Chapter 00191: The CEO
# The CEO
Chapter 191
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 191: The CEO
In just four or five days, Lou Feng painfully discovered a harsh truth—the reason why people are called "beasts of burden" is that the life of a beast of burden is truly inhuman!
Those sitting in air-conditioned offices sipping coffee naturally can't see the blood and tears of assembly line life.
Under the terrifying workload akin to that of a sweatshop, everyone in the Recycling and Disposal Department was working in three shifts to meet their targets and deadlines.
It never stopped.
Even so, the continuously delivered pollutants waiting to be processed gradually piled up like a mountain.
A slight oversight, and the mountain would grow even taller.
Spiritual pollution incidents occurred almost daily.
Even with maximum protection, a single mistake could lead to severe consequences.
The recyclable parts that had just been disassembled and cleaned were hastily washed and sent back into the production line to meet demand.
Under the increasingly severe pollution leaks in Quancheng, the isolation facilities originally designed to last five to ten years were on the verge of collapse after just two or three years.
The filters used to store and contain pollution had a lifespan measured in weeks.
After repeated use, their effectiveness drastically declined, and their lifespan shortened even further.
If it weren't for the sudden appearance of a savior like Ji Jue, they might have all collapsed from overwork in the workshop.
And what was even more tragic...
Lou Feng realized that if he weren't assisting Ji Jue, his processing speed wasn't much faster than anyone else's.
The son of a wealthy family didn't need to risk his life like the common folk.
He had a good father, a good mother, and a good teacher.
Everything was because of the Lou family's influence.
But now that he had left the Lou family, he felt like he was nothing.
His teacher had said that when he stopped caring about these things, he could have hope.
But how could someone easily discard everything they had grown accustomed to and cared about since birth? When all honor and achievements came from that, how could one simply let go?
Several times, Lou Feng wanted to speak up but ultimately said nothing.
He really didn't want to share his doubts and confusion with that bastard Ji Jue.
He just gritted his teeth and followed Ji Jue's pace, panting as he struggled to keep up.
By the time he came to his senses, Ji Jue had suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" Lou Feng asked, holding his tools, looking up in confusion.
"Tired. Let's take a break," Ji Jue yawned and asked, "How about you take over? I'll assist you."
"Me?" Lou Feng frowned.
"What?" Ji Jue smirked mockingly.
"Afraid you can't keep up? Forget it then."
"Go to hell..."
Lou Feng snapped, only realizing halfway through that he had almost cursed—it had only been a few days, and not only had he not improved, but his manners and composure were almost gone.
Thinking of this, he felt a wave of sadness.
But in his anger, he instinctively raised his head and snatched the tools from Ji Jue's hands.
"Move aside!"
Another set of rust-covered containment equipment was brought in by the conveyor.
Lou Feng casually tapped it, and a stream of spiritual energy spread out, enveloping the entire massive device.
Countless rust spots fell off and sorted themselves out.
Then, an invisible force emerged from the shaped spiritual energy, disassembling the equipment at a speed no less than Ji Jue's.
In the midst of his busy work, Lou Feng still found time to glance back at Ji Jue and let out a cold snort.
See that?!
Ji Jue clapped his hands helplessly: "Amazing, truly impressive!"
But Lou Feng wasn't impressed.
He just snorted again and ignored him.
Ji Jue shook his head.
Why did this young master from a wealthy family have to be so tsundere?
Thinking this, he slapped the back of his head, suddenly alert: "Damn, I've been single for too long. Why does Lou Feng look so handsome now?"
Just a passerby, but honestly, he's not as good as Xiao An!
Speaking of which, how is Xiao An doing? Is she still busy? The Safety Bureau is like a sweatshop.
Sister Wen must be exhausted...
"Isolate," Lou Feng called out, but Ji Jue didn't respond.
Annoyed, he raised his voice: "Isolate!"
"Alright, alright, isolating," Ji Jue slapped the nearby instrument, and a force field appeared, sealing the core of the containment equipment to prevent pollution leaks.
Without needing to adjust complex parameters, the Mechanical God's ability made handling such situations simple and convenient.
Seeing Ji Jue flaunting his abilities again, Lou Feng couldn't help but snort once more.
The Good Work Matrix activated again, speeding up the process.
I refuse to believe I can't outperform him today!
Ji Jue, standing to the side, was utterly confused.
Why was Lou Feng snorting and suddenly gaining motivation?
It's like a tractor...
For the rest of the time, Ji Jue simply took his teacup and moved to the side, resting comfortably while occasionally cheering Lou Feng on.
At the same time, he reviewed the gains from the past few days of intense work.
He was stuffed.
Almost to the point of indigestion.
He had never eaten so well before.
Even when processing waste at the Tidesound Workshop, it wasn't this easy.
There's an old saying: "Only the person who wrongs you knows how much you've been wronged."
Similarly, the person who hits you knows how much it hurts...
Over the years, Professor Ye had been unstoppable both inside and outside the academic world, and her signature Disintegration Technique played a significant role.
After seeing so many people cry and wail, she naturally avoided falling into similar situations herself.
At the same time, due to her perfectionism and strict standards, the stability of her creations was terrifyingly strong.
Many parts and circuits susceptible to disintegration had been reinforced.
Just the integration alone was at a level Ji Jue had never heard of.
When Ji Jue disassembled them, it was like a fly buzzing around a seamless egg, relying solely on repeated attempts to make progress.
If luck was worse, he might even trigger preset traps...
Perhaps in Professor Ye's teaching plan, this unconventional method was meant to forcibly enhance Ji Jue's understanding of the structure of creations and spiritual circuits.
But disassembling them was pure agony.
It was nothing like now, where it felt as easy as attending kindergarten.
In these disposable products, no one would go out of their way to set up defenses or complicate maintenance.
Sometimes, Ji Jue just pulled a wire, and the entire package would open smoothly.
Just look at his wristwatch.
A few days ago, he had barely reached the second stage in Yacheng, with the "3" just showing up.
But after joining the Recycling and Disposal Department, in just four or five days, it had skyrocketed to 60%.
The progress bar shot up like a download with a premium membership, unstoppable.
He was so full that even the Mechanical God was struggling to digest.
If working in the workshop was like sitting patiently under candlelight, savoring a small portion of delicacies, then here, it was like barging into an all-you-can-eat buffet, feasting without restraint.
At least forty craftsmen, fully focused, had produced different batches of equipment, each belonging to different schools, styles, and focuses...
It was like forty craftsmen personally tutoring Ji Jue, imparting their knowledge directly.
Now, even with the same task, Ji Jue could easily distinguish the differences between them in his hallucinatory perception.
From the subtle differences in material usage to the varying emphases in circuit construction, and even the small personal habits and experiences...
In the Safety Bureau's inspection process and under the brutal erosion of corruption, all substandard products had been eliminated.
What remained and was sent to Ji Jue were all perfect scores!
And even then, Ji Jue could sense that some people scored perfectly because they reached 100, while others scored perfectly because the total was only 100...
From the craftsmen's personal marks and signatures, the most impressive among all the batches of containment equipment was none other than Master Zhou Chong, whom Ji Jue had just confronted a few days ago!
Based on Ji Jue's current experience, he could vaguely sense that all works bearing Master Zhou's mark were not made by a single craftsman but rather by a group of craftsmen working together in one go.
Yet, despite the division of labor, there were no conflicts or contradictions.
Even if there were occasional flaws, they were covered and reinforced in other simultaneous processes.
Under strict control, just a dozen apprentices working together could achieve a level of completion that ordinary craftsmen could only dream of.
Throughout the process, Master Zhou orchestrated everything, integrating all aspects.
Apart from his personal style and mark, there were no other inconsistencies.
No need for unique features or styles, no need for whimsical ideas or inspiration.
Just follow the teacher's commands step by step, and apprentices who were only meant to assist could participate in crafting works beyond their limits...
Even the lead craftsman could share the burden with other members, further enhancing the completion!
This skill was a perfect match for Ji Jue's Mechanical God!
After all, for others to do this, the apprentices and assistants couldn't be too weak, and it would take a long time and effort to build默契.
But Ji Jue didn't need any of that.
With just a touch from the Mechanical God, the tools were ready.
If he could control multiple intelligent puppet assistants to aid in alchemy, wouldn't the speed, efficiency, and upper limits skyrocket?
Unfortunately, such skills were undoubtedly top-secret, the kind of treasure one would take to the grave.
Not even one's own sons or grandsons might be taught.
Otherwise, he might have considered finding a club and a sack...
Let Zhou Cheng suffer a bit, and let the blame fall on the Heretic Cult.
Sadly, Zhou Cheng was too weak.
Such a high-level skill book probably wouldn't drop anytime soon.
He could only hope that after this setback, Zhou Cheng would work hard and deliver himself to Ji Jue in the future...
Thinking this, Ji Jue felt a small sense of anticipation.
Such fine materials!
Such fine materials indeed!
You all must have a bright future...
Now, as Lou Feng gradually became more proficient, Ji Jue took his water cup and stepped outside.
Under the scorching afternoon sun, bathed in the distant breeze, he suddenly felt a sense of liberation, as if he had just been released from prison.
The reason he was willing to let Lou Feng take over was that the rapid growth period the Mechanical God experienced from processing the works of these forty craftsmen was coming to an end.
Containment equipment was, after all, just ordinary creations, not even blessed.
The effort the craftsmen put in was ultimately limited, and no matter how high the completion rate, there was a limit.
After providing ample nourishment during the initial period, the Mechanical God's growth began to slow down.
To put it in the words of a scoundrel, he was getting bored.
Time to pull up his pants and move on.
Tough.
After finishing a few more batches, the growth from such creations would be negligible.
To advance further, he would need to find more high-quality items... and dismantle them!
The batch of alchemical works he had "picked up" in the break room a few days ago could now be put to use.
Aside from the Heart-Piercing Arrow, which served as inspiration for his next creation, most were protective blessed items, which should provide about a 30% boost to his abilities.
Once he returned to Yacheng, he could dismantle some of Professor Ye's discarded works, work hard, and likely reach the peak of the third stage.
Then, he could start searching for blessings.
Among all the blessings pointed to by the Non-Aggression Matrix, the highest priority was the Celestial Origin series' [Axis of Dominion].
However, blessings from the Celestial Origin series required influencing and controlling the external world to obtain.
Without official cooperation, the difficulty was often high, especially for a rare blessing like the Axis of Dominion.
It required many people to genuinely follow the rules Ji Jue set, obey his commands, form a cohesive group centered around him, and accomplish deeds aligned with the Celestial Origin's principles.
The work permit Professor Ye had given Ji Jue contained relevant guidance.
If he could reorganize the scattered Research Department and revive the Coastal Auto Repair Factory, success wasn't out of the question.
Though it might take a long time, it was better than aimlessly wandering around without a goal.
Sometimes, the difference between having a teacher and not having one was this: at critical moments, they could provide the necessary conditions and guidance.
As Ji Jue pondered his future plans, the details gradually became clear, and he felt more at ease.
When he came to his senses, he realized he had wandered to the edge of the outpost, and in his hand was...
A dog?
"Woof!"
The dog, thoroughly enjoying the petting, wagged its tongue and rolled on the ground, exposing its soft belly.
Its nose nudged Ji Jue's hand, urging him to keep petting...
Behind him, the little ox-cart following silently finally let out a pitiful beep, its headlights tearful.
"Huh?"
Ji Jue was shocked.
"Where did this dog come from?"
Thinking back, he remembered that shortly after he sat down, the dog had emerged from the grass, wagging its tail and circling around him.
It had lured Ji Jue's hand to pet it.
The sensation was smooth and silky, impossible to stop.
The dog's fur, a mix of light gold and white, was slightly dusty with grass seeds, feeling like silk.
It was a sheepdog.
It wore what seemed to be a harness for a leash, but the rope had broken, leaving only a short piece hanging from the buckle.
The broken end hadn't been reattached but was instead intricately tied into a complex and delicate knot, quite adorable.
As if it had been set free, released from restraint.
Now sensing Ji Jue had stopped, the sheepdog gently licked his hand, its touch wet and soft.
"Hey, stop licking, stop," Ji Jue pulled his hand back, and the dog sat up, straightening itself, tongue lolling as if smiling at him.
It was quite cute!
But how did it end up in this remote wilderness? Surely it hadn't been abandoned by its owner?
"Do you eat canned food?" Ji Jue bent down and asked, then realized he had never owned a dog or bought canned food, but there were plenty of chicken legs in the car's fridge.
At least he could feed it one.
"Come here, let me see~"
Ji Jue pulled the sheepdog closer, scratching its chin, and noticed the dog tag hanging from its neck, bearing its name.
However, the tag seemed quite old, worn down to the point where the name was no longer clear.
"CEO?"
Ji Jue squinted, running his fingers over the scratches, confirming it twice, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Your name is CEO? That's hilarious."
Who names their dog something so bizarre?
Just how much resentment do office workers have... dreaming of going home after work to beat up the CEO?
Ji Jue chuckled, ruffling the dog's head.
He flipped the tag over.
And then, his smile froze.
He felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.
"Holy..."
On the back of the tag was a simple logo, clearly marking the sheepdog's affiliation.
It was all too familiar.
Ji Jue's vision darkened, his heart and lungs seizing.
—Skyrail Corporation!!!
(End of Chapter)