Trimounts is vast, serving as one of Columbia's prominent mobile cities and a hub for cutting-edge technology and Originium research on Terra.
Science and innovation have always been the founding principles of Trimounts. With its robust research capabilities, the city actively drives technological advancements, attracting a plethora of talented scholars.
From above, the square-shaped blocks of the mobile city are arranged tightly together.
Compared to the towering city walls and structures, the citizens walking within appear as tiny as specks of dust.
In the lower district, a short girl from the Vouivre race stepped out of a vehicle bearing the Rhine Lab emblem and set foot in the grand city.
A staff member dressed in Rhine Lab's uniform bid her farewell from the car.
"Miss Razer, this is as far as we can take you."
"Mm, thank you, Miss Knocker."
"Hehe, no need to thank me. If anyone, thank Mr. Garde."
After saying that, the staff member restarted the vehicle and drove toward Rhine Lab's headquarters. The Vouivre girl watched the vehicle disappear into the distance, knowing that from this moment on, she was on her own.
The Vouivre girl was none other than Razer. Although she had traveled with Garde as part of Rhine Lab's convoy, unlike him, Razer couldn't follow Muelsyse directly into Trimounts; she first had to undergo a physical examination.
Columbia does not exclude talented immigrants from abroad. In fact, it actively headhunts graduates from prestigious universities.
Recruitment agencies are everywhere in Columbia. Even for an ordinary, unremarkable individual—so long as they are not infected—they are likely to frequently receive various job offers.
As soon as Razer got out of the car, a few recruiters took notice of her. However, uncertain of her connection with Rhine Lab, they hesitated.
Before they could act, the Vouivre girl had already disappeared from sight.
As evening approached, Razer knew she needed to quickly find a place to stay—preferably an inn.
Thanks to traveling with Rhine Lab's convoy, she had saved a significant amount of money, allowing her to splurge a little for a good night's sleep.
Tomorrow, she would start her job hunt in earnest!
Her ultimate goal was Blacksteel International. Although Mr. Garde had assured her that her current skills were sufficient to qualify, Razer refused to let her guard down until she officially secured the position.
Garde was simply too strong.
So strong that Razer felt no matter how hard she trained, she couldn't hope to match him.
After a month and a half of relentless effort, Razer believed she had become several times stronger than when she first started. With systematic training and the innate physical advantages of the Vouivre race, her progress had been extraordinary.
Even so, whenever she faced Garde, she couldn't see any hope of victory.
Razer had overheard Rhine Lab employees debating who was stronger—Garde or their Director of Defense Division, Saria. Ultimately, no conclusion was reached.
For now, Razer ranked Garde and Saria as equals in her mind. After all, Rhine Lab was merely a research company; their Director of Rhine Lab Defense Division shouldn't be stronger than the directors of Blacksteel International, a renowned security firm, right?
In other words, if she wanted to establish a security company as renowned as Blacksteel International, she would need strength comparable to Garde's.
Just thinking about it made Razer feel hopeless.
But she would not give up.
After receiving so much help from Garde, it would be embarrassing if she couldn't even pass Blacksteel International's entrance test.
The young girl stepped into an inn, conversing with the innkeeper in her halting but proficient Columbian. After some bargaining, she managed to reduce the price to 100 Columbian Gold certificates for three nights.
If the innkeeper hadn't been about to throw her out, Razer might have tried to haggle even further.
"So expensive!"
Razer bit her lip. She hadn't expected the cost of staying a single night in Trimounts's lower district to be this high.
This left Razer with only enough savings to stay for another two weeks.
Although the thought of asking Garde for help had crossed her mind, her pride wouldn't allow it. She had already received so much assistance from him.
"Get a good night's sleep tonight, and tomorrow, it's time for interviews," she murmured to herself.
Her eyes burned with determination. Many dream-chasing girls like her lived in Trimounts, but not everyone was as fortunate as Razer.
The night in Trimounts was dazzling with lights. Many researchers worked late into the night—sometimes going days without sleep—for the sake of an experiment. Here, capital only cared about results. No results meant no investment. No investment meant research couldn't continue, and ultimately, failure was inevitable.
Even a company as large as Rhine Lab, now expanding internationally, had struggled in its early days, constantly seeking investment to survive. Sometimes, survival required compromise.
In Rhine Lab's office, Kristen had just concluded a research experiment when she received over a hundred collaboration proposals. Most were from opportunistic small companies or merchants. Occasionally, there were large investment offers, but those came with exorbitant demands.
Finally, Kristen's eyes fell on the last invitation.
It was from the Columbian military!
Kristen didn't dislike collaborating with the military. The Columbian military was known for its generosity. As long as she delivered satisfactory products, they were willing to significantly increase their investment.
The military provided funding, and she provided results.
Kristen appreciated such straightforward partnerships. It allowed her to spend less time dealing with investors and more time on her research.
After briefly reviewing the military's request and confirming their generous offer, Kristen didn't hesitate to accept.
In the past, the military's terms wouldn't have been this straightforward, which indicated that they now recognized Rhine Lab's value. The impact of their Oripathy suppressant was beginning to take hold. Soon, Rhine Lab's research would no longer be constrained by financial concerns.
All of this was thanks to Saria's success.
"Saria, thank you. I've taken another step closer to that dream," Kristen whispered.
In her office, she turned to look out at the sky. The stars were so brilliant that she couldn't resist the urge to reach out and pluck them from the heavens.
A glance at the clock told her it was getting late. Normally, she would continue working for hours, but tonight, she wanted to go home—to the "home" she shared with Saria.
Ever since Saria had left, Kristen had stayed there.
If Saria were still around, she probably wouldn't be doing this.
When had it started, this invisible barrier between them?
But it didn't matter. Despite everything, Kristen still trusted Saria.
Packing her things, Kristen stretched for the first time in ages.
"So tired. I'll take a nice bath when I get home."
<+>
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