Cutting-Edge Technology R&D Center

Chapter 12: Taking It in Stride

Just as Ma Ye was about to swallow the snake gall, a phone rang suddenly. The ringtone came so abruptly that it caught the attention of everyone present. “It’s the doctor calling,” Ma Ling said, a flicker of delight crossing her eyes as she hurriedly answered the phone. “I’ve already arrived at the foot of Caoshan. Stay put—we’ll be up there soon.” As soon as Ma Ling answered, the doctor on the other end spoke in a very urgent tone, clearly concerned for the patient’s safety. “Okay, okay.” Ma Ling didn’t even have a chance to speak; she just kept nodding in agreement. A moment later, she let out a slight sigh of relief and hung up the phone. “Class Monitor, what did he say?” a classmate standing nearby asked. “The doctor said to stay in our positions and not move…” Ma Ling glanced hesitantly at Ma Ye, who was lying on the ground. Wang Hao’s arrival—and the sheer impact of his entrance—had truly stunned them all; they hadn’t even objected when Wang Hao told them to lay Ma Ye flat on the ground. For a moment, Ma Ling didn’t know what to do. She looked hesitantly at their leader, Teacher Zhou, who also seemed uncertain. The doctor had said they were already at the foot of Caoshan; if they climbed the mountain at full speed, it would take no more than half an hour. Yet the many unusual things Wang Hao had revealed left her torn. “Wang Hao, what are you doing?” Just as Teacher Zhou was hesitating, a sudden, loud shout caught both her and Ma Ling’s attention. “Administering an antidote. What’s the problem?” Wang Hao replied calmly, glancing at the speaker—Li Hua, a classmate who consistently ranked in the top three academically but had always looked down on students who performed worse than him. Although Wang Hao hadn’t studied Li Hua in detail, the traits he displayed in class clearly indicated that he had an extremely strong sense of vanity and always wanted to be the center of attention. “What do you mean?” Wang Hao didn’t respond to Li Hua but turned to Ma Ye instead. Teacher Zhou and Ma Ling remained silent as well. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Wang Hao, but his behavior since arriving had made them realize he wasn’t quite what he seemed at first glance. The more closely they observed him, the more they found him to be like a fog—elusive and hard to fathom. A hint of hesitation flashed across Ma Ye’s face. To be honest, when he heard that the doctor was right at the foot of the mountain, he’d been extremely excited. “Why don’t we wait until the doctor gets up here before deciding?” Ma Ye hesitated for a moment before speaking. “All right. The snake venom won’t spread for now, so you should be able to hold out until the doctor arrives…” Wang Hao’s expression remained completely unchanged as he nodded slightly, stepped aside, and placed the snake’s gallbladder in a conspicuous spot. Just then, Zhang’s parents reached the summit of Caoshan, panting heavily, and the stunning Zhang Xin immediately caught the attention of her male classmates. “Brother…” Zhang Xin immediately walked over, glanced at the group, and sensed that something was off. “It’s okay, it’s taken care of… Let’s go.” Only then did a hint of a smile appear beneath Wang Hao’s calm expression as he spoke to Zhang Xin. Wang Hao looked at Mr. and Mrs. Zhang and the others with a sense of apology, but Mr. and Mrs. Zhang merely smiled slightly. If even Zhang Xin could tell the atmosphere was off, how could he possibly have missed it? “Let’s go…” Zhang Xin’s father nodded without saying a word. He now had complete trust in Wang Hao. After getting to know him today, he could no longer view Wang Hao as just a child. Previously, he’d simply thought Wang Hao was independent, but now it was clear that Wang Hao was a man of strong convictions. Now, when he interacted with Wang Hao, it was exactly like talking to an equal. Wang Hao wasn’t particularly upset, and he realized that staying here would only make things more awkward. Most importantly, it was already getting late, and the night journey home would be treacherous—his classmates had all brought tents for camping. If he were alone, it wouldn’t matter—he could just squeeze into one with Fang Bing—but since Mr. and Mrs. Zhang and their son had come along, that wouldn’t be very convenient. Wang Hao led Mr. and Mrs. Zhang down the mountain... heading toward Lanjia Village. Lan Wei glanced at Wang Hao’s classmates and immediately followed without a word. The respect he now felt for Wang Hao even surpassed that he had for his own parents. Most people in Lanjia Village had been treated by Wang Hao at one time or another—though only for minor ailments or conditions requiring recuperation. For serious illnesses, Wang Hao still recommended going to the hospital, since his medical proficiency wasn’t very high… he’d merely read some books and held only a Level 4 medical certification. “Wei Ge, wait for me… Fang Fatso, remember to pack up my tent when we head back down.” Fang Bing glanced at Ma Ye, then at Lan Wei’s receding figure as he descended the mountain, before turning to a classmate and saying, “Remember to pack up my tent when we head back down.” After speaking, he followed after them. Ma Ling hesitated as if she wanted to say something, and the class immediately fell silent, while Teacher Zhou stared blankly at Lan Wei… At that moment, she finally remembered who the teenager Fang Bing had called “Wei Ge” was. Earlier, she’d felt that Lan Wei’s face looked very familiar, and once she realized who he was, her heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help but cry out. “Lan Wei—that’s Lan Wei, last year’s provincial top scorer…” Teacher Zhou’s face was a picture of bewilderment. “Teacher, are you saying that’s Lan Wei?” Ma Ling had also realized that the person who had arrived later looked familiar, and upon hearing Ms. Zhou’s words, she immediately made the connection to that celebrated figure from Ganzhou City No. 1 High School. “That’s right…” Teacher Zhou nodded. He wanted to call out to Wang Hao, but by then the young man had already started down the mountain. Since he hadn’t stepped forward earlier, it was unlikely he could call him back now. “But I thought I heard Lan Wei call out ‘Teacher Wang Hao’ just now,” Ma Ling said after a moment’s hesitation. “...” At that moment, Teacher Zhou also remembered—when Lan Wei had arrived just now, she did indeed seem to have called out “Teacher Wang Hao”… but how could that be? A look of disbelief flashed across her eyes. “The doctor’s here… the doctor’s here…” Just as Teacher Zhou and Ma Ling were recalling what had happened, they suddenly heard excited shouts. They turned their heads and immediately saw several people wearing white robes, along with a villager dressed in ordinary clothes, appear at the mountaintop. They were carrying a stretcher; by now, the originally pristine white robes were already speckled with wood shavings and had developed small tears. It was clear that this group had been moving very quickly through the mountains; their clothes were torn by tree branches. “Where is the person who was bitten by the green slender snake?” Suddenly, a man wearing a white lab coat shouted. The students hurriedly cleared a path for the doctor who had spoken, revealing Ma Ye lying on the ground. “Didn’t I tell you to stand him up and hold both sides of his neck?” The doctor who had spoken was a middle-aged man. Upon seeing Ma Ye’s condition, he flew into a rage and hurried even faster toward him. But upon getting closer, he noticed something unusual. Although Ma Ye’s complexion was pale and his back was blackened, his eyes still gleamed with vitality. The doctor immediately took Ma Ye’s hand to check his pulse.