"Ashley, how many years have you been working at Vought?"
"...Seven."
"Seven years. You went from a junior PR specialist to deputy director of PR, working at least sixteen hours a day... Tsk, tsk."
"How many times have you cleaned up after The Seven? Can you even count them anymore?"
Ashley said nothing. She seemed to understand what Lu Heng was getting at.
"Too bad. No matter how hard you work, Madelyn will always be looming over you."
"All she has to do is lift a finger and sign her name, and everyone beneath her has to run themselves ragged. When something goes wrong, they even have to take the blame and accept responsibility."
"When a project succeeds, she gets the credit. Tell me, is that fair?"
Lu Heng slid the glass of water toward her.
Ashley finally reached out and picked it up.
She knew perfectly well that Lu Heng was trying to drive a wedge between them, but everything he said was true.
"Guardian, what exactly are you trying to say? I'm no Homelander!"
Lu Heng understood what she meant.
"I know you don't have Homelander's iron head and arms. You can't withstand Madelyn's ravages."
Lu Heng stood and walked to the window, gazing at the skyline outside. "But what if... what if you had backing that was every bit as strong as Homelander?"
Ashley's hand trembled, and water splashed out of her glass.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Heh. As a seasoned survivor of the workplace, you know exactly what I mean." Lu Heng didn't press her to take a side.
"Go back and think it over."
"Madelyn's position isn't as secure as you imagine. Homelander's trust in her is wavering, and Edgar has questioned her ability to maintain control after several project failures."
"At a time like this, if someone could do a better job than her, someone who understood how to balance everyone's interests..."
He stopped halfway through.
There was no need to spell things out for a smart person.
Lu Chen then tossed a file across the desk. "One more thing. This file contains my recommendation report. The new members of The Seven can be chosen from Godolkin University. The kids there have clean backgrounds; they just need a little guidance, right?"
Ashley took the file, knowing it was time to leave.
At the door, she turned back and nervously asked, "Mr. Guardian, were you sent by one of Vought's rivals?"
"Of course not!" Lu Heng smiled. "I'm just a superhuman who got into this on a whim."
The door closed.
Lu Heng sat back in his chair and watched the numbers appear on the panel.
[Key Character · Ashley Barrett — Emotional Shift: Hesitation, Ambition] [Ability Points Gained: +634] Current Ability Points: 78,208 / 100,000
A seed of ambition had been planted. Now all that remained was to prepare for it to take root and grow.
Could Ashley the company drone rise to the top, just like she did in the original series?
Godolkin University.
The only institution of higher education for superhumans in the entire country, and Vought International's most important talent pool.
To put it plainly, it was Vought's breeding ground.
Superhumans who graduated from here either signed with Vought and became one of its heroes, or were assigned to cities as second- or third-tier law enforcement.
Those without connections were even sent overseas to maintain America's hegemonic rule around the world.
Only a tiny handful made it into The Seven.
Don't be fooled by the fact that A-Train and The Deep were useless. Back in their day, they'd both ranked among the top ten superhumans at Godolkin University.
Lu Heng drove the black Audi RS provided by Vought all the way from Manhattan to campus. He could easily have flown there, but today he didn't want to show up as Guardian.
He wore a black casual suit, no costume, and had casually combed his hair back.
He looked like a young Vought executive.
He parked in front of the campus's main building. As soon as Lu Heng got out, a middle-aged man hurried over to greet him.
"Mr. Guardian! Welcome, welcome! I'm Richard Brinker, dean of Godolkin University."
The man smiled like a jolly Buddha, bowing and scraping almost as low as The Deep.
"Ms. Madelyn already informed us that you'd be visiting to evaluate this year's top students and scout potential candidates for The Seven."
"Mm."
"I've arranged for our twelve best students to wait in the auditorium. Their files are also—"
"No need." Lu Heng cut him off. "I'll look around on my own."
Brinker's smile froze for a moment.
"C-certainly! I'll have someone show you around..."
"No need for that either."
Lu Heng had already walked away.
Brinker stood rooted to the spot, mouth hanging open.
He'd met plenty of Vought visitors, but never one who ignored the usual script so completely.
If you wander around on your own, how am I supposed to recommend my people?
The Godolkin University campus was enormous, with the typical architecture of an elite American college.
Red brick walls, ivy, and sprawling lawns.
It had every facility imaginable.
But Lu Heng's super-hearing told him this place wasn't as simple as it looked.
For instance, screams rang out from the direction of the training grounds. Someone was sparring, and the matches were clearly intense.
Someone in the dorms was using their superpower to do things that weren't suitable for print.
A professor in one of the lecture halls was teaching students "how to show off your best smile for the cameras."
The vibe was overwhelming!
Lu Heng shook his head and kept walking.
Two names were blinking on the panel.
[Cate Dunlap — Location: Training Ground B] [Jordan Li — Location: Third Floor of the Lecture Hall · Lounge]
The two of them had enrolled relatively early, while Marie Moreau was a freshman who'd arrived a few years later.
Lu Heng planned to talk to the one who was closer first.
Third floor of the lecture hall, lounge.
Two male students sat in a corner playing video games. Another person sat alone on a couch by the window, legs crossed, an iced Americano in hand as she scrolled through her phone.
Jordan Li.
A superhuman who could freely switch between male and female forms.
At the moment, she was in her female form.
Jordan's feminine features were quite pretty, it had to be said.
Her short black hair was tucked behind her ears. Her features were delicate, with slightly upturned eyes that gave her a naturally sharp look.
But she didn't have that stereotypical ABC look.
Lu Heng walked over and sat on the couch opposite her.
Jordan glanced up at him, then lowered her head and went back to scrolling.
"This area's restricted."
"I don't think I count as an outsider."
Jordan looked up at him again.
"Sorry, I'm not great with faces. Who are you?"
"I work for Vought. I'm here mainly to see the legendary Godolkin University for myself."
"I've met plenty of Vought people." Jordan put down her phone and tilted her head, sizing him up. "You don't look like those greasy middle-aged men in suits and ties."
"Hey, that's because I'm neither middle-aged nor greasy, all right?"
The corner of Jordan's mouth twitched. She seemed to find him pretty interesting.
"What's your name?"
"Lu Heng, though people outside call me Guardian."
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