Timothy's gaze sharpened.
"And in exchange?" he asked.
"In exchange," Len said calmly, "I want your trust that when we say 'we're open to nuclear,' it's not just a talking point. I want you to be willing to build here, not just abroad. I want the first operational SMR under your portfolio to stand on Philippine soil, under a regulatory regime that doesn't make you regret it."
She paused.
"And yes. I will be direct. I want your financial support, within legal limits. And, if you're willing, a public statement—eventually—not now, but when the time is right, that you view our energy policy as aligned with your industrial plans."
There it was.
Timothy leaned back in his chair.
He thought of the HyperCore standing in the pit at Test Site Alpha. Of the Q-LM coolant, the TRISO-Alpha fuel, the efficiency numbers Reyes could barely say out loud. He thought of Meralco bills, brownouts in the provinces, factories running gensets because grid power was a joke.
