Disbelief and Disappointment
Hal and Tom were also among the crowd. After spotting Carol, they rushed over to her.
"What's going on? Did you really fire the professor?"
Carol nodded helplessly.
The two were immediately astonished and didn't know what to say. Professor Cooper was a top expert in the engine industry. The Chairman had gone to great lengths to bring him from MIT to head the R&D center, and now, before he'd even achieved anything, he was fired?
Tom hesitated. "Carol, I know you like Luke Shaw, but you can't be serious. How could a gang boss from the criminal underworld possibly understand engine principles?"
"This is ridiculous."
Hal Jordan said gravely, "I have some connection with Professor Cooper. I'll go and try to bring him back."
"No need."
Carol waved her hand, her expression very serious. "Trust Luke. He will handle this well."
With that, she walked to the door and used a firm tone to order the employees to leave and stop discussing the day's events. Even so, she couldn't extinguish the raging fire of gossip.
As the only daughter of Carl Ferris, heir to Ferris Aircraft, and a super-rich second generation worth billions, if she were just a pretty face, that would be one thing. But this proud daughter of heaven, who possessed both beauty and sex appeal, also had extraordinary intelligence and managerial talent. She became the Executive Director at twenty-one and boosted the company's performance by 50% in just one year. While some of that was due to accounting, it didn't negate her powerful abilities.
Such a perfect girl was exceedingly rare. Marrying her wasn't just about cutting ten years off the struggle; it meant a lifetime of beautiful, worry-free existence.
From the moment the old chairman brought her into the company, Carol's significant other became the focus of everyone's conversation. The men in the department immediately listed her as a crucial life goal, using every method to probe her interests and hobbies, hoping for an unexpected, sweet encounter.
It wasn't until the day a photo circulated showing Carol holding hands with an unknown man that male colleagues were forced to put away their dreams, simultaneously pouring out envy and curses upon the lucky bastard who was now standing on a field of green.
During this time, people tried to do a deep-dive on the "mystery boyfriend," but no matter how they searched, they couldn't find any information on the person; it was as if he simply didn't exist.
Today, the mystery boyfriend finally showed up, becoming the focus of everyone's attention in a way no one could have imagined.
The Humiliation of the Elite
Inside the lab, Carol and the researchers waited anxiously. Half an hour had passed, and the test was still not over.
Carol was restless, not because she doubted Luke's ability, but because she was afraid he'd set the bar too high and fire everyone in the lab. That would be impossible to explain to her father.
Ten more minutes passed, and the door finally opened. A sweating Angus Neal walked out, leaning against the wall. Whatever he had endured, his face carried an undisguised look of dejection.
Carol rushed over. "Are you alright? Should I call a doctor?"
Angus waved his hand. He turned to the female researcher on his right.
"Fiona, he called your name. Go on in!"
The old professor's state made Fiona, who had only recently earned her Ph.D., feel a wave of unease.
"What's the situation in there..."
Angus merely sighed. He found a chair with a backrest, lay down, covered his head with his lab coat, and didn't want to say another word.
Seeing his reaction, everyone's hearts jumped into their throats. If the knowledgeable Professor Neal was reduced to this, what hope did they have?
Knowledge is layered. According to the Kryptonian nine-level education system, the lab researchers were at most at the third level. Luke, however, was between the sixth and seventh levels. The difference in those numbers wasn't a simple unit of measure; it represented hundreds or even thousands of years of technological development.
If Luke was a Ph.D., these highly educated researchers were at best like elementary students who had just graduated from kindergarten—the gap was too enormous.
To prevent things from getting too ugly, Luke had lowered the difficulty as much as possible. Yet, after the tests, three-quarters of the people still failed.
This was highly awkward.
In Donny Cooper's former seat, Luke rested his head on his left hand and tapped the desk with a steel pen in his right. In front of him, the pale-faced researchers stood in a semicircle, awkward and helpless.
A small test had shattered their proud post-doctoral mindset, driving their most arrogant beliefs into the most humble corners.
Carol couldn't watch anymore. She nudged Luke, telling him to take it easy and not go overboard. Luke was also mentally exhausted. The original plan was to tell those who failed to leave, but who knew that out of twenty-two researchers, only five barely passed the test, with the rest completely unqualified.
If Luke were in charge, he'd fire all of them. These useless people were only wasting food. But since it was Carol's family company, he had to save face.
After a moment of hesitation, he said, "What can I say to you people? I..."
Cough, cough!
Carol interjected. "Luke and I both hope you will stay and continue your work as researchers. As for the test just now, it was merely a small prank. Don't take it seriously."
As she finished speaking, she placed her fingers on his shoulder and twisted hard, causing his muscles to contort and his handsome face to twist in pain.
The sensation was painfully exquisite!
Luke was speechless, but he forced a laugh.
"She's right, it was just a prank. Don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously."
"It's getting late. You should all head back."
"And be here tomorrow morning at nine. The lab will convene, and I will announce the new work plan."
One played the good cop, the other the bad cop. The act was full of holes, and the staff weren't buying it.
Should they resign? It was humiliating, but they were also reluctant to leave. Luke's displayed knowledge base far exceeded their imagination. If they could follow him and learn a thing or two, they might even snag a Nobel Prize someday.
But if they stayed, they would never recover their dignity.
People value their reputation, so they could only mask their internal shame with silence. They packed their things and left for the day.
Once they were gone, Luke immediately picked up Carol and rushed into the lounge.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!"
"Dream on."
Carol pleaded, "Can we go somewhere else? There are cameras in the room."
"Don't worry, they're already off."
"When did you turn them off?"
"When you pinched me."
The Lantern Falls
Hal Jordan had been watching the lab's situation. When he learned that Luke had effortlessly defeated all the elite researchers, a massive sense of despair washed over him.
Comparison truly kills a person; there was simply no way to compete!
In his desperation, Hal chose to go find fun with his friend Tom at a strip club. After several hours of debauchery, they emerged around one o'clock in the morning.
The two urinated into the ocean, then linked arms, cursing that bastard Luke Shaw while singing songs no ordinary person would understand.
Suddenly, a green light fell from the sky.
Boom!
The ground shook, and the resulting shockwave threw both men backward.
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