Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 337 Reactions from all parties
Chen Xi turned off the TV, went into the study, and casually pressed the power button on the computer. The screen lit up, reflecting his slightly thoughtful expression.

While television news is authoritative, it is ultimately a one-way output of information under state control, and the true reactions of public opinion are often not reflected in official reports. The internet is different—there is no filtering, no embellishment, only the most direct and naked clashes of emotions.

He opened Weibo, and the top ten trending topics were almost entirely dominated by topics related to the Rejuvenation Potion:
#Life Extension Potion# (Breaking News)

#HumanLifespanBreakthrough# (Hot)

#AgingCrisis# (Trending)

#Will those born in the 90s work until they're 100?# (New)

In the comments section, opinions were polarized. Some cheered: "Humanity has finally defeated death!" "Long live scientists!" Others were worried: "Who will feed the overpopulation?" "Will housing prices become a 70-year property rights renewal system?" Still others sneered: "It's just a new scam by capital; just wait and see the韭菜 (a metaphor for easily exploited people) get harvested."

But what concerned Chen Xi most were several posts that were quickly deleted as soon as they appeared—

"The CEO of a certain international pharmaceutical giant has secretly arrived in Beijing and is staying at a five-star hotel."

"The science and technology counselor of the embassy of XX country has appeared at the Institute of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for three consecutive days."

"Heh, you're quick..." he sneered, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.
-
Meanwhile, the international situation is in turmoil due to the bombshell dropped by a major Eastern power.

Global stock markets experienced violent fluctuations, governments around the world held emergency closed-door meetings, think tanks worked overnight to write analysis reports, and news media speculated wildly about the far-reaching impact behind this technological breakthrough.

A high-level closed-door meeting is being held in the White House in DC.

The heavy oak doors were tightly shut, and the night outside the bulletproof glass was deep and dark. Only the cool-toned lights inside the conference room illuminated the solemn faces.

At the oval conference table, the National Security Advisor, senior Defense officials, core CIA members, and secret representatives from several top pharmaceutical groups sat in an atmosphere so oppressive it was almost suffocating.

The CIA's Far East Affairs Director tapped on the table, and the projector displayed experimental data officially released online by a major Eastern country.

It was a set of stunning charts—reversal of senescent cells, telomere lengthening, and an average lifespan increase of over 10% in the experimental group.

He took a deep breath, his fingertips slamming onto the data, his voice low and urgent: "Gentlemen, we can no longer stand idly by! Once this technology becomes widespread, their social stability will far surpass ours—and we haven't even mastered controlled nuclear fusion yet!"

The defense representative looked grim. He pulled up a blurry satellite image showing a military base of a major Eastern power, where several futuristic-looking laser tanks and walking mechs were conducting coordinated exercises.

"Intelligence indicates that their laser tanks and walking mechs have already been deployed, and now they've acquired life-extending technology..." His voice was hoarse, and his eyes revealed deep worry: "This is no longer a matter of technological gap, but a generational gap in civilization."

In the corner, a representative of a pharmaceutical giant leaned forward slightly, his fingers interlaced and resting on his chin.

His voice was soft, yet it seemed to lower the temperature in the room by several degrees: "We need to find a way to get the samples."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and added, "No matter what means are used."

A brief silence fell over the meeting room, broken only by the hum of the air conditioner and the rustling of papers turning.

Finally, the National Security Advisor spoke slowly, his eyes cold and resolute: "Then let's launch the 'Fire Stealers' program! Since they refuse to share the fire, we'll take it ourselves."
-
Meanwhile, in a country across the sea from a major Eastern power, a certain conglomerate is also holding an emergency meeting.

Inside the meeting room, the air was so thick it felt like you could wring water out of it.

On the projection screen, the stock market candlestick chart showed a precipitous drop, with glaring red numbers constantly breaking records for the largest decline.

"President! The stock price of our anti-aging drug has hit the daily limit down, and the market is panic-selling!" The CFO's voice was almost trembling. On the tablet in his hand, real-time market data showed that the company's market value had evaporated by nearly 100 billion yen in just one hour.

The president's face was ashen, his fingers gripping the edge of the conference table so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He stared at the screen, his eyes filled with a sinister glint, as if he wanted to burn through the plummeting chart.

"Contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!" he suddenly said, his voice low and cold. "Have them put pressure on us to demand technology sharing!"

The meeting room was deathly silent, with only the hum of the air conditioner vents echoing through the room.

The assistant swallowed hard and cautiously began, "But... boss, they don't even respect the UN Security Council, would they pay any attention to us?"

The president suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing his assistant like a knife.

The assistant instinctively shrank back, but the president ultimately just gave a cold laugh.

“Of course they won’t listen.” He slowly stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and looked down at the Tokyo night view. “But what we need to do is let the whole world see that they refuse to ‘cooperate’.”

He turned around, his eyes cold: "Go contact the people on Wall Street and tell them that a certain major Eastern country is monopolizing 'immortality'."

The assistant's pupils contracted, and he instantly understood the president's intention—since they couldn't obtain the technology, they would put pressure on the whole world.

"Yes, President!" He immediately bowed his head in response and quickly left the conference room.

The president looked out the window again, the neon lights reflecting on his face, outlining a sinister shadow.

"Tokyo University...do you think you can do whatever you want just because you have technological superiority?"
-
However, the attitude of the neighbors to the north of Northeastern University is more intriguing.

Inside the president's office, the heavy curtains were half-drawn. The president sat behind a large desk, holding a newly delivered intelligence briefing in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

He slowly put down the documents, looked up at the chief of staff standing to the side, and said in a low and steady voice: "The Easterners are playing a very big game this time."

The chief of staff nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the briefing on the table—which detailed the experimental data on the rejuvenating drug released by the Chinese government, as well as the fierce reactions from Western countries.

He hesitated for a moment before cautiously replying, "They are willing to share agricultural technology, but life extension technology... I'm afraid they won't give up easily."

The president tapped his fingers lightly on the table, the rhythm slow but firm.

His gaze drifted through the window to the still-unmelted ice floes on the Moscow River in the distance, as if he were weighing some profound strategic consideration.

After a few seconds of silence, he nodded slightly and made a decision: "Then let's wait and see."

But then, his eyes suddenly sharpened, like a drawn military knife, its cold light gleaming.

“But remember—” he lowered his voice, but with an undeniable authority, “if the West makes a move, we must not fall behind.”

The chief of staff's expression hardened, and he immediately straightened his back.

He understood the weight of those words—this was not a simple technological competition, but a strategic plan concerning the nation's future for decades, or even centuries.

“Yes, Mr. President,” he replied in a deep voice, then added, “I have instructed the intelligence services to strengthen their monitoring of relevant movements, especially… the movements of certain ‘old friends’.”

The president raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a meaningful, cold smile.

"very good."

(End of this chapter)