Chapter 1971: Chapter 1958: Incident at Linghe Village (Part 2)

"Let’s conclude today’s meeting here. Follow the plan as we’ve outlined. Tomorrow afternoon, the factory manager and the technical team will accompany me for a field inspection of the herbs in the neighboring town."

With Chen Yang’s final word, the meeting dispersed.

The night passed without incident, and Chen Yang practiced some formation skills at home.

This stay-at-home cultivation period had significantly improved his abilities.

Moreover, he had absorbed quite a bit of Spiritual Energy, and it seemed his strength had reached the mid-stage of the Gathering Spirit Realm.

Since he had never understood it before, he wasn’t very clear about it, he just had this feeling.

The following morning.

Chen Yang intended to visit the pharmaceutical factory, make some preparations, and head off in the afternoon together to inspect the herbs in the neighboring town.

But before he could leave, Wang Hong hurriedly came to see him.

Wang Hong had shown considerable improvement recently.

Following Chen Yang, she had made a lot of money, and her attire was now quite upscale, elevating her overall demeanor.

You wouldn’t have guessed she was a rural woman.

"Yang Zi, something big has happened."

Wang Hong rushed into Chen Yang’s home and exclaimed loudly.

Seeing her like this, Chen Yang was a bit puzzled: "What’s wrong, Aunt Wang? What’s happened?"

"Yang Zi, do you know Linghe Village?" Wang Hong said mysteriously.

"Linghe Village? Yes, isn’t it just over ten miles from here? What could have happened to concern you so much?" Chen Yang said with a smile.

Linghe Village and Liuhe Village belong to the same township.

The village has a substantial population, along with a school known in the town. Chen Yang was aware of the place.

"Something major has happened. It seems there’s an outbreak there, a lot of animals have died, and many people are affected." Wang Hong said nervously.

Hmm?

Hearing this, Chen Yang was quite taken aback.

"An outbreak?"

"Yes, a lot of livestock have died. Now, the town’s doctors have gone there, and the police are there too. It sounds quite complicated." Wang Hong relayed the situation.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang immediately realized the gravity.

"How could such an outbreak occur? Has the cause been investigated?" Chen Yang probed for information from Wang Hong.

He wasn’t merely curious; as a doctor, he understood the consequences of an epidemic spreading.

"The cause is unclear. Anyway, all the town’s doctors have gone there. Yang Zi, why don’t you also go have a look? Your medical expertise would certainly be invaluable." Wang Hong suggested.

This was why she had hastily come to inform Chen Yang about the news.

"Alright, I get it, Aunt Wang. I’ll first check with Kexin to understand the situation. If I can be of help, I will definitely go." Chen Yang replied.

"Alright then, we’re all neighbors from these parts. It’s better for us if it’s resolved quickly." Wang Hong nodded with a smile and then left.

"An outbreak?"

After Wang Hong left, Chen Yang fell into contemplation.

How could something like this happen suddenly out of nowhere?

If we turned back the clock twenty to thirty years, with poor rural hygiene conditions, such diseases might have been possible.

But now, with improved hygiene, it’s almost unheard of for outbreaks to occur.

This made Chen Yang feel that something was unusual.

Moreover, he now had access to many things from the cultivation world and understood that many issues might have other-dimensional causes.

This led him to suspect other directions.

Ring, ring, ring...

Just as he was deep in thought, an urgent phone ringing interrupted his train of thought.

Taking out his phone, he saw it was Wu Kexin calling. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"It might be about the outbreak."

Chen Yang swiped the phone screen and answered the call.

Sure enough, as soon as the call connected, Wu Kexin’s anxious voice came through.

She asked Chen Yang to quickly come to Linghe Village because they needed his help.

Chen Yang had planned to go there anyway, and since Wu Kexin had reached out, he naturally wouldn’t refuse.

"Alright, wait for me a bit; I’ll be right over." Chen Yang hung up the phone and immediately drove his van straight to Linghe Village.

It was only a ten-kilometer journey, and given his speed, he reached Linghe Village in less than twenty minutes.

Chen Yang had been to Linghe Village before.

A simple mountain village nestled against a big mountain, with clear skies and water.

However, the current situation was very different.

The village entrance was packed with all kinds of vehicles, including ambulances and police cars.

There were even many staff members setting up barricades, strictly controlling the entry and exit.

Chen Yang parked his vehicle at the village entrance, surveyed the scene, and immediately called Wu Kexin to inform her of his arrival.

"Okay, I’ll come out to get you right away."

After waiting for two minutes, Wu Kexin appeared at the entrance, wearing a gas mask.

"Chen Yang, you should put this on too." She handed a gas mask to Chen Yang.

Seeing the mask, Chen Yang was quite taken aback.

"Is it so serious? We need gas masks?"

"The situation is very dangerous. You must wear it to enter the village, just in case," Wu Kexin explained.

"Alright." Chen Yang didn’t say much else and put on the gas mask, then entered the village with Wu Kexin.

On the way in, Wu Kexin briefed Chen Yang about the specifics of the situation.

"About three days ago, Linghe Village suddenly started experiencing livestock deaths. Initially, no one paid much attention and treated those dead animals as diseased. However, they didn’t expect the situation to become more complicated over the next few days, with even more livestock dying in the village."

"Last night, some people started feeling unwell, which finally raised alarm."

Wu Kexin outlined the general situation.

After hearing this, Chen Yang understood.

This was a typical rural epidemic.

It generally started with livestock and then spread to humans.

For current medical practices, this shouldn’t be much of an issue. Identifying the disease and finding its root cause should solve it.

"Under normal circumstances, that would be true. However, according to doctors from the county, this outbreak is not ordinary," Wu Kexin added.

"Not ordinary?"

"Yes, previous outbreaks all had cases that could be treated, but the current disease seems unprecedented, and the county doctors are at a loss. That’s why I brought you here, hoping you might have a solution," Wu Kexin explained.

Initially, Chen Yang thought it was just a common livestock plague.

But after hearing Wu Kexin, it seemed the situation wasn’t that simple.

"Let’s go take a look first." Chen Yang said without further comment.

"Alright." Wu Kexin promptly led Chen Yang to a residence.

Since the disease specifics were unknown, all individuals showing symptoms were gathered in this single residence to prevent further spreading.

"Please show your credentials."

More barricades surrounded the outside of the residence, preventing anyone from approaching.

After Wu Kexin presented her credentials, they were allowed to enter.

Outside the residence, they were blocked by staff, but upon entering, there were many doctors in white coats and several patients lying on beds.

"Mayor, Chen Yang has arrived."

The mayor was on site as well.

Given the outbreak in his jurisdiction, the mayor was naturally the busiest.

He wore a troubled expression, but after seeing Chen Yang, his face relaxed slightly.

"Kexin, Chen Yang, you’ve arrived." The mayor approached them.

The mayor was an old acquaintance, so formalities were unnecessary.

Chen Yang directly inquired about the situation.

"Mayor, what symptoms do these patients have? Has the cause been determined?" Chen Yang asked.

"The symptoms are dire. Severe cases have purplish faces, vomiting, diarrhea, and even convulsions. Milder cases experience body tremors and also have poor complexions. The specific cause is still under investigation, and remains unclear," said the mayor.

"Chen Yang, your medical skills are outstanding. I had Kexin bring you here to see if you might have any solutions. The situation for critical patients is very severe, and we can’t wait for the county’s research," the mayor said, looking at Chen Yang with hope.