"Please think this over carefully. You've seen your brother's condition. Even the top doctors in the field aren't confident he'll survive the surgery, and the cancer has already spread. Surgery wouldn't be very effective; with current medical technology, we can only watch your brother die."
"But... is yours really reliable?"
That still somewhat youthful face, almost identical to Chen Qing's in this other world, was clearly caught in a dilemma.
"I can't guarantee that. After all, all research institutions are still exploring this. Your brother only participated in the experiment with a 'let's give it a try' attitude. The reason we went to great lengths to prolong your brother's life is because his data was the best among all the experiments!"
The person in charge, who had a distinctly Chinese appearance, adjusted his glasses and said seriously, "This project is currently on the verge of collapse. It was the first in Central China to be banned due to Human Dao, forcing many companies in this field to move overseas to continue their research. Now, due to protests against this technology in various places, more and more countries are starting to ban it. The only place with a good enough research environment and enough talent is the America, but this year is also an election year."
Chen Qing had been studying in the America and worked there after graduation, so he naturally knew about the situation in the country. When two political parties were vying for power, the thing one side liked to do most when it came to power was to overturn the policies of the other side. Even before taking office, the other side was already clamoring to shut down all Human Dao and evil experiments. Moreover, judging from the election situation, it was highly likely that the other side would come to power this year, which meant that the data life experiment was likely to face bankruptcy this year!
"We also know you are Stanford University's youngest AI PhD, having already published three independent papers at such a young age. Even despite racial discrimination, you were invited to stay on as a faculty member. You are undoubtedly a talented young person, and your papers consistently express strong support for data as a life form. Don't you want to participate in this world-changing project?"
"I..." Chen Qing hesitated. Even though he had shown considerable talent, it was difficult to get good projects in the America, where racial discrimination was severe. This opportunity was indeed rare. He had always had a great fondness for data life, unlike those outsiders who regarded it as a monster.
But he genuinely had some psychological reservations about using his own brother as a guinea pig.
To be honest, he didn't have much affection for his brother, whom he had never met, nor for his materialistic mother. But at least his brother didn't owe him anything. Over the years, his brother had never asked his mother for child support, was self-reliant, and had considerable assets.
Now that she's dying, her mother is excitedly taking her along to claim the other party's inheritance.
Yes, Pu Yunchuan had no other direct relatives, which means that once he died, his brother and his mother would be the primary heirs to his property!
The lawyer called and said that my brother Magic City two properties in Shanghai, plus hundreds of millions of Central Federation.
The economy in Central China is booming right now, and the exchange rate between the Central Federation Currency and the Western Federation Currency has reached 1 to 1.2. With that money in hand, it would be enough to buy a large villa in San Francisco, where land is incredibly expensive, and there would still be enough money for my son and me to live a carefree life. And that doesn't even include the property.
The housing prices in Magic City are much higher than in San Francisco. Two properties, one a 180-square-meter apartment in the CBD and the other a suburban villa, could fetch almost 200 million Federation Currency if sold now. That's enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life.
Mom took it without a second thought, but I felt like I was burning my hands with embarrassment.
"I understand your concerns." The other person lowered their voice. "Don't worry about Pu Yunchuan's property. After he enters the final experiment, his body will completely lose its vital signs. Legally, he will be a dead man. He didn't leave a special will, so his property will still be yours."
Chen Qing frowned upon hearing this, but a middle-aged woman who bore a resemblance to Chen Qing's eyes lit up. "That's good, that's good!"
Chen Qing glanced speechlessly at the woman beside him, unsure of what to say. A son shouldn't speak ill of his mother; no matter how materialistic the woman seemed, he was still her child, though he had been raised in a largely hands-off manner.
"I'm curious, does this experiment not require the individual's consent?"
"Of course it's necessary!" the other party hurriedly replied. " Pu Yunchuan himself signed the experimental contract, but the Central Federation doesn't recognize this signature, believing that the patient is in a vulnerable stage due to his serious illness, and whether he actually signed it is questionable. Even if he did sign it, the experiment wouldn't be recognized in Central China. That's why we brought Pu Yunchuan out under the pretext of seeking medical treatment abroad. Here, although we agree to the experiment, we still need a relative's signature. The law enforcement agencies here believe that Pu Yunchuan is not of sound mind and requires his family's consent."
"Can I participate in the entire process?"
"Yes!" Seeing that Chen Qing had relented, the other party quickly said, "We can give you the information now. You can participate in the entire process. If your brother's implantation is successful this time, you will be invited by us to become one of the key leaders of this project. Think it over carefully. Stanford University is not easy to stay at. Given the current atmosphere of racial discrimination in the America, it is extremely difficult to get a good project. This project is worth over a hundred billion US dollars. Even if you are not the main leader, it will still be a very impressive resume."
Chen Qing fell silent upon hearing this. Only those who are in the midst of it can Bai Hua here. To be honest, if it weren't for the difficulty in obtaining citizenship in the Central Federation, he would have returned to China long ago.
As the other party said, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. Once I have this kind of experience, I will be more convincing when I am trying to get projects in the future. Moreover, if things go smoothly, I can be promoted to professor just based on this project.
"I want to talk to him. I wonder if you have any way to keep him sober enough to talk to me?" Chen Qing asked after hesitating for a long time.
These words made the other person frown. They had already made themselves very clear: the experiment could begin once the signature was given. Pu Yunchuan had indeed signed the agreement; what else was there to discuss?
"Son, what's there to talk about?" the middle-aged woman said, clearly impatient.
Chen Qing said calmly, "Mom, don't worry. Whether I sign or not, my brother's property is yours."
"Ahem. That's not what Mom meant. Why do you get a share of everything your brother has?"
"I don't need it." Chen Qing shook her head, stood up, and looked at the other party. "If you can't do it, I'm sorry, I won't sign."
The other party frowned immediately, glancing at the woman's mother. The woman picked up her lipstick, completely ignoring them. He immediately knew this woman was unreliable. But then again, if she forced him to sign, his son could use his brother's assets to threaten him, since both had inheritance rights, and legally they should each receive half. This woman really wanted the two properties in Magic City, so he had no choice but to listen to his son.
The conglomerate is indeed wealthy, but it's not a single entity. Applying for additional funds to bribe this woman would likely waste a lot of time, and given Pu Yunchuan's current condition, he probably can't hold on for that long.
With this in mind, he dialed the number of his attending physician.
"Can you speak now?" The attending physician looked at Chen Qing cautiously.
Given the patient's current condition, receiving so many painkiller injections is frankly quite risky, but there's no other way; the family is strongly demanding a dialogue.
Pu Yunchuan moved his throat and found that he could barely speak. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Yes."
"Then listen to me," the doctor said quickly. "Your younger brother strongly requests to speak with you. Be mindful of the pace; the conversation cannot exceed half an hour, and keep it brief. Your condition could deteriorate at any moment, and we must begin the experiment while you remain conscious. Understand?"
Pu Yunchuan nodded, then became curious. What did his younger brother want to say to him?