Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 16: A man who was just as dangerous as thr virus

A tense silence followed. No one moved.

Finally, the younger official spoke. "We haven't confirmed a release yet. The breach was attempted, not successful."

Qingran's gaze snapped to him. "So you're saying they tried and failed to take it?"

He nodded. "The intruder reached the outer chamber of Lab 37 but couldn't access the final containment. Security responded before they could get further."

Qingran's eyes narrowed. "Then why ask me if the virus could evolve?"

The officials exchanged glances.

Director Liu spoke carefully. "Because while the virus wasn't taken, something still changed—and we don't know why."

Qingran went still.

"What changed?" she asked slowly.

The younger official tapped a file on the table.

"The virus's activity levels have spiked," he said. "For the first time in five years."

"The virus's activity levels have spiked," the official repeated, sliding a report toward her. "For the first time in five years. That was what made us concerned."

She flipped the pages quickly, scanning the data. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears.

He wasn't lying.

The virus had been in complete dormancy since it was sealed away—no movement, no growth, no mutations. It was locked in a controlled environment where nothing should have changed.

But according to the latest readings, something had agitated it.

"That's impossible," Qingran muttered. "C137 doesn't just react on its own. It needs an external trigger."

"We know," Director Liu said. "That's why we're here."

She looked up. "You think the intruder did something to it."

The younger official nodded. "We just don't know what."

Qingran's grip on the report tightened.

If they hadn't taken the virus... but its activity levels still spiked...

Then the real problem wasn't the breach.

It was why the virus had woken up.

A heavy silence settled over the room. The implications weren't lost on anyone.

Director Zhou exhaled slowly. "Then our real concern isn't just the intruder—it's what they did before they were caught."

Qingran's gaze sharpened. "I need to see the surveillance footage."

Director Liu gave a nod, and one of the officials gestured to a nearby officer, who quickly pulled up the security recordings on a tablet.

"We've already reviewed it," the officer said. "But there's something you should see."

The screen flickered to life. The footage showed the dimly lit corridor leading to Lab 37—silent, undisturbed. Then, a ripple, like a heatwave distorting the air.

Qingran's brows furrowed. "Pause it."

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The officer complied.

She leaned in, studying the image carefully. "There's no forced entry. No alarms. Just... this anomaly."

"Exactly." The younger official folded his arms. "Whatever they did, they didn't break in. But shortly after this disturbance, the virus's readings spiked."

Qingran's fingers tapped against the table. "Then we're not dealing with someone who tried to take the virus." Her voice was steady, but her mind was racing. "We're dealing with someone who wanted to wake it up."

The words hung in the air, heavy with implication.

Director Liu's expression darkened. "Then we need to figure out two things."

Qingran met his gaze.

"Who they are," she murmured.

"And what the hell they just started."

Qingran didn't hesitate. "I need to see the virus."

The room tensed.

Director Liu frowned. "That's not—"

[Ding! Event Reminder: "An Invitation You Can't Refuse"]

[Time Left: 4 hours 27 minutes]

Qingran's breath hitched as the notification flashed across her vision.

She clenched her jaw. Damn it.

She had been so focused on the breach, on the virus, that she'd almost forgotten about the damn system event. Almost.

Her fingers curled into a fist.

Feng Yizhou.

Of all times, why now?

She exhaled sharply, schooling her expression before looking back at the officials. "Let me be clear. If something has changed in C137, I need to see it firsthand."

Director Liu hesitated, exchanging glances with the others. "We can't allow unauthorized personnel—"

"Unauthorized?" Qingran's voice was cold. "I created that virus. I know its behavior better than anyone in this damn building. And if you're worried about protocol, let me remind you—whatever's happening right now wasn't supposed to be possible."

Silence.

Then, Director Liu exhaled. "...I'll arrange for clearance."

Good.

She had to be quick. Because even if the virus was waking up, she had another problem waiting for her in just over four hours.

"A full-day clearance," Qingran said firmly. "Around 3 PM, you can take me there."

Director Liu frowned. "3 PM? This is urgent—"

"And yet the virus has been dormant for five years until now," she cut in, her tone sharp. "If it suddenly decided to wake up overnight, I highly doubt it's going to grow legs and walk out of the lab before noon time."

The younger official opened his mouth as if to argue, but Qingran was already standing.

"For now," she continued, brushing nonexistent dust from her sleeve, "I have a pior engagement."

She turned on her heel before they could question her further.

No one stopped her. They were still too caught up in their own worries, their own theories.

And that was exactly what she needed.

Because right now, she had another pressing engagement.

One with a man who was just as dangerous as any virus.

As Qingran strode out of the meeting room, the weight of the report still lingered in her grip, the numbers and readings replaying in her head.

The virus had woken up.

And she had until 3 PM to see it for herself.

[Ding! Event Timer: 04:12:47 remaining.]

She exhaled. Four hours. Enough time to prepare—but not enough to waste.

Her mind was already sorting through priorities.

First, Feng Yizhou. She had no choice but to meet him. If she missed the event window, the system would force an encounter on worse terms. That wasn't an option.

Second, the virus.

If something—or someone—had triggered C137's activity spike, she needed to find out why before it was too late.

She had to balance both.

"Four hours," she muttered under her breath. "I can work with that."

She took off her lab coat, and grabbed her bag, she shorten their meeting as she could.