Phew...
A long while later, Director Yu Lei put down the report in his hands. He had been so engrossed in it that he had even forgotten to smoke.
That showed just how captivating the report was!
Now this is what it means to spot a pearl among the stones! Yu Lei marveled inwardly.
After the scholar Luo Shui and his wife died in an accident, the Luo Shui Research Institute was originally supposed to be reclaimed. After all, the island purchased and maintained the institutes' valuable experimental equipment, merely assigning it to researchers for their use.
When the institute was subsequently given to their son, it would have been easy for others to gossip, even though Luo Yu met the minimum requirements.
If meeting the minimum requirements was enough to gain the right to use an institute, plenty of people on the island qualified.
As for Luo Yu's claim that he would carry on his parents' research project, no one believed he could succeed.
After all, even at Canglan Ocean University, known as humanity's light of hope, none of its many accomplished scholars had discovered a way to evolve Ink Fish.
Yu Lei, too, had considered such a nearly impossible research project unrealistic.
Even so, he hadn't flatly rejected Luo Yu's request. He had wanted to give the young man a chance, and had also given him a clue about the Ancient Grotto, providing him with a direction for cultivating pet beasts.
But now... who would have thought Luo Yu would repay him with a surprise so soon?
Although it wasn't a method for evolving Ink Fish, Luo Yu had presented him with another groundbreaking research result!
Yu Lei asked, "Did you discover the method for reliably breeding medical Ink Fish yourself, or had your parents already found clues that you built upon?"
As soon as he finished asking, he shook his head and said, "Forget it. That's not important."
"All right, everyone, let's discuss the Luo Yu Research Institute's research results."
"What do you think?"
"Elder Bai, you seem to have something to say."
He first looked at an elderly woman with silver hair, Bai Dong. Her institute also conducted breeding research, though instead of breeding within the same species, she experimented with crossbreeding different species.
She had once successfully crossed a "low-rank ordinary species: Green Water Turtle" with a "low-rank ordinary species: Black Thorn Turtle" to breed a "mid-rank ordinary species: Nether Water Turtle," creating an entirely new species.
"It's nothing... I just wanted to say... Ink Fish and Vampire Octopuses can be crossbred. I've conducted experiments myself. If Researcher Luo Yu is interested in crossing them, I can provide the relevant materials."
"Mm." Yu Lei nodded and looked at Shen Mo, a researcher who studied Aberrant Corpse Beasts.
"There are ten months until the great tide, and the Tidal Corpse Transformation will be upon us soon. If there really is a reliable method for breeding medical pet beasts, our priority is naturally to breed as many more medical Ink Fish as possible and train their healing abilities."
"As for the crossbreeding experiments Elder Bai mentioned, let's not waste time on them. Wouldn't it be better to wait until the Tidal Corpse Transformation is over?" Shen Mo said.
"Of course I know that." The old woman glanced at him.
"Young Shen has a point, but the key question is, Researcher Luo Yu, what do you intend to do with these medical Ink Fish?" Lin Hai, an elderly scholar researching the origin of the torrential rain, looked at Luo Yu.
Regardless of seniority, the researchers had all changed how they addressed Luo Yu, adding the title of researcher. Clearly, they had come to acknowledge him.
In this great age of seafaring, as civilization was being rebuilt, biological researchers were exceptionally scarce talents. Larger places had better research facilities, so talented people preferred to head there.
For smaller places to retain such people, they had to promise more generous terms.
In some larger places, if the authorities provided the research site, experimental equipment, and funding, then even if a researcher produced results, the authorities had full control over how those results were handled. The researcher couldn't dispose of them freely and held only intellectual property rights; if the results were commercialized, the researcher received only a share of the profits.
But in a small place like Mirror Moon Island, although the island also provided research sites and funding, all results produced by an institute belonged to the individual researcher. It was a sacrifice small places had no choice but to make to retain talent.
In other words, under Mirror Moon Island's rules, no one could interfere with however Luo Yu chose to handle the Ink Fish, even if he wanted to give them away to another island. Of course, no normal person would do that unless they were tired of living.
When dealing with a partner that provided both research space and facilities and funding, a researcher would generally give them priority rights to use and purchase the results, so both sides could be happy.
"As for what to do with the medical Ink Fish, I'll defer to the director," Luo Yu said.
Luo Yu still needed the island to provide for his personal safety. Even if he could negotiate terms, he had no intention of doing so.
Other researchers might produce only one important result in their entire lives, so naturally they had to fight for their own interests.
But Luo Yu had the Eye of Data. To put it bluntly, the medical Ink Fish would be only the most inconspicuous of his breeding achievements. There was no need to haggle over them.
At the same time, Luo Yu also wanted to see what Mirror Moon Island would offer him if he made no demands.
"All right." Director Yu Lei pondered for a while before looking up at Luo Yu. "There are still too few medical Ink Fish. The highest priority now is to step up breeding."
"Next, the island will allocate funds to expand the Luo Yu Research Institute and build an Ink Fish raising and breeding base. Luo Yu, you'll be in overall charge of the project. You'll set all the requirements for the expansion. As for funding, as long as it's within the island's means, the breeding base's needs will take priority."
"After that, the island will capture and purchase wild and farmed Ink Fish from various places and hand them over to you for selective breeding."
"The island will also cover all the costs of raising, breeding, and cultivating Ink Fish. You may apply separately for reasonable additional research funds."
"The Ink Fish bred, meanwhile, will still belong to the Luo Yu Research Institute. The institute may sell them for profit as it sees fit."
Luo Yu was slightly taken aback. Wasn't this just giving him money for nothing? But...
"But..." After a moment's thought, Yu Lei said, "The Luo Yu Research Institute must become the exclusive supplier of medical pet beasts to Mirror Moon Hospital. Every year, a set number of Ink Fish must become the hospital's 'medical staff,' and a certain percentage of the treatment fees generated during their service will go to the institute as a profit share."
"Luo Yu, what do you think?" Yu Lei asked.
"I have no objections," Luo Yu said.
The terms were already quite generous, with plenty of room to skim profits. If Luo Yu were a little unscrupulous, he could rake in benefits at every step.
He was in charge of the expansion standards? Then surely it wouldn't hurt to ask for a little more.
The island would cover all the costs of raising, breeding, and cultivating Ink Fish? He could easily pass the costs of researching and breeding Ink Fish with other talents, as well as researching Ink Fish evolution, onto the "medical Ink Fish project," claiming they were part of the research.
And the whole series of results would still belong to the Luo Yu Research Institute. He could even open a pet beast shop and make a huge fortune, while the island appeared to be taking a pure loss.
Of course, Luo Yu might make a killing, but Mirror Moon Island wouldn't lose out either. How much could it cost to raise and breed a group of Ink Fish?
By comparison, purchasing medicinal ingredients and medical pet beasts from other islands cost an astronomical amount.
Ship wear and tear, labor costs, expenditures on medicinal ingredients and medical pet beasts, and the possible "sacrifices" during voyages... Compared with all that, if Mirror Moon Island had its own medical pet beast breeding base, it would also make a killing in the long run.
Besides, even if Luo Yu sold medical Ink Fish, the first to benefit would be Mirror Moon Island's civilian fleets.
The other researchers all looked envious.
"It'll take quite a while to build up a sufficient number of medical Ink Fish, won't it?"
"But there's less than a year until the Tidal Corpse Transformation." Yu Zhifeng, a mature researcher with long, wavy hair, rested her arms on the table, interlaced her fingers, and leaned her face against her hands. "Let's first consider how to reduce casualties in this Zombie Tide," she said slowly.
Director Yu Lei nodded. "Mm. These medical Ink Fish do need to remain with Researcher Luo Yu for breeding, but it would be best if they could also play some part in this Tidal Corpse Transformation."
"Luo Yu." He looked at Luo Yu and said, "I have an idea. Hear me out."
"For now, besides the necessary breeding work, we also need to train their healing abilities to prepare for the Tidal Corpse Transformation."
"Of course, training their special abilities for no purpose would be too wasteful. It would be better to train them through practice, which could even bring in some returns."
"Mirror Moon Island has a beast arena, where Beast Tamers on the island spar within the rules. Serious casualties are uncommon, but ordinary injuries are unavoidable. There's an infirmary at the arena that provides some medicinal treatments."
"I think the institute could establish a medical partnership with the arena. To start with, some male Ink Fish could train their special abilities there by treating minor injuries."
After listening, Luo Yu nodded. Naturally, he had no objections.
"Good. In that case, you'll serve as deputy director of the arena infirmary and be responsible for managing these Ink Fish." Director Yu Lei chuckled.
"If I remember correctly, Luo Yu, you only became a Beast Tamer recently, right? Besides beast fights, the arena also has plenty of training grounds. Once you take up the post, you can use them as you please."
"All right." Luo Yu hadn't expected this extra benefit.
Everyone chimed in with their thoughts on the medical Ink Fish.
The research report meeting continued until late, but the Ancient Grotto, the subject the meeting had actually been called to discuss, ended up taking very little time. The so-called progress made in exploring the Ancient Grotto scarcely seemed worth mentioning next to the medical Ink Fish.
Unless they found a way right now to evolve avian mutated beasts in the Ancient Grotto and reliably raise their species rank, it simply couldn't compare with a reliable source of medical pet beasts.
After the meeting ended.
"Xiao Wan," Director Yu Lei called.
"I'm here," said Yu Wan, who had been listening silently nearby the whole time.
"Let's see Luo Yu out and visit the institute. Afterward, you'll be responsible for gathering any requests Luo Yu has..."
At noon, Researcher Chen Zhuo returned home.
"Dad, you're back! I've got to tell you, I'm sure I passed the cultivation qualification assessment this time!" Chen Bo said excitedly. He had taken the assessment again that month and answered the questions perfectly.
"Hmph."
Chen Zhuo glanced at his son, frustrated that iron wouldn't become steel. "That's it?"
Chen Bo: ?