A colossal Tree of Light bloomed from the very heart of the Nest.
It stretched upward, piercing the cloud layer—growing and growing as if it had no end. Its branches swayed as though brushed by a gentle wind, scattering countless motes of radiance.
And anyone touched by that light would feel a warmth in their chest they couldn't explain.
Zhou Zhuang had prepared himself.
Even so, seeing the Tree of Light with his own eyes—seeing it truly rising from the center of L Nest—hit him harder than he expected. Tears slid from the corners of his eyes without warning.
He lifted a hand and wiped them away, letting out a quiet sigh.
Ayin's plan really did work… at least this much.
If—if the ending had gone the best possible way, if the light had been allowed to rain down over the City for a full seven days… maybe it really could've changed that sickness that ran all the way down into the City's bones.
The thought made his mind drift to something he'd once heard, back before he transmigrated—when he'd been lurking in some veteran's lore discussion about Project Moon.
They'd mentioned the "City's disease."
A kind of spiritual drought born from a technological explosion: medicine and augmentation advanced so far that no matter how people destroyed their bodies, injuries could be repaired. Anything could be done. Every material desire could be fulfilled.
But the heart—couldn't be patched that way.
The more abundant the physical world became, the more people's spirits dried up. Material satisfaction couldn't fill that hollow.
That was why Carmen and Ayin conceived the Seed of Light: to patch the missing part inside people.
But then… would seven full days of Light really have been enough?
Zhou Zhuang found himself genuinely thinking about it.
Angela's voice cut cleanly through his contemplation.
"Manager. Our time is limited. Please begin our work as soon as possible."
Zhou Zhuang snapped back to reality. He wanted to check the time—only to realize he had no way to do so.
And in the City right now, time itself felt meaningless: with the Tree of Light making it effectively "day" around the clock, he couldn't even tell whether it was morning or night.
Watching her Manager fumble like a first-day intern, Angela released a long, weary sigh and began laying out the situation.
"Manager. According to the company system's calculation, it is currently the City's pre-dawn period. The basis for this conclusion is that the Backstreets' Sweepers have begun their regular cleansing."
She continued evenly:
"Our current location is within a relatively prosperous section of the Nest. This will aid your recruitment. Additionally, based on my analysis, we have four hours remaining to recruit employees."
With that, the mission suddenly gained edges and weight—something concrete instead of abstract dread.
Zhou Zhuang rubbed his hands together, eyes drifting back to the dazzling Tree of Light.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's finish my newbie mission."
He threw out his heroic declaration… then immediately turned awkward.
"Ahaha… um, Angela. Can you teach me how to recruit people?"
Angela wordlessly shook her head—somewhere between resignation and disbelief—and began explaining the recruitment process to her rookie Manager.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the Tree of Light…
A brilliant betrayal was approaching its final act.
"Hraaaaaaah!!"
Bang!
With a thunderous impact, Gebura was driven back by Binah. After two days of fighting, exhausted to the bone, Gebura braced herself on her E.G.O weapon and dropped to one knee.
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, Gebura," Binah said, standing over her, crimson blood-mist coiling around her left hand. "I've come to understand what E.G.O truly is."
From the Information Team, Yesod reported the state of the rebellion in a voice that sounded like a verdict.
"Welfare Team and Disciplinary Team… wiped out…"
Angela observed the situation—saw that the board had already been set, the outcome already leaning into inevitability—and stepped forward.
"Since you can no longer follow the original plan and spread Light for a full seven days… no matter how you struggle, tomorrow will be the fourth day."
Her voice was calm, almost gentle.
"Your resistance will end. And I will claim the final victory."
Then she tilted her head slightly, as though discussing a minor inconvenience.
"However, by that calculation, I will only obtain two to three days of Light. So regardless of who wins… there will be no true winner at the end of this conflict."
A pause.
"So I have a proposal."
Angela began explaining her plan to the Department Heads…
Back on Zhou Zhuang's side, after Angela's explanation, he finally understood the company's "recruitment conditions."
It was basically like those predatory companies from his old world—
—except in the City, a Wing's authority carried such overwhelming weight that Zhou Zhuang didn't even need to run around recruiting.
He just needed to find a spot, sit down, and let people come to him.
Still, Zhou Zhuang couldn't help frowning.
"But… can we really find suitable people this way, Angela?"
"What aspect concerns you, Manager?"
"Pretty much everything." Zhou Zhuang rubbed his temples. "We aren't the real Lobotomy Corporation. If we wave their name around this openly, what if someone comes looking for trouble?"
"And Lobotomy's recruiting in the game requires four attributes to meet certain levels, right? Or are we ignoring that?"
Angela's answer was unhurried and faintly amused.
"Manager, your concern is unnecessary. Even if we are 'impersonating,' it is not particularly meaningful as a crime. We are, in a sense, Lobotomy Corporation."
"And at present, they are far too occupied with their internal matters to spare attention elsewhere. More importantly, we currently possess nothing. Therefore, the most important matter is that you complete the company's beginner mission."
"As for employees…" Angela's smile sharpened into something bordering on mockery. "Recruit freely. You may treat it as gacha if you wish. To use your phrasing—SSR does not come so easily."
"If you recruit employees who fail to meet ideal requirements, they can serve as administrative staff. The company will need maintenance and logistics personnel as well."
"So… it's that lenient?" Zhou Zhuang asked, genuinely surprised.
"Yes, Manager." Angela nodded. "Your task is simply to manage the company. This is only your beginner mission. In the future, there will be a dedicated department responsible for recruitment."
"Hod, from the Training Team?" Zhou Zhuang guessed.
"You will meet her in time, Manager. For now—complete your beginner mission."
"Got it." Zhou Zhuang took a breath. "All right, Angela—let's find a good place to set up shop."
In truth, it wasn't Zhou Zhuang finding a location so much as Zhou Zhuang following Angela through the Nest's winding turns.
Because letting someone wander alone in an unfamiliar place was exactly how you got the "checking the traffic light three times before crossing" kind of comedy.
Angela led him to a corner with little foot traffic and stopped.
Zhou Zhuang looked around.
No university district. No corporate signage. No convenient "talent hub." Nothing that matched his instincts.
He frowned. "Angela… where is this? We're not recruiting here, are we?"
"Yes, Manager." Angela's reply was immediate. "This is the outer edge of L Nest—where the Nest meets the Backstreets."
"…Huh?" Zhou Zhuang blinked. "Why here? If you want talent, shouldn't you go to the Nest's universities or companies?"
"Manager," Angela said calmly, "your experience from your previous life is still restricting your thinking. The Nest does not contain the people we need."
"Or rather… they will not become the people we need at this time."
Zhou Zhuang's eyes widened as understanding punched through the fog.
"Right… according to the setting, the Nest's residents are generally satisfied with their lives, and they understand the real situation of Lobotomy better."
"But Backstreets people are different. For them, what's happening in the Nest is still unknown. At most, they just feel that the big shots inside the Nest are pulling some 'major stunt' again."
"And they're desperate to become Wings—desperate enough to gamble, even right now."
He turned toward Angela, excitement rising.
"Angela, you're a genius!"
Angela didn't correct him. His interpretation wasn't exactly what she meant, but the conclusion was correct—and that was what mattered.
Without wasting time, she took out a portable desk and chair prepared specifically for him, set them up, and called back the Manager who was still scanning for "a suitable stall location."
Zhou Zhuang sat down behind the desk Angela had arranged, face faintly red, posture stiff with awkward determination—
—and began to wait for his first "pulls."
In the City, even recruitment felt like gacha.
And he was about to find out what his luck looked like.
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