Project Implementation

The Extremis Virus was a theoretical research discovery by Maya, and she had already tested it on plants. If the human biological system were seen as an interconnected network, Maya's research was like hacking into the human biological system and modifying it like a hacker.

Altering the human body's self-prevention and immune functions, though not directly related to pharmaceuticals, truly belonged to the field of biological research.

Maya had accepted Killian's team-up request some time ago. Perhaps she was unable to conquer the Extremis Virus alone and needed help from others, plus Killian's team had been following Maya's research for a long time and possessed a deep understanding of this field, which was why Maya chose to cooperate with Killian.

However, the two of them had not been cooperating for long, and coupled with the fact that Killian's organization had hardly any investors left, they were now in urgent need of funding.

Maya seemed to have hidden nothing from Karn, telling him many things. Yet, Karn did not believe everything entirely, and he would definitely ask someone to investigate thoroughly next.

His chakra nature was the same as Kakuzu's, perhaps having been infected by his chakra. Unfortunately, Kakuzu did not know Earth Release-type stealth ninjutsu; otherwise, Karn would definitely have learned it. Still, he had already asked Kakuzu to collect some-an Earth Release-type stealth ninjutsu cost ten million taels each.

After listening to Maya's introduction, Karn nodded thoughtfully and then said to the two of them, "I'm very interested in this project, and I think we can look into it in depth. If the project investment is ultimately confirmed, I will sponsor all the expenses and facilities."

At this, Karn paused. After glancing at Maya and Killian, he continued.

"It's just that I want fifty percent ownership of this project and one-hundred-percent progress-viewing rights. Ms. Maya, I have already been accepted in advance by Columbia University, and the major I plan to apply for is precisely in biology. Therefore, during your research, I hope you can let me understand the relevant progress."

"So Mr. Karn is actually a colleague in the same professional field. I have no objections to this."

After Maya finished speaking, she glanced at Killian, who also shook his head to indicate no problem. To be honest, the current initiative leaned a bit toward Karn; their research was too "high-end and sophisticated," making it difficult to win the trust of investors.

It was rare for Karn to take the initiative to seek them out for investment. If they missed him, there was no telling where the next investor would be. Full sponsorship in exchange for fifty percent ownership could already be considered considerate of them; if it were too much, Maya and Killian might lose interest in the research.

As for checking the research progress at any time, that was nothing. Investors naturally had this right. As for what Karn meant, he probably needed them to act in the capacity of "mentors" to explain things in detail to him.

Both sides had the intention to cooperate, making things much easier to discuss afterward.

There were still a few people in Killian's team, but they could all relocate to Karn's Biological Research Center. Construction had already started for a while, and it was expected to be fully completed within half a year. During this period, Karn could only rent a laboratory for them first, and Karn even paid them salaries; otherwise, some people within Killian's team might face financial difficulties.

No matter the time, the material foundation was a necessary guarantee.

Effectively securing the cooperation, discussing some details, and signing the contract took over a month. Maya and Killian made different choices-she chose to join Karn's Biological Research Center, while Killian chose to represent the team in cooperating with Karn. This caused some delays, but it was not a major problem.

The current Killian probably already harbored full hatred for Tony Stark. Once he researched the Extremis Virus that could affect the human body, he would likely be unable to help seeking revenge against Tony Stark. Since he was not his employee, Karn had no need to worry too much.

He only needed the mature Extremis Virus. The nature of this experiment could completely offset the reaction after transplanting the Hashirama Cells, and with deeper research, it could even offset the side effects of transplanting any Kekkei Genkai.

After the contract was signed, Karn also let them use the rented laboratory and reimbursed equipment expenses and the like accordingly.

When it came time to spend money, Karn discovered just how costly it was to sponsor a team for biological research. The construction of the Biological Research Center building, the purchase of experimental equipment, and experimental materials added up-he had not even seen much yet, and he had already spent over ten million US dollars.

There would definitely be more to come. After completing the investment in the Extremis Virus project, Karn used his Transformation Technique-altered appearance to purchase a new identity. Then, using this identity, he liquidated all the jewelry in his hands, though he only exchanged it for around ten million US dollars.

After Maya and Killian's team moved into the laboratory, Karn hired many people-management personnel, financial staff, and assistants who reported directly to him.

Under normal calculations, the income from a pharmaceutical wholesale trading company, a private hospital, and the stock market was completely insufficient to support the expenses of the Biological Research Center, let alone just one team. In the future, Karn wanted to recruit even more biological scientists.

He had to work hard to make money!

Karn felt that he could loosen his hands and feet a little now. Primarily, with the Shadow Clone Technique and the Transformation Technique, he no longer feared entities like the FBI and S.H.I.E.L.D., and he even dared to venture into Hell's Kitchen.

The Extremis Virus project is safely in the bag. Next is to contact Orochimaru; he should start researching a few years before the Third Shinobi World War, and I'll contact him by that time.

In Karn's speculation, the Extremis Virus and Hashirama Cells should have a certain complementary effect in terms of their efficacy, but this was just his guess, and he still needed to obtain specific sample data to carry out research and experiments.

Over the past half-year, Karn often asked for leave, but his enterprise was growing larger and larger, and in the future, he might not have much time to attend university. Still, Karn did not want to give up his advanced studies in biological research; his cultivation talent was poor, a point that both Xia Chuan and Kakuzu agreed on.

Karn could only rely on biological evolution to make himself a transcendent existence. The Extremis Virus and Hashirama Cells were merely the first step, and there were still quite a few Kekkei Genkai in the Shinobi World. Moreover, Karn still had the Trading System; the next world might yield even more gains.

The Dimensional Trading System was still searching for worlds available for trade. Karn had been staring at that starry sky interface for a long time, but having only experienced one world, he had not figured out the system's trading rules at all.

If he had to wait a few years, Karn would consider himself extremely unlucky, and he could only focus wholeheartedly on conquering the Shinobi World's Hashirama Cells and the Extremis Virus. The crucial part was that these things could make him stronger, but it was hard to guarantee they could save his life.

After dealing with matters around him, Karn restocked the slots in his Spatial Backpack. Even though both sides were gradually getting on track, Karn still brought along some items that did not exist in the Shinobi World.

If his Spatial Backpack wasn't packed full, Karn always felt a lingering sense of emptiness.