Chapter 220: Scheming

Bill is absent-minded, and the captain is a self-serving egotist who cannot tolerate any behavior that may threaten his position. It is precisely for this reason that, despite not being the best in the team, he was appointed as the supervisor by his superior.

However, Bill is quite indifferent to this theory and simply doesn't have the energy to argue with him. Bill repeatedly gave Susan and the other two women meaningful glances, urging them to leave discreetly. Only in this way could Bill find an excuse to escape.

"Susan sister, let's go. Bill brother is getting impatient," the originally worried young girl looked at Bill's helpless expression and couldn't help but laugh, "Let's not watch him suffer for us here."

“哎哟，罗斯琳妹妹心疼了，也不枉比尔平时那么照顾你啊。”苏珊轻笑道，“好吧，我们偷偷地走吧。”三女蹑手蹑脚地向门口走去，刚要开门，门却猛地一下子打开了，向里推的房门险些撞上走在最前的罗斯琳，一个青年男子急冲冲地走了进来。

"Captain Kent, Mr. Howard, the leader of the Shotgun Team, is here for a visit," the young man said.

Captain Kent was taken aback and immediately turned around, interrupting Bill's sermon and exclaimed in surprise, "They are here too? But why are they coming to us?" Susan and her two sisters stood at the door, also surprised, forgetting their original purpose.

The Shotgun Squad is the cream of the crop in the superpower department, and they are highly renowned even among all the superhumans in the world. And their captain, Howard, is an extremely famous figure.

"Captain, it seems that they over there have also realized the preciousness of this formula, which is why they sent a hunting gun team. In my opinion, Howard is coming to find us, probably to seek an alliance."

Kent nodded in agreement, realizing that what Bill said was true. His own team was completely outmatched compared to the people from Hua Country. If they could join forces with the Shotgun Team, it would greatly increase the probability of successfully obtaining the formula.

Isn't the other party just hoping to share this recipe? Considering the relationship between the two sides, it is not impossible to agree to this request. Moreover, his personal friendship with Howard is also good. They have worked together on missions before, so they can be considered old friends.

"Invite him in," Kent nodded to the young man. "I'll be waiting for him in the small living room on the third floor. Bill, you come with me. Susan, the three of you listen to me carefully. I won't allow any more reckless actions like this to happen again. If it does, I will kick you out of the Vulture Squad and send you back. I can't risk the lives of the entire team for your pointless danger."

Susan, with a pale face, nodded and said, "Captain, we understand."

The embassy's living room was only about forty square meters in size, with only basic furniture. Kent and Bill sat silently on the sofa, nobody spoke. After a while, a tall black man was led into the living room by the young man.

"Huh? Why did you dress up like this?" Kent was first taken aback, then smiled in surprise. "I thought it was some black guy who walked into the wrong door." Bill frowned slightly on the side, apparently very displeased with the word "black guy."

"Hmm? I can't help it either, Kent. How about dressing up a bit? Our actions will be noticed soon." Howard casually threw his hat on the sofa and sighed, "Someone recklessly tried to break into the Ink City Research Institute last night, and as a result, not only was the institute turned upside down, but the whole Ink City is now under tight surveillance. If we're not careful, it could jeopardize our big plan."

Kent couldn't help but blush and changed the subject, saying, "Do you want to take a shower and wash off this ugly black color?"

"No, it's not easy to get it all over my body." Howard sat down across from both of them and waved his hand, saying, "I can't stay here for long. If I stay too long, it may raise suspicion. Your previous actions have angered the other party, and they are closely monitoring both of you. This person must be Deputy Captain Bill, right? I've heard Kent mention your name many times." Bill nodded and smiled, considering it as an introduction.

This Howard looks like he's only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. From his appearance, he doesn't seem much different from ordinary people, belonging to the most common type. If he were thrown into a pile of common people, Bill instinctively felt that he would immediately lose sight of him. However, Bill sensed that beneath his ordinary appearance, there was a formidable and dangerous power.

"Howard, since it's so dangerous, why would you take such a big risk coming here?" Kent asked, pretending not to know.

Howard smiled and said, "Time is running out, so I'll get straight to the point, Kent. I'm here to make a deal with your Vulture Squad. Do you guys have any interest?"

After rearranging the defense measures with Tiansongzi and Yehuahua, Chenpi returned to the residence. However, before he could have a few words with Xuejiyoulv, the visual phone rang again. This time, it was the ambassador, Shangguan Qing, inviting Chenpi to the ambassador's residence, saying that there is something important to discuss.

Due to the relationship with Shangguan Qinfang, Chen Pi doesn't have a good impression of this inheritor of the Fengshen Financial Group. His own daughter has been spoiled and unruly, and as a father, he cannot escape the responsibility of lax parenting.

So Chenpi repeatedly evaded, but when Yushifu made it clear that Tiangongzi and Zhao Qingshi were also invited to discuss the matter of plague treatment potions, Chenpi knew that he would have to go.

What made Chen Pi even more unhappy was that when he arrived at the ambassador's residence with Zhao Youcheng, the people who came out to greet him included not only Shangguan Qing, Tiansongzi, and Zhao Qingshi, but also Shangguan Qinfang and Tie Zhongxu. However, he didn't have much to say about it, just with a rather indifferent expression.

However, Shangguan Qinfang and Tie Zhongxu were extremely enthusiastic towards Chen Pi, which made him feel uncomfortable. They showed undue attentiveness, seemingly with ulterior motives.

To Chen Pi's surprise, Shangguan Qing appeared to be in his early thirties, with a handsome face and a tall figure. Standing next to Shangguan Qinfang, they looked more like siblings than a father and daughter. However, his sharp and piercing eyes revealed his true age.

"Mr. Chen's visit to my humble abode truly fills me, Shangguan Qing, with immense honor and exhilaration. Mr. Chen has not only eliminated the dark underworld king at the ChuanYu Airport but also presides over the work at the Mocheng Research Institute. His prominence shines throughout this ordeal."This text has been translated from Chinese to English while preserving the original HTML tags.

Chen Pi withdrew his hand calmly and said indifferently, "Ambassador Shangguan, you are really overestimating me. I am just a casual person who happened to be here with a bit of luck and the tremendous help from everyone. How can Ambassador Shangguan attribute all the credit to me? I really can't bear it."

Shangguan Qing only slightly paused, then smiled and said, "Mr. Chen is being too polite. Very well, very well, it is indeed a virtue of Mr. Chen to not be greedy for fame. However, I believe everyone's eyes are clear. If it belongs to Mr. Chen, it belongs to Mr. Chen. You can't push it away even if you want to. Come, come, let's go inside and talk. Mr. Chen, please." The crowd surrounded Chen Pi and Shangguan Qing as they entered the living room of the mansion.

After the maid brought fragrant tea and snacks, Shangguan Qing exchanged a glance with his daughter and Tie Zhongxu. The two of them tactfully apologized and left the room, leaving only Chenpi, Tiansongzi, the Zhao siblings, and Shangguan Qing inside the hall.

"Hahaha, Mr. Chen, I know there have been some minor misunderstandings between Zhongxu, Xiaonü, and you in the past. I'll make amends on their behalf with tea instead of wine. As an adult, you don't need to bother about these two youngsters anymore." Shangguan Qing lifted his teacup and said to Chen Pi, then finished it in one gulp.

Chen Pi smiled calmly and said, "Ambassador Shangguan, there's no need to be so concerned. Although I, Chen Pi, may not have a large stature, I won't trouble ordinary people with such trivial matters. We are all busy individuals, so please be direct about the purpose of summoning us here this time."

"Okay, okay, okay." Shang Guanqing smiled and placed the teacup on the coffee table, then filled another cup for himself. With this sentence from Chen Pi, he felt much relieved.

A few days ago, he just found out that his daughter had attempted to forcefully buy Yu Lv from Chen Pi at the villa, which really startled him.

Others may not know, but as an ambassador, how could he not know about the current status of Chenpi? His daughter even dared to use her influence to forcefully take the demon cat from his hands. It's simply overestimating her own abilities.

Putting down her guard, Shangguan Qingqing cleared her throat before asking, "Haha, since Mr. Chen has mentioned all these, let me get straight to the point. I heard that Mr. Zhao Qingshi from the Ink City Research Institute has made a recent breakthrough in his laboratory. The formula for treating the plague may be available in the next one or two months. I wonder if this is true?"

Zhao Qingshi couldn't help but startle slightly. The news did spread quickly, even Shangguan Qing knew about it. He glanced at Tiansongzi and Chenpi and saw no expression from them. Only then did he reply, "Yes, we have made some new breakthroughs in our recent research. If everything goes smoothly, the formula should be finalized soon."

"Oh, it seems to be the case," Shangguan nodded, "It appears that the Ink City Research Institute has eyes and ears from various countries. They have evidently learned about this news as well. You may not have paid attention to the news in the past two days, but a farce took place at the global headquarters."

"Huh?"

"What things?"

Four of them exchanged glances, and they could only see confusion and perplexity in each other's eyes. It's not surprising though, because besides Zhao Youcheng, the other three barely have enough time in their daily lives, let alone spare time to watch television programs. As for Zhao Youcheng, although he has some free time, he has absolutely no interest in news.

"In the meeting, Xiguo proposed a motion, attempting to force us to disclose this formula to the entire world. Their reasoning was, of course, presented in a righteous and noble manner. However, we firmly rejected it, citing that this is your personal action, not a national one. I suspect that soon there will be ambassadors from other countries coming to you, demanding that you disclose the formula. It would be best if you are prepared for that," said Shangguan Qing solemnly.

"This epidemic has affected the entire world, and all of humanity is living under its shadow of death. Although all countries have invested significant manpower and resources, and many corporations have even contributed substantial funds for research, so far, only Mr. Zhao's laboratory has achieved concrete results. This undoubtedly makes many people envious. It is believed that everyone understands the enormous commercial value contained in this formula, which will be an astronomical figure. Therefore, they all want a share of it. In order to achieve their goals, they may resort to all possible means, both legitimate and illegitimate. It's best for you to be mentally prepared."

"These idiots actually think they can get something for nothing, just picking the fruits directly." Zhao Youcheng blurted out.

"Haha, little brother Youcheng's words are spot on. They indeed have this plan. As the saying goes, 'first diplomacy, then force.' I reckon they will exert pressure on us through alternative channels first. If they can avoid using force, I believe they wouldn't want to resort to it during this sensitive time. However, we should also be prepared for both possibilities, in case they fail to take it peacefully and resort to robbing by force instead." Shangguan Qing nodded.

"Ambassador Shangguan's statement is not entirely wrong. In Qingshi's laboratory, apart from a few assistant scientists sent by the government, all other research supplies and materials are provided by the Qingcheng faction and the government. Of course, the core part is controlled by us. So it can be said that it is our personal behavior, and it is justified. Since the core part is controlled by us, according to the treaty, private property cannot be deprived without cause. We have nothing to be difficult about, just follow the procedures."

"But, senior, this is about the lives of billions of people. By doing so, it will undoubtedly delay time and cause more deaths. Will it harm heaven and earth?" Tian Songzi hesitated and asked Chen Pi.

"Senior brother, you are too conservative." Chenpi didn't respond, but Zhao Youcheng called out, "We treated them kindly, but they didn't treat us the same way. Do you know that AIDS is also threatening humanity worldwide? Every year, millions of people die from it. And currently, most of the effective drugs for treating and prolonging the lives of patients are developed by those companies. When have they ever disclosed the formulas for these drugs? Instead, they sell them to other countries at high prices. Every year, we have to spend a lot of foreign exchange to import these drugs. And every year, many patients have to stop treatment because they can't afford the medication. We are just giving them a taste of their own medicine."

"Besides, do you think they have good intentions? They just want to make a big profit out of this." Tian Songzi was stunned and speechless by his words.

Zhao Qingshi said, "I am just a researcher. In this research project, although I am the team leader, without the great assistance of Senior Brother Tian Songzi and Senior Chen, without the cooperation of the awakened individuals, and without the help of Senior Bao Le, it would not have been possible to achieve results this quickly. Besides, I am not familiar with these economic matters, so I have decided to let Senior Chen and Senior Brother Tian Songzi handle this matter. Finding an effective drug this quickly has already satisfied me greatly."

Chenpi shook his head and said, "Qingshi, you may say that, but this is ultimately your research achievement, and you should have it all. I believe everyone has no objection to this, but dealing with those ghostly kings with human skin is not your expertise, so I will take over without hesitation. If they want to take things from me for free, hehe, they will have to live for another hundred or eighty years, perhaps there is still a possibility."

"Hahaha." Everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh. Chen Pi indeed had the credibility to say so. The largest compensation case of this century was successfully handled by him. No one can claim to be more suitable for this job than him, and no one would doubt that he would walk away empty-handed in transferring this formula.

“哈哈哈，让他们也见识一下，也为咱再挣口气，他们一天到晚地对我们进行着封锁，高价卖给我们过时的技术，却想着让我们将珍贵的配方无条件地转让给他们，这种美梦绝不能让他们成真。”上官清笑道，“相信陈先生一定不会空手而归的。”

After everyone had a good laugh, Shangguan Qing continued, "Since Mr. Zhao said so, the formula for the medicine will soon be finalized. I wonder if everyone is ready with the necessary things for production, such as pharmaceutical factories and raw materials. These things must be prepared in advance, you know."

Chenpi couldn't help but feel a slight tremor in his heart. As an ambassador, Shangguan Qing's words could be simply a reminder to himself, or could he have ulterior motives? This instantly made him think of the ruthless acquisition of licorice in his own country.

"We have entrusted all the affairs to Ye Fanghua and the others. With the strength of the awakened ones, it should be easy to handle these matters." Tian Songzi looked at Chen Pi, who seemed uninterested in answering, and said honestly, "As for why we haven't started working on these things yet, Qing Shi said that the medicine itself is not very complicated. It doesn't require major modifications to the existing pharmaceutical production lines. The ingredients, other than the main medicine, are not hard to find in the market. However, due to recent busy affairs, we haven't been able to attend to it."

Shangguan nodded and said, "But we should start preparing as soon as possible and put this matter on the schedule. Otherwise, once the formula for the medicine is decided and you are not ready with the production equipment, it will be a waste. You must understand that the sooner we produce it, the more lives we can save."

"Although we have now managed to control the widespread spread of the epidemic, the number of deaths and infections continues to rise relentlessly, and each number represents a life, meaning the shattering of a family. We must not be careless and miss the point."