Chapter 1625: How Should One Address the Idol's Senior Sister?

After finishing the selection of the last batch of job applicants, Xia Qing called a meeting with the heads of each department of the Ninth Center. The hiring standards remained in line with the Ninth Center's original recruitment intent: priority was given to disabled veterans who met the job requirements; if no suitable disabled veterans were available, outstanding applicants would be selected from among non-disabled soldiers.

After reviewing the hiring list, Xia Qing took the printed list into Territory Seven and asked Zhang San to sign it. Zhang San was the person in charge and top decision-maker of the Ninth Center. The hiring list required his signature before it could be submitted, and after being stamped by the Safety Zone Agriculture Department, the Ninth Center could process onboarding for this batch of new employees.

It was now past four in the afternoon, and the first batch of visitors coming to inspect Territory Seven had all arrived. The first batch came from six bases in Red City and Baicheng, totaling 115 people, including 42 researchers and 73 accompanying personnel.

Most of the researchers moved into the Territory Seven dormitories; the smaller portion, who were not in Zhang San's good graces, paid a premium to stay in the Ninth Center staff dormitory. Those staying at the Ninth Center had to abide by the Ninth Center's rules and were not allowed to leave the dormitory without approval, or they would be punished according to the accommodation agreement. So when Xia Qing was working at the Ninth Center, she never saw these people at all.

Most of the accompanying personnel in the first batch were evolvers tasked with protecting the researchers. Only a small portion of them stayed in the Ninth Center dormitory; most chose to pitch tents for the night on a cleared open area outside the south gate of Northern Zone One's territory.

Those pitching tents outside were responsible for their own safety, and they also had to abide by the Hui Three Evolution Forest management rules. They were not to leave the lodging area without authorization, or they would be treated as invaders.

The researchers who entered Territory Seven could move freely within the territory and could also visit the open areas. Zhang San had submitted a request for increased security to the partners. Hui Three Special Operations Squad Two and Red Eleven Special Operations Squad Six had entered Territory Seven to protect these experts and scholars.

So now Territory Seven was full of people. On Xia Qing's way from the south gate of Territory Seven to the idol's office, she encountered twice as many guards as before and twelve faces from the list the idol had given her.

Wearing her single-sided light-transmitting protective mask, Xia Qing pretended not to recognize a single one of them. She made her way familiarly to the idol's office and handed over the list. "Third Brother, this is the hiring list our center has drawn up, 188 people in total. They've all passed the interview, skills test, physical exam, and background check."

Zhang San took it and flipped through it quickly. He didn't see the Zheng Kui Xia Qing had mentioned earlier, and he didn't ask further. He simply signed the last page, then asked the fellow whose face and wrists had acquired several new injuries, "Went to special training again this morning?"

Xia Qing, thinking the idol was worried about the wolf pack being exposed, nodded and explained, "I went. The special training has moved to the third peak of Mountain Forty-Nine. After training ended, I pitched a tent on the spot, changed into a protective suit, and only returned to the territory after passing Sister Yan's smell test."

Among the special forces and investigation teams that had entered Northern Zone One, there were openly six high-level olfactory evolvers, so Xia Qing was cautious everywhere.

"You…" Before Zhang San could finish, his phone lit up. Zhang San pressed answer directly. "Speak."

Zhang Song asked in a very formal tone, "Director, Director Bai of Bai Qi Research Institute has brought two kinds of precious herbs and wants to discuss an exchange with you directly."

Zhang San replied lazily, "Just invite her in directly."

The deputy director of Bai Qi Research Institute was named Bai Jiangxia, a high-level brain-domain evolver whose research direction was targeted evolution drug development.

On the list, Bai Jiangxia's name had not been bolded by the idol, so she was not someone Xia Qing needed to pay special attention to. So Xia Qing took the signed hiring list and prepared to leave. "Third Brother, I'm off?"

There were people everywhere outside, and security in Territory Seven had been upgraded again. Even Xia Qing had to go through strict security checks when entering and leaving Territory Seven. So the idol hadn't prepared fruit or snacks for her. Xia Qing came empty-handed and left empty-handed, very briskly.

Zhang San called her back and handed her four forms. "This is the group itinerary plan for the first inspection team. Look it over carefully. If you think there's any problem, contact Zhang Song directly and have him revise it. The wolf pack side must be instructed well—don't let them clash with the inspection team, and don't let the inspection team discover the brain-domain evolved animals…"

Before Zhang San could finish his instructions, Zhang Song and Bai Jiangxia's faces appeared on the surveillance screen mounted on the wall beside the desk.

Although Zhang San's previous office and laboratory used the best soundproofing materials and anti-eavesdropping equipment, sounds from people running or making obvious noises in the outer corridor could still travel into the office.

After Xia Qing became a partner of Territory Seven, she successively invested over thirty million into Territory Seven. Zhang San asked her what she wanted. Xia Qing made two requests: first, upgrade Zhang San's office environment; second, have him arrange his time reasonably—more rest, less staying up late.

After the latest upgrade, Zhang San's office and laboratory achieved top-tier soundproofing. This absolutely quiet working environment, free from outside noise, was extremely friendly to researchers who needed to concentrate and think deeply. But it also had one very obvious flaw—Zhang San couldn't hear any movement outside either.

Zhang San said this was no problem at all, because when he was working he didn't care what was happening outside. To minimize noise interference, he explicitly stipulated that no one was to ring his office doorbell except in emergencies.

His doorbell didn't make a sound; it only lit up the surveillance screen on the wall, showing that someone was at the door.

What if Zhang San was in the inner laboratory and couldn't see the screen? Then of course he'd just have to wait until he was done and came out!

The person the idol had an appointment with had already arrived at the door. Xia Qing picked up her single-sided light-transmitting protective mask, but the idol stopped her. "Go and meet Director Bai."

Xia Qing……

Idol, do you really think I look fit to meet someone right now? Although she was complaining inside, Xia Qing obediently put the protective mask down.

"Meeting you is harder than getting into the palace to see the Emperor himself…"

After the door opened, Bai Jiangxia, with her neat short hair and white lab coat, walked in while complaining. Seeing that there was actually someone in Zhang San's office, she immediately stopped complaining and gave Xia Qing a slight nod with great scholarly bearing.

Before Xia Qing could speak, Zhang San lazily made introductions for them. "Senior Sister Bai, this is Xia Qing, my student. She's currently focusing on crop-soil collaborative improvement research."

The idol's few short words completely stunned Xia Qing, whose face was a riot of colors. This deputy director, who looked extremely learned, was actually the idol's senior sister? Why hadn't the idol listed such important information on the list?!

Also, when had she, like the waist-breaking wolf, become the idol's student, and with such a lofty-sounding research direction at that?

Of course, the most pressing matter at hand was: what should she call the idol's senior sister?