Chapter 311

Liam Blackwood stood unwavering, his voice radiating steady confidence. "Dr. Reynolds, speak your mind without hesitation."

Ethan Reynolds adjusted his glasses nervously. "To synthesize the Celestial Elixir for atmospheric purification, we require massive quantities of Azurium."

The room erupted in murmurs as Liam's face darkened.

"Valtoria lacks Azurium production capabilities," a minister interjected. "We're entirely import-dependent."

"Even a single pound costs billions of dollars on the black market," another added.

Victoria Hudson smirked from her seat. "Then Ms. Carter's proposal appears impossible."

Ethan wiped his brow. "General Blackwood, this concerns thousands of lives. Traditional methods would take months with inferior results."

Liam's fingers drummed the table. "Estimated quantity?"

"Initial projections suggest eighty pounds minimum," Ethan replied.

A procurement officer stood abruptly. "That's thirty-four billion dollars! The treasury can't possibly—"

"Are there alternatives?" Liam interrupted.

Ethan shook his head. "None effective."

Liam exhaled sharply. "We've allocated eight billion for relief efforts. This isn't feasible."

Just then, Evelyn Carter entered with Rosalind Baskins. Ethan's face lit up. "Ms. Carter! Please explain—"

She placed a dossier before Liam. His eyebrows shot up as he scanned the documents, then slowly nodded.

Evelyn's voice remained calm. "Have the Engineering Corps work through the night. We need these materials from Aldenria—approximately two tons."

She tapped the final page. "Total cost: 1.8 billion dollars for eighty pounds of synthesized Azurium."

The room fell silent.

"Preposterous!" someone muttered. "Only three nations possess this technology!"

Victoria rose abruptly. "Where did you obtain these schematics?" Her eyes narrowed. "This is classified military tech."

Rosalind stepped between them, snatching the documents. "These are beyond your clearance, Ms. Hudson."

Victoria scoffed. "In a crisis, transparency matters! What are you hiding?"

Evelyn's jaw tightened but she remained silent.

Rosalind glared at Liam. "As commanding officer, you know the sensitivity. These designs could shift global power balances."

Victoria crossed her arms. "I'd love to hear how an artist acquired restricted chemical weaponry blueprints."

Evelyn's knuckles whitened. Rosalind's hand drifted toward her sidearm as tension crackled through the room.