Fulan stood quietly behind Hela, looking down at his toes.
To be honest, he thought what Hela said was a bit childish.
Although there was no one around, Fulan still felt somewhat awkward.
Hela turned her head, her large, peach-colored eyes staring straight at Fulan, making Fulan feel a little flustered.
"Was what I said really melodramatic?"
Fulan shuddered.
How can she understand her own thoughts?
"I don't know why either, maybe it's because of our symbiotic relationship."
Hela touched her chin, which appeared to others as if she were talking to herself.
This startled Fulan, who immediately stopped thinking and quickly apologized.
"Yes, I'm sorry, sir, I shouldn't have thought that."
Fulan apologized very sincerely, lowering his head, clearly recognizing his mistake.
Hela tilted her head slightly. "Apologize for what? I didn't blame you."
Fulan was stunned. Wasn't she blaming him for what she just said? Or was she doing something else?
Hela put her hands on her hips, raised her head, and struck a pose that she felt was incredibly cheesy.
Just keep a blank expression.
"Don't call me 'Sir,' I'm a democratic tyrant! Call me 'Boss'!"
Hela blinked, completely unaware of how strange her words had just been.
Fulan suddenly had a bad feeling; his boss seemed a little different from normal people.
Of course, this thought only flashed through my mind for a moment before I quickly suppressed it.
Hela paid no attention, her gaze falling on the bustling city below.
"I need to devise a plan first, to take control of this city without attracting the attention of the Night Star Headquarters."
Hela touched her chin, looking thoughtful.
Then, with confidence, he straightened his chest.
"I need to recruit a few capable underlings first; more hands make light work!"
Fulan nodded in agreement. "So, boss, which one should we symbioticate with first?"
"I don't know, let's look for it first."
Hela shook her head expressionlessly, ignoring Fulan's somewhat speechless look, and walked down from the rooftop.
Of course, I took the elevator down, so as not to attract attention.
There were only Hela and Fulan inside the elevator.
The two stood there silently, neither of them speaking, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
"To be honest, boss, I have some reservations about which helpers to hire."
After a long while, Fulan finally broke the awkward silence.
"What's your opinion?" Hela turned to look at him.
Fulan cleared his throat slightly. "I think we need a smarter helper right now, like someone who's a biologist."
"Because your abilities are closely related to biological structure, I think having an expert in this area could provide you with very good help."
Hela nodded thoughtfully.
"Okay, we'll do it your way."
In a mansion in City District B City B, a man dressed in a white coat who looks like a doctor is sitting in front of a computer, typing furiously on the keyboard.
Even with glasses on, her eyes were glued to the screen.
The screen kept switching due to his rapid operations.
The flickering image was reflected on his glasses, but the man didn't blink.
"Cough, cough--!"
Suddenly, the man began to cough violently, covering his mouth with one hand, looking extremely pained.
The coughing gradually stopped, and the man looked at his hands.
A pool of blood, coughed up by himself, stained his palm.
But the man seemed completely unconcerned.
He casually wiped himself off and then continued frantically typing on the keyboard, muttering to himself as he did so.
"Those fools, they don't understand the value of Variant at all. Using their physical data to create [ Variant Artifact ] is a complete waste!"
The more he spoke, the more frenzied his expression became, but soon the itching sensation in his lungs returned, and the man couldn't help but cough violently.
Cough, cough! Cough--!!
No, I can't hold on much longer. Even if it kills me, I have to get the results!
Looking at the larger amount of blood in his hand than before, the man's eyes hardened even more.
He slowly reached his hand to the side, wanting to grab the water from the table.
But he accidentally rolled off the bench and fell to the ground.
"Cough, cough, cough--!!"
The man started coughing again as soon as he fell.
This time, blood spurted directly from his mouth, landing on the floor and staining the wooden floor red.
He braced himself with his hands on the ground, preparing to get up.
However, his weakened body wouldn't allow him to do so.
He stumbled and fell hard to the ground.
The man angrily slammed his fist on the floor.
A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of the man's mouth, his eyes filled with resentment.
"If I had more time, I'm sure I could finish it!"
I can give you time.
A completely emotionless voice came from the window.
The man turned his head warily to look.
Then I saw that my window had been opened at some point, and in the moonlight, a snow-white figure stood quietly in front of it.
"Who are you?"
The man's gaze sharpened, and his eyes unconsciously drifted towards his computer.
Hela braced herself against the window frame with both hands, plopped down on it, and crossed her snow-white legs.
With one hand supporting his chin, he mimicked the villainous boss and spoke in a deep voice.
Who I am is not important; what matters is that I can keep you alive and give you more time.
The man turned his gaze to Hela, his sharp eyes scrutinizing the girl before him.
Why should I believe you?
Hela switched hands to support her head, her expression remaining unchanged.
Believe it or not, if you don't agree, you won't live much longer.
The man fell silent. Although he wasn't the kind of person who clung to life, he did indeed have many things left to do.
He cannot die now.
"Tell me your conditions."
In the end, he chose to believe, since even if the other party was lying to him, he had nothing left to lose.
The worst that can happen is death.
Hela's lips curled up imperceptibly; it felt really good to be the villainous boss.
"All you need to do is be my subordinate, help me, and make me stronger. I don't have many other requirements."
The man's eyes grew serious; Hela's conditions were far too vague.
What if I have to help her for the rest of my life? I'd have no free time of my own and wouldn't be able to complete my own research.
What's the point of living then?
"I can agree to your request, but you must also agree to my request."
Give me enough time to do my own things, nothing big, just a few hours a day will do.
Hela initially intended to refuse when she heard there were further requirements.
But when Hela heard that he only wanted a few hours of free time each day, she changed her mind.
"Okay, I promise."