After two cautious tests that revealed no storms on the horizon and zero reaction from the higher-ups, Thea directly released her new cancer treatment protocol. Combined with her new medical pods, as long as a patient wasn't already on their deathbed, lying in the pod for a maximum of one day would completely kill all cancer cells.
The news sent shockwaves across the world. The Nobel Prize in Medicine would undoubtedly be hers. Her name had already entered medical textbooks. Patients worldwide suffering from terminal illnesses saw hope for survival.
In an instant, massive amounts of faith flowed into the Scales of Order. Thea was so pleased she practically floated when she walked. In her all-day sparring sessions with Diana, she miraculously managed to overcome her opponent, marking a rare victory in both her work and personal life.
Using her own technology, she'd gained enormous public support. Quinn-Merlyn Group's fortunes rose with the tide.
Scientists in a dozen medical departments worked around the clock comparing experimental reports, anxious to uncover any potential flaws.
Young people flocked to apply for positions. They didn't care if the pay was lower—they just wanted Quinn Group's name on their résumés.
Scholars and scientists from around the world swarmed to visit. Quinn Group established a dedicated reception department of hundreds of people to handle study visits, discussions, and experience exchanges from all industries.
Compared to Luthor hiding underground every day with his experiments unknown to anyone, Thea's reputation instantly reached near-mythic levels. She didn't slack off either, touring everywhere to give speeches and build public support.
Even the medical personnel who'd initially lost their jobs because of her medical pods no longer dared criticize her openly. Her reputation was simply too high.
At this moment, Thea was at Buckingham Palace in England, accepting an interview from the Times. It was all content she'd repeated countless times—just swap a few words, deliver it with emotion, and the task was complete.
After the interview, Thea even met the Queen. The old lady seemed quite kindly, holding Thea's hand and making small talk.
The old woman didn't realize how fortunate her timing was. Thea made a few perfunctory responses before taking her leave.
She didn't head straight home but instead went to Diana's new apartment.
"What's wrong? Something on your mind?" Tonight Diana wasn't herself. Both wearing sleepwear, Thea asked softly.
"Hard to say. I'm restless, like something's about to happen."
With such vague feelings, Thea couldn't begin to guess. They could only hold each other and sleep.
...
The experimental drugs matter was nearly concluded, but the path to gathering faith had only just begun. There was an old saying about three paths to lasting legacy—virtue, merit, and words. Building moral character or voicing profound theories didn't suit this utilitarian era. Achieving concrete results did.
Actually, Luthor and the military's plans touched on this concept. They were either billionaires or high officials—they had no personal pursuits left, which led to their so-called consideration for humanity's future through the Cadmus Project and Project Amazo. The starting point was decent, but their methods were too self-centered, never truly putting ordinary people's welfare first.
They never considered what ordinary people lacked, instead thinking about what they should give ordinary people. This so-called democracy was still essentially an elite system run by the few.
Thea herself benefited from this system. She didn't have grand delusions about revolutionizing it. She could only make ordinary people's lives a bit better when possible.
Physical health was the first step. Cultural transmission was the second. Earth's ordinary people were too backward. They didn't care about Darkseid. Many refused to believe aliens truly existed, stubbornly following their own life trajectories—working, studying, living. This was the current state of ordinary people.
Thea hoped that through her efforts, she could change some ordinary people's attitudes. Aliens weren't all evil like in movies. Many alien technologies were quite convenient and should be introduced.
She even encouraged some scientists to venture out rather than staying locked in labs every day figuring out how to blow Earth sky-high.
The road had to be traveled step by step. At minimum, certain attitudes needed changing. Otherwise, if she alone pulled from the front while ordinary people remained indifferent, it would be exhausting.
You couldn't drive a car to work in the morning and ride a maglev train home at night. Technological leaps weren't that fast—people needed time to adapt.
As for the new breakthrough point, Superman and Diana's experience learning Tamaranean that day had given her some inspiration.
"...Learning the universal language..." General Lane and the others had just taken their seats at the Alien Affairs Committee when Thea dropped a bombshell, asking them to convene and discuss.
This meeting was important. Diggle temporarily served as staff, handing documents to each representative. He felt anxious inside because as a mid-level committee member, he was also required to learn the universal language. Good grief, he only spoke English and a few Afghan phrases like "surrender" and "kneel down." Learning something as advanced as the universal language was giving him a massive headache.
His headache came from standing at too low a level. The attendees understood what this entailed, especially the military struggling to crack the Kryptonian ship. Repeatedly blocked by the language barrier, they felt it most acutely.
Seeing their pained expressions but no outright objections, Thea wanted to laugh. The irony wasn't lost on her—how the tables had turned.
Making all aliens across the universe speak English? Not even the military's most arrogant, delusional general would suggest that.
"Everyone, we'll eventually need to venture beyond Earth. The era is rapidly advancing. Learning languages and communicating equally with numerous aliens—that should be our committee's responsibility!" Thea neatly placed the project on herself.
History offered countless examples of what happened when communication and understanding failed between different civilizations.
"Dr. Quinn, what exactly do you mean?" As the government representative, Kentucky Senator June Finch—a middle-aged woman of fifty—had no problem fooling voters, but when she found herself at a disadvantage dealing with aliens, she couldn't help but tremble.
Seeing her sallow complexion, Thea knew she'd misunderstood. This pure politician probably thought she was about to launch cosmic battleships. "My meaning is simple. It's just early preparation. Based on voluntary principles, we won't heavily promote it or ignore it. Let's produce teaching materials in the committee's name. Whoever wants to learn can buy them."
The middle-aged woman's face regained some color. General Lane and Steve Trevor were both the cautious type who believed in being prepared. Unless Earth could dominate the entire universe, learning alien languages was an unavoidable obstacle.