Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 704 - 657: The Price of ’Omniscience

Perfikot's words were somewhat overbearing, but everyone knew she was speaking the truth.

In the Northern Territory, Perfikot was the one who could truly decide everything. If she was unhappy, then the entire Northern Territory was unhappy.

If she didn't want the National Assembly and the Prime Minister to exist, she could cancel and dissolve everything.

Though Perfikot did not intend to do so, no one could deny she had the power and status to do it, and, most importantly, the strength to ensure her will was carried out.

Therefore, when Perfikot decided to tackle the environmental pollution in Pripyat, no matter how reluctant they were, they still had to execute her will.

"Count, your will shall be carried throughout the Northern Territory, that's an undeniable iron fact. But how should we resolve the pollution and govern it?" asked an officer from Pripyat to Perfikot.

"First, each factory must upgrade and modify its existing production equipment to a certain extent, reducing the emission of toxic and harmful gases. Specific procedures will be provided in a technical charter, and your task is to upgrade and modify all factories as per my requirements." Perfikot initially planned to talk reason with these people, but seeing the attitude of the factory representatives, she decided to issue an administrative order instead.

However, when it came to administrative orders, she glanced at the present factory owners, especially at the chubby man she felt was the most cunning, and after considering for a moment, added, "I will send people to inspect and supervise afterward. If anyone complies on the surface while violating in secret, or thinks they can muddle through, imagine the consequences yourself."

Perfikot didn't explicitly state what the consequences would be, but clearly, nobody wanted to truly test those consequences.

Even the factory owners were the same; although they murmured about production costs, profit reduction, and not making money, each one honestly bowed their heads before Perfikot, not daring to defy her.

What they do afterward is a matter for afterward, even if they must go against orders and cheat, that's a matter for later.

With their social connections and capital methods, there is always a way to think of.

But confronting Perfikot directly is a different matter; that could truly be deadly.

Perfikot seemed to have seen through their thoughts but said nothing more. After emphasizing the importance of environmental governance to the Pripyat officials, she waved them off, indicating they could leave.

Naturally, no one dared to offend Perfikot, so they all left the room together.

Perfikot watched the departing crowd and sighed helplessly.

Sometimes it really isn't that she enjoys using threats, but speaking rationally doesn't always work, using such means often proves more efficient.

Over time, even she starts to think of using this simple and blunt method first when dealing with some matters and problems, rather than laying out facts and logic.

"Forget it, no need to overthink! As long as the matter gets done, that's enough." Perfikot didn't bother worrying, getting the job done is enough for her.

As for whether the people below understand while executing or execute while understanding, or simply execute without understanding, she couldn't care less.

In this era, those who don't understand reasoning are the majority, so many times rational persuasion is indeed not the way to make others follow.

Moreover, instead of explaining why things should be done, Perfikot felt it was more important to tell them how to do it.

For instance, in the case of Pripyat, rather than explaining the importance of environmental protection, it's better to show them how they can achieve it.

The former requires an exhaustive verbal effort for Perfikot; the latter, however, is much simpler for her now.

The ability called 'omniscience' she had acquired for a long time, and had used it in previous instances. Overall, this ability was indeed very useful, though not as conveniently useful as Perfikot imagined.

The 'omniscience' ability can indeed provide Perfikot with any knowledge she needs, but obtaining this knowledge is not without cost.

When activating this ability, Perfikot can search for the knowledge she needs, and in this regard, the 'omniscience' ability doesn't make any concessions.

As long as Perfikot is clear about the knowledge she wants, 'omniscience' can make her aware of the corresponding knowledge.

However, to obtain this knowledge, Perfikot must pay a corresponding 'price'.

Initially, Perfikot thought the 'price' was her spiritual power, like when other abilities were used.

But when she first used this ability, she realized that spiritual power was only the consumption for activating the ability, whereas the 'price' requires additional payment.

The 'price' she needed to pay was equivalent knowledge.

Just as the classic principle of alchemy has always followed the rule of equivalent exchange, Perfikot must exchange one piece of knowledge for another of equal value to acquire a new one.

Of course, exchanging doesn't mean Perfikot loses the knowledge used for exchange.

She just has to provide a piece of knowledge for the equivalent exchange, without losing it herself.

This was an acceptable price for Perfikot, and a benefit of 'omniscience' is that its activation is relatively low-cost; if Perfikot wishes, she could use it seventeen or eighteen times a day.

In other words, as long as Perfikot has an initial piece of knowledge, her 'omniscience' ability can make her truly omniscient through accumulated use over time.

At least now, an environmental technology for air purification directly appeared in her mind, and what she paid was the method for making the alchemy compressed cookies she designed.

After quickly reviewing this technology in her mind, Perfikot took out paper and pen and started writing the technical points.

This was a technology not inferior to the industrial pollution control methods used in the previous world she traversed from, although its principle was alchemy rather than physical chemistry.

"It appears more complex than the process of purifying smoke from coal that I designed earlier, but this technology can effectively deal with sulfur dioxide, which is more comprehensive than my previous design." After finishing the technical overview, Perfikot drew the design plans and finally nodded satisfactorily, making her evaluation.

Actually, if Perfikot wished, she could also solve this problem herself; using 'omniscience' was merely to save herself some effort.