Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

Mr. Roy once said that there are two people at Rhine Life who should not be approached casually.

First, there's Christen Wright, the head of the Components Department and one of the founders of Rhine Lab. She's protected by Saria, and although the woman made a good first impression, Dorothy can't place her hopes on Saria given the relationship between the Balrog Project and the Security Department.

Second, there is the head of the Energy Department—Ferdinand.

What makes him special?

Looks like I should go and say hello to my new colleagues.

Volume 1: Chapter 243 I Call It, Simulated Universe

Rhine Life, Energy Department, Reception Office.

Common sense dictates that, apart from human resources, business, and central departments, other departments in a research-intensive enterprise shouldn't have a separate office like a reception room. However, Ferdinand, the head of the Energy Department, was someone who always strived to be unique and stand out in every aspect. Throughout Rhine Life, he was the only one who had created a separate reception room for his department, building upon the existing facilities.

A discerning eye would likely have discerned Ferdinand's ambition from this single action. A normal person would be wary of such behavior from a subordinate, taking precautions, and even considering preventative measures. However, Christen Wright, the head of Rhine Labs, was an unconventional individual. She wasn't unaware of her subordinate's clearly pointed actions, but she remained completely indifferent. It was as if, in her eyes, this premier research company in Colombia and her position as head were utterly insignificant.

In this environment where Ferdinand thought it was incompetence and Christensen thought it was tacit understanding, the two continued to test and struggle until the day when the conflict could no longer be concealed.

That's how it was.

Dorothy knocked on Ferdinand's office door. This director, whose schedule was impeccably regular and who wouldn't give a single minute of attention to anything he deemed unnecessary or superfluous, was awakened from his leisurely afternoon nap. Faced with the unexpected visitor, he straightened his office chair, looking both surprised and intrigued, and gestured for Dorothy to wait a moment before entering the restroom.

A moment later, Ferdinand Kruger, who had clearly freshened up, reappeared before Dorothy, holding two steaming cups of Colombian black coffee.

"It was my mistake not to meet you, my new colleague, right away. I've been too busy lately, and my schedule had arranged for our first meeting to be an hour before the end of the workday this Friday."

Ferdinand handed Dorothy a cup of black coffee. The coffee had a rich aroma, but it didn't contain any carbohydrates that Dorothy liked.

Miss Zalak, who preferred sugar, gritted her teeth, took a careful sip of her black coffee, and her expression immediately went out of control. Her bright eyes were tightly closed, and she stuck out half of her tongue in discomfort.

"Do you need me to get you some candy?" Ferdinand asked sincerely, seeing her pained expression.

Dorothy shook her head. She wasn't there to ask Ferdinand for this cup of black coffee. She exhaled a couple of small breaths to ease the bitterness on her tongue, then eagerly began:

"Thank you. But besides saying hello, I also have a few other things I'd like to ask you."

Ferdinand shrugged:

“Everyone comes to the Energy Department for their own reasons, and generally I don’t give them much time to explain themselves. However, Miss Dorothy, you may speak freely before my lunch break ends.”

How arrogant this person is.

Dorothy subconsciously thought to herself, "What do I have to say?"

But he quickly shook his head again:

"I want to ask you something. Well, to be precise, I want to know your thoughts on Rhine Lab."

As she spoke, seemingly realizing that her question had been somewhat direct and abrupt, she quickly tried to salvage the situation.

“I’ve just joined Rhine and don’t know many people, except you… I’ve read your papers published in journals.”

This is a lie. Dorothy has never read Ferdinand's paper. Their research areas are completely different, and Dorothy has been immersed in her own world lately, not paying much attention to academic developments. But as a descendant of scavengers, she knows very well how to please someone, especially what a proud intellectual like Ferdinand likes to hear.

Sure enough, a flicker of surprise crossed Ferdinand's face, but he quickly regained his composure. However, his tone still held a hint of smugness:

"I hope that helped your research."

He paused and then said:

"It's normal for you to have some questions since you're new to Rhine Lab. You've come to the right person. I've witnessed Rhine Lab's development since its inception. What specific questions do you have?"

"Hmm..." Dorothy, dressed in a suit, pondered for a moment, "For example, why does Rhine Lab have a dedicated defense department? And why is the head of the defense department Saria? I've read about her relationship with Christen and her research achievements in the newspapers. Why would someone like that be willing to work as a security guard?"

That's a tricky question. But that's understandable. Saria's talent has been wasted on the tedious tasks of the defense department for quite some time now. Ferdinand also feels this is a waste of her abilities.

He harbored the idea of ​​recruiting this newly appointed genius scientist director into his camp, and at this moment, he answered directly:

"The work of the Defense Section is not just simple security. The Defense Section is responsible for protecting Rhine Life's safety by any means necessary. Under this principle, Saria will do anything."

Ferdinand emphasized the word "any". Even Dorothy understood her implied meaning and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, he didn't ask Saria for help immediately. Otherwise, who knows what this head of the defense department, who would stop at nothing to protect Rhine's life, would have done to him after learning the secret.

"What kind of person is the governor? Would she really let her friend act as a... front man?"

Upon hearing this, Ferdinand let out a long sigh, his expression somewhat melancholy, as if he had remembered something.

Dorothy did not interrupt Ferdinand's reverie. After a brief wait, the head of the energy department replied:

"Kristen Wright is someone who shouldn't be in that position."

"Her heart was not in Rhine Life. She never looked down at her surroundings; her gaze was always fixed on the stars."

After saying that, he looked at Dorothy, his expression turning cold, and said bluntly:

"Dorothy, what exactly do you want to ask?"

He had already noticed Dorothy's unusual behavior. Just as Roy had said, Saria and Christen were the most sensitive nerves in the entire Rhine region; any abnormality directed at them would be detected.

With things having come to this point, Dorothy gritted her teeth and said bluntly:

"I've learned some bad things."

"Rhine Labs is conducting illegal human experiments."

"The purpose of the experiment was to create a powerful weapon of war for the military. These plans were known to and approved by Ms. Christen, the head of the General Headquarters, and Seria, the head of the Defense Department. They are still being implemented now!"

Ferdinand's face was ashen. He sized up the newly hired director who had already started reporting on him, and asked:

"Why are you telling me this? Do you think I don't know these things?"

“Hmm.” Dorothy nodded matter-of-factly, and said in a somewhat hurtful tone, “You’ve been excluded, and you’re completely unaware of it. Because the sand around you is vibrating, which means you’re angry, you’re trembling.”

When faced with a director who wanted to usurp power, Christen didn't hesitate to include Ferdinand in the category of those "who shouldn't know the truth."

Ferdinand, whose expression darkened upon being caught out, retorted:

"So what? Do you expect me to report you?"

“No, I hope you can save her,” Dorothy said.

Ferdinand turned around and waved his hand: "Who, Commander? I can't persuade her. She'll ruin Rhine's life sooner or later."

“But you can save other people,” Dorothy said earnestly.

"Who?" Ferdinand suddenly calmed down, turned his head to look at Dorothy, and said in a deep voice.

“The test subject, Ifrit,” Dorothy replied. “Her survival will make your path to defeating the Grand Master and saving the Rhine’s life easier.”

“Why should I help you?” Ferdinand asked.

Dorothy recalled the phone call she had with Roy before coming to see Ferdinand. Following Roy's instructions, she recited her prepared remarks word for word:

"I have an experimental product that can provide you with unprecedented computing power and information processing capabilities. Most importantly, it can create any experimental environment you need."

"I call it, the simulated universe."

Volume 1: Chapter 244 Kill them all, I want to kill them all!

"The Earth we live on is actually a sphere, a fact that was proven hundreds of years ago. But what lies beyond this planet is something few people know."

"What I can tell you now is that beyond our planet lies a vast and boundless universe, its size exceeding all human imagination. Our planet is but a tiny white dot, smaller than a grain of rice, within it. And that is all we have."

"I suggest you name your invention 'Simulated Universe' because, like the vast and boundless universe, it possesses near-infinite possibilities. If you want to convince Ferdinand, you can try using this as leverage. Believe me, any scientist would be incredibly excited about it!"

Roy's words still echoed in her ears, but Dorothy felt there was something even more exciting than that.

She silently calmed her surging emotions, then watched Ferdinand's expression shift from astonishment to excitement, and finally to a furrowed brow and questioning look.

"Why should I believe you? This sounds unrealistic. It's like a madman dreaming."

His words were somewhat extreme, which precisely reflects his inner turmoil.

Dorothy's final rhetorical question completely convinced him:

"Scientists never believe that dreams are false, and we will do everything we can to make them come true."

"If you don't believe me, you can come to my office in a month, and I will let you try the test version."

Ferdinand Kruger gave Dorothy a long look, then nodded:

"I understand. I will arrange to halt the experiments in the structural engineering department."

"That's so simple?" Dorothy asked, somewhat curious.

"What are you going to do?"

Ferdinand glanced at her, then haughtily raised his head, resuming his confident demeanor as if everything was under his control:

“That won’t trouble you, Miss Dorothy. Ferdinand Kruger keeps his word.”

.......

Kazimir, the Grand Knight Commander of Kavaleria.

"The Flame Demon Project, huh?" Roy clicked his tongue, somewhat wistfully.

In 1095, there was still a year before the official start of the Arknights game's storyline. Therefore, the outbreak of the Balrog incident should indeed have occurred around 1094 or 1095.

When Roy heard the word from Dorothy, he was somewhat dazed and shocked.

He was in a daze because this was probably the first major plot point he had ever experienced that was clearly written into the story. After the Flame Demon Project, Rhine Lab officially entered a period of division. Saria left, Himer took Ifrit away, Christen began to disappear intermittently, and Ferdinand began to plot to seize power. All of this happening on the far west side of the continent was not affected by Roy and continued to evolve according to the trajectory of history.

This gave Roy a strange feeling. He pondered for a long time and finally realized that this was perhaps what the inhabitants of this land often referred to as "fate."