The Illustrious Virtue Hall had undergone reconstruction and repairs, becoming even grander and more imposing.
At that moment, almost every Soul Engineer of Level 8 or above in the Illustrious Virtue Hall sat in one of its spacious conference rooms.
Jing Hongchen sat at the head of the table and addressed everyone below him. "I have conveyed His Majesty's decree to you all. Accelerate research on Plan One, and keep the other matters firmly in mind."
The assembled experts of the Illustrious Virtue Hall nodded in acknowledgment.
"There is one more matter before we adjourn."
Jing Hongchen adopted an easygoing manner, but his tone carried an unmistakable warning.
"I know your lives do not consist solely of research and teaching. You all have plenty of private affairs to attend to, but let me put the ugly words first."
His tone abruptly shifted.
"The princes cannot easily approach me directly, but they have never stopped trying to approach everyone here. I will not pass judgment on your choices. I neither support nor oppose them."
"Just make sure you think things through. If you stand on the wrong side, you must bear the consequences."
"Of course, the empire needs talent right now. Given your abilities, even if you choose the wrong side, you probably will not face a reckoning afterward. But being sidelined in an idle post will be inevitable."
"I hope you all conduct yourselves wisely. Meeting adjourned. Jia Yi, stay behind."
The Level 8 and Level 9 Soul Engineers remained expressionless. Only they knew what they were thinking.
The experts of the Illustrious Virtue Hall left the conference room one after another. Aside from Jing Hongchen, only Dean of Studies Lin Jiayi and Xuan Ziwen remained.
Both Jing Hongchen and Lin Jiayi were surprised that Xuan Ziwen had stayed, since