Born Newborns

Lunch break.

The base didn't have a cafeteria, so everyone had to figure out lunch on their own.

Lost in browsing forum threads, Ye Qing had forgotten to order delivery.

He took the opportunity of going to the restroom to observe the employees' work conditions and incidentally ask what they wanted to eat.

Eating was a very complicated matter.

Ever since college, meals spanned every idle mealtime.

Pork trotter rice? Spicy hot pot? Barbecue rice bowls? Yellow braised chicken rice?

Before eating, he often had a fierce exchange with friends because the conversation was usually devoid of nourishment and lacking conviction.

For example, unnutritious dialogue like "What to eat?" and "Yeah, what to eat?"

For example, unconvincing dialogue like "Let's have noodles," "How about rice?" and "That works."

Therefore, it took half an hour just to settle on the meal for the time being, but at least back then someone chipped in with ideas.

Now, Ye Qing didn't have anyone to consult for half an hour. Pondering bitterly was inferior to pooling wisdom, so he picked a lunch his employees wanted every day.

Coming out of the restroom, Ye Qing returned to the Hypnosis Department's corridor and accidentally ran into a research maniac who shouldn't have been appearing at this hour.

"Department Head Zhao, have you paused your research to take a break?" Ye Qing raised a hand and asked.

"Not paused, haven't even started yet." Zhao Xueshan stuffed her hands into the pockets of her white lab coat and replied indifferently with a deadpan expression:

"Still haven't thought of a research direction, feeling a bit troubled."

"You can't rush it; maybe you'll have a way after eating lunch. By the way, what are you having for lunch?" Ye Qing steered the topic toward what he cared about most.

"I don't know." Zhao Xueshan immediately responded, since she didn't care, she didn't need to waste time thinking:

"It doesn't matter what I eat, I have my assistant pick up boxed meals for me."

"Oh? Are there any extras? Give me one, then." Ye Qing requested.

Opening a blind box for lunch wasn't bad either.

"The assistant always buys a lot. You can come to my lab and eat together."

"It's hard to refuse such kind hospitality."

Ye Qing was indeed a bit hungry, and waiting for delivery would take too much time, so he might as well go along with it and have a meal together.

His relationship with three of the Abyss Return executives could be described as good; he just didn't get along well with one specific department head.

Zhao Xueshan belonged to the one with a good relationship. Running into each other on the way meant they would greet one another and chat for a bit.

The weekend a few days ago had been just like that.

As a "salary thief" who couldn't do anything, if Ye Qing had a terrible relationship with the other department heads and was targeted even slightly, he would have to kiss his job goodbye.

Therefore, ever since he first joined the company, he had intentionally or unintentionally buttered them up to close the distance with the executives.

Armed Machinery Department.

Zhao Xueshan's exclusive private laboratory.

The laboratory was filled with various exquisite high-tech instruments, and its space was the largest among all executive-level laboratories.

Aside from routine research, placing large mechas required more space.

Ye Qing's laboratory was only a third the size of Zhao Xueshan's.

"Find a stool and sit down yourself," Zhao Xueshan said casually, beginning to untie the plastic bag holding the boxed meals.

It wasn't the first or second time they had eaten together.

The experimental tables were all large experimental square tables, different from household square dining tables, and the gap between the two sides was quite wide.

Sitting face-to-face definitely wouldn't work, so the two of them sat at the corner of the experimental table, sitting exceptionally close together.

Sometimes Zhao Xueshan was too lazy to move the boxed meal to the table corner, and they would sit in a row to tackle lunch.

It looked like their relationship was out of the ordinary, and they had even been suspected by Zhao Xueshan's assistant.

Alas, both of them had extremely thick skin and were people who didn't sweat the small stuff.

One had a brain full of experiments only, understood nothing about interpersonal interactions, and treated men and women the exact same way.

One had a brain full of eat, eat, eat; delicious food bewitched his eyes, and he didn't care who was beside him at all.

What else was there to think about during mealtime if not eating?

"Today is sumptuous as always, too," Ye Qing sighed with emotion.

"It's like this every day; anyway, Xiaoqian will take care of whatever can't be finished." Zhao Xueshan replied.

"A swill bucket?" Ye Qing couldn't help muttering.

Xiaoqian was the experimental assistant Zhao Xueshan had recruited.

Because the salary offered was too high, she had brought out the other person's human warmth.

Aside from helping Zhao Xueshan with experiments and providing ideas, she also arranged the daily meals and occasionally reminded her to sleep and rest.

"With me here today, she doesn't get a share. What a pity, though." Ye Qing didn't hold back his tongue, wolfing down his boxed meal.

"She bought her own share. The extra food is just a bonus." Zhao Xueshan ate in a leisurely manner.

"Did you abuse her? Look at how hungry you made the kid to eat so much."

"Heh."

To Ye Qing's teasing, Zhao Xueshan decisively replied with a cold sneer.

"Do you have any clues on improving the Super-Electromagnetic Trap Prototype Type II Mecha?" Ye Qing slowed down his eating speed and chatted idly.

"No." Zhao Xueshan sighed:

"The boss requested that the venue not be destroyed. A super-electromagnetic trap mecha with reduced power cannot restrict the Magical Girl's flight either.

If we want to force the Magical Girl to enter the capture range, we must use firepower to force her and restrict her flight. We need to capture her while avoiding area-of-effect attacks, and I can't think of a solution."

Unable to destroy the environment, unable to threaten citizens, yet wanting to capture a high-mobility Magical Girl head-on.

It couldn't be done, utterly impossible.

"Since you can't get close to the Magical Girl, make the Magical Girl get close to you voluntarily." Ye Qing swallowed his food and spoke casually and offhand:

"Turn it into a defensive mecha, pretend to threaten them with citizens, use that previous power grid as a feint, and set up an electric rope in the center of the mecha to paralyze the Magical Girl for a sneak attack."

Anyway, he wasn't a technical staff member; talking nonsense casually didn't matter.

Without considering the manufacturing difficulty, it was easy to talk when you weren't the one doing it.

The so-called bystanders are sharp, those close to vermin are tainted... no, wait, wait.

Those involved are confused, those looking on are clear.

A simple remark unlocked Zhao Xueshan's limitations, and countless novel and strange mecha structures constructed themselves in her mind.

"You really are a born newborn!" Zhao Xueshan's eyes lit up as she exclaimed, completely losing interest in eating.

Putting down the boxed meal in her hand, she recklessly plunged into the depths of the laboratory and began gathering the materials needed for the new mecha in her mind.

"Uh-huh, are you praising me?" Ye Qing twitched the corners of his mouth, looked up at Zhao Xueshan in the distance, and shouted loudly:

"Are you still going to eat or not? Then I'll eat your share too, you know."

Without receiving the slightest response, Zhao Xueshan was already immersed in her own world.

Hesitating for less than a second in thought, Ye Qing decisively shoved the extra portion into his own mouth as well.

I'm gonna eat, eat, eat!

For some reason, his appetite was ridiculously good.

His food intake was much greater than before, and he didn't feel much sense of fullness.

It seemed his exercise volume had gone up recently, which was why he ate so much.

Ye Qing thought to himself.