Chapter 134: A Multi-Million-Dollar Idea

[Biological Laboratory] [Current Key Personnel in the Laboratory]: [Senior Research Supervisor: Curt Connors] [Description: An expert proficient in molecular biology, highly skilled in genetic engineering, biopharmaceutical engineering, and various other fields of bioengineering.] [Assistant Personnel: Hammond Treto] [Description: A regular person driven by passion, well-versed in debt management and social organization operations, and highly enthusiastic about managing the biological laboratory.] [Assistance Strategy: Your biological research lab will be more adept at bypassing legal and societal ethical limitations, if necessary.] Leo infiltrated the biotechnology building and acquired a wealth of data, including methods for producing Painkiller and Alpha Neuro-Slow-Release agents. The entire Nightingale project was actually built on the side effects of Painkiller, while the Alpha Neuro-Slow-Release agent was essentially just Painkiller soaked in a slow-release agent. The slow-release agent extended the effective duration of the Painkiller, reducing its intensity and prolonging the effect. The active ingredients of these two drugs were highly similar, and their pharmacological process leading to neurodegenerative decay was experimental data, which is why the database contained the manufacturing methods for these drugs. In the cyberpunk world, pharmaceutical equipment was strictly regulated. To purchase it, you had to register a company. But once you registered, you either had to accept hostile actions from other companies or be forced to sell shares. If you didn't register or refused to sell shares, other companies would come at you hard; super-corporate tanks and combat robots would be at your door the next day. Even registering patents would come with numerous involuntary complications. In other words, in the cyberpunk world, if you were just a regular person, you'd know nothing. You'd be stuck doing high-risk jobs to earn some money to buy expensive prosthetics and drugs, then keep working. If you entered the corporate ranks, you'd just become another regular person who knew a bit more, merely a tool for making money or oppressing those below you. Even if you started your own company, it would only be an assistant for the truly super corporations. If you refused to work for them, you'd be crushed. This dynamic seriously hindered technological progress in the cyberpunk world. But in this world, it hadn't reached that extreme yet—even if someone were to come after your company, it wouldn't be the next day; it would take a week or two. "Boss, I discovered your company isn't as simple as I thought. Turns out you're the owner of Bloom Corporation, the one NYPD is always talking about. The NYPD's second engineering payment has been received, a total of $340,000. Plus, with the loan I got for you, after deducting last month's wages and expenses, we have $560,000 remaining. I've roughly calculated that Professor Connors' budget is around $240,000, and I'll need about $60,000. That leaves $260,000. What do you plan to do with it?" "Start two new projects. I'll tell you more soon." Leo may not have had a lot of money, but his cash flow was healthy. If he hadn't told Hammond to hold back a little, that kid could've gotten him another $300,000 in loans. "Got it." After hanging up the phone, Leo began explaining his ideas to Dr. Connors. First up: the slow-release agent. The Alpha Neuro-Slow-Release agent, as a slow-release drug, consists of two main components: one is Painkiller and other auxiliary drugs, and the other is the slow-release agent—used to extend the drug's release time. Drugs manufactured with this concept were also common in this world, so Connors quickly understood and realized what Leo was aiming for. Using the side effects of Painkiller—neurodegenerative decay—to balance out the lizard serum's lizard-like effects. And by using slow-release components, they could dilute the effects of both drugs, allowing the body to maintain a human appearance and structure. This new pharmacological structure would have two effects: Leo could regain his health, lifespan aside.Painkiller would reduce Leo's sensitivity to pain, functioning as a "pain editor"—a feature of high-end prosthetics. With the use of cybernetic implants to control the drug ratios, Leo could even adjust the amount of lizard serum in critical moments, giving his body a performance boost. Conveniently, there was already a cybernetic implant to accommodate these components—a secondary heart. With slight modifications to the secondary heart, swapping out the artificial blood for the three components, and using a miniature motor for control, they could balance everything out. Of course, considering the dangers of the lizard DNA, very few people other than Leo would be able to use such an implant. After all, if the cybernetic implant failed, it would undoubtedly result in "cyber-lizard psychosis." This cybernetic implant was exclusively designed to solve Leo's physical issues, and Leo himself would largely handle the research and development. Next up: further research into the lizard serum. Injected into the human body, it caused abnormalities in both the subject's mind and body. But what if it was used for tissue cultivation instead? Dr. Connors' answer was: "Let's give it a try." The human body is divided into several structural levels: cells, tissues, organs, systems, and the body as a whole. In terms of restoring a damaged human body, the lizard serum had been proven to be underwhelming, but deeper research might yield different results. Once Connors calmed down, several ideas immediately came to his mind: "Then we should start from complex to simple, skipping the body and system levels. We can first test the lizard serum's effects on restoring human organs. Next, we'll look at single types of tissue cells, and finally, cellular-level restoration—" Connors paused mid-sentence: "I suddenly feel this will definitely lead to results. Based on the biological modeling you gave me, after lizard transformation, the proportion of reptilian red blood cells doesn't increase as much as mammalian cells. Maybe... my goodness, maybe we could actually achieve 'artificial blood'!" Peter, who had been sitting and listening, suddenly perked up: "That's right! We could inject the drug directly into bone marrow, boosting blood production and creating a mixture of reptilian and mammalian red blood cells. As the drug's effects wear off, the lizard red blood cells would gradually die off. And the best part is, mammalian red blood cells don't contain DNA, so there's almost no risk of lizard transformation! It would be relatively easy to monitor!" Artificial blood! Leo's eyes lit up too! Blood is a massive, highly demanded-medical product! Blood shortages are not just a problem for one country, but a global issue! Blood supply is a vital part of national healthcare policies, but the number of people willing to donate blood decreases every year, while the demand for blood keeps increasing. In this world, research institutions estimated that in the past year alone, the supply-demand gap for blood exceeded 40 million units globally—a market that is nearly impossible to meet! If this concept could become a reality... They wouldn't just become one of the most valuable pharmaceutical companies in the world, but they could also save thousands of patients. Leo had a feeling this idea would definitely succeed. "Then let's start experimenting, Professor Connors. If you need a test subject to donate bone marrow stem cells, I'll be the first to volunteer." "This wasn't the result I expected, but it's certainly an exciting breakthrough." Connors sincerely said to Leo, "If it weren't for you, I might have gotten stuck in a dead end." "Let's make a list of the things we need to buy," Leo said, rubbing his hands together. This discovery had significant applications in both worlds. (End of the chapter)