No matter how hard she tried, she was still a step too late. 

The Yuecheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute was packed with people seeking medicine and treatment amidst the smog. Coughing echoed throughout, with droplets flying in all directions. 

The main entrance was blocked off with caution tape, and armed soldiers were on duty, preventing anyone from entering. 

Jiang Ning decisively turned her car around and headed for the rear entrance of the research institute. 

She didn’t conceal her worries and truthfully explained the situation. 

Without official authorization, no outsiders were allowed to enter the research institute. Jiang Ning could only say, “I am Professor Ma’s student. I was specially invited here. Please convey my message.” 

The guards at the back entrance, who were from the research institute, coldly refused her request. 

Jiang Ning smiled as she got out of the car, discreetly pulling out 5 kilograms of rice from her large coat and handing it over, “Could you please help me out? Whether it works out or not, I’ll take responsibility.” 

Who could resist the temptation of 5 kilograms of rice these days? The guard, despite the risk of getting reprimanded assisted her in making the contact. 

After waiting for half an hour, an assistant in protective clothing came out to escort her. 

The research institute wasn’t large to start with. It suddenly received hundreds of cases categorized as mild, moderate, severe, and critical. All temporary wards were quickly filled, even the corridors. 

The smog descended suddenly, bringing an onslaught like perpetual night. Alongside the infected patients, several doctors at the research institute collapsed in the past two days. They were overwhelmed by the workload, with many working despite being ill. 

Yet, Ma Guangnian still arranged for Jiang Ning to be admitted and allocated two rooms in the family area. 

There were no veterinarians at the research institute, so dogs were treated like humans, with Ma Guangnian himself overseeing the treatment. 

After examining the two, he confirmed that their symptoms were similar to those of early-stage infected patients. “They have mild symptoms. Fortunately, they were detected early, so timely treatment will be more effective.” 

Seeing that Jiang Ning and the others showed no symptoms, Ma Guangnian asked curiously, “How did you prevent it?” 

“We planted the herbs according to the prescription you gave us before, and since we heard from you last time, we’ve been drinking herbal tea every day.” 

“Good, the prescription is effective. Whether it can cure the virus depends on the severity of the symptoms and one’s own resistance.” 

Ma Guangnian instructed, “Fortunately, some enthusiastic individuals in Fengcheng have donated many prescriptions. Professor Li has tailored prescriptions for different symptoms. You can go to the office area to get them, whether you’re sick or not, for treatment or prevention.” 

Taking the opportunity, Jiang Ning asked, “Professor Ma, how is your research progressing?” 

Ma Guangnian’s eyes were bloodshot. “Traditional Chinese medicine doesn’t have specific drugs. We can only adjust prescriptions for different symptoms continuously. Currently, we are still exploring, but once a patient’s condition worsens, the deterioration is rapid, which is not conducive to clinical observation and treatment.” 

Doudou and Coke live in the same room, and she and Huo Yishen live next door. 

The likelihood of both of them being infected was high, but they hadn’t shown symptoms yet. However, they were mentally prepared. 

Seeing that Doudou and Coke were still stable, taking care of themselves posed no problem. They both felt that instead of waiting passively for the disease to strike, it would be better to join the research team at the institute. 

They were short-staffed, and the smog virus was fierce. Waiting for them to develop a treatment, they feared there wouldn’t be many survivors left. 

Since they were here, Jiang Ning wouldn’t sit idly by. 

The sooner they developed a cure, the sooner they could take the medicine. 

She went to the office to get the medicine and drank it. She found that the taste wasn’t particularly different from what she had made herself, and she was certain it contained the two most critical medicines. 

After comforting the two, they planned to find Ma Guangnian, but they were spotted by Lao Hu, who had sharp eyes. “Jiang Ning, hurry, lend a hand.” 

He was pushing a corpse, intending to take it into the operating room. 

Jiang Ning hurried over. “Professor Hu, are you planning a rescue operation?” 

“What rescue? The person is already dead,” Lao Hu explained wearily. ” The virus strikes too quickly. Traditional Chinese medicine professors aren’t scanners. Sometimes, the symptoms described by patients diverge greatly from the actual condition, leading to inaccurate treatment. I intend to dissect a few corpses to gather precise data, which could assist Old Ma and the others. 

With surgeons almost extinct, he couldn’t manage alone. 

Jiang Ning didn’t hesitate. “I’ll help.” 

“Young man, you come in too.” 

Although Jiang Ning kills without blinking an eye, when she saw the dead patient’s chest cavity opened and the lungs riddled with holes, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of unease. 

She nearly couldn’t resist the urge to vomit and had to take deep breaths repeatedly to suppress the acid rising in her stomach. 

In contrast, Huo Yishen stayed calm and quietly passed the tools nearby. 

After the visual shock, Jiang Ning quickly adjusted her mindset and kept pace with Lao Hu. 

The master and disciple duo dissected each corpse, with Huo Yishen recording the details of the dissection. 

The lungs of critically ill patients were corroded like sieves, with many pores inside. Fragments would be expelled with coughing, and most deaths occurred due to suffocation from choking on coughed-up blood. 

Without ventilators, intubation for oxygen supply, or emergency adrenaline injections, everything relied on the patients’ endurance. 

After a day, they were so tired that their waist and back ached. But thinking of the bloody scene, they had no appetite for delicious food. 

They both disinfected thoroughly before returning to the dormitory. They took care of the two right away. Even if they didn’t feel like eating, they had to force them, “Eat. Only after eating can you have the strength to resist the virus.” 

After administering herbal medicine, they waited an hour before giving western medicine. 

Doudou was okay. She was well-behaved and sensible, which made people feel sympathetic, but the fragile dog loved to cling to people. 

Dogs lifespans were inherently much shorter than humans, and the medications at the research institute were tailored for human patients. Jiang Ning felt truly distressed as she gently stroked Coke’s head. “Hang in there. You’ll be with us for a long time.” 

Coke looked at her with watery eyes and it continuously stared at her. 

Jiang Ning suddenly burst into tears, quietly holding it. “Coke, don’t leave me.” 

Coke whimpered and occasionally rubbed against her. 

For several days in a row, Jiang Ning followed Lao Hu to dissect corpses. Initially, she was visually shocked, but later she became calm. 

Who knew that Lao Hu would get infected? His coughing and fever were severe, and he was no longer able to do his job. 

Jiang Ning temporarily took on the heavy burden and skillfully worked hard. 

The conditions of the two fluctuated constantly; sometimes they were improving and sometimes worsening. 

Jiang Ning was both busy with work and taking care of the two and exhausted herself. 

She dreamed that the medicine would be developed soon, so she could get it first. People were dying every day in the patient building, and she feared the two wouldn’t make it. 

Fortunately, Huo Yishen was by her side, and they kept encouraging each other. They also persisted in taking medicine every day, secretly injecting immunoglobulin to boost immunity, and frequently chewing Korean ginseng to replenish their energy and blood. 

With deaths everywhere, Jiang Ning had become numb to it. Her daily routine consisted of alternating between the operating room and the dormitory. 

On the sixth day, she developed a fever and cough, with her nose constantly running. 

Work came to a halt. She drank a few sips of strong liquor daily, soaked in hot springs, took both Chinese and Western medicine, ate nutritious meals, and curled up in bed with a blanket. 

Huo Yishen also began showing symptoms. He was feeling sore all over, having fever and chills, nasal congestion, and occasional sharp pains like knives stabbing into bones, with coldness constantly seeping into the bone crevices.