Chapter 159 Knowing the Inside Story
Be self-reliant and work hard.
Since the last meeting, he and his family have been living in the train's luxury carriage. All matters related to the connection here have been handed over to his subordinates.
Yesterday, he and his wife were enjoying the snow and drinking tea in a greenhouse with transparent walls. But as he looked at the snowflakes floating outside, a light suddenly flashed in his mind.
It was because of this sudden thought that Watasha rushed to the capital overnight without even finishing his afternoon tea.
"I've actually seen it before. Someone showed it to me when I was attending a technology forum in Country A. They said they were trying to attract investment. They said many wealthy people from Country A, Country F, Country E, and even Country J and Country Y had invested in this project. I just casually flipped through the materials they gave me."
Watasha recalled the situation at that time. "They told me that if this research is successful, the drugs developed can extend my lifespan. I can even live to 200 or 300 years old. They also said that I have so much money, and it would be a shame if I didn't have enough time to enjoy it..."
"I remember the documents they showed me. There was a picture in those documents that was almost identical to the one I saw at your place before. Please believe me."
Watasha spoke excitedly, "I came to tell you this because I thought of it. I suspect that before the so-called mutation occurred, someone might have already been conducting similar research. I wonder if they have already made some progress. If we can obtain their research results, can we return to our previous peaceful and tranquil life sooner?"
Although he could live a good life with his previous accumulation, who wants to live a precarious life in this chaotic world? In any case, Watasha didn't want to.
So when he realized that what he knew might help the research progress, he came immediately.
But the deputy commander did not dare to be as optimistic as Watasha. After hearing what Watasha said, he even broke out in a cold sweat on his back.
He managed to calm himself down and said to the visitor, "Mr. Watasha, the information you provided is very valuable. Do you remember who approached you about this project? Who were the investors?"
"I'm sorry, I don't even remember."
Watasha shook his head regretfully. "My father loved reading your country's history books and taught me since I was a kid that all claims of immortality were a scam. I'm not that obsessed with longevity, so I didn't consider investing in them. I didn't really listen at the time, and I never learned much about their project later."
Although he was a little disappointed not to get more information, the deputy commander still said politely, "Then Mr. Watasha, if you recall any relevant information later, please let us know. This is very important, please!"
Although Watasha didn't think too much about it, seeing how serious he was, he said seriously, "Of course, if there are any new discoveries, I will inform you as soon as possible."
After the two of them finished talking about this matter, the deputy commander asked someone to take Watasha to rest, and he notified his secretary to convene an emergency meeting.
After telling the other participants what Watasha had just said to him, all the participants could not believe it and were horrified.
"Wait, you mean... before the mutation happened, this pathogen that caused the human mutation already existed, right?"
"Are you sure he's not mistaken?"
Deputy Commander: "Of course, I asked him many times, and Mr. Watasha gave a positive answer every time."
“This is horrible!”
"Someone has actually been researching this so long ago." Someone's face darkened. "This might mean that the mutation didn't happen suddenly and naturally, but was the result of human planning..."
"But if this was a human plan, what good did it do to them? The world has become like this now. Has anyone benefited from it?" Some people find it incomprehensible. "What are the people who study this trying to achieve?"
"Perhaps they didn't anticipate such a mutation? Perhaps they simply wanted to develop an 'elixir of life,' but didn't anticipate an unexpected experiment that went awry?"
Following this line of thought, everyone in the conference room gasped.
If this is the case, then this mutation is a completely man-made disaster! And it is a disaster that even those who know this experimental project best cannot control.
Thinking of the huge price they had paid since the disaster broke out, a flame of anger was ignited in everyone's heart in an instant.
However, the participants did not lose their rationality due to the flames of anger, and soon some of them focused on the next action.
"Whatever it is, since this possibility exists, we must investigate as quickly as possible. If this disaster was truly man-made, there's no way it wouldn't have left any traces."
The deputy commander, who had calmed down after learning the news ahead of time, said, "The most important thing now is to find the person Watasha mentioned doing this research and see if we can get the relevant information. It might be of great help to the institute's vaccine development."
"That's right. We need to find the person quickly. But with all the chaos out there, this kind of research must have been done in secret. Now that it's caused such serious consequences, no one would risk becoming the target of public criticism and admit it. How are we supposed to find him?"
"No matter how difficult it is, we must find it. A lot of people have been hoping we could share some bacteria with purification properties lately. Tell them the news and ask them to help us find it!"
"Yes, if it's research located abroad, it's easier for them to find it!"
"But wouldn't it be bad to spread this information publicly? What if someone gets interested after hearing about this research? Wouldn't publicizing it hinder our ability to fully understand this pathogen?"
"But even if we search privately, we can't completely prevent the news from leaking. As long as someone goes looking for it and asks about it, word will definitely spread, and sooner or later someone will find out. Furthermore, relying solely on private investigation is too difficult. Instead of hiding it, why not just bring it out into the open? Time is of the essence for us right now!"
"That's right, then let the people from the Propaganda Department spread the word!"
…
Once the decision was made, news spread quickly.
Such explosive news spread as quickly as a virus, and soon caused a stir both at home and abroad.
No one expected that this incident that separated their blood relatives and even separated them from each other could be a man-made disaster.
But even if they knew, there was nothing they could do. Except for Watasha, the wealthy man who had been approached before, no ordinary people had ever heard of this research. No one knew the addresses of the researchers and research institutes involved in the research. It became a fantasy to want to obtain relevant information.
After learning the news, the old director and researchers of the Institute of Epidemic Prevention have been paying attention to this matter in addition to their research.
They thought that after the news spread, they would at least be able to obtain some useful information, so that they might be able to obtain the mother copy of the bacteria and develop a vaccine earlier. However, they did not expect that people abroad would be even more surprised than they were when they heard the news, and their original plan fell through.
The younger researchers in the institute were already anxious because their research had not made any progress, and they were even more angry when they heard about these things.
"They're secretly doing this abroad, and they're leaving all of us to clean up the mess! Now that we've told them the news, they can't help at all, let alone share the burden, they can't even provide any information."
The old director had anticipated this situation. "They say it was done secretly, how could so many people know about it? Even those who knew wouldn't dare to speak out! If Mr. Watasha hadn't mentioned it, we might still be kept in the dark."
The old director had experienced many ups and downs, so he was more stable than the young ones. "Okay, let's get back to work! We now have trains transporting supplies everywhere, and we also have methods to purify the soil and decompose pathogens. It's already better than expected!"
After hearing his words, the young man calmed down, but he still muttered, "Since the train can provide bacteria with decomposition and purification functions, could it also be a vaccine?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he was hit on the head by the old director.
The gray-haired old man glared at his grandson and said, "Don't always dream of pie in the sky. Self-reliance is the hard truth!"
The young man rubbed his head. Seeing the old man was angry, he didn't dare say anything else. He bowed his head and admitted his mistake. "I understand. But I'm also worried that this pathogen will continue to mutate. What if we can't develop a vaccine fast enough to keep up with the speed of its mutation?"
The old director was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Let's do our best and leave the rest to fate!"
…
Although he spoke righteously when teaching his apprentice a lesson, the old director still called his superiors when he returned to his office.
"...I also know that as an experienced researcher, I shouldn't be afraid of difficulties or take chances. But seeing the various mutations of this pathogen over the past six months, I'm really worried..."
As the deputy commander of the institute's vaccine research, he hadn't expected such a call from the old director. Listening to the old director's words, the deputy commander felt a chill in his heart as he thought about the possible future situations.
The deputy commander made a promise to the veteran director, who had made significant contributions to the country's epidemic prevention efforts, "I understand what you mean. Don't worry, I will bring this up at the meeting."
Be self-reliant and work hard.
These eight-character mottos are practically ingrained in the bones of their country and nation. They have weathered thousands of years of ups and downs with this spirit.
But now was a critical moment concerning the survival of humanity, and there was no time to worry about so many things. At the high-level meeting that evening, the deputy commander mentioned the proposal made by the old director on the phone.
Among the other senior executives attending the meeting, many had already been wondering whether the train could provide assistance in vaccine development after obtaining optimized seeds, nutrient solution and strains from the train. This time, the deputy commander put the matter on the table, and naturally many people supported this proposal.
When the meeting ended, the decisions made at the meeting were notified to the train affairs working group.
…
【Author’s words】
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