Chapter 10: Discovery

Over the following three days, Chen Xu truly witnessed the power of the state.

The nation had united all the renowned biological and medical universities across the country. Each institution formed specialized teams like Chen Xu’s to attempt treatments. The universities coordinated experts from relevant fields to conduct joint research and support these teams. Every day, online conferences were held to share discoveries and findings.

In just three days, with unlimited funding and the involvement of leading industry experts, they finally unraveled the mutation mechanism of this altered Aspergillus flavus fungus.

“The spores carry biological toxins? They can penetrate the dermal barrier? That sounds exaggerated.”

“Not at all. The university in the Yun District discovered that this fungus can even parasitize the stratum corneum. The Institute of Plant Sciences has reported other findings as well.”

Senior researchers nearby held their notes and discussed animatedly, while Chen Xu, clutching a book titled *Mycology*, sat beside the isolation chamber, staring blankly at the patient. The reason was simple: the book was incomprehensible to him.

Chen Xu had initially wanted to struggle through, refusing to be a layman. But he soon realized that professional matters were best left to professionals. With his limited knowledge, he couldn’t even interject.

Though the patient was somewhat frightening to look at, Chen Xu found reading in the lab less interesting than observing the patient.

The patient’s condition was dire. Over three days, Chen Xu witnessed the fungal mat gradually covering the still relatively intact areas of the patient’s body. Even after cleaning, those areas would deteriorate little by little. Currently, the cleaning involved strong oxidizers and chlorine-based disinfectants—non-medical sterilants—applied experimentally.

It was evident the patient was terminal; all treatments were futile, and death was inevitable.

His entire tissue had begun to liquefy, a phenomenon typically seen only postmortem.

“Chen Xu, still watching the patient?” Ouyang Xing moved a chair beside him, his voice laden with exhaustion. “Soon, we’ll have a new antifungal drug ready. In the lab, it achieved a 40% sterilization rate on samples. Let’s give it to him and see if there’s any improvement.”

Chen Xu smiled bitterly. “I heard about it, but didn’t animal trials fail? Severe liver damage, wasn’t it?”

“He’s already in liver failure, maintained only by machines. What does liver damage matter now?” Ouyang Xing replied helplessly.

“Right,” Chen Xu acknowledged softly.

Many drugs place heavy burdens on the liver and kidneys, since these organs detoxify the body, and most drugs are toxic to some extent. Using such medication on this patient meant he was beyond saving; they were simply trying whatever might help, hoping for a miracle.

“By the way, why did Dean Yang put me on this medical team? It’s been three days, and I still don’t know why I’m here.”

Ouyang Xing paused, glancing at Chen Xu.

“Maybe to observe and learn?”

“Come on, this is a huge deal—chemical defense troops were deployed—and they just want me to watch? Dean Yang must be confused about the gravity of this situation.”

Ouyang Xing furrowed his brow but then seemed to regain some energy. He sized up Chen Xu carefully, as if about to say something, but decided against it, shaking his head instead. “There’s a deeper reason for his decision.”

He then turned back to the patient.

By now, a mechanical arm had inserted medication directly into the patient’s intravenous line.

Chen Xu, feeling helpless, glanced around and took the meeting documents Ouyang Xing had casually brought. Each document was timestamped, the latest available.

Flipping through several pages, he found terms and charts he had never seen before. Fortunately, the summary at the end was concise, so although some words were familiar, the concepts remained elusive.

The meeting materials were prepared by a renowned mycologist who concluded that this fungus defied biological norms. It moved by rapid growth and was very likely artificially engineered through targeted cultivation.

Chen Xu wasn’t convinced.

Cultivating such a devastating fungus must have required significant resources, at least at a national level. Even if released, what purpose would it serve? To annihilate a small fishing village?

Moreover, the fungus’s lethality was indiscriminate—it infected all organisms without distinction. If it were a bioweapon, it would be absurd. No one, no country, would develop an uncontrollable biochemical weapon.

Chen Xu recalled a movie about a terrorist group that engineered an airborne mutant smallpox virus. The villains knew the cure and used it to extort the wealthy by spreading the virus and holding the antidote hostage. This fungus was far worse.

Still, the phrase “artificial cultivation” caught Chen Xu’s attention. The fungus seemed almost engineered specifically against humans—or more precisely, against the entire biosphere.

If the doctor hadn’t acted decisively, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The fungus could infect humans, animals, and plants alike. If it spread unchecked, even if humans developed an effective antidote, crops and livestock would become inedible, leading to eventual extinction.

As Chen Xu pondered, he reviewed the meeting documents further and came across data the mycologist had compiled on fungal activity in plants. His hand froze, eyes wide with surprise.

The report stated that although the fungus’s toxicity was lower in plants, its spore dissemination was remarkably active.

A supporting data table followed.

Chen Xu examined other data. The expert had measured fungal activity across every major biological class. It spread least easily among mammals, preferring to parasitize internally.

The mycologist noted this was temperature-dependent, a consensus among experts. Chen Xu recalled examining samples stored in a refrigerated container—they were inactive when cold but became lively when warmed by hand.

The same principle applied to plants; the fungus sought optimal temperatures to divide. On plants, it prioritized spreading spores rather than reproducing within the host.

Yet Chen Xu sensed something was amiss. He reread the documents several times.

There was a subtle inconsistency he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“Triazoles and echinocandins have been tried—completely ineffective. If we hadn’t reacted so quickly, we’d be helpless against this fungus.”

“Look on the bright side. I heard fluorouracil derivatives might be somewhat effective. Let’s wait for the experts’ results; we won’t be left empty-handed.”

Hearing his seniors whispering anxiously nearby, Chen Xu suddenly realized something.