"Ha, I dare not presume to offer such insightful advice. I have three strategies here, superior, medium, and inferior, that can resolve this current situation. At the very least, we can prevent this drug from causing a widespread and irreversible crisis."
Chen Xu was startled: "Three strategies? I can't think of a single one right now, and you already have three... Alright, tell me about them."
Guan Yi's eyes gleamed with confidence: "The worst-case scenario is to send the drug samples and test reports to the US Drug Safety Testing System, also known as CDER, for a professional evaluation and judgment. At the same time, we should also release the information to the media for exposure. If you have your teacher do it, it should have a significant impact."
"Is this just a bad idea?" Chen Xu was very frustrated because this was exactly what he was thinking, and yet his idea was being called a bad idea... It was inevitable that he would feel unhappy.
"Of course, that's only a last resort," Guan Yi said, sounding like a shrewd and capable businesswoman. "Think about it. Your teacher is renowned and has achieved considerable success in medicine. Rabies Buster is probably his creation, right? But that's not enough! You must know how powerful the organization that can develop such a drug is. And in my opinion, using this drug can cultivate a group of outstanding talents in just three years. That is to say, in just three years, a group of frustrated university students can be transformed into top-notch laboratory talents! How enormous is that temptation? You must know that top talents are extremely rare. Even though the world is generally highly educated, the members of those top research organizations haven't changed for decades. You can imagine how profound that advanced knowledge is; it's something that ordinary people can't possibly handle."
"So even if your teacher uses his fame to expose the side effects of this drug, human nature is such that people won't give up until they hit a brick wall. Who would be willing to give up before they've suffered a bloody defeat? Driven by enormous profits, even if there are dangers, some people would probably be willing to try. Especially those elderly scientists, if they could shorten their lifespan by a few years but achieve earth-shattering results, they would probably be willing to die for it!"
"Then what should we do?"
Guan Yi smiled and said, "Don't be in such a hurry. I only mentioned the worst option just now. Now let me tell you about the middle option."
"...I'm all ears."
"The middle strategy is mainly in response to the worst strategy. The biggest problem with the worst strategy is that no one sees the side effects of this drug. People only see the benefits and not the drawbacks. So, we need to make them see them!"
"How do we do it?"
"Given SMMH's scholarly background, he must have already researched this drug. According to my guess, Professor SMMH should have something even more advanced than the drug used by mad dogs, right?"
“Uh…” Chen Xu vaguely guessed her thoughts and nodded, “I discussed this issue with my teacher before. There are indeed new drugs that are much better than this one. But the better the drug, the greater the side effects.”
“That would be great!” Guan Yi smiled coldly. “We can find a demonstration site and advertise this drug under the name of a shell company, so that the whole world knows about this new drug! Even… well, honey, what I’m about to say might offend you, but it’s just a suggestion. I hope you don’t think I’m heartless.”
Chen Xu's uneasy premonition grew stronger.
"Do you mean to..."
"That's right, I think you guessed it. I'm going to use this thing to experiment on real people, find a group of pitiful victims, even... use children! Because children are a special group; they are protected and valued. Of course, neither of us wants such a tragedy to happen around us, and among our enemies, there can't be any children. They are innocent. But you can choose a country you don't like, for example... Honey, I know you don't have a good impression of the Japanese, and you don't like those self-aggrandizing Koreans either. We can let them do this experiment, and pin the blame on those who tried to murder you last time. That's killing two birds with one stone..."
Seeing Chen Xu's increasingly grim expression, Guan Yi sighed, "I know this is morally reprehensible, but it's the only option. My suggestion is to target those arrogant and ignorant Koreans. Look, I've already found a scapegoat. Hwang Woo-suk, the greatest counterfeiter in history. We can use him..."
"This..." Chen Xu's expression was very unpleasant.
In fact, Chen Xu wasn't a conservative person. He had always disliked those Korean bastards—a tiny country, not even worthy of being called a country! Yet they were so arrogant, claiming the essence of the Chinese nation as their own, and claiming famous Chinese figures as their own. A bunch of pathetic wretches who have no history and arbitrarily claim ancestry, a lowly nation where everyone brazenly fabricates their appearance!
If war were to break out between the two countries one day, then no matter how many of them died, Chen Xu would simply shout and celebrate with others!
But honestly, he couldn't bring himself to harm a group of children like that!
This may be considered outdated, but it is precisely where righteousness lies.
But could he blame Guan Yi? How could he? Guan Yi was just making a plan; she was doing it all for him, even though she knew that he would inevitably feel uncomfortable after saying those words.
Guan Yi sighed: "I know this method is immoral, and you wouldn't accept it. Alright, I'll finish what I have to say. Anyway, there's still a final, best option; you can choose for yourself."
Seeing Chen Xu nod, Guan Yi said, "You've probably heard of Hwang Woo-suk. His audacity is beyond outrageous. He openly fabricated stories, announcing that he was the first in the world to successfully cultivate human embryonic stem cells using eggs, and even claimed to have overcome the scientific challenge of cloning embryonic stem cells using patient somatic cells, causing a sensation worldwide. The Koreans recorded his name in history, bestowing upon him the honors of 'Father of Cloning' and 'Korea's Top Scientist.' They provided him with billions of won for his research, and his name appeared in elementary school textbooks. But in the end, it was discovered… he was actually fabricating the story. The pathetic Koreans, among their habitual fabricators, emerged a freak. Ironically, they themselves were deceived by this freak."
Chen Xu couldn't help but laugh. He found that Guan Yi could be incredibly cunning when he was being sarcastic!
"Hwang Woo-suk is currently accused of fraud and is having a tough time. He definitely needs a major experiment to change his situation. We can use him. Under the guise of the organization that tried to harm you last time, we can give him the research data. Given his eagerness for quick success and his current desperation to reverse the situation, he will definitely start the research with great fanfare. Then... the poor guy will find that it's all just a pipe dream, but our goal will have been achieved. After all, Hwang Woo-suk is already infamous throughout the academic world for the colossal lie he told. This approach will bring this drug to rock bottom. Then SMMH can step in, using the media to amplify the situation. I will use my family's influence to help you in the US Congress and the UN General Assembly to have this drug listed as a prohibited substance under international conventions. Only then will our goal truly be achieved."
"This is indeed a good plan!" Chen Xu exclaimed sincerely.
He also knew of Hwang Woo-suk, of course, through his association with him as an "entertainment figure".
This person was indeed the perfect scapegoat, and the "new drug" was incredibly effective, but its side effects were also severe. If used for experiments, it would cause strong dependence, brain damage, and other serious side effects within two or three months—these side effects seemed to be directly proportional to the "drug's efficacy."
If someone takes this drug for two or three consecutive months... Chen Xu had already asked Xiao Min, and Xiao Min's conclusion was: when the side effects manifest as symptoms, it means that the damage to the brain has reached a very serious level! At this point, even if the medication is stopped, the backlash caused by the strong drug dependence will result in anything from a significant drop in IQ, meaning becoming an idiot, to brain death!
In other words... if this method is used, those who are tested will be doomed!
This approach, if used on a child, always weighed heavily on Chen Xu's mind. But as Guan Yi had said, once this drug was developed, many parents, hoping their children would succeed, would likely use it on them, never imagining it would harm them. Moreover, the impact on children would be a thousand times greater than on adults!
"Honey," Guan Yi suddenly said, "do you feel that you can't bring yourself to hurt those children?"
Chen Xu nodded, and Guan Yi continued, "Then, what if the subjects of the experiment are those boastful Koreans? What if they are adults?"
"That makes me feel much better. At least, I don't feel too guilty." A glint of light flashed in Chen Xu's eyes. Yes, the last hacking incident caused a power outage in Shanghai, and he personally hunted down several South Korean hackers, directly raising their voltage to 10,000 volts, electrocuting dozens of guys. There were some accidental injuries, but Chen Xu felt no guilt at all—they were asking for it!
"Honey, I have to say something to you here!" Guan Yi's expression turned serious. "Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts! Who cares if they're adults or children? Besides, I know a thing or two about South Korea's education system these days. In South Korean official propaganda, China hasn't changed at all in decades, still so poor and backward. Hmph, I imagine that in a tiny, impoverished place like Korea, the Koreans are arrogant and self-important, claiming ancestors and embellishing their own reputations! What difference is there between them, adults and children? Growing up under such an education, they're bound to be a bunch of arrogant and conceited new Koreans. Why should we pity them? Why should we care if they're adults or children?! You know, in tiny Korea, for ordinary residents, eating beef is a luxury, buying some fruit is like celebrating the New Year. Koreans always say: 'We have Samsung!' But what else do they have besides Samsung? During the 1997 financial crisis, large South Korean companies..." Half of them are bankrupt! Yet they still think they're one of the Four Asian Tigers. Chinese people face discrimination in South Korea; they live in their own dream world, believing that in China, people ride bicycles everywhere and homes lack even basic appliances like sofas. This isn't a misunderstanding, but rather the result of their official propaganda. Like this year's snowstorm, South Korean media unanimously used photos of impoverished, disaster-stricken rural areas in China to portray the situation of the general population, leading Koreans to believe that China is so poor they can't afford to eat. Why should such a nation receive sympathy? When Qin Shi Huang conquered the Zhao state and returned to Handan, he pointed to the children and said to Wang Jian: "Looking at these children reminds me of myself back then. I'm truly afraid they'll grow up and seek revenge..." So Qin Shi Huang ordered the massacre of the entire city of Handan, sparing neither women nor children! Remember, even a small wolf is still a wolf; must we wait until they're fully grown before we strike?
These words, spoken sharply and sternly, made Chen Xu break out in a cold sweat. He finally bowed and said, "Thank you for your wise advice, my dear wife. I know I was wrong. Alright, then suggest the best course of action. If you don't want the best course, then I'll use this middle course. Anyway, I've already embarked on this path, and I don't expect to be able to get away with it cleanly."
The word "virtuous wife" made Guan Yi's face light up with pride. This woman is truly a rare gem in the world. Chen Xu thought to himself, "Luckily, she's not my enemy."
He knew that Guan Yi's advice was also for his own good, and he was deeply moved.
“This best strategy is the opposite of the middle and worst strategies.” Guan Yi thought for a moment and said, “This thing has advantages, but it also has disadvantages, and the final result is that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages… I just thought of something, I don’t know if you have considered it.”
"What?"
How did the rabid dog get this drug? What was the purpose of giving it to him?
Chen Xu scratched his head: "He'll know when he wakes up."
"No need. I can roughly guess. There are two possibilities," Guan Yi said confidently. "First, the organization that developed this drug is connected to mad dogs, so they obtained it. And second... you have to understand, this is Las Vegas! This is the gambling capital! I haven't personally witnessed any other uses for this drug, but today I learned about a very important function..."
"Used for gambling?!"
Guan Yi nodded: "At the very least, he's a skilled player. If such a player wants to win money, not every casino can stop him. In a casino, you should know that this is a very taboo thing!"
Chen Xu nodded to indicate that he understood.
Casinos may be businesses open to the public, but they are not ATMs. If such a system existed that allowed ordinary people to be trained into skilled gamblers, then all casinos would likely have to close down!
“If it’s the first point, that’s fine, but if it’s the second possibility, then the motives of the person spreading this drug are very questionable.” Guan Yi thought for a moment, picked up the phone on the table, dialed an internal number, and said, “This is Guan Yi. Now, go and check the business situation of major casinos over the past month. Check if a group of gambling experts have suddenly appeared, especially those with superb mental arithmetic and card counting abilities. Go and investigate, and then compile information on these people for me.”
After hanging up the phone, Guan Yi said, "We'll know the answer soon."
Chen Xu understood what she meant: "You mean, someone has developed this drug in order to target casinos in Las Vegas?"
"Unlikely. Anyone who dares to do that is courting death. Anyone who can run a casino in Las Vegas and survive to this day has a powerful background and is incredibly wealthy. The casino business involves countless details and is far more complex than it appears on the surface... Anyone who is tired of living and dares to try to take over the entire Las Vegas casino business at the same time, I can only say that this guy is either an extremely crazy desperado or an idiot!"
"So you mean..."
"If the goal is to train gambling masters, this drug shouldn't be given to Mad Dog and his gang. In Las Vegas, there are plenty of people whose gambling skills are mediocre at best. If the real aim is to cultivate masters and use this drug to drastically improve their mental arithmetic and card-counting abilities, then if I were the mastermind, I would select a group of people with exceptional acting skills—in other words, those who are particularly adept at cheating. Such targeted training would definitely be more promising than the likes of Mad Dog!"
Chen Xu understood.
Their goal is definitely not the casino!
Guan Yi was right. Although this mad dog's skill level had greatly improved after taking the drug, it was still only average and not without flaws... At the very least, this guy's acting ability was too poor. Many times, the quality of his cards was written all over his face. Such a person could play small games, but he was probably not qualified to cause too much trouble for these high-end casinos through gambling.
If we really want to cultivate gambling masters, then we should follow Guan Yi's advice. After all, some people are skilled at deception, and some are adept at card counting. And this drug can improve card counting ability, plus those natural-born swindlers... tsk tsk, this is the perfect combination!
“I already have a plan in mind, but we'll have to wait and see the results of the investigation.” Guan Yi paused for a moment, then said, “Honey, is something big about to happen?”
"Huh? Why do you say that?"
“I rarely see you so nervous,” Guan Yi sighed softly. “If this drug is just addictive, as you and Zhan Jing said, you shouldn’t be so nervous. Even if it can be classified as a drug, there are plenty of drugs, but I haven’t seen you and your teacher wipe out the poppy plantations in North America and Southeast Asia. Why are you so concerned about something like this?”
Chen Xu was stunned when he heard this question.
He was nervous, well, a little nervous... but the reason for his nervousness wasn't because of this "smart drug," but because of this huge scam!
Also, the European Tarot Organization, which developed this drug.
Although Xiaomin and Chen Fei both said that this century-long scam violated the rules and was destined to be eradicated by the will of Heaven, how would it be eradicated? And who would eradicate it?
If the Heavenly Dao were to act on its own, the consequences would be terrifying. It wouldn't just wipe out organizations like Tarot and X, but all of humanity! The Heavenly Dao doesn't care who did it; if it's going to punish, it will punish the entire civilization!
It's like how it was with the previous civilizations on Earth.
Therefore, as Chen Xu gained a deeper understanding of this "century-long hoax," he increasingly felt that the disaster it would bring was far more complex than he had imagined. As the protagonist, to avoid being erased by fate and to prevent himself and those around him from being dragged down by the mistakes of others, he naturally had to be extremely concerned about the development of this hoax.
That was a matter of life and death, at least a matter of his own life. How could he not be nervous?!
However, he really didn't know how to answer Guan Yi's question, so he could only vaguely reply, "Because the organization that manufactures this drug... well, if I'm not mistaken, it should be an organization in Europe called 'Tarot'."
"Tarot?!"
"That's right. Dr. Li used to belong to this organization. He was probably the initial developer of this drug. Later, for some reason, Dr. Li betrayed the organization and joined my teacher. As a result, Taro launched assassination attempts against me and Dr. Li, sending wave after wave of assassins. To save me, my teacher finally took action, infiltrating and taking over the entire US military defense system..."
"Ah?!" Guan Yi covered her mouth and exclaimed in surprise. So what her father said about SMMH taking over the US military's defense system was true!
"The teacher ordered the US military to be deployed, directly destroying one of Taro's assassin organizations and forcing Taro to abandon his pursuit of me. The two sides reached a compromise. But it is clear that this compromise is only temporary. If Taro becomes strong enough to not have to fear the teacher's threats, we will probably have to become enemies again."
"So you're worried that Taro's development of this drug will advance their technological level to a new level?"
"That's part of the reason," Chen Xu said vaguely. "Anyway, this matter is inextricably linked to Tarot. Although the harm of this drug outweighs the benefits in the long run, it probably won't be easily resisted in the short term. I'm not worried that they'll develop an antidote, because there's no antidote for this drug. I'm just worried that under the influence of this drug, Tarot's technological level will advance by at least three or four steps in ten years. In that case, they might have the means to confront my teacher."
Do we need to climb three or four steps to compete with SMMH?!
Guan Yi was utterly shocked!
While the Tarot organization is mysterious, that's only true for ordinary people. Given Guan Yi's status and position, he naturally knows of its existence. Although he doesn't know exactly who belongs to the organization, its power is undeniable.
Even an organization like this is three or four levels below SMMH... Is SMMH really a god?
But Guan Yi still didn't know the truth...
The Tarot data is far inferior to the information Chen Xu has, by more than three or four levels. If Chen Xu were willing to share some of his information, the gap between them would be enormous, beyond even the best!
Chen Xu's words were not entirely true. He wasn't worried about the growth of Tarot, because the eighty-year gap was there for all to see. Once Tongchi Island was built, Tarot and the X organization would all have to take a backseat! What he was worried about was a massive scam of the century. The faster Tarot developed, the closer it got to the punishment of "Heaven's Way"!
But these words could not be spoken aloud.
“I understand,” Guan Yi said. “Tarot is indeed a very powerful organization. Even our family only has a superficial understanding of their intelligence… I will inform the family leader later and give you all the information we have collected about Tarot. It may be of some help… They will eventually become your enemy, and therefore they will eventually become my enemy as well. It seems that we will need to increase our investigation efforts against this organization in the future.”
Hearing Guan Yi say this, Chen Xu was deeply moved.
For a large family like the Butler's, rashly making enemies, especially those of equal strength, is definitely not in line with the family's development strategy. Yet Guan Yi, because of him, single-handedly labeled this organization as the Butler's enemy. How could he possibly repay such a debt of gratitude?
It seems the only option left is to fight to the death!
Feeling Chen Xu's strange hands roaming restlessly over her body, Guan Yi scolded, "Stop fooling around! Do you still want to hear the best strategy?"
Chen Xu then remembered that they were still discussing serious business!
He immediately adopted a humble demeanor: "Please enlighten me, my dear wife."
Guan Yi rolled his eyes at him: "Perfect timing. My original plan for this superior strategy was aimed at the organization that developed this drug. Now it seems quite coincidental. This way, we can also deliver a fatal blow to Tarot, making it impossible for them to recover for ten years!"
Chapter 355 The Death of the Mad Dog
You just said that the drug developed by Professor SMMH is much more effective at improving IQ than this drug, but it also has much more severe side effects, and those side effects take effect much faster, is that right?
“That’s right.” Chen Xu nodded: “That kind of medicine, according to my teacher, could probably even make a pig recognize words after taking it. Of course, it would also kill it in about two or three months… The effect of this medicine is that the stronger the effect, the faster the death. It’s all directly proportional.”
Guan Yi thought for a moment: "Then I wonder if Professor SMMH could control the toxicity and efficacy of the drug, preferably... extending the three-month period to three years. If it's three years, then the drug's efficacy shouldn't be bad either, right?"