Chapter 290: An Ordinary Scientist (4)

The solar cells were developed less than two months ago. While many countries have been excited about their efficiency and vision for the future, they were still not ready to replace their entire infrastructure. That was why most countries had only purchased a small number of solar cells and were testing them out, even though they expected them to replace their entire electricity business one day.

However, Professor Nobuhiro was proposing to build a small power plant using solar cells himself.

“I believe this will be a very important business for A-GenBio as well. This is the first time that solar cells, which have been used for the cold chain, small-scale emergency power, and reducing electricity bills, will be used as main power plants,” he said.

“That’s right. But most of our business is being handled by our CEO, Mr. Kim Young-Hoon. If you complete the business plan with him, I will go to Japan and help you plan the power plant,” Young-Joon said.

“Thank you,” Nobuhiro replied.

Then, he went up to the CEO’s office to meet Kim Young-Hoon.

Young-Joon stayed to talk to Kakeguni, a Nobel Prize recipient. Kakeguni hadn’t come all this way to just introduce a guest.

“Recently, there have been rumors in immunology and regenerative medicine communities that you are developing a cure for aging...” said Kakeguni after coming to Young-Joon’s office.

“A cure for aging?”

“That rumor seems to be spreading among Isaiah Franklin’s doctors. Is it true?”

“...”

Isaiah Franklin traveled all the way to the Netherlands when she wasn’t fully healed. After returning to the United States, she naturally went back to the hospital to recover from the aftermath of her gunshot wounds and to rest. While doing so, she also participated in several trials in the United States, most of which were related to the tragedy at Groom Lake.

In addition to her medical treatment, the hospital was entrusted with collecting evidence and conducting genetic tests. Rumors started spreading among the doctors responsible for the tests.

‘Her telomeres were extended.’

The treatment Isaiah received from Young-Joon at the hideout was a procedure that had not been officially approved by the FDA. Isaiah’s health was in such poor condition that there was no time for that, and submitting a report to the FDA risked exposing them to Lofair. Despite this, Young-Joon insisted on getting clinical consent, but that was it.

Only a few people knew this. However, once rumors start spreading, conspiracy theories quickly follow to fill in the gap.

There were reports from employees that Doctor Ryu visited the A-GenBio Cancer Laboratory and that he seemed to have conducted experiments for a while. There was talk about a patient at Johns Hopkins Hospital who had received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, and that this patient was likely Isaiah.

If Young-Joon was in charge of Isaiah’s treatment, perhaps he really did extend her telomeres. But how? How did he extend telomeres, one of the direct causes of aging, and correct Isaiah Franklin’s life span?

In the midst of the confusion and rumors, Kakeguni wanted to know the truth.

“It’s true,” Young-Joon replied bluntly.

He didn’t want to lie and cover up the truth.

Kakeguni was shocked.

“You extended Isaiah Franklin’s telomeres?”

“Isaiah’s cellular biological age has been completely rewound, and over the next year or so, as most of the damaged cells are replaced, her physical age will revert to her mid-twenties.”

“Mid-twenties...”

“She was young to begin with, so it won’t be very noticeable, but it’s scientifically true.”

“H... How can you do that? Did you publish it?”

“No,” Young-Joon said, shaking his head. “I didn’t have the time or resources to go through normal clinical procedures. Fortunately, the patient had the medical knowledge of a professor, so she was able to understand my explanation and sign a consent form. It wasn’t FDA approved, but it was authorized by the White House. They told me it didn’t matter legally because it was an emergency.”

“Ha, my god... A cure for aging,” Kakeguni exclaimed.

“That’s also not entirely true,” Young-Joon said.

“What?”

“I treated progeria, not aging.”

“...”

They seemed like the same thing, but Kakeguni understood what Young-Joon meant. Young-Joon didn’t view aging as a disease. He was willing to share his technology with special cases like Isaiah’s to cure progeria, but he had no intention of helping people’s normal aging. To be frank, it was because neither A-GenBio nor the international community had the energy to take on the aftermath of commercializing a technology of that magnitude.

“This technology is still developing, and it doesn’t have a paper or patent. Please try not to spread the news if possible,” Young-Joon said.

“... Doctor Ryu, I don’t have much attachment to my life, and I like the idea of aging gracefully. But this isn’t something that’s going to stay hidden by me being cautious with my words,” Kakeguni said worriedly. “I don’t know what will happen if this gets out. People will rush to you for life extension and aging treatment, and who knows what will happen to you if they get angry? You know the legend of Qin Shi Huang’s search for immortality, right?”

“Yes.”

“Even the powerful people who have everything don’t have youth. If they are able to, they will do whatever it takes to get it.”

“I will be careful. Thank you for worrying about me,” Young-Joon said with a smile.

*

Young-Joon’s parents returned home. The meeting with Rosaline wasn’t very dramatic, as he had already told them a lot about Rosaline.

“Yeah. They say there’s always one person in the world who looks like you.”

Young-Joon’s parents were too surprised when they saw Rosaline, who was a doppelganger of Ryu Sae-Yi. Instead, they began to worry about their young, promising son, who wasn’t even married yet, suddenly becoming a father.

“What if your wife doesn’t like that when you get married?” said his mother.

“Don’t worry. I’m already seeing someone, and it’s not like I adopted Rosaline,” Young-Joon lied, trying to stop the uncomfortable conversation from happening.

“Doctor Song?” interrupted Ryu Ji-Won, who was listening to the conversation.

“No,” Young-Joon replied.

“You were with her in the Netherlands, right? I thought you, Rosaline, and Doctor Song had dinner together?”

“Having dinner is not that big of a deal. There’s nothing going on between us.”

“I thought things were going well with you and Doctor Song.”

It wasn’t, and things actually felt a little awkward now.

Song Ji-Hyun had gone to Elsie’s house before to meet her. She was with Elsie from that point on, but at no point did she get the impression that Elsie was raising a child. She pretended to believe the story about Rosaline being Elsie’s child for now, but she suspected it wasn’t true.

‘From Doctor Song’s perspective, she might feel a bit hurt.’

Song Ji-Hyun probably thought they were close, but Young-Joon suddenly began to leave her out, adopt this mysterious kid, and then make secrets with a terrorist. No wonder things were awkward.

But it was for the best.

“Doctor Song is really pretty and seems to have a good personality. It’s not often you see someone like her follow you around. What a shame,” Ryu Ji-Won said, disappointed.

“What are you, a matchmaker? Mind your own love life, you little brat.”

Young-Joon scoffed and tapped Ryu Ji-Won’s forehead with his finger.

“Doctor Song has her path, and I have mine. Also, I’m going to Japan next week,” he said.

“Japan? Why are you going to that radioactive country?” exclaimed Young-Joon’s mother.

“As long as it’s not Fukushima, it should be fine,” Ryu Ji-Won intervened, trying to sound knowledgeable.

But Young-Joon gave an unexpected response.

“I’m going to Fukushima.”

“Are you crazy?” Ryu Ji-Won shouted.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going into high-risk zones. I’m going to measure the radiation as I go around. Anyway, take care of Rosaline for me next week,” he said.

Young-Joon thought about taking Rosaline with him, but he was anxious. It was best to minimize her exposure to the outside world as much as possible.

—Don’t worry. I can still send messages and use Synchronization Mode from here.

Rosaline sent him a message.

*

In Washington, United States, Alphonse Lofair, the man who ran a genomics lab at Groom Lake Air Force Base and committed all kinds of crimes, was being held in a mansion. The fact that he escaped bars and was locked up in one of his own mansions was a testament to how powerful he was.

But public opinion was still aggressive, and there were always protesters near the mansion.

“Alphonse must take responsibility!”

“Kick Lofair out and secure financial independence!”

The slogans they shouted echoed through the room.

“You idiots. Your financial independence is under consideration by Congress, but it’s actually already been finalized. There’s no reason for you to yell there...”

Alphonse hired the best lawyers for the trial, but there was no way they could prevent him from doing time. Chenover Bank was also in trouble, as its stock prices had plummeted due to the massive compensation it had to pay.

Having lost everything, Alphonse had given up on most things. But he didn’t care about that anymore, as Alphonse discovered that Isaiah Franklin, who was barely holding onto life, had been fully resurrected.

“How?”

Director Harris’ hideout where they hid Isaiah. The rumor that they made a quick stop at Johns Hopkins University to perform a stem cell transplant procedure. Rosaline, the little girl who seemed to have popped out of nowhere at that point. Elsie had set up the room with circumstantial evidence suggesting she had been raising the girl, but Alphonse knew better than anyone that Rosaline wasn’t really with Elsie.

Why did the terrorists entering the Hoofddorp Hotel suddenly collapse? Who exactly was Rosaline, and why did Young-Joon suddenly adopt her?

She wasn’t just a girl who resembled Young-Joon’s youngest sister. There was something about her. Although it was unclear and illogical, it could be connected to Young-Joon’s secret or Isaiah’s anti-aging treatment.

Having lost all his power, Alphonse returned to being a scientist, filled only with curiosity.

“What is that girl? Who is she?”

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“Your meal is here.”

“Come in.”

A tall man entered, bringing food on a rolling table.

Alphonse sliced a piece of steak and put it in his mouth.

“You can go now. I’ll call for you later to take away the empty plates,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

The man bowed to Alphonse and left.

*

Young-Joon thought back to the last conversation he had with Isaiah Franklin on the flight to Japan.

After all the business was concluded in the Netherlands, Isaiah asked him something before she left for the United States.

“What are you going to do with Rosaline when you get back?”

“Rosaline wants to go to school,” Young-Joon replied.

“I feel bad for the teachers,” Isaiah said, scoffing.

“Maybe she’ll go for a while and get bored and quit. In any case, I’m going to let Rosaline do whatever she wants to do.”

“... Ryu Young-Joon.”

With a pleading expression, Isaiah lowered her head toward Young-Joon and said, “Rosaline must never be revealed.”

“...”

“If even a hint of information about Rosaline gets out, there will be more than a few people who want her and your life.”

“You say that as if you have someone in mind. Who is it?” Young-Joon asked.

A man popped into Isaiah’s head: the scientist who had come to Egypt with a PhD in botulinum toxin research and founded the Philistines.

“Anyone,” she said. “Ryu Young-Joon, you are a great scientist. You’re not ordinary, and that’s why you wouldn’t covet Rosaline even if you didn’t have her.”

“...”

“But most scientists aren’t like that.”

“I knew the risks of both curing you and bringing Rosaline as a person,” Young-Joon said. “I’m going to protect Rosaline because I am her guardian.”