Chapter 29 A Thrilling Moment

At 5:20 AM, Lin Mo's phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID—Zhao Gang. His heart accelerated instantly, and his fingers trembled as he swiped across the screen.

"Captain Zhao?"

The voice on the other end wasn't Zhao Gang's, but a strange man's, breathing heavily: "Dr. Lin, this is Li Qiang from Car No. 3. Captain Zhao has been injured. We were attacked in the canyon section. The samples are safe, but Captain Zhao, he..."

Lin Mo's head buzzed.

"What happened to him?!" he practically roared.

"He was shot in the arm and lost a lot of blood, but we've bandaged it simply. The ambulance is on the way, and we're taking him to the provincial hospital immediately."

Veins bulged on the hand with which Lin Mo gripped his phone: "What about the samples?"

"They're safe. Captain Zhao risked his life to protect them; they're completely intact."

Lin Mo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Be careful," he said. "I'm on my way."

The call ended. He stood in place, phone still pressed to his ear, frozen as if nailed to the spot.

Li Xiao had woken up at some point and was standing behind him, her face pale: "Teacher Lin..."

Lin Mo turned around and looked at her: "The samples were attacked. Zhao Gang is injured."

Li Xiao covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turning red.

"I'm going to the provincial capital," Lin Mo said as he picked up his coat. "You stay at the base and keep an eye on the laboratory. Call me if anything happens."

"Teacher Lin!" Li Xiao called out to him. "I'm going with you!"

Lin Mo looked at her and shook his head: "The laboratory can't be left unattended. Besides..."

He paused, his voice dropping: "If something really happens to Zhao Gang, you need to be here to keep an eye on things for me."

Li Xiao froze, then nodded vigorously: "Okay. You go. I'll wait for news here."

Lin Mo rushed out the door.

It was 5:30 AM, and the sky had not yet brightened.

Lin Mo sat in the car dispatched by the base, speeding all the way. The silhouettes of mountains outside the window retreated rapidly, and his mind was in chaos.

Zhao Gang was injured.

That cold, tough man, the man who appeared at the laboratory door every day, the man who had said, "From now on, I will protect you with my life," was now lying in the hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm.

He recalled three days ago when Zhao Gang stood in the control room and said to him: "You focus on your work; leave the outside matters to me."

He had done it.

The car drove for three hours, and at 8:30, it finally arrived at the Provincial Military Hospital.

Lin Mo rushed into the inpatient department and found the surgical ward on the third floor. Several security personnel in plain clothes were standing in the hallway; seeing him, they all stood up.

"Dr. Lin."

"Where is Zhao Gang?" Lin Mo's voice was tight.

"Inside, he just finished having his wound treated. The doctor said there's no danger to his life, but he lost a lot of blood and needs observation."

Lin Mo pushed open the door to the ward.

Zhao Gang was leaning against the bed, his left arm wrapped in thick bandages, his face somewhat pale. Hearing the door open, he turned his head, saw Lin Mo, froze for a moment, then smiled.

"Dr. Lin? Why are you here?"

Lin Mo walked over, stood by the bedside, and looked at the man. His arm was wrapped in bandages, and there were still bloodstains on his hospital gown that hadn't been wiped away, but the smile on his face was a kind of ease Lin Mo had never seen before.

"You..." Lin Mo began, his voice a bit hoarse, "How are you?"

Zhao Gang moved his left arm and winced: "It's nothing, just a superficial wound. The bullet grazed me; it didn't hit the bone. I just lost a bit of blood, and they insisted I be hospitalized."

Lin Mo looked at him, suddenly not knowing what to say.

Zhao Gang also looked at him and asked with a smile: "What about the samples?"

"Safe," Lin Mo said. "Li Qiang told me."

Zhao Gang nodded, leaned against the head of the bed, and let out a long breath.

"That's good," he said. "This trip wasn't in vain."

Lin Mo stood there, looking at this man, a huge surge of emotion rising in his heart. It was gratitude, it was heartache, and there was something indescribable stuck in his throat, leaving him unable to speak.

Zhao Gang looked at him and suddenly reached out, patting his arm.

"Dr. Lin," he said, his voice very soft, but every word was clear, "I do what I say."

Lin Mo's eyes instantly grew hot.

He took a deep breath, trying hard to steady his voice: "Captain Zhao, you don't owe me anything. You don't need to..."

"I know," Zhao Gang interrupted him. "It's not about owing; it's a promise."

He looked at Lin Mo, his eyes holding something Lin Mo had never seen before—it was sincerity, it was determination, and it was the weight earned by a veteran over a fifteen-year career.

"I will definitely do what I promised you," he said. "This time it was the samples; I don't know what it will be next time. But as long as I'm here, you can rest assured and do your work."

Lin Mo looked at him, suddenly remembering what Fang Lin had said: "Zhao Gang is a man who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. If he's willing to say something like that, he really values you."

"Captain Zhao," Lin Mo said, "thank you."

Zhao Gang waved his hand: "Don't thank me; thank yourself."

Lin Mo froze for a moment.

Zhao Gang looked at him and said earnestly: "It's you who made me feel it's worth it."

The ward was quiet for a few seconds.

Lin Mo stood by the bedside, Zhao Gang leaned against the head of the bed, and the two looked at each other, neither speaking.

The door opened, and Fang Lin walked in.

She glanced at Lin Mo, then at Zhao Gang, and raised an eyebrow: "What are you two chatting about?"

Zhao Gang smiled: "Chatting about why you haven't approved my leave yet."

Fang Lin glared at him: "Leave? In your dreams. The samples have been delivered, but there's another batch coming. You stay in bed for two days, then get back to work for me."

Zhao Gang grinned: "Yes, ma'am."

Fang Lin walked to the bedside, looked at his arm, and a flash of worry crossed her eyes: "Are you really okay?"

"Really okay," Zhao Gang said. "Just a superficial wound; it'll be better in a couple of days."

Fang Lin nodded and turned to look at Lin Mo: "You rushed over overnight?"

Lin Mo nodded.

Fang Lin looked at him with complex emotions in her eyes: "Alright, you've seen him, now go back. There's still a pile of things waiting for you at the base."

Lin Mo hesitated for a moment and looked at Zhao Gang.

Zhao Gang waved his hand at him: "Go back. I'll be back after lying here for two days. We'll continue then."

Lin Mo nodded and turned to walk out.

When he reached the door, he stopped and looked back.

Zhao Gang was leaning against the head of the bed, talking to Fang Lin. Sunlight shone in from outside the window, falling on him, and that cold, tough face carried a rare hint of a smile.

Lin Mo turned and walked out of the ward.

In the hallway, those few security personnel were still standing. Seeing him come out, they all stood up.

"Dr. Lin, Captain Zhao, he..."

"He's fine," Lin Mo said. "He just needs to rest for a few days."

He paused and looked at them: "You all worked hard too. Get some good rest."

The security guards looked at each other and smiled.

"Dr. Lin, Captain Zhao risked his life to protect that batch of samples for you," a young security guard said. "We saw it with our own eyes. When the grenade was thrown, he threw himself directly onto it."

Lin Mo was shocked.

"A grenade?"

"Yes," the security guard said. "Someone threw a grenade, wanting to blow up our car. Captain Zhao rushed up, lifted that person's hand, and the grenade fell into the cliff. He got shot in the arm himself, but the samples were completely unharmed."

Lin Mo stood there, saying nothing for a long time.

At 3:00 PM, Lin Mo returned to the base.

Li Xiao was waiting at the entrance, and seeing him get out of the car, she ran over quickly.

"Teacher Lin! How is Captain Zhao?"

"He's fine, minor injury," Lin Mo said. "He'll be better after a few days of rest."

Li Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest: "You scared me to death! Liu Yang sent me a message saying they were attacked, and I thought..."

She paused, not daring to continue.

Lin Mo looked at her and suddenly asked: "How is the laboratory?"

"Everything is normal," Li Xiao said. "Zhang Zhe is keeping an eye on things, Academician Zhou is organizing the data, and Su Qing is running tests."

Lin Mo nodded and walked toward the laboratory.

Passing by the security control room, he stopped.

Through the glass, he saw several unfamiliar faces sitting inside—probably people temporarily assigned. That familiar seat was empty.

He stood there for a few seconds, then continued walking forward.

In the evening, Lin Mo sat alone in the laboratory.

The data on the screen was still jumping, but he couldn't focus on it.

He recalled Zhao Gang's words—"I do what I say."

He recalled what the young security guard said—"When the grenade was thrown, he threw himself directly onto it."

He recalled Zhao Gang lying in the hospital bed, pale, yet still smiling.

His phone vibrated.

It was a message from Zhao Gang:

"Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow. The research institute has already received your batch of samples, and testing starts tomorrow. Wait for good news."

Lin Mo looked at the message, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

He replied:

"Rest well and recover. I'll handle things here at the base."

Outside the window, the night deepened.

In the laboratory, the instruments were still humming.

Lin Mo sat at the control console and looked at the data again.

He knew that tomorrow, everything would continue.

But today, he remembered one thing—

In this world, there is someone willing to protect him with their life.