Chapter 39: All Conspiracies Are Paper Tigers

At the same time, inside a tenth-floor suite of a five-star hotel in Shanghai, Sun Xiaoyan was having a serious discussion with Li Yuansheng.

"Dean Li, you are a veteran of Tianhai Pharmaceuticals and the person my grandfather trusts the most. The situation is urgent, so I will be direct: if Wanhai Technology terminates our contract, do you have any alternative plans for our new drug development?"

"This..."

Li Yuansheng frowned deeply. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "I do have alternatives, but, Ms. Sun, because we have always partnered with Wanhai Technology, we haven't paid much attention to other research institutions and have had very little contact with them. So..."

Seeing Li Yuansheng hesitating, Sun Xiaoyan felt a surge of anxiety and couldn't help but say, "Dean Li, I don't treat you as an outsider, so please don't treat me as one. Just speak your mind."

"Alright then!"

Seeing the anxiety on Sun Xiaoyan’s face, Li Yuansheng let go of his reservations and said bluntly, "If we go looking for a new research institution now, because we have never worked with them before—and since the news of Wanhai Technology terminating our contract won't stay hidden for long—they will surely seize the opportunity to demand higher prices once they find out."

"In that case, I suspect the terms we would have to agree to for a new institution would be nearly identical to what we promised Wanhai Technology."

Sun Xiaoyan’s expression darkened. She acknowledged that Li Yuansheng was not fear-mongering; his analysis was based on sound logic.

"Then what other options do we have? How about..."

It was Ma Ping who spoke. She glanced cautiously at Sun Xiaoyan and suggested, "Should we ask Young Master Xuan to try and negotiate with Mr. Wan again?"

Before Sun Xiaoyan could respond, Li Yuansheng said with a grim face, "Xiao Ma, what kind of terrible idea is that? Send him? He’s practically hoping for this situation. How could he possibly help the company negotiate in good faith?"

The group fell into a heavy silence. The situation was thorny; no matter how they looked at it, it seemed like an unsolvable dilemma, weighing heavily on their minds.

"Wan Kai is really something else. Wanhai Technology has so many new drug research projects sitting in the lab that can't generate any value. If he just released them, we could all make money together. Why insist on doing this? What’s the point?"

"Hmm?"

Li Yuansheng’s casual remark seemed to spark something in Sun Xiaoyan. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she asked as if it were a casual, unintentional question, "Dean Li, how do you know Wanhai Technology has so many new drug research projects? Are they all finished products?"

Li Yuansheng gave a bitter smile. "Perhaps you aren't aware, Ms. Sun, but I have a senior colleague who works in Wanhai Technology’s R&D department as a team leader. I ran into him at a seminar once, and he mentioned it himself over dinner that night."

Li Yuansheng’s eyes lit up as he spoke, his passion for research piquing. "My colleague said that his team alone developed three new drugs last year, all of which have reached Phase II clinical trials. They could enter the new drug application stage very soon, followed by market release."

"But because Wan Kai wants to wait for a higher price, these drugs—despite being ready for the market—are being shelved. They can't be converted into actual profit. You know how it is, Ms. Sun: no profit means no commission, and no commission means no bonuses. My colleague was quite disgruntled, which is why he complained a bit after having a few drinks."

Listening to Li Yuansheng, Sun Xiaoyan’s tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly. A new plan had already formed in her mind. She smoothed her hair and asked nonchalantly, "And what do these new drugs treat?"

"Snap!"

Li Yuansheng slapped his thigh in frustration. "That’s what makes me so angry! My colleague was researching drugs for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer's, and gout. They perfectly match the needs of Tianhai Pharmaceuticals. It’s just a pity we can't get our hands on them!"

"Oh!"

Sun Xiaoyan’s eyes narrowed. "Are the files for these new drugs in your colleague’s laboratory? Is his lab on the twentieth floor?"

Li Yuansheng searched his memory, unsure. "Maybe the twenty-first floor? I’m not entirely certain. I just remember it’s the Third New Drug R&D Group. As for the files, they should have been submitted to the company, but researchers usually keep a copy on their computers out of habit..."

He suddenly stopped, looked up at Sun Xiaoyan, and exclaimed in surprise, "Ms. Sun, you don't mean to..."

A mysterious smile played on Sun Xiaoyan’s lips. To Li Yuansheng’s question, she only teased, "Guess!"

A moment later, she said with profound meaning, "In the face of time, all conspiracies are paper tigers!"

...

Inside the room, Qin Zhong slowly opened his eyes. Last night, he had dragged Xiao Yingyong along, exhausting every ounce of his strength until they finally found an empty, secure room.

The moment he touched the sofa, he felt himself lose consciousness. In his stupor, he seemed to have returned to the warehouse where he worked before the apocalypse.

In his dream, he saw his deceased colleagues. At first, everyone seemed normal, but soon, it was as if the events of the Disaster Day were repeating themselves. Monsters were eating people everywhere, and the entire dream turned blood-red.

When Qin Zhong opened his eyes, the remnants of the bloodshed and slaughter still lingered in his mind. He rubbed his temples, his head throbbing—likely one of the many aftereffects of narrowly escaping death yesterday.

"Xiao Ying, are you awake?"

Because the room had been locked, it was pitch black. Even with his eyes open, Qin Zhong could see nothing but deep darkness.

"Brother Qin, I'm here."

As he spoke, a hand touched his arm. Qin Zhong took hold of it, and through the familiar warmth of her palm, he knew Xiao Yingyong was doing okay.

Relieved that she was by his side, he asked, "Are you alright? Any injuries?"

"Swish!"

A bright light flashed. Qin Zhong shielded his eyes, and once they adjusted, he saw that Xiao Yingyong had turned on a flashlight.

"Where did you get that?" Qin Zhong asked. "Didn't yours fall out when the boat capsized?"

Xiao Yingyong replied, "I woke up a while ago and searched the room in the dark. I found it in a drawer. I didn't turn it on earlier because I was afraid of waking you."

"Ugh!"

As Qin Zhong sat up, his entire body felt as if it were falling apart. Every movement brought pain, and he frowned. "It’s a miracle we survived this time. It looks like we’ll be late getting to the Hang Lung Plaza..."

"Brother Qin, but my mother..."

"Xiao Ying, if your mother is still alive, a few days' delay won't change her fate. If she’s already... then there’s no point in rushing. Look at us—our equipment is gone, and we are both seriously injured..."

Qin Zhong didn't mince words about their reality. In their current state, rushing to the Hang Lung Plaza would be no different than walking to their deaths if they encountered any danger.

Xiao Yingyong didn't say anything more to his words; she simply lowered her head, lost in thought.