At the same time, in a suite on the tenth floor of a five-star hotel somewhere in the UK, Lyra Solis was engaged in a serious conversation with Walter Shaw.
"Director Shaw, you've been with Celestis Pharmaceuticals for years. You were one of my grandfather's most trusted people. The situation is urgent now, so I'll get straight to the point. If Blackwood Biotech terminates the partnership with us, do you have any alternative plans for the new drug development?"
"Well…"
Walter furrowed his brows tightly. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "There are a few potential options. But, Miss Solis, because we've always been working closely with Blackwood Biotech, we've barely maintained any communication with other R&D institutions. To be honest, we've never seriously considered other partners…"
Noticing Walter's hesitant tone, Lyra grew anxious and urged him, "Director Shaw, I've never treated you as an outsider, and I hope you won't treat me like one either. Please, just speak plainly."
"Alright then," Walter sighed. Seeing the worry on Lyra's face, he dropped his reservations and said directly, "If we try to approach a new R&D team now, it won't be easy. We've never worked with them before, and once they find out that we've parted ways with Blackwood, they'll definitely seize the chance to jack up the price…"
"In that case, I'd say the terms we'd have to offer would be almost the same—if not worse—than what we promised Blackwood Biotech."
Lyra's expression darkened. She couldn't deny that Walter's concerns were valid. His analysis was based on facts, not exaggeration.
"So what can we do then? Unless…"
It was Evelyn Ward who spoke next. She cast a cautious glance at Lyra before suggesting, "Should we ask Lennox to talk to Mr. Blackwood again?"
Before Lyra could reply, Walter Shaw immediately scowled. "Evelyn, what kind of ridiculous idea is that? Him? He's been waiting for this to happen—there's no way he'd genuinely negotiate on behalf of the company."
Silence fell over the room. The current situation was a deadlock—whichever way they looked at it, there seemed to be no easy solution. Everyone was deeply troubled.
"It's really ridiculous," someone muttered. "Blackwood Biotech has so many advanced drugs sitting in their labs. If they released them, everyone could profit together. What's the point of locking them away like this?"
"Hm?"
Walter's offhand remark seemed to ignite a spark in Lyra's mind. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she asked in an almost casual tone, "Director Shaw, how do you know Blackwood Biotech has several mature drug prototypes?"
Walter gave a wry smile. "Perhaps you didn't know, Miss Solis, but I have an old colleague who's now leading one of their new drug research teams. We ran into each other at a scientific forum last year. Over dinner, he mentioned it himself."
At this point, Walter's eyes lit up as his passion for research briefly overtook his concern. "My colleague told me that just his group alone developed three new drugs last year. All of them are already in Phase II clinical trials—very close to the application stage and eventually going to market."
"But because Mr. Blackwood insists on holding out for the highest price, those drugs—despite their potential—have been shelved. Without being commercialized, they're not generating returns. And without profits, there are no bonuses. My colleague was quite bitter about it and let slip a few complaints after some drinks."
As Walter spoke, Lyra's tightly knitted brows gradually eased. A new plan was beginning to take shape in her mind. She gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked offhandedly, "Do you know what those drugs are for?"
"Bam!"
Walter slapped his thigh in frustration. "That's what makes it so infuriating. They're treatments for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, and gout. All three fall perfectly within Celestis Pharmaceuticals' focus. It's just a shame we can't get our hands on them."
"Oh?"
Lyra's eyes narrowed further. "Are the research materials stored in your colleague's lab? Was it on the twentieth floor?"
Walter paused, then said uncertainly, "I think it's the twenty-first floor. I can't remember clearly, but I'm pretty sure it's the New Drug Development Team Three. As for the data… well, it should've been submitted to the company, but most researchers tend to keep their own backup copies on their computers…"
He suddenly seemed to realize something and looked up at Lyra with a start. "Miss Solis, you're not thinking of…"
A mysterious smile tugged at Lyra's lips. Instead of answering, she simply teased, "Take a guess."
A moment later, she added with deeper meaning, "In the face of time, all conspiracies are just paper tigers."
In a separate room elsewhere, Kael Voss slowly opened his eyes.
The night before, he had used up the last of his strength dragging Scout Finch through the chaos until they'd stumbled upon a secure, vacant room. He had barely collapsed onto the couch before slipping into unconsciousness.
In his dreams, he returned to the world before the apocalypse—to the warehouse where he used to work. He saw his long-dead colleagues, who at first appeared normal. But soon, the dream spiraled into a nightmare, a repeat of Doomsday, where monstrous creatures devoured everything in sight. The entire scene turned crimson with blood.
Even after waking, his mind was still gripped by the horrors of the dream. He rubbed his temples; his head throbbed. It was no doubt one of many lingering effects from narrowly escaping death yesterday.
"Scout, are you awake?"
The room was pitch black—the door shut tightly. Even with his eyes open, Kael could see nothing but darkness.
"I'm here, Kael."
Her voice came from beside him, and a hand reached out to touch his arm. He instinctively grasped it. The familiar warmth told him she was still in decent condition.
Relieved, Kael asked, "How are you holding up? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Click!
A sudden beam of light lit up the room. Kael shielded his eyes with a hand until they adjusted. Scout had turned on a small flashlight.
"Where did you get that?" Kael asked. "Didn't you lose yours when the boat capsized?"
"I woke up a bit earlier," Scout explained. "Felt around in the dark and found it in one of the drawers. I didn't turn it on right away so I wouldn't disturb you."
"Ugh…"
Kael sat up and immediately felt like his whole body was falling apart. Every joint ached. He grimaced. "We're lucky we made it out alive. But at this rate, we'll have to delay heading to the Helix Tower…"
"But Kael… my mum…"
"Scout, if your mum is still alive, then a few days' delay won't make a difference. And if she's already…" Kael trailed off, then continued, "then no amount of rushing will help. Look at us—our gear's gone, and we're both injured…"
His tone was blunt—cutting straight to reality. In their current state, heading straight to Helix Tower would be suicide.
Scout didn't argue. She merely lowered her head and said nothing, her thoughts hidden in silence.