Jiang Xiaoci's Choice: The Most Unique Talent

Mike was certain of one thing: the item had to be used immediately! National Talent was simply too powerful; the sooner it was activated, the faster his development would progress. Mike had no intention of hoarding valuable items for some distant future—he wasn't going to be a pack rat.

"This [designated] option... it's quite intriguing," Mike thought to himself. "If I take it literally, could there be a hidden possibility that the talent I designate will always become a National Talent of the same type?"

He mulled it over. From his experience, talents were categorized in many ways—by profession, ability, traits, and even basic physical stats. Each talent had a different application. For instance, Jiang Xiaoci had a strategic intellect type, Chen Qiuren was specialized in his profession, Lu Nianxin had powers as an extraordinary being, and Lin Yue was a military type... At first glance, they all seemed similar, but their functions were completely different.

"Based on this reasoning, if I select Lu Nianxin, she'll become an S-grade National Talent with powerful abilities. If I choose Chen Qiuren, he'd at least be an S-grade killer doctor. Hmm... choosing Li Ya might yield greater long-term value. An S-grade scientific researcher as a National Talent? Her research capabilities would skyrocket!"

Mike didn't even consider his military talents, including the two S-grade commanders. After all, they were already S-grade talents and couldn't fully benefit from the Bloodline item's potential. According to the item description, the best option was to choose someone with a low tier and someone whose talents would maximize the shelter's gains.

Li Ya seemed like the best choice to Mike. He pondered briefly and then thought, "I'll ask Xiaoci for her opinion first."

Without hesitation, Mike connected to Jiang Xiaoci's perspective and explained everything: the shelter upgrade and the Bloodline item. He asked for her input.

"A Bloodline item?" Jiang Xiaoci tilted her head slightly. She was sitting at the desk in a villa in the city center, placing her pen and documents aside with a smile. "If I'm not mistaken, didn't you recruit me with a similar item?"

"Yes," Mike nodded, emphasizing, "This thing's value is enormous! Xiaoci, you're the best talent in our shelter, and you're the only one in the mechanism evaluation who's classified as a National Talent. Now I can choose another National Talent, which means we'll have another top-tier talent like you!"

Mike smiled broadly, but quickly realized he had misspoken and added, "Of course, no matter who becomes the second National Talent, your place in my heart is always first! No one can diminish your achievements!"

"You have quite a sweet mouth," Jiang Xiaoci teased, flicking her hair back with a soft smile. "You must have someone in mind, right?"

Mike hesitated for a moment before answering, "I think Li Ya is the most suitable. What do you think?"

Jiang Xiaoci didn't respond directly. Instead, she patiently analyzed Mike's talents. "Li Ya's research capabilities are unparalleled in the shelter. Even with the new research department and the numerous experts from the peace era, no one matches her passion and expertise. Chen Qiuren may be carefree, but his work ethic is excellent, with both logistical and combat prowess. But it seems you don't need another all-around combat talent."

"Wang Shi surpasses Chen Qiuren in every aspect; he's a jack of all trades, but he's already an S-grade talent, so he doesn't need to become a National Talent."

"Lu Nianxin is also a solid choice. An S-grade extraordinary being could provide a lot of help."

Jiang Xiaoci calmly continued to analyze the characteristics of Mike's talents, but Mike was getting impatient. "Xiaoci, I already know their qualities. I just want to know, who do you think is the best choice?"

It wasn't that Mike was impatient; he just wanted to use the Bloodline item immediately. He couldn't wait any longer.

"Sir," Jiang Xiaoci smiled gently. "Li Ya is indeed quite suitable."

"No, you definitely didn't pick Li Ya!" Mike could already sense how Jiang Xiaoci operated. She rarely outright rejected his thoughts, as long as they were reasonable. But now, Mike needed her direct answer, not just her support.

"Who do you really have in mind?" Mike asked seriously. "Your advice is very important to me."

"Sir, if it were me..." Jiang Xiaoci took a pen and wrote down a name on a piece of paper.

Mike looked at her neat handwriting. It was Lin Yue.

"Her?" Mike was surprised. He hadn't considered Lin Yue at all.

It wasn't that Mike didn't trust Lin Yue—she was his first recruited talent and someone he trusted deeply. If possible, Mike was more than willing to invest more resources to cultivate Lin Yue. But the issue was, Lin Yue was a combat-type talent, specialized in the military.

Aside from fighting, she didn't excel at much else. Even her experience in leading large-scale operations didn't match that of the two S-grade military commanders. Lin Yue was more like a special forces operative—highly capable in small-team combat and protecting key figures. But Mike already had many soldiers like her in the shelter.

"If she becomes a National Talent... wouldn't that overlap with Wang Shi's responsibilities?" Mike wondered aloud. "That doesn't seem to maximize the shelter's growth potential."

"Indeed," Jiang Xiaoci nodded in agreement.

Mike pressed, "Then why choose Lin Yue?"

Jiang Xiaoci smiled, withdrawing a stack of talent information from the bottom of her desk. She pulled out a sheet that detailed Lin Yue's stats. She circled one particular trait, silently prompting Mike to take a closer look.

[Loyalty] - She is a loyal warrior of China, and she will never betray the shelter, no matter the circumstances.

"Sir, this is her most unique trait," Jiang Xiaoci said softly. "I'm sure there's no other talent in the shelter with such a trait."

"Only Lin Yue has this absolute loyalty, recognized by the system."

Mike looked at the note in surprise, as Jiang Xiaoci continued, "And you mentioned before that a National Talent is extremely powerful and essential for you. Well, for a leader, what's the most valuable quality in a top-tier subordinate?"

"It's loyalty!"

"Everything else doesn't matter—only loyalty is irreplaceable. Only absolute loyalty can secure the highest position!"

Jiang Xiaoci paused and added quietly, "She should stand higher than me, as the one directly below you, to best serve your interests."