454 The Former Ruler of the 400-meter Sprin (2/2)
In the 1990s, Franklin, a professor in a prestigious university, left the university's laboratory to set up a company. He built up a joint laboratory called Franklin Laboratory.
On the surface, the main task of Franklin's laboratory was to research how to manufacture nutrition. Their flagship product aided the circulatory and excretory systems and replenished the body with vitamins and minerals. Meanwhile, more covertly, Franklin's laboratory had been working on the latest steroid doping.
The scientific name of the steroid was epinephrine. The adrenal glands naturally secrete a certain amount of the steroid every day to maintain the normal physiological operation of the body. This steroid also had a variety of clinical functions, and could be used to treat a variety of common diseases, such as cancer, brain edema, rheumatism, skin diseases, sepsis, meningitis, and so on. It could be used in the treatment of almost all diseases.
So, the development of steroid derivatives had become a research topic of high commercial value. With a bit of luck, a new kind of derivatives could be a new medicine, which would then bring hundreds of millions of profits to the developer.
By turning their research products into performance enhancers for athletes, they found free experimental subjects to test their products, and they obtained a lot of experimental data to continue their research and development. But once athletes started doping, they were afraid to speak out in public. Even if there was something wrong with their bodies, they would choose to solve it privately in the laboratory rather than through legal channels.
It has to be said that the doping in Franklin's Laboratory was very effective, and it couldn't be easily detected by the Anti-Doping Committee. Over the past two decades, Franklin's Laboratory had become more famous and popular, and many famous coaches and athletes went to Franklin's Laboratory and asked for help. When they obtained brilliant achievements, they became an accidental advertisement for Franklin's Laboratory.
Sebastian was the most faithful partner of Franklin's Laboratory, and he had been the friend of Dr. Franklin for many years. But today, they seemed to be at odds over something.
The door of Franklin's office was closed and the blinds were drawn down, and it looked as if they were discussing something secret.
”There were no traces of enhancers found in Alexander's sample? How could that be?” Sebastian assumed an air of disbelief.
”We have used all of the tests, but all the results show that everything is normal for Alexander; there was no evidence of doping in his samples. To be exact, there was no evidence to suggest that Alexander used any performance enhancer at all.” Franklin handed Sebastian the test report.
”That's impossible! Is there anything wrong? Something was forgotten in the process of the test?” said Sebastian.
”We tested it three times.” Franklin shrugged his shoulders. ”But we found nothing.”
”How could Alexander run so fast without doping? Did he get back to his competitive condition in such a short time? That's impossible, there is no training that effective in the world.” Sebastian shook his head. ”He must have doped, but we haven't found it yet.”
”It's theoretically possible that Alexander used a new type of drug, but we can't detect it at all. But that's only reasonable in theory. If we can't detect it, we must have fallen behind in technology.” Franklin showed a confident expression and said, ”My laboratory may not be the number one in the world, but it must be a top laboratory in the world. It is impossible that other laboratories would be so far ahead of us in technology! So, I think there is another possibility.”
Franklin stretched out two fingers and then said, ”The second possibility is that Alexander didn't dope, but finished the game within 9.90 seconds through his ability.”
”He was suspended for four years! It's impossible for him recover his condition in such a short time,” Sebastian said confidently.
Franklin's face was gloomy. He was unhappy with Sebastian's attitude, and he said in a tone of a scientist, ”Athlete's training is not my field. You are a professional, so you would know better than I how long it will take Alexander to return his competitive condition. But I am sure that people must have both good conditions and bad conditions, and it's possible for an athlete to present an extraordinary performance in a match.”
Sebastian frowned. He was not Alexander's coach now, so he didn't know Alexander's current condition, and he couldn't judge whether Alexander's performance was extraordinary. But there was no denying that what Franklin had said was possible. Alexander might have presented extraordinary performance in that match.
Franklin went on. ”Anyway, I didn't detect doping at all, and I thought if I couldn't detect doping, neither could other laboratories. Even if Alexander doped, there's no sense talking about it, because we can't detect it and you can't do anything to him.”
”I see!” Sebastian nodded helplessly and his eyes were full of unwillingness.
”Well, my friend, do not pay much attention to Justin Alexander. We should focus on the qualification trials of the Olympics. I hope more athletes can pass the qualification trials and participate in the Olympics by using our products!” Franklin eased the atmosphere and then said, ”I heard that the head coach of the US track and field team hasn't been decided yet, and you're one of the candidates?”
”Yes, I am one of the candidates and I'm likely to be the head coach.” When Sebastian thought of this, he was not so helpless, and he was in a much better mood.