The Spiritist Association Members were already old acquaintances with Fortune Cat. Watching the boxes of Basic Creations being stored, they teased, "Wang Facai, your business is growing bigger and bigger. In a few more years, I'm afraid all our association's tasks will be completed by you."
Wang Facai replied familiarly, "You're joking with me. I'm just making a hard-earned living. The orders here are mainly completed by those large studios."
"You've chosen quite a few newcomers to enter the trade this time, haven't you?" The director casually opened a box, picked out a Basic Creation, and asked with a smile. "No wonder Lao Hu often says that on the Seventh Sub-Star, there's no one kinder than you."
"I can't take that compliment from Section Chief Hu," Wang Facai waved his hands repeatedly, modestly. "My wallet is thin; I can only afford these newcomers' salaries. Mutual benefit, mutual benefit."
The director laughed heartily. "You're truly modest. If it weren't for you, those useless people would never have the chance to touch the path of Artificer."
"Not at all, not at all," Wang Facai said reservedly.
When the last box of Basic Creations was transported into the Spiritist Association, the director said cheerfully, "The count is correct. Once Lao Hu finishes the test results, your payment will be approved."
"Alright, then I'll trouble you. I'll go back and wait for your news," Wang Facai said respectfully.
The director nodded with a smile, clearly pleased with Wang Facai's deference.
After Wang Facai drove away in his flying car, the director turned to look at Lao Hu, who was already waiting at the door, and said meaningfully, "Lao Hu, you need to inspect these Basic Creations carefully this time. Report any anomaly to me. We can't bury good seedlings, you understand?"
"I know," Lao Hu replied.
He was not young, with graying temples, wearing a neat but worn uniform, and his spirit seemed somewhat lacking. Having worked for many years with bad luck, this was probably what he looked like.
The director was very reassured by Lao Hu. He patted him on the shoulder and walked into his office.
Lao Hu looked at the boxes of Basic Creations on the transport cart. Only when he could no longer hear footsteps did he press the start button. Instead of choosing the commonly used testing room on the third floor, he directed the cart toward the newly built testing room at the far end of the first floor.
Just as the first transport cart reached the door, the testing room's door burst open with a bang. The door was much sturdier than the cart; the boxes stacked on the cart fell off, scattering the Basic Creations all over the floor.
Lao Hu was about to bend down to pick them up when he saw a shiny leather shoe appear in front of him, kicking away the nearest Creation.
"What do you think you're doing? Didn't you see I'm using this lab?" Arrogant words fell from above his head.
Lao Hu's mouth twitched slightly, then he resumed his lifeless expression and said in a muffled tone, "Section Chief George, I didn't know you were inside. This batch of Basic Creations is relatively important, so I thought I'd use the newest testing room."
"Ha, are you kidding me?" George looked disdainfully at the Basic Creations scattered on the ground. "These were sent by that Chris, right? Basic Creations made by a bunch of garbage. If it were me, I wouldn't even let them into the Spiritist Association."
"Of course," George said meaningfully, looking at Lao Hu. "You should be able to understand them better."
Lao Hu lowered his head, silent. This was the most common interaction between him and George.
George's biological father was the vice president of the Seventh Sub-Star Spiritist Association and also a Spiritist Master. Therefore, George always looked down his nose at everyone in the Spiritist Association. Even though he was only a section chief now, he never feared anyone and even directly occupied this newly built testing room.
"Alright, take your pile of garbage and get lost," George said impatiently.
Lao Hu bent down, picked up the Basic Creations one by one, and packed them into boxes. When he was about to drive the transport cart away, George suddenly called out again, "Wait a minute. Now is a busy time for the association. Don't waste everyone's time with your garbage. Use the testing room on the second floor, the innermost one."
Lao Hu stopped and turned back hesitantly. "But the instruments in there are obsolete and should have been retired."
"Retired? What a coincidence. Doesn't that match perfectly with your garbage?" George mocked. "You wouldn't be planning to disobey me, would you?"
A hint of threat flashed in his eyes.
Lao Hu was silent for a moment, then drove the transport cart away without a word.
"He won't disobey you, right?" the person behind George asked with a grin.
George snorted. "How could he? Where would he get the guts?"
Lao Hu drove the transport cart and moved the Basic Creations to the innermost testing room on the second floor.
He turned on the testing instruments. They clattered and banged, and dust filled the room along with the violent shaking of the instruments. Coughing, Lao Hu fed the Basic Creations into the instruments one by one.
The lights on the instruments flickered on and off, making one worry whether they would last to the end. Fortunately, they didn't break down after the last Basic Creation was tested.
Lao Hu opened the test results, his fingers scrolling rapidly.
This testing instrument was the oldest model, capable of only detecting the most basic attributes of Basic Creations—size and durability.
B B B B A B B A A A B B B...
All the data was qualified; there was no other anomaly.
Lao Hu lowered his head, imported the data into his Light Brain, and sent the conclusion to the director. The dust was still floating in the room, obscuring his expression.
The director, who was drinking tea in his office, received the message and opened it to read carefully.
"Not a single anomaly?" The director frowned slightly. "Did Chu Ran not make them, or is there really nothing special about her Spiritual Power after it recovered?"
Thinking of the earlier news that Chu Ran had moved into Old Street, the director tapped his fingers on the desk. "No, she must have made Basic Creations."
The director paced in front of the window, then finally lowered his head and sent an email on his Light Brain.
No rush. Let the Chu Family charge ahead; one day, they will expose what she's hiding.
His Light Brain suddenly dinged again. The director opened it and saw that Lao Hu was asking whether to approve Chris's expenses.
The director clicked his tongue. All useless trash.
Approved.
Chu Ran soon received the rest of her salary, a total of thirty thousand carats this time. She decisively paid another month's rent to the landlord.
What to do next?
Chu Ran scrolled through her Light Brain, thinking. She still couldn't find the trigger condition for the anomaly in her heart. If she had to say, before the trigger, she had fallen into a state of anger.
But she had specifically collected news articles praising Old Master Chu on StarNet. She was angry, but her heart showed no change.
So could it be a life-or-death moment? Or sensing a huge crisis?
Chu Ran rubbed her chin. Under the premise of ensuring safety, proving this was not easy to do.
Her gaze fell on the enormous promotional advertisement for the Spiritist Tournament on the front page of StarNet.
The Spiritist Tournament preliminaries were not physical battles but were conducted on StarNet. The Spiritist Association would upload the data of Basic Creations to the new network and then transport these Basic Creations to training centers for use by new students.
"Maybe I can also sign up, but I can't sign up under the name Chu Ran," Chu Ran muttered to herself. "How can I create a fake identity that no one knows about?"