Chapter 25: BSAA (Part 3)
"Yes, I'm a billionaire too!" Upon being dropped off at his home by Happy, Daniel Davis couldn't help but excitedly pump his fist into the air as soon as he stepped inside.
Overnight wealth—it was that simple. Although it was worlds apart from Stark's fortune, compared to most people, he was definitely a wealthy man now. Of course, all this would take about a month to materialize.
Launching a new product, especially something like a health supplement which is essentially a drug, is extremely complex. It requires multiple rounds of testing to ensure it's harmless to humans. This is about being responsible to the public.
Skipping these tests is impossible without a very powerful backer. Even then, at least a couple of short-term tests are mandatory.
In the US, there are stories of certain pharmaceutical companies rushing untested drugs to market. However, these are usually the actions of those desperate for quick success. Any issues with the drug would eventually surface, unless you plan to pull off a one-time scam and disappear. Otherwise, the consequences are inevitable.
Norman Osborn of Oscorp is the best example of this—injecting himself with an untested human enhancement drug, which resulted in personality disorder and the birth of the Green Goblin.
Rushing for success is a common flaw among scientists. Doc Ock's attempt to create an artificial sun and Umbrella Corporation's virus research all suffered due to this.
Umbrella's virus leaked not just because of Marcus's unexpected revival but also due to Spencer's constant pressure to complete the virus research quickly. Spencer wasn't unaware of the risks, but he was too old and running out of time.
Drug testing in the US has even given rise to a profession—professional drug testers. These people circulate among pharmaceutical companies, specifically testing new drugs.
Testing any kind of drug involves unpredictable risks, hence drug testers are paid handsomely.
This is for legitimate companies with ethical standards. Those less scrupulous or with ulterior motives make it extremely dangerous for drug testers, not to mention companies posing as drug testers while actually testing biochemical weapons.
Many of these are backed by the military. Dr. Banner's lab was researching super soldier serum for the military, trying to stabilize the serum's effects using gamma radiation, which resulted in the Hulk.
With global nuclear deterrence making large-scale wars difficult, the focus shifted to winning local conflicts with minimal resources. This research falls into two categories: creating enhanced soldiers or developing external armors, like Iron Man suits, jetpacks, and gliders.
Iron Man suits weren't Stark's original idea; there were already military companies researching this, such as Exploration Aerospace, Oscorp's biggest competitor.
Both Exploration Aerospace and Oscorp are secretly backed by the US military. However, the military isn't monolithic; personal preferences differ, with some favoring enhanced soldiers and others preferring enhanced armors.
The dominant faction's favored company receives greater military support and research funding.
Originally, Oscorp and Exploration Aerospace were neck-and-neck, but the Raccoon City incident led to many military leaders supporting enhanced soldiers stepping down. Naturally, Oscorp was abandoned by the military.
Except for a few madmen, nobody wants a biochemical virus turning people into zombies, not even HYDRA. If everyone is dead, whom would HYDRA rule over?
In such a scenario, it wouldn't be long before New Yorkers saw the Green Goblin flying everywhere. Unfortunately, Spider-Man was nowhere to be found.
Daniel wasn't worried about the Green Goblin. Unlike movies, reality wouldn't require Spider-Man to deal with him. The police, FBI, and S.H.I.E.L.D. weren't just decorations.
"No wonder Pepper Potts earned Stark's trust." At Stark's mansion, after deciding to collaborate, Daniel barely spoke to Stark anymore; he mostly dealt with Pepper.
From Pepper's series of plans based on the potion Daniel developed, a new commercial empire could be built, far beyond just women's health products.
They could enter the beverage market, alcohol industry, cosmetics, and more.
Pepper wasn't yet the CEO managing Stark Industries. Currently, Tony's uncle managed it, while Pepper was just Tony's secretary.
Once this new company was established, Pepper would become its lifelong CEO. This decision further improved Stark's impression of Daniel.
Tony hadn't realized his feelings for Pepper yet, but the fact that she was the only woman to stay by his side for years spoke volumes.
Other women never lasted more than a week around Tony.
Daniel left the company's matters to Pepper, surprising both her and Stark. In the world of capital, such trust is rare. Typically, someone giving up control like this would end up with nothing. Daniel's confidence in Stark and Pepper's integrity was a compliment.
"You can't get a better compliment than that."
"Looks like I can shut down my online store." With his own company, Daniel no longer needed to sell figurines online. He had met some psychologically troubled people through the figurines, including fans of serial killers.
Daniel's craftsmanship was exceptional, and he offered customization. Many fans of serial killers wanted custom figurines, which he refused. It baffled him—would these fans remain if the killer murdered their family?
"Wakanda, Vibranium, Heart-Shaped Herb." Looking at the online information about Wakanda, Daniel couldn't help but smile and shake his head. Like during the UN meetings, people doubted what an agricultural country could contribute to the world. Perhaps only the Ancient One knew the truth about Wakanda.
Vibranium and the Heart-Shaped Herb—Daniel wanted both. Many scientists had failed to develop enhancement drugs, but the Heart-Shaped Herb merely needed to be juiced and drunk for enhancement. Scientists would be outraged by this simplicity.
As for Vibranium, it fetched $10,000 per gram on the black market, and it was rarely available.
"Wakanda seems to have a shield. I don't know if it can block teleportation, but their technology is very advanced. Better to be prepared before going. First, I'll create an Ant-Man suit. Looks like I'll need to borrow some things from HYDRA again. Don't blame me."
Thinking of the Heart-Shaped Herbs that were burned, Daniel felt it was a great pity.
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