Chapter 19: Performance Review
Alex walked into the greenhouse, flanked by Leena, Kian, and Toru. The midday sun streamed through the translucent panels above, casting soft, golden rays across rows of plants. Leena led them quietly to the side of the greenhouse, to a secluded planter bed tucked beneath a large, swaying shade cloth.
"There," she said, pointing.
A single flower stood proud in the soil. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary Oxeye daisy—white petals, yellow center—but it shimmered faintly, almost imperceptibly, as the light hit it.
Alex knelt beside it and activated his Mindcube of Ascension, letting his thoughts connect and flow. The scan initiated smoothly.
Item Identified: Gleam Daisy
Type: Passive Utility Flora
Effects: Absorbs sunlight during the day and emits stored light during the night. Emits a calm, focused luminance suitable for night labor or visibility enhancement.
Side Effects: None recorded.
Potential Applications: Civil infrastructure lighting, indoor plant boosting, or emergency backup lighting system.
Leena looked surprised. "I didn't know its powers yet… It mutated this morning while I was working with the sunflowers. I hadn't gotten around to scanning it." She paused, then added, "I had requested a portable scanning tool last week, but the unit still hasn't arrived."
Alex stood and gave a small, satisfied nod. "This might actually work. It shares some traits with your sunflower batch but without the risk of emotional instability. Prepare yourself—this could be your key for the evaluation."
Leena blinked, her expression somewhere between pride and nervousness. Kian gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Toru just muttered something about it being "pretty useful if it doesn't explode."
Alex smirked.Now Leena had something to show.
Alex was on his way back to the office, hands in his coat pocket, when Yurei intercepted him just outside the corridor leading to his floor. Her expression was unreadable, but the urgency in her eyes said enough.
"Come with me," she said. "Bring the recruits too. Jacob has decided to change the evaluation format."
Alex raised an eyebrow but motioned for Kian, Toru, and Leena to follow. "What change?"
Yurei led the group through the quiet hallways of the government complex toward the meeting chamber. "Jacob wants to evaluate the hero team together—with their dispatcher."
Alex blinked. "That's… sudden. Why?"
Yurei's voice lowered to a whisper, her gaze checking their surroundings. "He found some Dispatchers slacking off. Watching TV. One was even napping during duty hours."
Alex winced. "Oof."
"His mood's gone sour," Yurei added. "He's already evaluated three teams."
Alex frowned. "Already? But you just told me about the evaluations an hour ago. I've only just spoken to the recruits—how can he be that fast?"
Yurei gave him a glance that held both amusement and warning. "You've read his file, right? Jacob Dell—retired hero codename Blitz. A natural awakened. His ability is speed, and he's not shy about using it. He probably zipped through half the complex already. But interviews take time, so that's why the rest of us still have a chance."
Alex ran a hand through his hair. "Right. Blitz. Of course."
He glanced over his shoulder at his team. Kian was already cracking his knuckles, looking pumped. Toru yawned. Leena clutched her notebook like a schoolgirl waiting for exam results.
Alex took a breath and followed Yurei down the hallway.
"Guess it's showtime."
Yurei stopped at the door to the evaluation office and gave Alex a slight nod. "Good luck," she said quietly, stepping aside and letting the group move ahead. She remained outside, the door slowly closing behind them with a soft click.
The room was silent—eerily so. The kind of silence that made you straighten your back and check your posture twice.
There he sat.
Jacob Dell.
Wearing a sharp, tailored suit with a crisp black tie, he looked more like a corporate magnate than a former hero. But the faint glow of residual power in his eyes, the slight tension in his posture, and the weathered authority in his presence made it clear—this was no ordinary old man.
Despite his age, Jacob still carried himself like a living legend. His hair, split cleanly between black and white, added to the intimidating contrast, like a man permanently caught between light and shadow.
He didn't speak. Not yet.
He simply flipped through a few papers on his desk, eyes scanning fast—almost too fast.
Then, without looking up, he lifted one hand and motioned silently for them to sit.
Alex moved first, pulling out a chair and sitting down calmly, as if he were just back in his own office. Behind him, Kian, Leena, and Toru exchanged brief glances before following, each sliding into the seats beside their dispatcher.
The chairs made only soft thuds against the floor.
The air was thick with expectation.
And Jacob finally looked up, resting his elbows on the table and intertwining his fingers.
His gaze moved over each of them, slowly.
The evaluation had begun.
Jacob's eyes settled on Alex first.
He leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers still interlaced, and said in a surprisingly even tone, "I must admit, Thorne. You've done well… especially after escaping the toxic work environment that was your last private agency."
Alex offered a polite nod, though in his head he muttered, "More like I was fired…" Still, he let it slide. Better to keep the mood stable.
Jacob flipped through a few more pages, then closed the file with a precise tap of his fingers. "Your dispatching records are solid. Even before you awakened your powers, your performance had potential. The government doesn't overlook that." He gave Alex a pointed glance.
Alex simply nodded, remaining calm.
"But," Jacob said, his voice tightening just a little, "I've noticed something odd in your patterns. You frequently go to the scene of incidents. You don't need to. You could monitor the situation comfortably through the live drone feeds like other dispatchers. So—why?"
The room felt still. Even the faint ticking of a clock somewhere in the office felt louder.
Alex met his gaze squarely. "Because incidents change. On-site, I can better assess what type of hero or item is needed in real time. I summon based on what's unfolding—not what was expected. If I'm too far removed, I could make the wrong call."
Jacob raised an eyebrow, studying him for a moment. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Hmm… not standard protocol, but a calculated decision."
He scribbled something into the evaluation report and didn't follow up.
Leena, Toru, and Kian exchanged silent glances.
The interview had only begun—and Jacob Dell didn't seem like a man who missed even the smallest detail.
Jacob calmly turned his attention to Toru next. The quiet man sat with his hands resting on his knees, his expression unreadable.
"I want to thank you for your contributions," Jacob began, voice level. "Your merged items—particularly the Electric Pistols—have proven quite helpful. You've delivered what was expected of you… and more."
Toru gave a small nod. "Thank you, sir."
Jacob continued, "I intend to officially recognize you as a Support Hero. That would mean your own office, a dedicated team, full access to government resources—"
"I'll have to decline," Toru interrupted gently, though without hesitation. "I prefer working alone. I'm content with my current efforts. Too many voices… muddle the craft."
There was a pause. Jacob studied him for a moment, then gave a slow nod. "Very well. I respect that."
Next, Jacob turned his gaze toward Kian.
The young man instinctively puffed his chest, trying to sit up even straighter in his chair.
"Calm down," Jacob said dryly. "This isn't a sparring match."
"I am calm, sir," Kian replied, though his posture betrayed his nerves.
Alex and Toru chuckled quietly, which only made Kian straighten more.
Jacob gave the faintest of smiles. He'd seen the footage—of Kian's combat efforts, his training sessions, his discipline. He didn't need words to confirm what was already proven. "You've got talent, strength, and fire," Jacob said. "But it needs honing. Discipline. Until then, you will be registered as an official hero, but you will serve as a sidekick under other ranked heroes in various missions."
Kian saluted instinctively. "Understood, sir. But if it's alright… I'd still like to work under Dispatcher Alex."
Jacob raised an eyebrow, then nodded. "Request noted."
Finally, Jacob looked to Leena.
She was the only one not sitting fully upright, her eyes darting from Jacob to her notebook. Her fingers gripped her pen too tightly.
"Relax," Jacob said softly. "Tell me about your plants."
Leena took a breath. And then, like water breaking through a dam, she started talking—first hesitantly, then with growing confidence. About the sunflowers, the mutated oxeye daisy, about soil acidity trials and photon-absorption models.
Her passion poured out in words. Her nervousness melted into enthusiasm. Alex smiled. Even Toru gave a small nod of approval.
When she finished, Jacob was quiet for a beat. Then, "You've got something valuable. Unpredictable… but promising."
He reached into his folder and pulled out a sealed offer. "I'm extending an invitation for you to join the Ecosphere Unit—an advanced research branch focused on plant-based innovations. Better equipment, more data, and… a bigger greenhouse."
Leena's eyes lit up. She looked at the offer… then looked at Alex. And shook her head.
"I… appreciate the offer. Truly. But I like my greenhouse. The people here. The pace here. I'd like to stay."
Jacob closed the file slowly. "Loyalty. Interesting."
He stood. "This concludes the evaluation."
They rose from their chairs, each one breathing a little easier. They had passed—perhaps not with flying colors, but with something far more important: purpose.
[End of Chapter]