"I see." To most everyone, it was a simple acknowledgment of the facts. To those that knew him well enough, especially in the laboratory, the way his gaze lingered lower and the minute relaxation of shoulders expressed a small disappointment. Hopes deflated. So he moved on to the next topic he was supposed to cover with this man.

"Sir, other than the aforementioned experiments--was there any other notable research being conducted in your laboratories, specifically in the physics department?"