For some reason, people felt that this winter was particularly long. Even though the New Year was approaching, the snow continued to fall heavily.
Normally, these days should be sunny and clear. But this year, due to the pandemic, the entire city was under lockdown.
The streets were empty and devoid of any festive atmosphere. People who did venture out wore helmets, sunglasses and masks with long clothes covering them from head to toe like they were wrapped in a cocoon.
This attire wasn’t convenient but necessary because on TV they said that “Purple Cotton Bacteria” was a super virus with high survival rates that could spread through respiratory droplets or contact transmission without physical contact.
If they didn’t arm themselves like this, then their chances of getting infected would be eighty percent. Medical experts worked day and night to find a cure for this sudden outbreak but it was tricky.
Kyson, seventy-five-year-old, the leader of Almond Hall, personally led his disciples, his granddaughter Leah, genius medical scientist Eddie, and traditional medicine expert Mason on an expedition to Hurtlepool which had become a graveyard where their fate remained uncertain.
Their courage and selflessness earned them nationwide admiration.
As their convoy left town, pedestrians lined up from hospital gates all the way to city gates.
Leah sat in her car watching people chasing after it with tears streaming down their faces when she suddenly burst into laughter, saying coldly, “Foolish humans are so laughable.”
What’s the point of doing all this? It’s better just staying at home instead of risking infection by going out there.
To be honest, Leah didn’t want to go either since Hurtlepool was already an empty tomb where she might get infected too.
But her grandfather insisted that she go. As the future head of the Owen family, Leah had to produce a satisfactory answer for the elders. However, she had left a bad impression on them due to a surgical error before. In order to turn things around, she must achieve something. This epidemic was not only a crisis but also an opportunity. The key was how she handled it herself.
Mason heard her words and his expression changed instantly. He looked at her strangely and frowned in the next moment. He used to have a crush on Leah because he thought she was beautiful with good medical skills and came from a good family background.
However, when Leah competed with Miss Lawrence days ago, Leah’s behavior left him with shadows in his heart. After several years of not seeing each other, how could Leah become like this? On second thought, maybe only when facing someone who made her hate would she behave like this; but now it seems that perhaps everyone was treated equally by her.
Leah turned her eyes and saw Eddie ; there was a glimmer of light in them as if they were shining brightly.
She took the initiative to sit down beside Eddie and deliberately started chatting with him. “What do you think caused this virus outbreak?”
There had been many abandoned graves before where piles of corpses had accumulated into “mountains”, but nothing like this has ever happened before. Moreover, only about two hundred people were living in Hurtlepool; even if they all died at once, their bodies could not decay so quickly within just one day or cause such rapid spread of viruses.
The most likely cause was human intervention.
This small episode did not escape Eddie’s eyes; he got upand picked up his briefcase walking towards Kyson. “Mr. Owen, we need to take water samples from Hurtlepool after we arrive there.”
“At that time we may need to build temporary storage rooms.”
Kyson did not know about the little episode between his granddaughter and Eddie yet; he simply appreciated this young man so much that he patiently answered him. “I will propose building suggestions later on during our meeting at Parliament House which the President has already agreed upon.”
“Okay.” said Eddie.
Leah puffed up her cheeks and glared at Eddie, her eyes filled with icy hostility. She had been trying to establish a closer relationship with him, with genuine affection and goodwill. However, to her dismay, he showed no appreciation or interest whatsoever.
As Leah felt her anger rising, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a familiar and stunning figure outside the car window. She focused her gaze and saw the woman nestling affectionately in the arms of a tall, slender man, both dressed in black robes and wearing matching masks, obscuring their faces from view.
Leah had an instinctual feeling that the woman was Kate, someone she had crossed paths with before. However, she couldn’t identify the man beside her. Just as Leah was about to ask Eddie to turn around and take a look, she didn’t need to say a word, as Eddie had already noticed the two figures outside the window.
Without warning, Eddie stood up from his seat, his gentle and elegant eyes fixed on the pair, and he loudly exclaimed, “Kate!”
On the street, Master Glenn held Kate’s shoulder with one hand while carrying an exquisite cake box in another hand. He carefully held it as if afraid of breaking it.
When Eddie saw this box, he suddenly remembered something important – today is Kate’s birthday! She will be twenty-two years old after today. In previous years, he always celebrated her birthday together with her by giving her gifts and blessings personally.
But this year because of some special circumstances, he forgot such an important thing. However, Kate did not call him either; perhaps there were other people helping her celebrate her birthday.
Who is that man? How dare he put his hand on Kate’s shoulder like that? Such an intimate gesture seemed like they were lovers who trusted each other completely! Eddie wanted nothing more than to rush down there right now and take that annoying hand off of Kate’s shoulder while questioning him about his intentions.
Meanwhile, the car had started moving away from them further into distance…
Kate vaguely heard her brother’s voice among the crowded people but when she turned around to look there was nothing there.
She frowned unconsciously.
“What happened?”
Master Glenn asked solicitously.
“Nothing… maybe it was just my imagination.”
Why would my brother appear here?