94: Scientists' Ambition and Accountants' Rulers

"My system is not wrong."

Su Li's cold words were like a poisoned dagger, stabbing deep into Reno's heart.

The air in the office seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of Reno's heavy breathing. The confrontation between the two bloodily exposed the deep rift within Hanhai Trade's founding team.

Chen Feng, the center of this storm, chose to temporarily avoid it the next day. He didn't make an immediate judgment but instead locked himself in the workshop of Lao Mo, the technical supervisor.

Lao Mo's workshop was filled with a mixture of machine oil and metal dust. This taciturn technical genius was currently showing his latest results to Chen Feng with glowing eyes.

"Boss, look!" Lao Mo pointed at a complex energy circuit diagram on a holographic screen, his voice trembling with excitement. "I analyzed our existing purification equipment and the data you gave me before, and I found a technical bottleneck! As long as we modify the energy resonance chamber, I'm confident we can increase the purification efficiency of 'undead crystals' by at least another thirty percent!"

Chen Feng looked at the detailed modification plan, his eyes lighting up as well. A thirty percent increase in production capacity meant their supply capability to the Mechanical Divine Court would be significantly enhanced, and the company's cash flow would take a qualitative leap.

"Good! Lao Mo, well done!" Chen Feng patted Lao Mo heavily on the shoulder. "This is the future of Hanhai Trade! Whatever support you need—people, money, equipment—just ask!"

However, when this hopeful technical modification plan was presented at the project budget review meeting, it became another flashpoint for the conflict between Su Li and Reno.

"I agree with this project," Chen Feng stated first, then looked at the crowd. "Does anyone have any opinions?"

"I have no objection!" Reno was the first to speak, his voice booming. "I only have one requirement: the budget must be sufficient! Especially regarding safety redundancy, the highest specifications must be used! Lao Mo and his Technicians are our most precious assets; we can't have any accidents!"

As he said this, his eyes drifted toward Su Li, the implication being self-evident.

Su Li seemed not to notice his provocation. She simply adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose and projected a cost analysis report she had prepared overnight onto the central screen.

"I also agree with the general direction of the project," her voice was as calm as ever. "But regarding the budget details, I have an amendment."

She pointed to an item highlighted in red in the report. "In the plan, Lao Mo requested the purchase of a 'high-precision harmonic safety sensor' with a unit price as high as 200,000 credits. Based on all operating records of the existing equipment over the past four months, the 'fatal energy harmonics' mentioned in the plan have never appeared."

"Therefore," she concluded, "I believe this is an 'unnecessary' expense."

"What do you mean unnecessary?" Reno's temper flared up instantly. "How can safety issues be unnecessary?"

"Please do not get agitated, Supervisor Reno," Su Li said calmly.

She continued, "I am not trying to cancel safety monitoring. My alternative is to purchase three ordinary sensors at a unit price of 10,000 credits to be connected in parallel. Through algorithmic redundancy, we can achieve the same early warning effect. This way, on this item alone, we can cut costs by seventy percent."

"Nonsense!" Lao Mo couldn't help but speak up, explaining anxiously, "Director Su, the precision of existing equipment is simply not enough! That kind of high-frequency harmonic might only appear for a split second; ordinary sensors can't capture it at all! It's like trying to catch a needle with a fishing net!"

"Exactly!" Reno immediately backed Lao Mo. "On the battlefield, intuition and experience are sometimes more important than data! If I feel this isn't safe, we can't skimp on this money!"

The corners of Su Li's mouth curled into an almost imperceptible sneer.

"Supervisor Reno, I admire your battlefield intuition. Supervisor Lao Mo, I also respect your technical experience." Her voice carried a hint of unquestionable superiority. "However, 'intuition' and 'possibility' are not within my budget considerations."

"Unless," she paused, her gaze sharp as a knife, "you can provide concrete data proving that such a risk truly exists. Otherwise, my alternative is the optimal solution."

The meeting room fell into a dead silence once again.

Finally, Chen Feng broke the silence. He looked at the two arguing sides, trying to find a balance.

"How about this," he spoke slowly. "We'll go with Director Su's plan and use three ordinary sensors in parallel. However, Lao Mo, you must add the thickest physical protection measures around the reactor, using solid explosion-proof plates to ensure nothing goes wrong."

This decision stunned everyone.

Reno's eyes were filled with disappointment; he hadn't expected Chen Feng to ultimately choose to believe in that set of cold data. Lao Mo opened his mouth to say something but ultimately only let out a heavy sigh, the immense pressure making his hunched back look even thinner.

The modification experiment began in such a subtle and tense atmosphere.

Lao Mo led his team, meticulously executing Chen Feng's orders. Thick explosion-proof plates were added layer by layer around the reactor, like a clumsy iron coffin. The three cheap sensors were also installed, their green indicator lights flashing steadily, and the readings on the screen showed everything was normal.

The experiment entered its most critical stage.

Inside the monitoring room, Lao Mo stared intently at the screen; the energy reading curve was climbing steadily.

At some point, Reno had also arrived at the scene. He didn't enter the monitoring room but stood outside the thick explosion-proof observation window with his arms crossed like a guardian deity, his brow furrowed.

"Purification rate... 85%... 90%... 95%..." The Technician's voice carried a hint of trembling excitement.

Just one second before the purification rate was about to hit the preset peak of ninety-nine percent.

Among the three cheap sensors in parallel, the reading bar of the leftmost one instantly jumped from green to a glaring blood red!

But the other two remained a steady green.

Within 0.01 seconds, the central processor made a judgment: "Single data anomaly, determined as a false signal, system automatically ignoring."

Almost at the same time, an extremely dull thud came from inside the reactor.

The next second, a blue electric arc brighter than the sun, like an evil dragon breaking free from its cage, instantly pierced through the reactor's thick outer shell!

"BOOM—!!!"

Alarms blared throughout the entire technical workshop, and flames soared into the sky.