New chapter!
Thanks for all the support!
x
“Mr. Cross, there is no need to be so heartless. Business is about negotiation.”
Both men stiffened.
They had not expected Adrian to ignore the usual rules so completely.
The negotiation had barely started, and he was already calling security to throw them out.
“There is nothing left to discuss,” Adrian said.
“We will produce and sell the drug ourselves. Everyone else follows my rules.”
As soon as he finished, Evelyn spoke up.
“Mr. Cross, customs officials and representatives from the American, British, Japanese, and South Korean embassies have arrived with people from Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer International, and several other companies. They are already at the gate.”
“Good,” Adrian said with a faint smile.
“The world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies are all here. Let them in. This is also a good chance to meet the ambassadors.”
He had expected all of this.
Those pharmaceutical companies had more money than they knew what to do with.
If they wanted what he held, they would begin with temptation, acquisition, and pressure.
Bringing embassy representatives was almost inevitable.
And Adrian needed these people if he wanted to sell the treatment overseas.
They could not refuse him, but giving them advance notice would allow sales channels to open faster.
Soon, the large conference room was packed.
Most of the people present were representatives of major pharmaceutical companies, along with the people Adrian truly wanted to meet.
The pharma representatives stared at him like starving wolves.
They already knew who Adrian was.
Once the cure truly entered public view, they could no longer stay on the sidelines.
“Mr. Cross, Hoffmann-Roche Ltd. would like to hire you as our chief technology officer,” a young blond man said first.
“For that purpose, we are prepared to spend one billion U.S. dollars building a world-class biological science laboratory for you, with no less than one hundred million dollars in annual research funding.”
“In addition, we will handle your U.S. green card, residence, relocation expenses, and every other need.”
“Finally, for the HIV/AIDS cure, we are willing to pay ten billion U.S. dollars for a buyout, plus ten percent of future revenue.”
Donald, the Hoffmann-Roche representative, spoke with complete confidence.
Everyone who heard the terms drew in a breath.
The offer was terrifying.
It crushed almost every condition the others had prepared.
But it was not difficult to understand.
Hoffmann-Roche had grown fiercely within only a few years, with a record annual revenue of fifty billion dollars.
Yet that success relied on only three top drugs, all with limited patent life.
If the company wanted to secure its position near the top of the global industry, it needed both a top-tier drug and a top-tier scientist.
Compared with the HIV/AIDS technology itself, they valued Adrian even more.
They were willing to pay an enormous price to hire him.
Of course, their confidence came from one fact everyone had already investigated.
Umbrella still carried two billion dollars in debt.
That led them to a mistaken judgment: Umbrella had not solved its funding problem yet.
And with Adrian’s age and achievements, they had already formed the image of a scientist obsessed with research.
Unfortunately, Adrian was not a pure research fanatic.
His ambition was to develop Umbrella.
“Mr. Cross, we are also willing to build a world-class laboratory and provide no less than one hundred million dollars in annual funding…”
“Johnson & Johnson is willing as well. In addition, we are the strongest pharmaceutical company in the world…”
After a brief silence, representatives from every company hurried to state their terms.
Watching all of this, the two men from OneHeart and Southgate were completely stunned.
“They have lost their minds. These foreigners have lost their minds. Does money mean nothing to them? Ten billion dollars at a time?”
“Daniel, why are they doing this? Paying a fortune for the formula is one thing, but why spend so much to hire that young man? A top laboratory, no less than one hundred million a year in research funding? Are they insane?”
When Daniel heard his old friend’s words, his expression stiffened.
He had realized it now.
The most valuable thing was not the formula for the HIV/AIDS cure.
It was Adrian Cross himself.
A young man who could open a new page in biological science and conquer a disease like HIV/AIDS would undoubtedly create unimaginable value in the future.
Daniel had somehow overlooked the obvious.
Adrian watched the offers climb higher and higher until the room felt like a gambling table filled with people too greedy to think clearly.
He was almost speechless.
“Everyone,” he said without raising his voice, “are you finished? May I say a few words now?”
The noisy conference room fell silent.
Every eye turned to him.
x x x