"And every experiment, whether it's on materials or devices, incurs very substantial losses—"
The last point is crucial.
One of the difficulties in researching anti-gravity nuclear fusion technology is the excessively high cost of experimentation and the high cost of errors.
Each ignition in a nuclear fusion experiment signifies an expenditure of funds in the 'tens of millions', and any damage to parts might increase expenditures to the 'hundreds of millions'.
Furthermore, the parts themselves can't afford to be damaged.
A minor accident could lead to the entire device being scrapped.
Such losses are simply too great.
Zhao Yi was also very concerned about the development of nuclear fusion technology; upon learning that the anti-gravity nuclear fusion device had been developed, he immediately went to the experimental base and saw the colossal device.
