116: Chapter 116 The Omega Virus Vaccine Makes a Stunning Debut

Magic City, the East China Branch building of the National Health Commission.

At exactly nine in the morning, Chen Fan stepped into the conference room on the nineteenth floor. This was a standard administrative conference hall with a long table that could accommodate twenty people; currently, seven or eight were already seated. At the head of the table sat a man in his fifties wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with a nameplate in front of him that read "Li Qiuming — Director of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Division."

Chen Fan was assigned a seat in the middle of the conference table.

"Mr. Chen, thank you for coming," Li Qiuming said, getting straight to the point with an official and distant tone. "The situation is urgent, so let's get right to the theme. Commander Lei Zhen of the Northwest Military Region recommended your company for developing a prevention and control solution for the omega virus. Could you introduce it in detail?"

Everyone's gaze focused on Chen Fan.

Chen Fan didn't stand up; he simply pressed a button on the control panel in front of him. The conference room's holographic projection system activated, unfolding three dynamic images in the air.

The first was a 3D structural model of the omega virus, with every protein subunit and RNA sequence clearly labeled. "This is the complete genetic map and protein structure of the standard omega virus strain. We have finished all sequencing and analysis."

Academician Wang's eyes immediately lit up. "This... how was this achieved? The international virus databases only have partial fragments!"

"We did it ourselves," Chen Fan said nonchalantly, switching to the second image—a molecular design model of the vaccine. "Based on our understanding of the virus's structure, we designed this three-in-one vaccine: capsid protein antibodies to block invasion, T-cell immunity to clear infected cells, and energy metabolism inhibitors to suppress viral mutation."

He pulled up the mouse experimental data. "In animal models, the protection rate against the standard strain reached 100%, and it also reached 87% against the 'Magic City' variant. More importantly, the antibodies generated by the vaccine possess broad-spectrum neutralizing capabilities, allowing them to handle various future mutations the virus might undergo."

"The data is very impressive," someone said with a skeptical tone. "But Mr. Chen, it has only been a few days from the time you obtained the virus sample to producing a complete vaccine. Is such a rapid development speed... scientifically reasonable?"

The atmosphere in the conference room became subtle.

"Traditional R&D is based on the traditional 'trial and error' method," Chen Fan's tone remained calm, but every word pricked like a needle. "Extracting the virus, inactivation or attenuation, animal testing, formula adjustment, then testing again... trial and error over and over, optimization over and over. That is a technical route from the last century."

He stood up, walked to the holographic projection, and swiped his finger through the air. "Our R&D, however, is based on 'precision design.' Through ultra-high-precision structural analysis, we directly 'see' every weakness of the virus; through artificial intelligence simulation, we predict the effect of every vaccine candidate molecule; through high-throughput screening, we find the optimal solution from tens of thousands of possibilities."

The projection showed footage of the Fanxing Technology laboratory—automated equipment running unmanned, robotic arms precisely manipulating microliter liquids, and data streams falling like waterfalls across supercomputer screens.

"This isn't magic; this is the next generation of biotechnology—the deep integration of structural biology, computational biology, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. While you are still using microscopes to look at cells, we are already using atomic force microscopes to observe protein conformations; while you are still using PCR to amplify gene fragments, we can already perform single-cell whole-genome sequencing."

Chen Fan looked at Zhang Mingyuan with a sharp gaze. "So please do not use your R&D efficiency to question our capabilities. That isn't a question; that is... exposing your own backwardness."

The conference room fell into a dead silence. Chen Fan had certainly made an impression with that flex.

Academician Wang suddenly began to applaud.

"Brilliant!" The elderly academician's eyes shone. "Mr. Chen, your line of thinking is absolutely correct! Traditional vaccine development is indeed too slow. Faced with a pathogen like the omega virus that mutates so rapidly, we must adopt a brand-new technical path! I have seen your data; from a scientific perspective, it is completely credible!"

"It might make sense scientifically, but what about safety? Director Li, a vaccine is to be injected into healthy human bodies. If a serious adverse reaction occurs, who will be responsible?" The skeptical voice from before rang out again.

The person didn't continue, but the meaning was clear—no matter how beautiful your data is, it's just laboratory data and hasn't undergone large-scale human validation.

This was indeed a practical issue. Li Qiuming looked at Chen Fan. "Mr. Chen, the safety of the vaccine is paramount. Do you have a solution?"

Chen Fan nodded and pulled up the third image.

It was a detailed production and distribution plan.

"Regarding safety, I propose three points. First, we can completely open-source the vaccine's 'seed strain'—that is, the core antigen protein and mRNA sequences—and hand them over to a state-designated third-party institution for independent verification and production. Fanxing Technology will not charge any patent fees."

Open-sourcing core patents? This meant Fanxing Technology would completely abandon the commercial interests of this vaccine! Nova Bio's vaccine was priced at three thousand dollars a dose; if a billion people worldwide were vaccinated, that would be a three-trillion-dollar market! And Chen Fan... wanted to give it away for free?

"Second," Chen Fan didn't even look at him, "besides the vaccine, Fanxing Technology will provide two things for free: first, the 'Guardian-II' epidemic prevention robots, specifically for disinfection, isolation, and preliminary treatment of mild cases in infected areas; second, high-concentration disinfectant with a 99.99% inactivation efficiency against the omega virus, which can be used for large-scale disinfection in public places."

Detailed parameters for the robots and disinfectant appeared on the projection. Low gasps of amazement echoed through the conference room.

"Third," Chen Fan's tone became solemn, "if the Department of Health approves, we can immediately establish a model 'Rapid Response Epidemic Prevention System' in Magic City: deploying prevention robots by community, establishing temporary vaccination sites, and conducting continuous disinfection in key areas."

Open-sourcing patents for free, providing equipment for free... this meant Fanxing Technology would invest billions into this project without any direct economic return.

Li Qiuming looked at Chen Fan with a complex expression. "Mr. Chen, are you sure? This is not a small amount of money."

"Money can be earned again once it's gone," Chen Fan said calmly. "But if the pandemic spirals out of control, the people who die won't come back. Director Li, you've seen the transmission speed of the omega virus; for every day we delay, the number of infections doubles. We don't have the time to go through all the conventional procedures."

Academician Wang slapped the table excitedly. "I support this! Director Li, special cases require special measures! The pandemic is breaking out globally right now. Over in the United States, Nova Bio's vaccine is priced sky-high, and their production capacity is limited—it can't possibly meet global demand! If we have our own vaccine and production capacity, we can not only save our own people but also gain a voice on the international stage!"

"Director Li," Chen Fan glanced at his watch, "since we started this meeting, thirty-seven new infection reports have been added in Magic City. Eight of them have already shown Level 2 mutation symptoms, with strength three times that of an average person; ordinary police forces can no longer control them. The most important thing now is for the vaccine review to pass quickly. The virus... will not wait."

Li Qiuming took a deep breath and made a decision. "Fine! We will handle this as a special case! In the name of the East China Branch, I approve the emergency pilot use of Fanxing Technology's vaccine in Magic City!"

This bypassed the review of the Medical Products Administration, going directly through a special approval.