Chapter 169: GSC (1)

Young-Joon retired to Kinshasa after traveling to several countries to help establish the anthracis fence. He was at a hotel restaurant. Michelle was the first to arrive, then Young-Joon.

When are you flying back? Michelle asked.

In two days, replied Young-Joon.

You would be treated like a state guest anywhere else. Im sorry for bringing you all this way and just making you work.

Haha, its alright. I did some good research, a few papers, made a new treatment and a vaccine, finished a clinical trial, and worked on a new prevention method for disease. I did all of that with the Congolese governments money, so it was good for me.

Now that you say that

And I brought in a lot of revenue for my company from supplying the treatment, vaccine, and the anthracis fence.

Youre probably the only person who can bring in that much money from a business trip.

I will take that as a compliment.

It is.

As they were making small talk, someone else showed up at the table. It was Phillip.

Am I late? Im sorry, he said as he sat down. You should have started without me. Im sure you were hungry.

We just got here as well.

Michelle smiled.

As Phillip sat down, the dishes began coming out, starting with the appetizer. The three people talked about the battle against Ebola over the meal.

Its all thanks to Doctor Ryu, Phillip said as he took a sip of wine. I couldnt praise Doctor Ryu too much during the speech because I had to give hope to the frightened people of Congo. But I think you are the biggest contributor to this battle against Ebola.

I agree, Michelle said. Like he said, no matter how well we planned the strategy, we wouldnt have been able to do anything if we didnt have the treatment, vaccine, and the anthracis fence.

Im flattered, but the real credit goes to someone else, Young-Joon said.

Who? Michelle asked.

Its the scientists who risked their lives in a level four lab to bring the treatment up to product level.

...

Phillip lowered his head solemnly.

That is also true, since they risked their lives for that research. Ive also worked in a level four lab, and the scientists who work there deserve our respect, Michelle said.

They are all going to receive special recognition, Phillip said.

But if it wasnt for Doctor Ryu, we wouldnt have even been able to start the experiment in a level four lab, and Ebola would have swept across this country, Michelle said.

Thats right, Doctor Ryu. Please tell us anything you want. Im not the president, but I will do anything I can if I become the next president, Phillip said.

Like I said to Secretary Michelle, I already gained a lot here

Still, I would feel so bad if I let you go like this. I could consider this foreign aid and if youd like, we can open diplomatic relations for our underground resources, almost as friendly countries.

Even if Phillip offered that, Young-Joon didnt know what to say, since hed never thought about trade and diplomacy at the national level.

Should I ask for hydrogen fluoride?

After a brief moment of daydreaming, Young-Joon snapped back to reality.

I will contact you if I need anything, Young-Joon said.

The three of them enjoyed their meal and wine. Although, Young-Joon couldnt get drunk because Rosaline cleaned the alcohol up as soon as he drank wine.

And after the evening came to an end, Young-Joon, who was tired, returned to his hotel room and flopped down on his bed. While he was idly scrolling on his phone, he noticed something that made him get up in surprise. He sat up straight and read his phone again. There was a large picture of him on the main screen of the GSC homepage.

[The person who went to Africa alone and solved the Ebola pandemic]

What is this? [In biology, diseases sometimes intersect with each other, just as science intersects. A terrible epidemic was born in Congo when Ebola and anthracis fused together. There was a deadly crisis where this could have become a pandemic, but thanks to the quick response of the Congolese government and neighboring countries, it now appears to have subsided. Much of this is due to the work of Doctor Ryu Young-Joon, the youngest member of the GSC.]

...

[This is different from making a cure or a vaccine. Doctor Ryu made anthracis resistant to Ebola by planting a viral vector and delivering part of the Ebola genes to the bacteria. He succeeded in transforming anthracis, the infection route of Ebola, into a capturing device and eliminating the spread of Ebola.]

[This changes the paradigm of the scientific communitys approach to epidemic prevention. Health authorities including the WHO should consider setting up biological fences like this as a way of securing their borders in the future. Furthermore]

Young-Joon quickly realized what this article was aiming for. At the end of the article, there was a link to another announcement.

Convening of the International GSC Membership Conference.

Location: Granny Hyatt Hotel, Seoul, South Korea.

* * *

Originally, the GSC first started with the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. They were scientists who were paid a stipend by the king to solve scientific problems that were given to them. They initially focused on mathematics and philosophy, but they later moved on to physics, chemistry, and more. Gradually, they began to become more international in nature while working with the Anglosphere and eventually became independent as the GSC.

The concept of one hundred great scientists was first created when they became independent. The idea was to heal and unite people who had been scarred by the First and Second World Wars through the power of science, which had no borders.

Since then, there have only been one hundred members. But as the organization grew, it decided to open up membership to the general public.

The conditions to become a general member are less rigid, so we have over two million members.

That was what Michelle said to Young-Joon over tea the next afternoon. Objectively speaking, it was a bit ridiculous because most of those general members were scientists who were at least research professors at universities or senior scientists at companies. Not surprisingly, there were also many Nobel Prize recipients among the general members. Carpentier was also a general member.

But those two million scientists cant go to the GSC Membership conference that is held every year. The international conference picks a venue and only invites the one hundred scientists who hold the membership. They are the only ones who get tickets, Michelle said.

Did you see the article in GSC? Young-Joon asked Michelle.

Of course, I saw it.

... It has some pretty specific information about what happened. Did they contact you about the article or anything like that?

Yes. Didnt they contact you, Doctor Ryu?

No.

Did you update your personal information on your account?

Personal account?

You have to put your contact information and opt-in to receive notifications for the GSC administration team to contact you.

I see.

They probably published your story as bait.

Bait?

All of the GSC members are incredibly egotistical and busy. Of course, they are since they only picked one hundred scientists out of all the scientists in the entire world.

...

What Im saying is that even if they convene an international conference, not even fifty people will come. Its usually thirty or forty people, and about fifty people will come if theres an interesting issue.

So are you saying that they wrote my story since its being held in Seoul?

Its probably the opposite. Theyre putting the spotlight here since you are at the heart of the scientific community and holding it in Seoul.

Oh

But you should go to the International GSC Conference since its quite educational and socially meaningful.

GSC was not just for people in biology or medicine; there was also astrophysics, math, organic chemistry, computer science and more. It was an elite club for scientists from a variety of fields. It was a collection of the best brains in all the STEM disciplines that made the world function

The GSC only had one goal.

The consilience of science.

For example, it was like when the interaction between SC Electronics and A-Bios biology resulted in a diagnostic kit. When different fields of science synergized, the results were often revolutionary. That was what international conferences were for; scientists who were experts in their field shared their research and perspectives to find out what theyve been missing. They were able to pool their ideas to solve global problems that couldnt be addressed easily.

The topics are usually very general and vast. The Ebola and anthracis we caught recently could also be one of the topics. But we also discuss things like the depletion of oil resources, climate change, population growth, and aging, Michelle said. The topics themselves are things that could be discussed at a university, but its different in that were gathering to come up with a realistic solution. Im guessing were going to talk a lot about you this time.

Really?

The food crisis was one of the topics three years ago, and one of the solutions that was mentioned was cultured meat. And you did that yourself, Doctor Ryu.

...

The International GSC Conference also has a lot of influence on the policy decisions of governments around the world. So if youre going, do well.

Are you going too?

Ill have to see, since I still have to focus on Ebola in Congo.

* * *

Upon returning to Korea, Young-Joon was suddenly overwhelmed with mental fatigue. Developing the Ebola treatment and vaccines, researching and developing the anthracis fence, and convincing and installing them in neighboring countries: even with Rosalines help, this was not easy.

I thought I recovered when I rested at the hotel for a few days after it was all over.

Young-Joons body had recovered, but he hadnt mentally relaxed yet. He actually felt like it was all over once he met Yoo Song-Mi, his secretary, at the airport.

But why are you here? Young-Joon asked Park Joo-Hyuk, who was standing beside Yoo Song-Mi.

I came to check if our dear CEO was okay and wasnt exhausted, and to take you home.

Why are you acting like that all of a sudden? Creepy.

Young-Joon frowned.

Ill tell you what has happened at the company while you were gone. This has some security issues, and its important.

Okay, tell me on the way, Young-Joon said as he got in the K-Cops car.

First, Yoo Song-Mi told Young-Joon everything that had happened at the company while he was gone.

Lab One at A-Gen has succeeded in developing a new material that has the lotus effect, Yoo Song-Mi said.

Oh, right

To be honest, even Young-Joon had forgotten about that.

I heard it works very well, Yoo Song-Mi said.

Thats good.

And the Life Creation Team at A-Bio has made an artificial liver.

So they did it. It wouldnt have been easy. They were able to make an artificial intestine, and now an artificial liver.

I wonder if theyll actually be able to produce all the organs one by one, put them together, and actually succeed in creating life by creating a heart and brain.

Young-Joon chuckled.

And Doctor Carpentiers team created a hair follicle tissue, Yoo Song-Mi said.

Hair follicle tissue? Young-Joon asked.

They say its expected to give a lot of hope to people with hair loss.

...

And Doctor Feng Zhengs team used the dendritic cell bypass method in the research with the A-Bio Cancer Institute and had success in treating esophageal cancer in preclinical trials.

Great.

And Doctor Cheon Ji-Myungs team was able to get their probiotic approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

Probiotics?

Yes, its a probiotic with

Clorotonis limuvitus

that has been edited.

I guess they finally came to their senses, Park Joo-Hyuk added.

It felt like they had gotten off easy this time, perhaps because Young-Joon had done something insane like putting in gene-edited bacteria into the brain.

But there was still a problem. The probiotics that had been approved now was what Young-Joon made when Rosaline was at a much lower level. And now, Rosaline had proposed a new and better probiotics composed of bacteria with a lot more edited genes.

Sorry, Doctor Cheon, but were going to have to start a new product

Thats all the progress, Yoo Song-Mi said.

Thank you. Ill hear the rest of the details during meetings, Young-Joon said.

Then, he turned to Park Joo-Hyuk.

Now, lets hear what Joo-Hyuk has to say.

The legal team at A-Bio got an important case.

What is it?

Exchanging shares with A-Gen, and a merger, Park Joo-Hyuk said.

Mr. Yoon wants to see you. He asked to set up a meeting.