Chapter 199: Moratorium (4)

Surprised, Wang Wei read the article closely.

—South Korean company Cellijenner has collaborated with A-GenBio to develop a filter that catches micro-dust. Based on carbon paper, the filter can absorb up to two kilograms of fine dust per sheet. It can be easily removed by soaking it in water, meaning that it can be reused semi-permanently.

—China has made great strides in reducing micro-dust in many ways, but the air quality is still far from good. Many people still die from respiratory diseases triggered by air pollution. China should import these filters from South Korea and implement policies to reduce micro-dust emissions.

—In addition, Korea is promoting a new project to collect micro-dust captured by these filters and recycle it as fertilizer, which is estimated to have a positive economic impact of hundreds of billions of won in Korea alone.

“...”

Wang Wei wiped his face with both hands. It was wet with cold sweat. He quickly picked up his phone and called He Jiankui, but he didn’t answer.

* * *

Breathing in micro-dust for a few days didn’t immediately cause serious illnesses, so it was often taken relatively lightly or dismissed as an inconvenience. However, according to the State of Global Air report from the Health Effects Institute (HEI), a U.S. nonprofit organization, micro-dust was the sixth leading risk factor for death among air pollutants. It ranked alongside powerful risk factors like smoking, high blood sugar, and obesity. More than ninety-five percent of the world was exposed to micro-dust above the World Health Organization’s threshold. In a sense, it could be the most dangerous disease factor to exist because it wasn’t something that individuals could control, like smoking or obesity.

“This porous filter absorbs micro-dust and stores them in the vesicles embedded inside,” Song Ji-Hyun said.

While A-GenBio and Atmox were in trial, Cellijenner and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy held a briefing session together. It was a presentation on the running micro-dust reduction device.

Choi Yeon-Ho, the CEO of Cellijenner, and the minister assigned the presentation to Song Ji-Hyun because she was the scientist most familiar with the study. They were also relying on her fame, as she had already achieved stardom as a promising young scientist in Korea alongside Young-Joon.

“This micro-dust capture device absorbs dust when left in the air, but its effectiveness increases tenfold when it is installed in a car and driven at high speed,” Song Ji-Hyun said. “The main idea was provided by Mr. Ryu Young-Joon, the CEO of A-GenBio, and we developed it into a project and completed a pilot test. A sedan with ten filters can collect about twenty kilograms of micro-dust after driving one thousand kilometers.”

Song Ji-Hyun presented the data.

“According to Statistics Korea, cars in Korea traveled a total of 327.1 billion kilometers. If we put filters on every car in Korea, we can remove 6.54 million tons of micro-dust every year just in terms of mileage,” Song Ji-Hyun said. “The total amount of micro-dust in Korea is estimated to range from a million to ten million tons a year, meaning that in theory, almost all the micro-dust in the atmosphere could be removed by commercializing the running micro-dust reduction device.”

After Song Ji-Hyun explained the technical part, the minister and Choi Yeon-Ho, the CEO of Cellijenner, began explaining the business aspect.

“We don’t have a concrete policy plan in place yet, but the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy will fully support Cellijenner in commercializing this item. In the process, we will also prepare and implement various complementary policies to ensure the survival rights of domestic fertilizer producers.”

As the briefing came to an end, the reporters’ questions began.

“You said that Mr. Ryu provided the main idea. What was it specifically?”

“He provided us with the development strategy of the filter paper,” Song JI-Hyun replied. “And at Cellijenner, we followed that strategy to optimize the process of producing the filter paper, and we gathered data on how to attach it to the car along with how much micro-dust is captured during driving.”

“I have a question. It’s been estimated that China is going to build a large industrial zone near their eastern coast this year, which will significantly increase the amount of micro-dust coming to Korea. Do you think your product will be able to handle it?”

“It can be done by simply increasing the filter paper. It is estimated that a subcompact car can carry up to ten sheets of filter paper, and depending on the size of the vehicle, a large car like an SUV can carry up to thirty sheets,” Song Ji-Hyun answered again.

As she was finishing up her response, the minister interrupted.

“Additionally, the mileage values from Statistics Korea we mentioned earlier only include private vehicles. At the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, we are planning to install this micro-dust filter paper on public transportation, and that includes not only buses and taxis, but also trains, subways, and airplanes.”

“Wow...” someone among the reporters exclaimed.

The minister smiled.

“We are expecting trains like KTC to hold thousands of the filter paper.”

One of the reporters asked, “When this product is launched to the public, how are you splitting the profits with A-GenBio?”

Song Ji-Hyun quickly jumped in.

“Cellijenner is keeping all the profits,” she said. “Mr. Ryu Young-Joon provided us with all the methodology that was key to developing this technology during our research meetings, but he refused to take any of the profits.”

“Woah...”

This was very unexpected.

“You’re not splitting the profits at all?”

When the reporters sounded puzzled, Song Ji-Hyun clarified.

“That’s right. Mr. Ryu told us that this was because none of A-GenBio’s scientists or facilities were used, and because he helped the development of the filter paper alone. In other words, it was his personal project, not the company’s, and he said he has no intention of receiving profits from it.”

“I think it was part of his social contribution as the representative of a large company to foster small and medium-sized businesses. The only thing A-GenBio is receiving is a logo on the filter paper,” said Choi Yeon-Ho.

“What logo is it?” the reporters asked.

“It’s the logo for Lab Seven, which A-GenBio is planning to create.”

“Lab Seven?”

The reporters murmured amongst themselves.

“If I may, I’d like to say...” Song Ji-Hyun said. “I would like to clarify that the conspiracy theories and rumors going around right now about the Chinese micro-dust at Mr. Ryu Young-Joon are false. He has been working with us on the micro-dust reduction project long before he left for China, and at that point, he had already promised to give us all the profits.”

* * *

—He Jiankui, say that again.

—Ryu Young-Joon’s obsession with the lawsuit has compromised air quality. The Korean government must take action in place of a GSC member who is not fulfilling his responsibilities sacrificing his people’s health for money... said no one ever.

└loooool

└└It’s actually so funny looking back.

—And on the third day, he said, “Let the skies be clear.” Then, micro-dust disappeared.

—Weird. Micro-dust will be worth so much if they recycle it as fertilizer, but why are they putting all of that on the westerlies and donating it to us?

—But his skills are crazy. How could he just develop something like that and give it away to a small company?

—Small business, take the fertilizer market and grow~

└loooool

—This is the attitude of a true CEO of a mega-corporation. This is what nobless oblige is. It’s not about tricking small businesses, slashing unit prices, and stealing manpower, but about giving back to society by providing ideas, technology, capital to projects from small companies.

—Hey He Jiankui, this is what you call a GSC member, alright?

—Cellijenner developed Cellicure when they were a start-up and grew fast, but now it looks like they’re going to get really big.

—It’s going to be huge if they export the filter paper overseas.

—Amazing. The domestic fertilizer market itself may not be that big, but selling the filter paper alone would have been pretty profitable, too. Even if A-GenBio didn’t participate in the development and Doctor Ryu provided the idea alone, the profits would have been tempting. It’s amazing that he gave up on that completely.

—He’s already proven to be smart and ethical, but this is crazy. He’s helping a small business grow.

—The more I look at him, the more I can’t believe he’s from Korea, this hellhole.

Ring!

Young-Joon’s phone rang as he was looking through the A-GenBio community page.

—Hey! You’re crazy.

Park Joo-Hyuk shouted as soon as Young-Joon picked up the phone.

“What?”

—I came out of the trial with Atmox and saw the news that you made some micro-dust reduction device.

“Yeah, I heard. Cellijenner is working with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Technology to make it a national policy and commercialize it.”

—People are going crazy over here, it’s insane. I think it’s more than when you came up with the diagnostic kit. You’re not a national hero anymore, you’re a whole religion.

Park Joo-Hyuk said.

—It’s more impactful because it happened after He Jiankui slandered you about micro-dust. On top of that, you didn’t want the profits and gave it all away to a small business. People are saying there’s no one like you in the world.

“Everything I’ve done up until now has been about eliminating or diagnosing diseases, but this is about eliminating an everyday inconvenience.”

—When you get back, you might literally get carried from Incheon Airport to A-GenBio.

“Shut up and tell me about how the trial went.”

—Well, we crushed them. We had irrefutable evidence, so how could we have lost?

“Good job.”

—When are you coming back?

“In two weeks.”

—Alright. I guess our times won’t work. I’m going to Taiwan at the end of this month.

“Taiwan? Why?”

—Our case is based on patent rights, and patent rights are essentially applicable in one region. Even if we win in Korea, it might not be valid in Taiwan, things like that. It’s complicated. That’s why SG Electronics and Inpaul did trials everywhere—the U.S., Germany, Seoul—during their patent war.

Park Joo-Hyuk said.

—Anyway, this trial in Seoul is like a beta test, and now we’re going to hold a series of trials in all the countries where Atmox is present. It’s basically like a conquest.

“...”

—We’re holding a trial in Taiwan at the end of this month, and next will be the United States. If we win all of them, the damages will be insane. They won’t have that kind of money, and they have no choice other than bankruptcy.

“Were you always this scary?”

—Anyway, I was going to go visit you after Taiwan, but I guess I can’t if you’re returning before then.

“Yeah.”

—How are things there? The moratorium going well?

“It went smoothly,” Young-Joon said.

—What happened to He Jiankui?

“The Public Security Bureau took him. He had to be taken into custody anyways, but it was held off until the moratorium declaration.”

—But he’s the representative scientist of China, so he won’t be punished severely, right?

“Um...”

Young-Joon hesitated a little.

“To be honest, there’s even talk of him being executed.”

—Executed?!

Park Joo-Hyuk shouted in astonishment.

—They want to execute him?

“I don’t think that’s actually going to happen, but the things that were announced during the moratorium were really serious, and the research ethics violations are almost all out in the open now,” Young-Joon said. “The international community has their eye on China’s research ethics right now, so I guess they can’t go easy on the punishment.”

—My god. But execution...

“It’s just that they’re discussing the possibility of giving him the maximum sentence. They’re just conscious of the international community, so I don’t think they’re going to give him the death sentence.

—But his sentence is going to be pretty bad.

“Most likely,” Young-Joon said.

—Well, alright. Cellijenner defended the attack from them, and you destroyed He Jiankui. All I have to do is crush Atmox, and we’re done. You should come back soon.

“I can’t.”

—You can’t?

“It seems like everything is going well for us, but I’m not satisfied. The victim is still there,” Young-Joon said. “I’ll go home after curing Mimi, the genetically modified baby.”