"'Isn't a membership fee of one million a bit too expensive?'" asked an intelligence personnel from the Chen Clan in Intelligence Department One. "'You know that the Federation has been reducing the funding for Intelligence Department One. It's a bit tight to fork out one million.'"
Even Li Yunqu, an Inspector from Intelligence Department Two, spoke up to question, "'What you're doing seems a bit unethical. Aren't you afraid of inciting public outrage? Is it really worth it for this one million?'"
Qing Hua sneered inwardly, so you guys know what it's like to plead poverty?
Apart from the analysis group, which Intelligence Department One isn't surviving on funding from behind-the-scenes consortia rather than federal allocations?
To the consortia doling out funds, a million is but a drop in the ocean; no one takes this matter seriously.
It's not that these people find the million too pricey, but they feel humiliated having to pay the seventh group, that's all.
