Blood Queen

October 3rd, Wednesday, 9:00 AM.

Army General Hospital, Shadow Arrow Western Surveillance District Medical Support Center.

In the comfortably temperature-controlled observation room, Meng Huai lay on a board bed wearing only shorts, surrounded by no fewer than ten medical instruments of various sizes, his entire body covered with monitoring leads.

Meng Huai stared at the ceiling with an indifferent expression, a self-mocking smile at the corner of his mouth, feeling like a fish on a cutting board awaiting slaughter. For over ten days now, he'd wake up each day to undergo various bizarre examinations, from major bone marrow biopsies to minor blood draws.

As for why, he could vaguely sense some of the reasons himself.

Since officially joining Shadow Arrow forces, Meng Huai had received over sixty anti-blood infection immune medication injections—a record that would send chills down anyone's spine, not just in the Western Surveillance District but probably throughout all Shadow Arrow forces.

This kind of bizarre situation, if it happened to an ordinary Shadow Arrow member, their physical condition would have exceeded not just Stage Two but Stage Three twice over.

The observation room's glass wall was one-way transparent. Meng Huai tilted his head slightly, knowing that at this moment, on the other side of the glass wall, more eyes were definitely watching him.

"Simply incredible. Previously Comrade Xiao Meng's examination showed Stage Two, then during leave he suddenly deteriorated to Stage Three with acute liver failure symptoms, but now... everyone look, he's back to Stage Two!"

Director Tang of the Medical Support Center held a file folder with trembling hands, unable to resist removing his glasses and pressing his head against the glass wall, staring intently at the young officer on the board bed.

The surrounding military doctors were mostly Director Tang's students. Seeing their mentor so astonished, they didn't dare speak, all flipping through materials in their hands with bewildered expressions.

Rapid footsteps echoed from the corridor behind them. The military doctors curiously turned their heads, seeing the half-open door pushed open by a somewhat overly young lieutenant officer with a serious expression standing in the doorway.

"Han Jieli, Headquarters Intelligence Bureau. This is my identification."

The lieutenant officer showed his credentials. Including Director Tang, everyone's eyes sharpened. He was from headquarters, the Intelligence Bureau with extensive authority, and surnamed Han.

"Director Tang, this is an instruction document from Headquarters Medical Support Department. Please accompany Comrade Meng Huai to Beijing. The aircraft is already waiting at the northern military airfield."

Han Jieli took another document from his briefcase and handed it to Director Tang. Facing such a professional senior expert, Han Jieli didn't dare put on airs, instead showing a gentle smile.

"Now?" Director Tang looked around at the military doctors, puzzled. "Should we inform Comrade Meng Huai?"

"Someone will explain to him once we depart. Please prepare quickly."

Han Jieli stepped back, saluted everyone, then hurried away.

Military personnel's duty is to obey orders. Director Tang merely looked at the file folder in his hands, restored his normal expression, and directly pushed open the observation room door.

Zhong Jing's Bentley luxury SUV slowly turned the corner. About two hundred meters ahead was Golden River Club. However, what surprised Zhong Jing was that a commercial bus was now parked in front of the club.

The SUV slowly stopped behind the commercial bus. The club's main entrance was open, with nearly twenty Hyacinth members successively walking out, each carrying bags of various sizes.

"Hey hey, Zhong Jing!"

Zhou Ping, carrying a travel bag and dragging a suitcase while arm-in-arm with Jiang Yao, also walked out of the club entrance. Seeing Zhong Jing standing dazedly by his SUV behind the bus, both waved and smiled.

Today's Jiang Yao wore a French-style short-sleeved cropped dress, paired with white long stockings and small black leather shoes. Her light golden hair was braided into two plaits, topped with a round straw hat—full of autumn outing style with devastating impact.

"You, didn't... didn't you agree to go to Longquan Mountain today?"

Zhong Jing quickly grabbed Jiang Yao as she prepared to board the bus, looking puzzled. After all, he had specifically confirmed this with her over the phone before leaving.

"Yes, Sister Wan is taking everyone to Longquan Mountain for autumn team building. I never said I'd go alone with you."

Jiang Yao rolled her eyes, gripped her travel bag tighter, and boarded the bus.

Hehe, rolling my eyes at people feels great. I love seeing him deflated!

Looking at the bus full of chattering women and the few silent male colleagues keeping their heads down, Jiang Yao felt secretly pleased.

"Hyacinth, a bunch of Blood Clan, what kind of team building are they doing..."

Zhong Jing stared stupidly at the tall commercial bus, feeling an indescribable absurdity.

"What, are you uncomfortable?"

A familiar voice came from his side. Turning his head, he saw Wan Yue in sportswear, smiling as she stood at the club entrance with no one else coming out behind her.

"Master, you're going to Longquan Mountain? Last-minute decision?" Zhong Jing grimaced, not knowing what to say.

"My home is there, can't I go?" Wan Yue lit a cigarette, glanced at the bus windows with an indifferent expression. "I plan to take all the Attendant-level members to Hyacinth's Longquan Mountain villa, returning in a few days."

"But Jiang Yao is a Knight..." Zhong Jing's mouth moved, still somewhat unwilling. "Besides, isn't Jiang Yan still dormant at the club? Won't she stay nearby to care for her?"

"Zhao Peng with a few other Knights is sufficient. Leave her here to be pestered by you finding various excuses these few days? With her actual combat level, she's no different from Attendants."

Wan Yue rolled her eyes, dropped her cigarette butt, and walked directly toward Zhong Jing's car. "Since you're also going, I'll ride in your car. Tonight you can stay at a hotel outside the mountain, or at my place."

Zhong Jing's mouth twitched twice, having no choice but to helplessly follow behind Wan Yue.

Tilting his head slightly, looking up, he saw through a bus window Jiang Yao showing him a mischievous smile.

The commercial bus and Bentley SUV traveled one behind the other on the city highway.

Zhong Jing focused on driving. Beside him in the passenger seat, Wan Yue had her arm resting on the window, leisurely gazing into the distance. Wind ruffled several strands of hair at Wan Yue's forehead, her face showing rare tranquility.

"Zhao Peng already told me yesterday. You won't give up until you get to the bottom of things, right... Now I'll tell you: what came to your house is a British Blood Clan Baron from Japan's Fujiwara Family."

Glancing at the serious face of the young man beside her, Wan Yue suddenly muttered, "The night Jiang Yao drove you home, she even encountered a Knight under that Baron's command. Fortunately, there was no hostility."

Zhong Jing listened intently, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightening without speaking.

"Tsurumi Financial Group is controlled by the Fujiwara Family behind the scenes. Actually, the old man of the Tsurumi family has no granddaughter at all. This Tsurumi Haruka is an adopted granddaughter the Fujiwara Family forced in ten years ago."

"Master means I might marry a woman over a hundred years old!?"

Zhong Jing was dumbstruck, taking a long time to recover, looking both crying and laughing: "This Tsurumi Haruka has already begun strengthening her daughter-in-law cultivation in front of my parents. Damn it, yesterday she insisted on learning soup-making and Chinese cooking from my mother..."

"Do you have some prejudice against female Blood Clan Barons? Tsurumi Haruka is only in her seventies, younger than me. For ordinary people, she'd be a maiden in her prime..."

Wan Yue lit a cigarette and rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Oh, only in her seventies... No wait, that's not the point! I just want to know what that Tsurumi Financial Group and Fujiwara Family are really plotting! I can see Tsurumi Financial Group is threatening my father."

Zhong Jing looked both crying and laughing, especially at Wan Yue's casual attitude, feeling their thinking was completely disconnected.

"Hehe, the state isn't worried, so why are you? Giving you a Baron-level Blood Clan wife, is such generosity considered a threat?"

Wan Yue blew smoke rings out the car window, disdaining her disciple's overreaction: "If we don't mix in other conspiracy theories, theoretically this matter is win-win for both China and Japan. Only some domestic old turtles would be uncomfortable.

"If the Fujiwara Family only plans to use this so-called marriage alliance for simple commercial territory expansion, that's nothing. The fear is they're allied with those European old turtles, especially appearing in China at this critical juncture..."

"What if there is a conspiracy?"

Zhong Jing's mood gradually calmed, knowing real communication with Wan Yue was just beginning.

"Xiao Jing, do you know why China is called the world's factory?" Wan Yue suddenly asked.

"Hmm... World-class infrastructure, complete upstream and downstream industrial chain support, relatively low labor costs, high-quality industrial workers, stable national policies, huge consumer markets... These inevitably attract global industrial capital to concentrate in China, making it the world's largest manufacturing country."

Zhong Jing thought briefly and listed a series of commonly known factors.

"In the ordinary world, that's how it is. However, perhaps you don't know that in the Blood Clan world, China is still the world's factory! Still possessing all those advantages you just mentioned!"

Wan Yue's expression gradually turned cold, as if this conclusion was ironic to her.

Glancing at Wan Yue's expression, Zhong Jing felt puzzled: "You mean in the biopharmaceutical field? I think Master mentioned years ago that global anti-tumor and anti-aging drug technology is controlled by European, American, and Japanese pharmaceutical companies, backed by several Blood Clan major families. Zhong Pharmaceuticals has licensed production of several types.

"I've seen some materials. China has over four million new malignant tumor patients annually, world's first. Demand for anti-tumor drugs is astronomical. China's anti-aging health drug consumption market currently isn't even one-tenth of global consumption, but growth rate is fastest globally. Reaching world's first is just a matter of time.

"So, Manyu Pharmaceuticals representing Japan's Fujiwara Family is targeting this? If so, there's no conspiracy theory." (TN: Sad MatPat noises.)

Zhong Jing listed a series of data, seemingly confirming Wan Yue's earlier statement.

"Hehe, you forgot one more—cosmetics consumption market, China is also world's first. Manyu Pharmaceuticals is also a major global manufacturer of cosmetic intermediate raw materials."

Wan Yue spoke while looking at her hand: "Maybe the domestic hand cream I'm using now contains intermediate raw materials provided by Manyu Pharmaceuticals."

Zhong Jing became more confused, not knowing what connection Wan Yue's mentioned conspiracy theories had with all this.

"Xiao Jing, in the eyes of various countries' secret agencies, we Blood Clan are highly alienated humans. But purely from a physiological anatomical perspective, Blood Clan actually have no significant differences from normal humans, no reproductive isolation even. Though they prefer calling us vampires...

"However, being called alienated humans means we necessarily have some key differences from normal humans, or rather, advantages they envy. For example, Blood Clan never get malignant tumors, are immune to most viral and bacterial infections, and Blood Clan lifespans are much longer than normal people."

Listening to Wan Yue's words, Zhong Jing gradually sensed something wrong, his hands gripping the steering wheel beginning to sweat.

"In Zhong Pharmaceuticals' production workshops, there's a drug called Yiwen De—a long-acting hematological preparation. China consumes half the global supply, mostly taken by Shadow Arrow forces as anti-blood infection immune medication. It contains a key raw material called RMEC, extracted from Blood Clan liver and bone marrow."

The car swayed slightly left and right, nearly hitting an overtaking sedan. The sedan driver angrily honked with sharp curses, frightening Zhong Jing into a cold sweat.

"Surprised? Hehe... Those European imported cosmetics your mother uses also contain Blood Clan pancreatic tissue extracts. Their anti-aging active ingredients effectively maintain youthful skin... Touching prices, global high-end families are major customers.

"Also, currently the world's strongest synthetic antibiotics use raw materials extracted from Blood Clan serum... And special drug ingredients for treating Alzheimer's disease are also extracted from Blood Clan cerebrospinal fluid..."

Wan Yue spoke knowledgeably while Zhong Jing felt his mind going numb beyond description.

"You mean... all these will be produced in China?"

Zhong Jing felt his throat dry, voice beginning to tremble: "Manyu Pharmaceuticals, no, Tsurumi Financial Group, oh no, the Fujiwara Family plans to establish these production lines in our country, sourcing raw materials locally?"

"Shows you're not stupid. China is currently the world's only country still maintaining high-pressure crackdown policies against Blood Clan, also one of the countries with the most Wandering Blood Clan and Black Blood Clan, second only to India. Previously, large quantities of Blood Clan organs and tissues were smuggled abroad through various channels annually. Now building factories domestically is win-win, isn't it?"

Wan Yue lit another cigarette, her expression even colder: "If local sourcing can solve part of the raw material supply problem, it's perfect for those international pharmaceutical industrial capital controlled by Blood Clan major families behind the scenes."

"Comparatively, though India and Africa have even more Blood Clan and worse Black Blood Clan rampancy, they're far from being world factories—only serving as pure raw material sources..."

"Damn the Fujiwara Family Japanese—isn't this encouraging global Blood Clan cultivation!"

Zhong Jing's face suddenly became fierce, nearly grinding his teeth to powder: "What about those domestic old turtles? Are they also involved?"

"Yes. It's called competition, domestic self-strengthening. Besides hunting Black Blood Clan, the Wang Family secretly imports lots of miscellaneous stuff from India, Africa, and South America annually, especially maintaining cooperation with smuggling-skilled Wandering Blood Clan forces like Hermit Alliance... Big and Little Golden Pills, Wang Family's signature products, can treat rheumatic immune diseases even for ordinary people.

"Your father, as a broker, probably has a share in the middle. The state needs some special resource channels, so it turns a blind eye. The state allows Tsurumi Financial Group domestic investment also because they put many patented drugs into domestic production, giving them leeway.

"As long as old turtles like Wang, Zhou, and Liang families don't act foolishly or court death, and don't treat ordinary Chinese as consumables, Shadow Arrow can maintain delicate balance with them... As for Black Blood Clan lunatics, whether Shadow Arrow or us Hyacinth, naturally we kill every one we encounter—no negotiation! Consider it waste utilization!"

Wan Yue took a deep breath, lazily sinking into her seat as the coldness on her face gradually faded.

"Maybe what you'll have to confront isn't these small-scale conflicts closely related to ordinary people. Because no matter how unspeakable they are, they sacrifice low-level Blood Clan to provide things that reduce ordinary people's suffering or improve life happiness index, earning massive profits.

"But if one day you discover there's an even more terrifying group pursuing even more unspeakable things... Xiao Jing, do you think you can continue being a warrior?"

"Master..."

Zhong Jing opened his mouth several times but couldn't speak.