Lu Zhou had assumed that such a towering, hourglass-shaped building would be divided into many floors. To his surprise, however, vast amounts of floor space had been wasted on the distance between the floor and the ceiling.
The ceiling stretched upward like a cloudless sky. The oppressive sense of space made the entire hall feel especially solemn and imposing.
It felt less like a conference hall and more like a courthouse.
In fact, it was not just the hall's design. The elevated conference table gave the same impression.
The entire table formed a horseshoe, rising diagonally like an unfolded fan.
Ordinary assembly members sat at the bottom. The higher the seats, the greater their occupants' rank and status. At the very top sat powerful ministers, the speaker, and the wielder of the Empire's authority-the supreme consul.
A strange civilization.
Their values were clearly materialist, yet their political structure felt neither particularly efficient nor convenient. Instead, it had a kind of religious grandeur.
Lu Zhou guessed that this might have something to do with the Jialan Civilization's distinctive philosophy and aesthetics.
As a subject for sociology, it was undeniably a fascinating phenomenon worthy of further study. Unfortunately, Lu Zhou was no social scientist, so he soon turned his attention to something more deserving of it...
The meeting soon began.
Standing beside General Sains at one side of the hall, the two of them blended into the guards beside them and the wall behind them like statues. Lu Zhou waited quietly for about five minutes before the consul seated at the head of the conference table finally spoke, his calm gaze fixed on Dr. Ryan, who stood before it.
"You are Dr. Ryan?"
Dr. Ryan inclined his head slightly and replied politely.
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"Recently, a rumor concerning an 'Oracle' has