Lobotomy Corporation but with Simulation System?

The Department that was being expanded today was the Safety Department. The new Abnormality will be transfer to the Safety Department.

For the time being, the Abnormalities were relatively safe and easy to control. The threat level of these creatures was low, and the casualty rate was very low.

But that didn't mean that the ZAYIN and TETH level creatures wouldn't cause trouble. Relatively safe was just relatively safe. The external threat and the internal threat had nothing to do with each other, and were full of surprises.

Furthermore, sometimes, even if it was clear that some Abnormalities liked to cause trouble, they still had to be received. This was because there were other considerations…

Like the production issue, the work efficiency issue, and the need to maintain a certain level of threat in the Corporation, to encourage employees to continue working hard.

Risk and benefit coexisted. But in essence, the Corporation existed for energy, for profit, not to provide an orphanage for the employees.

[O-05-30]

[But nothing could compare to the music it makes when it eats a human!!!]

[Forsaken Murderer]

["What's really pitiful is people like you dying to the likes of me..."]

[O-04-84]

[That's not a flower. Order all the employees nearby to evacuate immediately]

X was choosing which creature she had to contain today. Although X was just choosing the Abnormalities that didn't have files, it was still necessary to understand the other Abnormalities, to weigh the pros and cons, and to consider the methods of dealing with them.

As a Manager, she didn't only need to focus on short-term returns, she also had to consider the long-term future. 

"Hm, these guys all seem like a lot of trouble… Angela, any suggestions?"

Just looking at the descriptions, she knew it wouldn't be easy to choose. X was considering flipping a coin to decide which "cutie" to choose.

But before that, even though she knew the chances were slim, X still wanted to ask her reliable Secretary for a suggestion.

Considering how excellent she was, she should know a little bit, right…?

Of course, the AI Secretary would not directly announce the answer, tell X which one she should choose. That kind of direct shortcut wouldn't make sense.

The AI was still her usual elegant self, taking on the role of a patient teacher instructing a student. She explained to X the issues regarding choosing Abnormalities.

[When choosing Abnormalities, besides considering the threat level of the Abnormalities, you also need to consider the Abnormalities' output and what kind of management method is suitable…]

[If you make a choice just for convenience, the employees will know this, and neglect their training. When they face more dangerous Abnormalities, they won't know what to do.]

[You know, the adage "Born into hardship, die in comfort"… You can't train a skilled sailor in calm waters.]

"I know, I know! I'm volunteering for overtime! Angela, you said I'm working overtime every day. Is there any extra pay for overtime? Does the Corporation not have any benefits…?

X boldly asked for more from her Secretary. She was becoming more audacious lately. She didn't know where the guts came from… Yesterday she had almost been packed up, but today she was still daring to say these things.

[I'm sorry, your overtime is a requirement. It is your duty. We call it "Duty Overtime." This is the Corporation giving employees more training opportunities, to nurture their abilities.]

"Oh, is the next line, 'employees should be grateful to the Corporation, thank the Corporation for not charging extra for training fees'?"

X echoed the AI Secretary's words, sarcastically remarking.

But there was no problem with these words. They were in line with her practical self-interest and position. Each word, each sentence of the AI was just helping X adapt to the environment…

It was guiding X on how to be a better Corporation "Manager."

[Manager, we never force employees to be grateful to the Corporation. The hiring contract clearly states the tasks they need to perform and the risks they need to bear, just like we hired you to be our Corporation Manager.]

[I believe in your abilities. You can do all of this… The facts prove that I didn't misjudge you. You've been doing great so far, and I hope you can continue to maintain your progress.]

[It's not easy to keep your life on the right track from beginning to end… Manager, although you're not as outstanding as your resume says, you still have many valuable, commendable qualities.]

"Oh, you're bringing up that resume again. I've said it's not me, Angela. —Don't talk about that. I'm going to work now!"

X felt embarrassed just thinking about those inflated words that the AI read from her resume. It was like someone had revealed her middle school years when she was fantasizing about some bizarre settings.

How could anyone put so much on a resume? She had to say… Were there people this exaggerated…? Too fake.

The AI Secretary always liked to tease her about this. It would be fine if it was anything else, but X couldn't stand fake, exaggerated things. She had always focused on results and real ability, not empty bragging and vanity.

If she were the interviewer, she would see this kind of resume, and if the skills and actual experience didn't match what was written, she would absolutely kick that person out of the Corporation, and make them leave quickly.

It's just that, it's not just that. If you don't have the authority to access this or that kind of experimental project, you shouldn't overstep your bounds!

—Hm? What was I thinking about…

—What experimental project?

X suddenly furrowed her brow. She was troubled by the thoughts that had just popped into her head…

She didn't remember having these things. But she had a vague impression of them, a feeling like… somewhere… it had happened?

What did I do before?

… No impression… All she remembers is being tied up, and being kidnapped for ransom. She doesn't know who it was, but it was most likely the same group as the "loyal, reliable, and trustworthy" AI.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on these things. Her energy should be focused on work. Once she focused on work, she wouldn't be bothered by those "little" trivial matters.

X lightly tossed a coin. Heads, she would choose [O-05-30]. Tails, she would choose [O-04-84]. In the end, the coin landed in her palm, tails facing up. She chose [O-04-84].

The AI slightly furrowed her brow, but said nothing.

Subject Number is [O-04-48]. The Abnormality was housed in the Safety Department.

From the outside, this Abnormality was nothing scary. It was a fluffy creature, half of its body was buried in the floor of the Containment unit. It also had something similar to a lantern fish lure. Under the Cognition Filter, it even looked a little cute.

"Good morning, Netzach. You seem to be in good spirits. The new Abnormality is being assigned to you, good job!"

X greeted the Deans as usual. Actually, she felt that the new Abnormality's aura was very suitable for Netzach. It also looked like a kind of flatfish, it must be very well-behaved.

And Netzach also seemed to be pretending to have the appearance of a Dean. She was wearing the clothes she should be wearing, they were relatively neat. But that… To put it politely, her lazy demeanor still couldn't be concealed.

"Morning, Manager. Wait… X, why did you tie your hair up today…?"

Netzach had that usual sleepy, reluctant morning look. But as soon as she saw X's appearance, her drowsy eyes suddenly opened wide, as if she had been woken up from her sleep, staring at X. Her jade-green eyes shone brightly, giving off a somewhat frightening feeling to X.

"What's wrong, Netzach?"

"Do you feel strange…? I feel a little strange too. I don't like the way I look, it's not good."

X also felt something was off. Why were all the Deans so strange today? It was just that she had tied up her slightly loose hair with a hair tie. It wasn't like Angela had drawn something on her face?

That would be too childish… The AI Secretary would definitely not do something so boring.

X was using her greatest malice to guess the AI Secretary's thoughts. She came to the conclusion that the AI Secretary was using some unknown method to tease her.

But when she thought back to how gentle Angela had been when she was tying her hair, X wavered a bit. Was she being a little petty like this?

X reached out to untie her hair. Her short bangs were just slightly long, and it wouldn't make any difference if they were loose. They wouldn't obstruct her vision.

It felt more familiar when her hair was short...

Just as X had this thought, Netzach suddenly became agitated. It was like her entire body was glued to the camera, so much so that half of Netzach's face filled the screen.

It seemed like she was about to reach out her hand and touch X…

"Oh?! Calm down, Netzach. Is there something urgent you need to find me for?"

X was startled. Unconsciously, she wanted to move away from the screen. But she didn't want to make the Dean feel "disrespected" or "disliked," so she held back that urge to flee, and tried to appear calm.

"No… Nothing… Manager, I'm fine."

It took about two seconds for Netzach, who had been glued to the screen, to regain her composure. She retracted her previous awkward behavior and regained her calm. Even though her expression didn't change much, there really wasn't anything wrong, was there?

X was anxious to ask what was wrong, but this time Netzach took the initiative to cut the camera before X could open her mouth, switching to the next Dean, the Information Department Dean, Yesod, the one who had a small altercation with her earlier this morning.

That embarrassing incident from earlier didn't seem to have any impact. Yesod was still serious as ever.

"X, there's a new task for you today. Do you know what a perfect situation is? The best thing is to handle things properly before they get chaotic. If you can manage each Abnormality without any mistakes, they won't cause any trouble."

"[Managing each Abnormality perfectly] is the perfect situation I know… I expect your words to be as beautiful and perfect as your actions… Judge by your actions."

But as expected, she was a bit more sarcastic than usual. X understood. Yesod was referring to her words earlier this morning. Now, X had to be responsible for those words.

In Yesod's eyes, the definition of "perfectly managing Abnormalities" was "the results of the work being flawless." She needed to prove her ability to the Information Department Dean, that she was qualified to say those eloquent, capable words…

"No problem, watch closely, Yesod!"

X smiled at the Viper. Unsurprisingly, Yesod snorted and quickly turned her head away, switching the lens to another Dean.

Yesod's face flushed red. X noticed this. It was because Yesod's reactions were always so big, so interesting. That was why X liked to tease her all the time.

Even though her language was quite harsh, Yesod had never done anything bad. X was still very reassured by her. It was unlike Netzach, who would "retaliate" against the Manager.

Yesod was a very clever Viper that wouldn't bite. Even if she occasionally showed her fangs, it was only to remind others to stay away from her.

At least for X, Yesod's words hadn't broken down her defenses. She hadn't been as badly hurt as she had been by Netzach. X was used to her words, and even found them good. At least they let X know where her weaknesses were, and what she needed to learn.

Besides the Information Department Dean, Yesod, who had given X new tasks, the Training Department Dean, Hod, also needed X's help.

"Manager, I hope you can arrange for employees to participate in the containment of different Abnormalities. Command them… to repress work."

"Training employees through simulations is limited. In the end, they still have to face those terrifying Abnormalities themselves… But not all employees can survive their first encounter with Abnormalities…"

"I think, if you can help, if you can command them, wouldn't their situation be less dire…?"

Hod looked at X very intently.

"I understand what you mean, Hod… I will try my best to ensure the safety of the employees… Assign them to deal with the containment, train them to repress Abnormalities."

X was about to say "proactively release" those Abnormalities, but the word was too strong. Proactively opening the Containment units, seeing the employees panic…

It was a bit cruel…

Deliberate actions and management errors were two different things. X didn't want to appear so heartless.