A hush fell over the secluded conference room in the Shen estate's west wing as Ethan Shen flipped through the thick dossier before him. The walls, lined with whiteboards and digital screens, glowed with complex genetic pathways and CRISPR delivery models. Nobel laureates and black‑market biohackers clustered around the central table, murmuring under their breath. At the head, Ethan straightened his cuffs and cleared his throat.
“Thank you all for coming," he began, voice steady despite the lines of exhaustion etched beneath his eyes. “Aria's gene therapy showed promise—but her underlying hepatic collapse demands a new approach. We need an emergency CRISPR patch to repair her liver cells' fatal mutation."
Dr. Liang, a frail man with silvery hair, raised a trembling hand. “My team can des
