Marked by My Scummy Ex-Wife’s Boss (GL) - Chapter 29.2

After setting down the report, she summarized,

“I questioned Mrs. Brown in detail. She didn’t hold anything back. District Three’s drug was effective for a period after each dose—but once that period ended, the backlash became more intense. So, I suspect…”

“That Mrs. Brown has come to us now because her condition has reached a critical point. It’s also very likely that District Three could no longer maintain the effect. If they kept medicating her, it might not only stop working—it could trigger even more severe reactions.”

Song Zhen paused before continuing with a bold conclusion:

“Previously, another pregnant subject, Zhu Yi, who participated in the same drug trial, quickly entered Stage Two pheromone disruption. Mrs. Brown being transferred here likely means that she’s on the brink of that same transition—or worse. Once the medication in her system is fully metabolized, the suppressed pheromones will likely surge back violently, triggering a breakdown.”

With a nod from Song Zhen, everyone turned to the last page of the report—a timeline chart.

She explained, “Suppression-type drugs follow a cycle. I cross-referenced the timeline of her symptoms, her recollections of District Three’s dosing schedule, and her most recent bout of discomfort…”

Drawing a long breath, Song Zhen declared gravely:

“Our conclusion—”

“The next time the drug is fully metabolized and exits her system will be somewhere between tonight and the day after tomorrow. When that happens, a full-blown breakdown will begin.”

In other words, District Three had timed her transfer to District One down to the hour.

Unbelievable.

The Director slammed a hand down on the table.

Vice Director Rong’s face was also taut with anger.

After Song Zhen finished detailing the medical side, it was Zhu Sui’s turn to report. The woman in black, Mrs. Brown’s sister, had been questioned using her sister’s condition as leverage—and quickly confessed everything.

“District Three had informed her of Mrs. Brown’s condition and gave her two choices: induced abortion or try an alternative treatment route. As we can guess, she chose the latter.”

“In order to access that option, District Three demanded she return the treatment agreement—that is, the original document Mrs. Brown had signed was given back to District Three by her sister.”

Zhu Sui laid out the facts, and everyone in the room—scientists and researchers—immediately understood the implication.

The Tong family had reclaimed the agreement, then quietly passed Mrs. Brown to District One while no one was paying attention. Once she was officially admitted and medicated here, responsibility for anything that happened would become… conveniently ambiguous.

If Mrs. Brown suffered complications here, District Three could simply claim they never treated her—or never signed anything.

Under Chinese law, without that key document, no direct accountability could be assigned.

And in comparison, if District One had admitted her, medicated her, and still failed to prevent her collapse, they’d be the obvious scapegoat. Worse, they’d be the public scapegoat.

And because Mrs. Brown was the wife of a foreign diplomat, and this incident occurred on Chinese soil, the diplomat would demand an official explanation—but not get involved in internal political disputes.

Utterly ruthless.

“This is outrageous!”

The Director slammed the table again, his fury barely contained.

This kind of shocking maneuver was unprecedented. Historically, each of the three District in the research institute had their own areas of focus. Aside from the coincidental overlap between District One and Three in stabilizer research, most core projects were distinct, isolated, and independent. As such, the opportunity for this kind of malicious blame-shifting had never arisen—until now.

Vice Director Zhu calmly adjusted his glasses and, unusually composed, asked the group:

“Though it’s inhumane to suggest… can we refuse to accept Mrs. Brown?”

That one line voiced what many of the deputy directors had been thinking. One of them spoke up immediately:

“The Tong family is pushing too far. Thankfully, we caught this early. The Adrenaline Division only performed a diagnostic scan—we didn’t admit her, and we didn’t administer any drugs… Plus, both Mrs. Brown’s statements and her sister’s confession were caught on our internal surveillance and audio systems. That’s solid evidence.”

After a pause, he added through gritted teeth,

“It may be inhumane, but this entire mess is District Three’s doing. It’s tied to international disputes—why should we take the fall for them? I suggest we submit all evidence to the military tribunal immediately and let them render judgment!”

Others quickly echoed the sentiment.

“He’s right. It’s tragic for the pregnant woman, but we’re in a terrible position too!”

“To put it bluntly, she’s probably beyond saving anyway… If we intervene now, we’re just setting ourselves up for failure and blame.”

“This is a disaster we didn’t cause. We must take it to the tribunal. The Tong family’s power has made them lawless!”

“Yes, exactly! Good thing we uncovered this scheme. Reporting them now is the right move.”

In short—they had uncovered the setup, gathered some proof, and if they acted fast enough—before anything happened to the woman—they could shift liability away from themselves and pin it back on District Three.

But doing so meant refusing to treat Mrs. Brown. Once that decision was made, they would officially declare her outside their jurisdiction.

If she had a medical crisis, it would fall squarely on District Three. At least in the eyes of China’s military tribunal, the lines of responsibility would be clearly drawn.

The Director hesitated, lips twitching as he considered their words. But he still didn’t give a definitive answer.

On one hand, morally, abandoning the patient would be indefensible.

On the other hand, he had to weigh deeper concerns.

That’s when Vice Director Rong, who oversaw pharmaceutical development, finally spoke.

“She’s already been registered at the Military Medical University. If we refuse to treat her now, District Three definitely won’t step in while this dispute unfolds.”

“Let’s not even talk about what might happen to her…”

“But most crucially, the treatment agreement has been reclaimed by District Three. All we have are recordings. Without that original document, we lack the key evidence to nail District Three for negligence. And let’s face it—our two District are evenly matched at the tribunal…”

He sighed heavily.

Zhu Sui added, “Which means the case will devolve into a prolonged stalemate. We won’t have enough leverage to definitively prove their guilt, and the case will drag on endlessly without resolution…”

She paused, then stated her position clearly:

“From my perspective, I don’t recommend turning Mrs. Brown away.”

All eyes turned to her. Director Zhu had never wanted to refuse the patient in the first place; he had only floated the idea. Now, with his daughter speaking up, he paid close attention.

“First, we’re the only ones who can help her now. If we all choose to back away, she has no hope left. That’s a kind of despair I can’t accept. I don’t believe our institute is that heartless.”

“Second, while appealing to the tribunal might seem like we’re returning responsibility to District Three—are they really the only ones at fault?”

The Director let out a long sigh. Zhu Sui had hit the nail on the head.

She continued, articulating what he hadn’t voiced:

“If we abandon her, it’s a violation of humanitarian principles. She’s the wife of a foreign diplomat. This incident will become international news. Yes, District Three acted despicably—but once this goes global, we’ll also be condemned by international human rights groups.

Then what? One institute gets accused of being ruthless, and the other of being complicit and cold-blooded. What does that do to our nation’s image?”

“And third, if this goes public and we can’t definitively indict District Three, they’ll launch a propaganda offensive. They’ll say we watched someone die without lifting a finger.”

Zhu Sui pinched her brow. “So I ask you all—what looks worse? Trying and failing to save her… or doing absolutely nothing and being seen as indifferent to a pregnant woman’s life?”

Silence fell across the room.

Everyone’s expression darkened. The air felt heavy.

At last, one deputy director asked,

“So no matter what we do, we’re already entangled in this?”

Zhu Sui replied, “Not necessarily. We could tell the truth to the diplomat and save his wife. Not only would we avoid condemnation—we might even share credit with District Three for her survival…”

“But let’s be honest: this is a global scientific problem. Even with intervention, the odds of saving her are slim.”

It wasn’t impossible. But it was close to a miracle.

Finally, the Director spoke,

“We’ve already discussed the pros and cons. Admitting her brings problems. Refusing her brings problems too.”

“I don’t have a clear answer. Since we’re divided, perhaps we should vote.”

Zhu Sui hesitated, wanting to speak, but closed her mouth again. Her idea was unconventional—perhaps too radical. It made sense to listen first.

The room fell silent again—until Song Zhen suddenly spoke.

“I have something to say.”

All eyes turned to the new head of Team Two. The Director gestured respectfully.

“Go ahead, Professor Song.”

Song Zhen began, “First, an update from my end. The stabilizer’s blending agent I’m working on has hit a bottleneck. It’s a semi-finished product at best. I’m not confident I can save Mrs. Brown. If I try—it’s a gamble.”

“But I’m certain of this: if we try, her condition will be better than if we don’t.”

“Second… I’d like to propose we think differently. If Sector One is going to be caught in this mess no matter what—we might as well lean into it.”

She paused. “This isn’t a solution per se, but it’s an option.”

“Instead of avoiding responsibility, I suggest we embrace it—proactively.”

The room erupted into murmurs, shocked.

But Song Zhen pressed on, undeterred:

“That said, the burden shouldn’t be ours alone.”

“District Three must be held accountable.”

“Given the patient’s critical state, I recommend we immediately contact the diplomat and inform him of everything, with full transparency. Then…”

She declared, her voice clear and firm:

“We request that the diplomat personally pressure District Three to produce two things:

One, Mrs. Brown’s full medical records from her time there;

Two, a complete list of every medication she was given—including ingredients—and samples.”

“If the problem is that we lack the agreement, then let’s bypass that. Legally, medication records carry just as much weight. With those, our case at the military tribunal becomes airtight.”

Zhu Sui raised her eyebrows.

Others, after thinking it through, began nodding.

Song Zhen added,

“From a clinical standpoint, we also need those records. Without them, any treatment we attempt could interact poorly with what’s already in her system. It could worsen her condition. Only with accurate drug data can we even attempt a safe rescue.”

“And let’s not kid ourselves—Mr. Brown knows his wife was treated by District Three. He won’t stand by and watch her suffer. He’ll demand compliance.”

“And finally… a personal motive. If they want us to clean up their mess, then I want a close look at the drugs they’ve been developing.”

“This way, we pass the ball back to District Three. Let’s see how they choose to respond.”

“But whatever they decide—give us the records or not—they’re not walking away unscathed.”

In the end, her strategy was a calculated gamble.

If District Three refused to cooperate, and Mrs. Brown died, the blame would fall squarely on them—and the diplomat would remember who abandoned her.

If they did cooperate and provide records, it would be proof they had treated her. In that case, even if she died, District Three would be unable to escape responsibility.

Worst of all—for District Three—once they sent the drug samples and ingredient lists, their latest stabilizer research would be exposed in full.

But that was their choice to make.

They gambled that District One wouldn’t intervene.

Song Zhen was gambling that they would.

In the end, someone had to lose. And either way, Song Zhen was ready.