The depths of the Amazon Rainforest were eerily quiet.
The main group soon disappeared into the distance, leaving only the soft rustle of leaves in the wind and the occasional call of an unknown insect far away.
Sunlight filtered through gaps in the layers of foliage, scattering tiny, dappled patches of light. The stillness felt almost unreal.
Li Xiang and Xeno sat side by side in a clear patch of ground. Neither spoke first, and an awkward atmosphere settled between them.
The silence stretched on for a long time before Li Xiang finally broke it.
She turned to look at Xeno beside her.
"Xeno, there's something I've always wondered about."
"You're so smart. Why did you choose the path of dictatorship?"
She understood the obsessive streak in Xeno's genius, because Senku was the same way, but she couldn't understand why he would choose such a foolish path.
Xeno didn't answer immediately. He lowered his eyes to the tangled roots on the ground, lightly rubbing the hem of his clothes between his fingers as he considered her question in silence.
Only after a long while did he slowly speak.
"My original intention was never to gain power, nor to control anyone."
"I settled on a complete energy reform plan long ago, but my superiors rejected it again and again."
"After having my hard work dismissed and my proposals shelved over and over, I gradually grew tired of the inefficiency of endless approvals and the constraints imposed by fools in charge. Since the proper channels led nowhere, I chose the most direct alternative: putting the smartest person in control of everything. That is the fundamental reason I wanted a dictatorship."
Li Xiang raised an eyebrow slightly. "Which plan are you talking about?"
"The Hydrogen-3 Project."
Xeno looked up, his eyes shining.
"I