Chapter 444 Drought at the Military Family Farm
Su Yue placed the metal box on the table and clicked open the latch.
Cold air wafted out, and two rows of pale yellow reagent tubes gleamed coldly under the light.
"Enough with the small talk." Su Yue didn't sit down, but instead placed her hands on the edge of the table, exuding an aura of authority. "Everyone has seen the data from the Phase II clinical trials. The cure rate is 100%, and the drug-resistant bacteria clearance rate is 99.8%. What we need to discuss now is not whether it can be implemented, but how to implement it."
An elderly expert wearing thick-rimmed glasses tapped on the table: "Comrade Su, Phase III clinical trials are different from Phase II. Phase II was under your watchful eye, with a small sample size, making it easier to control. Phase III will be rolled out nationwide, from the humid heat of Guangzhou in the south to the frigid cold of Harbin in the north. Bacteriophages are live viruses, extremely sensitive to temperature. How can you guarantee that these delicate 'hunters' will not become ineffective during transportation?"
This is the most critical technical pain point.
A murmur rippled through the conference room.
Some shook their heads, others sighed. In an era where cold chain logistics is practically nonexistent, delivering biological agents intact to hospitals thousands of kilometers away is an impossible task.
Su Yue took out a special glass bottle from the box.
The bottle contained not a liquid, but a pale yellow powder.
"This is the latest achievement of Blue Ocean Labs - microencapsulated freeze-dried powder technology."
She shook the bottle, and the powder rustled against the bottle walls.
"By using sodium alginate and chitosan for double-layer encapsulation, followed by ultra-low temperature freeze-drying, these 'hunters' are in a dormant state, with their heat resistance increased to 45 degrees Celsius, and they can be stored at room temperature for one year. When in use, simply inject physiological saline, and they will be reactivated within five minutes."
After Su Yue finished speaking, the conference room fell into a deathly silence.
The old expert suddenly stood up, grabbed the bottle, and held it up to the light for a closer look. His hands were trembling violently: "Double-layer encapsulation... You've solved the problem of outer shell rupture? This is a technology that even the Americans are struggling with!"
"It's solved." Su Yue said calmly, as if she were talking about what she had for breakfast. "There's a bunch of lunatics at the Blue Ocean Factory who worked day and night, burning out three centrifuges and trying thousands of different ratios."
Vice Dean Li led the applause.
The applause went from sparse to thunderous in an instant.
The subsequent meeting proceeded at an astonishing speed.
The plan was approved, the budget was approved, and the list of designated hospitals was confirmed.
As the person in charge, Su Yue now truly had the authority to mobilize national medical resources.
After the meeting, Vice Dean Li called Su Yue to the end of the corridor.
He handed Su Yue a copy of "Reference News" and pointed to a foreign media report in it.
“The Washington Post called you ‘the biomagician of the East.’” Vice President Li said with a solemn expression. “Several pharmaceutical giants in the United States and France have already reached out through diplomatic channels, wanting to participate in the Phase III clinical trials, and have even offered to provide a complete production line in exchange for overseas patent licenses.”
Su Yue glanced at the newspaper and sneered, "Trying to reap the rewards? Too late."
“That’s the same idea from above.” Vice President Li lowered his voice. “This is not just about medicine, but also about biological defense. The core technology must be in our own hands. But that also means we have no way out. If something goes wrong in the Phase III clinical trials, or if production capacity drops, those foreigners who are waiting to see us fail will pounce on us and tear us apart.”
"I need military transport planes," Su Yue stated directly. "The Blue Ocean factory is on Hainan Island, and the first batch of 30,000 freeze-dried powders will be produced next week. Relying on trains is too slow; I need air freight."
Vice President Li was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly: "You little rascal, you really dare to ask. Those are wartime resources."
“This is a race against death.” Su Yue stood firm. “Every minute of delay could mean the death of another child.”
Vice President Li paused for two seconds and nodded: "I'll coordinate. Gu Beichen is the deputy chief of staff now, and his words carry weight in the Southern Military Region. It'll be faster for you to contact him than me."
As I stepped out of the Academy of Sciences gates, the autumn wind of Beijing swept fallen leaves across the streets.
Su Yue tightened the collar of her trench coat, flagged down a jeep, and headed straight for Xishan.
Gu Beichen stayed at the Xishan Guesthouse during his trip to Beijing to report on his work.
Pushing open the door, the room was filled with smoke.
Gu Beichen was sketching and writing on a military map, while the ashtray beside him was piled high with cigarette butts.
Hearing the noise, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette, got up, and opened the window to air out the smell.
"Finished talking?" Gu Beichen poured her a glass of hot water.
Su Yue took the cup and briefly explained the freeze-dried powder and transportation requirements.
After listening, Gu Beichen didn't say a word. He picked up the secure phone on the table and dialed a number.
"This is Gu Beichen. Connecting to the Air Force dispatch center... Yes, codename 'Hunter'. Next Wednesday, I need two Y-5 transport planes to fly directly to Haikou. Loaded with Level 1 medical supplies, providing all-weather flight support."
After hanging up the phone, Gu Beichen turned around and looked at Su Yue, who looked exhausted.
"It's all taken care of." He walked over and massaged her stiff shoulders. "I've also spoken to Huo Wenxuan. The engineering company will help expand the warehouse. You just focus on getting ahead, and I'll take care of all the logistical support."
Su Yue leaned against him, her tense nerves finally relaxing: "The pressure this time was really immense. The whole country was watching, and if there was the slightest mistake, Blue Ocean would be finished."
"What's there to be afraid of?" Gu Beichen's grip was just right, with a reassuring warmth. "Even if the sky falls, there's always someone taller to hold it up. Besides, when has Su Yue ever lost a battle?"
A week later, the Phase III clinical trial of the bacteriophage officially began.
Official media outlets launched a full-scale attack.
The People's Daily published a lengthy feature article on its front page entitled "Declaring War on Bacteria: A Major Breakthrough in my country's Biomedical Field."
The radio station repeatedly broadcasted the remarkable efficacy of "Hunter-9" in the field of pediatric critical care.
Blue Ocean Biopharmaceutical Factory was in complete turmoil.
The roar of the machines never ceased, day or night.
Three production lines are operating at full capacity, and workers in white sterile suits are moving around the workshop like clockwork.
With dark circles under his eyes, Zhao Xueyuan stayed by the fermentation tank, recording data every half hour.
Every day, the factory gate is crowded with people from all over the country seeking medicine.
There were rural couples carrying their bedding rolls, cadres driving Hongqi sedans, and purchasing agents speaking various dialects.
They waved letters of introduction and cash, hoping for a life-saving drug.
The first thing Su Yue did upon returning to Hainan Island was to order the security department to increase vigilance.
"Everyone seeking medication must be registered and numbered according to the severity of their condition." Su Yue stood on the steps at the factory gate, shouting through a megaphone, "Blue Ocean doesn't offer special privileges or backdoors! Anyone caught reselling medication will be arrested without exception!"
The crowd stirred for a moment, but under the deterrence of the armed militia, order was quickly restored.
The office lights were still on late at night.
Su Yue flipped through the first clinical feedback report from the 301 Hospital in Beijing.
"The patient is a 45-year-old male with extensive burns complicated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, which was unresponsive to antibiotics. After injection of 'Hunter-9' lyophilized powder as a solvent, his body temperature decreased within 24 hours, the amount of pus from the wound decreased, and the bacterial culture turned negative..."
Each report, like a brick, forms the foundation of this biological Great Wall.
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