Jupiter City Comprehensive Scientific Research Bureau
This was not the same place as the research institute everyone had visited during their last field practicum.
More precisely, the place they had gone to last time was merely a branch, while this was the city-level headquarters.
A high-rise built in a Brutalist style, with deep, cool tones.
Dynamic light installations densely distributed across its surface projected publicly available research-related footage around the clock, keeping the entire building brightly illuminated from the outside.
The ride-hailing car arrived.
The moment the three got out, they saw Anna Ivanova, who had already been waiting for them.
Unlike the three, who were still in their school uniforms, Anna had taken the time to change into casual clothes. Or rather, she had needed to change, lest she stir up unpleasant memories for the class monitor.
"Wenwen!"
"Anna~"
Seeing that the class monitor was "completely unharmed," Anna nearly burst into tears. Even when they embraced, she did not squeeze as hard as she usually did.
The four arrived beneath the research institute building. They had already been granted one-time access and could enter simply through facial recognition.
The instant they stepped into the Research Bureau lobby, electronic arrows appeared across the polished marble floor, guiding them toward their destination.
Perhaps because it was already past working hours, they did not see a single employee along the way.
After walking through the empty, maze-like building for around ten minutes, a door unexpectedly opened along the side of what appeared to be a seamless passageway without doorframes. The arrow on the floor vanished before the doorway.
A dark gray room.
No windows.
A cube-shaped layout.
The wall tiles glowed on their own.
A long stone table stood in the middle of the room. Four chairs faced the entrance, while a middle-aged man was already seated inside the table.
His head was almost square, and he wore rimless glasses. A conspicuous black mole sat above his lips.
Though he looked stern, he rose proactively upon the arrival of the four young people and shook each of their hands in turn.
"Wang Shuokang, current Director of the Records Management Department at the Research Bureau. There is no need for you to introduce yourselves. I have already thoroughly reviewed your practicum footage and personal information.
"You are an exceptionally outstanding group of young people. Please allow me to apologize to you on behalf of the branch research institute below.
"We have now suspended and rectified the branch where the incident occurred. Those responsible for dereliction of duty will be dealt with severely."
Director Wang did not sit back down until after giving them a bow.
Aside from Luo Di, everyone had actually been harboring some anger. With their recent school life and Director Wang's sincere apology, more than half of it had faded away.
Of course, they still had to see what compensation would follow.
Director Wang took four documents from the briefcase beside him and handed them to the young people across the table.
"These are your practicum reports and final evaluations. Take a look and see whether there is anything you are dissatisfied with. If there are no issues, please sign the final section. They will be entered into your personal files tomorrow."
Receiving the first practicum report of their lives, everyone was excited to some degree.
It recorded the entirety of their practicum experience in detail, separately listing each person's "effective Subjective Actions," along with evaluations from Research Bureau experts. Their ratings were then given on the final page according to the specific scoring criteria.
"Yay~ I actually got an S-!"
The class monitor raised her fist high, as though proclaiming some kind of victory.
"Wow, I got an S- too!" Anna was overjoyed as well. A result like this would greatly ease the pressure of advancing to First Middle School. She immediately clasped fingers with the class monitor and nearly jumped out of her seat.
"S!"
Even Gao Yuxuan, who normally did not like talking much, cried out in surprise at this moment.
His rating was even higher, mainly because he had applied "acupuncture" in actual combat and remained calm at the crucial moment, calling the special emergency number.
Everyone then turned their attention to Luo Di, who sat at the far end and had yet to say anything.
"Hey~ Luo Di, you got an S too, right?"
Luo Di did not respond. Instead, he displayed the final page of his practicum materials on the table.
S+.
It represented the highest practicum rating.
According to statistics, high school students who received above an A in their practicums accounted for only 1.3 percent. Those who could surpass A and attain an S rating were even rarer.
The light shining from the class monitor's eyes seemed even brighter than when she had seen her own score. "Wow! S+! This is my first time seeing one. Luo Di, can I look at your evaluation materials? I want to see how exactly you got the highest rating."
Luo Di merely shook his head, closed the signed document, and handed it back to Director Wang.
The class monitor did not mind and instead signed her own document.
After receiving everyone's signed documents, Director Wang continued, "I must say that all of you are exceptionally outstanding. To have everyone survive an accident like that, and as an expression of apology as well as our headquarters' appreciation for talent, this is the compensation plan we have prepared."
A red-header document was placed on the table.
Based on the fact that the compensation recipients were high school students with ordinary bodies and outstanding qualifications, as well as the severity of the practicum error, the Research Bureau headquarters had offered four possible forms of compensation.
1. One free internal cybernetic modification at headquarters, not limited to limbs or organs, valid permanently.
2. A City Research Bureau establishment quota. (You must complete your education normally and achieve good or above in all categories.)
3. Ten million rubles.
4. An entry-level Corner item. (Monster, Anomaly)
The first three were all perfectly normal. Only the final compensation option made all three, aside from Luo Di, frown.
The class monitor immediately grew serious as well. "Director Wang, is the fourth option a printing error? As I recall, these things should have a 20+ restriction. For students like us, they could have significant side effects and even affect our physical and mental development."
"Indeed, Corner items were once restricted to people over the age of twenty. However, in recent years, with technological advancements and national needs, we have begun trying to let younger humans accept items and adapt to them earlier. Based on the current data, the overall results have been fairly good.
"Furthermore, the items provided by our headquarters are entry-level and restricted in type, mainly external-use items. Their impact on individuals can be minimized.
"Once you make your choice, we will immediately arrange an compatibility test. If you fail to meet the compatibility requirements, the item will not be given to you."
At this point, Director Wang suddenly leaned his head forward, his expression darkening as he spoke.
"Lastly, and most importantly.
"The reason we have included the fourth option is because we believe this 'accident' may have had something to do with you yourselves, rather than being entirely accidental.
"After all, the branch research institute responsible for Simulated Anomalies had always performed well. It had even secured considerable national resources for our city, and had stably conducted more than twenty practicums before yours.
"Perhaps one of the four of you is relatively special, possessing some intangible quality. This quality may be prone to triggering the appearance of 'accidents.'
"This quality may not disappear with the end of the practicum. That means that in your future daily lives, you may be more likely than ordinary people to encounter 'accidents.'
"Taking the above reasons into consideration, our headquarters has offered this option. As long as you can master an item, it will greatly increase your survival rate should you encounter another accident.
"Whether it is us, the headquarters, or the entire nation, what we value most is talent.
"Only talent that survives can contribute to our cause.
"Make your choices."
Before you continue