December 2019. The alerts from the Wuhan lab became urgent. A novel coronavirus with high transmissibility was identified. It was happening.
Ye Xia and Mo activated their plan. They didn't cause a panic. They began a controlled, quiet release of their resources.
The Yun-Mo Foundation issued a global health advisory, backed by their labs' data. Their subsidiary began distributing PPE to hospitals worldwide. The mRNA research team was put on standby, their platform ready to pivot to a new virus.
The world was slow to react, skeptical. But they had a head start. They had bought time.
On New Year's Eve 2019, Ye Xia and Mo stood together on the same balcony where they had shared their first real conversation years before. The city below glittered, unaware of the storm about to break.
" Are you ready?" Mo asked, his hand finding hers. It was the first time they had touched so simply, so naturally.
" No," Ye Xia said honestly, lacing her fingers with his. "But we're as ready as anyone can be."
The war with the ancient families was not over. But a new, larger war for the world's health was beginning. And this time, they were not just fighting for themselves. They were fighting for everyone.