Chapter 30: Yahallo~

Rhine Lab now faced many competitors. Across Columbia, there were no fewer than eight to ten technology companies, most backed by official institutions and venture capital. This arrangement was necessary—on one hand, the government needed to support local enterprises, and on the other, it wanted to monitor their development. To put it plainly, it was surveillance under the guise of support.

Currently, some shares of Rhine Lab had yet to be distributed among the founders. The management held 55%, another 35% belonged to various investors, and the remaining 10% was in the open market.

Felix's involvement would either result in him carving out a portion of that official stake—or in forcing out some of the riskier investors. The latter seemed far more likely.

But Felix wasn't here for titles or an increase in his bank account. What he sought were the resources, personnel, and most importantly, a recognized identity within Rhine Lab.

He made his intentions clear: he wished to conduct mechanical research at Rhine Lab. In return, Rhine Lab could benefit from his research outcomes, but they would need to sign a letter of intent and an official order with him.

Currently, Rhine Lab boasted many doctoral scholars across various disciplines, but it lacked any real research presence in the field of mechanics. This gap existed because Columbia University didn't offer courses in mechanics, and consequently, there were no students specializing in the field.

Yara Booker Wilson found this reason far more convincing than his earlier compliments about aligning values. His explanation made practical sense—and she appreciated that. While it wasn't common in Columbia for individuals to bring capital into companies of this scale, those who did usually had significant backing and capability.

"I'd like to discuss this matter with the director. Please wait here a moment."

Yara lifted her silver hair gently. She could see Felix's sincerity, and she understood what he could bring to Rhine Lab. But the decision wasn't hers alone—she needed to express her stance clearly to the others.

As for Felix's mention of purchasing the voting rights held by venture capital firms, Yara kept quiet, but inwardly, she approved. After all, they constantly had to consider those firms when making decisions and writing reports. It was one thing if the military or foundation were involved—but what did venture capitalists really know about research?

Felix sat quietly, sipping the slightly cooled coffee. He was confident in his strategy. Rhine Lab could offer him a valuable shield of protection, and it would also provide access to knowledge about various secondary professions. Compared to sneaking around at Raythean Industries, this was a far safer path.

After browsing the forums for a while, Yara returned with a polite smile.

"The director and deputy director would like to meet with you."

Felix rose from his seat and said, "I've been looking forward to it."

They walked through the corridor, finally arriving at an office at the far end. It wasn't much larger than Yara's, but the atmosphere was different. While Yara's office featured fashion books lining the shelves, this one was stacked with documents and research materials. It looked like a place that never stopped working.

Which one of you is the director? Felix couldn't help but wonder as he glanced at the two women who stood up to greet him. He gave them a warm smile.

"Hello, I'm Kristen Wright, Director of Rhine Lab."

"Hello, my name is Saria, Deputy Director of Rhine Lab," Saria added politely. "Nice to meet you."

Felix looked at the very person who had once beaten him to death with an iron fist in his previous life, then shifted his gaze to Kristen—so indifferent and a little absent-minded. He extended his hands to shake theirs.

"Hello, my name is Felix Shawn Lanshem, a pioneer walking upon the Terra."

Felix was not a businessman at heart. He simply believed that the image of a businessman was a convenient disguise. Kristen and Saria were both pure scientific researchers... and one of them was the so-called "Rhine Boxing Queen." Neither had much interest in business planning; day-to-day operations were entirely left to Yara.

In many ways, Yara was truly like a mother to both of them.

Yara smiled gently at the pair, then turned and quietly closed the door behind her as she left.

Facing the two researchers, Felix dropped the businesslike front and began speaking frankly about Rhine Lab's current situation. "There's too little scientific research being done at Rhine Lab. Too many venture capital companies are interfering in research projects, which has led to inefficiency. I plan to remove them, keeping only a few smaller firms. This is the extent of what I can do—and it's also to preserve the purity and integrity of Rhine Lab."

"I graduated early from Laterano College. While it may not compare to Columbia University… or Trimount Polytechnic University, my major was in mechanical dynamics, materials science, metal processing, quality control, and electronic engineering. I possess a deep understanding of machinery and firearms. It would be my honor to work as a researcher at Rhine Lab Science. Of course, this is also the reason I chose Rhine Lab. 'Answer with wisdom, expand with thinking'—this philosophy mirrors the spirit upon which Columbia was built. The road of exploration must never stop."

He then demonstrated the mechanical equipment he wore. As he issued a series of commands, what once seemed like inert machinery suddenly came to life. Electric currents flickered faintly through his coat, and the mechanical-powered legs beneath him began to move rhythmically, as though breathing.

The display was more than impressive—it was intimidating. Kristen and Saria, who had never come into direct contact with mechanical engineering before, had never seen anything like it.

While Raythean Industries did produce some large-scale machines, none were so compact, wearable, and mobile as this.

"The bigger issue is that Colombia's scientific community is now corrupt. Sycophants are everywhere. I only arrived in Colombia a few days ago and already heard that a professor from Lancashire University is under suspicion for academic fraud. If someone like that can become a professor, it reflects just how unstable the research community behind him really is." Felix continued, "Take one step ahead and you're a genius. Take ten steps ahead and you become a monster. The scientific community in Colombia has come to a complete standstill."

Felix spoke with sincerity. In his previous life, he had joined Rhine Lab during its middle to later stages—mainly to access resources and research materials. Naturally, he had come to understand the mindsets of the key figures involved.

He wore a faint smile as he spoke, his tone calm and composed. "To be honest, I had high hopes for this investment trip. After all, Columbia is known for its undying spirit of pioneering and exploration. But what I smell here is the stench of rotting money. They laugh loudly and speak boldly, but they've stopped moving forward. They chase after fame and fortune, obsessed with forming cliques, and fight in the shadows for personal gain. They'll go to any lengths to silence anything that might tarnish their careers."

Kristen's expression shifted slightly. For the first time, she looked at Felix with genuine seriousness.

"My lords, how can we pursue science with vermin like these?" Felix shook his head with a cold laugh, his voice gradually sharpening. "This land is riddled with problems—Oripathy, natural disasters, and even the sky above us—and these parasites are busy staging court dramas. Isn't it absurd?"

"The spirit of science demands the courage to boldly seek truth, and a rigorous process of argument and verification... Yet all I've seen in those so-called research firms are 'doctors' fighting to the death over petty gains."

"I'm disappointed."

"Will Rhine Lab disappoint me too?"

At that moment, the tone of the conversation shifted. If earlier Felix had been assessing Rhine Lab and introducing himself, now it was Rhine Lab's turn to present themselves to an investor carrying 20 million LMD.

His gaze cooled as he intertwined his fingers, staring directly at Kristen.

Kristen smiled—a radiant smile that softened her scholarly image, reminding one that she was, indeed, still a stunning woman.

"It's wonderful to have someone who shares our ideals, isn't it, Saria?"

Saria nodded toward Kristen, then turned to Felix with a gentle smile. "Since you're interested in our project, Mr. Felix, I wonder if you'd be available to visit Rhine Lab again sometime."

Felix nearly had a heart attack from Saria's smile. For a moment, he thought he was hallucinating—hadn't she just killed him with a punch in his previous life? But considering the close bond between Kristen and Saria, it wasn't so surprising that Saria occasionally showed emotion.

Saria was the kind of person who didn't often reveal her feelings, but that didn't mean she was silent. Her emotional restraint was largely due to her father's influence. His stern upbringing had denied her the warmth of family more times than she could count. "Crying solves nothing," her father had once told her. So, Saria had learned to hold back her tears, to train herself, to pursue science at university, and to grow stronger—strong enough that she would never have to cry again.

After Saria led Felix away, Kristen stood by the window, gazing at the clear, cloudless sky with a faint smile on her lips. Well... although the young Mr. Felix's words had been a bit sharp, every one of them had struck a chord in her heart.

Still, looking ahead, she thought it might be wise for Mr. Felix to pursue a doctoral degree. It would make things much smoother. Many of the documents requiring approval from the Columbian authorities would be less prone to scrutiny or gossip if he held such a title.

"Hey, there's an extra cup of coffee. Did someone stop by earlier?"

Christen turned around and smiled at the water elf who had suddenly appeared in the small office. "What a pity! If you'd come a bit earlier, you would've met someone quite interesting, Muelsyse."

"Hey hey hey," the girl in a lab coat, with teardrop-like markings at the corners of her eyes, blinked in surprise and pouted. "What did I miss?"

"Saria is giving him a tour of the project. If you head out now, you might still catch him."

"Is he a new researcher joining Rhine Lab?"

"Yes... something like that."

After all, being a researcher requires a license. Kristen believed in the knowledge he spoke of, but he wasn't officially a researcher—at least, not yet. With doctoral degrees becoming increasingly devalued in Columbia's academic circles, one had to wonder: how much weight did the title "PhD" still carry?

She'd heard that in distant Leithanien, earning the title of doctor took years of rigorous study. But times were changing, and today's Columbia had become unrecognizable to the older generation of scientists.

…

Rhine Lab Science was modest in size and lacked many facilities, but within this small space was a group of scientists driven by genuine passion for their work. Felix and Saria stood outside a window, observing a scene where researchers passionately debated experimental results. Their mentor looked on in silence, making no effort to intervene.

Next, Saria guided Felix to the Originium research lab. Here, he seemed to catch a glimpse of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals—scientists were adjusting reagents, measuring Originium reactions, and recording observations at computer terminals.

"There are only three ways to contract Oripathy in this land," Felix said softly, his golden wings gently swaying. "Inhalation of Originium dust, bloodborne contamination, and hereditary transmission... Along the way, I've seen the tragic plight of those who live in afflicted lands."

Saria glanced at him, and Felix chuckled with a shrug. "Laterano is a pure paradise, untouched by conflict and pain, free of negative emotions. The Sankta who choose to leave that paradise are filled with compassion and a desire to act. Some take up arms and order from Laterano, building stability in faraway Siracusa. Others hope to end conflict by confronting it directly… But I believe the true source of our suffering—and what we must ultimately overcome—is the very resource we rely on every day: Originium."

"My friend once told me her family motto: 'Don't fear hardship or darkness'... I'm sincerely impressed by your research."

Saria offered a faint smile. "This is just the beginning for Rhine Lab. With more like-minded people joining us, I believe we'll one day be able to realize our ideals."

"The next area is our Originium activation research project, Mr. Lanshem—"

"No need to call me 'Mr.,'" Felix interrupted. "Just call me Felix."

Saria understood his choice. She smiled and extended her hand. "Welcome to Rhine Lab, Felix. As colleagues from now on, I look forward to working with you."

Felix shook her hand. Their grip was firm, steady—full of strength and resolve.

Water flowed gently beside them. Felix turned his head to see a young, beautiful elf girl emerging from the stream. Her light green hair shimmered, and her large golden eyes blinked curiously at him.

Muelsyse—one of the players' wives. Felix remembered her vividly. It wasn't just the way she greeted others—it was her lively, whimsical nature.

"Who's this?" she asked with a curious tilt of her head.

Felix felt she could've been an actor with that playful expression.

"Muelsyse, one of Rhine Lab Science's researchers," Saria introduced calmly. "She's made remarkable achievements in ecology. If you have any related questions, she's the one to ask."

Then she turned to Muelsyse. "This is Felix Shawn Lanshem, who's joining the company today. He's an expert in mechanical engineering, a mechanic, and a gunsmith. His arrival brings fresh energy and new research directions to Rhine Lab."

Muelsyse smiled sweetly and waved. "Yahallo~ Just call me Muelsyse~"

"Likewise—Felix is fine."

After their handshake, Muelsyse immediately turned to Saria with excitement.

"Saria, let's throw a welcome party tonight!"