"President Xia," Zhou Wei seized the opportunity to offer her bargaining chip, "If the project is really short of money, I can help you attract investment right now."

"I know several investors who are very optimistic about the biopharmaceutical field. It wouldn't be a problem for them to invest and keep the project moving forward."

These words immediately caused a stir within the team. Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Sister Wei, you have this kind of connection?"

“Of course,” the male researcher immediately chimed in, “Our Sister Wei graduated from an Ivy League university overseas and knows a lot of powerful and influential people!”

Xia Zhining remained expressionless, only asking calmly, "When did you contact these people who are willing to invest in our project?"

She slammed the folder shut: "I remember clearly stating during the recruitment process that my Anning vaccine research and development would not accept external financing, nor would I need you to seek investment."

"Your task is to focus on research and development."

Zhou Wei was taken aback by the question, then put on a wronged and indignant expression: "President Xia, I kindly helped you through your difficulties, and you actually question me like this? What time is it now, what are you still being so stubborn about?"

At this moment, a young researcher couldn't help but speak up: "Sister Wei, you can't say that."

"This project is the culmination of Ms. Xia's hard work. She insisted on not accepting external investment in order to maintain the project's independence and independent research and development rights..."

"When you can't even survive, what's the point of talking about autonomy!"

Zhou Wei interrupted him without any politeness, raising her voice, "Now I have a wide network of connections, and I can bring in investment immediately."

"In just half a month, I can inject ten million in cash flow into the project!"

"Ten million?!"

This number caused a collective gasp to fill the laboratory.

Everyone knows that many large companies today may seem glamorous, but in reality, they have mostly fixed assets and very few can immediately mobilize tens of millions in cash flow.

Xia Zhining narrowed her eyes slightly, her slender, pale fingers twirling a pen: "Ten million?"

"That's right!"

Zhou Wei raised her chin, her face full of smugness. "Who else in this team besides me has this ability?"

She changed the subject, revealing a shrewd look: "However, it wasn't for nothing that I managed to raise those ten million."

"I've worked so hard, so naturally I need some... appropriate reward."

Xia Zhining's eyes darkened, and her mind suddenly became clear.

So that's where she was waiting.

Seeing her silence, Zhou Wei assumed that she had already fallen for her.

She stepped forward, lowering her voice but unable to conceal her ambition: "President Xia, this ten million is certainly not given away for nothing. The investors have two conditions."

"First, they need to hold 40% of the equity in the project and send a team to participate in core decision-making."

These words practically meant that Xia Zhining was handing over control of the project.

Immediately afterwards, she threw out a second, even more ruthless condition:

"Second, to ensure the efficiency of funds, the investors require a right of first refusal. That is, if the project needs new financing in the future, they have the right to take the lead in acquiring shares."

"In the unlikely event that the project fails, they have the right to acquire all the intellectual property and data of the project at cost price."

The laboratory was deathly silent.

This isn't an investment; it's blatant robbery!

Using a seemingly emergency loan, they not only intend to seize control, but also to take everything Xia Zhining has painstakingly created and claim it as their own.