The infant mortality rate was 99.8%. Even in primitive times, things had never been this dire.
If this went on, humanity would inevitably die out.
Even a vaccine would be no use.
Zhang Tianyuan turned and found that several survivors had silently gathered around him and Ding Jingye. They were all adults, all just as despairing and lost as Ding Jingye.
Clearly, they had long known about what Ding Jingye had described.
Zhang Tianyuan truly did not know what to say. He bent down and patted Ding Jingye on the shoulder before speaking to him, and to the other survivors as well:
"It's all right. This is certainly a bit tricky, but with our Mutual Aid Society here, we can help you solve it."
Ding Jingye looked up in puzzlement. He had keenly picked up on Zhang Tianyuan's odd choice of words, things like "this world" and "us and you."
But before he could ask, his attention was diverted.
Zhang Tianyuan straightened and addressed everyone:
"You don't know this yet, but we've already developed a vaccine for the KV Virus. All of us have been vaccinated."
Rather than delighting them, his words startled them.
Even Ding Jingye abruptly leaped a large step away.
"You... turned back into humans from those monsters?!!"
Everyone stared at Zhang Tianyuan's group in terror, feeling like sheep that had walked into a tiger's den.
Zhang Tianyuan did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about vaccines...?"
"A vaccine can only prevent viral infection. That doesn't mean it can turn Darkseekers back into humans."
"Do you think the human body is modeling clay? One injection of the virus turns you into a Darkseeker, then another injection of the vaccine turns you back into a human?"
If mutations really were that simple, humanity would have started super-evolving long ago.
Ding Jingye and the others thought it over and felt that Zhang Tianyuan's group had a point. Only then did they let down their guard.
"Then how did you develop your vaccine?" someone asked.
"You've seen our medical vehicle," Zhang Tianyuan said. "We don't just have doctors. We also have virologists. They're the ones who developed it."
That was not exactly wrong. The virologists who had come along this time had indeed participated in the KV Vaccine project from start to finish.
"And we're far stronger than you imagine."
Zhang Tianyuan clapped his hands.
The advance team members had already secretly
assembled, and they emerged from the surrounding buildings or from behind vehicles.
Ding Jingye and the others gaped in astonishment.
Since the KV Virus outbreak, this was his first time seeing so many people.
And what were all those weapons they were carrying? One look left Ding Jingye dumbstruck.
It was not as though Ding Jingye's group had no weapons. After the apocalypse, they had found a few small handguns in a police station.
But look at these people in front of them.
Assault rifles, sniper rifles, heavy machine guns, rocket launchers...
Just what kind of firepower was this?
"So you really did break into a military base!" Ding Jingye blurted out.
"Haha!" Zhang Tianyuan laughed and motioned for the advance team to return to their posts. "Think whatever you like. For now, let's go check on the pregnant woman in your group."
Zhang Tianyuan called over a few gynecologists and followed Ding Jingye to meet the pregnant woman, A He, who was sitting in a vehicle.
After a few brief questions, he learned that A He and her husband were both naturally immune. The couple had always been loving and affectionate, and after the outbreak, they had survived cautiously in the city for over three months.
Unfortunately, A He's husband had unexpectedly been dragged away by Darkseekers lurking in the shadows while searching for supplies. A He could only leave the city on her own. Ding Jingye's group had later found her and taken her in, and then she had discovered that she was pregnant.
"Sister He, do you intend to keep this child?" Zhang Tianyuan asked.
A He looked lost. Naturally, she wanted to keep the child, but Ding Jingye and the others had told her that the baby would most likely not survive birth, and that even the mother might not make it...
Giving birth in an apocalyptic environment carried enormous risks.
Zhang Tianyuan understood as soon as he saw the hesitation on A He's face.
He patted her shoulder and said kindly, "It's all right. If you want to keep the child, that's fine too. We can help you find a way."
From the size of A He's belly, it was obvious that the child inside had already taken shape. Even terminating the pregnancy would not be easy.
Zhang Tianyuan arranged for her to have an examination at the medical vehicle.
There were women in the advance team, and they had also considered the possibility of treating female survivors, so the medical team included top gynecologists. Giving her a prenatal checkup now was naturally a breeze.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tianyuan recalled everyone and called the virology
team leader, Xi Lei, and the medical team leader, Luo Zhenyi, together for a quick meeting.
The subject was precisely what Ding Jingye had just described: infants could not resist the KV Virus and died as soon as they entered the world.
Xi Lei, the virology team leader, frowned. "This is indeed a very serious problem, and with current technology, it's almost impossible to solve."
Clinging to one last shred of hope, Zhang Tianyuan asked, "If everyone gets vaccinated, is there any chance the antibodies could be passed down to their children? Or could we give a fetus antibodies before birth?"
Xi Lei shook his head. "If antibodies could be inherited, there wouldn't still be so many viruses in this world."
"As for fetal vaccines, we've never conducted any similar research. But it would definitely be an enormous undertaking, with a high probability of failure."
Zhang Tianyuan understood.
He could forget about fetal vaccines, unless he used his final chance to use the Wishing Machine.
Zhang Tianyuan thought of a new idea. "What if we send the pregnant women to your world so they can give birth safely, then find a suitable time to vaccinate the babies? How feasible would that be?"
Xi Lei and the medical team leader, Luo Zhenyi, considered it for a while before finally reaching a conclusion. "If the Spacetime Tunnel has no effect on pregnant women, then this plan has some feasibility."
"After the pregnant women pass through the Spacetime Tunnel, we can disinfect them. Once we've ensured that no KV Virus remains, they can give birth normally in a hospital."
Zhang Tianyuan felt that although this would be troublesome, it was at least workable, and the requirements were not particularly demanding. "Then let's settle on that for now."
Zhang Tianyuan went back to find A He and the others.
A He had finished her examination by then. The results were fairly normal; she was just a little malnourished.
As soon as she saw Zhang Tianyuan, she looked over expectantly.
Zhang Tianyuan smiled at her. "Sister He, we've discussed it. When your due date approaches, we'll send you somewhere without the virus to give birth. Then, after some time, we'll vaccinate the child, and that will do."
"What sort of place?" Ding Jingye came over. "Somewhere like a sterile ward?"
Zhang Tianyuan smiled mysteriously. "It's hard to explain right now. In any case, you'll know when the time comes."