Capital is a monster and creates monsters as well.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, you know I went to the lab yesterday morning, right?"

"Mhm."

Hawk nodded.

That was before heading to the library yesterday.

He had originally thought Gwen went to check in with Dr. Connors after her absence.

And now?

"Did something go wrong with the experiment?"

"The experiment is fine, but I heard the investors are having issues. You know Dr. Connors's experiment is a joint venture between Oscorp and the military, right?"

"You mentioned it last time."

"The military pulled its funding."

Gwen lowered her voice, leaning forward as she said, "Besides, Dr. Connors's experiment has been going on for nearly two years now without any concrete results, so top executives within Oscorp are starting to grow impatient with it."

Capital is pragmatic.

They will fund your needs based on the grand vision you paint at the start, and even provide you with facilities to meet your demands.

Yet if you fail to deliver the expected returns within the anticipated timeframe, capital will abandon you without a moment's hesitation.

Because cutting losses in time is a mandatory lesson for capital.

Dr. Connors's regeneration experiment was no exception.

Not to mention that last month, due to a reallocation of funds, the military had withdrawn its investment from Dr. Connors's laboratory.

Although the military claimed it was temporary and that funding would resume once their budget cleared up, urging Oscorp Biosciences to hold on for a bit...

Well...

Things inside Oscorp Biosciences weren't exactly peaceful either.

Rumors had it that since last year, Norman Osborn—who had been recuperating at his private estate due to a strange illness—was now critically ill and nearing the end of his days.

This news was not entirely unfounded.

The fact that Harry Osborn, who had long been studying in the UK, returned to New York City this summer and began getting involved in corporate affairs with the assistance of Norman Osborn's private secretary, Felicia Hardy, was a very obvious signal.

Even though the Osborn family held a majority stake in Oscorp Biosciences.

In this era where the old king was dying and a new one was about to be crowned, there were always people trying to seize the opportunity of this dynasty change to secure some benefits for themselves.

Moreover, new management always sweeps clean.

Consequently, someone took advantage of this juncture to propose streamlining the laboratories, shutting down those that had long failed to produce any returns on capital.

Dr. Connors's laboratory, already stalled by the military's suspension of funds due to budget gaps, bore the brunt of it.

Although the military claimed they would resume investment once the Pentagon's next batch of funds arrived, who could guarantee that?

After all, the credibility of the federal military left much to be desired.

However, Oscorp Biosciences had not yet made the final decision to withdraw funding from Dr. Connors altogether. Even though the military's money was cut off, a portion of the previous funding remained.

Therefore...

"The lab's staff has been streamlined."

"Five researchers were laid off."

"Naturally, I was originally on that list."

"I only heard about it yesterday, but because I'm a work-study student, my cost isn't high."

"Besides, when I went to the lab yesterday, Dr. Connors wasn't nearly as happy as you made it sound, which is why I was a bit surprised when you brought it up just now."

Gwen recounted the recent updates regarding Dr. Connors's laboratory.

Hawk didn't really care whether Dr. Connors's experiment would succeed or not, so he just listened casually. After Gwen finished speaking, he shrugged, "Well, Dr. Connors said so over the phone anyway; who knows if it'll actually work out."

Gwen nodded as well. "I hope Dr. Connors's experiment succeeds, too."

The two of them had just been chatting casually.

Once the conversation was over, they let it drop. As soon as Hawk finished the hamburger in his hand, the two of them stood up, picked up their trays, and left.

The topic concerning Dr. Connors's laboratory ended right there.

However...

They could end it, but the very person at the center of their conversation, Dr. Connors, could not simply conclude this topic and move on to the next one.

Because at that very moment, Dr. Connors was experiencing the grim reality of being on the verge of abandonment by capital.

Dr. Connors looked at the person standing in his office, the one who had brought the board of directors' latest resolution.

"Doctor, have you made up your mind?"

"I don't understand."

"Doctor, you should understand."

The middle-aged, elite white man representing the board of directors said with a warm smile, "The military has pulled its funding. Although they used the word 'temporary,' we all know what that implies. The board's initial opinion was to suspend funding for the laboratory as well. But Doctor, your latest achievement successfully helped your lab salvage its funding—though it is only a salvage."

Because of Dr. Connors's latest result—the regenerated laboratory mouse—the board saw a glimmer of hope.

Yet, it was merely a glimmer.

Dr. Connors frowned.

"So what is the board's opinion?"

"Human trials!"

"What?"

Hearing this, Dr. Connors widened his eyes and stared at the middle-aged man. "I have only just extracted a potentially viable serum from that single mutated mouse, and I haven't even had time to verify it. To jump straight to human trials now is far too reckless! Besides, where are we supposed to find voluntary subjects?"

The middle-aged man shrugged. "Military hospitals are full of subjects. We can just do it under the guise of the latest vaccine."

He said it so casually.

After all, everyone else was doing it.

Going to Bharat to conduct human trials required paying the locals, but if you used the underclass right here at home, you didn't even need to pay a cent.

In a word:

Were people at the bottom even considered human?

No!

Capital is profit-driven. While pursuing the maximization of profit, it simultaneously seeks the minimization of cost.

Yet Dr. Connors found this completely unacceptable upon hearing it.

"What? I disagree."

"Time waits for no one, Doctor. There is not much time left for you, and not much time left for us."

"......Us?"

"You don't need to know about that. You only need to know that the board is doing this for your own good. Someone else will be assigned to handle this specifically. Should anything go wrong, Doctor, you can simply pretend you knew nothing about it."

"I am not here to negotiate with you, Doctor."

"This is a notification."

Having said that, the middle-aged man turned directly on his heel and left Dr. Connors's laboratory.

Word was currently spreading among top management that Norman Osborn did not have long to live, and the establishment of Dr. Connors's regeneration lab had actually been aimed at finding a cure for Norman Osborn's strange illness.

Therefore...

The middle-aged man wasn't entirely wrong. By pushing for human trials to commence as quickly as possible, they were helping Dr. Connors, but they were also helping themselves.

After all, a new emperor brings his own courtiers.

Who knew what Harry Osborn might do if he took power after Norman Osborn actually died?

It was common knowledge.

Capital also liked stability, because only through stability could capital steadily generate wealth.

However, Dr. Connors was not capital.

After the middle-aged man left, he sat down in his office chair.

Motionless!