"The reason I'm here, Bruce," Toro continued smoothly. "Just to talk to you about your brain research. I represent a small group of very powerful and very smart people. We are very interested in your research. More specifically, we are interested in funding your research."
"As I told Ms. Blakely, as you can see, my current research is supported by funds. I am satisfied with my position and my employer. Of course, I am very happy that you have taken my previous research Interested, because it is very important to me personally, but I’m afraid it’s too little and too late. I’ll put it aside for now."
"I can guarantee that I will not provide too little. Whether it is too late is entirely up to you."
Bruce shook his head. "My research has been denounced as financially risky, morally problematic, not to mention marginal science. Impossible. Dangerous. Stupid. Why would your consortium sneer at funding an entire scientific community? Are you interested in the project?"
"I can hardly believe that someone with talent and status like you will pursue a project instead of all these things."
"No, of course I won't," Bruce said, "but even I am willing to admit that I might have pushed it before it happened."
"The time is up, who is right?" Toro said. "I personally think it is time. The consortium thinks so. We are not scientists, and we are not bound by the laws of nature or the laws of physics. We are just very wealthy people who believe in you and your project. As for the moral ambiguity, these Isn't it better to leave the decision to philosophers and politicians? There has never been progress behind right or wrong."
"I did this for the benefit of mankind," Bruce said.
"Of course you know. I didn't mean to deny it. Just think about the possibilities. Think about all the benefits that a person's inner thoughts can bring to a complete, thorough, and irrefutable understanding. This is shocking. You are away from realization. How far is this goal?"
"Right there," Bruce said proudly. He raised his thumb and index finger and separated them by half an inch. "I'm on the verge of collapse, yes, it is shocking and exciting. Reading a person's thoughts, and not just thinking. This is the entire content of a person's thoughts. Even he does not allow himself to be conscious. Things that he thinks carefully. Even things he doesn’t know, he knows, translates into a person’s brain’s electrical impulse language. Pay attention to the words! We can communicate directly with his brain!"
"It's so interesting," Toro said. "Impressive. The work they let you do here goes far beyond their scope of work."
"But—my best engineer left me."
"Carl Weber? He is good, but not the best. I know better than you. I can make you better. This is not an obstacle."
"My job here is well paid."
"For people like you, this is monkey work," Toro sneered. "I will pay you three times the price."
"You said that, but you don't know how much they paid me."
"I know exactly. I did a survey. I'm not the kind of person who likes to be whimsical or make a proposal that I'm not going to stick to," Toro said, taking off his imagination from the sleeve of his suit. Thread
"I made a promise here. I take my promise seriously."
"You should do this. Quadruple."
Bruce saw the light in Toro's eyes. He has hungry eyes staring at a table of food. Bruce leaned back in the chair. He realized that he was leaning forward with excitement. He had imagined this moment. Someone gave him the means and opportunities to pursue work. His heart beats fast, and he breathes slowly to calm himself down. This is too good to be true.
"We can reach an agreement. We all make sense, and we all hope that Bruce Denman will be the most influential person in the 21st century."
Bruce said, "I have to think about it."
"What are you worried about? I'm happy to make them stop."
"I need complete control of this research and how to implement these findings. Everything has to go through me. I have the final say."
"We have an obligation to ensure that these arrangements are good for everyone, and of course good for you and the consortium. You know what investors are like. Only when the returns are substantial are you willing to invest.". "After all, this is business."
"I need to think about it."
"I understand," Toro said. "I can give you some time, but then I must devote time and effort to other projects."
"I need your written quotation."
Toro screamed with his fingers: "Of course."
"There is also a list of members of the consortium."
"I'm afraid I can't agree to your request. Our members want their investment to be anonymous. It is entrusted to me as the voice and face of the public. All transactions and interactions with them go through me."
Bruce shook his head slowly and heavily, "I'm afraid this is a torture for me. I don't do business with anonymous people. Your five minutes are here." He stood up.
"You are making a mistake," Toro said. "I like you, Bruce. We are like raccoons, but I can guarantee that such bids will not appear again. You know better than me that you have walked on the sidewalk. You know. No one will see us on you. What you see. No one believes in your research like we do."
"Give me a list of members and I promise to reconsider."
"Unfortunately, we are at a deadlock," Toro said. He stood slowly, standing straight. He shook his head. "It's so disappointing."
"Yes," Bruce said.
"You are short-sighted."
Bruce said: "I have been accused of making more serious mistakes." Now, I really have to go home with my wife. "
"Say hello to Sara, your beautiful bride, for me."
Bruce was suddenly bored.
Dole admitted that he had studied Bruce, but Bruce couldn't help being angry when he heard this person say Sarah's name. Maybe it's because of the way he speaks-speaking slowly and purposefully, as if it's delicious on the tongue. taste.
"Please convey my apology to your unnamed investor unions. After all, this is business," Bruce replied.
It was Toro's turn to squint angrily. His mouth said carefully: "I will go out by myself."
Ming Fu was followed.
Before, he was just skeptical.
He was pretty sure that when Sarah, played by Bruce, followed him away from Chen that night, she was not the only one who followed him. He could feel at least one or two people in the alley. He didn't know which of them was being followed, he was still Sara, but who would follow that girl
But now, he is sure. He was followed, and it was unpredictable.
He left the warehouse for a walk on a cool night. The sky is covered by thick low clouds. There are no stars. There is no moon. His footsteps echoed sharply on the sidewalk.
He heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head to look, but he didn't see anyone. When he stopped, the sound of footsteps also stopped. When he started, the sound of footsteps began.
He hopes that those who support him will not make stupid choices.
Then he heard the second group of footsteps join the first group.
He stopped again. The footsteps of the two were silent. He smelled the smell in the air, but could not smell anything. unusual. He continued walking. He clenched his fists with both hands and placed them at his sides.
Is that another set of footsteps? There are three now
He continued to advance at the same speed, but he deviated from the planned route. He had planned to take a good walk by the river, but he decided to continue walking on the sidewalk so that he could hear the chaser better.
He pricked his ears. The footsteps did not bring the distance closer. They kept the same distance behind him. They were so far away that he couldn't hear their breathing. Driven by curiosity, he looked back again. Despite this, he still couldn't see anyone.
He took his cell phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
"This is Akio. I want to find a monkey."
"They are not here," said the voice on the other end of the phone.
"all?"
"Yes."
"Where are they?"
"Listen, buddy, I just answered the phone. They won't tell me where they went."
"Let them call Toyuo when they come back."
"no problem."
""Have you written it down? Akio. "
"no problem."
"I hope they understand this."
"no problem."
Akio hung up the phone.
Did he hear the snickers coming from the footsteps? Yes. Yes.
Now, he is very angry.
He turned and strode towards the chaser. The sound of footsteps was scattered in three different directions.
Hearing the sound of running in the dark, Schoff felt much better. No matter who they were, at least they left him wisely.
At this moment, he heard crying laughter again, this time the laughter came from his upper left.
Akio asked the source of the sound. He ran down the narrow street on the left. A metal fire escape on one side of a brick building was pulled to the ground. Akio moved quickly and quietly, and he climbed up the fire escape to the roof.
He heard laughter again, but still couldn't see anyone.
The voice still came from above, but there was no higher place to climb. Only the sky.
"Show your identity!" Akio shouted. He raised his face. He roared towards the night sky.
The demonic voice snickered again, rising and falling until it disappeared.
"Really?" Bruce said. "Don't you think this is a bit aggressive?"
Bruce went home early, and he wanted to surprise Sara with a meal of pasta and a bottle of wine. He often stays up late. Let the laboratory start to operate, let the laboratory technicians speed up. He had promised Sarah that this job would make him more involved, and tonight is the best time for him to fulfill his promise.
When Ramona Blakely appeared by the aisle of the grocery store, he tried to remember which pasta sauce Sarah usually buys.
"I'm instructed to give you one last chance and let you agree," she said. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)