Chapter 53

Standing at the door of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Andrew hesitated for a moment before knocking on Watson's office door.

Watson's reputation was not good; his recent efforts to lobby for the Human Genome Project had not been going smoothly. Although Americans were keen to advance this technology, the influence of Lysenkoism in the Soviet biological community was significant, and their enthusiasm in this area was low. The setbacks in his work had affected his life, making him more irritable, and his subordinates now looked at him with a mixture of fear and trepidation.

"Andrew, sit down. What's up?" Even with his bad temper, Watson knew when to pick his battles. As one of his key subordinates, Andrew was a trusted right-hand man, and Watson would not unjustly treat him.

Andrew, holding a report, sat down somewhat nervously. He turned the report around and placed it on Watson's desk, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Boss, this is the report on the Chinese man's experimental drug from a while back."

"Do I need to see this?" Watson was impatient, waving his hand dismissively. "Since the experiment is over, just give this pile of garbage to the Chinese man. I don't have the time for this!"

"But the data is a bit unusual, I think you should take a look, boss." Andrew's face showed some difficulty, but he stood by his opinion.

Watson knew his temper, and if Andrew backed down, there might be no immediate problem, but if something went wrong later, he would be the one to blame. If Watson read the file and still found nothing, the worst that would happen is a scolding now, which was better than being remembered for a mistake.

Seeing that Andrew did not back down, Watson frowned but picked up the file to understand what the issue was. Stupid people couldn't be scientists; while some might be good at following orders, they could never reach the level of a lab manager. If Andrew thought this file was worth the risk, it must have something unique.

Watson casually flipped through the report, scanning the experimental data. He frowned slightly and grunted, "As expected, this Chinese man's drug has no real advantages. What can a yellow-skinned person contribute to scientific research? It's a waste of resources!"

With that, Watson threw the file back on the desk and looked at Andrew, saying, "Andrew, you better have a good explanation. Is this what you wanted me to see? Do you think I have a lot of time to waste?"

"Of course not, boss." Under Watson's gaze, Andrew involuntarily lowered his head and said with difficulty, "But this drug is quite strange. Its effect on angina is almost negligible, but it has a very... unusual side effect."

Andrew hesitated for a moment before continuing, "It causes a significant relaxation of the smooth muscles in the corpora cavernosa, leading to increased arterial blood flow to the lower body, resulting in engorgement, hardness, and erection."

Watson, far from dismissing Andrew's words, sat up straight and asked seriously, "You mean this is actually an aphrodisiac?"

"No, it doesn't stimulate sexual desire; it just improves the degree of erection in men. It has a very significant effect on male erectile dysfunction (ED)."

"Significant? How significant?" Watson asked, barely containing his excitement.

"Well, it represents a revolutionary advancement in the treatment of ED."

Watson couldn't wait and shouted, "Do you have specific experimental data? Get on it immediately! Conduct a comprehensive test of this drug. I want all the pharmacological, toxicological, and pharmacokinetic data. Hurry up! Go!"

As a top expert in biomedicine, Watson was not just a scientist; otherwise, he wouldn't be the president of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. While the lab's work in gene research was fundamental, many of its findings had promising market potential. At such times, it was up to the lab's president to turn these findings into commercial success.

As the head of one of the world's top biochemical labs, Watson's talent in this area was undoubtedly exceptional. He was not ignorant of the pharmaceutical market but had a deep understanding of it. He knew very well what a highly effective ED treatment could mean.

Such a drug would not only be highly attractive to ED patients but, if its side effects were within a certain range, even healthy men would be eager to use it. The most profitable drugs in the world are not those that save lives but those that help men regain their vigor—ha ha.

Under Watson's stern encouragement, the entire Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory sprang into action, as if whipped into a frenzy. In a lab that gathered the world's top biochemical scientists, understanding all the details of a drug was relatively easy. Moreover, the intense pressure from the top boss accelerated the process by 500%. Within just a day and a night, all the data on the drug had been compiled.

When Andrew, with bloodshot eyes, returned to Watson's office, he finally earned a satisfied smile from his boss.

"Boss, the follow-up work is ongoing. These are the test results we have so far. From the current results, the side effects of this drug are completely within an acceptable range."

"Great! Excellent!" Watson flipped through the report like a windmill, quickly finding several key sets of experimental data. In just a day and a night, they had observed many short-term side effects. The report also scientifically explained the drug's mechanism and effectiveness in treating ED.

Seeing this unprecedented data, Watson felt as if he was on the verge of a new peak in his career.

"But boss, the patent for this drug has already been registered. We don't have much of a chance with it," Andrew said, not wanting to dampen Watson's enthusiasm but feeling compelled to remind him.

"I know." Watson said with a relaxed expression. "The patent holder is that Chinese man, right? What's his name? Ha, what a lucky guy."

"His name is Hu Wenhai, boss. Yes, the patent for this drug is in his hands," Andrew nodded.

"No problem. Contact Hu Wenhai and tell him that we, the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, want his patent. Give him the report on the angina treatment. A drug with no effect can at least recoup some investment! A yellow-skinned person, keeping this drug is a waste!"

Andrew opened his mouth, wanting to say something but didn't. He finally just nodded and left Watson's office.

Watson's approach didn't surprise Andrew. In the U.S., even having a patent doesn't guarantee absolute security. Watson's actions were not a breach of contract; Hu Wenhai had only commissioned the lab to verify the drug's safety. In business, there's no such thing as "telling the whole truth"; as long as you operate within the contract, being deceived is your own fault.

Even if Hu Wenhai wasn't stupid and sensed something amiss in the Cold Spring Harbor acquisition, he probably couldn't change the outcome.

Don't forget that the U.S. is not a country run by engineers but by lawyers. With enough money, you can hire top lawyers and fight lawsuits, and there's nothing that can't be won.

For example, the U.S. patent law clearly states that if a product is not commercialized within three years, others can apply to the court for a free license. This alone has caused many to fail.

As for other advanced tactics, Andrew could think of four or five, not to mention the top lawyers who specialize in such matters.

Moreover, Hu Wenhai was Chinese and had no roots in the U.S. In Chinese terms, he was like a "child holding gold." A Chinese woman who had left Cold Spring Harbor described it this way.

If the inventor of this drug were an American, Watson might have been more cautious. But a Chinese man without a U.S. green card would have few resources to fight an endless legal battle.

If the three-year deadline passed without commercialization, it would be over.

"Yulia!" Andrew looked up and saw Yulia passing by. He stopped her and, looking at the woman with bloodshot eyes like his own, said with relief, "Alright, you don't need to rush with the next steps. Go rest. Oh, and before you rest, call Hu Wenhai and ask him to come to Cold Spring Harbor as soon as possible."

Yulia, who was mainly responsible for the industrial production design commissioned by Hu Wenhai, and not involved in the clinical side, asked, "What's the problem? My industrial design isn't complete, so why are you bringing the client in?"

"Well, this guy got lucky. The lab wants to buy his patent," Andrew explained briefly and urged Yulia to call Hu Wenhai quickly.

"Hu Wenhai." After Yulia had left Andrew's sight, she stopped, frowned slightly, and muttered his name, deep in thought.