I Have Infinite Skill Points-Chapter 446: Worthy of You

Even though the Tianjian Bureau and the military were both part of the Ministry of Defense, the hindrances to cross-jurisdictional investigations were still very significant. Lu Zhao and Wang Lan had to pull strings separately, and with He Jinze, exert effort from both inside and outside to finally determine Duan Lingmu’s whereabouts.

"Wang Lan, after serving for a year, Duan Lingmu was admitted into the special forces, specifically into the highly classified 033 unit. But according to internal sources, Duan Lingmu did not participate in that so-called drug eradication operation. Although the 033 assault team did participate in that operation, it wasn’t the assault team Duan Lingmu belonged to. Therefore... this casualty report is forged," He Jinze called Wang Lan a day later.

"Uncle He, can you find out where Duan Lingmu actually went?"

"The security level is too high; even I can’t investigate it. If I continue to probe, I’ll be making a mistake."

"I understand. Thank you, Uncle He."

"How is Wang Qi... doing now?"

"My aunt is no longer in life-threatening danger."

"That’s good to hear. You just focus on your investigation and don’t be afraid. If worst comes to worst, find Eld Di. I don’t believe Eld Di would just sit idly by."

"Got it. I’ll hang up now if there’s nothing else."

Just after he put down the phone, Xu Shiyun suddenly walked in. "Wang Lan, the director wants you to come over."

Without any hesitation, Wang Lan quickly made his way to Lu Zhao’s office. "Wang Lan, I’ve only found an initial lead so far. Duan Lingmu was taken away by a secret department. And it seems very likely that this secret department is... the General Staff."

"The General Staff?" Wang Lan’s expression immediately grew somber.

The General Staff was regarded by the Tianjian Bureau as a department of consequence. In terms of status, it was basically equivalent to the International Security Council. The International Security Council was the highest-level Star Martial Warrior official organization, directly under the United Nations. The International Security Council transcended the concept of nationhood, a truly global strategic department. If the International Peacekeeping Troops were the regular armed forces of the United Nations, then the International Security Council was its most elite force. But because it was an international security force, Jade Country only had one-fifth control over the Security Council.

The General Staff was a secret department established specifically at this level, under the direct control of Jade Country. Therefore, when a major incident occurred in Jade Country with global repercussions, it had to first go through the General Staff before the International Security Council’s involvement was even considered. Thus, getting involved with the General Staff would undoubtedly be incredibly troublesome.

His aunt’s identity was special, and not merely due to her status. Her Jiayi Biotech was recognized as one of the companies with the most potential for development in the world. Moreover, his aunt was also ranked among the top five super scientists internationally. It’s not about power, but influence. Therefore, any move against his aunt was not just an attack on Wang Lan’s relative, the Flame Emperor’s sister; it would bring unpredictable impacts to Jade Country and even the entire world.

Duan Lingmu is actually with the General Staff? If the General Staff is behind Auntie’s assassination attempt, is it a political gambit or... At this thought, Wang Lan’s scalp prickled intensely.

"Wang Lan, this matter could blow up, potentially beyond our control," Lu Zhao said. "Should we inform Eld Di and ask for his opinion? It’s not that we’re afraid of the General Staff, but since they’re involved, we must take precautions. Otherwise, we’ll be at a severe disadvantage."

Wang Lan’s eyes flickered rapidly, but he ultimately shook his head. "Let’s not rush. I’ll make a phone call and ask someone to check. If it really is the General Staff, then we definitely need to inform Eld Di. But what if it isn’t?"

Wang Lan didn’t try to hide it from Lu Zhao and directly dialed Yu Ruoyun’s number. The phone rang several times before it was answered.

"Hello!" Yu Ruoyun’s voice was very low, deliberately kept hushed as if her surroundings weren’t convenient for speaking.

"Ruoyun, sorry to bother you. My aunt was the target of an assassination attempt the day before yesterday. The assailant is a man named Duan Lingmu, who previously served with the Southeast Military Region’s 033 unit. Afterward, he was recruited by a special department, possibly the General Staff. I need your help to investigate."

"Alright, give me a day."

"Thanks a lot."

"Don’t mention it." The succinct call was over in less than a minute.

After leaving the Tianjian Bureau, Wang Lan made a trip to Fragrant Courtyard Bay. He didn’t expect both Jiang Xinyu and Xie Sisi to be there. Song Jia hurriedly rushed over to him upon seeing him.

"Brother, how is Mom doing now? Don’t hide anything from me."

Wang Lan gave a reassuring smile. "Auntie is no longer in life-threatening danger, but she still needs to rest and recover peacefully. I’ve arranged enough forces to protect her. Don’t worry."

"Then... can I go see her?"

"Better not for now. Just be good and stay at home. Don’t go out, and make sure you don’t leave Jiang Xinyu or Xie Sisi’s sight." Wang Lan looked at the Zhang Yeqiu sisters, then smiled slightly at Jiang Xinyu and Xie Sisi. "It’s been tough on you these past few days."

"We’re alright, actually; it’s quite easy to just watch TV with Jiajia," Jiang Xinyu replied. "But how’s your investigation going? I heard from our people that it’s been tough?"

"We’ve made significant progress. I believe it won’t be long before the culprit surfaces," Wang Lan confidently stated.

"Wang Lan, do you need our help?" Jiang Xinyu hastily asked.

"No need, the Tianjian Bureau will handle this. The reason Auntie was targeted was because we let our guard down previously. Someone of Auntie’s status should have had close protection," Wang Lan replied.

"There will be in the future," Jiang Xinyu said.

"I just came to check on things; I’ll be leaving in a little while. You all need to be careful at home too. The motives of the mastermind behind this are unclear, but it’s definitely not as simple as just an assassination."

Suddenly, Wang Lan’s cellphone rang. Seeing it was Wang Qianfeng calling, Wang Lan quickly answered.

"Hello, Uncle Wang... What?"

Wang Lan’s face changed drastically again.

"You all stay at home; I have to go out for a bit." Having said that, his figure flashed, and he was gone.

The investigation into Duan Lingmu’s identity had not yet been determined; instead, his body was discovered first. Wang Qianfeng had just called to inform him that sanitation workers had found a body in a small pond under a Suzhou City overpass. The police deployed immediately, only to discover that the body was indeed Duan Lingmu, whom the Tianjian Bureau had been searching for all day. They immediately notified the Tianjian Bureau, which led to this call.

Wang Lan flew to the scene. The police had already put up cordon tape, and Lige and his Tianjian Bureau colleagues were surveying the area.

Wang Lan descended slowly from the sky in front of Wang Qianfeng. "Uncle Wang."

"Wang Lan, the mastermind behind this is swift and ruthless," Wang Qianfeng said. "We haven’t found a single breakthrough clue, and they’ve already tied up loose ends. Now that Duan Lingmu is dead, it’s going to be very difficult to find out who instructed him."

"That might not be the case. If Duan Lingmu hadn’t defected, or if he really had joined the General Staff, then who could order him to assassinate Auntie? Duan Lingmu must have known about Auntie’s identity, and he should have known the impact her death would have on Jade Country. Therefore, the person who could make him do that might be someone he couldn’t refuse."

"This may be the only clue we have for now, but!" Wang Qianfeng sighed, tilting his head back. "The mastermind can operate without rules, but we cannot. Even if we know who the mastermind is, we absolutely must have solid evidence."

"So, our only hope now is for there to be some good news from the General Staff. If Duan Lingmu had joined the General Staff, then every one of his actions would have been recorded."

"By the way, Wang Qi’s recovery is very swift. Xiaomo mentioned that she’s fully capable of giving a statement. I was just about to visit the hospital. Want to join me?"

"Sure!"

The scene had been wiped clean. Duan Lingmu had died from seven gunshot wounds to the chest. Apart from the bullets that could be used for ballistic analysis, no other valuable clues were left behind. These specialized tasks were best left to the experts. After Wang Lan personally searched and found nothing further, he took Wang Qianfeng’s car back to the hospital.

By this time, a day had passed, and Auntie’s recovery rate was astonishing. Yesterday, Auntie was still lying in bed, struggling to speak. Now, she was already able to sit up against the headboard.

As Wang Lan and Wang Qianfeng approached the ward, they heard exclamations of awe from just outside the door.

As they entered, it was still the same doctor, recording data in a folder and marveling aloud.

"Ms. Wang Qi, your recovery rate is the fastest I have ever encountered in my career. No, it is many times faster than the fastest I’ve encountered. With injuries like yours, normally, you wouldn’t dream of getting out of bed for three months. But now, at this rate, I predict you could be fully healed in ten days!"

Hearing such remarks from the doctor, Auntie looked a little uncomfortable. Zeng Xiaomo, seeing Wang Lan and Wang Qianfeng arrive, quickly stood up and courteously escorted the doctor out of the ward.

"Xiaoqi, given your current physical condition, you are able to give a statement, right? We need a detailed understanding of what happened," Wang Qianfeng said, as Zeng Xiaomo laid out the statement forms beside him.

"Oh, and Auntie, your healing ability really is extraordinary. I got the feeling from that doctor just now... it seems like he has designs on you," Wang Lan said, taking the opportunity to express the doubts in his heart.

"Lan, actually, I should have told you last time. I wasn’t in good shape then, so... I think the reason I’m recovering so quickly has something to do with the serum I injected."

"Serum?" Wang Lan and Wang Qianfeng exclaimed simultaneously, both instantly wondering if this was connected to the assassination attempt.

"It’s a kind of telomerase. Do you know what telomerase is?"

Wang Qianfeng simply shook his head blankly.

Wang Lan seemed lost in thought. "Is it an enzyme that synthesizes telomeres—the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes—which play a role in cell division?"

"Yes. You should know that the biggest difference between a Star Martial Warrior and an ordinary person is a segment of the X-gene. But in fact, the so-called X-gene is a certain trait of the cells. Since Star Martial Warriors are born from among ordinary people, and two ordinary people can give birth to a child who awakens Star Martial Warrior talent, theoretically, every ordinary person has this X-gene. Do you understand that?"

Wang Qianfeng still shook his head woodenly.

"If ordinary people didn’t have the X-gene, they wouldn’t be able to produce children with the X-gene. Any child’s genetic sequence comes from their parents. So every ordinary person has a recessive X-gene," Wang Lan said softly.

"Correct! But during the development of ordinary people, this X-gene does not develop successfully, resulting in them missing the opportunity to awaken their Star Martial Warrior talent. Telomeres are structures that allow cells to divide and regenerate. But there is a limit to the number of divisions. What if telomeres could divide indefinitely? Through genetic editing and cultivation, my lab has successfully extracted the X-gene sequence from ordinary people and cultivated X-gene cells that carry a large amount of telomerase. These cells have the ability to divide indefinitely. This is my lab’s latest research breakthrough from the past year."

HISS—

Upon hearing this, Zeng Xiaomo and Wang Qianfeng both drew a sharp breath. Wang Lan also looked dumbfounded at his aunt.

In his mind, only four words echoed incessantly: You truly are remarkable!