Dimensional Hotel-Chapter 657 - 656: Symptoms Regulatory Onboarding Process

After that, Yu Sheng and his group asked Momo a whole bunch of questions about the Deep Rock Fortress.

As someone who has survived in Old Qiao's laboratory for ten years as a "laboratory assistant," this Jipulo girl indeed knows quite a lot, some from Old Qiao's inadvertent revelations in front of the "assistants," and some from her keen observation and speculation.

Unfortunately, her knowledge about the Venerate Saints Monastery is limited, as Old Qiao's collaboration with those cultists wasn't so intimate, and Old Qiao wouldn't reveal the details of these transactions to the lab "assistants."

The good news, however, is that Momo knows a lot about the factories and laboratories under Old Qiao's name. Plus, her years of "work" in the lab—even if forced—have granted her expertise in technologies related to living metal and implants, both useful to Luo, indirectly benefiting Yu Sheng.

After all, the business of living metal alone is huge around the Dark Meteor Domain and the Argelade Star Realm.

"To be honest, maybe it's preconceived notions, but I've always felt living metal isn't a good thing," Yu Sheng muttered while stroking his chin, "After all, I only know two cases related to living metal: the modifications on you and Luna's 'distributed life system,' and those behind these technologies aren't good people."

"I can only say the technology itself is fine; it depends on whose hands it's in," Luo shook his head. "The deep diver armor lining of the Special Service Bureau is made of living metal, while the Algredians use it to make high-end robots. This technology was originally created by the Black Dot Group and was promoted across civilization circles hundreds of years ago; technically speaking, even the living metal technology used by the Hidden Monastery to create 'Artificial Saintess' originated from the Black Dot Group.

"As for Old Qiao... he's a pervert and a scoundrel, but he is indeed one of the top experts in this field; otherwise, he wouldn't have survived so long in the harsh competitive environment of the Black Dot Group—even in a place with a high density of mad scientists like the Black Dot Group, scums like Old Qiao are rare, and the people who loathe him can line up from the South Cloud Cross Star Gate to the Amora Fault…"

"Is that so?" Yu Sheng raised his eyebrows in surprise, "I thought people like him were the norm at your company."

"No way!" Luo exclaimed, eyes wide open. "While the Black Dot Group indeed has a lot of Divine Beings, at least most of them are only mentally spellbound, their research directions extreme, theories dangerous, and are crazily obsessed with Subspace and Black Spirit Ability…"

Erin was stunned halfway through listening, slipping off the table with a thud, then climbed back up, eyes wide: "There's not a single good word here!"

"But these traits are somewhat complimentary when describing mad scientists," Luo shrugged, "At least compared to a pervert who takes his brain out and floats it in a jar, the danger of others in the Black Dot Group is limited to academic fields."

Yu Sheng quickly waved his hand: "You better not let Baili Qing hear this, or she'll say your ideological reform is insufficient and find excuses to give you a gastric lavage."

Luo frowned in confusion: "What does this have to do with a gastric lavage? The last time I had one wasn't it because of eating poisonous mushrooms?"

"… Then it's better you don't know."

Momo hunched down, sitting on the opposite side of the table, rarely daring to meet the eyes of the people opposite, but her ears twitched slightly, listening intently to their conversations.

Relaxed, free, harmonious, and friendly, though sometimes the discussion sounded strange, this atmosphere... she hadn't felt it for a long time.

This group is very interesting, definitely not the kind of people like Old Qiao—even though there's a Black Spot Warlord among them, an Artificial Saintess, and a Cursed Puppet.

Only the furry-looking Nine-Tailed Demon Fox and the somewhat pale Yu Sheng appeared like good people from the outside.

But she dared not say this out loud.

"In short, now we know the Hidden Monastery's capital planet is called 'Saint Realm,' matching what the 'Great Sage' shouted before casting in the underground garage encounter, and it's known they built the Gate of Eden on 'Saint Realm,'" Yu Sheng's voice woke Momo from her wandering thoughts, "Further speculation suggests they possibly moved the so-called 'Shadowless Skeleton' Dark Angel from the Adar Giant Pit to Saint Realm—unless they have a way for the Dark Angel to power the Gate of Eden at a distance.

"Let's assume the most dangerous scenario: if the Gate of Eden and Dark Angel are both on that planet, action must be cautious in the future, a Gate of Eden that might explode anytime is scary enough, with a 'Shadowless Skeleton' lying there that might wake anytime, plus the cultists on Saint Realm are definitely the most extreme, driven into a corner they may just prematurely 'collapse the gate'…"

Erin widened her eyes, spread her arms: "Sounds like we're seriously screwed—"

A fluffy big tail quietly extended from the side, wrapping around Yu Sheng's arm, rubbing back and forth.

Yu Sheng raised his hand to pet the fox's head, looked around: "So I need to discuss this thoroughly with Baili Qing when I return—it's unrealistic for us alone to attack a 'Church Country' possibly with dozens of sovereign planets, but the Council directly pressing with an army may just provoke those cultists into blowing things up, balancing this is tricky… perhaps tricker than the Inference Star Body incident."

He paused for a moment, pondering before his gaze fell on Momo, "Lastly, it's about your matter."

Momo's relaxed tail suddenly stood up again: "Me, me?"

"Don't be nervous," Yu Sheng waved his hand, "It's about your future arrangements—do you have any thoughts about your future?"

"Future?" Momo seemed never to have considered this question, or rather, having just escaped with her life, she hadn't had the chance to think about it. Reminded by Yu Sheng, some confusion and uncertain tension about the future finally appeared in her eyes. After subconsciously pondering for a few seconds, she hesitated to speak, "I, I haven't thought about it... maybe try to find a way to go home? It's been ten years, and I don't know if those colleagues who were captured by the Sky Attacker Pirates with me have managed to escape. Maybe everyone thinks I'm already dead, and besides..."

While speaking, she raised her already mechanized right hand to touch the ear that had been replaced with metal parts on her head.

"These things are all marked with Black Dot Group's logo. Some branches of living metal have fused with my central nervous system. Even the 'Immortal Law' of Feiyu Star Domain can't safely remove them. With these, I'm afraid it'll be hard to find a job on a research ship again... Most legal institutions wouldn't let a Black Dot-modified person into a laboratory."

"Isn't that just perfect," Yu Sheng laughed, raising his hand to point at Luo, "Her lab is short on people and she doesn't mind your modifications—she has even fewer original parts than you."

Momo only then belatedly reacted and immediately looked at Luo, but there was a trace of hesitation in her eyes: "I..."

Seeing the situation, Luo quickly spoke up before Momo could finish: "My place is a legitimate unit! It's a registered scientific research space station in both Boundary Land and Feiyu Star Domain!"

Whether it was an illusion or not, Yu Sheng felt that this elf elder sister's tone at the moment had a bit of the vibe of a slippery trio shouting, "We are on the right path"—like a sewer rat suddenly having a legitimate position, eager to weld the work badge to her forehead.

Momo was startled by Luo's sudden shout, her cat ears and mechanical ear pinned back tightly against her head, and then she recalled the three seemingly storied "doctors" from before...

However, her thoughts had just started to scatter when Luo interrupted with a string of words: "Sign a legitimate contract, four days on, three days off, one month of paid vacation each year, benefits equivalent to a Level Two Scholar of Terra or a Star Scholar of Algredian Star Realm. Comprehensive occupational insurance, and we can handle residency and ID documents for Boundary Land or Shuji—if you later find your family and decide to live at home, we can solve the commuting problem for you, with transit taking three to six seconds."

Momo: "…?"

"She's telling the truth," Yu Sheng nodded, "Don't forget how you got from Old Qiao's laboratory to Shuji—this three to six seconds includes the time it takes to turn the door handle and say goodbye to colleagues."

The cat's eyes lit up.

Seeing this, Luo pressed her advantage: "You can bring others who escaped from that laboratory to join as well. The workplace is on that space station you've seen before. You're all familiar with each other, and the other colleagues are either Star Scholars from Algerde or research personnel from Boundary Land; there might even be some 'Naturalized Scientists' who escaped from the Black Dot Group, making for a very healthy and comfortable working environment."

Momo pondered for a moment and finally spoke: "Re-really sign a formal contract? And those benefits..."

"Of course, the entire onboarding process is formal," Luo's eyes curved up with enthusiasm, surprising Yu Sheng a bit, "We can process the procedures now."

"O-Okay," Momo seemed somewhat dizzy but retained basic caution, "But I must read the contract carefully before signing it."

"Of course," Yu Sheng nodded with a smile, extending his hand to the side, "But first—"

Luna approached, raising her hand to strike.

Yu Sheng lifted his arm, and a floating blood orb drifted in front of Momo.

"Drink this first."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

The next second, the poor Jipro girl let out a "Meow-o" and sprang up, assuming a high-difficulty posture of standing on the chair's back with her body arched and her tail fluffed up like a plush stick: "W-Wasn't it said to go through formal procedures?!"

Even Luo couldn't hold it any longer: "No, boss! You can't do this! At least wait until she's signed!"