At the man's words, Zhou Tianming's mind went blank with a sudden realization—had something happened to Zhou Hanxiang?
But then another thought crossed his mind—what could possibly happen to her in East Asia?
His thoughts in turmoil, Zhou Tianming rushed out without hesitation.
Wei Jun blocked his path with a sniper rifle: "Don't act recklessly!"
Ducking low, Zhou Tianming slipped underneath.
Wei Jun tossed the rifle aside and grabbed Tianming by the collar, yanking him back: "Calm down! What if it's a trap? I'll go first—you wait here."
With that, Wei Jun pulled Tianming back and stepped out of the Black Tortoise, waving at the sky.
The helicopter circled overhead a few more times before finally spotting Wei Jun and descending slowly, landing on a flat area outside the ship.
Seeing the helicopter's behavior appear normal, both Wei Jun and Zhou Tianming sighed in relief.
Unable to hold back any longer, Tianming dashed out and vaulted over the deep pit.
A young man in a suit jumped down from the helicopter in the distance, stumbling over debris as he climbed the small hill: "Zhou Tianming! I'm Liu Qing, sent by your grandfather Zhou Junguo to find you. Your mother is in trouble—you need to return immediately."
As Liu Qing confirmed the news, Tianming's face filled with disbelief. Instinctively, he tried to Sense Zhou Hanxiang's condition.
His 223 points of Mental Power once again restored his miraculous premonition.
Tianming felt as if a needle had pierced his skull, followed by a sharp pain. His heartbeat accelerated, and a wave of dread spread through him.
Clutching his chest, he leaped forward and reached the unsteady Liu Qing in a few bounds.
"I'm Zhou Tianming. Give me your phone!"
Liu Qing hurriedly pulled out a specialized black phone from his coat, input a few characters, and handed it over.
Tianming snatched it and dialed Zhou Junguo's number. The call was answered instantly.
"What happened to Mom?" Tianming's voice was laced with anger, his teeth clenched. "How could something happen to her in East Asia?"
Zhou Junguo's tone was steady but carried a faint tremor: "Hanxiang has contracted the S2 Flu and is now in a coma. You need to come back quickly. She—"
"The S2 Flu?" Tianming's anger subsided, and he exhaled in relief. "That's not too bad. How could East Asia possibly lack vaccines for the S2 Flu?"
"Tianming... there is no vaccine for the S2 Flu. Those infected can only rely on their own immunity to fight it, but your mother's condition..."
"That's impossi—"
Cold sweat broke out on Tianming's forehead as a chill ran down his spine. His voice trembled: "There's no vaccine for the S2 Flu?"
"None."
No, that couldn't be right. The S2 Flu had a vaccine in the original...
Gripping the phone tightly, Tianming frowned, trying to recall. But this detail had only been mentioned as background in the original work, and no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't remember.
Too slow!
[Analyze] activated.
The flow of information in his mind accelerated exponentially, extracting clarity from the chaos within mere breaths.
The S2 vaccine was developed by a research company in [February, Febrarius City] on PLANT by the end of CE55.
Most crucially, this information appeared after Athrun's birthdate, October 29, in the Gundam SEED timeline.
"What's today's date?" Zhou Tianming's voice was hoarse.
"October 21."
"How much longer can Mom hold on?"
"It's not optimistic. Her immune system has been weakened for years." Zhou Junguo paused, his voice trembling. "This is the critical moment. If she can't pull through, she might... In any case, come back as soon as possible. Having you by her side will help, no matter what."
A chill ran through his heart.
The vaccine wouldn't be developed until some day between November and December.
That "some day" could be early November—or as late as the end of December.
There was no time.
Clenching his teeth, Zhou Tianming rushed onto the helicopter.
Wei Jun and Liu Qing followed, and the helicopter swiftly took off, speeding toward the spaceport.
The effects of [Analyze] lingered. Closing his eyes, Zhou Tianming organized the information in his mind.
The helicopter cabin was silent, the atmosphere heavy, with only the roar of the rotors filling their ears.
Suddenly, Zhou Tianming realized—the vaccine couldn't have appeared out of nowhere. That meant it was already in development, just not yet completed.
Had it just begun?
Or was it halfway there?
He had no choice but to gamble.
Opening his eyes, Zhou Tianming asked Zhou Junguo over the phone, "Has East Asia developed any effective treatment for the S2 Flu?"
"Yes, but it's not very effective against the virus itself. It only prevents complications from worsening the condition. However, even this treatment has its limits. After repeated use, the virus mutates, becoming resistant and even more severe."
After a moment's thought, Zhou Tianming decided he couldn't just wait and pin his hopes on others. "Get me the formula for that treatment. I have intel that a research institute on PLANT is developing an S2 Flu vaccine. I'll find a way to obtain their research data."
Zhou Junguo's voice carried surprise and hope. "Which institute? I can send someone."
"No need. I know Siegel Clyne—he owes me a favor. I'll ask him for help."
"Siegel Clyne!?" Zhou Junguo exclaimed. "I didn't expect you to have a favor from him. He's no ordinary figure."
"Once you get the data, send it to me as soon as possible. I can have East Asian research facilities analyze it."
"Understood."
Liu Qing and Wei Jun watched Zhou Tianming with curiosity. Wei Jun remarked, "I didn't know you were acquainted with Siegel Clyne. He's quite the rising political star on PLANT."
"It was just a coincidence."
Zhou Tianming dialed Siegel's number and got straight to the point. "Uncle Siegel, I need data on the S2 Flu vaccine."
"What happened?"
"My mother is infected."
Siegel fell silent for a moment before sighing. "I understand. I'll get you the data."
After hanging up, Zhou Tianming sighed as well. That connection with Siegel was now spent.
The S2 Flu vaccine was originally intended as a trump card to ease tensions between Coordinators and Naturals in the source material. Regardless of its final effectiveness, that was undoubtedly its initial purpose.
Since Coordinators couldn't even contract the virus, the massive research effort clearly served another demand.
There was no way Siegel didn't understand the vaccine's potential impact. Revealing it prematurely would render it useless, especially when given to a Natural like Zhou Hanxiang.
This risked having the formula cracked and all achievements going down the drain. That he was willing to help Zhou Tianming at all was already going above and beyond.
Though it was a shame to lose Siegel's connection, Mother Zhou Hanxiang took priority.
The helicopter soon arrived at the spaceport, which was bustling with activity. What appeared to be Junk Dealers, their eyes gleaming with greed, were piloting spaceships directly into the Junk Guild's territory.
This place was finished. Once order collapsed, it would be nearly impossible to restore.
Watching the scene, Zhou Tianming shook his head, his face full of disappointment.
Wei Jun patted his shoulder with his uninjured right hand: "That's just how Junk Dealers are. The old-school types are too particular—profits come slow, so few bother with that approach."
Tianming exhaled sharply.
"Doesn't matter. We just needed an identity to get things done. Let's go."
As the trio pressed forward, some in the crowd took notice, malice flickering in their eyes.
A young man, a half-crippled middle-aged guy, and a five-year-old kid.
A few began tailing them at a distance, their gazes darting around to assess the surroundings.
Liu Qing caught their movements from the corner of her eye and sneered, while Wei Jun snorted in contempt.
Zhou Tianming also dismissed them—he was battle-hardened, and with his Mental Commands, this rabble wouldn't even make decent target practice.
Following Liu Qing's lead, they arrived at a docking bay in the spaceport and boarded a shuttle.
In the distance, their pursuers paled upon spotting the emblem on the shuttle, breaking into cold sweat before turning tail and sprinting away without a word.
A red field with golden trim, featuring a five-clawed dragon—the flag of the East Asian Republic.