Dr. Deng's expression shifted several times under Xu Huo's impassive gaze, finally settling on anxiety. He cautiously asked, "You're joking, right?"
After a long two seconds, Xu Huo's expression relaxed slightly, with a hint of a smile, saying, "I am indeed joking now, but please don't make me feel like this nearly billion White Notes were spent unjustly."
Building the laboratory itself didn't cost much; however, the large medical equipment Dr. Deng requires for potion research, especially the Perfect Potion, is very expensive. This isn't something that a few machines can solve; it requires incredibly precise material separation devices usually unavailable in regular districts. They can only be purchased through official channels at Advanced Wormhole Sites, and they must be bought as complete sets. Wanting to purchase just the most important one and assemble the rest yourself? Sorry, that's impossible.
What we bought was an older model.
