"A human enhancement serum? What exactly does it do?" the man pressed, his eyes lighting up.
"As the name suggests, it enhances physical attributes—speed, strength, all-around bodily performance—to the limits of the human body." Mo Xie lifted his gaze and glanced at him. "Of course, that's only in theory. The actual results vary from person to person. Some can get close, some fall a little short, but that's roughly the range."
The man nodded thoughtfully, then immediately followed up with another question.
"And the production cost?"
There was already a note of probing in his voice.
As Fire Moth's liaison, he knew all too well how crucial cost was in determining whether a technology could ever see large-scale use.
Mo Xie stopped what he was doing and looked at him directly, a faint, half-smiling curve appearing at the corner of his lips.
"Drop whatever ideas you're having."
He set down the documents, leaned back in his chair, and spoke with undisguised mockery in his tone.
"This is just a byproduct. It's expensive to make, impossible to mass-produce, and its cost-effectiveness is nowhere near that of anti-Honkai weaponry."
He casually named a figure.
The man's expression froze on the spot.
Mo Xie continued, sounding ever more offhand.
"Even if we devote future research specifically to refining it, never mind how much additional funding that would take—the price still won't come down by much. The base materials are what they are. The production process is what it is. If it won't come down, it won't come down."
He spread his hands.
"It's a completely unprofitable enterprise. Practically worthless."
The moment those words landed, the enthusiasm that had just risen in the liaison's heart was doused like a fire hit with cold water.
He lowered his head to look at the stack of documents in his hand, then looked back up at Mo Xie's calm face, calculations racing through his mind.
If what Mo Xie said was true, then this so-called human enhancement serum really was little more than a chicken rib—too tasteless to be worth eating, too regrettable to throw away.
After all, Fire Moth's soldiers currently fought Honkai Beasts primarily through heavy firepower and anti-Honkai weaponry.
Simply pushing a human body to the "limits of human capability" would have very limited value on the front lines.
Rather than spending a fortune to inject every soldier, it would be far more practical to equip them with a few more anti-Honkai weapons.
To put it bluntly...
If a soldier died, then so be it. At least anti-Honkai weapons could be recovered and reused.
Wasn't that far better than a one-time-use human enhancement serum with an exorbitant price tag?
Besides, Fire Moth already had drugs that could enhance physical performance.
The effects might not be as strong, and they might not guarantee reaching the "human limit," but they were much cheaper, and mass production was no problem.
By the time he finished thinking it through, all eagerness had drained from the liaison's face, replaced by the placid composure of someone handling official business.
Still...
He glanced at the documents in his hand and continued doing the math in his head.
Even if the thing was little more than a white elephant inside Fire Moth for all sorts of reasons, it still counted as a research result, didn't it?
And he was just a salaried worker. As long as he had something to report, that was enough.
With that thought, he tucked the documents away, put his professional smile back on, and said, "Then, Dr. Mo, I won't disturb you any longer."
He turned to leave, already halfway through his first step.
But whether out of reluctance or some faint flicker of hope deep inside, he stopped as if possessed, turned back, and asked one more question:
"Doctor... does it really only enhance physical ability? It doesn't have any other effects?"
Mo Xie had just been about to lower his head back over his papers. Hearing that, he paused slightly.
He rubbed his chin, his gaze turning a little peculiar, as if weighing how best to answer.
A moment later, he spoke slowly in an oddly nuanced tone.
"Yes... and no."
The liaison blinked.
Mo Xie went on.
"If I absolutely had to name one more effect, then there's a secondary benefit—it extends a person's lifespan to around one hundred and fifty years."
"Oh—so it just extends a person's lifespan to around one hund—"
The liaison repeated the words reflexively, disappointment already creeping into his tone, since it didn't sound all that impressive...
Wait.
He suddenly stopped.
One hundred and fifty years?
One hundred and fifty years?!
His eyes flew wide open. His mouth worked soundlessly, as though something had caught in his throat.
After a brief, deathly silence, a near-squeak of shock burst out of him.
"Wait! What?! One hundred and fifty years—?!"
"That's right." Mo Xie nodded, his expression as calm as if he were merely confirming that today's weather was pleasant.
"Hiss—!"
The liaison sucked in a sharp breath so violently it was as if he had almost emptied the room of oxygen.
His hands tightened instinctively around the papers, his knuckles whitening from the force.
At that moment, that thin stack of documents seemed to weigh a thousand pounds—so heavy he could barely hold it.
Lifespan.
An extended lifespan.
And not just by a few years, but to one hundred and fifty years—several entire decades longer than an ordinary person!
What kind of concept was that?
Especially to those investors—those rich, powerful men who feared death more than anything else—something like this would drive them mad.
They would not care in the slightest about "cost-effectiveness" or "high production expense."
As long as it could buy them a few more decades of life, they would willingly bankrupt themselves for it!
The liaison's breathing turned ragged. He nearly stumbled as he spun back around, staring at Mo Xie with a gaze that was practically accusatory.
"Doctor, how could you not mention something this important earlier?!"
The words had barely left his mouth before he realized his tone was inappropriate.
As expected, Mo Xie's brows drew together slightly.
The liaison reacted with astonishing speed. His expression executed a perfect one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, shifting from shocked accusation to ingratiating flattery in an instant.
He bent slightly at the waist, his tone turning so gentle it was as if he were coaxing some priceless treasure.
"What I meant was... Dr. Mo, how could you be so careless? You nearly forgot to mention such an important effect."
Mo Xie gave him a look, his expression still mild.
"Its main effect is strengthening the human body. The longevity part is just incidental."
Just incidental.
Hearing Mo Xie say it so casually, the corners of the liaison's mouth twitched.
Just incidental...
Just incidental?!
He took a deep breath and tried very hard to keep his face composed.
Fine.
You're the boss. Whatever you say.
"Doctor, you truly are a genius!" the liaison exclaimed, overflowing with enthusiasm now, lavishing praise on him without restraint.
It was easy enough to imagine what kind of reward he himself might receive as the liaison if he brought back results like this.
And Mo Xie was not stupid. In the past, he had merely been too immersed in his own world—but seeing the look on the man's face now, he had clearly realized what investors—or rather, ordinary people—cared about most.
"That's enough. Send the funding over as soon as possible."
Mo Xie cut him off and made it plain the meeting was over.
The liaison did not mind in the slightest. Nodding and bowing, he left at once.
-------
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