The sky had yet to brighten, but Gu Ming and Lu You were already at the company.
Today was the standard progress check for the new phase of Cultivation Technique developnt.
Team Leader Da Fei ca over to Gu Ming’s workstation and saw a scrawny Little Black Cat next to him.
"Is this your new Pet Beast?" Team Leader Da Fei didn’t even need to use his Divine Sense. A quick scan with his Perception was enough to tell the cat was only at the One-star Realm.
One look at its malnourished state was enough to tell that this Pet Beast was of very poor quality, unbefitting the status of a Champion Scholar.
"Yes," Gu Ming nodded.
It was the Little Black Cat’s first ti at the company with Gu Ming, and everyone who saw it shot it a curious look.
But the stern-faced, middle-aged man was different.
The mont Team Leader Da Fei appeared, his very presence made the cat freeze on the spot.
It instinctively took several steps back and cowered behind Gu Ming, not even daring to peek its head out.
But Gu Ming kept it by his side, his firm tone acknowledging its existence.
This warmth of being accepted ward the Little Black Cat’s heart.
But the veiled contempt in Team Leader Da Fei’s words sent a chill through its heart.
It couldn’t help but think, ’I’m too weak. I’m holding my master back.’
Just then,
Gu Ming’s hand gently ca to rest on its head. He stroked its fur and said softly,
"I believe it will beco as strong as Cyan Treasure and Ah Kun. Don’t you agree?"
Gu Ming looked at Team Leader Da Fei.
Team Leader Da Fei t Gu Ming’s gentle yet firm gaze and hesitated for a mont.
He knew full well that Gu Ming’s Little Cyan Snake and Grouper Fish hadn’t originally been high-potential Pet Beasts. While luck with their mutated bloodlines played a part in their current strength,
the most crucial factor was the custom-tailored Cultivation Techniques Gu Ming had developed for them. These techniques were perfectly adapted to their bodies, maximizing their potential.
This Little Black Cat was also an ordinary Cat Demon. If he had to say, its potential was likely even higher than the Little Cyan Snake’s and the Grouper Fish’s. With a bit of effort, it could be cultivated to join the Night Demon Cat System and be set on the right path.
Team Leader Da Fei chuckled at the right mont, the doubt on his face fading. He said,
"I believe you can make it as strong as Cyan Treasure and Ah Kun."
The Sunflower Seed-eating Hamster nearby lifted its head at his words, its little eyes darting around as if unconvinced.
Beside them, Lu You’s expression shifted, a worried look appearing on her face.
Team Leader Da Fei didn’t know the cat was already six or seven months old; he had mistaken it for a one-month-old Cat Demon cub.
He was unaware that the Little Black Cat’s chronic malnourishnt—starving when it should have been eating its fill—had long ago exhausted its potential for Evolution.
Barring any miracles, the One-star Level was the absolute limit of its life as a pet.
Gu Ming knew this as well, but his face was full of confidence, unlike the worried Lu You.
Lu You stole a glance at Gu Ming’s profile, wondering about the source of his inexplicable confidence.
...
A few minutes later,
the group arrived at the training grounds.
Recently, to optimize the Spiritual Qi distribution of the Spirit Gathering Array, the company had launched a new pilot program this week:
The training grounds were now subject to slot-based access in multiple waves.
Unless a project supervisor or other leader had an urgent need, all non-supervisory personnel had to queue for entry.
This new rule put imnse pressure on everyone.
Project teams that relied on cost-free trial and error to test their Cultivation Techniques would be classified as inefficient if they failed too many tis. Their place in the queue would then be pushed back by many days.
Slower progress naturally ant slower results.
Fewer results would affect both their bonuses and their performance ratings.
This invisibly ramped up the competitive pressure among the company’s various project teams, who all began to compete in secret.
Gu Ming’s Blue Fla Task Force had been subject to so minor, covert interference from other teams, but it hadn’t had much of an effect.
Gu Ming’s research and developnt had continued to proceed in an orderly fashion. Even though the other teams had intimidated the Red Carp King, Relay Cultivation wasn’t sothing that could be disrupted by affecting a single Pet Beast.
Mouse Treasure had a great attitude and was also a competent leader for the Cultivation Technique.
Even though the company’s Red Carp King had been severely disturbed back in the plantation over the last few days, suffering from poor sleep and an unstable ntal state,
it hadn’t affected the efficacy of the Relay Cultivation.
For example, today, after Yuan Ge’s Night Demon Cat cast Nightfall,
the Red Carp King and Mouse Treasure practiced together. The forr was listless, so Mouse Treasure imdiately took over the Cultivation, diverting so of its Mana into the other’s body to guide its Physical Strength. They still managed to achieve a transmission efficacy of nearly thirty-five percent.
In Gu Ming’s opinion, this was slightly weaker than expected; the Red Carp King could have done better.
However, he couldn’t very well speak up about the suppression from the other task forces.
Team Leader Da Fei wasn’t just in charge of his small team; he managed several other task forces as well. The very people suppressing them were from those other teams, and they were on excellent terms with Team Leader Da Fei.
Team Leader Lan Ze had received Gu Ming’s complaint and had even reported it to Da Fei, but he had been ignored.
At this stage, the only way to get Team Leader Da Fei’s attention was to withstand the pressure and continue to make steady progress.
In the future, Gu Ming’s influence within the company would slowly grow.
Then, things like suppression and covert competition would be nothing but smoke in the wind.
Or so Team Leader Lan Ze had advised.
Suddenly,
Team Leader Da Fei’s Blue Heart Feathered Beast extended its black talons and tore through the air.
SWOOSH! It ripped open a small, dark patch of night.
Team Leader Da Fei watched this unfold, his face showing clear satisfaction.
"This Cultivation Technique is ready for use.
"The next step is to simplify the process and optimize it for lower Star Levels.
"Lan Ze, go recruit more volunteers to practice the technique. Test a new batch every day. That will be your team’s optimization task for the next month."
Lan Ze and Gu Ming were both stunned.
’Does this an the Cultivation Technique is finalized and we’re moving on to the optimization phase?’
’In other words, the initial research and developnt is basically complete?’
Gu Ming had originally thought they’d need to raise the transmission efficacy to over fifty percent to et the standard.
He never expected that thirty-five percent would be enough to et Team Leader Da Fei’s expectations.
Then, Team Leader Da Fei turned to Gu Ming, his tone brisk.
"The Cultivation Technique developnt is complete. Your bonus will be transferred to your account shortly.
"If there are any specific Cultivation Resources you want, you can apply for them directly right now."
With that, Team Leader Da Fei arranged for the Blue Fla Task Force to create the first version of the Visualization Image.
He couldn’t wait to present this achievent to his superiors.
As for Gu Ming, he was only stunned for a mont before a system reward notification popped up.
[You and your classmate with severe social anxiety have found preliminary stability within the Hidden Sect. You have completed the mission issued by Elder Da Fei and received an Inner Sect Disciple’s reward of 10,000 Spirit Stones.]
[You just brought back a Chaos Creature and paraded it before Elder Da Fei.]
[He did not perceive the pet’s true form and even asked if you needed a Cultivation Technique from the Night Demon Cat System, mistaking it for a high-potential Night Demon Cat cub.]
Gu Ming was stunned. ’The month isn’t even over, and I’ve already gotten ten thousand Spirit Stones?’
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