Chapter 104
Chapter 104
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Amplification Breakthrough
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"You've been glued to it every day, and you finally pulled it off."
"Of course. Who do you think I am?"
He had every right to look smug about it.
If anything, it was impressive that he wasn't bragging even more. This was a huge accomplishment.
The applications for amplification technology were endless.
If this was real, it would change everything moving forward.
I was lost in thought, examining it closely, when Fontana provided more details.
"It's not fully perfected yet. This device uses components from the Red Wings, but without them, the amplification effect is negligible."
"How much does it amplify?"
"Barely over 30%."
"That's still incredible."
"There's another issue."
His voice dropped a little.
"The higher the output, the more unstable the amplification reaction gets. I'm trying to find a solution, but I have no idea how to fix it."
"It's early in the research phase. You'll figure it out as you keep at it."
"Of course. But I can't do it alone. And I can't stay stuck here forever..."
I smiled faintly as Fontana glanced at me cautiously.
Lately, he'd been saying this a lot more.
When I first brought him on, he insisted on handling everything by himself.
But as the workload grew and research piled up, he changed. Now he was even saying things like this.
It seemed his time as head researcher at Mutant Corp had left a big impression.
"Hmm..."
But this wasn't something I could answer lightly.
The Salmon Lab was my most important facility.
I'd managed it meticulously, but problems kept cropping up.
Just half a year ago, one of the researchers had been caught spying.
It ended without major incident, but that researcher was on track for a leadership promotion based on their performance.
It rang alarm bells for lab security all over again.
It also reminded me that the Salmon Lab was still young and untested.
Before answering, I glanced around.
Roze was too busy touring the lab to notice.
"Alright."
"...Really?"
He sounded suspicious when I agreed so readily.
It wasn't like me at all.
But I had my reasons.
"You'll have to go through an interview first."
"An interview? What kind?"
"There's someone named Sia Rakesis."
"Your secretary. I know her—she's contacted me directly when you've been busy."
"Oh, really?"
News to me.
But it made sense.
Missions often ate up days at a time.
During those, Sia handled all my external communications. Fontana would reach out via real-time comms sometimes, so it wasn't surprising they'd met.
"But why Sia?"
I explained her ability.
Not in detail, but I told him she could discern if someone was trustworthy.
Fontana nodded, eyes wide with surprise after hearing me out.
"That's some ability. If it's real, it'd be a huge relief."
"You know we've had issues here. Even for leadership roles, verifying them first will make things smoother going forward."
For some reason, Fontana's expression darkened.
"What?"
"I just... what if one of the people I trust turns out to be a rat?"
I understood.
Finding out someone you trusted wasn't who they seemed hit hard.
Especially since the senior researchers at the Salmon Lab were all Fontana's contacts.
People who'd come running to work with him after decades apart, post-collapse.
Betrayal from them would hurt worst of all.
"They'll be fine. They've already been vetted multiple times."
"I know, but..."
I reassured him for now.
We had to trust until proven otherwise.
Showing doubt could stir up unnecessary trouble.
"Besides, even a bad result doesn't mean they're a rat. Sia's ability reads heart and temperament."
Sia's power visualized a person's inner nature and disposition.
Not like mind-reading from novels—no exact thoughts.
But face-to-face, she could gauge their vibe in real time.
Lying or not.
She claimed combining that with the visualization let her spot rats with near-perfect accuracy.
And there were bonus effects.
Hearts and dispositions don't change easily.
Once scanned, it was a lifelong reference.
We could screen out researchers with strong political leanings or whatever upfront, making management way easier.
I'd wrestled with this when I first heard it.
Screening people out preemptively? Seemed discriminatory.
What if the scrutiny itself caused resentment and problems?
Life was full of "good" people causing massive screw-ups.
'It's about application.'
Not blunt discrimination.
Sia's ability deserved careful use.
Spotting nature and talent meant placing them right.
Hotheads in high-risk spots needing boldness. Fickle types in roles demanding total immersion.
Giving them environments to shine.
Fontana got it quick enough.
The benefits of vetting trustworthies were too massive to ignore.
"But is Sia trustworthy?"
I nodded.
Sia and I were strategic partners.
If I couldn't provide a big enough safety net, she'd bolt—but I was confident.
For talent like her, it was a given.
Same with Fontana—he wouldn't be on my side if I lacked the chops.
"Got it."
"Sia will stop by soon. Round up the researchers for screening then."
"Without telling them about her ability, right?"
"Naturally."
Her power wasn't for public knowledge.
Knowing someone could peek into your soul created walls.
It had to stay secret.
Fontana knew most of my secrets anyway, but no need to spread it further.
Then his face grew serious again.
"Wait. Does that mean me too...?"
"Of course. Director, you're top priority."
"Aw, man!"
He took my teasing in stride.
We shared a laugh, eyeing each other.
*
Fontana left Roze and me behind.
He had a supplier selection ceremony, as mentioned.
I firmly declined his invite to join.
'No need to crash an awkward party.'
I said I'd review research docs instead. He dumped a stack on me, unable to stand me lounging.
Couldn't ignore it, so I pored over papers for a while before remembering Roze and looking up.
She sat quietly across from me.
Our eyes met.
"Sorry. Must be boring."
"Don't worry about me."
I'd apologized for leaving her alone, but she shook her head.
"I'm not here on vacation."
She looked genuine, not just polite.
Pushing guilt would be rude, so I nodded back.
"But isn't that stuff tough?"
I shrugged.
Full of jargon, formulas, symbols—but not hard for me now.
"I'm used to it. Looks complicated, but the concepts aren't that deep. Roze, a little study and you'd get it."
"Ugh, no way."
She grimaced and shook her head.
No exaggeration.
She just hated brainy stuff—not dumb by any means.
Smarter than average, actually.
Her focus and intuition shone in spots, giving sharp deductive skills.
"If you're ever interested, just say."
"Pfft. Never happening."
She glared playfully through her grin.
I dove back into the docs.
Short chat with Roze cleared my mental block.
'Time to add my notes.'
I'd felt the payoff from steady studying lately.
Like I'd crossed a threshold.
Before, reports kept me busy just comprehending.
Now, I pondered alternatives.
What if we tweaked this? Or that?
Not vague hunches anymore.
I could back them up convincingly—not just "maybe."
'Not sure if it's right yet.'
I'd held back to avoid confusing the team, lacking confidence.
But today, insights flowed—I couldn't sit idle.
I fired up the input program and started annotating.
Time flew.
I finished the last page, confirming Fontana's stack was done, then looked up.
Fontana stood right beside me.
"...Huh?"
When'd he get here?
I turned—Roze yawned from her seat.
"Yawn... Done?"
I checked the time.
Hours gone—shocking.
"Hmm."
But Fontana mattered more.
I'd added notes on a whim, but he'd given them to grasp ongoing projects.
"How long you been watching?"
"Not long. You were deep in it, so I let you be."
He eyed my annotations properly.
"...Whoa."
"Good?"
"Good? If you weren't my boss, I'd poach you for the lab."
High praise.
Considering the lab's researcher caliber, that beat most PhDs.
"Just jotted what came to mind. Not sure if it's right."
"Logic aside, thinking like this now is impressive. Some need testing ASAP, but I bet they're spot-on."
Fontana looked up from the papers.
"Boss. Review future reports like this? Add notes?"
"If it helps, sure."
"Really? Then start with these."
His face lit up, shoving a huge batch my way.
I checked the volume and winced.
"These aren't reports—this is massive."
"Heh, they are. What you get is the condensed version."
Lost for words.
"With your help, research could accelerate big time. Pretty please?"
Fontana wheedled slyly.
More work wasn't smart, given my schedule.
But faster progress? Hard to refuse flat-out.
'Independent unit might free up time...?'
I'd see.
Darmosa's errands would end, but coordinating with higher-ups and managing new troops would pile on.