Chapter 30: If I Could, I Want to Become an Executive!

"What? Do you know Dr. Sai Ge?" Musashi's expression changed when he heard Huo La mention the name, and he asked in puzzlement.

"I don't know him, but I've heard of his reputation." Huo La concealed his reaction without a flicker, his tone carrying just the right amount of awe, "It is said that Dr. Sai Ge is a formidable research expert, but I didn't expect him to also be a member of the Rocket Team. Rest assured, I won't cause you any trouble."

Musashi nodded, asked no further, and turned toward the warehouse, saying as he walked, "Dr. Sai Ge's lab is in the Abandoned Factory in the Old City District of Viridian City; there is a secret Rocket Team passage there. Follow us, don't look around, don't ask questions."

Miao Miao led the way ahead, winding through the narrow alleys, avoiding several streets patrolled by officers, and finally stopped in front of the dilapidated factory gate.

Kojiro stepped forward, pressed three times on a brick on the left side of the gate, then tapped the adjacent iron pipe—"Clack," the lock inside the gate turned, revealing a pitch‑black passage.

"Go in; Dr. Sai Ge should still be in the lab," Musashi signaled Huo La to go first, while he, Kojiro, and Miao Miao followed behind, watching the surroundings warily.

The passage was filled with a faint scent of disinfectant and chemicals, and dim emergency lights hung every few meters on the walls, illuminating the winding road ahead.

Huo La trailed the three, his heartbeat a few beats faster than usual—this was his first real step onto Rocket Team territory.

Dr. Sai Ge's lab lay at the end of the passage; through the slightly ajar doorway, the flickering instrument lights were visible, and a low hum of machinery could be heard.

Musashi inhaled deeply, pushed the door open, and shouted inside, "Doctor, we're back, and we've brought someone who wants to join the Rocket Team."

Inside the lab, Dr. Sai Ge, clad in a white lab coat, faced away from the group; his thick glasses reflected the blue glow of the display, his fingertips flicked swiftly across the console, and a 3D model of a meteorite hovered at the screen's center, surrounded by red energy ripples labeled "Conversion Rate 32%? Unstable".

Only when Musashi's voice sounded did he turn slowly—having spent years in a lightless lab, his complexion was sickly pale, his eyes rimmed with the dark circles of sleeplessness, and the gaze behind his lenses was ice‑cold, scanning Huo La with unmistakable scrutiny and intimidation.

"So you want to join the Rocket Team?" Dr. Sai Ge's voice was hoarse and dry, as if he hadn't spoken normally in ages, and as if he was too lazy to waste effort on "unimportant people," "Musashi says you have 'value'; I want to see if you, kid, can say something more useful than 'I want to be Champion'—after all, my lab doesn't support idle dreamers."

Huo La was not deterred by his aura; instead, he lifted his gaze to meet it, his eyes passing over the "R" Badge pinned to his chest and the scattered Meteorite Sample Fragments on the console—those were the core focus of Dr. Sai Ge's recent research.

He spoke slowly, his tone calm yet firm: "Value, huh... Doctor, do you think a 'future Champion' who can pre‑emptively predict Irregular Energy Trajectories and help you improve the Meteorite Energy Conversion Device has enough value?"

Huo La was not shaken by his coldness; instead, he looked at the meteorite model on the screen, his gaze precisely landing on the most chaotic energy ripple area, and said calmly yet firmly, "Doctor, the issue with your Meteorite Energy Conversion Device lies in the 'frequency matching of the guiding magnetic field', doesn't it?"

Dr. Sai Ge's fingertips froze, and his previously perfunctory gaze sharpened instantly: "Continue."

"You are using a fixed‑frequency electromagnetic coil, trying to Sheer Force the energy inside the meteorite, but this meteorite's energy core is Dynamic Fluctuation—like trying to contain ever‑expanding and contracting water in a fixed‑size container; the energy will simply leak through the gaps."

Huo La stepped forward, pointing to a set of overlooked tiny data in the screen's corner: "Look here; when an abnormal magnetic field appeared in Viridian Forest last week, the meteorite's energy fluctuation actually stabilized for 0.7 seconds, because the forest's geomagnetic frequency resonated briefly with the meteorite core's frequency."

Dr. Sai Ge quickly retrieved the magnetic field records of Viridian Forest, his fingers tapping the keyboard, inputting the parameters Huo La mentioned into the simulation— the red ripples on the screen gradually smoothed, the conversion rate numbers rose to 57%, and the glaring "Unstable" label turned into a yellow "Pending Verification".

He took off his glasses, wiped them, and when he put them back, his gaze at Huo La showed a hint of genuine interest, yet still the caution of a researcher: "Even if you can solve the meteorite issue, you only understand a bit of Technical Adjustment—what the Rocket Team needs is actionable value, not a kid who only tweaks parameters."

Huo La was silent for a moment, his eyes landing on the stack of experimental reports beside Dr. Sai Ge: "You are a Researcher; your value lies in breaking scientific bottlenecks and designing core devices. But a perfect design needs someone to verify it, and that is where my value lies. You handle the Upward Breakthrough; I handle the Downward Rooting, so your research won't be wasted on unnecessary losses."

Dr. Sai Ge fell silent, staring at the abnormal data on the screen, then glancing at Huo La's confident demeanor—this kid's words hit the exact weak point of his research. What he prized was never "status" or "ambition," but "whether one can provide value to science," and Huo La's words landed precisely on his Pragmatism sore spot.

"What you say, Musashi and Kojiro could also accomplish for me," Dr. Sai Ge's voice remained hoarse, but with fewer of the earlier cold hardness; he glanced at the trio behind him, his tone carrying a hint of perfunctory probing.

"Hehe, do you really think they can?" Huo La chuckled lightly, "Within a week they've failed twice under my hand; they may be able to follow orders, but they'll never anticipate risk avoidance. That's not a matter of ability, it's a matter of awareness."

Musashi wanted to retort, but Kojiro quietly tugged his sleeve.

Dr. Sai Ge glanced at the embarrassed pair, then fell silent again.

After a moment, his fingertips tapped the console, the meteorite data on the screen minimized temporarily, and his tone finally softened a bit: "What do you want? Temporary Member Status? Lab Assistant Permission? Or Resource Support?"

"Or the original request," Huo La straightened his back, his gaze meeting Dr. Sai Ge's, with no hint of evasion, "I want to join the Rocket Team, and if possible, I want to become an Executive."