Cooperation and Symbiotes

"When you meet Norman Osborn, don't pay attention to his attitude."

Jameson nodded without comment and instructed, "You need to understand that Osborn needs the Daily Bugle, not the other way around."

"What do you mean?"

Anton looked utterly bewildered.

Still, he vaguely realized that Norman Osborn might not have wanted to meet him at all, but the old man.

The old man had simply handed full authority over this meeting to him.

"Let's go in."

They reached the top floor and arrived outside Norman Osborn's office.

Jameson stopped and smiled. "Go on in. What happens next is up to you. Remember, you represent the Jameson family now."

"Understood."

Anton's expression was complicated. He straightened his collar, then knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Norman Osborn's voice came from inside the office.

Anton pushed the door open and entered.

Norman looked surprised.

"If I remember correctly, you're Anton, right?"

He smiled. "You've truly surprised me. That old fossil Jonah actually handed the newspaper over to you. I always thought he'd cling to power until the day he died and never let go... I suppose he must be very satisfied with you."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Anton nodded slightly, sized up Norman Osborn, skipped the pleasantries, and got straight to the point. "The old man didn't tell me what I was supposed to discuss. But I believe the purpose of today's meeting is the Life Foundation. Mr. Osborn, am I right?"

"That's right."

Norman invited him to sit. "The Life Foundation is a mutual enemy. As far as I know, you were behind the recent scandals involving the Life Foundation... I have to admit, you did an excellent job. You have Jonah's style from back in the day."

"The old man?"

Anton's eyes flickered. "Looks like he brought down more major companies than I have."

"Of course. I admire him greatly, and I was deeply sorry to hear of his retirement."

Norman Osborn sounded utterly sincere.

Anton had no idea whether he meant it or not, but as a young man, he preferred getting straight to the point rather than wasting time on formalities.

He took the initiative and asked, "What exactly did you invite me here to do today, Mr. Osborn?"

"Cooperate."

Norman was blunt. "I approached the Daily Bugle because I wanted to cooperate."

"Looks like Osborn Company is very interested in the Life Foundation."

Anton wore an expression of knowing it.

Norman gave him a meaningful look. "After all, our cooperation is based on the Life Foundation having to collapse."

"Although Osborn Company is an arms manufacturer, it also ranks among the world's best in biotechnology. In other words, we're also a renowned pharmaceutical company." Norman said, "The Life Foundation is one of our competitors in that field. The pharmaceutical patents they hold are precisely the supplement Osborn Company has long dreamed of acquiring."

"Bringing down the Life Foundation and having Osborn Company take it over would indeed be hugely beneficial." Anton asked, "But what does the Daily Bugle get out of it?"

"Shares."

Norman Osborn had built Osborn Company into what it was today with his own hands. He understood well that wanting the horse to run without feeding it was one of the most common bad habits in business, so he had always been generous.

"As long as the Daily Bugle helps Osborn successfully acquire the Life Foundation, afterward, I can transfer five percent of the Life Foundation's shares to the Jameson family."

When it came to business, Norman exuded an air of unmatched confidence. "I believe that is enough to demonstrate my sincerity."

"Then, here's to a successful partnership."

Anton was remarkably decisive.

Five percent of the Life Foundation's shares sounded like a pitiful number, but considering the scale of the Life Foundation, it represented an astonishing fortune.

Norman Osborn truly was generous.

As for why Osborn Company wanted to cooperate with the Daily Bugle, it was most likely because, in this game, they had their eye on the Daily Bugle's ability to shape public opinion.

Without the Daily Bugle, Osborn Company would not even know where to begin with acquiring the Life Foundation.

This was absolutely not a goal that could be achieved with money alone.

The Daily Bugle's presence filled the gap in Osborn Company's public relations capabilities.

As an indispensable part of the plan, that was why Norman Osborn was willing to pay such a high price.

As Anton walked out of Norman Osborn's office, he recalled Norman saying that his actions had the same style Jonah Jameson had possessed in his younger days. His expression immediately turned strange.

He suddenly began to wonder just how the Jameson family had amassed its wealth.

Could it be that the old man had made his fortune back then by using the Daily Bugle to fleece people, extort them, and cash in on favors everywhere, eventually building a ten-billion-dollar fortune?

San Francisco.

Inside the experimental facility, at the Symbiote Research Center.

"You're really going to let me go?"

Eddie stared incredulously at the woman before him, Dora Skirth. He had never imagined he would stumble into such good fortune.

"I'm not letting you go. You broke free from your restraints, knocked me unconscious, and escaped on your own."

Dora corrected Eddie.

"Got it, got it!"

Eddie nodded eagerly. "Don't worry, I definitely won't expose you."

"Before you leave, there are some things I have to tell you."

Dora's expression turned solemn.

Eddie seemed to realize something, and his expression changed as well. "Go ahead."

Dora suddenly asked, "Do you know why the Life Foundation, clearly a pharmaceutical company, suddenly started building rockets and launching a space program?"

"Because of overpopulation and climate change. Drake wants to gain the upper hand in the future." Eddie thought for a moment, recalling what Drake had said in those interviews. "Was that all a lie?"

"No. It was all true."

Dora said, "Drake sent a spacecraft to search for habitable planets, but on its return journey, it unexpectedly discovered a comet."

"A comet?"

Eddie was baffled. "What does that have to do with a comet?"

"The spacecraft's onboard computer showed signs of thousands of living organisms on that comet!" Dora said gravely. "They brought back some samples."

Eddie's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying aliens?"

"You could put it that way."

Dora nodded. "But we call them symbiotes. They can't survive independently in our environment. They must find hosts, much like parasites in the usual sense."

"So those experiments I've seen these past few days..."

Eddie sucked in a breath.

"Yes. Drake believes that combining humans with symbiotes will be the key to humanity surviving in space in the future."

As Dora spoke, an indescribable expression appeared on her face. She slowly continued, "And these experiments were never recorded in the trial reports. He was forcibly matching them. Once the process failed, the host died. In your terms, that's murder."

"He's completely insane!"

Eddie was stunned.

He had initially thought that Drake was conducting illegal human experiments in secret to develop new drugs.

That could at least be explained as being for profit.

But he had never imagined that Drake wanted to combine humans with aliens!

That had absolutely nothing to do with profit!

It was impossible to accept.