Jacob had his own reasons for declining Sylvia's experimental data.
First and foremost, the experimental data Sylvia possessed held little practical value for Jacob. Despite his stellar reputation as China's leading research scientist, Jacob understood his limitations better than anyone. His academic foundation was weak at best, comparable to an amateur researcher working without proper methodology. He relied heavily on intuition and luck rather than rigorous scientific principles.
Even if he accepted the data, the most he could do was pass it along to Eleanor for analysis and development. It made far more sense to let Sylvia continue the research herself. What Jacob truly needed were the final results of the experiments. The research process itself and any academic recognition that came with it no longer mattered to him.
When Sylvia saw Jacob refuse her offer of compensation, a wave of anxiety washed over her. She worried that Jacob was unwilling to help her, that he didn't want to make an enemy of God's Coffin.
Her concern grew stronger. "Jacob..." she began.
Jacob raised his hand, cutting her off before she could continue. "I only need the experimental results. You'll complete the experiment yourself, and I won't be involved in publishing or taking credit for anything. Your father is the pioneer of artificial Pokémon research. This achievement should remain his legacy."
Sylvia stared at him in stunned silence. She hadn't expected Jacob to give up such valuable research data so easily.
Her emotions became complicated. On one hand, she felt grateful that her father's precious experimental work would be preserved in her hands. On the other hand, a bitter feeling crept in. The research her father had treasured above all else, the research that had brought disaster upon him, apparently held no importance in Jacob's eyes.
Of course, given Jacob's current reputation and achievements in the scientific community, any single one of his accomplishments outshone her father's life's work.
Jacob's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I can agree to help you get revenge, but you need to understand something important. Ultimately, you can only rely on yourself for this. I can assist you and ensure your safety, but the actual work must be yours. As long as you stay in the Capital, God's Coffin, no matter how powerful they are, won't dare cause trouble here."
"Thank you!" Sylvia's face lit up with genuine gratitude as she looked at Jacob.
During her three years of wandering and hiding, she had encountered many people. Plenty of them had promised to help her seek revenge, but their true motives were always transparent. They either wanted the experimental data in her possession or had other inappropriate intentions toward her.
She wasn't naive. Most of those people were weaker than her anyway. How could they possibly help her achieve vengeance?
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Jacob." Sylvia repeated her thanks three times before stopping herself.
"There's no need for so much gratitude. For now, focus on settling down here. Put revenge aside temporarily and enroll in university to continue your education. Learn proper research methodology and complete your father's experiment. At the same time, you can investigate God's Coffin's true identity. For laboratory matters, you can work with Raya." Jacob turned to his assistant. "Raya, I'll need your help with these arrangements."
Raya rolled her eyes at Jacob's words. "Aren't you already troublesome enough?"
Hearing Raya's complaint, Jacob felt a twinge of embarrassment. He realized he had been delegating more and more tasks to her lately. In the beginning, he had been more considerate, but as their relationship deepened, he had grown increasingly comfortable ordering her around.
Just as Jacob opened his mouth to apologize, Raya's expression softened into a smile. "Okay, leave everything to me."
"Thank you. Thank you both so much." Sylvia expressed her gratitude once more.
Jacob waved dismissively. "What exactly is your father's experiment about? I'm curious, but you don't have to share anything confidential."
Sylvia answered without any hesitation. "It's still focused on artificial Pokémon. Porygon is quite powerful, but it doesn't meet my father's standards. He wanted to create a Pokémon capable of rivaling Legendary Pokémon in battle."
"Porygon wasn't designed for combat in the first place," Jacob pointed out. "It was created to handle problems in cyberspace and find security vulnerabilities. The fact that it's as strong as it is speaks volumes about its design."
Jacob nodded thoughtfully, then his eyes brightened with an idea. "Creating a Pokémon that can rival a Legendary Pokémon isn't simple. If combat is the goal, I actually have some suggestions you might consider. Of course, whether you use them is entirely your decision."
"Please go ahead." Hearing Jacob's words, Sylvia quickly pulled her laptop from her bag, ready to document everything he said.
"You don't need to be so formal about it." Jacob waved his hand casually. "If you want to create a Pokémon capable of matching a Legendary Pokémon, you'll definitely need genetic material from one. Among all the Legendary Pokémon, I suggest focusing your experiments on two specific ones."
"The first is Arceus. You could try mimicking Arceus's unique ability. Different Plates give Arceus different Types. You could create a Pokémon similar to Arceus that can switch Types during battle using items similar to the Plates. As long as you can locate a Plate, you should be able to obtain Arceus's genetic material from it."
"The second option is Mew. As the ancestor of all Pokémon, Mew supposedly contains the genes of every Pokémon species. A Pokémon created by recombining and modifying genes based on Mew's genetic code would undoubtedly be extremely powerful."
Jacob's suggestions weren't baseless speculation. In the Pokémon world, researchers had indeed created Pokémon based on these exact concepts.
The first type was called Type: Null, which could evolve into Silvally. It possessed abilities similar to Arceus, capable of inserting different Memory discs into the drive system in its head to activate the RKS System and change its Type.
The second type was the infamous Mewtwo. Mewtwo had been created by recombining and enhancing genes based on Mew's genetic material, resulting in a Pokémon with a more aggressive and brutal temperament.
"Arceus and Mew?" Sylvia nodded, carefully committing Jacob's words to memory.
"If we ever get the chance to obtain genetic material from Mew or Arceus, we can provide it to you for experimentation." Jacob smiled warmly. "I'm very optimistic about your father's research. Your father was a true genius."
"Thank you. Thank you so much." This was perhaps the hundredth time Sylvia had expressed her gratitude today.
"Rest well over the next few days. Once all the paperwork is processed, you can begin your university studies." Jacob paused, then added, "Actually, there's something I need your help with right now."
"What is it? Just tell me." Having just received Jacob's assurance and support, Sylvia wanted to do something for him to repay his kindness.
"I need you to help me encrypt a satellite phone. I need to make a call. Actually, never mind that. All of you should come with me. Remember to wear masks so Andrew doesn't recognize any of you."
The encrypted call was naturally intended for Andrew's father.
Andrew would be released eventually, but before that happened, Jacob intended to extract every bit of value from him. He planned to extort the family thoroughly.
This situation presented Jacob with a rare opportunity, an excellent chance to acquire a Duraludon.
For the Champion of the British Empire, obtaining a Duraludon should be a simple matter, shouldn't it?