You were allowed to marry into No. 76 family, and you were promoted to director?

Chapter 400 Hero
At the time, if it weren't for the Watanabe family's strong opposition, saying that the consequences of a virus leak would be unimaginable, Tenko would have almost agreed.

Looking back now, I was drenched in sweat.

The Watanabe family's intelligence was indeed sharp. If it weren't for their efforts to stop it, the thought of such a world-destroying calamity descending upon their homeland would send chills down Tianhuang's spine.

"call--"

Hearing the arguing below, Tianhuang let out a long sigh, then slammed his hand on the low table:

"quiet!"

With a furious roar from the Emperor, the cabinet ministers finally quieted down, their faces flushed and their breath coming in ragged gasps.

After everyone quieted down, the head of the Aizawa family, who had come to attend the imperial meeting with Watanabe, slowly stood up and had a eunuch present a latest telegram to Tianhuang.

"Your Majesty, this is a secret telegram recently sent by my daughter from the Special Higher Police. Please take a look."

Out of respect for the Watanabe family, Tianhuang nodded to the Lanze clan chief, took the translated telegram, and his expression turned to shock at just one glance.

After quickly reading the telegram, Tianhuang looked at everyone excitedly:

"The young mistress of the Watanabe family brought us good news: an effective drug to combat the Sheshan virus has been found."

Upon hearing this, the cabinet ministers exchanged bewildered glances, and then the heads of the four major traditional conglomerates all had their eyes gleaming with greed. If such a cure were found, could they use this virus to exploit the entire world?

That's a huge sum of money!
Tianhuang's gaze swept over the restless tycoon leaders, but his heart sank.

He could naturally see what these guys were thinking. If this special drug could really be mass-produced, Tianhuang had no doubt that these ruthless chaebols would not only extend their reach to the whole world, but also not let go of Japan itself.

If they were to gain control of this virus, would I, the Heavenly Emperor, still be able to maintain any power?
At that time, the people of Japan will have to live at the mercy of these conglomerates, and they themselves will become puppets in their hands.

Fortunately, after seeing what the effective drug was, Tianhuang felt a little relieved. Moreover, he had already made a decision: the virus developed by the Ishii unit must be destroyed, completely destroyed, leaving not a trace!
"Ladies and gentlemen, although the effective drug has been found, mass production is extremely difficult. Most importantly, this effective drug is not something that ordinary people can afford. Penicillin, I believe everyone is familiar with it."

Upon hearing the words "penicillin," the tycoon's burning passion was as if doused with a bucket of cold water.

Currently, the price of one gram of penicillin is comparable to that of gold.

Moreover, it is in short supply and even major conglomerates control only a small amount of penicillin.

In addition, the penicillin supplies for the frontline troops are running low, and the major conglomerates are almost out of stock.

They are now buying these drugs from the market and supplying them to the military at high prices, which is simply insufficient to support large-scale civilian use of these drugs.

And ordinary people can't afford it either!
If that's the case, then it would be better to continue driving up the price of penicillin, which would maintain the existing power structure.

The flames of greed in the eyes of the tycoons gradually died down, replaced by cold-blooded calculations after weighing the pros and cons.

Tianhuang silently observed all of this, already understanding in his heart.

"It seems everyone has figured it out!"

"Gentlemen, the Sheshan virus is of limited help to our empire's great cause, but if it gets out of control, the price will be unbearable for us. Therefore, I have decided to destroy all existing Sheshan viruses!"

After a moment's thought, the cabinet ministers all nodded in agreement. Since this thing was not of any use to them, it was better to destroy it.

Otherwise, if it falls into the hands of a conglomerate, it would be a catastrophic disaster for other conglomerates as well.

Tianhuang slowly rose, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like a knife:

"With the summer campaign imminent, I have decided to postpone the destruction of the Sheshan virus until after the campaign. After the campaign, the Special Higher Police Technical Section will lead a team to the Shijing unit in Harbin to personally oversee the destruction process of the Sheshan virus."

"So, gentlemen, besides the Special Higher Police's Technical Division taking the lead, do you have anything to add?"

To them, the Special Higher Police had already branded themselves with the Watanabe and Aizawa families, and other conglomerates would absolutely not allow only members of the Watanabe and Aizawa families to go to Harbin.

What if they hack it? Wouldn't that mean the two companies would monopolize the technology secrets?
Therefore, third-party supervision must be incorporated to ensure that no virus remains in Sheshan.

"Your Majesty, I propose the establishment of a supervisory group, with members drawn from the original agency, the Special Higher Police, the Mei Agency, and the Military Police Headquarters."

"After the battle concludes, the supervisory team will immediately proceed to the Shijing unit in Bingcheng to oversee the destruction process of the Sheshan virus!"

"I agree!"

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal!"

Tianhuang nodded in satisfaction. As long as all these financial groups participated, there would be no risk of anyone secretly intercepting or transferring the virus strain.

Once the destruction process is open and transparent, the interests of all parties are bound together, which can create a check and balance and prevent future problems.

This matter concerns the very foundation of the empire and cannot be overlooked in the slightest. This is exactly the effect that Tianhuang wants.

"Then, it's time to discuss who will give me an explanation for the Sheshan virus leak!"

Chief Watanabe and Chief Aizawa exchanged a glance. They had both received Watanabe Kyoko's secret telegram and knew what to do next.

Anyway, they're going to keep Tu Feiyuan.

Since the culprits, Kasahara Heiwa and Karasawa Saburo, are dead, Ishii Shiro has to take the blame, since his subordinates developed this virus!

The final outcome of the discussion did not surprise Chief Watanabe. Doi-man was removed from the list and given a lenient punishment, since "those who carry out orders do not bear primary responsibility."

As for Shiro Ishii, a verdict will be made after the supervisory team arrives.

Although Shiro Ishii was a veteran of germ warfare, he had now become a pawn, and all parties silently accepted this arrangement.

"I am very satisfied with the way the Special Higher Police handled this matter. The telegram stated that it was Zhao Sang from the Special Higher Police's Intelligence Advisory Section who discovered the effective drug for the Sheshan virus. From the moment I heard his name until now, Zhao Sang has truly surprised me time and time again."

"Although Zhao Sang is a citizen of the Dragon Kingdom, I have decided to grant him the status of a citizen of the Empire and bestow upon him the title of 'Honorary Minister of the Empire,' allowing him to travel freely between the Dragon Kingdom and the Empire, and to enjoy the same treatment as a Grand Colonel. Zhao Sang's merit lies not only in discovering the effective drug, but also in his concern for the overall situation, his composure in the face of danger, and his immediate efforts to block the news at the beginning of the virus leak, thus buying precious time for the Empire."

This outcome was naturally the result of an exchange of interests between Tianhuang, the Lanze family, and the Watanabe family.

There was nothing the Watanabe clan chief could do against his daughter's wishes, and the Aizawa clan chief doted on Aizawa Keiko. Since Keiko had made her choice, the clan naturally gave her their full support.

After the Emperor publicly announced the commendation order, which he personally signed, the Watanabe family would send someone to the Special Higher Police.

The cabinet ministers finally realized that the Watanabe and Aizawa families had made their choices, and the other party was from China.

This was something they never dared to imagine before, but what could they do when both the Watanabe and Aizawa families were now run by women?
The descendants of the Watanabe family either died in the holy war launched by the empire or died young, leaving only two heirs, Watanabe Kyoko and Aizawa Keiko.

The Watanabe family is a little better off; Watanabe Kyoko has an older brother and a younger brother, but the combined abilities of the two of them are not even one-tenth as good as Watanabe Kyoko's.

Chief Watanabe has essentially given up on raising his two rebellious sons.

After their generation's clan elder passed away, Watanabe Kyoko and Aizawa Keiko took on the main responsibilities.

But a woman is always a woman, and it is absolutely impossible for a woman to control a family for a long time.

They will eventually be replaced by more suitable marriage partners, and the power of the family will return to the hands of men.

Instead of doing that, the Watanabe and Aizawa families should cultivate an heir themselves.

If Watanabe Kyoko and Aizawa Keiko hadn't made their choice, they would never have placed their bets on Zhao Xuan.

After the cabinet meeting, Koji Ida, commander of the Shanghai Military Police Command, managed to retain his position without serious incident, but the continuous warnings forced him to be more cautious in his subsequent years in power.

The following morning, major newspapers simultaneously launched their reports, and within just one morning, everyone in Shanghai knew about the Sheshan virus.

Although insightful people do not believe that the Sheshan virus appeared suddenly, it was discovered by the Japanese and eradicated by them with swift and decisive measures to ensure the safety of the area.

But most ordinary people in Shanghai didn't think that much about it. They only saw the article in the newspaper that "Japan decisively sealed off the epidemic, saving millions of people from suffering," and they started discussing it.

In teahouses and taverns, some people marveled at the efficiency of the Japanese army, while others secretly wondered, but no one dared to delve into it.

The notices posted on the streets and alleys depicted a picture of the Japanese army bravely fighting the epidemic. Combined with the propaganda tunes broadcast on the radio, a crisis was gradually transformed into a praise of "kindness".

In this carefully crafted narrative, it is clear that Xiao Rizi used public opinion to reverse the course of events and portray himself as the savior.

As for Zhao Xuan, who discovered the miracle drug, his discovery was also widely reported in the newspapers due to Lan Zehuizi's involvement.

In the past, in the eyes of the general public in Shanghai, Zhao Xuan was a major traitor.

But after today, Zhao Xuan's reputation began to quietly change, from "traitor" to "hero." Zhao Xuan's name underwent an incredible reversal in just a few days.

People on the streets and alleys were talking about how he risked his life to develop a special medicine, how he saved the first batch of patients under the Japanese blockade, and even his early experience of studying abroad was reinterpreted as "enduring hardship and humiliation to return home after completing his studies".

Keiko Aizawa's deliberately amplified narrative, which blends reality and fiction, elevates him to a pedestal.

Inside the office of the head of the Intelligence Advisory Section of the Special Higher Police on Wusong Road.

Huang Qian was completely dumbfounded after reading today's newspaper.

Lin Jieru had just made Zhao Xuan a cup of tea and placed it on his desk when she moved closer to Huang Qian, who was standing dumbfounded in front of the sofa:
"Hey, what are you doing?"

Huang Qian's lips curled slightly as she handed the newspaper to Lin Jieru:

"The huge fire in the western suburbs yesterday actually burned down Sheshan!"

Lin Jieru quickly unfolded the newspaper and skimmed through the front page headlines. After reading them, Lin Jieru was momentarily stunned, and a few seconds later, she gasped.

She wasn't surprised that the newspapers portrayed Zhao Xuan as a hero.

Rather, it's because the Sheshan Research Institute is currently the primary target of the underground Communist Party and the Military Intelligence Bureau.

But before they could take any action, the Sheshan Research Institute was burned down, and it was the Japanese who did it.

As for the newspaper's claim that the virus was discovered by chance, accompanied by photos of three companies of the Military Police Headquarters dying tragically at Sheshan, saying that these imperial warriors had heroically sacrificed their lives in the process of resisting the spread of the virus.

Lin Jieru, of course, wouldn't believe such nonsense.

Her mind was now filled with thoughts of how incredibly powerful the Military Intelligence Bureau's young tigers were!
Yesterday, Zhao Xuan told her privately that there was no need to rush about the Sheshan Research Institute matter, and that she didn't need to pay attention to Sun Jianzhong's contact, because the Military Intelligence Bureau's young tiger had already taken care of it, and there would definitely be good news in the next day or two.

It now appears that it was indeed the young tiger who made the move, and with incredible skill, he managed to make the Japanese burn down the Sheshan Research Institute themselves.

Lin Jieru couldn't understand how Young Tiger had managed to infiltrate the Sheshan defense zone, which was as impenetrable as an iron barrel. Moreover, how could he release the virus right under the noses of the Japanese and escape unscathed?

Indeed, Lin Jieru was certain that the so-called accidental discovery of the Sheshan virus was completely untrue. The claim that Japanese soldiers died from the virus was a complete lie to cover up the truth. The real cause of the Sheshan fire was that Young Tiger had infiltrated the Sheshan Research Institute and used some means to cause the virus to leak, which led to the subsequent events.

After taking a few deep breaths, Lin Jieru didn't say much to Huang Qian, but simply asked:

"Secretary Huang, why hasn't the section chief come to work today?"

Huang Qian said "Oh," and quickly replied:

"I arrived early in the morning, but soon went to the Military Police Hospital with Yua Murakami from the Technical Department, saying that we needed to observe the recovery of the first batch of infected patients who had been injected with penicillin."

Hongkou, Military Police Hospital.

Zhao Xuan and Murakami Yua inspected the infected former secret agents in the isolation ward, as well as the prisoners who had been escorted to Sheshan yesterday but were later brought back.

At the end of the corridor, the two pushed open the door and entered a private ward.

Inside the isolation ward, Michiko Sakai was sitting on her hospital bed reading today's morning newspaper.

Seeing his beaming face, Zhao Xuan also smiled and spoke:

"It seems to be recovering well."

Upon hearing Zhao Xuan's voice, Michiko Sakai snapped out of her daze, then smiled and waved the newspaper in her hand:

"Zhao Sang, you are now a hero in Shanghai!"

"Can I interview you? As a hero of Shanghai, how do you feel right now?"

After saying that, Michiko stared at Zhao Xuan with bright eyes, silently adding in her heart, "No matter whose hero you are, you will always be my hero."

This time, Michiko Sakai truly felt like she had walked through the gates of hell.

They thought there was no way out, but Zhao Xuan found a specific drug to control the Sheshan virus so quickly.

She gazed at Zhao Xuan's figure, her eyes filled with an indescribable tenderness.

How come I never realized the man who pulled her back from the brink of death possessed such captivating charm?!
Zhao Xuan coughed lightly twice, avoiding Michiko's burning gaze:
"As a hero, all I want is to see the patients in my care recover."

"It seems that Ms. Michiko has recovered remarkably well."

"Furthermore, Ms. Yua deserves great credit for finding the effective medicine so quickly."

Standing next to Zhao Xuan, Murakami Yua smiled shyly:

"Zhao Sang, stop teasing me. You know I had already given up yesterday. It was only because you insisted that we were able to discover that penicillin is the nemesis of the Sheshan virus."

Upon hearing this, Michiko Sakai's eyes practically overflowed with admiration.

If it weren't for Zhao Xuan's insistence, I probably wouldn't have seen the sun this morning.

Ten minutes later, Zhao Xuan looked at the thermometer in his hand and smiled:
"Okay, the fever is gone, but you still need to stay in the hospital for observation for two more days. If there are no other problems, you can be discharged."

Upon hearing this, Michiko Sakai breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Zhao Sang!"

Yua Murakami gently pushed up her glasses and said in a low voice:

"Ms. Michiko, if there's nothing else, Mr. Zhao and I will be leaving now. The Special Higher Police still has a bunch of follow-up reports waiting for Mr. Zhao and me to summarize and file."

Yua couldn't stand the burning gaze Michiko gave Zhao Xuan. She hadn't even succeeded yet, and now another vixen had her eye on him!

This collaboration with Zhao Xuan again deepened Murakami Yua's already special admiration for him, making it even more profound and difficult for her to suppress.

She was acutely aware that she no longer saw him merely as a respectable partner.

Every time he made a calm and decisive decision, every time he stepped forward in the face of a crisis, his image was etched deeply into her memory like a carving knife.

Especially during those hours spent working through the night in the lab, his figure, disregarding his own safety, repeatedly verifying the drug formulation, stirred a feeling she had never experienced before in her heart.

This feeling grew quietly, without her even realizing when it sprouted, yet it had already taken deep root.

Zhao Xuan was naturally aware of these people's changing attitudes and feelings towards him. Sometimes, Zhao Xuan even wondered if he possessed some kind of succubus potential.
Shortly after Zhao Xuan and Murakami Yua left, Doiyu also arrived at the ward.

“Michiko, I ran into Mr. Zhao on the way here. He said you’re recovering well, that’s good. Stay in the hospital for two more days for observation, there’s no rush to go back.”

Although Doiyuu escaped unscathed this time and promised Watanabe Kyoko many benefits, he still felt that he had made a profit.

If it weren't for Kyoko Watanabe's help, he would probably have been stripped of his job and sent back to his hometown by now.

Tu Feiyuan felt a little grateful to Zhao Xuan for discovering the effective medicine.

After chatting with Michiko for a while, Doi-Yuan was surprised to realize that his student seemed to have fallen for Zhao Xuan!

However, Doiyu didn't name names, but Doiyu believes that Sakai Michiko's looks and figure are no worse than Aizawa Keiko's, and in some aspects even better.

If Michiko can really win over Zhao Xuan, it will be a huge benefit for Doiyuu.

"Teacher, isn't the big cleanup about to begin? I'll stay at the hospital."

Before Michiko could finish speaking, Doiyuu interrupted her:

"Take good care of yourself. You're not the only one working in the organization. Don't take everything so seriously; it makes them look useless!"

Michiko smiled:

"Hi, teacher, I'll stay in the hospital for a couple more days for observation. I'll rejoin the team as soon as I'm discharged!"

Doiyuu nodded in satisfaction, and his steps were much lighter as he turned to leave the ward.

The Donghua Hotel on Avenue Joffre in the French Concession.

Fu Zhengguo and Zheng Yi each held a newspaper. Although the newspapers came from different newspapers, the content was similar.

"Zhao Xuan has become a hero? And the Japanese have become the guardians of the people of Shanghai!"

After reading the newspaper, Fu Zhengguo was so angry he almost vomited blood. Those who knew the inside story knew that the Sheshan virus was actually created by the Japanese themselves.

After things got out of control and they realized they couldn't handle it, they burned it down. But these shameless people actually whitewashed it by saying that the Japanese soldiers were willing to die to prevent the virus from spreading and threatening the people of Shanghai, and that they would rather die than let the virus leave Sheshan.

What's even more infuriating is that Zhao Xuan was portrayed as a benevolent doctor who saved Shanghai, and even the foreigners in the concessions praised him highly.

Zheng Yi sneered, crumpled the newspaper into a ball, and threw it on the ground:
"Absurd! The biggest traitor in Shanghai is now being elevated to a pedestal. Have the people of Shanghai forgotten Zhao Xuan's identity as a traitor? Back then, they were the ones who said Zhao Xuan was the biggest traitor in Shanghai!"

Fu Zhengguo walked back to his desk with a gloomy expression and sat down. After thinking for a while, he looked at Zheng Yi and said:
"What I'm more concerned about is whether the outbreak of the virus in Sheshan was caused by improper handling by the Japanese leading to a virus leak, or by the young tiger completing this mission?"

Zheng Yi remained silent for a moment, then began to think seriously. As his thoughts deepened, his pupils constricted slightly, and he looked at Fu Zhengguo with a shocked expression, his voice low but trembling slightly:
"Stationmaster, I think it was Young Tiger who did it!"

"I don't need to elaborate on how much importance the Japanese attached to the reopening of the Sheshan Research Institute. The original organization even arranged for a communications team to be stationed in Sheshan to deal with emergencies."

"If the virus leak was caused by the Japanese's operational error, they shouldn't have had no time to react. The Japanese couldn't have just watched the three military police squadrons in Sheshan die so tragically there."

"Especially the mobile squadron. This time, the Military Police Command lost not only three squadrons of personnel, but also the weapons and equipment of a mobile squadron!"

"Therefore, if it were a mistake by the Japanese, they would have sounded the alarm immediately, and the communications team stationed at Sheshan would have been able to relay the intelligence back immediately. However, none of that happened!"

"Taking all factors into account, I'm more inclined to believe that the tiger cub secretly released the virus!"

If what Zheng Yi said is true, then not only did the young tiger successfully infiltrate Sheshan, but it also secretly controlled the timing and scale of the virus release, completely disrupting the Japanese army's plans.

This was a precise decapitation strike, not something that could be achieved through an accidental leak.

Fu Zhengguo slowly stood up, a hint of relief and solemnity flashing in his eyes—their people were tearing a crack in the enemy's heart.

(End of this chapter)