Several people participated in drug trials. Aside from the critically ill who died, the virus was killed in other patients, although the severity of aftereffects varied. 

This put the research institute in a difficult position. After much consideration, they decided to submit a truthful report. 

There was not enough medicine, and officials from various cities sent people out to search for more, but none returned with good news. 

Whether to ensure quality or quantity was not a decision the research institute could make. 

If given a choice, no one would want to give up. 

The night the report was submitted, Professor Li stayed awake all night, and the next day, his hair had turned significantly whiter. 

Jiang Ning sat in the dormitory with a complicated expression. 

Huo Yishen probably guessed what she was thinking. Sitting next to her, he said, “Our illness has been cured. What do you plan to do with the remaining herbs?” 

Indeed, when she anonymously donated the medicine earlier, Jiang Ning had been cautious and didn’t donate all the herbs. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Chief Ling or the research institute, but finding the ultimate correct answer often required taking numerous detours. 

And these detours could very well exhaust the precious herbs. 

Once exhausted, they would have nothing left but to wait for death. 

In her previous life, they tried repeated drug trials, but eventually Professor Li’s team had no other choice but to risk going out to find more medicine. 

Perhaps by some divine intervention, they finally got it right. 

However, Jiang Ning hadn’t completely gotten over the tragic experiences of her past life, including Huo Yishen’s miserable death. 

So, her heart was conflicted. 

She looked at Huo Yishen, “Do you think I should take out the herbs or not?” 

Huo Yishen didn’t answer directly. After thinking for a moment, he said, “The herbs are grown in your space, so it’s up to you whether to take them out or not.” 

Then he paused slightly, “But if someday the disasters end, and the world returns to peace, and we have children, who will teach them to read, who will treat them when they get sick? 

Perhaps you can teach them to read, practice medicine, and survival skills, but with the escalation of disasters and massive human deaths, thousands of years of civilization will collapse. The future generations of survivors might lose the ability to read and focus solely on basic survival skills. How will our descendants integrate with them?” 

Jiang Ning understands what he’s trying to say but can’t help but ask, “Do you want to have children?” 

“I’m just giving an example. If we survive, you can decide whether to have children or not. But we will grow old and die, and Doudou is much younger than us. 

When the disasters end, don’t you want to see the brilliant civilization again, travel around, and find the best place for us to settle?” 

Jiang Ning didn’t speak. After considering for a long time, she nodded, “Let’s go back to Fengcheng.” 

The extra medicine would be of no use left in her space, especially since it was still growing continuously. 

The two returned to Fengcheng overnight. 

Over the past month, the smog has become increasingly severe, with visibility of less than ten meters. 

After confirming it was safe, Jiang Ning, wearing a face mask, confidently unloaded the herbs near the police station and then honked the car horn. 

By the time the police rushed out, the Hummer had disappeared into the thick fog. 

Seeing the pile of herbs, they were first shocked, then rushed to the office, “Chief Ling, someone has donated medicine again. From the bags and the quality of the herbs, it seems to be from the same group as last time. Should we send the medicine to Yuecheng immediately?” 

Chief Ling, who was breathing through an oxygen tank, said, “Wait, let me consult the higher-ups.” 

All the cities were well aware that medicine was extremely scarce. To keep more survivors under their jurisdiction alive, even officials who usually helped each other had to resort to desperate measures to secure medicine during life-and-death moments. 

Resources were limited, and preference was given to the child who cried for milk, even among officials. 

Relying on his oxygen mask, Chief Ling took the car to the city center. 

Two hours later, the government notified the military to transport the herbs to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute in Yuecheng. 

Vice Secretary-General He Tianming accompanied them to bring back the medicine for eliminating the smog virus. 

The medicine was donated by kind-hearted individuals in Fengcheng, so why shouldn’t they get a fair share? 

In short, as long as they could get the medicine, dignity was irrelevant. 

However, there’s no wall that doesn’t leak. Before the vehicle delivering medicine from Fengcheng reached Yuecheng, the military base in Huicheng and the official base in Jiacheng were already speeding their way over. 

Everyone wanted to snatch the medicine; those who acted quickly would benefit, while those who delayed would get nothing. 

It wasn’t just them; even Jiang Ning was preparing to grab some medicine. 

After all, the ancient method of making medicine was complex, with numerous intricacies. It’s not something you could master by watching just once. If the process was slightly off, the efficacy of the medicine would be greatly reduced. 

When Jiang Ning learned that Professor Li had fallen ill from exhaustion and that Ma Guangnian was temporarily in charge of the research institute, she decided to find him. She closed the door and got straight to the point, “Professor Ma, I need enough medicine for fifty people. I won’t sell it for a higher price; it’s for relatives and friends, and this is a one-time request.” 

Ma Guangnian didn’t rush to respond but instead frowned in thought. 

Seeing his hesitation, Jiang Ning felt she might have been too forward. “If you find it inconvenient, consider it an unwelcome disturbance.” 

To a doctor, there was no difference between treating high officials or common people; the goal was to save lives. 

But Ma Guangnian knew well that the medicine was scarce. Once the authorities got it, they might not distribute it to ordinary citizens right away. They will prioritize their own needs instead. 

He also had family and hoped that they would receive treatment promptly if they fell ill. 

Thinking about their teacher-student relationship, Huo Yishen’s life-saving grace, their contributions, and the donated materials and herbs over this period, Ma Guangnian felt a complex mix of emotions. Eventually, he nodded in agreement. “Just this once.” 

Jiang Ning wasn’t the only one who had made such a request. 

Surrounding cities had heard the news and came with donated materials, medical staff, and even brought some official documents. 

Everyone wanted to negotiate, to find a way in. 

But for Ma Guangnian, who was a researcher, he was not skilled at handling complex social interactions, though he wasn’t completely clueless. He refused to see anyone, leaving the allocation of medicine to the officials in Yuecheng, letting them decide who got what. After all, it was all about saving lives. 

Jiang Ning didn’t remain idle. Besides continuing to help, she found time to visit Lao Hu. 

He had taken the medicine and was now resting to recover. 

She intended to have a proper conversation with her mentor, but found Yu Tong and the young overlord there as well. 

Without needing to ask, she saw the emotions Lao Hu couldn’t hide in his eyes. 

Ah, what a mess! 

In the end, she said nothing, exchanged a few pleasantries, and left. 

A few days later, Ma Guangnian handed Jiang Ning two bottles of medicine. 

It was unclear how Yuecheng’s officials would distribute it, but officials from other cities stopped blocking the doors, and medical staff from military and official bases began occupying the research institute, significantly increasing the production speed. 

It was confirmed that the virus had not mutated, and cured patients did not relapse. 

With more help, Jiang Ning’s contributions became less critical, and she had fewer opportunities to learn. 

She informed Ma Guangnian of their departure and then left with their dog. 

Huo Yishen drove while the two played in the back seat. 

Driving through the thick fog with headlights on, the visibility was very low, making it easy to get into an accident. 

Jiang Ning put on the latest night-vision goggles. Although they didn’t have the ability to see through the smog, they had thermal imaging, which significantly helped to avoid dangers. 

Excellent and smart. 

With the goggles on, they could drive faster. 

After more than a month, they returned to the villa area. It was eerily quiet, either due to the soundproof windows or the terrifying silence. 

The area was shrouded in fog, with no lights on in the villas, and only withered plants in the yards. 

Volcanic ash is mildly acidic and has damaged the soil, causing crops grown under artificial lights to die. 

Just as they stopped at Building 50, a figure suddenly rushed over and spit out a blood at Jiang Ning, and collapsed to the ground…