Chapter 345: Chapter 345: Finding the Antidote Strategy
"Good thing you didn’t eat it, otherwise it really would have been troublesome. Well then, you stay here and wait for a moment. Right, keep an eye on these two, there shouldn’t be any problems."
As he spoke, he turned around and entered the small cabin next to him.
He took out the mushrooms, looked at them carefully under the lamp, and in fact, they were just a very common type of mushroom. He often used to see them in the village and had eaten plenty when he was a kid.
But why would the mushrooms suddenly mutate like this? What exactly is going on here? Is it man-made, or is it some kind of natural response?
In this situation, Liu Zheng felt uncertain and he didn’t have a clear idea what was happening. So, to be cautious, all he could do was peel off the layers of the mushrooms and then carefully observe any minute changes through a microscope.
When he got to the very last layer, he suddenly discovered some tiny black granules inside, and these particles were extremely small. If one didn’t observe carefully, they would be nearly impossible to detect.
Upon seeing this, Liu Zheng merely frowned slightly. According to the composition of a mushroom, these black substances shouldn’t be present.
So, Liu Zheng used some precise tools under the microscope and began to remove the black material bit by bit.
Afterward, he placed it in water and stirred it gently. However, he found that the substance was very hard, and wouldn’t dissolve in water at all.
Liu Zheng couldn’t quite believe it and added some special liquid to the mix. If it was only containing something from the mushroom, this liquid should have caused it to dissolve quickly.
But to Liu Zheng’s disappointment, it seemed like only a layer of skin was peeled off, with no change to the substance inside.
So, when he saw this, Liu Zheng immediately understood that this substance didn’t belong to the mushroom at all, and if that was indeed the case, he even suspected that it must have been added by someone on purpose.
Being able to embed these things inside the mushroom without damaging the outer material proved one thing: the person responsible must be an expert at administering poison.
Even more, this toxin wasn’t injected in recent days, but rather when the mushroom was just beginning to grow. Then, at an opportune moment, the person could have introduced a strong substance into the inner layer, and as the mushroom slowly grew, it became encased within, turning a normal mushroom into a poisonous one.
Given this, who then is the culprit, and why do such a thing? Could they harbor deep hatred against the villagers?
This was beyond Liu Zheng’s understanding, but he figured that the most important thing right now was to neutralize the poison immediately. Now that they had separated the toxic substance, it was just a matter of time.
After half an hour of research inside, Liu Zheng actually managed to devise two types of medication that could effectively dissolve the toxin, proving that he likely had found the antidote.
During the experiment, Liu Zheng realized that the toxin wasn’t lethal; it merely caused a pigment to deposit gradually, which could appear on exposed areas such as the head and limbs.
If left untreated, the pigmentation could darken and dull the complexion over time, but it was absolutely not a threat to any of the organs.
That was strange. What was the person’s motive? If they intended to kill, this substance was utterly meaningless because it wasn’t deadly.
Liu Zheng couldn’t figure it out, but he knew it needed closer observation to determine who was behind these evil pranks.
Now that Liu Zheng understood the composition of the substance, it didn’t take long for his efforts to lead to the creation of a new type of medicine. With the medicine in hand, he finally walked out from the cabin.
"Oh my, our great Doctor Liu, we’ve been waiting outside almost numbly. It’s been such a long time. So what’s the result? Is the toxin on the mushroom or not? Why is it poisonous?"
"It definitely has something to do with the mushrooms. So, I advise you all not to eat any mushrooms that grow in that area in the future. I’ll notify the village chief to inform every household, so no one picks those poisonous mushrooms anymore. This is the detoxification medicine I’ve just developed. Take it orally, and I believe by the second day, you’ll see immediate effects."
"What? The second day? That quickly? Can all this be resolved by the second day?"
"Yes, it will be better by the second day. So, you don’t need to worry, and there will be no side effects. Go back with peace of mind. Okay, now I can remove the IV needles, because even if it circulates throughout the body, it won’t interfere with any of your organs."
After finishing speaking, Liu Zheng went over, slowly removed the needles that were blocking their veins, and then placed them in his box.
"Doctor Liu, are you sure about this? Is there really no problem? There can’t be any mistakes, right? If something goes wrong, aren’t our lives in danger?"
"What, you don’t trust me? If you’re uncertain, you can leave those here and go to a bigger hospital for a thorough examination. That might give you more peace of mind."
"No, no, Doctor Liu, how could we not trust you? We’d even trust you over those big hospitals. Your medical skills are undeniable. If you say it’s fine, then it must be fine. Alright, we’re relieved then."
