You Have to Go on a Business Trip

"Speaking of which, why do I feel like nothing's changed?" Hao Ren pinched the muscles in his arm, finding he hadn't become super strong or immune to injury. He even strained with all his might towards a distant corner wall, but no ball lightning appeared. All in all, he felt he was still just an ordinary person, perhaps with enhanced regeneration? Too bad he couldn't bring himself to cut himself on the spot...

"What else did you expect?" Raven 12345 replied without looking up as she put the adjustment and reinforcement pod back in place according to the manual. "Like shooting out three fireballs in a row?"

"Uh, didn't you say you'd give me some combat power?" Hao Ren felt he'd been tricked by his unreliable female superior again. "You have me working alongside people who can kill with a wave of their hand, so give me some self-preservation ability! What exactly did this adjustment do?"

"I regulated your endocrine system, removed those two scars on your elbows, and got rid of your white hair," Raven 12345 said with a serious expression. "At least, that's what it did for now."

Hao Ren: "..."

"Ah ha, your expression is really interesting!" Raven 12345 seemed quite amused by the look on Hao Ren's face. She held back her laughter for a full ten seconds before bursting out. "Don't overthink it, don't be too greedy. I know what you want. I've brought in quite a few newcomers, and I'm a professional. For the first month on the job, you new recruits only think about becoming superheroes overnight. But think about it, if I had really given you such great abilities this time, or even just the ability to jump twenty meters from a standstill, what would the consequences be?"

Hao Ren thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "I won't be afraid of elevators breaking down anymore? I could sign up to be Spider-Man's stunt double?"

Raven 12345 stared at Hao Ren. "Wow, your brain reminds me of someone... but you're going too far. If you really turned into a superhero, the only result would be you crashing into walls or hanging from the ceiling for over twenty hours a day. Physical enhancement is a gradual process—" As she spoke, Raven 12345 patted Hao Ren's shoulder. "You've been given what you need, but it's temporarily locked by a mental suggestion program. It'll ensure you don't use abilities beyond your processing capacity prematurely. Experience more things, complete a few small missions to hone yourself, and your physical potential will gradually unlock."

Hearing this, Hao Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he hadn't been scammed, just that it was now an installment plan. And Raven 12345's explanation made sense: a person bound by Earth's gravity for twenty-five years suddenly gaining the ability to fly and burrow would definitely not be a good thing. At best, he might accidentally demolish his own house, so a temporary safety lock was necessary.

Hao Ren knew his personality well. He was usually calm, but in special circumstances, his curiosity was excessively strong. If he had truly gained superpowers, the first thing he would do upon returning home would be to touch an electrical outlet to test it...

"So, what aspects of my body have been enhanced?" Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 with anticipation. "Asking this shouldn't be against the rules, right? It would be good to have a general idea for psychological expectation."

Raven 12345 explained seriously this time: "Reaction speed, strength, recovery ability, adaptability to extreme environments, resistance to toxins, radiation, high and low temperatures, corrosion, and everything else that needs resistance. However, these are generally enhancements on a human basis. In the future, after you pass the assessment, there will be other adjustment projects, but they all have strict standards. Even after the enhancement is complete, you won't be allowed to casually use dangerous powers: you must first prove that your will can control superhuman strength. You understand."

Hao Ren nodded, examining himself from head to toe. He felt his mindset would definitely pass the assessment: a good person, as his name implied. But as Raven 12345 said, everything had to be tested in practice. From today onwards, his special career as a "grassroots employee of the Time-Space Administration Bureau" would officially begin.

"Alright, the labor insurance has been provided, and the new employee onboarding enhancement is done. You can go back and slowly study the rest of the employee handbook. For now, the most important rule you need to remember is: you cannot reveal any information about the Time-Space Administration Bureau to unrelated individuals. By unrelated individuals, I mean anyone other than your tenants. Remember, anyone," Raven 12345 looked Hao Ren directly in the eyes, "And even with your tenants, you can't just blab carelessly. Just let them know generally why you're looking out for them. While I specifically selected your tenants, it doesn't mean they've entered the Time-Space Administration Bureau's circle, at least not yet. It's a very delicate balance, so pay attention to how you handle it."

Hao Ren looked at her in surprise. "A confidentiality clause? The Time-Space Administration Bureau... according to you, isn't this an organization of 'gods'? Why would you, as deities, be afraid of people knowing about your existence? From what I've heard, gods are all very high-profile, wishing all of humanity would worship them, spending their time researching religious expansion..."

"There are times for propaganda, but only when necessary," Raven 12345 shook her head. "For the Time-Space Administration Bureau, such propaganda is unnecessary. Remember, the regions the Bureau handles are those with their own developmental trajectories, where local indigenous civilizations are evolving normally and have a strong degree of independence. Even if we become gods, we cannot arbitrarily interrupt the evolutionary process of a normal civilization. Letting a group of intelligent beings suddenly know that outside their familiar world there are super-beings who can manipulate universal constants, letting them know that their entire world of existence can be rewritten or deleted at will by 'gods,' is almost a spiritual catastrophe for most civilizations. Of course, revealing the Time-Space Administration Bureau's affairs to others won't lead to such severe consequences; most people won't believe you, but it's a matter of principle."

Hao Ren nodded, half understanding. "I get it... but if that's the case, is the Time-Space Administration Bureau actually a secret organization? Besides us... knowing, others don't know?"

"Not entirely. The structure of the Macro World is not static," Raven 12345 still shook her head. "The Macro World is a vast system established by His Majesty the Emperor, a virtual network connecting all universes within the Empire's territory. This network grows every day, and the Time-Space Administration Bureau is the control system for this network, so we encounter all sorts of situations. Sometimes a civilization or a group grows to a point where they can contact the Empire, or some regions suffer major disasters, forcing the Bureau to intervene comprehensively. In such cases, of course, we can't maintain secrecy. After approval, the Bureau can decide to reveal the Empire's existence to a certain group, and that group is then officially accepted as a member of the Empire. But these matters are quite distant for you—you should focus on your own immediate responsibilities. Honestly, the current standards for you new examiners are already quite lenient. When the Bureau was first established, the Empire's situation was unstable, and the confidentiality regulations were much stricter. Back then, we were accustomed to applying Imperial military standards to civilian departments, and any leakage of information was met with execution. Although the execution system is still in place, as long as no actual harm is caused, there are no issues. You should be grateful!"

Hao Ren broke out in a cold sweat, suddenly realizing the vast and serious organization behind this seemingly casual female superior: execution regulations were brought up so casually!

But at the same time, he also sensed a huge opportunity in Raven 12345's words. Even though he still didn't fully understand the time-space network and the Time-Space Administration Bureau, he could vaguely imagine what a behemoth it was, and he was now a part of it. How insignificant was his known planet, his galaxy, or even his universe within the entire "Macro World"?

Just thinking about that made his motivation surge!

At this moment, Raven 12345 had already finished tidying up the equipment in the room and led Hao Ren outside. "Don't think too much about it for now. All the necessary procedures for you are complete, and I have a mission to assign you."

Upon hearing this, Hao Ren immediately perked up: the organization needed him!

"In a couple of days, you'll need to go to Europe," Raven 12345 said casually. "To pick up a new 'tenant.' I put a lot of effort into getting him here, but that idiot got the time zones wrong by a full eight hours upon landing! I won't bother with such trivial matters myself. It's a good opportunity for you to gain some experience."