"Straightforward, honest, and with just the right amount of seriousness toward work… she really is a good girl."
Samui watched Black Earth's departing figure and gave her a praising evaluation.
Ryosuke smiled, poured her a cup of tea, "You're becoming more and more like a leader, like a senior."
Samui took the teacup and shrugged, not refuting Ryosuke's words.
Ever since she took over this job, the number of people she had to interact with each week, the things she had to deal with, was more than what she had dealt with in the previous twenty-plus years combined.
As time went on, without realizing it, the way she talked and looked at people changed.
However, Samui never felt she became some so-called "upper-class person."
Her nature was cold to begin with. Compared to dealing with people, she preferred silently carrying out missions.
If not for the sake of her village, Samui might have already resigned this job and gone back to being an ordinary ninja.
No, not only for the village…
She pushed up her glasses.
The long hours of paperwork had gradually made a former kunoichi used to wearing glasses. Her pair of pretty blue-green eyes silently looked at Ryosuke's profile through the lenses.
"How is the progress of the scholar recruitment plan?"
Ryosuke's question interrupted Samui's quiet observing.
The so-called "Scholar Recruitment Plan" came about because after all Five Great Nations were unified under Ryosuke's rule, the previously impenetrable walls of the academic world were forcibly broken down, leading to a talent introduction plan.
In plain terms, gather the outstanding scientists of each nation and bring them into the Research Institute.
They used to say science has no borders, but scientists have borders.
Now the borders are gone.
Currently the Research Institute's four major research projects:
First: Aerospace, with moon landing as the primary goal. Considering the upcoming "Absolute Darkness" event, the Research Institute has invested the largest resources into aerospace.
Second: Biological genetics, focusing on Hidan's flesh and Orochimaru's techniques.
Third: Anti-air weaponry, currently encountering a slight bottleneck.
Fourth: Ninjutsu development, focusing on overcoming natural energy and ghost-god power, attempting artificial Sage Art research.
Any one of these four project teams, taken alone, has the technological power to trigger an earthquake in the outside world. As for why they lead so far ahead, the reason is very simple,
What research institution complains about having too many research materials?
Even if the researchers worked overtime day and night, they still couldn't finish researching all the materials they wanted.
Many experimental materials aren't even halfway studied yet, and Ryosuke goes for a stroll outside, then comes back throwing in another bizarre new thing.
Just the other day, he threw in an evil demon named Moryo said to be able to destroy the world, along with ghost-god power, causing researchers in various teams to not return home for a whole week.
"Did anyone sign up?" Ryosuke asked.
"Yes."
Samui nodded, "And many."
She took out a thick stack of documents and placed it on the table. Inside were applications from scientists of all nations wanting to join.
Samui pulled up a chair and sat beside Ryosuke, introducing several key scientists to him.
Today she was still wearing an outer snow-white research coat. Under the coat was a black form-fitting long skirt, with high slits on both sides.
While walking normally it wasn't obvious, but now that she was sitting, especially sitting beside him, and then crossing one leg over the other, it revealed a snow-white thigh, compared to ordinary kunoichi, a bit more plump.
Further down was the likewise snow-white calf with a beautiful curve, and a high-heel lightly hooked by her toes.
The contrast of black skirt and white leg, Ryosuke subconsciously glanced, stayed half a second longer than usual, then quickly moved his gaze away.
Samui noticed his look but didn't mind, continuing her introduction of the scholars on the documents.
"…Aside from those who applied on their own, I've also targeted several excellent scientists and already sent out invitations."
"It won't be long before the most outstanding and knowledgeable scientists in the whole ninja world gather here at the Research Institute. This place will create unimaginable brilliance."
Her usually cold face, for once curved into a faint smile. A dazzling light shone in her eyes as she looked at Ryosuke, "Ryosuke, all of this is because of you."
Ryosuke also smiled, walked to the desk, opened a drawer, and took out a stack of complaint letters.
"With this, I shouldn't receive any more complaint letters from the researchers' wives, right?"
"You have no idea. Because their husbands haven't been home in so long, some wives even wrote..."
"'Lord Ryosuke! If you can't let my husband go home to sleep with his wife, then please, with difficulty, come and sleep in his place!'"
Ryosuke tossed the letters back into the drawer.
"I can totally imagine how angry that lady was while writing this."
"Not necessarily angry."
"What?"
Ryosuke didn't hear clearly.
"Hm?"
Samui pretended she didn't say anything.
"Hm?"
Ryosuke wasn't pretending, he genuinely didn't get it.
After a few seconds of silence, both skipped that topic and returned to discussing the incoming scientists.
Ryosuke put away his smile, thinking of a problem, "Bringing in scholars and scientists from each nation will greatly boost our research speed, but there's still one issue."
Samui nodded, showing she understood his worry.
Security.
No one could guarantee that among this group of scientists, there might not be undercover infiltrators with hidden schemes.
Especially now that Ryosuke had lost the White Snake, and could no longer use extraction or reading methods to view someone's memory, or write commands ensuring they would never harm the Institute's interests.
"I will handle their screening. That is my job."
Ryosuke nodded slightly, "Don't give yourself too much pressure."
"No pressure. I enjoy it."
Ryosuke looked at Samui's cold expression, he really couldn't connect her with "enjoy it."
But he trusted her judgment.
Ryosuke glanced at the time, soon it would be time for the remote meeting with Oda Ieyasu.
He was about to end their conversation when Samui suddenly asked, "After the moon landing is over… what do you plan to do next?"
After knowing Samui for many years, Ryosuke heard the tension hidden in her seemingly calm tone.
'Why is she nervous?'
Ryosuke didn't quite understand, but he still spoke his thoughts, "The moon landing is only the beginning. There's still a lot of work to be done. Look..."
He took out paper and pen.
"Externally, we need to build a space defense system to prevent entities like Kaguya, extraterrestrials, from invading the ninja world at will."
"Also, the Ōtsutsuki clan survives by invading other civilizations and absorbing nutrients to gain strength. Which means, beyond our world, other civilizations might exist."
"Exploring the universe is also an important mission."
"Internally, we must raise productivity, letting more people live wealthier lives, both physically and mentally."
Ryosuke wrote and drew on the paper. Each task could be divided into dozens of detailed goals, just listening to it was overwhelmingly tedious.
Samui propped her chin with one hand. The eyes behind her glasses stared at Ryosuke as he spoke, slightly unrestrained.
She couldn't understand how Ryosuke could have so many ideas.
But she didn't need to understand.
Because he was Ryosuke. And that's what being Ryosuke meant.
As long as there are missions ahead, she could continue silently following beside him.
Samui asked softly, "That will take many years, right?"
Ryosuke put down the pen, "To complete all of this might take a lifetime."
"A lifetime."
Samui repeated those words.
Ryosuke nodded, "In the end, someone has to blaze the trail, do the hard work that brings no praise. So, let's be the ones, sorry."
He looked at the time, picked up his teacup, and stood.
"I have to go. Oda is waiting for me."
Samui left the office with him.
Just as they were about to part at the door, Ryosuke suddenly remembered something, hesitated, then still said, "You've been spending too much time on work lately. For your health, you should do some exercise."
Samui tilted her head slightly, not understanding why he said that.
Suddenly, she remembered his earlier glance at her legs.
'Let you look at my legs, and you really only look at my legs?'
Samui admitted that due to work pressure, she had been eating a lot of sweets and hadn't trained for a while, she did gain a little weight.
The always-expressionless Samui, for once, showed a rosy blush, lightly coughed twice, and silently turned to leave.