Dual Worlds: I Have a Doomsday World

After a full day of work and study, Lin Qi felt he had made another leap forward in his mastery of Prosthetic Engineering.

Although his Spiritual Vision couldn’t give him a cheat code for Prosthetic Engineering, the guidance from the High Level researchers was a great help to Lin Qi. After all, his learning ability was already stronger than most.

"Everyone, that’s all for today. The chip has a limited learning efficiency, so eight hours a day will suffice."

Just as Lin Qi was hitting his stride, Ning Hao suddenly spoke up.

This took many of the researchers by surprise.

’The chip gets an eight-hour workday?’

’It has better benefits than an A-level Researcher?’

Ning Hao didn’t elaborate, but he did respond, "The chip is currently in its experimental phase and has limited learning efficiency. It can only receive eight hours of training per day, and it requires a one-day pause every six days for self-calibration and data integration."

Hearing this, the researchers all cast envious glances toward the device.

Eight hours a day, with one day off every six days.

’Those are some amazing benefits!’

They were treated like beasts of burden, and that was just now at United Pharmaceutical.

Back at Liu’s Heavy Industries, they had to work twelve hours a day with only one day off every fifteen days—just two rest days a month.

’People have it worse than a chip!’

Lin Qi’s curiosity was piqued by Ning Hao’s explanation.

He activated his Spiritual Vision, locking onto the chip’s location.

To his eyes, the chip hadn’t changed much, but for some reason, Lin Qi felt it was broadcasting a sense of "fatigue."

This thing was clearly a chip, an Extraordinary Item.

Yet Lin Qi couldn’t shake the feeling that it was alive.

’This chip is going to be made into an implantable Prosthetic Body. If you put this thing inside someone, will it really be safe?’

For now, Lin Qi couldn’t determine the chip’s true nature—not unless he could get his hands on it and study it himself.

Unfortunately, the people from Ninghang Technology guarded the device so closely they never left its side.

Even the researchers participating in the joint project could only connect to the device to feed it data.

Aside from the personnel from Ninghang Technology, no one was allowed to physically access the chip itself.

Lin Qi showed no outward reaction, simply turning to look at Wei Wutao along with the other researchers.

"Supervisor Wei, according to Leader Ning, does this mean we can... go home for the day?"

The researcher who spoke was practically buzzing with excitement.

This meant that from now on, they would have an extra three hours of personal freedom every day.

Unfortunately, Wei Wutao’s words were a bucket of cold water, dousing everyone’s spirits in equal measure.

"Once this joint project is over, you will return to your original posts and clock out at the regular time."

With that, Wei Wutao led by example, walking out of the H4-401 experimental bay and returning to his own office.

The researchers were all crestfallen, and began to console one another.

"Forget about it. Did you really think the company wouldn’t exploit our labor?"

"Just get back to work. At least we got to join this project. Our salaries have gone up a lot—almost double."

"Besides, this project has an extra point bonus. We should seize the opportunity and push ourselves. If I put in another nine hours of overtime on top of the usual eleven, I might be able to save up a hundred points. And if I can get company shares..."

Lin Qi glanced at the A-level Researchers, then, without lingering, took the elevator back to the thirteenth floor.

There were still nearly three hours until quitting time. Not one to waste them, Lin Qi went straight back to the Pharmacy Laboratory and began poring over literature on A-Class Pharmacy.

Nearby, Elder Dong paid no mind to Lin Qi’s return. He just kept to his own little corner, terrified that Lin Qi might remember he was there.

The mere sight of Lin Qi reading through documents terrified him!

He was afraid Lin Qi would, out of sheer reflex, turn and start asking him questions.

’Answering Lin Qi’s questions is torture!’

Elder Dong remained on edge all the way until the end of the workday.

Fortunately, Lin Qi spent the entire time quietly reading his documents.

Only when they were walking out of the lab together did Elder Dong dare to ask, "Why are you back so early? Did you get kicked off that interdepartmental joint project?"

Lin Qi replied, "How could I be? The project isn’t difficult, and it doesn’t require me to do much. I can even improve my Prosthetic Engineering skills on the side. But it only runs for eight hours a day. Once that’s done, it’s only natural that I’d return to the Pharmacy Laboratory."

Elder Dong was astonished. ’What kind of magical company is Ninghang Technology?’

’They actually have projects that are only eight hours a day?’

’Don’t tell me their employees only work eight-hour days?’

’That’s something to be jealous of.’

Elder Dong silently began to calculate just how many hours of his life he was losing each day compared to the work schedule at Ninghang Technology.

After a moment of calculation, Elder Dong didn’t want to think about it anymore.

By that metric, he felt like he was getting a raw deal.

They rode the elevator all the way to the top floor.

Elder Dong, knowing his place, squeezed out the moment the Door was halfway open.

By the time the doors had fully opened and Lin Qi made eye contact with Liu Xuan, Elder Dong had already vanished without a trace.

"What a coincidence."

"It is, isn’t it."

The two of them greeted each other as they always did.

Lin Qi looked at Liu Xuan, a thought crossing his mind.

’Theoretically, the strategic partnership between Ninghang Technology and United Pharmaceutical must have gone through Liu Xuan.’

’Or, possibly, through the board of directors at Liu’s Heavy Industries.’

’Regardless, there’s a high probability that Liu Xuan knows all the details of the collaboration between the two companies.’