to Old Ge. It's possible He originally planned to get rid of Old Ge quietly, but after Xu Chen arrived, He had no choice but to use more drastic means.

"He wants His name to spread, but the name is harmful. From Xu Chen's description, it may draw His attention. We still don't know what happens when He notices someone..."

Captain Chu interrupted him. "I've drawn His attention. When the time comes, we'll see just what He can do to me."

The veteran detective looked at him worriedly. "Captain... that's hardly a good thing. Judging by the power this supernatural creature has displayed, we don't have the slightest ability to stand against Him right now."

"That's my business. At worst, I can only die. But... if I die, my death must mean something! All right, go on."

"Sigh..." The veteran detective hesitated, then said, "If things happened as you said, when Xu Chen spoke His name, Taihao prevented us from learning it, so as to avoid the worst possible consequences. But the price was the lives of several patients with Taihao Disease... It's just that our inspiration was too low, so we couldn't retain what Xu Chen said.

"Captain, what Dean Yang said may really be a solution. If you say Taihao's name, he'll help protect you from His harm..."

Captain Chu glanced at the veteran detective. "But that's a price I can't pay! I can make my own judgments. Just do your job. Go on."

"All right. Also, based on my analysis, He may have a considerable influence on modern instruments. He was even able to alter the information on the Voice Recorder that contained information unfavorable to Him through some bizarre means."

Something occurred to Captain Chu. "Back up this conversation on multiple media. Make a copy using every available storage method. If what you say is true, that's something we should watch out for too."

The veteran detective nodded. "Understood. Besides that, I've finished summing up everything I needed to."

"Good. Now I'll wait and see what He does."

"We're short on time. Give me the record."

A white-covered booklet was handed to the imposing old man on the stage. Clearly written on its cover were the words "Draft Guidelines for the Global Public Health Emergency."

In the vast, magnificent conference hall, over a thousand people watched the old man on the stage with solemn expressions. The World Health Organization's meeting had just ended. All the data it provided indicated that this was a massive crisis spreading across the globe, and the country had also felt the immense pressure.

"Comrades, we have little time to waste. Just now, following its meeting, the World Health Organization issued its highest-level warning for a global public health emergency.

"It stated that the current worldwide spread of fungi constitutes a 'public health emergency of international concern.' We need to take it seriously.

"This time, we will streamline procedures and respond to and make arrangements for this global public health event as quickly as possible.

"Now, the first proposal: guidance for the domestic medical sector and support for the pharmaceutical industry..."

In the enormous conference hall, each proposal concerning the public health event was passed in an orderly fashion. Although a maximum voting time had been set, every proposal passed as quickly as possible.

They knew how terrifying a global public health emergency could be. Responding promptly was the most important thing now.

As the old man at the podium waited for the votes on the proposals, he looked at the people in the hall. Some were looking at the documents in their hands, but more were watching him.

"...The proposal for the National Health Commission and customs to strengthen guidance on this public health event has been approved by a majority..."

The old man paused and flipped through the white paper in his hands. He found that the proceedings had been unusually efficient. Although there were fewer proposals than usual because they had been made on short notice, he could still see that the state apparatus was running at full speed.

"Very good, comrades. I have no intention of giving another such lengthy closing speech. All the guidelines have already been written into the proposals. This time, if we pull together, we will surely overcome the wind and waves once more!"