1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 705 Exploitation and Seizure! The True Nature of Great Powers! A Helpless Cooperation Plan! Remember This Moment Forever!

Borneo, the Boundless Pavilion.

As the "Ma Yucheng incident" and the penicillin issue continued to escalate, some people finally began to get restless.

Those most interested in penicillin are undoubtedly from Europe and America, with the UK and the US being particularly interested.

Ridgeway had the deepest ties with Britain; in fact, his power in Borneo was built on British territory.

Britain certainly wants a piece of the pie.

Meanwhile, the United States, with its Bruce Group, which he founded, also enjoys unique advantages and seeks cooperation.

As for other countries, they knew they weren't powerful enough to pressure Professor Bruce.

Li Qiwei has a good relationship with both countries, so they wouldn't resort to forceful robbery like the Ying tribe did right away.

Instead, they hope to resolve the matter through peaceful negotiations.

At this moment, British Prime Minister's special envoy Summers sat opposite Ridgeway, looking relaxed with a smile on his lips.

He said:
"Professor Bruce, you've quietly stirred up another big news story."

"The world's attention is now focused on Borneo."

"His Excellency the Prime Minister specifically asked me to come and discuss matters related to penicillin with you."

"In the end, this is just a misunderstanding. The British government is willing to help you and order the Sakura tribe to release the people."

Li Qiwei smiled slightly and said:

"Oh?"

"Are you British really that confident?"

"So many days have passed since then, and the Sakura Clan has not come forward to explain."

"What makes you think you can convince them?"

Summers laughed:
"This is our business, you don't need to worry."

"If the Sakura Clan doesn't want to be isolated, he has no choice but to obediently release them."

"Although Dr. Ma Yucheng is an outstanding biologist, he is just an insignificant ordinary person when it comes to national interests."

"Besides, even if the Sakura Clan didn't have him, they could still purchase penicillin through legal channels."

"Therefore, I believe that as long as the leader of the Sakura Clan is a normal person, he will definitely be able to understand the interests involved."

Li Qiwei stared intently at Summers, his gaze deep and unwavering.

When it comes to understanding the Sakura people, probably no one in the world can do it better than him.

He has been pondering this matter repeatedly lately, and he has gradually discovered a suspicious point.

Why did the Cherry Blossom Clan choose Ma Yucheng as their target?

"Could it be because of penicillin, and that he happened to go to the Cherry Clan's stronghold in the Northeast?"

"But at that time, the efficacy of penicillin had not yet been publicly disclosed."

Li Qiwei doesn't think it's solely due to penicillin.

Ultimately, penicillin is only beneficial to the general public; for the truly elite, it's merely an added bonus, something dispensable.

After all, those rulers wouldn't go to the front lines to fight, nor would they eat rotten food.

Even if you do get infected, there are currently some alternative treatments available, so it's not a certain death sentence.

Therefore, there must be another reason behind this.

However, he currently lacks sufficient information and has no clue what to do.

At that moment, he echoed Summers' words:
"I'll believe you for now."

"So what are the British government's demands?"

Summers smiled slightly upon hearing this, with even a hint of barely perceptible pride on his face.

The man in front of him was undoubtedly the smartest person in the world, without exception.

The other party's achievements in the scientific field have surpassed the scope of what genius can encompass.

The god of science is not just a name.

But, so what?

In a sense, science, especially cutting-edge science, is no different from disciplines such as art and literature.

It has become a spiritual pursuit, far removed from the general public.

Any glory they achieve is illusory and cannot be transformed into real power.

But this world is ultimately a reality.

Only a small minority of elites can appreciate and pursue beauty; the majority are ordinary people who pursue mundane things.

That intoxicating, supreme power is built upon the desires of countless ordinary people.

Summers believes that scientists like Ligvii are lonely and pathetic.

They possess the highest wisdom, yet within elite circles, they hold only the most humble position.

Even the inventions of scientists have not improved the status of ordinary people; on the contrary, they have widened the gap between them and the ruling class.

They were like a herd of high-class cattle and horses kept in captivity.

Of course, on the surface, everyone would respect these cattle and horses and praise their perseverance and truth-seeking spirit.

But none of this can mask the tragedy of cattle and horses being unable to control their own destiny.

For example, at this moment, even with Professor Bruce's status as a leading scientific figure, he could only watch helplessly as his subordinates were arrested and sought help from international forces.

On the contrary, even if the Sakura Clan had a hundred thousand times the courage, they wouldn't dare to kidnap him.

Of course, as a seasoned politician, Summers would never voice these thoughts.

But his expression was detached, as if in some way he was better than the famous Professor Bruce.

"Professor, our conditions are very simple."

"That means you handed over the complete penicillin formula to the British government."

"We will establish a dedicated company to expand the penicillin production line so that it can truly benefit mankind."

"As for the profits generated from the product, you, as the inventor, can receive 10% of the profits."

Hehe, Li Qiwei immediately laughed.

This is even more ruthless than how he exploited Philips CEO Gerald thirty years ago.

Britain's reputation as a long-established capitalist country is truly well-deserved.

Whether they can save Ma Yucheng is still uncertain, but they certainly have a big appetite.

How is this any different from extortion?
Indeed, when it comes to real interests, a country cannot be treated as a person with feelings, but rather as a sophisticated machine.

Europe and America have always been wary of his identity.

"If I don't agree, does that mean you won't save the person?"

"Or perhaps, simply steal the penicillin?"

Summers laughed upon hearing this.

"Professor, you must understand that although we, Britain, are the British Empire on which the sun never sets, we cannot force the actions of a sovereign nation."

“If you don’t hand over the penicillin, Britain can’t be involved in this matter and has no reason to help.”

"Of course, we will continue to condemn this internationally."

"As for stealing penicillin? Professor, your words are too harsh."

"My great British Empire is rich in the world, why would it care about a mere penicillin?"

Summers was just bragging.

Given the efficacy of penicillin, it could generate at least several billion dollars in revenue.

In real history, in the early days, one ton of penicillin was worth $10 billion, enough to buy 5000 Tiger tanks from Germany.

In the same year, the UK's fiscal revenue was less than $200 billion.

Producing 20 tons of penicillin can generate more revenue than a year's worth of government funds.

Given the high demand for penicillin at the time, there was no issue of unsold stock.

The title of "liquid gold" is well-deserved.

How could Britain not care about the revenue from penicillin?

Of course, Britain may have wanted to use this incident to deliberately give Ridgeway a warning.

Then, Summers suddenly leaned closer and whispered:

"Professor, you might want to think about it one step further."

"If the Cherry Clan can arrest Dr. Ma Yucheng today, will they dare to arrest Professor Qian Wushi tomorrow?"

"I've heard he's very skilled at building airplanes; that's probably the kind of talent the Sakura Clan would prefer." Summers thought to himself with a sense of pride.

He knew that since the Ma Yucheng incident, Qian Wushi, Yu Yin, and others in Borneo had become more cautious.

They sometimes don't show up for one or two months at a time.

Moreover, even non-researchers like He Yujie kept a low profile.

In his view, these were signs of fear.

They feared that the Sakura Clan harbored wolfish ambitions and would become utterly shameless, capturing even more people.

The problem is they don't have any solutions yet, so they can only accept their bad luck.

The Sakura Clan can act with impunity because they can arrest a few HX people without angering the West or imposing sanctions or pressure on them.

Summers sighed inwardly:
"You can only blame yourselves for not having a strong motherland behind you."

At this moment, Li Qiwei's expression was very unpleasant.

He hadn't felt this way in a long time.

The feeling of humiliation!
Unable to control their own destiny!
To allow others to act arrogantly and domineeringly over one's head.

Although in this world, only a handful of major powers dare to treat him this way.

But this feeling is always disgusting.

Especially for a big shot like him who stands at the top.

However, he held back, and the Pangu Project gave him immense confidence.

He smiled slightly, but the cold aura emanating from him startled Summers.

“Mr. Envoy, your conditions are a bit too harsh on me.”

"I need to think about it some more."

"It just so happens that people from the United States have also come. I will give you an answer after I discuss it with them."

Summers frowned slightly.

If the United States really wants to interfere, things will be very difficult.

The previous wars have shown all countries in the world the terrifying power of the United States.

Although in terms of size, the United States is not yet the world's largest.

However, its terrifying growth potential is astonishing.

Moreover, this is during an economic crisis, and the United States is seeking various solutions.

Among these initiatives, revitalizing industry is a key one.

Once penicillin is produced industrially, it will definitely create many jobs.

Given the extremely high profit margin of penicillin, it could definitely bring a significant financial boost to the United States.

Therefore, the current US President Hoover also sent a special envoy to Borneo for Asia.

Britain was also suffering from the economic crisis, otherwise it wouldn't have been so eager to send people over.

Summers had no right to tell Americans what to do, so he said:
"Then let's wait until you've finished speaking, Professor."

After saying that, he prepared to get up and take his leave.

Watching the other person's departing figure, Li Qiwei's expression darkened slightly, and he said to Shen Jingqing, who had been taking notes the whole time:

"Jingqing, now you know why I'm so fixated on the Pangu Project."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingqing put down his pen, his handsome face filled with youthful passion.

"The British are really going too far."

"They are taking advantage of the chaos."

Li Qiwei said in a deep voice:

"Without the protection of force, we are just fish on someone else's chopping board."

"If it's just about basic scientific research, then it's nothing."

"But once the research results can be transformed into huge economic value, it will attract a pack of wolves."

"The Sakura Clan are no good, and neither are the Europeans and Americans."

"It's just that one is barbaric and the other is slightly more civilized."

"But the nature of the great powers will not change."

“They will exploit and demand all resources while suppressing other ethnic groups.”

"Jingqing, you must always remember this moment!"

Shen Jingqing finally felt the cruelty of the world.

If it weren't for the dean's exceptional status and extensive connections in the UK, the other party would probably have simply tried to snatch him away.

After all, this isn't the first or second time they've done something like this.

Moreover, if something more valuable than penicillin appears in the future, will the other party be able to resist it?
"Without the atomic bomb, we cannot protect everything we have!"

Soon after, Ridgway met with U.S. envoy John.

The other party was much more honest than Summers.

"Professor Bruce, we are shocked and saddened by what happened to Dr. Ma Yucheng."

"The United States immediately protested to the Sakura tribe government, demanding the release of Dr. Ma."

"But they did not respond."

"The United States adheres to a policy of neutrality and is unable to directly intervene in this matter. We hope to gain your understanding."

Li Qiwei nodded.

He knew very well that relying on others wouldn't help with this.

If it had been effective, the Sakura Clan wouldn't have had the subsequent troubles.

But Summers' previous attitude made him very unhappy.

"Special Envoy John, what is the purpose of your visit?"

John said:

"Professor, I am here on behalf of His Excellency the President to discuss cooperation on penicillin with you."

"We in the United States are willing to produce penicillin for you. As for the profit sharing ratio, we can discuss it in detail. You will definitely not be taken advantage of."

"Furthermore, we promise that we will never sell penicillin to the Sakura Clan."

"Professor, please forgive my rudeness."

"The current situation is very unfavorable to you. The British seem generous, but they are actually petty."

"With their obstruction, it would be very difficult for you to develop penicillin on your own."

"After all, Borneo is still a British colony."

Li Qiwei remained silent upon hearing this.

He had considered this possibility even before penicillin was invented.

After all, the interests involved are too great, and he simply cannot protect them with his current strength.

The situation became even more complicated when Ma Yucheng was arrested.

John was right; he had to make some sacrifices.

Over the next few days, Ridgway called Summers and John together for a three-way discussion on cooperation.

After several rounds of heated arguments, the following agreement was finally reached:
First, the three parties jointly established a company, with Li Qiwei contributing technology as equity, accounting for 30%, and the UK and the US each accounting for 35%.

Second, the UK and the US jointly pressured the Sakura Clan to release the prisoners and imposed sanctions on them in areas such as trade and military.

Third, if the Sakura Clan dares to arrest people again, Britain and the United States must step in to stop them; otherwise, Ridgeway has the right to withdraw.

It's clear that this agreement is somewhat unfair to Ridgeway.

Especially the latter two points, his rights cannot be effectively protected at all.

By the time the penicillin production line was completed, it was too late for anything he did.

But this is already the best possible outcome.

Otherwise, Borneo would not only face the Sakura tribe, but also the hostility from Britain.

If the latter investigates further, it is very likely that they will discover the secrets of the Pangu Project.

That would be an unbearable outcome.

The news of the collaboration caused a global uproar!

Professor Bruce, that proud man like an eagle, ultimately succumbed to reality!
(End of this chapter)