"Norman, this is our experiment pn."

  Ihe b, after all the researchers had left, Otto hahe prepared dots to Norman.

  "Let me see." Norman took the papers and sed through them. Most of the teailed the current issues with their serum.

  The biggest problem was stability.

  The serum could indeed grant the subject a unique bd white energy. While its raw destructive power was slightly weaker than the previous ser-based serum, it had much greater versatility.

  Norman and Otto had already tested it on b mice.

  The ied miderwent a drastic transformation. Their fur ged, turning pletely bd white, and their bodies stantly emitted energy without trol.

  More importantly, this energy had properties the ser serum cked.

  It enhahe physical abilities of the user and had strong adhesion. It could easily attach to other objects and the user could even transfer a portion of their energy to others, temporarily granting them a weaker version of the ability.

  In terms of potential, this new serum far surpassed the Scarlet Serum Reid had created using Scott's corpse as a sample.

  Norman had high hopes for it.

  But the side effects were just as severe.

  Not a siest subject had survived. They either exploded from the untrolled energy buildup or dropped dead the moment the serum's effects wore off.

  So, in Otto’s proposed resear, aside from resolving known issues, the majority of the process focused on tinuous animal testing. It involved making small adjustments, ing rge amounts of resources to refihe serum and slowly identifying the underlying problems over time.

  This approach was standard. Unless one was a genius like Luthor, who made no mistakes from the theoretical stage onward, skipping plex animal testing was impossible.

  But Norman couldn’t wait.

  He frowned as he looked at the research schedule in his hands.

  "I think the animal testing phase is too long. This serum is meant for humans, after all. The sooner we start human trials, the faster we identify the fws."

  “No.” Otto’s rea was immediate.

  As a stist with no i in power struggles, Otto was someone who preferred to take his time, following a structured approach to researorman’s urgency was uandable, given his petition with Luthor, but Otto would never agree to rushing the process.

  "Norman, I know you’re anxious, but don’t be. You’re well aware of the serum’s side effects. Not a siest subject has survived so far. Rushing into human trials will only put lives at risk. Let’s take our time. If you’re worried about Luthor, maybe you should focus more on the administrative side of things and leave the b to me."

  When Norman ito to join the project, he had been upfront about its true purpose—to pete with Luthor, whose influehin the pany had grown signifitly.

  To Otto, his old friend Norman still felt more trustworthy than Luthor. He was willing to help Norman secure his position as chairman.

  Even though their differing approaches had led to several heated arguments, Otto still chose to believe in Norman.

  However, Norman did not share the same seoward Otto.

  He had already burned his bridges.

  Norman had ied massive resources from the pany into this serum. Every t earned from Luthor’s Scarlet Serum had been funneled into this project.

  If he couldn’t plete it soon, if the process dragged on for too long and the costs kept mounting, even if he eventually succeeded, Luthor would have already solidified his hold on the chairman’s seat.

  That was something he could not allow.

  Moreover, if Norman couldn't trust Luthor, could he really trust Otto? To Otto, their arguments were just disagreements on ideology, but to Norman, those arguments meant Otto wasn't fully supp him.

  Thinking about this, Norman's expression grew darker, though he didn't dare show it openly. Looking at Otto, he knew he still needed his help.

  So, Norman adjusted his mi, forced a smile and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you this time, Otto. I'll calm down, and we will definitely create this new serum and make history."

  "Good!" Otto smiled as well, gd to see Norman was willing to ge.

  After their versation, Normauro his office. Everyone assumed he nning to stabilize his reputation in the administrative sector after the experiment stalled, before turning against Luthor, who had been making waves in the administration.

  But iy, although Norman didn’t angrily smash anything whe back to his office, he was trembling with ay.

  On the way there, he could already feel that in just a few months, the administrative department of Oscorp Industries had begun to lose respect for him. They were taking the tasks assigned by Luthor more seriously than those from their own chairman.

  He also realized that time was running out.

  Luthor’s exceptional abilities had backed him into a er.

  His ongoing colborations with the military, as well as the partnerships with Stark Industries and Wayerprises in materials, had brought massive profits to the pany.

  Those who Norman had inally recruited, people who had once worked under him, were now slowly distang themselves. By the time everyone fully supported Luthor, Norman feared he might lose his position as chairman—maybe even be dismissed when the pany suffered losses.

  ‘No, this 't go on.’ Norman shook his head. He had to absp;

  He called in one of his trusted aides and gave a clear order.

  "Find volunteers for humaing in New York. Tell them it's a new drug that enhance physical strength and cure most diseases."

  "Uood."

  The aide didn’t ask further questions a Norman's office to quietly spread the word throughout New York.

  Soon, word of this operation was brought to Reid's office.

  **

  **

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