Chapter 358 - Renowned Scientist Mysteriously Disappears
Chapter 358: Renowned Scientist Mysteriously Disappears
Systemic organ failure was the same as being up the creek without a paddle.
This was no cancer nor any terminal illness. This was an indication of human life reaching its end, just like computers executing the last line of coding. He was basically lying within the grim reaper’s embrace. Even a god could not save him from his fate. But how could things have happened this way?
“Isn’t it a little too soon for a top-notch scientist to die at only 88?”
Chen Jin had to admit that 88 could certainly be considered as old age. He wasn’t at the bottom of the list of scientists with high average lifespans either.
The problem was that such a great scientist was extremely rare. The cost of whipping them into shape was immensely high. The rarity of their existence could be compared to that of a phoenix’s feather or a unicorn’s horn. Albert Einstein, for instance, was a scientific genius the kind of which would only probably appear once in a century. A genius like Edward Vuitton would not appear again for at least another 30 years.
To find a scientist of the same caliber or even a higher tier, they would need to scour the world and wait patiently within the ever-flowing river of time. After all, geniuses would always be an extremely scarce product, especially in the field of science. Great leaps in science and technology were often made possible by a single genius who would single-handedly carry the whole scientific community.
“Alice, is there any way to save Edward Vuitton and lengthen his lifespan?” Chen Jin asked. He thought that top scientists should be given a longer lifespan. Even if they were to live until 100 under natural conditions, it would still seem too short.
The threshold within science was particularly high. Basic education would take 20 years, becoming proficient would take another 20, and doing in-depth explorations while they were still indefatigable would take approximately another 20 years’ time. By then, a scientist would be in their 60’s. For the rest of their days, they would most likely be meandering through their past achievements, too decrepit to attain any further breakthroughs.
However, a genius would still remain a genius. With the assistance of the immense operating powers of the “100% Science Lab”, via attempting on various ideas, Edward Vuitton had attained a crucial breakthrough in the field of mathematics – the Riemann hypothesis. This earned him 50 million credits in the game and triggered a commotion across the entire scientific community.
The next big question he intended to tackle was the ultimate question in the field of physics – the Grand Unification formula. He was already fumbling at the edge of a breakthrough. If he was given sufficient time, it would be possible for him to derive the Grand Unification Formula.
It would be a great pity if such a great scientist were to pass away.
“Master, judging by his condition, it will be extremely difficult to treat him. We will need to transplant an artificial heart, kidney, liver, and two lungs, as well as injecting life-extending medications. Besides, the procedures are highly sophisticated. We will need to bring him to the Xing Hai Hospital in Shang Hai to be able to perform them,” said Alice.
“Do you mean that he could be saved?”
“Yes. But you must hurry and bring him to the Z nation.”
“That will be no problem.”
…
The next day, in an intensive care unit of a Maryland hospital in the M nation.
There was a frail old man wearing a ventilator half-sitting on the bed. His face was thin, and his body was a bag of bones. His heartbeat was also low.
In front of him was a laptop. He frowned as he thought deeply about something. Occasionally, he would lift his fingers and tap on his keyboard with difficulty. His eyes were focused on the mathematical equation on the screen. It looked like a heavenly book as he continued to consider a problem.
His family members were there. Some of them had expressions engulfed in sorrow, while some had their heads lowered as they wiped away tears. The atmosphere was extremely somber.
Just then, there was a commotion in the corridor outside the ward.
A group came to the door of the ward and knocked, requesting permission to enter.
With an unpleasant expression, the old man’s son, George opened the door and said, “Please do not disturb my father’s rest. He has seen too many people in the last few days. He would like some time alone to think.”
“George, an important person wants to meet your father.” The hospital director extended his hand respectfully as he presented a man in a tuxedo.
George was instantly shocked and his jaw dropped in amazement. He muttered, “M…m-mister President?”
The man in a tuxedo smiled and said, “George, may I visit the master craftsman of the scientific pantheon and the outstanding contributor to the human civilization?”
“Y-yes you can, please come in Mr. Lanfelord.”
…
The President’s personal visit was the family’s greatest honor.
However, Edward Vuitton was too weak to speak as he lay on his sickbed. He could only blink his eyes and nod slightly. Moreover, he wasn’t in the mood to talk to others. Even if it was the president that was standing beside him, his attention was still channeled towards the computer screen. He only had a few days left to live and time was of the essence. He would rather struggle even a few inches forward on the path of truth.
But as Lanfelord stood close to him, the President said something that caught his attention: “Mr. Vuitton, the truth is I’ve come not to visit, but to save you. With your talents, you should continue to serve humanity and make an even greater contribution to science. You must not go this early.”
“Medicine is very well developed now. I believe that you are aware of this. It is not technology that is limiting human health and lifespan, but morality and the law. In ‘100% Science Lab’, the biologists who are researching longevity can easily extend the lifespan of humans to over 200 years.”
“It is only that most of the life-prolonging techniques violate our ethics and taboos. Even if some non-violating life-prolonging procedures are withdrawn from the game into reality, human experiment periods with over a 10-year span is also outlawed. You cannot wait that long and must immediately be given the most advanced treatments. Such a treatment cannot be conducted within the M nation, but you could procure it in Z nation.”
He introduced him to an expert in white robes who stood beside him, “This is Doctor Zhou, the top specialist at Xing Hai Hospital. He tells me that Xing Hai Hospital has a state-of-the-art life-prolonging treatment plan with a success rate of over 90%. It could extend your life by about 50 years. If you are willing to make a greater contribution to science, you could opt for treatment in Z nation.”
He extended his hand. “50 years Mr. Vuitton. It will be enough for you to solve five major difficulties in science.”
As he heard what they had to say, Edward Vuitton saw the last light of the setting sun as his eyes rekindled. His heartbeat accelerated significantly.
When he was asked: “Are you willing to go to the Z nation to receive the treatment?”, he moved his eyelids and nodded his head several times. Who doesn’t want to live longer?
All scientists like him wished to live for 500 or even 1000 years. In that way, they could witness more obstacles being overcome and amass for themselves more unvarnished truth, instead of dying early with regrets.
The rest was left for his family, which was then carried out in a relatively easy manner. They signed an agreement consenting to treatment and a confidentiality agreement, vowing to not disclose any information to the public within five years. They also accepted that if such events were to occur, they would have to take full responsibility for the problems they caused. It was still ethically controversial to greatly extend life expectancy, so it was better not to cause too much of a repercussion.
All the arrangements were made.
The same day, Edward Vuitton was discharged from hospital and he boarded a plane to fly to the Z nation thousands of miles away.
From that day forward, Edward Vuitton, the most renowned scientist of the generation, vanished. Almost nobody knew about his movements. It was as if his existence had evaporated from the mortal realm. Only a few people know whether he was dead or alive.
His whereabouts and fate had become a mystery in the scientific community.