Chapter 340: Chapter 340 Concerns About Secondary Infection
"With a few of his pals? Who were they? And where are these guys now? Are they all right?"
"I don’t know, they probably went back to their homes."
"Doctor Liu, Doctor Liu, come quick, look at the child; he’s running a fever."
As the words fell, another person rushed over with a child in tow.
"Ah, if it isn’t Dasheng. Just yesterday, the two of them were playing together. Yes, that’s right, both of them went into the mountains at the same time."
Liu Zheng realized that something wasn’t quite right, and the symptoms this time were exactly the same as those he had observed the last time he encountered this virus.
The virus had already spread in the village once before, and most people had contracted it, although there were a few children who had not. But this time, it seemed that their luck had finally run out.
Sure enough, two more children showed up, presenting with the same characteristic symptoms after going into the mountain—high fever.
Thanks to his previous experience treating the virus, Liu Zheng was now handling the treatment with ease and without any complications.
In a short amount of time, all four children had been medicated and their fevers began to gradually subside.
"Do as I’ve instructed with the medication I’ve prescribed. Have the children stay home from school for the next couple of days. After three days of taking the medicine, they should no longer have fevers. If they do develop a fever again, use some fever-reducing medication or physical cooling methods. And remember, make sure they take the medicine I gave you; don’t worry about anything else."
"Doctor Liu, what’s going on here? All four of them went into the mountains at the same time, and then they all fell ill at the same time. What’s happening? Could it be another viral infection?"
"Heh, I doubt it. Children are vulnerable, and yesterday the weather also turned colder. Plus, the deep mountains are bound to have drafts. I would guess they all caught colds—nothing to worry about, it’s not serious. Now, go home and take good care of them."
Liu Zheng sent them away, but he didn’t disclose his true thoughts. He knew that this matter was definitely related to something in the mountains.
In other words, the virus was still present. It had vanished from the village, and now it had reappeared in the mountains. He was almost certain that the two people were hidden near the mountain, possibly quite close to the mountain’s base.
Liu Zheng was not content. If that was the case, who would bear the responsibility for the future risks? He could provide timely help now, but what about later? Would those people not be at risk of a second infection?
This was Liu Zheng’s real concern. Therefore, to address the symptoms, he had to find the source. Perhaps by doing so, all the problems could be solved.
Last time, although he had found nothing, he believed that he had simply looked in the wrong direction. He shouldn’t have gone deep into the mountains; he should have searched near the base, believing that he might find some clues there.
Having realized this, Liu Zheng knew that he couldn’t wait any longer. As night fell, he closed the clinic, grabbed a flashlight, and headed towards the mountains again.
By the time he reached the vicinity of the mountain base, it was getting dark. And he began to realize that these people probably wouldn’t be around during the day, so they must be active at night.
Not wanting to startle them or cause any disturbance, he quietly turned off his flashlight and continued to observe the area at the foot of the mountain.
When he arrived at a large patch of grass, Liu Zheng crouched down to take a closer look. The grass was a bit disheveled, but had been flattened in places, which clearly indicated that someone had been there before.
After waiting for a while and hearing no sound, he continued along the base of the mountain. Approaching an area with a draft, he found two large rocks he hadn’t noticed before because he probably had never come this way.
There seemed to be a cave behind the rocks, and what he found odd was a faint light emanating from within.
Could it really be that someone was living inside? And if there was someone inside, could it be the two individuals he had been looking for?
At this thought, Liu Zheng started to feel excited. If that were the case, it seemed tonight might bring some resolution to the matter.
Before entering, Liu Zheng was nervous, unsure whether the people inside were aggressive. Would going in alone put him in danger?
But then again, he realized he couldn’t afford to worry too much under these circumstances, although he regretted coming so hastily without any protective tools.
Looking around, he noticed a long stick on the ground that could serve as a makeshift tool.
Of course, Liu Zheng hoped he wouldn’t have to use it; if it came to that, it would mean confronting someone directly. A confrontation would prevent him from ever learning the truth.
Clenching the stick tightly, he approached the cave’s entrance, took a deep breath, and suddenly detected a rather desperate smell wafting out.
Instinctively covering his nose and mouth, he wondered why there would be such an odor coming from a cave that clearly had someone inside. If someone was inside, why the smell?
Worse, it could mean someone was in trouble. But given the weather, even if someone had met with an accident, it couldn’t possibly produce such a stench of decay.
"Is anyone there?"
He called out, but after speaking, there was no response.
"Is anyone inside? I mean no harm—I just want to have a look."
Standing at the entrance, Liu Zheng kept shouting, but still, there was silence. Finally, gripping his makeshift tool, he slowly moved inside the cave.
