Chapter 532: The Second Tower

The two of them chatted back and forth casually, and more than half an hour passed without them realizing it.

Chizuru came in once halfway through, gently placed a cup of hot milk on the coffee table, and silently retreated.

When the topic finally drifted back to scientific research, Emi’s tone gradually became serious, as if there was something she had been pondering in her heart for a long time.

"Satsuki-chan."

"Hmm?"

"After running around these past few days, I found that the research environment in the United States... is even better than I originally thought."

Satsuki didn’t interrupt, instead picking up the cup of milk and taking a sip.

"Before, when reading papers in Tokyo, I only knew which laboratory did what and whose data was good."

"But after actually coming over, I discovered that their strength doesn’t just lie in any single laboratory."

"More importantly, the entire ecosystem surrounding it is fully equipped."

Emi seemed to be organizing her words, pausing for a moment before continuing.

"Take Salt Lake City, for example. Those making electrodes are in the engineering school, those performing surgeries are in the hospital, those doing animal experiments have a dedicated center, and right next door are medical device companies. Whenever you encounter a problem, you can find someone just by walking a few steps or making a phone call."

"Seattle is the same. Today that laboratory lacked a certain amplifier chip, and by the afternoon someone said there was a small company in the north of the city that could make it, and we could go take a look tomorrow."

"Equipment, parts, technicians who can conduct experiments, people who understand approval processes... many things can be found directly locally."

"But back in Odaiba, even many things have to be ordered from here."

"From the time a piece of equipment is ordered to when it is shipped, installed, and debugged, it takes one or two months if fast, and half a year if slow. Some items even require export procedures, and the paperwork is thicker than the equipment itself."

Satsuki nodded.

She had heard reports about these matters from the technical committee, but hearing them spoken from Emi’s mouth made them feel much more concrete.

"And then there are the people," Emi said, "Many of the people I met this time are actually willing to cooperate with us."

"But if we ask them to move their entire families to Tokyo for long-term work, that would be difficult."

"Some people have children in school, some are waiting for tenure, and others don’t know a single word of Japanese. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

"Short-term visits are fine, but long-term is out of the question."

"Hmm."

"There is also another matter that I only noticed this time."

Emi’s voice lowered a bit.

"The policies here in the United States regarding private research institutions are also much better than I originally thought."

"Oh?"

"These past few days, I specifically asked them about some experimental approval matters."

As Emi spoke, her tone gradually grew serious.

"For experiments like the neural electrode implantations we do, there is already a relatively mature review and management system here."

"Universities, hospitals, and private research institutes all have corresponding channels. As long as the plan meets the requirements, some relatively special animal experiments can also proceed normally."

"Moreover, enterprises can keep their own research results confidential. Things that need to be reported to reviewing agencies are reported as usual, but experimental data and technical details do not need to be fully disclosed."

"When we were in Tokyo, for some projects we had to study for half a day just to figure out who to look for for approval. Here, on the contrary, we can directly find people familiar with the relevant fields to tell us what we need to prepare, which experiments can be done, and what conditions must be met."

"Of course, there are also places where regulation is very strict, but at least the rules are clear."

Satsuki gently nodded.

On this point, she could quite understand.

Brain-computer interfaces involve neural tissue, long-term implantation, and various immature technologies, meaning many studies are destined not to proceed according to the research and development methods of ordinary electronic products.

Especially those projects that Saionji is currently undertaking.

To allow them to continue developing, aside from researchers and equipment, a systematic environment capable of accommodating these special experiments is indeed required.

"So I was thinking..."

Emi paused slightly.

"Satsuki-chan, can Saionji build its own research institute in the United States in the future?"

Satsuki’s hand holding the cup froze.

"It doesn’t need to be very big," Emi quickly added, "We can just start with a portion of the projects."

"Of course, the most core things will remain in Odaiba. But some directions that require long-term cooperation with American universities, such as comparative testing of electrode materials, preclinical research in cooperation with hospitals, and projects requiring special experimental facilities, will be much more convenient to do in the United States."

"American scholars won’t need to move, equipment can be bought and repaired locally, and experiment approvals can be handled directly by people familiar with these matters."

"Furthermore, our own research institute can establish a complete review and confidentiality system in accordance with local regulations. Which projects can cooperate with universities and which can only be done by ourselves can all be arranged in advance."

After saying all that in one breath, she asked with some anticipation:

"Satsuki-chan, what do you think?"

Satsuki didn’t answer immediately.

She put the milk cup back on the coffee table, her gaze falling outside the window.

The lights of the opposite building lit up section by section, and the traffic on the distant street had not stopped.

Establishing a research institute in the United States.

If this matter had been put a few years ago, she probably wouldn’t have even thought about it.

At that time, what Saionji did in the United States, when all was said and done, was only one thing—bring money over, invest it, and leave once profits were made.

There was no need to put down roots.

In fact, it was best not to put down roots.

But now it was different.

Texas’s energy assets required someone to monitor them long-term. The fund projects on Carlyle’s side would only deepen in discussions moving forward. After Salomon’s matters came to a close, Saionji’s position on Wall Street would also be completely different.

And there were those American tech companies invested in successively over the past few years.

Chips, software, networks... some had already begun to require Saionji to send people over to coordinate, while others were simply waiting to see if Saionji was willing to add more investments.

Handling more and more matters locally in the United States was indeed much more convenient than remote control across the Pacific Ocean.

Thinking back to that newspaper on the plane.

What those members of Congress kept loudly opposing was "Japanese capital taking the opportunity to buy American assets."

But what if Saionji’s identity in the United States wasn’t just a buyer flying over with a check?

If it hired American engineers and American researchers locally in the United States, conducted research together with American universities and hospitals, and paid salaries to hundreds of American families every month—

Then trying to portray it as a "foreign predator" wouldn’t be so easy anymore.

Of course, the problems wouldn’t be few either.

Once the research institute was established in the United States, it would be subject to American jurisdiction. Which technologies could be transferred over and which must absolutely not leave Zone Zero had to be clearly delineated.

Someone in the US government had once shot at her, a matter Satsuki had not forgotten for a single day.

She would not put truly vital things in a place where others could reach them at any time.

But conversely...

Precisely because we need to deal with the United States for the long term, we all the more need to have our own place here.

People, equipment, cooperative relationships, local rules—these things could not be mastered just by looking from afar.

Someone always had to step inside.

"Satsuki-chan?"

On the other end of the receiver, Emi called out cautiously.

Probably because she had been silent for too long, making the other person think she had truly said something wrong.

"What do you think?"

Satsuki recovered her wits.

"Mm, I think it’s very good."

"Really?"

"Of course it’s real."

Satsuki picked up the milk again and took a sip.

"You went out for a few days and are already starting to consider how to build a research institute for Saionji, I couldn’t be happier."

"Hehe..."

"However, this matter is indeed worth studying carefully."

She reached out to take the hotel’s notepad from the coffee table and unscrewed her fountain pen.

"Those points you just mentioned, write a formal document for me after you come back. What directions are needed, about how many people, which universities or hospitals to cooperate with, and which equipment must be locally procured."

"Also, write clearly what things must absolutely not be placed in the United States."

"Mm!"

Emi’s voice suddenly brightened.

"I’ll start writing tonight!"

"You are not allowed to write tonight."

"...Eh?"

"Go eat first," Satsuki said, "If you don’t go to the salmon restaurant Mr. Kawakami and the others found, they will probably keep waiting for you."

"This document isn’t urgent. Whether it’s a research institute or anything else, these aren’t things that can be decided in a week or two. I need to study it carefully on my end as well."

As she spoke, she wrote a few words at the very top of the notepad.

——American Research Institute.

The pen tip paused for a moment below, and then added a line of small text.

——Not just a research institute?

"Alright..."

Emi was somewhat reluctant, but still agreed, "Then I’ll write it after finishing Baltimore and Atlanta."

"Mm, that’s right."

"Then Satsuki-chan should also go to sleep early. Having said so much today, your throat must be tired."

"I know."

"Also, when going out, you must make sure Chizuru follows you, and you’re not allowed to run around alone. New York is very dangerous."

"Someone is more worried about this than you are," Satsuki glanced toward the direction of the door, "Dojima’s side has already checked the hotel’s fire escapes three times."

"That still won’t do, I have to say it too."

"Fine, fine, fine."

Satsuki couldn’t help laughing.

"You too. It’s raining in Seattle, remember to take an umbrella when you go out. When going to the lab, don’t just focus on looking at equipment; eat and sleep on time."

"I know, Satsuki-chan."

Emi obediently agreed, and then softly added another sentence:

"Even when you’re not by my side, I will take good care of myself."

"That’s good."

The two of them exhorted each other a few more times, neither intending to hang up the phone first.

Finally, a knock on the door came from Emi’s side, and Kawakami could be vaguely heard shouting something outside the door.

"They’re back to call me."

"Go ahead."

"Then... good night, Satsuki-chan."

"Good night."

"Ah, also!"

"Hmm?"

"Satsuki-chan said just now that we should learn to think about our own advantages, right?"

"That’s right, what’s wrong?"

"Then I thought about it, and my biggest advantage seems to be knowing Satsuki-chan!"

"...What kind of advantage is that?"

"Of course it counts! It’s so hard for others to even see you once, yet I can call you anytime!"

Before Satsuki could reply, Emi’s smug voice had already come through the receiver.

"So right now I’m super confident! Good night, Satsuki-chan!"

"Hey, Emi, you girl—"

On the other end of the phone, there was only the busy beep left.

Satsuki stared at the receiver in her hand for two seconds, and finally put it back on the desk phone with a smile.

The suite fell silent again.

She lowered her head to glance at the notepad on the coffee table, and looked again at that line of small text, "Not just a research institute?"

Those characters were written somewhat carelessly, but they had already taken up a sizable space on the paper.

...How about.

Building a Saionji Tower in the United States as well.