Hogwarts: From Selling White Peppers to Becoming a God

Chapter 312 Friends and Enemies

Buckingham Palace.

President William of the United States straightened his collar and turned to face a picture of the Virgin Mary.

He stared at the portrait for a long time, then whispered a few prayers.

William was a Southern Baptist, well-versed in the Bible and various doctrines of Christian theology, but he was not a devout believer in the past, and he knew this. His understanding of religion was ultimately just a tool to serve his political career.

But all of this changed more than two weeks ago.

At that time, he was praying with his mother at her request when suddenly he saw a miracle.

He clearly felt the power of the radiance, the hymns, and the call, as if it had elevated his spirit to another level, allowing him to see a truth that did not belong to this world.

The solemnity and holiness I felt in the church as a child seemed like a farce of clay figures in the face of a real miracle.

It was a miracle shown only to him, and he realized that he did indeed have a mission to complete, an extraordinary mission far more important than worldly status, power, or earthly pleasures.

That is, to glorify one's own God.

"Mr. President," a waiter opened the door, "Prime Minister John is waiting for you outside."

"Alright," William buttoned up his suit jacket, "Don't keep our friends waiting, we have a lot to discuss today."

……

The day after the two leaders met, Boris Johnson received a message from 10 Downing Street requesting that Morpheus Annon attend a hearing.

That afternoon, Boris Johnson arrived at Westminster Palace, where Parliament is located.

In one room, more than a dozen serious-looking men in suits sat on the opposite platform, including several men in military uniforms.

Boris sat down opposite them.

"Mr. Morpheus, we know your time is valuable, and we thank you for taking the time to attend this hearing. We believe the previous contact person has already informed you of the purpose of this hearing."

"The Prime Minister and Parliament are deeply concerned about the impact of Umbrella Corporation's products on public health and national security. Therefore, we have some questions for you, and we hope you can answer them truthfully."

Boris glanced behind him and saw various cameras and microphones set up in the press area, clearly indicating that this hearing was open to the public.

His handling of the hearing could affect the reputation of the entire Umbrella Corporation, so he must be very careful.

After the oath-taking ceremony, the hearing committee first asked some basic questions, such as the safety testing of Yunnan Baiyao and the approval process for various Yunnan Baiyao products.

But soon, things began to take a turn for the worse.

"Regarding your company's recently launched 'anti-cancer drug,' we have received a report alleging that your company developed this 'miracle anti-cancer drug' in less than a year of research and experimentation, and that its mechanism of action utilizes the cell-killing effect of a certain mutated viral group?"

Boris immediately became alert. "Although it sounds like a virus, I must emphasize that this anti-cancer drug has undergone just as many tests on normal cells as cancer cells and has shown to be harmless."

The other party remained noncommittal. "Our virology experts have reviewed your company's research report, and they find it hard to believe that your company used a screening method for virus population cultivation. In one year, the rate of viral mutation is insufficient to support the current efficacy of anticancer drugs... Has Umbrella lied about the drug's mechanism of action?"

"No, we used a completely new screening method, and it was a very large-scale screening with countless samples conducted simultaneously, which is why we were able to achieve the current results. But the specific steps and screening methods used are company trade secrets that I cannot disclose," Boris said.

"Do we have reason to suspect that your company used a virus with an extremely rapid mutation rate for screening? If so, has your company considered the possibility that the virus might mutate again and cause harm to humans?"

"I need to emphasize again that the screening process and methods involve core technical secrets of the company, which I cannot disclose. However, we have conducted extensive testing to ensure the safety of the anticancer drug. Several of our published reports have demonstrated that the efficacy and safety of the drug in double-blind trials far exceed industry standards."

"But this is a virus, a living thing, and it's not the same as ordinary drugs," one of the committee members said.

"Distinguished committee members, all medications may have side effects or toxicity. As prescription drugs, anticancer drugs are used to treat specific conditions, and their harm to the human body and the choice of treatment plan will ultimately be assessed by the attending physician. We are simply providing a new treatment method that meets safety standards."

The committee members exchanged glances. "Let's talk about anti-aging drugs next."

"In March of this year, your company launched an anti-aging drug that is currently undergoing clinical trials. Umbrella Corporation claims it will be sold globally and that it can effectively improve the aging process. Is this true?"

"Yes, the anti-aging agent will be Umbrella's most important product this year," Boris said. "After testing, the agent works on the vast majority of people, resulting in significant improvement in various aging indicators, with an improvement rate between 10% and 19%."

"Is the main ingredient in anti-aging drugs an adenovirus?" a hearing committee member suddenly asked.

Boris frowned. "That involves confidential product information, and I cannot answer that."

"You don't have to answer; a staff member in the R&D department has already confirmed this."

Boris hesitated, "I object! Distinguished committee members, all employees involved with the anti-aging drug have signed confidentiality agreements. Anyone who violates these agreements and discloses information to the outside world will face hefty fines and continued legal action from Umbrella Corporation. Furthermore, demanding that Umbrella employees provide inside information is extremely unethical!"

"Unless, your confidentiality agreement itself violates the law," a woman on the committee said. "I have reviewed your confidentiality agreement, and it is too harsh, suspected of violating labor laws, and some clauses clearly restrict personal freedom and freedom of speech, and do not fully respect workers' human rights."

"I object!" Boris said. "The committee's statements are biased and misleading!"

"This is not a courtroom, Mr. Boris," a male official said.

"But we are in front of the camera! And I believe every word spoken at this hearing will be heard by the outside world. If the committee includes such biased and misleading statements during the hearing, it will cause enormous damage to the protective umbrella! I urge the committee to be careful with its wording."

"Yes," a silver-haired woman in the center of the committee seat nodded in agreement.

"I need to explain," Boris said. "Umbrella Corporation is a high-tech company. Behind every groundbreaking product of ours lies the hard work and dedication of countless researchers, as well as a massive investment of money."

"To protect our research findings, we must strictly adhere to confidentiality agreements. Any leak could cost the protective umbrella at least millions of pounds."

"We must ensure that our achievements are not stolen by our competitors," Boris said.

"But you sold out technology to the Soviet Union," said a man with the rank of major general. "In the eyes of the Umbrella Corporation, who are your allies and who are your enemies?"

"Or, to put it another way, when you say 'competitor,' are you referring to allies like the United States, or enemies like the Soviet Union?"

(End of this chapter)