radicalducati Page 140
Page 140
“Let’s wait two more days before we talk about it,” Hawke said, smoking a cigarette. “Reducing the failure rate of the Extremis virus is not an easy task. I’ve already contacted an expert in human experimentation for advice, and she gave me some suggestions, but the situation isn’t very optimistic.”
..... ...... ....
Cipher frowned and asked, "What do you mean? Can't the failure rate of the Extremis virus be reduced?"
"I can only say it's very difficult," Hawke said. "There's no way around it. There's nothing in this world that's 100% certain. If you want to gain extraordinary abilities, you always have to take some risks."
"Didn't you use the Extremis virus as leverage to invite me to be the CEO of your Ryan Biotech company?" Cipher rolled his eyes and said, "Just when my thoughts were starting to waver, you're telling me that to complete the Extremis virus enhancement, I have to take risks?"
"Haha, don't rush, let me finish." Hawke laughed and said, "There are two options. One is to reduce the effectiveness of the Extremis virus to make it more controllable, which may result in a much weaker supernatural ability. The other is to spend a lot of resources to create a new enhanced version of the Extremis virus based on the current one."
"Extraordinary abilities gained by reducing the effectiveness of the Extremis Virus... is that really much different from having none at all?" Cipher said speechlessly. "And can that enhanced version of the Extremis Virus guarantee a 100% success rate for enhancement?"
255 The new person chosen to take over the Extinction Virus [Seeking Flowers]
"Don't just focus on supernatural abilities. The weakened version of the Extremis virus may not have much supernatural ability, but it can cure disabilities. Just think about it, perfect limb regeneration, growing back your missing hands, feet, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. It can be commercialized. What a huge market that would be! It's at least $500 billion, right?"
Hawke blinked and said, "Just one injection of Extremis Virus serum will end your disability, make you immune to all poisons and diseases, and allow you to live to a ripe old age without the risk of an out-of-control explosion. I think this is extremely attractive to many wealthy people, right? I call this Extremis Virus 2.0."
"The enhanced Extremis virus, which I call version 3.0, costs about $2 million per vial of serum for the current Extremis virus version 1.0, while I estimate that the cost of Extremis virus version 3.0 will be over $10 million. It may be able to reduce the failure rate of the enhancement to about 10% (597), and the mortality rate after failure will be further reduced. The side effects after failure will also be much milder, at least not to the point of being unbearable. This one doesn't need to be sold; it can be used exclusively by our own people."
Cipher frowned and pondered for a while before saying, "If we can really reduce the failure rate of enhancing the Extremis virus to around 10%, then I can accept it completely. I don't believe I'll be so unlucky as to run into a 10% chance."
She changed the subject: "But Hawke... you're really heartless. The cost of a vial of serum for Extremis 1.0 is only $2 million, but you sold me the enhanced version for $100 million a vial?"
Cipher felt that Hawke was indeed a member of the Lane family; his heart was black to the core. It's not that I don't want you to make money, but you can't make money with such a dirty mind. With a profit margin of 50 times, why don't you just die?
"Cough, how can you call this heartless?" Hawke coughed and said, "You know that pharmaceutical companies can directly calculate the manufacturing cost of the drugs they sell? Don't I need to recoup all the huge R&D expenses I incurred upfront?"
"Take Gleevec, for example, which is used to treat leukemia. In Hengsan, the factory price is $100, with a huge profit margin. But in other parts of the world, Gleevec sells for about $7000. That's a 70-fold profit difference. Isn't that even more unscrupulous than me?"
"Come on," Seifer said with a disdainful look at Hawke. "Are you Ryan some kind of savior angel? Then where did your $400 billion market value come from? You're just real big capitalists, not much different from arms dealers like Tony Stark, just in different industries."
"Fine, fine, I'll admit I'm ruthless, okay?" Hawke shrugged helplessly and said, "So, do you still want the CEO position at Ryan Biotech? If not, I'll give it to someone else. Don't come here and tell me you're willing to give me... this job after I've already appointed the CEO."
“I’ll take this position.” Cipher smiled and said very casually, “But you’ll have to give me some more time. I have a lot of things to do. I can’t just quit right now, can I? I’ll go to New York after I’ve handed over my responsibilities.”
Now that Cipher has figured it out, she knows that extraordinary abilities are essential to securing a place in the future of this world. So she decides to wait until Extremis Virus 3.0 is developed and she has completed her enhancements before considering anything else.
“Alright, it’s settled then.” Hawke nodded. “But you’d better hurry. My forces are expanding rapidly, like a snowball rolling downhill, growing exponentially. If you come late, there won’t be a place for you.”
……
North Africa, an extreme virus laboratory.
Hawke was on a video call, and the person on the screen was none other than Baek Jing-eun, a human experimentation expert and bioengineering guru whom Hawke had kidnapped from South Korea.
At this moment, Bai Jing'en was carefully looking at the data sent by Hawke, from the initial stage of the Extremis virus to the recent successful data.
Hawke kept taking out a pen to write and draw, and he waited for more than an hour.
Seeing that Bai Jing'en finally put down her pen and paper, took a deep breath, and said:
"From a profitability perspective, this project is indeed superior to the Witch Project. The Witch Project has a long development cycle and the degree of product modification is unstable, while the Extremis Virus, once modified by the Extremis Virus and successfully modified, has basically stable and constant capabilities."
After a pause, Baek Jing-eun continued, "But you have to admit that the products of the Witch Project are still more powerful, especially since they can produce combat power like Gu Zi-yun that is beyond the norm."
Hawke nodded in agreement. Someone of Gu Ziyun's level of strength could indeed crush a large number of witches and those compatible with the Extremis Virus.
Compared to the Extinction Virus, Project Witch does indeed have more potential.
Putting aside everything else, the telekinesis, a common skill among witches, while varying in strength, is enough to prove the brilliance of this modification project.
The witch's self-healing, strength, speed, and reaction are in no way inferior to those of the Extremis Virus adaptees. Although the Extremis Virus has an additional high temperature, at the same level, it is highly likely that it cannot defeat the witch's telekinesis.
"That being said, projects like the Extremis Virus, which are quick and easy, are more favored. While the Witch is strong, her instability is also evident in various aspects."
"Once the Extremis Virus project is completed, you will surely become world-renowned and the most famous master."
Hawke was lavish in his compliments.
Hearing Hawke's enthusiastic invitation, Bai Jing'en was actually quite pleased, but she was still a little puzzled:
"But this project is already completed, isn't it? As for the improvement projects and commercial operations you mentioned, they shouldn't be anything special, right?"
“Manager Bai, you’re being a bit… out of touch with reality,” Hawke said. “It might not mean much to you, but for others, it’s an insurmountable barrier!”
"Ah this..."
Baek Jing-eun hesitated.
finally.
Baek Jing-eun agreed to take over the Extremis Virus project, but also offered some of her own ideas:
For example, based on the configuration of the Extremis Virus serum, could a witch serum be developed?
For example, could we combine the Extremis Virus serum and the witch's power to develop a new serum?
For example, if we let the witch undergo the adaptation of the Extremis Virus serum, would there be a higher success rate, and would the witch also receive the amplification from the Extremis Virus?
Hawke was quite interested in Bai Jing'en's new idea and told her to go for it!
"Manager Bai, regarding the development direction of the Extremis virus that you gave me yesterday, I think only children make choices; adults want it all."
He clenched his fist and said:
"Extremis Virus 2.0 can be commercialized and is a money-making machine, a cash cow. This research direction is very necessary. Version 4.8 is a shield that can protect our core business, while Extremis Virus 3.0 is a powerful weapon that can forge our offensive power. The two should complement each other."
During yesterday's conversation between Hawke and Baek Jing-eun, they did not initially reveal the situation regarding the Extremis virus. They only mentioned that there was such a human experimentation project, and Baek Jing-eun also provided a plan based on her own experience.
“I see…” Bai Jing’en lowered her head and pondered, then said, “It’s not impossible, but if I have to do it all by myself, I might not be able to handle it. It would be best to have two separate labs for research and development.”
“Okay.” Hawke thought for a moment and said, “I’ll transfer a bioengineer to North Africa to oversee the lab. Manager Bai, you’ll stay in the Ganges and focus on developing Extremis Virus version 3.0. I’ll assign you an assistant. The North African lab will handle Extremis Virus version 2.0.”
256. Bai Jing'en, that woman, is still easy to handle.
For Hawke, the work on Extremis 3.0 was obviously more important, and he felt more at ease entrusting this task to Bai Jing'en.
As for the Extremis Virus 2.0 version used to make money, having it would certainly be a bonus, but not having it wouldn't have a significant impact on Hawke. It could simply be used to benefit the public, providing a cure for the disabled and various terminal illnesses.
Hawke intends to hand over the project to Maya Hansen, who has some saintly qualities in the original work, making her the perfect candidate for the 2.0 version optimization.
“I’m fine.” Bai Jing’en sighed again and said, “Actually, the research on Extremis Virus 3.0 doesn’t necessarily need me to do it, because the research in these two directions is based on Extremis Virus 1.0 and is not too difficult. It’s mainly some very tedious work and engineering problems, which I’m not good at. Just like Killian and Stern developed Extremis Virus 1.0 before me.”
"Ah..." Hawke hesitated, "The main problem is that the Ryan Group is short-staffed lately. Transferring even one person is already difficult enough, transferring two... it's too much. Perhaps we'll have to trouble you, Manager Bai, for a while longer. The capable should do more, Manager Bai, we really can't do without you!!"
Bai Jing'en smiled and said, "I understand."
I'm destined to be a workaholic, there's nothing I can do about it.
After ending the call with Bai Jing'en, Hawke smiled and lit a cigarette: "Bai Jing'en is a woman who's easy to deal with. She's completely different from the ambitious Killian."
Hawke left the laboratory and arrived outside the base.
A new group of adaptors to the Extremis virus are challenging each other, pushing their talents to the limit with the strongest unrestricted combat.
Betty Ross was recording the physiological state and ability data of the group. When Hawke arrived, they all stopped at the same time.
"Young Master," Barney approached Hawke, "what are our next steps?"
"Oh, the North African mission is complete. This area isn't too important anymore. Wait two days, and then you'll come back to New York with me."
He then looked at Betty Ross: "Betty, someone else is handling things here for now. You'll be coming back to New York with us in a couple of days. I have other plans."
Betty paused for a moment, then nodded.
……
Hawke spent two more days in North Africa, taking care of everything, and then met Maya Hansen.
Upon learning of his new mission, which was to take charge of the African laboratory and develop Extremis 2.0!
Maya Hansen was thrilled after learning that it was to save the world's ordinary people.
“That’s great.” Maya Hansen was thrilled. Compared to Killian, she was a pure scientist, and nothing was more important than the continued progress of her project.
So, with a look of tenderness in her eyes, she said to Hawke, "Boss, there's a really nice new restaurant that just opened. If you're free tonight, I think we could..."
"Feel sorry."
Hawke said calmly:
"I have to go back to New York tonight."
If Tony doesn't want it, then I don't want it either!
Maya Hansen has sadly passed away.
She's always been quite attracted to Hawke's body.
He's handsome, has a great physique, and is a rich young master; very few women could resist a man like that.
She is a female scientist, not a female saint, and it's normal for her to have some physiological needs.
However, Hawke had something to do, so we had to let it go.
As for love?
Give me a break.
We're all adults here; let's stop deceiving ourselves.
So-called love is nothing more than the collision of hormones.
That evening, Hawke did indeed fly back to New York.
Barney, Yin Yang, Christmas, Billy, and other key members, as well as Betty Ross, also left with Hawke.
A total of 20 Extremis Virus adaptors were produced this time.
Five Extremis virus adaptors were left behind to protect the North African laboratory.
Unless monsters of Hulk and Thor's caliber run off to North Africa to cause trouble, even if Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Falcon all went together, the five Extremis Virus adaptors wouldn't fare well.
JFK Airport.
When Hawke and his men walked out of the airport, they saw Andy waiting for them.
"Andy, I've missed you so much, it's been days!"
Hawke laughed loudly, walked forward, picked up Andy, and swung him around.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Andy, nestled in Hawke's arms, punched Hawke's chest hard with her little fists and said irritably, "How old are you? Still playing these childish tricks?"