Wizards: Starting with Synthetic Gems

Chapter 558 Brainstorming and the True Role of Researchers at the Advanced Institute of Truth

In the Breeders' Public Laboratory, Locke discussed his current progress with Mason Witch and others.

As expected of researchers who have been at the Institute of True Knowledge for more than two years, Mason Witch and the others, with the topics and research ideas given to them by Locke, as well as the preliminary experimental data, each completed the analysis of the mechanism of action pathway of a pineapple-type magical plant in just one week.

If it weren't for the fact that the three of them applied for the Magic Mirror at a slightly slower pace than Locke, the completion speed might have been even faster.

In this way, with the 23 pineapple-type magical plants, plus the one Locke recently completed, they have directly made four, leaving only nineteen pineapple-type magical plant mechanism pathways.

Locke was very satisfied with the progress.

In this way, they completed a large part of the work in just one week.

At this rate, roughly half of the work can be completed in a month.

I was initially a little worried that I would be too busy to collect key data on the mechanisms and pathways of action of 23 pineapple-type magical plants by myself. Fortunately, the Celtic team leader assigned three of his colleagues to help me.

Each of these three has more experience using the magic mirror than I do for the time being, and with their own key ideas, they are all completing tasks faster than I am.

The witch Freya smiled apologetically at Locke and said, "Oh, right, Locke, I'm sorry, I made a mistake in my experiment and used the structure comparison machine one more time."

"I'm very sorry about this."

Locke nodded, glanced at the bill they had prepared for him, and took out seven magic crystal cards, handing them to the three of them. "It's alright. It's inevitable that experiments will encounter problems and need to be repeated a few times."

“I’m not that stingy. Besides, using the structural comparison machine only costs 1,000 magic stones. I saw on your bill that it cost a total of 68,000 magic stones this time. Consider the extra 2,000 magic stones as a reward for my three friends.”

The witch Freya accepted the seven magic crystal cards, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes. She jokingly said, "Then thank you very much, little boss?"

"Locke, I didn't expect you to be so generous."

Locke knew that the researchers at the Institute of True Knowledge were all quite stingy due to a lack of funding.

But Locke understood that no matter how stingy he was normally, he absolutely could not be stingy with his group's expenses.

I don't have the authority over these three wizards as a superior; we're just colleagues. Being stingy will only reduce cohesion within the group.

Small favors may not be of much use, but they can serve as a lubricant for the atmosphere within the group.

If you're too stingy, this group won't go very far.

Locke handed three sets of preliminary experimental data on pineapple-type magical plants to the three wizards. "Here, this is the preliminary experimental data I've compiled for you this week. You three can choose one set yourselves; it should be enough to apply for a second-class grant project."

"These three types of pineapple-like magical plants are all first-ring magical plants, and they are among the more powerful first-ring magical plants, approaching the first-ring crystallization magical pressure. Moreover, they affect a relatively large population of magical creatures. Therefore, researching the key mechanism pathways of these magical plants should be able to pass the second-class grant from the True Knowledge Institute."

Barrett, Freya, and Mason the Witch were surprised to receive the documents from Locke and began to read them.

The three of them had thought that Locke's promise to help them write a project application that would qualify them for a second-class project grant was something that would happen a long time from now. But Locke actually kept his promise.

Mason Witch said, "Oh, thank you so much, Locke."

Freya the witch covered her mouth and said, "Locke, you're really becoming our little mentor. You gave us funding, and now you're giving us a project."

Barrett the wizard said to Locke, "Locke, thank you."

Locke nodded and said, "I should be thanking you. You gave up your own research to work on my project."

"Therefore, I will definitely help you complete your second-class grant project. Our subgroup can work together to make this pineapple-type magical plant a success."

At this moment, all three of them nodded involuntarily.

Locke's actions solidified his absolute leadership within the group.

Wizard Barrett said, "If I still can't get approved for the second-class grant project even with this information, I can't blame anyone else but myself for not being able to write well."

Mason Witch laughed and said, "Locke, you're such a good person."

Freya said, "We'll work harder. At first I was a little worried about the future of our team, but now I don't have to worry at all. We'll definitely get better."

"If the four of us work together, we can definitely achieve something in Group Six, no, or even in this Zhenzhi Institute."

Locke nodded and said, "There is one more thing. The three of you, I would like to brainstorm with you, because I want to create something even more outstanding, so I would like to ask the three of you to brainstorm with me."

"See if you have any ideas."

Locke then explained his desire to obtain special funding and a key sub-project.

These three people have successfully become his team members, so he naturally has to express his thoughts and goals.

Freya the witch said, "Locke, do you want special funding and a sub-project? Since that's your goal, then that's also our group's goal."

Barrett the wizard smiled wryly, "I never dared to think of this before, but if this is Locke's goal, then it makes a lot of sense."

"Then count me in."

Mason Witch said to Locke, "But getting top-tier funding and sub-projects is very difficult. Well, let's think together about how to optimize our project to make it even better."

The three of them fell into deep thought.

They wanted to come up with an idea immediately, but there was no point in rushing these things.

Locke felt that his management skills were getting better and better.

He said to everyone, "Let's continue with the original plan for now. If you have any good ideas, we can have a short meeting to discuss them."

"Let's brainstorm together. Maybe we can come up with something good."

Brainstorming, a management concept from Locke's predecessor, is a decision-making method that stimulates group creativity through free association and non-critical discussion.

Essentially, it involves first generating a large number of ideas, and then finding a breakthrough from these ideas.

Locke's proposal was accepted by everyone.

Locke then seized the opportunity and said, "Then, shall we have a small meeting every Monday, a discussion among ourselves?"

Mason Witch said, “Very well. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Freya the witch also said, "Otherwise, if we each fight alone, we won't be able to take advantage of our teamwork. We are a team."

“Yesterday, some wizards from Group Six came to me asking about the progress of our group’s experiments.”

In this way, Locke quietly confirmed his right to lead a weekly group meeting every Monday.

Because they are peers, it's not appropriate to force them to make demands. Therefore, these kinds of requests should be made in the most tactful way possible, and they should be presented as suggestions rather than demands.

And they pretend that everything comes from everyone's discussion and thinking, rather than their own personal opinions.

So Locke had the three wizards write down some of their ideas, and then everyone gathered them together for discussion.

The three wizards also found this approach novel, so they began to do as Locke requested.

An hour later, Locke finished reading the wizards' ideas and found one that might be useful to him.

This was proposed by Mason Witch, who suggested that perhaps their group could optimize the current methods for exploring the relationships between the six main groups of magical plants and magical creatures.

That is, to find ways to optimize the exploration methods.

If they can do that, it will definitely improve their overall evaluation within the group.

Locke immediately looked at Mason Witch and pondered the possibility.

This means that the entire experimental process framework of Group 6 needs to be changed.

The overall experimental process framework of the current six groups was designed by the group leaders of the past six groups, and currently it should be the Celtic group leader who designed it.

Building upon this foundation, designing and optimizing an experimental process framework for second-circle wizards is no easy task, and may even seem like a pipe dream.

Locke fell into deep thought.

Mason Witch looked at the note in Locke's hand and quickly waved her hand, saying, "Locke, I just wrote it down randomly. You said we could write down all our thoughts on the note without any criticism, and we could write whatever came to mind."

“That’s why I wrote it on the note. But it seems a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it? Don’t take my wild thoughts seriously.” Locke nodded and said, “That’s precisely the point of my brainstorming method.”

"The point of this discussion method is to have people in a meeting write down all the ideas they have. I am just trying to find useful inspiration from your ideas."

"Alright, I have things to do this afternoon, so I'll take my leave now."

Mason Witch breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that her wild thoughts might have affected Locke and caused him to get stuck on his own ideas.

Now that Locke says he hasn't been affected, that's great.

At this moment, Mason Witch said to the group, "Then I'll be going to Catherine Witch's place too. I haven't completed the contract for the special dimension yet."

At this moment, Locke glanced at Mason Witch with surprise.

Freya the witch and Barret the wizard looked at Mason the witch with envy.

Locke asked, "I remember Mason, you went to your mentor Ekaterina a long time ago to sign a contract for a special plane, right? Why did it take so long? I signed a contract for the Emerald Dream plane in a very short time."

Freya the witch offered to explain to Mason the witch. "It's like this, Mason is very lucky. Her mentor gave her the choice to sign a contract with the Ancient Sky Realm. Mason has dragon blood in her veins, and the Ancient Sky Realm gave her a special test, but this test will take a very long time to complete."

"That's why Mason often goes to the Throne."

Barrett said, "We also signed a contract with the Emerald Dream Plane, and we completed the contract after just one trip."

"Mason is very lucky because he has dragon blood in his body, so he can sign a contract with the Ancient Sky Illusion Realm."

The witch Freya said, "I've heard that the ancient Sky Realm had a great fondness for wizards with dragon blood."

Mason Witch said, "The Emerald Dream Plane is not bad either. I was also lucky; my grandfather happened to be a frost dragon."

"The Ancient Sky Realm has given me a whole host of trials, trying to test my limits and prove my worth. By the way, Locke, didn't you sign a contract with the Ancient Sky Realm?"

Freya and Barrett looked at Locke in surprise.

Barrett asked, "Team leader, do you also have dragon blood?"

Mason Witch said, "Yes. My teacher told me that Team Leader Locke's dragon bloodline is even stronger than mine. I just thought that Team Leader Locke's contract would also be from the Ancient Sky Illusion Realm."

She looked at Locke with a puzzled expression. "Why not sign the Ancient Sky Realm? For wizards like us with special bloodlines, signing the Ancient Sky Realm would obviously grant us more power, wouldn't it?!"

Locke nodded slightly. "I just have a greater fondness for botany."

“For me, I want to create a perfect ecosystem. Emerald Dreamland, as the underworld of plants, is even more attractive to me.”

Mason Witch paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I see."

“I’m different. Since the Ancient Sky Illusion Realm will treat me better, I will choose to sign a contract with the Ancient Sky Illusion Realm.”

The four talked for a while longer, while Locke, with the advice Mason Witch had given him, pondered how to optimize the underlying experimental process framework before returning to his dormitory.

In his study, Locke pondered. "For a moment, I really can't think of any way to optimize it. Actually, there's a second way: sell Hydra for enough money and use that money to support my research."

"In order to exceed Catherine the Witch's expectations."

"In this way, we might be able to obtain the sub-topic she has."

Let's take it one step at a time and see what happens.

Locke opened the Gray Mist Slab, and on the other side of the Gray Mist Slab was Albert's video dialogue.

Albert looked at Locke and said, “Locke, I have planted three red holly bushes as you requested, completing the initial stage of the forest sanctuary.”

"Although it took some effort, I finally finished it."

"According to our plan, today is the day I'm to be commemorated, and also the day I try to advance to become a formal wizard. I don't know why, but this time I'm not nervous at all."

Albert said, "By the way, I brought quite a few old friends with me this time, and they also want to meet you..."

Locke's eyes flickered slightly. An old friend?
I do have some friends at Lilith's Hut.

……

Inside the True Knowledge Courtyard on Mount Golden Crown, on the seventh floor, the witch Catherine listened to the witch Mason's story to Locke.

Mason Witch bowed respectfully to Catherine Witch. "Your Majesty, as you requested, I will become friends with Locke Augustine."

"I have completed the task you assigned me perfectly."

She hesitated.

Catherine the Witch raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say?"

Mason Witch hesitated for a moment, then said, "But... as a first-circle formal wizard, I have my own judgment. I want to tell you that even without your request for me to do something, I would still be friends with Locke."

"Because Locke is a very good person."

"He is a friend worth having."

Mason Witch said somewhat uneasily, "But I think my actions will anger him. If he knew that I initially approached him because of your orders, and that I became friends with him to convey his thoughts to you, I don't know if he would be angry."

The witch Catherine said, "I need to understand his thoughts so that I can develop a better plan for his upbringing. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

“I am his mentor, I will not hurt him.”

"I will only help him."

Mason Witch breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, it was my disrespect."

Catherine the Witch said to Mason the Witch, "Alright, you can go now. Mason, don't forget the test is still ongoing."

"You need to do well."

Mason immediately bowed to Catherine the Witch. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Before leaving, Mason Witch said goodbye to Fafnir the Golden Dragon.

In response, Fafnir, the golden dragon, opened one of his dragon eyes.

After she left, Catherine the Witch smirked. "Brainstorming? Not a bad idea. It seems our Augustine has quite a talent for management."

"How is it, Fafnir?"

Jinlong remained noncommittal. "Perhaps I underestimated him in this regard. But he still hasn't truly adapted to our Yunze Wetland, you know what I mean. I don't think he'll get the top-tier funding."

"As you know, the real purpose of the researchers at the Advanced Institute of Truth is not to help you conduct experiments, but to secure top-tier funding for you. For every top-tier funding project your collaborating wizards secure, your ten-person project will receive an additional resource."

"This is a peace agreement among you throne wizards to compete for resources."

"And your risky strategy has led to several instances of wasted spots recently. Griffin and Hoover, these two wizards from outside, both wasted our Advanced Institute of Truth."

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have such a strong opinion about those wizards from outside,” Fafnir said. “Perhaps, Ekaterina, you should use a more prudent approach instead of constantly picking and choosing among a group of geniuses from other places who have weaknesses.”

What's wrong with the native shamans of Yunze Wetland?

Ekaterina said, "This involves the fundamental difference between our aesthetics. I believe that truly talented people are most likely to emerge from the margins. You only see their many shortcomings, but you don't realize their great potential for development."

Jinlong said, "This is gambling. And no matter how lucky a gambler is, sooner or later they will lose big. The two senior researchers above are examples of this."

"I never gamble."

"I only stand on the side of the victors."

Ekaterina said, "So, you think I made a mistake betting on Locke?"

"We'll have to wait for the results." Jinlong concealed himself. "It's still early."

"If it were me, I would prefer those native wizarding geniuses."

(End of this chapter)