Chapter 262: Undercurrents

A heavy sky hung overhead like a massive slab of lead, pressing down on New Sea City.

A faint, pale beam of light tore through the clouds, casting a bleak glow onto a towering structure that pierced the heavens.

The building was overwhelmingly oppressive—constructed from cold black glass curtain walls intertwined with dark-gold alloy frameworks.

It didn’t look like an office building at all.

Instead, it resembled a steel scepter of dominion, arrogantly nailed into the heart of this cyberpunk metropolis.

The Sky Dome District was completely different from the rest.

There was no trace of everyday life here.

Only walking embodiments of power.

Money. Class. Monopoly. Technology…

Even the air itself seemed saturated with authority.

“Director Bai, the above… is the latest report regarding [Gray Crystal] from C District Team 1.”

Inside a vast top-floor office, Manager Qian stood upright.

This slick-talking, oily supervisor—usually so smooth—now stood trembling, hands stiff at his sides, barely daring to breathe.

Before him sat Director Bai.

He occupied the main seat.

The dim light filtered through the blinds split his face into light and shadow, making it impossible to read his expression.

Manager Qian pulled out a handkerchief and discreetly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Bowing slightly, he spoke with a mix of respect and cautious probing:

“Director Bai, although Xiao Lin’s recent condition is… admittedly somewhat abnormal—one could even say there’s been distortion in both his personality and cognition—”

“His work attitude remains very serious. And in recent combat, he demonstrated astonishing talent far beyond his current rating—something absolutely worth our long-term investment.”

Qian paused, carefully watching the half of Bai’s face hidden in shadow.

“If we abandon him—or directly dismiss him under scrap protocol—just because of his current unstable mental state… I believe that would be a tremendous loss for the company.”

“…”

Silence.

Director Bai did not respond immediately. His deep eyes flickered faintly.

Only the soft hum of the central air system filled the room, suffocatingly oppressive.

After a long moment, Bai finally spoke, his tone unreadable:

“In the company’s historical archives, has there ever been a case where an excessively high [soul synchronization rate] led to reverse assimilation by the high-dimensional energy construct?”

“Th-this…”

Qian froze for a moment, then answered honestly:

“Almost never. Director Bai, this situation is extremely rare within the magical girl system. As you know, most magical girls develop abnormalities due to prolonged combat, which weakens their mental barrier, causing issues with the soul anchoring index.”

“If we really dig through the archives for a similar case… ah! There is one!”

“Who?”

“[Butterfly Flower].”

“‘Butterfly Flower’?”

“That’s Chen Die, Director Bai. The older sister of Chen Bing—the B-rank magical girl from our C District Team 1. She was once a prodigious genius.”

“Back then, her synchronization rate was absurdly high. While it granted her immense power, it ultimately caused a distortion in her personality. To put it simply… she became extremely indifferent. Not the cold kind—but…”

Qian searched for the right words, then said stiffly:

“So indifferent that… she believed from the bottom of her heart that magical girls with power and ordinary humans were entirely different species.”

“Hmm… I remember now.”

Director Bai interlaced his fingers, lightly tapping them.

“She was the one who later lost control and became the [Witch of Butterflies].”

He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“So… even an adult male mind can be assimilated by a magical girl form? Interesting.”

Then suddenly:

“Manager Qian—if you were the decision-maker, how would you handle [Gray Crystal]?”

“Huh? Oh—”

Qian’s heart leapt with hope, thinking his superior was softening. He quickly presented the plan he had prepared:

“I think since his cognition is currently showing gender deviation, we could grant him leave first. Cut off his connection to the phase core, let his mental state stabilize, allow his self-identity to recover… then—”

“Stabilize?”

Director Bai suddenly smiled.

Elegant—but cold.

“Manager Qian, have you been working at the grassroots level so long that your brain has softened like those ordinary people? Do you think Sky Dome Group is some charitable commune? Are we paying money to raise useless freeloaders?”

“Director Bai, that’s not what I meant, I just—”

“Have him participate in the B-rank promotion test on schedule!”

Bai cut him off completely, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He cast a cold glance at Qian, who had already begun sweating.

“Did I ask for your opinion?”

“Director Bai, I—”

“Enough! Send him to the test immediately!”

“But Director Bai, his mental state is extremely unstable! If something goes wrong, the consequences could be disastrous!”

“I told you to shut up!”

Bai slammed the table. The air in the room instantly froze.

“Who would’ve thought a man could become a magical girl? A bit of cognitive confusion is understandable. It’s just gender identity distortion—not schizophrenia! I said—send him to the test!”

He lifted his teacup and took a slow sip, his gaze icy.

“If you think his ability is questionable, then prove it to me—with results!”

Cold sweat dripped down Qian’s forehead. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find words.

“Does he not want to take the test?”

“N-no, Director Bai, he—”

“He just wants to avoid it! Someone who can’t even control himself—what right does he have to pass? What right does he have to become my subordinate?”

“Director Bai, this violates protocol! His file—”

“Protocol?”

Bai snorted and set the teacup down sharply with a crisp sound.

“Rules are made by people.”

His voice struck like iron:

“I don’t care what methods you use—coercion, incentives—if he’s still breathing, you will get him into that exam hall!”

“W-what?!”

Qian looked up in shock.

“What? Surprised?”

Bai looked down at him.

“No… I just think that if his cognition becomes distorted again—”

“So what?”

Bai sneered.

“Manager Qian, understand this fundamental principle: it doesn’t matter to the company whether the one inside the magical girl shell is male or female—human or something else.”

“What we care about is only one thing—value.”

“A mentally stable magical girl who still sees herself as human—but is weak and useless—is nothing more than a depreciating, low-quality asset!”

“The purer and stronger the armed force we control, the better our chances of surviving the coming catastrophe!”

Bai stood up and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the countless ant-like lives below.

“You call this cognitive distortion? No, Old Qian.”

“I see this assimilation as a perfect baptism for Lin Yu’s mediocre soul—a blessing from higher-dimensional power.”

“I watched his recent test footage. No hesitation. None of the unnecessary thoughts of ordinary humans. His combat posture now—elegant and efficient.”

“This is exactly the kind of weapon we need.”

Qian stood frozen, speechless.

He knew that in front of this man, any discussion about “humanity” or “mental health” was meaningless.

Cold sweat soaked his back.

Then suddenly, Bai’s tone softened.

“Old Qian, I understand your thinking. You’re sentimental—you care about your subordinates.”

“But don’t forget—this city, this world… we’re not the only player at the table.”

“Next door, Huaxia Heavy Industries, which follows a traditional tech route, has always been our competitor. While they lag behind us in spiritual energy applications for now, technological breakthroughs are unpredictable—that gap won’t last forever.”

“And across the Pacific, those mad dogs at Polaris Defense Corporation are also researching subspace and spiritual energy.”

“Do you think those capitalists, obsessed with hegemony and dollars, care about human rights when conducting human experiments?”

Bai leaned forward, hands on the desk.

“We are not a state-subsidized enterprise. We are a company! In this era, if you don’t advance, you fall behind. The moment we abandon innovation out of foolish compassion, we’ll be devoured by our competitors and thrown into the garbage heap of history!”

Qian took a deep breath, feeling as though a mountain weighed on his chest.

He understood too well the blood hidden behind such grand rhetoric.

“…I understand, Director Bai.”

He lowered his head, voice hoarse.

“I… will ensure Xiao Lin participates in this promotion test.”

“Good. I trust your ability. You’ve never disappointed me.”

Bai smiled in satisfaction.

He tapped lightly on the holographic tablet on his desk.

Beep.

“In one hour, 5.5 million in special funds will be transferred from my budget directly to your C District logistics department.”

“Lin Yu’s parents—weren’t they recently scammed by relatives back home while investing in a sea cucumber business? They’re now facing overdue bank loans, aren’t they?”

“Go tell him this: if he successfully passes the B-rank promotion test, this 5.5 million will be granted to him as a special talent reward bonus.”

“Not a cent more. Not a cent less.”

“In this city, in this world—is there anything money can’t solve?”

“If there is, then it simply means you didn’t spend enough.”

“…Understood, Director Bai.”

Qian felt his spine bend even further.

Now, he carried the company’s irresistible will and pressure.

Xiao Lin… Xiao Lin…

Can you bear this sugar-coated poison?

“Oh, right.”

Just as Qian turned to leave, Bai suddenly called out to him.

“For this promotion test, have that one named Luo Shaotian accompany him as logistics staff the entire time.”

Qian stopped, turning back in surprise.

“But Director Bai, Luo Shaotian isn’t a magical girl. He’s just an ordinary person—he can’t even use basic spiritual energy. Putting a normal person into such a high-risk testing environment—”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Standing against the backlight of the window, Bai spoke calmly:

“It just adds another variable.”