The conditions proposed by the Trade and Industry Union were indeed generous, considering Oliver, Andrew, and a representative from the Lord's estate, which accounted for three votes. According to the plan submitted by the Trade and Industry Union, they set only seven representation positions, which is two fewer than the Dual Union.

Undoubtedly, even among merchants and factory owners, they are reluctant to see power dispersed.

In such a scenario, each representative position becomes incredibly valuable.

And now, they are willing to offer three positions for negotiation, a sincerity Perfikot truly felt.

Of course, these positions seem a significant concession by merchants and factory owners, but realistically, without Perfikot's approval, their union wouldn't come to be, making these three position exchanges less surprising.

As for Oliver becoming the representative of the merchants and Andrew representing factory owners, there's nothing shocking about it. They naturally have the qualifications, and being bestowed the title of Pioneer Knight by Perfikot ensures their influential status among the merchant and factory owner community and increases their chances of election even in a regular contest.

Hence, Perfikot truly felt the sincerity from the merchants and factory owners, although the degree of sincerity can vary from person to person.

Regardless, these are three out of seven votes; if Perfikot wishes, she can effectively influence the merchants and factory owners union.

Thus, after a further discussion on inconsequential details, Perfikot readily agreed to the establishment of the Trade and Industry Union.

Of course, this had nothing to do with the addition to the gift list by the merchant representatives.

"Two hundred thousand gold pounds, an astonishing amount, but for these merchants, it's nothing," Perfikot remarked sarcastically, holding the amended gift list.

The gift list mostly included precious books, instruments, and related materials concerning alchemy.

For Perfikot, collecting such items would typically require extensive time, effort, and especially money.

Although imaginary alchemy, published by her, is on the rise, leading to a slight depreciation of traditional alchemy books and materials, Perfikot clearly understands the threshold for imaginary alchemy is not low. Without a solid foundation in traditional practical alchemy, one is not qualified to learn imaginary alchemy.

It's like building a skyscraper; no matter how fanciful or extravagant the design, the foundation must be firmly laid.

If the foundation isn't solid, the higher the building, the more likely it will collapse.

Moreover, the essence of the imaginary alchemy she disclosed merely allowed for using non-realistic alchemy, requiring the Philosopher's Stone to bypass that premise, but the difficulty of alchemy itself didn't decrease.

If one has a solid foundation in the traditional alchemy field, a little imagination is all that's needed to quickly soar in the imaginary alchemy domain.

Perfikot heard that the Witch Workshop might be such an example.

But if one hasn't mastered the basics of alchemy and believes they can rely on imaginary alchemy for a supposed reversal of fate or rapid success, it's unrealistic and impractical.

Only with a well-established foundation can one use the wings of imaginary alchemy to fly.

Of course, within traditional fields, those who remain stagnant, conservative, or utterly unimaginative will not be able to fly, no matter how solid their foundation.

Because they lack the ability to turn imagination into wings to let themselves soar, or rather, they simply lack imagination.

In reality, the Empire doesn't lack talentless alchemists; many are in a state of functionality and conservatism, moving forward by the frameworks and theories provided by predecessors, without breakthroughs or developments, believing past methods were all correct and viewing innovation as disruption.

In truth, their actions stifle their own creativity while crushing the creativity of young alchemists.

The conflicts and contradictions between tradition and innovation, Perfikot had already experienced back in Langton; otherwise, she wouldn't have lost the opportunity to become a university professor so easily back then.

Others indeed took shortcuts and favoritism; gender discrimination played a major role. However, Perfikot's academic conflicts with those old-timers were also a reason she couldn't gain support.

In fact, even now, those old guys from Langton still have numerous objections and complaints about Perfikot and haven't warmed to her due to her current status.

Yet, for those old guys, they can't match Perfikot's pace in their lifetime, nor attain achievements comparable to hers. Besides jealousy, they have no other means to target Perfikot because their impoverished imagination is equally lacking in this aspect.

But these matters don't concern Perfikot. In the upcoming apocalypse, those without ability will be culled by the harsh survival environment; only those truly capable will qualify to survive.

Even the conservative old guys will have no issue surviving in the future apocalypse as long as their foundation is solid enough with alchemy.

But without sufficient strength, even mastering imaginary alchemy creatively is futile.

Of course, anyone who excels in imaginary alchemy cannot be fundamentally hollow unless they use scams or false disguises.

"Once the items arrive, put them in the warehouse of the Lord's estate; for the apocalypse, it's almost like depleting my family's wealth. This money should replenish the family's foundation," Perfikot instructed the old steward, albeit feeling these items might not be useful for the time being, left to gather dust in the warehouse.

For Perfikot, money can directly be used in areas of need; low-level alchemy materials and output can be quickly injected into industrial production. However, precious materials, rare as they are, become mere decorative objects when she has no time or effort for invention and creation.

Nevertheless, these items won't be wasted; when the Apocalypse strikes, these precious resources might become harder to obtain, perhaps even extinct. Therefore, saving them until such times is worthwhile.

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