Just as Lu Luo and Zhou Kai were discussing his Second Tier Sequence, Chu Qi quietly arrived at Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals' sublevel 22 and returned to Song Hana's office.
Song Hana had been waiting for Chu Qi for some time. She did not look very pleased. The reason was simple: she was upset by Gu Fangyi.
Since Gu Fangyi and Lu Luo weren't there at the time, there was no need for her to keep up appearances.
"The matter has concluded. Tell me your assessment of these individuals. We selected over a dozen prospects, but only these few survived. The losses are quite substantial. Although the company doesn't care about such a small sum, as subordinates, we cannot waste the company's resources."
Chu Qi nodded. Providing intelligence on the candidates from this selection was, after all, part of her job.
"Wang Zheng's performance was average. His awakened Sequence should be strength-type. It's not particularly outstanding, but he should be competent enough for normal work and combat outside the Wall. He's classified as standard personnel.
Zhou Kai's Sequence is odd, or rather, it's quite special. He has always refrained from disclosing the specific effects of his Sequence. But I suspect his Sequence might be related to luck, because I feel his own luck fluctuates between good and bad. This type of Sequence has both a very high lower limit and upper limit, making its strength difficult to judge. However, Zhou Kai's fundamental qualities are somewhat lacking; whether in physical fitness, combat skills, or mental fortitude and willpower, he has obvious shortcomings."
Chu Qi's report was delivered with almost no emotional fluctuation. Emotions can affect one's judgment, a necessary quality for an intelligence officer.
Song Hana nodded, marked a check on Wang Zheng's form, and put an X on Zhou Kai's.
These two were not the individuals she was truly interested in. She was more interested in Gu Fangyi and Lu Luo, but unfortunately, both of them had rejected her today.
"What about Gu Fangyi?" Song Hana's voice became a bit colder when she mentioned Gu Fangyi.
Chu Qi knew Song Hana's character well. She's a woman, and a petty one at that. For Gu Fangyi to have offended her is indeed a very bad situation. Chu Qi really wanted to save Gu Fangyi. He's genuinely talented—talent the company needs, and talent she needs as well. If she wants to build her own power base, then Gu Fangyi isn't someone she can afford to lose.
"Gu Fangyi's Sequence is B-31-Hawk Eye, an extremely powerful combat support and reconnaissance talent. It's considered top-notch even among Grade B Sequences. He possesses very good marksmanship and excellent close-combat abilities. He has a calm personality and a straightforward, effective combat style. He is outstanding. His flaw is that he's too amiable—cold on the outside but warm on the inside. In desperate situations, where he could have acted dictatorially, he still chose to help his classmates and even ordinary people. This is a clear deficiency. He cares a lot about his friends, and that is exactly what we can exploit."
Chu Qi referred to amiability as a flaw, even something that could be exploited, and Song Hana did not object. Amiability can sometimes be an excellent quality, but at Lan Tian Biosciences, it's merely a flaw.
"And what about Lu Luo? I heard his performance was quite remarkable, even stronger than Gu Fangyi's? That's rather interesting."
Compared to her resentment towards Gu Fangyi, Song Hana's attitude towards Lu Luo was ambiguous; she seemed to be still considering how to handle him.
Chu Qi knew very well that Lu Luo was a genius. He hasn't yet truly come into contact with the company's core; many things are still superficial for him. If such a talent were lost because of Song Hana, it would be a huge loss for the company and for her as well. Talent like this would be the cornerstone for establishing her own power base. Lu Luo must be preserved. So from the outset, she elevated her definition of Lu Luo.
"Lu Luo is the most outstanding talent from this incident. He no longer falls into the category of mere talent; he is a genius the company needs. In terms of talent, judgment, and combat prowess, he surpasses Gu Fangyi. To kill a Second Tier Exotic Species with a very ordinary team composition is simply incredible. His Sequence is reported as D-14-Agility, and his combat performance also leans towards speed. However, I believe he must be hiding something. He's a rather deep individual, very good at concealing his true self. My overall assessment of Lu Luo is: perfect. Talent like this should be absorbed into the company. In the future, he could become an Explorer team captain, or even hold a higher position."
Song Hana looked at Chu Qi with a smile that was not quite a smile. She had understood the underlying meaning in Chu Qi's words: Lu Luo was a rare genius, and Chu Qi wanted him. Unfortunately, the person in charge here is her.
Song Hana brewed herself a cup of tea, spilling a lot of clear water onto the tea set.
"Oh~ so Student Lu Luo is that outstanding! But like Gu Fangyi, he has already rejected our new contract. Tell me, what should be done in this situation?"
In the Wasteland, water sources are precious. Song Hana's act of wasting water like this could be called extremely extravagant. Chu Qi strongly disapproved, but she could do nothing about it, nor did she have the right to criticize.
"Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi must have some suspicions about this incident. They're smart; things like this can't be hidden from intelligent people. They're refusing the company only because they don't understand its philosophy and core principles, nor are they clear about the future the company envisions. Both Gu Fangyi and Lu Luo are very talented individuals, but neither of them has been outside the Wall; their thinking is too idealistic. Once they truly witness the cruelty of this world and understand the company's intentions, their attitudes will surely change. Joining the company is only a matter of time."
"A matter of time? How long will that be? I think that Gu Fangyi is very hostile towards us. Are you sure he'll really join?"
Chu Qi's mouth twitched. She decided to give up on Gu Fangyi.
"Even if Gu Fangyi is a lost cause, we should at least try to recruit Lu Luo. He refused only because of Gu Fangyi's interference. The company needs talent like him."
Song Hana didn't immediately respond but instead took a sip of her tea, scrutinizing Chu Qi, who kept her head lowered.
"Chu Qi, you're becoming more and more beautiful, and your abilities are also outstanding. In a few more years, the supervisor's position might just be yours for the taking."
Sensing the implication in Song Hana's words, Chu Qi immediately bowed, concealing the deepest thoughts in her eyes.
"I have no ambition to climb higher. Everything I do is for the company and for the future of the Alliance."
"Are you implying that I don't think about the company's future?"
"That's not what I mean."
"Hahaha."
Song Hana laughed coquettishly. She slowly walked over to Chu Qi, carefully caressing Chu Qi's body, and exclaimed, "Youth is indeed wonderful. A body full of elasticity and vitality is truly captivating! As long as I'm still in this position, you'd better keep your ambitions well hidden. Don't be so flustered. The company knows your loyalty and won't treat you unfairly, little Chu Qi. As for those few, heh! Since you think so highly of them, then I'll have to test them properly. If they can survive tonight, I'll consider them... to have a promising future."
Song Hana wore a smile, but her words were filled with malice and perverse amusement.
Just because I might threaten Song Hana's position in the future, Song Hana is going to make a move on those I favor. This is blatant suppression!
"They are witnesses to this incident. If they die at this time, we won't be able to explain it to the Hunters."
"What's the big deal? The three students have residual Exotic Species venom and genes on them. Tonight, they might fall ill and transform into Exotic Species. Out of safety concerns, we would kill them. Isn't that perfectly normal? Besides, even if they all die, wouldn't we still have you and Wang Zheng? Little Chu Qi, don't be so naive, will you?"
Song Hana spoke with an air of having Chu Qi completely under her thumb. Chu Qi knew that saying anything more at this point would only be counterproductive.
"Lu Luo is a company-sponsored student and part of the company's intangible assets. You have no right to decide their life or death; you're merely a supervisor."
"Do you think the company really cares about a few people like that? You're too naive, Chu Qi. If your rank were higher, wouldn't you be able to stop me? Work on climbing up."
"Understood."
Chu Qi said nothing more. She silently returned to her room, picked up her weapons and gear, and walked towards the door.
Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi are both individuals worth investing in, her hope for potentially overturning Song Hana in the future. Therefore, she has to take a gamble on whether Lu Luo truly has a promising future.