People First, Then Positions: The Carrot and the Hole

Godolkin University.

On the training grounds, some people were flying, and others were flying high on weed.

Some were even doing both at the same time.

This university for supes was also known as the university for people who didn't act like people.

Lu Heng didn't bother posing as a Vought employee this time; he arrived showing his true face.

No more pretending! The cards were on the table!

He was the Guardian!

His arrival caused quite a stir on campus.

The Guardian, a member of The Seven!

One of the top five most popular superheroes in all of America!

He had come to Godolkin in person to scout for talent!

What did this mean?

It meant that whoever was chosen might go straight into The Seven, rake in endless endorsement deals, and even get their own standalone superhero series—it was a path to instant stardom.

The school administration organized a talent showcase, allowing the students with the best abilities to demonstrate their powers in front of Lu Heng.

Lu Heng sat in the audience, legs crossed.

He wore a pair of large dark sunglasses.

In his hand, he held a list of students.

Jordan and Cate Dunlap were right there in the crowd.

Lu Heng had tipped them off in advance, telling them both to bring their A-game.

The talent showcase began.

The first to come up was a dwarf student whose power was to shrink and enlarge at will.

Just hearing the description, it sounded decent enough; if he were in the San Fernando Valley, he'd be a hot star.

As it turned out, he held out a hand, and his pinky finger grew and shrank by three centimeters.

A useless power.

Lu Heng signaled for him to get off and for someone capable to come up next.

The second student was an Asian guy.

He wore a tight-fitting suit and held a pair of nunchucks, seemingly trying to curry favor with the judge by playing on their shared heritage.

The kid swung his nunchucks with impressive force.

I have to say, the movements were very fluid.

"Kid, your kung fu is decent, but I don't think this counts as a superpower, does it?"

The boy put away his weapon, then shyly stuck out his butt.

"Guardian, my power is flatulence."

He let out a fart, and a scent of milk filled the entire arena.

"Sorry, I had coconut milk and garlic bread for breakfast."

This time, before Lu Heng could even speak, the dean had already chased him off the stage.

Lu Heng blew hard, trying to disperse the smell of the fart.

A massive gust of wind instantly swept across the venue.

The principal clung to a table, begging Lu Heng to please stop using his powers.

"Cate Dunlap."

Lu Heng simply called her name, hoping to avoid anyone else pulling out their joystick.

Cate stepped out from the crowd.

She had the look of a classic blonde femme fatale, with delicate features and an excellent temperament.

"Guardian, my power is mind control."

"Specifically, I can make the target see any image I want them to see."

"Would you like me to demonstrate?"

Lu Heng nodded.

Cate walked over to the dean standing nearby and reached out to touch him.

The dean froze for a moment, then suddenly shrieked.

"Snakes!! The ground is covered in snakes!!"

He jumped onto a chair, trembling with terror.

His greatest fear was snakes. Cate read his mind, then projected an image of them into his head.

In reality, there was nothing on the ground.

"...What just happened?"

The dean finally realized it was a mind-control ability.

Mind control that required physical touch had a strictly capped potential, unless Cate could perform remote manipulation and hallucination projection.

Still, this ability could be used for interrogating prisoners; it had its applications.

"Is your ability effective against superhumans?"

Lu Heng was more interested in knowing this.

"It is, as long as the target isn't a psychic-type superhuman. If they've undergone psychological training, it gets a bit difficult."

Lu Heng nodded and drew a circle on the list.

Asking Cate these questions in public was just a demonstration for the school administration.

In reality, the positions had already been carved out.

The others never stood a chance.

"Next, Jordan Li."

Jordan stepped out from behind the crowd.

She was in her female form at the moment.

She walked to the center of the display area and switched genders immediately.

Her frame shot up instantly, her muscles filled out, and her facial features became rugged.

Her female form had transformed into a male form.

Then, she threw a punch at the test target by the edge of the field.

The wooden target exploded on impact.

"My male form is purely strength-based, with an upper limit of about a dozen tons."

She switched again, and two orbs of light ignited in her palms, which she launched at the target wall.

Two massive holes were blasted into the wall; judging by the damage, it was roughly equivalent to an anti-tank missile.

That was some serious firepower.

Lu Heng nodded and drew a circle on the list.

Afterward, he symbolically selected a few more people. Some were even stronger than Jordan, but unfortunately... these were pre-arranged spots.

The people were chosen first, and the positions were carved out later.

"Let's start with these two; they are better suited for the roles I'm offering." Lu Heng handed the list to the school administration.

The school official rubbed his hands together excitedly. Although the Guardian hadn't chosen the students they favored, having students selected by Vought would still count toward their performance metrics.

"Guardian, are you planning to have them join The Seven?"

"Not quite, just internship positions at Vought."

The school official hesitated.

"Internships?"

"Correct. They'll go to headquarters to learn first. Only those who perform well can move to the next stage. Not just anyone can join The Seven; it depends on your performance, understand?" Lu Heng gave a suggestive look.

It was unclear if the school official understood, but he gave an "OK" gesture regardless.

How exactly he interpreted it would depend on what happened next.

Lu Heng found Jordan first for a private talk.

He flew up to the rooftop of the teaching building.

Jordan was leaning against the railing in her female form—she preferred to present herself this way—holding a can of energy drink.

"Do you all-around superheroes always like meeting on rooftops?"

Lu Heng raised an eyebrow. "Rooftops are quiet; they're suitable for business."

Jordan's expression turned strange.

"Do I have to let you lean on me just to get a chance to join Vought?"

???

Lu Heng slowly projected three question marks.

He knew foreigners weren't exactly subtle, but he didn't think they were this open.

Although the female version of Jordan looked decent, her original form was apparently male; the female appearance was just a secondary manifestation of her superpower.

In other words, Lu Heng had no interest in men.

"I just like to show off, kid! As for the 'leaning' part, I have other candidates for that."

Jordan looked regretful.

"Fine, to be honest, I really wanted to experience it. After all, it's not every day someone gets to hook up with the Guardian."

Lu Heng: "..."

"So, can I join The Seven?"

Seeing Lu Heng speechless, Jordan asked tentatively.

"You're overthinking it. The Seven wouldn't pick someone with your image. Even though the America version is progressive, there's still a significant portion of the population that's traditional."

Jordan knew the other man had a point.

"So...?"

"I'll give you an internship opportunity at Vought. Maybe one day you'll become a candidate for the Young Superhero Team."

Lu Heng began to dangle the carrot.

A candidate for the Young Superhero Team?

Jordan was tempted. In reality, just the internship opportunity at Vought alone was a condition no student could refuse.

This opportunity was far too rare.

"I accept!"

Next was Cate.