Upgrading the space station's defense system was a task Qi Zhimu had performed many times; he was well-versed in it.
By 18:00 system time that day, one-third of the new armament deployment was successfully completed.
Mere command could not achieve such high efficiency; it was inseparable from his personal involvement.
The members of the Security Department responsible for this were all stunned. What shocked them about Qi Zhimu wasn't how clear and precise his commands were, but purely... his speed was too fast.
Once he entered his work state, most people couldn't even see the afterimages of him moving; only a very few with sharp eyes could catch a glimpse of his trajectory.
In the blink of an eye, the quantum laser net preset to stand on the right side of the module's transit hub was already installed.
This speed was like flying... no, not even flying was that fast.
It gave the impression of near-light-speed travel, accompanied by a sense of guilt that they were redundant, almost turning them into mere material porters.
"Thank you all for your hard work. Go ahead and clock out. I'll work some overtime for the next two days, and I should be able to finish it up."
Qi Zhimu clapped his hands twice, and then he vanished.
The Security Department members looked at each other, the same exclamation flashing in their hearts.
Just as expected, how could someone specifically entrusted by the Station Master not have some special skills?
...
Qi Zhimu returned to the office. The Genius Society member Screwllum was not there, but there were many Herta Puppets.
As soon as he entered, he heard a chorus of praise.
"Mr. Zhimu is dashing and imposing!"
"Mr. Zhimu is skilled in both literature and martial arts!"
"Mr. Zhimu is an upright and honorable man!"
"Mr. Zhimu..."
"Stop, stop, stop, stop—"
Qi Zhimu almost died of embarrassment; he hurriedly called a halt to the puppets' praise, his gaze landing on the girl who stood out from the crowd in the center of the puppets.
"Herta, did you set these puppets to do this?"
"Of course."
Herta nodded and raised her index finger.
"I added a new underlying logic to the core modules of all the puppets; seeing you is the same as seeing me."
"..."
Does that mean the puppets would praise you like this too?
Qi Zhimu didn't know what to say for a moment.
Any genius from the Genius Society possessed the ability to shake the situation of the entire universe.
If the content of the puppets' praise were changed to a female version, Herta could absolutely live up to it.
However, he was not a genius. Let alone shaking the entire universe, with his tiny bit of influence, he could only shake some low-to-mid-level civilizations.
Eliminating the right-wing radicals within those civilizations helped maintain peace.
Herta was not a genius who only had brains but no emotional intelligence or ability to read the room.
She saw through what Qi Zhimu was thinking at a glance and couldn't help but chuckle.
She tapped her toes on the ground, leaped into the air toward Qi Zhimu, and was caught steadily by him.
"What are you overthinking? Do you think you're different from me and don't deserve such praise?"
"I'm just a drifter in the galaxy, looking for trouble with bad guys everywhere, occasionally taking on a job, killing things from the Destruction faction... how can I compare to you?"
"Why can't you?"
Herta did not agree with Qi Zhimu's words; she wrapped her arms around his neck, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
"As long as you ask, no matter how difficult the task, this genius will help you complete it. After all, you are mine, so I am also yours..."
Saying this, Herta stood on her tiptoes, her moist lips leaning close to Qi Zhimu's ear, breathing like an orchid.
"Isn't that the logic, my dear... Brother... Mu~"
"That is the logic..."
Qi Zhimu felt not only his ear tickling, but his heart as well.
Herta's words scratched at his heart, stirring up impulses. Of course, this impulse was suppressed the very next second.
One with an unsteady will could not become a Galaxy Ranger.
"That's it, isn't it? Charisma is also a form of strength. As long as it is power that can be commanded like an extension of one's own arm, even if it doesn't originate from oneself, does it not count as one's own?"
Herta unbuttoned the collar of Qi Zhimu's shirt, revealing his sexy collarbone, where a mark she had left remained.
"Aren't the representatives, ambassadors, and even leaders of the various countries of the United Government all ordinary people?"
"But is the power they command small? Although you are not my ambassador, nor are you my leader, you are my lover."
"If it weren't for you back then, how could there be the Herta of today?"
Thinking back to those years, she was just a weak girl who had exhausted everything to fulfill her ancestors' wish and save the Azure Star, yet felt powerless.
If it weren't for Qi Zhimu sacrificing his life, using a will and perseverance that transcended the limits of humanity to send her back safely, Herta would have died long ago.
So—
"We don't need to distinguish things so clearly between us. When I was young, I enjoyed airtight protection under your wings."
"Now I can become your solid backing. There is no problem with that, right?"
"...About that..." Qi Zhimu hesitated.
"Which part?" Herta asked back.
"Ahem, someone has said the same thing to you before, and you know who she is."
"Of course I know. That so-called Yelena. She was saved by you when she was young, and now that her wings have hardened and she's doing well at the company, she wants you to be a kept man."
Herta curled her lip and said disdainfully:
"A mere company executive; this genius can make her step down with a single word."
"When it comes to being a kept man, eating from my plate is the most comfortable, reassuring, and delicious. If she wants to compete with this genius, her status must at least be on the same level to qualify."
"And that big celebrity girl you protected, she seems to be a Harmony Pathstrider of the Family, right?"
"She is even further behind. When she can become a Tuner for the Charmony Festival and have enough say in the Family, then it won't be too late to compete with me."
"That makes sense..." Qi Zhimu fell into deep thought.
His stomach was tough and picky; he disdained giving up his freedom to be a kept man.
But what if he ate the soft rice hard... can eating it based on his own ability count as being a kept man?
Ah... suddenly he felt he was a bit shamefully double-standard...
It's just that... Qi Zhimu inadvertently hypothesized a possibility—
If Herta's words were to come true, he dared not imagine what the scene would be like in the future.
Suppose Robin became a Tuner of the Charmony Festival in the future, summoned the avatar of Harmony to descend, and bore the power of an Emanator with her own body.
Or perhaps Topaz's business capabilities were outstanding, and she became an Emanator of Preservation for the company faction; when that time came, facing Herta...
Alright.
Herta still had the advantage.
Not only did she have the status of a Emanator of an Aeon, she was also a genius herself—double the influence.
Emanators could be as common as dogs, but geniuses were not. In a sense, their gold content was even higher than that of a Emanator of an Aeon.
Wanting to enter a Shura field with Herta... unless one was also a genius.
Thinking of this, Qi Zhimu chuckled inwardly.
Ha, how could that be? Where would he get so many genius confidantes?
"Brother Mu~~"
Herta's tone suddenly changed.
Qi Zhimu's heart skipped a beat.
Only when she wanted to do specific things would she use this coquettish, sweet tone.
His gaze focused ahead, and sure enough, he saw a slightly flushed, beautiful face, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, staring at him with an inexplicable smile.
[ image ]
The puppets in the office had all silently left while he was thinking; in the large office, only the two of them remained.
"What's wrong?"
"Naturally, it's to consolidate my advantage..."
"Consolidate advan... Herta! What do you want to do?"
"I want to..."
"Not here... Mmph—"
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