Of course, among these research colleagues, some wore genuine, heartfelt smiles.
Others appeared somewhat forced, standing at the back of the line with stiff smiles.
Some hadn't even shown up.
"Thank you."
Fred's attitude was no different from when he'd dealt with the older man outside, his smile neither warm nor cold.
Even if not all Coordinators were wary of him, some colleagues certainly disliked him.
This was normal, just as Naturals envied Coordinators.
Jealousy itself was a natural emotion.
Before falling ill, he too had envied those born with silver spoons in their mouths. After getting sick, he'd envied those in good health even more.
It was all the same principle.
Naturals envied Coordinators, Coordinators envied Ultimate Coordinators, and Creuset was an extreme manifestation of this.
He understood that powerlessness of slowly marching toward death, the resentment and envy toward the world.
From this perspective, he could comprehend Creuset's actions.
Everyone's malice, accompanied by selfish desires, simply couldn't be concealed, so the world was beginning to descend into chaos.
Of course, he only needed to solve the short-term problems.
The later stages could be left to the main characters.
As for now, Fred didn't care about being envied.
Being envied was better than envying others.
Moreover, from another perspective, it was precisely because of jealousy that some people strived to defy fate.
It was precisely because they wanted to be envied that those with advantages continued to push forward.
And he was just one among them.
"Hmph, look at his smug face."
Watching Fred being praised from a distance, several Coordinators spoke with bitterness.
"He's nothing but the Atlantic Federation's lapdog!"
"Exactly! I bet the higher-ups already have plans to eliminate him! No matter how capable he is, what can he do then? We Coordinators are the superior species - he's just a lowly Natural!"
"He definitely only succeeded with help from Director Lenore's son!"
As he spoke, the young man in the white lab coat showed undisguised malice in his eyes, yet there was also envy.
Who wouldn't want to be praised and treated like a hero?
And in his view, this hero should have belonged to a Coordinator.
There was clearly a Coordinator on the same mission.
Yet all the credit went to Fred - if this wasn't discrimination, what was?
As for the process shown on television, that was definitely fabricated.
Just propaganda tactics by those despicable Naturals.
"Councilman Zala will definitely make these unnatural Naturals pay, no need to worry."
Another person sneered.
"That's true..."
"Hey, quite interesting."
A leisurely voice interrupted their conversation.
"What!?"
They turned around in alarm to see an unkempt young man with stubble who had somehow appeared behind them.
Holding a coffee cup, he looked at them with an inexplicable smile that was somewhat intimidating.
"You... who are you?"
"Just a passing ordinary person?"
"But since you're researchers, you should focus on your own work first."
"Who do you think you are!"
"Eh~"
Andrew stretched lazily, then with a speed too fast to react, kicked both men flying with his legs.
The movement was fluid and seamless, not even spilling a single drop of the coffee in his hand.
"No need to see me out."
Andrew waved at the two men curled up like shrimp.
That boy was quite interesting—seemingly indifferent to the title of "hero."
Whether it was an act or genuine, it showed his depth was far beyond what his age suggested.
Moreover, he had only recently learned that this boy had actually saved Zala's wife and child.
Now Zala was coming personally and had given him the chance to test Fred beforehand—this made it even more intriguing.
He wondered if the boy knew exactly who he had saved, and whether he would become arrogant or regretful upon learning the truth.
Suppressing the curiosity in his eyes, Andrew walked up to Fred, who had just extricated himself from the crowd.
"Hello there, hero boy."
Andrew faced him with a gentle smile.
"Uh..."
Suddenly confronted with this youthful version of the Desert Tiger, Fred was momentarily startled.
He hadn't expected to see a youthful version of the Desert Tiger after already encountering a younger Halberton.
The youthful tiger didn't seem much different from the older version—both had that playboy aura.
But this one carried less weariness, more nonchalance, and didn't look as sun-darkened as the desert version.
"And you are?"
"Just a passerby. Getting used to it? The hero treatment."
Andrew shrugged.
"Not really."
Fred snapped back to reality and shook his head.
"Haha, I thought so~!"
Andrew heartily patted Fred's shoulder.
Such an interesting and distinctive boy—he was already looking forward to what this kid would discuss with Zala tomorrow.
And that moment of surprise when he learned Zala's identity.
Growing more excited by the thought, Andrew gave Fred's back another firm pat.
The tremendous force nearly sent Fred stumbling.
With just an ordinary Coordinator's combat physique—though still improving—this Andrew clearly felt like an elite among Coordinators. Those few pats made Fred feel like his internal organs had shifted.
He wondered if he'd stand a chance in close combat against him...
"See you later, our hero."
Unaware that Fred was already mentally simulating their fight, Andrew raised his cup cheerfully.
"Alright..."
Emerging from his mental battle simulation, Fred observed this overly familiar Andrew who was even more unrestrained than he remembered.
It seemed his speculation wasn't wrong.
If Andrew was here as a bodyguard, the visiting person was most likely Zala.
"Zala..."
He had essentially saved Lenore.
As previously considered, confronting Zala probably wouldn't be too risky.
But he'd never seen Patrick before his descent into madness, so he couldn't be entirely certain.
With these thoughts, Fred glanced toward Lenore's office direction.
He was familiar with Lenore.
She wasn't someone who killed indiscriminately.
Whatever the outcome, as long as he made clear he wasn't a Blue Cosmos supporter, his life should remain secure.
For now, he should just focus on what needed to be done.
After bidding farewell to that younger version of Andrew, Fred quickly settled into his workstation.
According to his current progress, he should be able to match Lenore's capabilities within two or three years.
Lenore was one of PLANT's top researchers.
Perhaps he could develop crops suitable for space agriculture ahead of schedule.
This would bring both increased influence and personal strength.
Moreover, this technology would form the foundation for future space travel.
Both were crucial matters for his future plans.
Without further daydreaming, Fred gathered his thoughts and focused intently on the complex data displayed on his computer screen.
While imagination was pleasant, real effort was what truly mattered.