43: Chapter 43 National Husband? No, I'm a turtle in the National Wishing Well.

Internet frenzy often arrives faster than a tornado and is completely devoid of logic.

Just twelve hours after "Chenxing Pharmaceuticals" announced the 9.9 yuan free-shipping anti-cancer drug, Jiang Chen's social media account completely collapsed.

That account, which originally had only a few million followers and occasionally posted fishing videos, gained fifty million followers overnight, directly crashing the Weibo server; even the programmers working overtime to expand capacity couldn't keep up with the speed of new followers.

Countless paparazzi and private investigators moved at the news, trying to dig up dirt on this "suddenly appearing" big shot.

After all, in this internet age, there are only perfect fake people, not perfect good people.

However, they were desperate.

Jiang Chen's resume was as clean as a blank sheet of paper, practically a textbook on "counter-surveillance."

Apart from some "suspected failed exams" and "skipping class to play games" black history during college, this person was practically a moral model.

No messing around with relationships—Lin Yao was the one who was blind and dumped him.

No tax evasion—just kidding, it's a national special account; even the tax bureau would stand at attention and salute upon seeing it.

There wasn't even a record of him spitting on the ground.

Since they couldn't dig up any dirt, they could only—deify him.

Thus, the style gradually veered off, racing toward an extremely bizarre direction.

The trending searches were originally flooded with ["God Jiang, A Living Legend"] and ["National Husband Jiang Chen"].

But less than two hours later, a breath of fresh air suddenly emerged in the comment section, instantly shifting the rhythm:

"What National Husband? Vulgar! Too vulgar! Is God Jiang someone that mere mortals can be worthy of?"

"Exactly! God Jiang belongs to all of humanity! But I have a friend who had a terminal illness, ate God Jiang's medicine, and now can run a marathon! God Jiang is truly responsive to every plea!"

"To the person above, I've made a wish! I said I wanted God Jiang to grant me a girlfriend, and I bumped into my goddess as soon as I went out. Now we're queuing up at the orthopedics department in the hospital to get our marriage license!"

"Holy crap? It's that effective? Then I wish not to fail my final exams!"

"Wishing to get rich! God Jiang bless me to win the lottery!"

Thus, under the blessing of some mysterious Eastern metaphysics, Jiang Chen's title transitioned extremely smoothly from "National Husband" to a new height that left people both laughing and crying—

[The Turtle in the National Wishing Pool].

Although it sounded bad, the main point was that it worked.

Someone even Photoshopped an image overnight: Jiang Chen wearing that high-end trench coat worth tens of thousands, sitting in a pool full of gold coins with a calm expression, wearing a green halo on his head, with the caption: "Forward this Jiang Chen, be immune to all poisons, and have all your wishes come true."

...

Yunding Villa, Villa No. 1.

Jiang Chen looked at the meme that had gone viral on his phone, the corner of his mouth twitching wildly, feeling that his aura as the "Galactic Empire Prince" had shattered into pieces.

"A turtle?"

He pointed at the screen and asked Academician Chen Shuyin, who was sitting opposite him, in disbelief, "In their eyes, am I just this thing? Isn't my image clearly that of a living Bodhisattva who saves the world?"

"This shows that everyone loves and respects you."

Academician Chen Shuyin was not dressed like an "Academician" today.

She had taken off the white coat that was always buttoned to the top and changed into a wine-red velvet slip dress, with a beige cardigan draped over it.

Her long hair wasn't put up either; instead, it was styled in big waves, draped casually over her shoulders, giving her an air of lazy, mature charm.

Although her signature rimless glasses were still there, behind the originally cold lenses, there was now a misty, watery glow called "tipsy."

"Jiang Chen, don't play dumb after getting the advantage."

Academician Chen Shuyin raised the wine glass in her hand, gently swirling the blood-red liquid inside, her eyes somewhat unfocused:

"Do you know how many people have survived because of your medicine today? So what if you're a turtle? If I had this ability, I'd be willing to be a turtle for the rest of my life, even a green-haired one."

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes and clinked his glass against hers.

"Fine, to... the turtle."

"To Mom's recovery."

Academician Chen Shuyin corrected, her voice soft and carrying a hint of imperceptible tenderness, "And to... the 'Sun' we are about to start working on."

"Cheers."

The glass made a crisp clinking sound, echoing in the quiet living room.

Jiang Chen tilted his head and downed the red wine in one gulp.

This was a private stash brought by Academician Chen Shuyin, supposedly some '82 Lafite, but it tasted no different from Great Wall dry red to him; it was all grape-flavored anyway.

But he never expected that the alcohol tolerance of this woman, Academician Chen Shuyin, was inversely proportional to her scientific research ability.

It was practically negative.

Only two glasses down.

The female Academician, who had been sitting elegantly on the sofa maintaining her graceful and intellectual demeanor, began to look different in her eyes.

Those cold, clear eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of mist, her focus began to drift, and two unnatural flushes appeared on her cheeks, like ripe peaches.

She stared at Jiang Chen, no longer with the look of a business partner, but rather...

The look of someone eyeing a lab mouse.

And the kind of lab mouse that had been washed clean, placed on the dissection table, and was ready to be operated on at any moment.

"Jiang Chen..."

Academician Chen Shuyin suddenly slammed her wine glass onto the coffee table, making a dull thud.

She tugged at her neckline, seemingly feeling a bit hot, and the beige cardigan slid down, revealing a large expanse of snow-white, rounded shoulders that were blindingly white under the crystal light.

"Do you know?"

She leaned forward, closing in on Jiang Chen, and the scent of red wine and cold fragrance on her body instantly enveloped him.

Jiang Chen subconsciously retreated into the corner of the sofa, feeling a chill down his spine.

The state this woman was in now was a hundred times more dangerous than when she held a syringe in the basement last time!

That look was full of aggression, as if she wanted to tear him apart and eat him.

"Wh... what?"

Jiang Chen swallowed, his hand reaching behind him to grope for a pillow, preparing for physical defense at any moment, "Academician Chen, you've had too much to drink. How about I have someone take you back?"

"I'm not drunk! My brain is still operating at high speed!"

Academician Chen Shuyin suddenly raised her voice, though her tongue was slightly tied.

She extended a slender finger and waved it in front of Jiang Chen:

"Actually... Commander Qin... that old fox, he gave me a task."

"A task?"

Jiang Chen looked at her vigilantly, "What task? Building a Gundam or repairing a submarine?"

"No, something more important than that."

Academician Chen Shuyin sneered, and there was a hint of enchantment and... madness in that smile.

She leaned in abruptly, the distance between them shrinking to just a few centimeters; Jiang Chen could even count her trembling eyelashes.

"Technology is just an external object."

"Isn't the great harmony of life the most profound biological technology?"

"Isn't genetic recombination the greatest project?"

Jiang Chen's mind went "buzz."

What the hell kind of wild talk was this?!

"Academician Chen Shuyin, calm down!"

He wanted to stand up, but found he had been forced into the corner of the sofa, with nowhere to retreat.

"I am very calm."

Academician Chen Shuyin's eyes were hazy; she extended a finger and slid it slowly down Jiang Chen's Adam's apple, her fingertips carrying a current-like sensation that caused a shiver wherever she passed.

"Commander Qin said..."

"Given that you might be a survivor of a higher civilization, the ultimate password for human evolution is hidden in your genetic sequence."

"For the future of the country, for the optimization of the human species..."

She suddenly exerted force, grabbed Jiang Chen's tie, and yanked it hard.

"Ugh—!"

Jiang Chen was caught off guard and was pulled forward, their faces instantly pressed together, their noses almost touching.

He could clearly see the panicked self reflected in Academician Chen Shuyin's pupils, and could feel her hot breath, carrying the intoxicating scent of wine, spraying on his lips.

"The country allows me to..."

Academician Chen Shuyin licked her somewhat dry lips, and those lips that only spat out cold data on weekdays now uttered a sentence that scared the soul out of Jiang Chen:

"Take you."

"Don't move... let me take a sample."

After saying that, her other hand reached for the buttons on Jiang Chen's shirt with extreme proficiency.

"Pop!"

The first button popped off.

Jiang Chen widened his eyes in horror, his hands tightly protecting his chest:

"What are you doing?! This is a society ruled by law!"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Academician Chen Shuyin was like a domineering female hooligan, her eyes terrifyingly fanatical, "This is for science! This is for all of humanity! You cooperate a little!"

"No! I have a family... No, I have principles!"

"Principles? In the face of genetic evolution, principles are just a fart!"

Academician Chen Shuyin suddenly pressed her body up, directly pinning Jiang Chen underneath her; those hands that usually held scalpels were now full of desperate strength.

"Jiang Chen, lie down obediently."

"I will be very gentle... probably."