Xu Yun: I've never seen anyone so eager to die

Eight votes against.

Twenty-nine votes in favor.

That was

the final result

of the vote.

Looking at those two figures, the many Neon scholars below the stage wore a variety of expressions.

Most were nervous but excited—the excitement outweighed the nerves, though both were only natural.

A small number of scholars looked troubled and worried. Sakata Shoichi was one of them.

But in the face of the vote's result, even the deepest misgivings had lost their meaning.

A moment later,

Hideki Yukawa turned around and looked at Akihiro Suehiro below the stage.

"Minister Suehiro, would you say a few words?"

At that, Akihiro Suehiro nodded, rose from the first row, faced the audience, and said,

"Minasan, thank you all for taking part in this special symposium today. I'm also grateful that you have cast a crucial vote for the development of Neon technology."

"Whether you opposed or supported the project, I believe everyone had their own reasons. But when it comes to voting, we abide by the principle that the minority follows the majority."

"So, minasan, I hereby announce that the proton-decay detection project has passed the expert panel's review!"

"After the meeting, I'll inform the House of Representatives of the result. Once His Majesty the Emperor has signed off, the project will officially get underway."

Having said that,

Akihiro Suehiro looked at Hideki Yukawa and said,

"Yukawa-san, I'm done. Why don't you say a few words, too?"

Hideki Yukawa was a little surprised by how brief Akihiro Suehiro's remarks had been, but he soon realized what the other man was doing—Akihiro Suehiro was giving him the chance to deliver the closing remarks.

After all, as the person who had initiated the meeting, he was bound to say something.

So Hideki Yukawa took a deep breath, looked around the room,