Alex turned off the TV, walked into his study, and casually pressed the power button of his computer. The screen lit up, reflecting his slightly thoughtful expression.
While TV news was authoritative, it was ultimately one-way information output controlled by the state, and the true public reaction was often not reflected in official reports. The internet, however, was different—there was no filtering, no embellishment, only the most direct, most naked clash of emotions.
He clicked on Weibo, and the top ten trending topics were almost entirely occupied by Rejuvenation Potion-related discussions:
#LongevityPotion# (Explosive)
#HumanLifespanBreakthrough# (Hot)
#AgingCrisis# (Hot)
#Will90sKidsWorkUntil100# (New)
In the comment section, public opinion was polarized. Some cheered: "Humanity has finally defeated death!" "Long live scientists!" Others were worried: "Who will feed the population explosion?" "Will housing prices become a 70-year lease renewal system?" There were also cynical remarks: "It's just another scam by capital, waiting to see the leeks harvested."
But what concerned Alex the most were a few posts that appeared briefly before being quickly deleted—
"The CEO of a certain international pharmaceutical giant has secretly arrived in Beijing and is staying at a certain five-star hotel."
"The Science Counselor of the XX Country's Embassy has appeared at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Biology for three consecutive days."
"Heh, they're moving fast…" He sneered, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.
—
Meanwhile, influenced by the bombshell dropped by a certain major Eastern power, the international stage was already in an uproar.
Global stock markets fluctuated violently, governments worldwide held emergency closed-door meetings, Librarians worked overnight to write analytical reports, and news media frantically speculated on the far-reaching implications behind this technological breakthrough.
In the White House in the DC area, a high-level closed-door meeting was underway.
The heavy oak doors were tightly shut, and the night outside the bulletproof glass was deep, with only the cool-toned lights in the conference room illuminating the grave faces.
Around the oval conference table, the National Security Advisor, high-ranking Ministry of Defense officials, core CIA members, and secret representatives from several top pharmaceutical groups were seated, the atmosphere so oppressive it was almost suffocating.
The CIA's Director of Far East Affairs tapped the table, and the projector displayed the publicly released official experimental data from a certain major Eastern power.
It was a shocking set of charts—senescent cell reversal, telomere extension, and an average lifespan increase of over 10% in the experimental group.
He took a deep breath, his fingertip pressing heavily on the data, his voice low and urgent: "Gentlemen, we cannot sit idly by any longer! Once this technology is popularized, their social stability will far exceed ours—and we haven't even mastered controllable nuclear fusion yet!"
The Ministry of Defense representative's face was grim. He pulled up a blurry satellite image, showing a military base in a certain major Eastern power, where several sci-fi-looking Laser Tanks and walking mechs were conducting coordinated drills.
"Intelligence shows their Laser Tanks and walking mechs have been deployed, and now there's longevity technology…" His voice was hoarse, his eyes revealing deep concern: "This is no longer a matter of technological gap, but a civilization gap."
In the corner, a representative from a certain pharmaceutical giant leaned slightly forward, his fingers interlocked beneath his chin.
His voice was very soft, but it seemed to drop the temperature of the entire room by a few more degrees: "We need to find a way to get samples."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and added: "By any means necessary."
A brief silence fell over the conference room, broken only by the hum of the air conditioning and the rustling of papers.
Finally, the National Security Advisor spoke slowly, his eyes cold and resolute: "Then let's activate the 'Prometheus' plan! Since they won't share the fire, we'll 'take' it ourselves."
—
And in a country across the sea from a certain major Eastern power, a certain conglomerate was also holding an emergency meeting.
In the conference room, the air was so thick it could almost be wrung out.
On the projection screen, the stock market K-line chart plummeted, and dazzling red numbers constantly updated the decline record.
"President! Our anti-aging drug stock has hit its daily limit down, and the market is in a panic sell-off!" The CFO's voice was almost trembling. On his tablet, the real-time market showed that the company's market value had evaporated by nearly 100 billion yen in just one hour.
The President's face was ashen, his fingers clenching the edge of the conference table, his knuckles white from the effort.
He stared at the screen, his eyes sinister, as if he wanted to burn through the plummeting curve.
"Contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!" he suddenly said, his voice low and hard, "Tell them to exert pressure, demanding technology sharing!"
The conference room was dead silent, only the hum of the air conditioning vent reverberated.
The assistant swallowed, cautiously speaking: "But… President, they don't even care about the UN Security Council, will they listen to us?"
The President suddenly looked up, his gaze like a knife piercing the assistant.
The assistant instinctively Shrinking his neck, but the President ultimately just sneered.
"Of course they won't listen." He slowly stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the night view of Tokyo. "But what we need to do is to let the whole world see—they refuse to 'cooperate'."
He turned around, his eyes cold: "Go contact the people on Wall Street and tell them that a certain major Eastern power is monopolizing 'eternal life'."
The assistant's pupils contracted, instantly understanding the President's intention—since they couldn't get the technology, they would let the whole world pressure them.
"Yes, President!" He immediately bowed his head in response and quickly exited the conference room.
The President looked out the window again, the neon lights reflecting on his face, outlining a sinister shadow.
"Eastern Power… do you think you can do whatever you want just because you're technologically advanced?"
—
And in the neighbor to the north of the Eastern Power, their attitude was worth pondering.
In the President's office, the heavy curtains were half-drawn. The President sat behind a large desk, holding a newly delivered intelligence brief, his brows slightly furrowed.
He slowly put down the document, looked up at his Chief of Staff standing beside him, his voice low and steady: "The Easterners have made a big move this time."
The Chief of Staff nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the brief on the table—it detailed the official experimental data of the Rejuvenation Potion released by China, as well as the intense reactions from various Western countries.
He pondered for a moment, cautiously responding: "They are willing to share agricultural technology, but longevity technology… I'm afraid they won't easily concede."
The President's fingers tapped lightly on the table, a slow and powerful rhythm.
His gaze passed through the window, looking at the still unthawed floating ice on the distant Moskva River, as if weighing some profound strategic consideration.
After a few seconds of silence, he nodded slightly, making a decision: "Let's observe first."
But then, his eyes suddenly sharpened, like a drawn saber, gleaming with cold light.
"But remember—" His voice was even lower, yet carried an undeniable authority, "If the West makes a move, we must not fall behind."
The Chief of Staff's expression hardened, and he immediately straightened his back.
He understood the weight of these words—this was not a simple technological competition, but a strategic layout concerning the nation's future for decades, even centuries.
"Yes, Mr. President." He responded in a deep voice, then added, "I have already instructed the intelligence department to strengthen monitoring of related developments, especially… the movements of certain 'old friends'."
The President's lips curved into a meaningful, cold smile.
"Very good."
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