***** Vol.4 Chap.16 Solidifying the partnership *****
Once back at the cafe, Dr. Schmidtiz began the conversation.
“At PPTSB, we have been working with genetic selection for better offsprings as our name suggests. Genetic selection takes generations to repair. Our company would like to find a way somehow to help those who are less fortunate now to live a normal life. We are looking to you to point us in the right direction.”
Setting a bait.
JB thought for a moment and recalled May-Ling’s acupuncture techniques.
“In my last professional meeting, I recalled a Chinese doctor, using acupuncture on violent gangsters, was successful in reducing violent tendencies, albeit only temporary.”
“Really? I seemed to recall that name. Hmm. Yes, she was a plenary speaker with Dr. Abdulcizi in one of the meetings.”
“I did not follow her work since I have no interest in acupuncture or anything that is only temporary.” JB replied.
“I hear you. Do you think there may be ways to provide permanent cure?”
“I certainly hope so, and that is my goal.”
“Really. What a noble goal.”
“Well, if there is anything that I can help or provide for you, let me know.”
Wheeling the bait in.
JB sat and thought for a moment.”
“Would you be able to provide me with some data?”
“What kind of data do you need?”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Instead of looking at differences in individuals with violent and non-violent tendencies, how about looking at the same individual when docile and when angry?”
“Interesting thought. We all get angry at times.”
“Exactly, so we need a way to differentiate what changes in a person when angry and not.”
JB was thinking hard, recalling her conversation with Kendall.
“Doctor Chen seemed to suggest our mental state is a result of the balance of the yin and yang life forces.” Dr. Schmidtiz suggested.
“But how do we measure the effects of the yin and yang life forces?” JB responded.
“I don’t know. Sorry, I am only an administrator. I will have to check with my scientists regarding this. What do you think?”
“I didn’t really care much about this oriental talk about life forces.”
“Neither do I. But Doctor Chen seemed to be quite convinced that the meridians work. I wished there is a way to quantitatively measure the effectiveness of her technique besides pure observation.”
Dr. Schmidtiz was pulling and jerking on the bait, knowing that JB never backed from a challenge.
“My institute friend told me that our bodies run on hormones…”
“That must be it!” Now he got excited in order to get JB convinced.
“I know nothing about hormones, other than their effects on me every month.”
They both laugh.
They went silent for a moment, each lost in their thoughts.
“I’ve got it!” JB jumped up excitedly.
He looked at her with inquisitive eyes.
“I think we can access the body functions using a blood test. Every time I went to the doctor for a checkup, they always took several tubes of blood from me…”
“And they ran all kinds of tests on you with your blood.” He finished her sentence.
“Kendall mentioned about the mass spectrometer. I wonder if we can get mass spectrometer readings from blood samples?”
“Hmm. So, you need blood samples and more specifically, mass spectrums of those blood samples?
“Yes, preferably on the same individuals in various state of anger and aggression.”
“Well, that is something I can help you with,” nodded Dr. Schmidtiz.
“You can?”
“I can get you the spectrometer readings if you can do the analyses.”
“Sounds like a deal.”
“Perhaps we can really advance the science here with this partnership.”
Hook, sink, and bait, she swallowed the whole thing.
Fame was all JB saw in her eyes. PPTSB was no longer just a source of funding. She saw the partnership as a means to achieve her Nobel prize.
“Yeah.” JB responded, still in deep thought.
“I must be going. In the meantime, enjoy your new wheels.”
“Thank you, thank you.”
JB left proud as a peacock in her new Porsche. Though she was not sure if she should drive this fancy car to the Institute, she eventually drove home and parked the car there. Then she took a bus downtown to retrieve her old Ford pickup before driving to her office.
Things are really falling into place according to plan. Elated beyond imagination as she walked to her office.