civilwarnovels Chapter 429 Theft
Chapter 429 Theft
Chapter 429 Theft
Shirley shook her head and reported the latest research progress to Leo:
"I've come to the conclusion that spices cannot be cultivated. They seem to only grow in special soil. Mr. Leo, may I ask where you collected them?"
The answer to this question is Leo's biggest trade secret, and he will not tell anyone.
Of course, Leo must have guessed that many people were trying to extract information from his crew.
However, there was absolutely no way they could gain anything, as Leo had already signed a magical contract with them.
Therefore, there is no need to worry about them leaking secrets.
Leo said, "Sorry, no comment."
"Okay," Shirley shrugged and sighed, "Also, I conducted a control experiment with the cultivation of spices and the miasma trees of the frozen continent, and I also obtained some clues."
Leo immediately asked, "Tell me about it."
"Spice trees are more unique than miasma trees. They frantically absorb nutrients from the soil, but they also wither quickly."
Shirley gestured with her hands as she explained to Leo, "At first I thought it was a potted plant, which limited the spice's absorption of nutrients, so I planted it in the soil."
"At this point, something unexpected happened: the spices were still withered. I checked the remaining nutrients in the soil."
"The spices didn't absorb any more nutrients. I suspect that spices need a certain type of nutrient that this land can't provide."
Leo nodded, meaning that there was a certain type of nutrient in the land of the New World.
But he also had a question: "How does it differ from the miasma tree?"
"The miasma tree also needs certain nutrients, but its growth will differ depending on the soil provided. However, the spices will not be affected."
"Are you suggesting that the irreplaceable nature of the miasma tree should be even more pronounced?"
Shirley shook her head: "More than that, I believe that spices need to absorb some kind of power."
"strength?"
Shirley nodded: "Mahan used spices to invent firearms, which shows that spices possess some kind of power."
Leo retorted, "Alchemy potions are also matter; they possess a certain power as well. The materials used to make alchemy potions, however, don't inherently possess much of the power you're talking about."
"The key to alchemical elixirs lies in the combination," Shirley said, "but I'm not an expert in this area, so I can't perfectly explain your doubts. But I'm sure the spices are special."
Power. If the spices really absorbed some kind of power.
This means that some kind of source of power is buried in the soil of the New World.
The green-eyed people worship Mother Nature; perhaps their gods truly exist in the world.
In any case, although Shirley's research was not comprehensive, it did answer some of Leo's questions.
Just as he was about to express his gratitude, the office door was pushed open from the outside.
"Thank God, Mr. Leo, you're here!"
The speaker was Ma Han, his brows furrowed and his expression anxious.
And he was out of breath, clearly having run there.
Leo frowned: "What happened?"
"Gone!" Mahan looked like he was about to cry. "My research! The third version of the firearms design blueprints! Vanished!"
Just as he was about to cover his face, Shirley stepped forward and slapped him on the hand:
"He's being so hesitant and timid, like a real man! Right now, we should be thinking about how to solve this problem."
Then, the two of them looked at Leo at the same time.
Leo was equally bewildered.
He saw the potential in firearms, but if he studied the theft, his return on investment would be greatly reduced.
As a businessman, Leo knew very well that once a product has competitors, neither side could expect to sell it at a good price.
Leo took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and then looked at the two of them seriously:
"Do you have any clue who stole it?"
Both of them shook their heads at the same time.
Leo then asked, "So, does anyone know about this research?"
Mahan shook his head and replied, "I have not told anyone else about my research, nor do I have any assistants. Only the three of us know the specifics of my research."
"In other words, this is a case of indiscriminate theft," Leo muttered.
At that moment, he suddenly remembered the events he had been frequently reading in the newspapers recently:
"Academic theft!"
Upon hearing this, the professor couple in front of them exchanged a glance.
Ma Han frowned and said, "But I'm just an unknown associate professor, why would I steal my research?"
Leo said, "It's because this is indiscriminate theft that it's targeted at you."
"What's the purpose behind such a blind theft?" Shirley asked, puzzled.
"We lack clues right now, haha, and I can't guess their specific purpose either," Leo said, "but this is the most likely conclusion at the moment."
"Sir," Shirley asked, "do you have any ideas?"
Leo thought for a moment, then turned to ask Mahan:
"Is your research easy to understand?"
"Any scholar can replicate the object based on my design," Mahan nodded.
However, Leo noticed a key point:
"Do they know the purpose of your design before they copy it?"
Mahan shook his head.
Leo couldn't help but laugh: "Haha, there's still room for maneuver! It will definitely take time for the other side to manufacture guns, and besides, getting spices isn't easy."
Shirley suddenly realized: "And the spice trade in the city is all in your hands, sir!"
In fact, Leo had not yet allowed spices to circulate within the city.
Parliament City is the most unique city Leo has ever visited; any business strategy here must be approached with extreme caution.
Previous patent treaties have demonstrated that commercial controls are much stricter here.
"If they want to know what this design is for, they'll have to buy spices," Leo said. "Then they'll have to contact my people!"
Then, he would reveal his true form to Leo.
Leo grinned, not expecting that he would have to investigate a theft case before leaving the city of council.
"Alright, you two, I need to go make the arrangements."
Leo picked up his belongings and prepared to leave.
Shirley quickly asked, "Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
Leo thought for a moment: "Help me organize all the information on the recent academic theft cases."
After saying that, Leo glanced at the time on his watch.
He then left Green Shade University.
He still has a lot to do.
Allow spices to circulate in the city of Parliament, but restrict their flow.
This is a complicated task, and he needs to discuss it carefully with the local businessmen.
However, Leo had a vague feeling that this incident might not be as simple as he imagined.
Perhaps, there will be a battle.
Leo touched the second version of the gun at his waist.
Perhaps it's also a good opportunity to test the firearms' combat capabilities.