I Have A Super USB Drive

by <unknown>

  Those who qualified for the TED conference were also preeminent talents from various fields such as Nobel Prize winners or billionaires like Bill Gates and Musk who had created new legends or scientists, philosophers, artists, explorers, psychologists, linguists, religious leaders, philanthropists, and so on.

  Since 2006, the TED Talks had been posted online and quickly gained worldwide attention. It had become one of the most prestigious speech platforms in the world. If Chen Chen could get on this stage, Blacklight Biotechnology's Project Xingtian would swiftly spread throughout the world. The effect of this would be much better than spending hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars on global advertising.

  Seeing this, Chen Chen thought for a while and finally agreed to this proposal.

  With the increasing influence of the company, Chen Chen's name was destined to be known to even more people. As he was the first to create the Blacklight virus vaccine, Chen Chen was even nominated last September in the list of candidates for this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

  If there was no unexpected plot twist, Chen Chen's Nobel Prize this year was guaranteed. This was something the North American government had no choice but to do because if Chen Chen lost the nomination, it would affect the perceived authority and fairness of the Nobel Prize.

  After all, in the field of medicine in 2023, there would be no one who had performed better than Chen Chen.

  As Chen Chen closed the webpage, he started to ponder silently.

  Now, the company had almost reached its peak in the development of biopharmaceuticals, owning several patents and also the trump card that was the Eco Science City. As long as the three anti-cancer drugs passed clinical trials in a few years and they released the AD-001 drug that could completely cure Alzheimer's, not even companies like Pfizer and Novartis would be able to compete with them.

  At that point, Blacklight Biotechnology would officially become an unprecedented world-class pharmaceutical monopoly. It would be immensely difficult for even one or two continents or countries to do anything against them.

  However, as a rule, when Blacklight Biotechnology had developed to that extent, it had reached its limit. It was impossible to continue expanding, for instance, reaching the level of the Umbrella Corporation.

  After all, the potential of a single industry was limited. Even if the global pharmaceutical industry was united, there was no power that could equal the Earth Federation. If Chen Chen wanted to go further, he had only one option —

  Horizontal cross-border development!

  If a group wanted to achieve long-term development, it must actively expand into other fields and reach the top in all walks of life. This was the path of development for the corporate empire.

  What was a corporate empire?

  It was a corporation with the characteristics of "imperialism". It did not act in full accordance with economic laws and had its unique means of doing things such as private armed forces that answered only to the company, a unique economic monopoly system, and top-secret projects in cooperation with the government that were hidden from the public.

  Even the average country would be somewhat wary of such a corporation. Any of its actions could cause a global sensation and its political influence was no less than that of a nation.

  Even for continents, their control over this sort of corporate super monopoly was very limited. Chen Chen's goal was to become an enterprise like this or even stronger!

  Still, cross-border development was not that easy. One would have no connections, technology or talents. Everything must begin from scratch, just like starting a business with nothing in hand.

  Therefore, for ordinary companies, cross-border expansion was indeed a very dangerous move and might even lead to bankruptcy. However, for Chen Chen, it was not a problem at all.

  After all, Chen Chen had a key that could open the door to various worlds.

  Through that key, he could obtain any advanced technology that he wanted. These technologies would allow him to stand at the forefront of any field including energy, electronics, network, industry, even aerospace and military.

  As long as he had enough time, Chen Chen would be able to create a real-life Umbrella Corporation sooner or later…

  …

  Three days later, a major change suddenly occurred on the official website of Blacklight Biotechnology Ltd.

  Previously, there were only four sections on the homepage of Blacklight Biotechnology's official website, namely the biopharmaceutical section, the medical project section, the infectious disease section, and the electronic technology section.

  The four major sections were represented by the colors green, white, gray, and black, so they were clearly distinct at a glance.

  The biopharmaceutical section, naturally, listed the three anti-cancer drugs that had entered the clinical trial stage while the medical project section included the "age-reversal treatment" project, the "Alzheimer's disease reversal treatment" project, and so on.

  As for the infectious disease section, the research materials on the Blacklight virus and vaccine were publicly shared for anyone in the world to browse through and learn from.

  Each section had its own independent forum. Due to Blacklight Biotechnology's prestige, these forums had gradually attracted the attention of countless scholars. Many experts in the medical field had registered accounts on the official website of Blacklight Biotechnology, which had become a professional website similar to an academic network.

  Under the management of Little X, the forums under the official website of Blacklight Biotechnology had been managed in an orderly manner, thus winning the favor of those academic experts who now regarded it as a permanent haunt.

  However, just this morning, some academic experts and editors of various journals were surprised by Blacklight Biotechnology's new official website when they opened it up to search for materials as usual.

  Among the four sections that were once arranged in a square, a new section had suddenly appeared.

  The color representing that section was gold and there was a new name on the section — tissue engineering.

  If someone clicked in curiously, they would be greeted with a large blank page. In the center of the blank screen, there was a big "question mark" and behind the question mark was a human figure.

  This figure was shadowy and vague, and one could just about tell that it was a human figure. Still, the peculiar thing was that this figure did not have a head…

  When they saw this new additional section, many people who were silently watching the company now understood that Blacklight Biotechnology had new products.

  As a newly emerging pharmaceutical giant in the field of biopharmaceuticals, Blacklight Biotechnology did not have a very high profile, but its every move still roused the attention of countless people. After this information was released, many international media competed to make the first report:

  [Blacklight Biotechnology Is Suspected to Be Releasing a New Product. This Time It May Expand Into Tissue Engineering!]—Wall Street Journal.

  [Boom! According to Industry Sources, Blacklight Biotechnology Is Suspected to Be Joining Forces With Musk!]—Tencent News.

  [Blacklight Biotechnology's New Venture Is Confirmed to Be Related to Tissue Engineering. Its Emblem Is Suspected to Be the Ancient Chinese Figure Xingtian!]—Sina Express.

  [When People Opened the Main Page of Blacklight Biotechnology's Official Website, the Entire Earth Federation Was Stunned!]—UC Subscription.

  With the exposure from major media, Blacklight Biotechnology had publicly announced the release date of the new product and also announced that on 1 April, the founder and chairman of Blacklight Biotechnology would give a TED Talk. The venue of the talk was arranged by the TED officials, in a rare exception, to be in Blacklight Biotechnology's Eco Science City!

  This gesture greatly boosted Blacklight Biotechnology's reputation. Once again, Blacklight Biotechnology had become a discussion topic among
the biotechnology crowd. Some netizens who were more invested in the biological field had even more enthusiastic discussions.

  "The project is in the field of tissue engineering. If you consider this along with the headless horseman, it's very easy to guess. It must be related to head replacement surgery!"

  Under the new section of Blacklight Biotechnology, some netizens speculated.

  "My *ss! If it's head replacement surgery, do you think the International Bioethics Committees would agree? Not to mention that stem cells still haven't solved the problem of reconnecting the spinal cord and nerves!"

  Someone more knowledgeable quickly refuted this.

  "Maybe it's cloning. Recently, wasn't there news circulating online that many wealthy people are cloning their bodies privately for future organ transplantations? Maybe this silhouette of a figure without a head is a clone without a head, who can say?"

  Someone else guessed again.

  "Impossible, any human cloning is prohibited by the international law of the Earth Federation. So, all of you saying that it's human cloning and head replacement surgery can give it a rest."

  …

  Chapter 280: Press Conference on Xingtian |

  Many people noticed that the city built by Blacklight Biotechnology, the Eco Science City, had launched several major projects.

  For example, there were several factories of unknown purpose. These factories spanning dozens of kilometers, plus the Blacklight Nuclear Power Plant by the sea, all comprised a vast industrial park that was practically the largest place for manufacturing in Africa.

  In addition, in the center of the Eco Science City, a building that had been under construction for more than a year was finally completed during this time.

  This was a hemispherical building with an area of ​​about four hectares and a diameter of about 200 meters. Based on its interior, it should be a public facility akin to a multifunctional stadium.

  Nonetheless, unlike most stadiums, this hemispherical building had a huge dome made of the latest lightweight-material technology. Beneath this was 40,000 seats and a high-tech stage that could be raised and lowered in the center.

  The stage was shaped like a distilling flask. A straight passage extended into the backstage where actors could enter the stage directly from backstage. Above the stage was a hexahedron, which every side featured a huge screen of 15000mm x 10000mm. This was large enough so that even the audience in the furthest seat could see everything on the stage.

  The name of this enclosed multifunctional stadium was the Blacklight Dome.

  Presently, a large number of people had arrived at this dome-like building. These people thronged in and out, transporting pieces of equipment into the building.

  This was because the TED conference in 2024 would be held here.

  Xia Yin handed the planner to Chen Chen. After Chen Chen approved it, Xia Yin again sent it to the CEO in Africa, Qian Wenhuan. Qian Wenhuan would run the event on the ground.

  To get Project Xingtian an unprecedented amount of publicity, the head office even personally negotiated with the TED organizers and set the venue for 2024's TED conference to be in the Blacklight Dome of the Eco Science City.

  Moreover, instead of inviting only 1,350 attendees as was the case with previous TED conferences, this time, Blacklight Biotechnology had issued 30,000 invitations in one go, inviting all well-known audience members who had been to a TED conference before. They even waived the 7,500 USD ticket fee and all expenses would be borne by Blacklight Biotechnology.

  This was not only because Chen Chen would be giving a speech at this TED conference, but also because the latest press conference would be held at this venue!

  Such an extravagant move immediately attracted the attention of the world. There were some people who, despite not receiving the invitation letter, began to quickly apply for visas to come to Namibia, wanting to participate in this grand technological event.

  At the end of March, the number of tourists in the Eco Science City exceeded 100,000 for the first time. The huge flow of people brought explosive economic benefits. It was hard to get a hotel room in the Eco Science City and even the hotels of nearby coastal cities like Walvis Bay and Swakopmund were already overcrowded.

  Many people had no choice but to stay in the capital city, Windhoek, over a hundred kilometers away.

  Besides the fact that this was TED, a world-renowned speech conference, where all the participants were leaders from all walks of life, the more crucial reason that everyone went crazy over this was that many of them came for Blacklight Biotechnology's latest press conference.

  Many people had figured out long ago that Blacklight Biotechnology was a biomedical company standing at the apex of the Earth Federation. Although its market value was not high, not even making it into the world's top 500, this was only because the company had not been funded and listed.

  This company had become what it was today entirely on its own…

  …

  On 1 April, in front of the Blacklight Dome in the center of the Eco Science City, there was a lot of busy traffic and bustling people.

  At eleven o'clock in the morning, hundreds of news vehicles and media from all over the world gathered in the square before the main entrance of the Blacklight Dome. Many reporters and anchors had to stand in the crowd, face the camera, and start reporting.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Federation Info. It's Anna here. We're now in the Eco Science City of Namibia. As you can see, there's a massive crowd! There are hundreds of media outlets besides us. One must say that today is a special day because today is when the hero of the Earth Federation — Blacklight Biotechnology — will hold its latest conference!

  "As the benchmark for biomedical companies, Blacklight Biotechnology isn't that high-profile. Ever since this mysterious company entered the public eye, this is only the second time it has held a press conference. What's more dramatic is that the last press conference this company held was exactly this time last year. That press conference shook up the entire world. I wonder if this press conference will disappoint everyone?

  "In any case, let us wait and see!"

  The host of Federation Info spoke frankly and eloquently, and not too far from her was the reporter from Agence France-Presse.

  "Dear audiences on the other side of the screen, this is AFP. Currently, I'm standing before the main entrance of the Blacklight Dome. We're here in the Eco Science City of the famous Blacklight Biotechnology. Speaking of this legendary company, I think there aren't many who haven't heard about how Blacklight had developed a vaccine for the Blacklight virus one month in advance of many other continents, saving all of Africa, and even indirectly saving the Earth Federation…

  "Moreover, they have also developed three anti-cancer targeted drugs, which they claim to have a 90% chance of curing cancer. In addition, they have also developed an age-reversal treatment plan. They're practically a celebrity within the pharmaceutical industry and their existence has saved the equivalent of over a hundred million lives...

  "And today, not only is it another one of Blacklight Biotechnology's press conferences, but this time, the extremely mysterious founder of this company will appear in the public eye for the first time as a TED speaker to deliver a talk. And what kind of enlightenment will he bring to our lives? I'm Anson from AFP, please stay tuned in for our follow-up report!"

  …

  This kept happening in the square of the Blacklight Dome. As it got closer to noon, more people started flocking in. These people were dressed in suits and shoes, exuding an air of confidence. They waved their admission tickets, went past the usher, and verified their identities. Following that, they had to pass through a metal detector and an X-ray machine before entering the venue.

  There were 40,000 seats in the Blacklight Dome. The reason why only 30,000 people were invited was that the remaining 10,000 were for the staff members who had signed up as volunteers. In addition, there were also seats for major media outlets. />
  The Black Knights were responsible for the event's security. To ensure Chen Chen's safety during his talk, five hundred security guards were placed throughout the venue to keep watch. A thousand Black Knights were also situated among the audience.

  Furthermore, Little X was also monitoring the Internet around the clock. It would be able to respond quickly if it found any traces of information that hinted at danger.

  At a quarter past 12, when everyone was completely seated, the venue lights suddenly dimmed. At the same time, a circular podium at the center of the venue slowly descended from the roof of the dome while the six enormous screens lit up one after another, fully revealing the stage before everyone's eyes.

  Without a doubt, the TED Talk was starting.

  Chapter 281: We're Gods! |

  The hexagon-shaped screen by the top of the podium illuminated the stage along with the stage lights. After a brief moment, they began to dim out again.

  The only light source that remained was a bright spotlight at the dome which was pointed onto the empty stage.

  Soon, people caught a glimpse of a man approaching the podium from the edges of the stage untouched by the spotlight.

  The appearance of the man was accompanied by a solemn piano symphony that resounded across the hall.

  The hall that was at first still filled with the chatter of the crowd immediately became silent. The audience stayed mindfully silent as they turned their curious attention to the podium on stage.

  The screen by the top of the podium slowly brightened. At the same time, several drones fitted for videography descended from the top of the dome and hovered in the air. The live footage transmitted from the drones were projected onto the screen.

  Meanwhile, the display screen above the podium showed the man stepping into the spotlight, into the audience's view.

  It was a Chinese man of indiscernible age.

  The man combed his hair regularly and wore a regular black suit without any distinctive features. He looked rather young and relatively plain. The only thing about the man that left a strong impression was his eyes.