Lin Qi looked down at the young man. If he remembered correctly, his name was Qin Wu. Like Lin Qi, he was an L-level Researcher.
Unlike Lin Qi, this Researcher Qin Wu's research performance was at the bottom of the L-Class rankings.
He averted his gaze, focused on the path ahead, and moved to walk around Qin Wu toward his own lab.
Qin Wu hurriedly shuffled on his knees, once again positioning himself in front of Lin Qi. "Sir, I haven't produced any L-Class results for four consecutive quarters. If my research fails this time, I'll be demoted to M-Class. The M-Class salary isn't enough to cover the loan for my A-Class Prosthetic Body. Please, sir, you have to help me."
Qin Wu quickly blurted out his plea, hoping Lin Qi would help.
Across the entire 13th floor, Lin Qi was the only one who could complete L-Class research with ease.
Lin Qi frowned, looked down, and continued watching the path as he stepped around him.
Qin Wu started to move again, but Lin Qi spoke coldly, "If you don't have the Ability for L-Class research, then get lost and go to M-Class. Don't be an eyesore in front of me."
They were both researchers, merely colleagues. Lin Qi had no obligation to help anyone.
On the entire 13th floor, Lin Qi engaged in zero pointless socializing. This was a gladiatorial arena where the strong preyed on the weak. Capable researchers were promoted, and the useless were demoted. Those who couldn't be demoted any further were kicked out of the Weapon Research Institute.
Qin Wu stopped moving, remaining kneeling on the spot in a daze.
Lin Qi moved back to the center of the corridor and walked past Qin Wu.
Behind Lin Qi, Qin Wu turned his head to watch his retreating figure. His fists clenched, his eyes filled with resentment.
Under his Spiritual Vision, Qin Wu's gaze fell within Lin Qi's observation.
Walking down the corridor, Lin Qi arrived at the door to Lab 1301. The Door opened automatically, then closed again after he entered.
Sitting at his personal workbench, Lin Qi connected to the Intelligent Brain via the micro-electrodes behind his ear and initiated a call request to Liu Xuan.
The moment the request was sent, Liu Xuan connected.
After the call connected, Liu Xuan remained silent for a long time. Though she had answered instantly, she showed not a hint of warmth, just as she had in every chance encounter over the past four hundred days.
Lin Qi was the first to speak. "Qin Wu, an L-level Researcher on the 13th floor, may be infected with cyber psychosis. He could disrupt the institute's normal operations."
He was reporting him!
Lin Qi wouldn't let an unstable element linger for long. Just five minutes after the incident, Lin Qi had already reported Qin Wu to a member of the Liu Clan.
Who would have thought that Lin Qi had Liu Xuan's contact information?
In the entire institute, aside from Liu Li, no one knew Lin Qi could contact Liu Xuan.
Liu Xuan's voice was calm. "Okay, I understand."
Lin Qi said no more, turning his attention to the paper manuscript on his workbench.
But the call didn't end.
Liu Xuan was also silent for a long time before finally asking, "Is there anything else?"
Lin Qi came back to his senses. "No."
Liu Xuan's voice was still calm, but it now held a slight tremble. "Then you can end the call."
Liu Xuan stared at the "End Call" option displayed in her left eye's imager, and at the virtual image of Lin Qi's face, unable to bring herself to hang up.
Lin Qi replied, "Okay."
The call ended immediately, without a shred of delay.
Only then did Liu Xuan let out a sigh of relief. Her nearly-all-human body went limp in her chair, drained of all strength.
Lin Qi, on the other hand, picked up a pen and paper and started making revisions to his paper draft, muttering to himself, "'This Miss Liu is so strange.'"
Back when he was fourteen, Lin Qi had been at the Liu's Heavy Industry Prosthetics Expo and used his Spiritual Vision to notice something was wrong with Liu Xuan on the exhibition stage.
On an impulse, he risked arrest by the riot squad, scrambled onto the stage, and saved Liu Xuan's life.
Ever since then, Lin Qi had been connected to the young Miss of the Liu Family. He considered them to be friends, but in his eyes, Liu Xuan's behavior was always a bit odd.
If it weren't for the fact that Liu Xuan only had a single prosthetic eye, Lin Qi might have thought she had cyber psychosis.
He didn't dwell on it. The minor problem was already solved.
That useless L-level Researcher, Qin Wu, was due for a demotion anyway. Now that he had Liu Xuan's attention, he would be kicked off the 13th floor even faster.
As for whether he would be kicked out of the Weapon Research Institute entirely, that wasn't Lin Qi's concern.
'In this world, everyone is marked with a value. Those without value have no one to blame but themselves when they're told to get lost.'
Lin Qi continued to refine his manuscript.
Inside the lab, there was no visual surveillance. The security level of a paper manuscript was infinitely high.
Compared to using electronic devices, Lin Qi preferred to perfect his designs with a pencil and paper.
Twelve hours passed quickly, but it was nothing for L-Class research.
At nine o'clock, it was time for Lin Qi to get off work.
He walked over to the ultra-high temperature forge in the lab and took out a short-handled Tang Blade forged from A-Class Materials.
The A-Class Materials were company property.
With Lin Qi's L-level Researcher clearance, he was permitted a small amount of research material loss.
As long as personal use fell within the acceptable loss range, the company wouldn't look into it. It was considered a perk for the cyber workers.
Most of the time, however, when L-level Researchers attempted A-Class projects in hopes of a promotion, their material loss would exceed the standard, and they would have to cover the difference out of their own pockets.
It wasn't easy to take advantage of the company.
A weapon slot opened on his right arm's Exoskeleton, and he placed the short-handled Tang Blade inside.
He still had to go to the Doomsday World tonight, so Lin Qi was preparing a suitable weapon.
He returned to his workbench and rummaged through a drawer.
'Advanced Swordsmanship Chip... I remember requesting one from the company. Found it.'
Now that he had a weapon, he naturally needed an auxiliary chip.
The Prosthetic Body Lin Qi used was actually a disguised Exoskeleton, possessing over ninety percent of the functionality of the original prosthetic's design.
Executing sword fighting techniques with the help of the Intelligent Brain was effortless.
The chip was also company property.
Stepping out of the lab, Lin Qi saw Qin Wu again.
Qin Wu was standing in front of Lab 1322, clutching a storage box, his gaze vacant.
'How could this be?'
'It's only February. The results for the first quarter weren't supposed to be settled until the end of March.'
'Why was I demoted today?'
Qin Wu couldn't understand. All that remained in his heart was despair.
He couldn't pay back the loan. The company's product installment department would come in person to repossess his Prosthetic Body.
In the corner of Qin Wu's vision, a projected message from the Intelligent Brain appeared.
[Dear valued A-Class Prosthetic Body modification member, the Red Fruit Scarlet Prosthetic Body Exchange Club cordially invites you to participate in this evening's "Peach-colored" themed exchange. We look forward to your arrival.]
"It's over... I'm finished..." Qin Wu muttered to himself.
Lin Qi kept his eyes on the floor and skirted to the other side of the hallway.
Prosthetic Body users were prone to outbreaks of cyber psychosis when emotionally agitated.
'I need to stay away from psychos.'
Only after the elevator doors closed did Lin Qi walk to the center of the car.
At the top of the institute, the doors of Lin Qi's elevator opened at the same time as the doors of an elevator directly opposite his.
Opposite him, the sisters Liu Xuan and Liu Li were inside.
"What a coincidence. Good evening."
"Good evening."