Chapter 15 Partnership and the Symbiote

"Meeting Norman Osborn… don't pay too much attention to his attitude."

Jameson nodded nonchalantly and instructed, "Remember, it's Osborn who needs The Bugle, not the other way around."

"What do you mean?"

Anton looked puzzled, though he had a vague understanding. It seemed likely that Norman Osborn had arranged to meet the old man, not him. Yet the old man had delegated this meeting entirely to him.

"Go on in."

They arrived at the top floor, outside Norman Osborn's office.

Jameson stopped and smiled, "Head in. From now on, you're representing the Jameson family."

"Understood."

Anton adjusted his collar, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Norman Osborn's voice came from within the office.

Anton opened the door and entered.

Norman looked a bit surprised to see him.

"If I'm not mistaken, your name is Anton, right?"

He smiled. "What a surprise. I always thought that old stiff Jonah would hold onto his power until the day he died. He must really be impressed with you to have entrusted you with The Bugle."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Anton nodded briefly, taking a moment to size up Norman Osborn. Skipping the small talk, he got straight to the point: "The old man didn't tell me much about what to say, but I think the reason for our meeting today is the Life Foundation. Am I right, Mr. Osborn?"

"Correct."

Norman invited him to sit. "The Life Foundation is our mutual enemy. From what I understand, you've been orchestrating the recent scandal surrounding the Life Foundation. I must admit, you've done quite well — very reminiscent of Jonah's style."

"The old man?" Anton's eyes flickered. "It sounds like he's toppled more big companies than I have."

"Of course. I admire him greatly, and I regret his retirement immensely."

Norman Osborn's tone sounded sincere.

Anton couldn't tell if he was being truthful or not, but as a young man, he preferred to get to the point rather than waste time on pleasantries.

He asked, "So, Mr. Osborn, what exactly did you call me here to discuss?"

"collaboration."

Norman was blunt. "I contacted The Bugle to discuss a collaboration."

"So, Osborn Corp is very interested in the Life Foundation."

Anton looked unsurprised.

Norman replied thoughtfully, "After all, our collaboration hinges on the Life Foundation's downfall."

"Although Osborn Corp is a weapons manufacturer, we also rank among the world's leaders in biogenetics. In other words, we are a prominent pharmaceutical company," Norman said. "The Life Foundation is one of our competitors in this field, and their pharmaceutical patents would be an ideal complement to Osborn Corp's portfolio."

"Taking down the Life Foundation and having Osborn Corp acquire them would certainly be a major benefit." Anton asked, "But what's in it for The Bugle?"

"Equity."

Norman Osborn, a man who had grown Osborn Corp into a powerhouse, understood that expecting others to work hard for free was a common flaw in business, so he was always generous.

"If The Bugle assists Osborn in successfully acquiring the Life Foundation, I'm prepared to transfer five percent of the Life Foundation's equity to the Jameson family."

When it came to business, Norman radiated a confidence that left no room for negotiation. "I believe that demonstrates my sincerity."

"Then, we have a deal."

Anton agreed readily.

Five percent of the Life Foundation might sound small, but considering the size of the Life Foundation, it represented a staggering amount of wealth.

Norman Osborn was indeed generous. And the reason Osborn Corp wanted to partner with The Bugle was likely because of The Bugle's skill in manipulating public opinion.

Without The Bugle, Osborn Corp would have struggled to even approach an acquisition of the Life Foundation.

This wasn't a goal that money alone could achieve.

The involvement of The Bugle effectively filled Osborn Corp's gap in public relations.

As an indispensable part of the plan, this was why Norman Osborn was willing to pay such a high price.

Leaving Norman Osborn's office, Anton recalled Norman's earlier remark that his actions resembled those of J. Jonah Jameson back in the day, and his expression turned a bit strange.

He suddenly began to wonder how the Jameson family had amassed their fortune.

Could it be that the old man had built his wealth by using The Bugle to shake down companies, extort, and pressure his way to billions?

…

San Francisco.

Inside the research base, in the symbiosis research center.

"You're really going to let me go?"

Eddie looked incredulous as he stared at Dora Skirth, the woman in front of him, unable to believe his luck.

"I'm not letting you go. You escaped on your own, knocked me out, and ran away."

Dora corrected him.

"Understood, understood!"

Eddie nodded eagerly. "Don't worry; I won't reveal your involvement."

"Before you leave, there are some things you need to know."

Dora's expression turned serious.

Eddie sensed something was up and grew solemn as well. "Go ahead."

Dora suddenly asked, "Do you know why the Life Foundation, despite being a pharmaceutical company, suddenly started building rockets and launched a space program?"

"Because of overpopulation and climate change, Drake wanted to secure a foothold for the future." Eddie thought back to Drake's remarks in interviews. "Or was that all a lie?"

"No, it's all true."

Dora explained, "Drake sent a spaceship to search for habitable planets, but on the way back, they stumbled upon a comet."

"A comet?"

Eddie was confused. "What does a comet have to do with anything?"

"The spacecraft's onboard computer detected signs of life on the comet — thousands of living organisms!" Dora said in a low voice. "They brought back some samples."

Eddie's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying… aliens?"

"You could say that."

Dora nodded. "But we call them symbiotes. They can't survive in our environment independently; they need hosts, like parasites in the traditional sense."

"So these experiments I've seen over the past few days…"

Eddie inhaled sharply.

"Yes, Drake believes that combining humans with symbiotes is the key to survival in space."

Dora spoke, her expression complex. "And none of these experiments are recorded in official reports. He's forcibly matching hosts, and if the experiment fails, the host dies — which is what you refer to as human rights abuse."

"He's a complete lunatic!"

Eddie was stunned.

He'd originally thought that Drake's secret human experiments were all about developing new drugs.

That could at least be justified by profit.

But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that Drake's goal was to combine humans with aliens!

This didn't seem to connect with profit in any conceivable way.

It was simply incomprehensible.