Chapter 23: Uranium Mine

Just then, Yan Ningxi heard footsteps on the stairs and hurried out. Seeing Yu Xiangrui being carried by a police officer, unconscious, she asked with concern, "What happened to her?"

Han Li, knowing what she was most worried about, replied, "Don't worry. She fought back the whole time and didn't let Gu Wangshan succeed; she just fainted."

Yan Ningxi felt relieved.

[Congratulations to the host for successfully completing Formal Mission One. You have been awarded 200,000 and a uranium mine. The money has been deposited, and the coordinates of the uranium mine have been sent to your phone. You may check them at any time.]

Having received money several times before, Yan Ningxi did not feel much of a stir at the 200,000 reward. However, upon hearing "uranium mine," her body suddenly stiffened.

A uranium mine? What use was a mine to her? Mineral resources belonged to the state, and she had no means to develop them. Wait—a uranium mine?

"002, is a uranium mine an essential resource for building nuclear power plants and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers?"

[That is correct. The current weakness of China's aircraft carriers is the lack of uranium. This mine is sufficient even if China were to build a hundred nuclear-powered carriers in the future.]

Yan Ningxi’s heart soared with joy. Like any ordinary citizen, she possessed a deep sense of patriotism and longed for her country to build dozens more carriers. She recalled news from the last two years indicating that China's uranium imports accounted for over 70% of its total demand. The reports stated that while uranium was a necessary fuel for nuclear reactor-powered carriers, China’s reserves were limited, forcing a long-term reliance on imports. Although current carriers were conventionally powered, the future development of nuclear technology would inevitably increase the demand for uranium.

With this mine, China would no longer need to rely on foreign imports, preventing other nations from holding a stranglehold on their progress. Beyond power plants and aircraft carriers, strategic weapon systems like nuclear submarines also relied on uranium. If the country had sufficient domestic resources, it could directly dictate the pace of research and deployment for national defense, making the nation increasingly powerful.

Bo Xingjue noticed Yan Ningxi had stopped talking. Her face shifted through a series of expressions: joy, furrowed brows, surprise, and then deep contemplation.

"Your parents couldn't reach you and called the police," Bo Xingjue said, puzzled, as he handed her one of the phones he had found in the car.

Yan Ningxi snapped back to reality and coughed awkwardly. "Thank you for the reminder." It seemed she had been lost in thought for quite a while.

Not wanting her parents to worry, she called them, though she couldn't tell the complete truth. "Dad, the manager and I were on our way back when she ran into some trouble. Her family hasn't arrived yet, so I’m going to stay at the hospital with her. You couldn't get through? The signal must have been poor where we were. Don't worry, I'm fine—you can tell by my voice. Go to sleep early, don't wait up for me. I'll head back as soon as she wakes up. Yes, I'll take care of myself. Goodbye."

Although she had ended up in this situation because of Yu Xiangrui, it wasn't the other woman's fault. Out of professional courtesy, she felt it was right to accompany her to the hospital and stay until her family arrived.

The ambulance took them to Junqi Hospital. As Lu Jiayu passed through the lobby, he spotted Yan Ningxi walking in. Recalling their previous encounter, he immediately stopped and asked with concern, "Miss Yan, your face is pale. How are you feeling right now?"

Yan Ningxi shook her head. "I just feel a bit dizzy and nauseous. Maybe it's motion sickness."

Bo Xingjue, standing nearby, frowned. "She lost quite a bit of blood earlier."

Hearing this, Lu Jiayu’s expression changed. He immediately arranged for a priority examination. The tests confirmed she had lost excessive blood and her anemia was more severe than before; she required a transfusion and was ordered to be hospitalized.

Yan Ningxi, now very protective of her own life, obeyed the doctor's orders. Suddenly remembering she had work on Wednesday, she asked, "How many times do I need a transfusion?"

Lu Jiayu looked at her report and said gravely, "Your blood type is the extremely rare Rh-negative AB—what people call 'Panda Blood.' You know this, right?"

Yan Ningxi nodded. "I know." When she first learned this as a child, she hadn't thought much of it. Later, she accidentally discovered that she was the only one in her family with that blood type and spent a long time feeling depressed, fearing she wasn't their biological child. It wasn't until she studied biology that her teacher explained that parents without the rare blood type could still have a child with it, either through recessive genes or genetic mutation.

Lu Jiayu continued, "Panda blood is very rare. Our hospital's current supply is only enough for one transfusion, and given your condition, you need at least one."

Yan Ningxi felt relieved. "That's fine. If I get the transfusion tonight, I can still go to work tomorrow." She still needed to carefully plan how to inform the state about the uranium mine's coordinates while keeping herself safe.

Lu Jiayu asked, "Miss Yan, do any of your family or relatives have this blood type?"

Yan Ningxi shook her head. "No, I'm the only one."

Lu Jiayu said, "I see. If you need more blood, I'll put out a call in our network to see if anyone is willing to donate."

Yan Ningxi smiled. "Thank you. Once I've recovered, if anyone else needs it, I'll be happy to donate. Just contact me then."

Bo Xingjue had been listening to their conversation in silence. Although he had already investigated some of Yan Ningxi's background, he asked, "Miss Yan, even if you need a second transfusion, once a donor is found, you can come in for the following evenings. That way, it won't interfere with your work during the day."

"The reason is a bit complicated..." After some hesitation, she explained about her mother's late-term pregnancy and her younger brother's leukemia. "That's how it is. I'm the only one left in the family who is relatively healthy. If I don't stay to watch over them, I'm afraid my parents won't be able to handle the strain, especially my mother, given her advanced age."

"I see," Bo Xingjue replied.

Lu Jiayu, unaware of these circumstances, looked at Yan Ningxi with deep sympathy. The girl’s hardships were truly moving. He immediately instructed the nurses to prepare for the transfusion and, for convenience, arranged for Yan Ningxi and Yu Xiangrui to share a room.

After handling some matters, Bo Xingjue returned to the room to find the transfusion already underway. Remembering his sister’s instructions, he pulled up a chair and sat by Yan Ningxi’s bedside.

Being watched by such a tall, handsome young man made Yan Ningxi feel uneasy. She spoke hesitantly, "Um, Captain Bo, you must be very busy. I'm fine—I can manage on my own. You should go take care of your business."