Chen Jinzhao remembered someone—
Xu Nianqing.
Her major was chemistry, so she might have some knowledge in this area.
Without much thought, Chen Jinzhao called Xu Nianqing and said, "Sorry to bother you so late, may I ask you a question?"
"I'm always available," Xu Nianqing replied.
Chen Jinzhao explained the situation with the small brown bottle to Xu Nianqing. After listening, Xu Nianqing's tone became grave. "Based on your description, I can basically determine that the bottle likely contains some kind of neurotoxin. The specific type would require laboratory analysis. It's best not to open the cap. These toxins can enter the body not only through the respiratory tract but also through the skin and even hair, attacking the nervous system."
"If you're unsure, you can bring it to me for analysis," she added.
Chen Jinzhao hummed in response and then asked, "What are the symptoms of poisoning?"
Xu Nianqing answered without hesitation, "Generalized muscle weakness, possibly leading to paralysis. Other symptoms include involuntary salivation, difficulty breathing and swallowing..."
Before Chen Jinzhao could say anything, Xu Nianqing added, "You absolutely must not test it on yourself. Neurotoxins are truly terrifying."
"Alright, thank you," Chen Jinzhao nodded.
"You should get some rest, I still have some things to do."
Xu Nianqing suddenly said, "Are you going on a dangerous mission? After you finish, can you send me a message first? I need to make sure you're safe, otherwise..."
Otherwise, she would worry endlessly and be unable to eat or sleep.
Chen Jinzhao agreed.
After ending the call with Xu Nianqing, Chen Jinzhao pondered some matters.
It seemed those people had indeed been cautious, only mentioning the most obvious symptoms. If He Xiaohu couldn't answer completely, he would have been exposed.
"Xiaohu, come here," Chen Jinzhao called out.
He Xiaohu walked up to Chen Jinzhao, who then said, "Later, when you make the call, say this..."
He Xiaohu listened and nodded.
After explaining, Chen Jinzhao patted He Xiaohu's shoulder. "Did you remember everything?"
He Xiaohu nodded vigorously. "I remembered!"
After they ran through the procedure, Chen Jinzhao had He Xiaohu inform those people. He Xiaohu was a bit nervous at first, but after taking a few deep breaths, he visibly calmed down before calling the number they had left.
"Hello, this is He Xiaohu."
"I've done what you asked. He's been poisoned!" He Xiaohu's voice trembled, a lingering fear from having just done something significant.
A hoarse female voice came from the other end of the line. She asked coldly, "Are you sure you succeeded?"
He Xiaohu's voice quivered as he replied, "I'm sure, he's poisoned. I drank with him tonight, and after he got drunk, I helped him back to his home. After I put him on the bed, I opened the brown bottle and placed it under his nostrils as you instructed. After a short while, Chen Jinzhao had trouble breathing. He seemed to realize something and started to attack me. Fortunately, the poison took effect, and he seemed to have lost all strength in his body."
"When I left the room, he was constantly swallowing, as if it was very difficult."
The woman on the other end of the line laughed.
"Very good, you did an excellent job. He has indeed been poisoned."
He Xiaohu did not let down his guard. He asked with feigned terror, "No, I think I'm poisoned too. I clearly covered my nose, why do I feel weak in my limbs, and see hallucinations?"
The woman laughed. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, these neurotoxins can enter the nervous system through the skin. What you need to do now is find a cool place to lie down, so that if you die, your body won't start to decompose and affect others."
"Why did you lie to me? Please, give me the antidote, I don't want to die..." He Xiaohu's voice trembled more and more.
The woman's tone immediately became even more indifferent. "You're just an ant. What qualifications do you have to be so brazen in front of me?"
Before He Xiaohu could say anything more, the woman ended the call.
He Xiaohu yelled abuse at the phone, "Damn it! Luckily I came to my senses in time and didn't fall for it. I hope you all blow up on the spot!"
Looking back, he still felt a chill.
After his outburst, he looked at Chen Jinzhao. "They should have fallen for it."
Chen Jinzhao highly praised He Xiaohu's performance just now, stating it was so convincing that even he, knowing the truth, would have been fooled.
"What should I do next?" He Xiaohu's confidence soared after being praised, wanting to help Chen Jinzhao more. Chen Jinzhao pondered for a moment. "The next part is close-quarters combat. You can't help much. So, what you need to do now is find a place to hide."
"But..." He Xiaohu was unwilling.
He felt he could be more useful, to atone for what he had done.
Chen Jinzhao said again, "I'm enough to deal with these few people. Being able to protect yourself is a great help to me."
He Xiaohu's expression turned crestfallen. He was indeed still useless.
This was an unchangeable fact.
"Then... alright. You must be careful," He Xiaohu said.
Chen Jinzhao hummed in response, then turned and walked into the deepest part of the village, towards the corner where the old house was located. He checked his equipment. As long as Tai Sui was by his side, he was an invincible war god! He meticulously cleaned Tai Sui, then sat in the courtyard of the old house, waiting for them to arrive.
Meanwhile.
On a certain deep mountain in Leyang County, a woman about 1.8 meters tall ended her call with He Xiaohu and entered a cave. Inside the cave, candlelight flickered, and two burly shadows swayed on the cave wall. These were the woman's two accomplices.
On the ground of this cave, there were several white bones.
If Chen Jinzhao were there, he would surely recognize that these bones did not belong to wild animals but to humans.
As the woman entered the cave, the two burly men who had been sitting by the candlelight suddenly opened their eyes. One of the men licked his lips and grinned, "Want to go again?"
The woman sneered, "Your abilities are quite lacking. Two grown men with no skills."
This greatly offended the two burly men.
Another man said in a low voice, "Who says we're not capable? We can prove ourselves now."
The woman laughed heartily.
"Talking less nonsense is better than anything. Today, you won't last five minutes under me. You'd better go to bed."
The two men recalled their recent strenuous activities and indeed felt a bit ashamed.
It had to be said, this woman was like an octopus, capable of draining them dry.
After laughing, the woman became serious. "Stop the chatter. That person called me to tell me that the deed is done."
"Let's hurry and take Chen Jinzhao back."