"Just not sure how to write the test report."
Seeing her superior at a loss for words, Jiuer quickly changed the subject, though this topic wasn't much better than the last.
After all, if Fred weren't a Natural, they could easily include him in PLANT's historical records.
But Fred, being a Natural, contradicted their Coordinator-first narrative—it was even the complete opposite.
If the truth came out later, it could be exploited by certain parties to wage a propaganda war.
In comparison, they naturally leaned toward concealing Fred's existence.
But doing so felt a bit like discarding someone after their usefulness was over.
Both sides were currently cooperating well, and such an action could easily make Fred feel disheartened.
They still had plenty of work to do together in the future.
However...
Recalling how Fred had voluntarily given up his chance to speak earlier,
she felt that Fred might not mind these things and could understand their position.
But most people wanted to leave their mark in history, and Fred's attitude left her puzzled.
Still, she didn't say this directly to Patrick.
After all, regardless of whether Fred minded or not, they still needed to offer some compensation.
At the very least, given the immense value of Fred's intellect, they needed to maintain a relatively friendly relationship with him.
Coercion was always the last resort, especially since Fred also had connections with Clyne.
Upon hearing this, Patrick pondered for a moment.
He wondered if his subordinate had noticed that she seemed to be speaking under the assumption that this test would be a perfect success.
"...Omit Fred's name. I'll speak to him personally," Patrick said after a brief silence.
"Understood."
Meanwhile, Thomas was heading toward the testing site with several of his core team members.
"Director Thomas, is what you said really true?"
On the way, the deputy director couldn't help but ask the director walking ahead once more.
His furrowed brow seemed to express his skepticism.
Today's test was different from the usual ones. If everything went smoothly, it might be the final large-scale test. That's why, aside from Fred's team, the core members of several other research groups had also come along.
"That person solved the Mass Interference issue so quickly?"
Following the deputy director's words, the other team members also turned their attention toward Thomas.
Originally, everyone had been quite excited upon discovering this issue, hoping to overtake the research of the new director named Fred.
But just as they caught a glimpse of his tail lights, they found themselves eating dust again after a turn.
This didn't seem quite normal, no matter how you looked at it.
"Maybe it's just a hastily put-together plan," someone in the group muttered softly.
No one refuted the comment.
For those who didn't even know who Fred was, this possibility existed—and it wasn't low.
It didn't take long for someone else to chime in.
"I heard that director is still quite young. Maybe he's just impulsive, afraid of being overtaken by us, so he rushed it."
"Right, that must be it."
"He's still young, after all. Even as a Second-Generation Coordinator, he lacks the experience we have."
"Alright, everyone is here for PLANT, let's not talk about these trivial matters."
Thomas felt speechless inwardly and verbally cut off the discussion.
So experienced? If they're so experienced, how did they fall so far behind? If they're so experienced, why haven't they come up with a solution by now?
However, he only stopped the discussion without saying anything further.
After all, whether they're genuine or not will become clear soon. If they succeed, they'll be slapping their own faces without him needing to say a word. If they fail, it means that Freed wasn't well-prepared, and they still have a chance.
That was all.
"Yes."
"Sorry."
Following Thomas's words, the others quickly bowed their heads.
As the director, Thomas didn't speak much, but his authority was undeniable.
Their earlier remarks were partly intended to draw Director Thomas into protesting to the higher-ups, but it seemed the director had no interest in getting involved.
"Director Thomas is just too immersed in his research. He doesn't realize some people use malicious tactics to compete."
Looking at Thomas not far away, someone couldn't help but mutter.
But the voice was much softer, drowned out by the footsteps of the group, so Thomas ahead didn't notice.
"Hmph, we'll see that director make a fool of himself soon."
Another person nearby chimed in.
It was impossible not to feel jealous of someone as young as Fred becoming a director. In truth, Fred was envied by many.
The depth of this envy varied. Some were so jealous they resorted to harsh words, though they were in the minority.
Amidst these thoughts, they soon gathered at the testing ground.
The number of people in the testing ground had grown significantly compared to three months ago. There were those who had come to assist, those responsible for materials and weapons from other research teams, security personnel, and even groups like Thomas's, there to observe and learn.
In short, it was a diverse crowd.
"Is that Director Freed?"
The director of the weapons research team had just arrived. Looking at the masked figure in the distance, he couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.
"He looks far too young."
Though the upper half of his face was hidden, he was definitely not an older man. A director who wasn't an older man was a rare sight. Apart from the sparsely staffed Agricultural Research Center, Fred was likely the only one.
Of course, since the Agricultural Research Center was part of another classified project, no one here knew that Fred was originally a researcher from that center. Even those who knew wouldn't go around talking about it.
"I wonder if he'll succeed on the first try."
"What do you think, Valerio?"
The director turned to his somewhat flamboyantly styled young blond assistant with a smile.
"He looks about your age."
As the director said, this young man named Valerio was only fourteen years old. To already hold the position of assistant director, he was undoubtedly exceptionally talented.
"I don't think so. The timeline is too tight,"
Valerio replied, his expression tinged with arrogance.
"That's true."
The director smiled, not particularly surprised by his adjutant's assessment.
After all, youth was often accompanied by overconfidence.
If this time he could make the other party understand that there is always someone better, that would be good.
Let's see if this Freed can succeed.
"Let's go, we should also go greet him."
Seeing that the materials group had just finished talking with Fred, the director also brought Valerio and walked toward Fred's direction.
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