Chapter Three: The Commotion Sparked by the Inspection

Soon, the sound of police sirens rose outside—the efficiency of the Rabbit Kingdom was always remarkable. Yet, after a long while, no one had come upstairs. Li Daoran grew anxious and glanced outside, only to see that an emergency evacuation was underway, nearly complete, with the wide boulevard already cordoned off by police lines.

A field medical vehicle, more than twice the size of a typical ambulance, pulled up downstairs. From it emerged more than a dozen doctors, all dressed in white coats and wearing masks. Before entering, they were thoroughly searched by armed guards wielding assault rifles, only then being permitted entry.

Knock, knock, knock.

Li Aiguo hurried to open the door. Only as his hand gripped the doorknob did he realize his palm was slick with sweat.

The doctors first poked their heads in, and Li Daoran quickly urged, “Please, come in, come in.”

The lead doctor was an elderly professor who entered first. In total, fifteen people came in, all over the age of forty, and the modest living room quickly became crowded.

The professor said, “Ahem, I am Professor Chen, a senior specialist from the Provincial Hospital of the Rabbit Kingdom. These are all highly experienced and skilled doctors from our hospital.”

“Welcome, Professor Chen, welcome, all of you. Please, have a seat, don’t just stand. Xiumei, go pour some water,” Li Aiguo hurried forward to shake hands, exchanging polite words.

Professor Chen sat and chatted with Li’s father, but his gaze kept drifting toward Li Daoran, probing for information from the side while Li Aiguo answered every question without reservation.

Meanwhile, the others dispersed, moving around the house, meticulously searching and sometimes placing items into evidence bags with tweezers. The Li family of three pretended not to notice these obviously non-medical actions, while Li Daoran stood obediently to one side.

Before long, Professor Chen seemed to receive some kind of instruction. He stood and addressed Li Daoran: “Li Daoran, hello.”

Li Daoran quickly extended his hand for a handshake, replying, “Hello, Professor Chen.”

“There’s no need to be nervous, we mean no harm. May we examine your body?”

“Of course. Is the live broadcast off?”

“No, no—we need the world to witness this examination process. I hope you understand,” Professor Chen replied, waving his hand.

“All right then.”

“Let’s go downstairs first. The equipment is in the medical vehicle.”

Li Daoran agreed readily.

Everyone went downstairs together and entered the medical vehicle, which was spacious and equipped with all sorts of medical devices. A full-length mirror stood out awkwardly among the equipment.

“Take off your clothes,” Professor Chen instructed.

Li Daoran removed his shirt and trousers, leaving only his underpants.

“Take those off, too.”

Two men moved the mirror in front of Li Daoran so that everyone around the globe could see him clearly.

Li Daoran looked at Professor Chen in disbelief, his face flushing deeply. “Even the underpants?” he asked hoarsely.

Noticing Li Daoran’s reluctance, Professor Chen soon received a prompt through his earpiece.

“No need,” he said. Then he and a few others proceeded to examine Li Daoran’s body, every detail broadcasted for the world to see.

“Upon examination, the individual involved in the 2.30 major incident, Li Daoran, appears physically indistinguishable from an ordinary person and is in good health. Next, we will draw blood here and conduct more detailed tests to confirm his identity,” Professor Chen announced from a short distance away, producing a brand-new blood vial and needle.

Li Daoran lay on the bed at the center. Professor Chen deftly attached ECG leads, then checked his blood pressure.

“Blood pressure and ECG are normal, identical to those of a typical person. Now we will proceed to draw blood. We expect to extract 100 milliliters, divided into ten vials for preservation.”

The needle pierced the vein in Li Daoran’s arm, and the blood draw began. But before the first vial was filled—no more than three seconds had passed—Professor Chen and the others inside the vehicle suddenly paled. With trembling hands, Professor Chen quickly withdrew the needle and shouted, “Bandage him! Quickly!”

The white coat at Li Daoran’s elbow was suddenly stained red. Several doctors hurriedly pressed gauze and bandages tightly to the puncture site, their foreheads beading with nervous sweat.

Li Daoran, not understanding, asked, “What’s wrong? That was just one vial of blood. You’re pressing too hard—it hurts.”

The person holding the gauze quickly let go, on the verge of tears.

“The worst has happened,” someone said. “Just now, blood began to flow from the exact same spot on every person in the world, mirroring the blood draw from your arm. Normally, a pinprick wound wouldn’t bleed so much. This proves only one thing—your physical condition will be synchronized in real time to humanity at large, with a three-second delay.”

Professor Chen took a deep breath; though he slumped to the ground, his veteran composure prevailed as he explained. “This is an extremely complicated situation. We need more tests, but from now on, anything done to you could have consequences for all of humanity. We can’t afford another careless mistake—this was our fault.”

“It can’t be that serious, Professor Chen. It was only a blood draw—who hasn’t had that done?” Li Daoran peeled off the gauze from his arm. The wound had stopped bleeding, leaving only a tiny puncture. Noticing Professor Chen’s guilt, he tried to reassure him.

“This is different, Mr. Li Daoran. You may not yet realize the gravity of your situation. Escort Professor Chen and his team downstairs for a rest,” said a man who had just entered—a rugged figure with a buzz cut, dressed in a black T-shirt and camouflage pants, standing six feet tall yet radiating a presence that filled the room.

Soon, Professor Chen, his team, and Li Daoran’s parents were all escorted out of the medical vehicle, leaving only the two men behind.

The door closed. Under the harsh interior light, the man’s face was grave. The vehicle started to move, but there was no sense of motion.

“My name is Chen Ming, twenty-seven years old. I hold thirteen academic degrees. I am the King of Special Forces in the Rabbit Kingdom, an expert in close combat and all modern weaponry. From now on, I will be your bodyguard, responsible for your daily life and every move you make,” he announced.

“Hello, Brother Chen,” Li Daoran replied—he knew nothing of the man’s past, but his introduction alone was intimidating.

In fact, intelligence chiefs around the world, upon seeing Chen Ming, involuntarily winced. His personnel file occupied an entire room by itself—a small window into the magnitude of who he was.

“What you said just now was wrong,” Chen Ming continued, glancing at the vial of blood on the floor. He stomped on it, twisting his foot until the sample was destroyed. “For you, for me, and for most people, a simple blood draw is nothing. But imagine ten milliliters multiplied by billions—that’s an ocean. A tiny puncture, connected across humanity, circles the globe countless times. Think of those in surgery, those with blood disorders, those with leukemia. Any injury you sustain, billions will share. You must carry that burden.”

“Ah...” Li Daoran’s mouth hung open, speechless. Chen Ming’s words were too much to absorb.

“This isn’t just about one nation, nor one individual. After what happened, every country in the world issued condemnation and protest. The Dove Nation, the Eagle Nation, the Great Bear—special forces units are ready to enter our Rabbit Kingdom and negotiations are underway. As for Professor Chen and his team, they may well become scapegoats. Do you still fail to grasp the seriousness?”

Chen Ming’s voice was harsh. He pulled a tiny earpiece from his ear and crushed it underfoot.

“If the worst is true, when you die, humanity dies. Your lifespan is humanity’s lifespan—mankind has entered the final countdown. I never agreed with the dithering of the higher-ups. Instead of waiting for you to relieve yourself on humanity’s head and then pass away, perhaps it’d be better if I ended you now—better that than letting us all be held hostage.”