CHAPTER 434: CHAPTER 434: COMPROMISE...

Shi Ya remained silent.

Seeing this, Professor McKin sighed and said, "I understand your desire to continue your research. Dina is just taking over your work; she still has much to learn and lacks in many areas. She really needs your help, so you can stay in the laboratory and assist her to complete it."

Shi Ya’s face remained cold, and she scoffed internally. So, after seizing her ideas and creativity, they still wanted her to assist Dina? To squeeze out all her value?

Ridiculous.

However, Shi Ya knew well that behind this seemingly grandiose rhetoric lay nothing but these people’s filthy selfish desires. But what could she do?

Being powerless, without influence or financial backing, she had no choice but to step aside.

It was Shi Ya’s own decision to join this privately established mecha research laboratory led by Professor McKin because such private laboratories had strong autonomy. They weren’t bound by many restrictions; as long as one had good ideas and creativity and could convince the person in charge of the laboratory, one could start experimenting...

Of course, there were rumours about such private laboratories—they were called illegal laboratories. Due to their strong autonomy, they often weren’t subject to official constraints and would even occasionally conduct experiments explicitly forbidden by the Alliance... However, all these were done secretly; even Professor McKin would never openly defy the laws of the Alliance.

The headquarters of Macken Laboratory was located at Yunding Star, at the edge of the Sixth Star System, bordering the Seventh and Eighth Star Systems. Situated precisely at the triangle junction of the three Star Systems, the area was often plagued by pirates... which made it extremely dangerous, yet for a research institute like Macken Laboratory, the greater the danger, the safer it was.

...

After a few seconds of silence, instead of nodding in agreement, Shi Ya looked at Professor McKin and asked, "Professor, what if my spiritual power meets the requirements?"

Hearing this, Professor McKin’s brow furrowed slightly. After a moment, he relaxed his expression and said, "It would be best if your spiritual power could meet the requirements of the experiment."

Shi Ya nodded and said, "I understand. I’ll hand over my work to Dina."

Professor McKin was startled; he did not expect Shi Ya to agree so readily. To know that this decision meant she was personally handing over her fruitful research to someone else...

For a researcher, it was akin to giving away one’s own nurtured ’child’ to bear someone else’s name, making the ’child’ unrelated to oneself forever.

Shi Ya wasn’t causing a fuss?

In the midst of guessing Shi Ya’s thoughts—

Shi Ya, with cold eyes, said, "I’m willing to hand it over, but on one condition. I hope the laboratory can provide me a one-time compensation of 50 million credit points, and I will unconditionally transfer all current research data to the laboratory."

"50 million?" Before Professor McKin could speak, Dina couldn’t help but exclaim aloud, "Why don’t you just rob someone! You want so much for such a trivial idea?"

"Shut up!" Professor McKin glared at Dina and then turned to Shi Ya, saying, "50 million is indeed a bit much. Not to hide it from you, but the laboratory hasn’t pulled in any sponsorship recently, and funds are a bit tight. I can give you at most 20 million."

million?

Dina’s eyes widened, her face slightly anxious, but knowing it was not her place to speak, she just glared fiercely at Shi Ya and kept silent.

Hearing this, Shi Ya was silent for a few seconds, then nodded, "Alright."

Honestly, 20 million was just a small amount for Macken Laboratory. If the ’Biological Mecha’ theory proposed by Shi Ya could yield results, its value would be immeasurable. Professor McKin looked at Shi Ya, a serious look on his face breaking into a slight smile, "It’s good that you can come to terms with this. I’m very pleased and relieved."

Shi Ya, with her low spiritual power and physical strength, was initially not taken seriously by Professor McKin when she joined the laboratory. However, seeing her solid foundation and her creative ideas, and also that she didn’t require a high salary, he recruited her to assist the researchers in the lab—it turned out to be a treasure find.

If Shi Ya could make peace with the situation and take a step back... she could still stay in the laboratory in the future. Although Professor McKin had his own motives, he did appreciate talent. Keeping someone like Shi Ya, who did not cost much, was naturally preferable to pushing her out. Thus, Professor McKin said, "Although the responsibility for the Biological Mecha research has been transferred to Dina, you were the one who originally proposed the concept. In the future, work together with Dina to turn your ideas into successful outcomes."

Shi Ya, with an icy expression and devoid of emotion, said, "Professor, I find it difficult to work with Dina due to incompatible temperaments, please forgive me for not being able to work with her. Thus, I am submitting my verbal resignation now, and a written resignation will follow shortly. Please approve it."

Dina’s eyes flickered with a gleam at this news.

Professor McKin, however, furrowed his brow and did not immediately respond.

Shi Ya said, "After leaving the laboratory, I will sign an agreement with you, promising never to reveal any ideas or relevant data about the ’Biological’ Mecha to any person or third party, please rest assured."

Hearing this, Professor McKin’s deeply knitted brows relaxed, "This, I am not worried about. I am just very sorry that you have chosen to leave."

Shi Ya said, "I am also sorry, but in the future, my focus will be on enhancing my spiritual power, and I will not engage in mecha research for quite some time."

Hearing this, Professor McKin instantly understood.

This was—

Being stimulated.

Resolved to strive and enhance her spiritual power.

Young people, though they may appear indifferent on the surface, still have a bit of a competitive spirit. After some thought, his expression very solemn, Professor McKin nodded gravely, "Okay. I approve."

Shi Ya said, "Thank you."

...

After the communication was disconnected, and a triumphant Dina also left, Shi Ya sat with a stony face, silent.

Shi Ya understood very well that the main reason Professor McKin so readily agreed to her terms and to let her leave, was that he didn’t find her so essential as to need to retain her by any means necessary...

The new type of mecha concept proposed by Shi Ya was just that—a concept, without any significant breakthrough... This was one reason. Another was that Professor McKin didn’t think Shi Ya, with her mere Grade C spiritual power, could match the many high-spiritual-power talents in his laboratory, so it was more appropriate to leave the realization