A tree? And a tree placed right at the center?
Xia Libo looked slightly puzzled, but rather than contradict or rebuke Xu Le, he stayed where he was and thought for a moment.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Seeing Xia Libo turn serious, Xu Le's expression became serious too.
"I'm sure."
"At the core?"
"Yes, at the core."
"All right. This is your concept, after all. That's your right."
Xu Le had thought Xia Libo would give him a lengthy explanation of scientific principles. He hadn't expected Xia Libo to agree so readily, without even asking what the tree was for.
"Aren't you going to ask what this tree does? If you agree just like that, will the other researchers accept it?"
Xu Le knew very well that these researchers weren't easygoing people.
Some researchers in particular were extremely rigid in their thinking. They clung stubbornly to their principles, lacked social finesse, and were obstinate.
Although this was the fundamental nature of many researchers, and Xu Le understood that research required single-minded focus.
In actual negotiations, however, communicating with such people became very difficult. Especially when it came to constructing an actual object, they wouldn't allow any unidentified extras to be added.
"Since I've agreed, I'll convince them. You don't need to worry about that. Any other requests?"
"No."
"All right, then let's begin building the furnace!"
After that, construction of the furnace and the factory buildings began simultaneously, because the furnace wasn't merely a concept for an energy furnace. It was also equipment for selectively clearing out Oddities, as well as a certain selfish desire of Xu Le's...
But after the initial upheaval, the Bright Soap Factory amid Zion's turbulent undercurrents seemed to become less conspicuous again.
That was because Zion's Council elections were coming soon,