There wasn't much more interaction with Kal'tsit from Rhodes Island.
For now, they had only exchanged their finished drug samples; it couldn't even be called a collaboration.
However, in reality, Raythean Medica might not have valued this collaboration much. After all, Raythean Medica's background was too profound, meaning it didn't need many partnerships. If it wanted, a whole host of large pharmaceutical companies would come knocking on its door.
But Rhodes Island was different.
As a small company that had only been registered for half a year, they couldn't be like Raythean Medica with massive capital behind them. Forget making a profit; even if they lost money for eight or ten years, it would be a drop in the bucket. But Rhodes Island had to consider its finances, how to make money, how to save money, how to plan the allocation of funds, how to be profitable, and even how to get their developed drugs approved by the market supervision departments of various countries was a big problem.
Raythean Medica didn't need to.
Its backing from Raythean Industries was a golden ticket that would allow it to easily pass the market supervision departments of various countries. Of course, super-powers like Yan were an exception, but it would definitely be much easier compared to an unknown pharmaceutical company.
So, what looked like a collaboration between two new pharmaceutical companies was, in reality, Rhodes Island reaching far above its station.
After Kal'tsit and Closure left, Lucas Reeve immediately handed the medicine to Silence, asking them to study its components in the lab. However, reverse-engineering a finished drug was extremely difficult, and Lucas Reeve didn't hold out much hope.
And during the conversation with Kal'tsit, Jessica also realized that the company probably needed to expand.
She posted a recruitment notice on a major job search platform and prepared to have Silence act as an examiner to recruit outstanding university students about to graduate from well-known universities.
However, Jessica couldn't offer too high a salary.
The funds provided by her parents were limited, only just over ten billion.
The company currently had no other profitable business. This meant that as the company expanded and the number of experimental projects increased, the experimental costs were also constantly rising. Who knew how long ten billion plus would last? Although she could ask her parents for more when it ran out, Jessica wasn't too keen on it.
So, in terms of cost-saving, Jessica wouldn't offer very high wages.
However, when thinking about how to set salaries, Jessica fell into a puzzle.
She didn't know how much to pay to be considered normal—not too high, not too low. She had little concept of money. Although Jessica had worked at Blacksteel Worldwide, she had never cared about how much she earned during her internship.
Since she never intended to be a boss before, she naturally didn't pay attention to salaries. To her, a hundred yuan and a million yuan made no difference; it was just a few more zeros.
But after becoming a boss, Jessica discovered that salary was also a profound subject.
When Jessica asked the 'omniscient' Lucas Reeve about this, well, let's just say he didn't have much of a concept either.
A university student in his past life, he had never worked. After coming to Terra, he no longer needed money, so naturally, he didn't bother to think about average salaries.
So, Jessica's question also hit Lucas Reeve's knowledge blind spot.
She asked Silence. She usually only focused on research and didn't care about salary.
Shining and Liz had no money at all and didn't care about it either.
No choice. In the end, she asked the 'ordinary citizen' Franka.
In Jessica's memory, Franka often complained that her income wasn't high, so it could probably be used as a median value for salary. After asking about Franka's average annual income, she decisively typed a few words on her researcher recruitment post.
Annual salary...
5 million.
The starting annual salary for researchers was set at five million.
Franka, as an "ordinary citizen," had an average annual income of nearly 3 million. Jessica felt that the income of researchers should definitely be a bit higher than the 'median value' to be attractive. So, she priced it at five million.
And then... as soon as this recruitment information was posted, it instantly blew up. The number of resumes submitted was too many to count.
And Jessica was also a bit stunned....
She didn't want to, but she realized her salary seemed to be set too high.
However, high is high. If there are exceptionally capable people, it's not a loss to recruit them for 5 million.
Jessica also had Silence look at these resumes. From Silence's discerning perspective, not a single one was qualified.
Silence didn't care much about the graduating university, as long as it was a key prestigious school. But she placed immense importance on the research achievements section. Many talented individuals from other excellent companies were simply not up to her standards.
After all, she herself was a top genius even at Rhine Lab. For these resumes that were written to look so impressive, Silence could see the flaws at a glance and knew there were elements of boasting. Silence automatically filtered out such people. After all, truly brilliant people didn't need to boast at all.
Later, Jessica asked her parents. After learning that her salary package was much higher than the normal one, on Silence's advice, Jessica decided not to lower the salary for the time being, but to raise the recruitment threshold, only recruiting top geniuses from various universities or experts in their fields.
According to what Silence believed, recruiting a group of mediocre talents was far less effective than a single genius.
Silence, also a top genius, knew this from experience.
After all, when she used to be the lead person in charge of projects at Rhine Lab, she was the one carrying the team in many areas. Sometimes, things she thought were very simple, some of the young researchers around her still didn't understand after hearing it several times. This made Silence feel that communicating with these people was a bit difficult.
So, Silence also suggested that the core research team could recruit some geniuses with high potential.
As for the other researchers who would be doing assistant work, the requirements and salary could be lowered to recruit some.
Speaking of companions...
Silence thought of Saria.
Even she had to acknowledge Saria's erudition. The reason she had such a close relationship with Saria back then was only partly because Ifrit acted as a middleman between them.
Just like how McDonald's girl also had a good relationship with Ifrit, but the relationship between Silence and McDonald's girl was very average.
On the other hand, Saria's views on many research topics were similar to her own, and Saria often provided significant help with some of the difficult problems in her research. This was the real reason the two could become such good friends.
It can only be said that it's easier for people of equal excellence to become friends. It's really difficult for people with a large gap between their levels to become friends. For example, a young punk who dropped out after middle school and a genius with a postdoctoral degree—these two are on completely different levels and are almost impossible to become friends.
After all, even their conversation topics are different.
One talks all day about how many ride-or-die brothers he has, how many girls he can call out with one phone call, which girl has long legs, which girl has a good figure, while the other likes to discuss academic issues.
What a pity...
If Saria were just an ordinary researcher at Rhine Lab, Silence might have brought her over with Ptilopsis. How nice it would be to work together.
But she was the high and mighty Director of the Defense Section, truly the highest-ranking official under the Director-General of Rhine Lab. Rhine Lab was basically her home; how could she leave so easily?
Jessica completely handed over the recruitment authority for researchers to the expert, Silence.
As for other aspects, it was Jessica's first time starting a company, so she didn't know much, and Lucas Reeve knew even less. Fortunately, with the help of Jessica's father's secretary, Uncle Jones, everything was completed quite smoothly.
And the various departments of the company, including the personnel department, finance department, etc., were basically staffed. Although there weren't many people for now, the departmental functions were all in place. Future expansion of personnel would be left to Jessica herself.
And Jones shed tears of relief many times.
He marveled that his young lady had finally grown up!!
—————
Rhodes Island.
Ever since obtaining the finished medicine from Raythean Medica, Kal'tsit, after concluding her negotiations with other companies in Columbia, ended her trip early and returned to Rhodes Island.
And upon her return, Kal'tsit locked herself in the laboratory for three days and three nights, working around the clock in an attempt to analyze the principles of this Raythean Medica drug.
However, even though Kal'tsit's medical skills were among the best on Terra, she still encountered an unresolvable difficulty when analyzing this medicine.
A power...
A power that could not be analyzed by conventional instruments.
And Kal'tsit's expression gradually grew solemn.
This power.
Could it be...
The 'old monster' itself possesses the ability to alleviate Oripathy...
*Hiss...*
This surprising discovery left Kal'tsit speechless for a short while.
If that's truly the case, then in the future, Rhodes Island must find a way to establish deeper contact with Raythean Medica.
For now, only Kal'tsit knows.
The research and development of Oripathy has reached a bottleneck, a bottleneck that even she cannot break through in a short time. Perhaps... that 'old monster' has a way!
——————
Lucas Reeve had no idea that he was already being targeted by that 'old lynx'.
After spending some time with Jessica, Lucas Reeve once again devoted his time to mecha design.
Even for this, Lucas Reeve specially went to Raythean Industries to study for a while under Jessica's name. The concept of war mechs, Raythean Industries had considered and attempted it, but... it was not very realistic. It wasn't that the technical level was insufficient, but the materials and costs were completely uneconomical.
The cost of manufacturing a five-meter-tall mecha was no less than that of an advanced power armor, while power armor could elevate a powerful individual's strength by a whole level.
Although, with Raythean Industries' technology, it was entirely possible to create a mecha that could perfectly match the pilot and move freely, but... in that case, the mecha could only be designed as a staff, controlled by the pilot's Originium Arts. But the consumption... no one could bear it.
Currently, Raythean Industries' mechs are mainly used for engineering. They don't need to be very agile or resistant to explosions; they just need to be strong enough. In terms of combat, a mech is inferior to a drone. After all, a drone filled with a sufficient amount of explosives can easily destroy a mech. How much does a drone cost, and how much does a mech cost?
Material limitations...
This was the difficulty Lucas Reeve summarized.
Afterward, Lucas Reeve used his remaining three chances to choose a support ability.
[Living Forge / Master Craftsman (Source: Ornn)]
Effect: The body transforms into a blazing furnace, capable of spewing forth molten lava that can consume and burn everything. Greatly enhances talent and ability in forging, and greatly enhances talent in ore refining.
This ability was also one of the most cost-effective abilities Lucas Reeve had encountered.
Lucas Reeve already had methods of killing; he didn't need any more.
And the importance of equipment was self-evident.
Even without Lucas Reeve, Patriot, piloting the most advanced power armor provided by Raythean Industries, could have his own strength instantly surge by 50%. This was the power of equipment. You have to know, for a person to increase their strength by 50% through self-tempering is, if not impossible, then almost so.
But equipment can...
A common person with a crossbow can kill a trained boxer.
Someone like Patriot.
In ancient times, hundreds or thousands of years ago, when everyone fought with cold weapons, he could even be said to be invincible... he could truly achieve the feat of one man holding a pass against ten thousand.
But in modern times.
Without relying on equipment, forget the firepower of a regiment, Patriot couldn't even withstand the firepower of a battalion. This is the difference equipment makes, allowing a group of ordinary people to have the possibility of slaying a top-tier powerhouse.
This is the charm of firepower.
*Clang, clang, clang~*
The sound of a forging hammer striking metal echoed continuously in the back mountain of the Eunectes Tribe, almost without stopping through the night. Since Lucas Reeve had no physical body and couldn't use the [Living Forge] talent, the incredibly physically strong Zumama became Lucas Reeve's physical tool.
"Wuu wuu!! Lord God!! I'm spitting fire from my mouth!!"
Zumama's soul cried out in a panic.
And the High Priest beside her flapped his wings in amazement, looking left and right.
"Ohoho~"
"Brother Lucas Reeve, this is quite amazing of you. To be able to directly integrate your own abilities into another's body, this is the first time I've seen such a thing."
"The Flame Demon next door can do it too."
Lucas Reeve said casually.
And the High Priest flapped his wings and said, "Oh~ little fire monster, is He still alive? Is He doing well now?"
"Blown to smithereens."
Lucas Reeve said casually.
"I already guessed that."
The High Priest flapped his wings, not caring at all.
This hammering sound continued for a long, long time, and the High Priest's initial curiosity gradually faded. He flapped his way into Big Ugly's cockpit and fell asleep.
Finally, just as Zumama's strength was exhausted, a special metal appeared on the forging table, accompanied by a flash of golden light.
Having regained control of her body, Zumama was instantly overwhelmed by a tide of exhaustion and physical soreness. The young girl couldn't even stand steady, flopping to the ground and panting heavily...
"Lord Lucas Reeve.... I can't go on, I've reached my limit..."
Lucas Reeve's soul emerged and gently patted Zumama's head. Then, his hand materialized directly, and unafraid of the scorching heat, he grabbed the red-hot metal.
Lucas Reeve's eyes lit up.
This metal... seems to be a brand new metal!!