CH 202

When Xing Conglian talked about the matter of the deaths, there wasn’t a heavy expression on his face, indicating that it shouldn’t be a terrible thing like an infectious disease.

During the Gaomeng people’s escape, they were already heavily injured, so it wasn’t surprising that a few would suddenly pass away due to their injuries. Lin Chen frowned, suddenly realizing that the value of life had changed in his concept since he deviated from civilization, which wasn’t a good thing.

However, the cause of death for the two Gaomeng people slightly exceeded Lin Chen’s imagination.

They died in a fight.

At that time, dinner was being served on the ship, and one person suddenly had a dispute with his neighbor. He used a butter knife to stab the neighbor’s body directly, causing blood and flesh to splatter. The neighbor wasn’t easy to deal with and held the man’s neck tightly before hitting the iron table corner.

The two people fought too fiercely and too fast, and the other Gaomeng people didn’t even have time to stop them. They had already died together.

Lin Chen listened with horror and found it difficult to accept. According to the schedule, they would arrive at the port tomorrow morning, and all the Gaomeng people facing the threat of death would regain their freedom. And now, they were fighting to death, which wasn’t worth it… He thought for a moment and asked Xing Conglian, “What is the reason?”

“Duan Yang said it might be the sequelae of drugs.” Xing Conglian sighed for a moment and talked to him about the possibility that the entire Gaomeng tribe might have been taking illegal drugs or being used as test subjects for a new drug that had a subtle connection with schizophrenia.

Thinking of Zhourui Pharmaceutical and everything involved, Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian. Before he could say anything, Xing Conglian seemed to see through his thoughts and directly said, “Don’t even think about it.”

Lin Chen raised his hand and pulled Xing Conglian, freeing up the position on the inside of the bed. “Then don’t go. Sleep with me.”

Xing Conglian widened his eyes and looked at him incredulously. “Are you pulling another trick?”

Lin Chen smiled. “I just don’t want you to leave.”

Xing Conglian suddenly sat down and stroked the side of Lin Chen’s face with one hand. His eyes darkened. “Consultant Lin…”

Xing Conglian’s tone sounded a bit wrong at this moment. Lin Chen felt the rough touch of his skin on his palm and shuddered slightly, then he said seriously, “Yes, Captain Xing?”

“Do you know that you are still not well?” Xing Conglian slightly leaned over to the corner of his mouth, but didn’t make any kissing movements.

“Not only am I not well, but my condition seems to be quite serious now.”

Before Lin Chen finished speaking, he heard Xing Conglian say word by word, “So, are you sure you can handle it?”

“Why are you like this?”

Xing Conglian gently bit his earlobe and said in a low and deep voice, “Because I miss you.”

Lin Chen felt that the difference between being a talker and a doer might lie here. The next moment, Xing Conglian had already put him down on the bed. Although there was no action, he had a creepy feeling.

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, threateningly saying, “You may really not be able to get out of bed for a few days, so…”

Lin Chen quickly hugged the other’s neck and said sincerely, “I was wrong.”

“What did you do wrong?”

“My body is not well yet.”

“Hmm?”

“When I’m feeling better, I need to find a vacation where I don’t have to work, and I can’t stay at home.”

“Why can’t you stay at home?” Xing Conglian asked, rubbing his stubble against his face in satisfaction.

“Wang Chao is too annoying.”

“Shall I kick him out of the house?”

Lin Chen thought for a moment, feeling a little hesitant. “Never mind, let’s just book a domestic five-day trip for two instead…” He trailed off, testing Xing Conglian. “Is five days enough?”

“Probably not.”

Lin Chen chuckled. “Well, we’ll talk about it next time.”

“But next time, we can’t just talk about it…” Xing Conglian said.

“I know,” Lin Chen replied.

In any case, these two never seemed to have enough time together. In the end, Xing Conglian chose to respect Lin Chen’s wishes and led him downstairs.

There weren’t many decent clothes on the boat, so Lin Chen draped a thin blanket over himself and followed Xing Conglian to the first floor cabin.

The sound of water was clearer here, and outside the porthole was a dark rainforest where water and sky merged seamlessly without boundaries.

After the chaos, most of the Gaomeng people were ordered to stay in the inner cabin.

Therefore, the so-called scene of the crime was only occupied by the elderly tribal leader, who was called a “great trickster” by Wang Chao, accompanied by two strong men.

It was said that the Gaomeng tribe leader had died in battle long ago, so in reality, there weren’t many people left in the tribe.

The cabin was empty and terrifying, with the river wind blowing through it. The ground was a mess, and the rainforest bananas were trampled into a pulp mixed with blood, giving off a putrid smell.

The only doctor on the boat was squatting beside the corpse, performing an autopsy. Duan Yang was now quite versatile. Lin Chen stood beside the young doctor, watching as he examined the wounds on the deceased’s face.

“Did you find anything?” Lin Chen asked.

Duan Yang suddenly looked up and frowned when he saw Lin Chen standing there. “Why are you here? Take care of yourself and be careful not to get too hot again.”

Lin Chen crouched down beside him and said, “I came to see if I could help.”

Duan Yang took off his plastic gloves and shook his head. “Actually, I don’t understand this either. It would be best to find a forensic doctor to perform a craniotomy and pathological examination, but…” He looked at Xing Conglian and asked, “Isn’t that difficult?”

“All of that can be solved. Tell me your thoughts,” Lin Chen said.

“Throughout the whole process, they had an argument that led to death too quickly. Suddenly, they became restless and violent, and then suddenly died. It seems like a sudden manic episode…”

“It’s not sudden,” Lin Chen interrupted, looking at Xing Conglian. He reached for a pair of plastic gloves and put them on, then gently touched the victim’s face. “He must have been angry for a while.”

Duan Yang looked at the victim’s forehead. “Are there any expression lines?”

“No,” Lin Chen pursed his lips. “Their skin is too rough. That can’t be used as evidence.”

“But when people are angry, they tend to curl their fingers and toes,” Lin Chen continued. “This brings up the scientific study of innate human emotions versus learned behaviors. Is it beyond race and rooted in human genes?” As he spoke, he reached for the victim’s right hand and examined the palm. There were very clear marks where the nails had pinched. He wanted to stand up and check the victim’s feet, but Xing Conglian beat him to it. He took off the victim’s grass shoes and lifted them up to show him.

Lin Chen nodded. “The condition of this African victim tells us that anger is an innate emotion that transcends race. A more scientific psychology experiment would be to take photos of various facial expressions of Caucasians and Asians and see if these rainforest people can identify different emotions…”

“Consultant Lin, I don’t quite understand. Is this research meaningful?” Duan Yang asked.

Lin Chen shrugged. “Actually, I don’t know. I’m just afraid of burning out, so I’m talking nonsense.” He stood up, looking down at the people who were tragically dead and still angry on the ground, and said lightly, “But with scientific research, how can we always predict how the seemingly inconspicuous results will affect the human process?”

Duan Yang solemnly said, “I understand.” He thought for a moment and added, “We really need to determine more carefully what type of medication Zhourui Pharmaceutical has given them. This is probably the reason why Teacher insisted on saving those patients. It may not seem worthwhile for him to sacrifice his life, but maybe it is.”

Lin Chen took off his gloves and rubbed the young man’s hair. “Don’t think too much about it. That was his decision, and we don’t have the right to say much, but these cases are really strange.”

“I think so too.” Duan Yang said, “Most drugs that can cause brain damage or mental problems require long-term use, which will accumulate in the human body. But most of the Gaomeng people here seem fine, and many of them suddenly get sick without any warning. For example, Mr. Xing’s subordinates had mental abnormalities after accidentally coming into contact with the drugs. But today’s case is different. Does it mean that the Gaomeng tribe had taken many different types of medication?” Duan Yang turned to look at the elder and his entourage, who were vigilantly watching them. “Are there still possible new cases among the Gaomeng people on the ship?”

Lin Chen kicked Duan Yang’s heel and calmly said, “Don’t be so obvious. Talking behind someone’s back while looking at them isn’t good.”

Duan Yang smiled bitterly. “Consultant Lin, now I can tell that you are really recovering.”

“It seems… that even healthy Gaomeng people can’t be allowed to work on the cruise ship?” Xing Conglian frowned and was quite annoyed. “Do I also need to encircle these people like Zaratul?”

“What do you think?” Lin Chen asked Duan Yang.

“This involves medical ethics.” Duan Yang’s brow furrowed deeper. “If we know that some of these people may harm others when they leave, should we temporarily detain the healthy people who can’t be judged like the sick…”

Looking at the young man whose temperament had changed significantly from their first meeting, Lin Chen said, “The sentence you just said is a bit scary.”

“What?”

“First, I will point out that this incident may be solved in the rainforest, but what if it happened in a densely populated city?” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian and said to Duan Yang, “Second, after you raise this point of view, it will make it very difficult for him to act.”

Duan Yang immediately apologized. “I didn’t think about it. Sorry.”

Lin Chen sighed slightly, and Xing Conglian put his hand on his shoulder and said, “Let’s find a relatively isolated manor. We won’t restrict their personal freedom, but those who are already sick must receive treatment. Is that okay?”

“I have no objection.” Duan Yang said, “But the cause of the disease has not been completely identified yet. Whether it is medication or psychoactive drugs, we still need to find out the real reason that caused them to become like this.”

“What you mean is that you should preside over the entire project…” Xing Conglian said in the night.

Duan Yang suddenly looked up.

The crime scene may not be the appropriate time to discuss these matters, but Xing Conglian still said to Duan Yang, “The ship will arrive at the port tomorrow, and we will handle the Zhourui Pharmaceutical matter back in China. However, someone needs to take care of things here in the rainforest. Before his death, Duan Wanshan made many requests to me. Since he was someone I admired, I will give you money to fulfill his wishes. Whether you want to spend the money freely or complete your teacher’s unfinished business, such as trying to treat the Gaomeng people, it’s up to you.”

Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian in surprise. Xing Conglian placed his hand on his shoulder, speaking as he led him towards the cabin, and whispered in his ear, “You have blown enough wind. Don’t think that I will let you stay outside for too long.”

“Mr. Xing!”

Duan Yang called out to Xing Conglian from behind.

The young man was completely stunned, with a mixture of panic, pain, confusion, and the restraint to try to manage these chaotic emotions.

Xing Conglian turned around and looked at the young doctor crouching on the ground, saying, “Don’t ask me why ten thousand times. I just saved some money by not giving it to you earlier.”

Many words were stuck in Duan Yang’s throat. He lowered his eyelashes, then raised his head with a clear expression, without any hesitation, as if he had already made up his mind. He said very solemnly, “Thank you.”

“You’ve already said that. No need to say it again.”

Xing Conglian waved his hand, and Lin Chen stood beside him, being pulled inside by him.

“Why did you only tell him these things now?” Lin Chen asked in a low voice.

“Two days ago, you still hadn’t gotten out of danger, so it wasn’t appropriate to give him the diagnosis fee so soon,” Xing Conglian said as a matter of fact.