Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Chapter 1071 $1 per serving

Zhou Zhengqing then slowly spoke, his tone firm and composed, full of unquestionable confidence: "The most effective way to verify the authenticity of an effect is through practice."

Your Highness and the General could certainly dispatch your most trusted and excellent military medical officers, or... those under your command in special circumstances, such as cases where existing methods like sulfonamides have proven ineffective, to conduct the tests themselves.

I believe that facts speak louder than words. When you see with your own eyes a wounded soldier on the verge of death recover from a single injection, all your doubts will vanish.” His gaze was open and honest as he looked directly at Prince Yasuhiko and Terauchi Hisaichi.

This confidence based on facts, this willingness to be tested, is far more persuasive than any empty promise.

This confidence stemmed from both his foresight of the historical process—the widespread use of penicillin by the Allies in the later stages of World War II and the confirmation of its miraculous efficacy—and his trust in the achievements his own laboratory could make under the existing technological conditions.

As King Jiuyan gazed into Zhou Zhengqing's deep and calm eyes, most of his doubts were indeed dispelled, replaced by a complex emotion that mixed with amazement, greed, and reassessment.

He realized that the young man in front of him might hold a trump card that could change many things.

Prince Kyūhiko leaned forward slightly: "How is the mass production of this drug?" As a member of the royal family, he was more concerned about the possibility of its practical application.

Lingzi smiled slightly: "That's the key point. Currently, our monthly output can only meet the needs of a very small number of special applications."

However, the Okinawa laboratory has broken through key technologies and expects to achieve mass production within two years.

“General, Your Highness,” Zhou Zhengqing replied, “I fully understand your feelings at this moment.”

If penicillin could be mass-produced and deployed to the troops, it would undoubtedly greatly improve the survival of Imperial soldiers and even change the medical and logistical landscape of the battlefield.

"I understand this as well as you two do." He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping over Terauchi Hisaichi's expectant lean and Yasuhiko's slightly tense shoulders, though he remained seated. "However, I must frankly tell you both that, at this stage, the large-scale application you envision is still merely... a beautiful vision."

He deliberately slowed his speech, making each word feel like a heavy pebble thrown into the other person's heart, stirring up ripples of disappointment.

"This penicillin is still in a highly classified, strictly controlled experimental stage."

He emphasized the words "experimental stage," and then tapped the lid of the suitcase lightly with his finger, making a dull sound: "Its biggest bottleneck at present is not that it is ineffective, but that it cannot support large-scale, stable industrial production."

The experts at the Okinawa laboratory were indeed working day and night, investing enormous human and material resources.

However, the current extraction and purification process is extremely complex, with stringent requirements for culture medium, temperature, and sterile environment.

Every step is like walking a tightrope; the slightest mistake could ruin the entire batch of cultures.

Moreover, the entire production cycle is extremely time-consuming. He pointed to the box again, his gesture carrying an almost ritualistic solemnity: "As you all just saw, to achieve the purity required for clinical injection, even with the combined resources of the entire laboratory and our best efforts each month, we can only produce a mere few dozen doses."

"Dozens?!" Terauchi Hisaichi almost repeated the number in a hushed voice. The muscles on his face twitched slightly with extreme disappointment. His previous fanatical hope of seeing a significant drop in troop casualties was instantly shattered by this cruel figure.

For him, the commander of the North China Area Army, who commanded hundreds of thousands of troops and whose daily casualty reports were in the hundreds, dozens of doses were simply a drop in the ocean, not even enough to cover the seriously wounded in division-level hospitals.

His massive body seemed to collapse slightly as he leaned back heavily in his chair, the light in his eyes quickly dimming.

Even the usually shrewd and composed King Kyohiko frowned deeply, his fingers unconsciously twisting the gold thread on his military uniform sleeve, clearly feeling extremely disappointed and doubtful about the production volume that was far below expectations.

“Yes, it is a pity that the current maximum production capacity is only a few dozen portions.” Zhou Zhengqing nodded firmly, his tone heavy, as if he was also heartbroken by this, but his eyes were clear and there was no flicker: “So, General, Your Highness, the reason I took it out at this moment is not to immediately negotiate a large-scale transaction of thousands or tens of thousands of portions with you two.”

Zhou Zhengqing skillfully shifted the focus of the conversation, moving from "transaction" to "cooperation" and "relationship".

"It's based on the... cooperative relationship we've just established, and our expectations for shared future interests." His gaze slowly swept across Terauchi Hisaichi and Yasuhiko's faces, capturing the changes in their expressions.

“I consider it a strategic reserve.” He emphasized: “It is reserved only for the most critical and urgent moments to protect the most important assets, such as a highly decorated general who is unfortunately seriously wounded and infected with a drug-resistant bacterium that is completely ineffective against sulfonamides.”

Or, under specific circumstances, if a rare and deadly plague breaks out, threatening the core command... this small vial of powder might just turn the tide at a critical moment, preserving the empire's indispensable pillars.

The scenario he depicted was highly targeted, directly addressing the deep-seated anxieties of high-ranking individuals like Terauchi and Prince Yasuhiko about their own safety and that of their inner circle.

As he spoke, Zhou Zhengqing opened the box again with the key, and with extremely careful movements, took out a small glass bottle containing white powder, holding it up to the light. The firelight from the fireplace shone through the crystal glass, illuminating his unusually focused face, as if he were admiring a priceless treasure.

“Because it is so rare, so crucial, and can be considered a second life guarantee, each one is priceless,” he said slowly, shifting his gaze from the glass bottle to the two listeners.

"Currently, considering the partnership we are building, I can offer you both at a 'friendly price' of one thousand US dollars per share."

When the price was announced, Terauchi Hisaichi's eyes twitched.

A thousand dollars is enough to equip an infantry squad or pay a major's salary for several months.

Zhou Zhengqing seemed to have anticipated their reaction and continued to explain slowly, but his tone subtly became sharp: "Frankly speaking, this price is almost close to our research and development and production costs. It is more of a symbol, representing my sincerity."

But please remember this: "He abruptly changed the subject, his eyes sweeping over the two like a hawk's: "If outsiders knew the efficacy of this drug, the market price of penicillin would be far higher than it is now."

Five thousand US dollars a serving? That might just be the starting point; it could fetch even higher on the black market.