Dr. ng Ji lightly pressed a button. With a ZIZZ from the equipnt, Chen Gu realized his voice could no longer be heard.
Dr. ng Ji rubbed his hands together, an excited twinkle in his eyes. "Let’s get everything moving! I want to figure out what little secrets this adorable little boy has!"
But at that mont, the airtight doors of the laboratory slid open with a HISS, and Aviloya quickly entered with Chen Jixian in tow.
"Everyone, out!" Aviloya commanded.
Dr. ng Ji nearly jumped to his feet. "What did you say? You want to kick out of my own laboratory?"
This ti, Aviloya did not indulge him. Her eyes, deep as the ocean, stared directly at him. "Yes. This is an order from the Director-General of the Bureau of Mystic Security: everyone, including you, Dr. ng Ji, out!"
Dr. ng Ji’s mouth fell open. He almost tore off his lab coat to resign on the spot, but he quickly convinced himself. Where else but the Bureau of Mystic Security could he pursue his unbridled research on Professionals? Besides, there was this adorable little boy, like a treasure waiting for him to explore and develop.
He forcefully restrained himself and said fiercely to Aviloya, "Don’t break anything in my lab!"
"Go," Dr. ng Ji called out and led his people away.
Aviloya approached Chen Gu. Gong Shuxu, who had been silent all along, stepped forward to advise, "Director-General, it’s dangerous!"
Aviloya waved her hand. "Since Dr. ng Ji said *he* poses absolutely no danger of corruption, then there won’t be. I won’t be corrupted. Don’t worry."
She pressed a button lightly, and Chen Gu could communicate with the outside world again.
Chen Gu instinctively shrank back, his reaction even more exaggerated than the last ti he’d faced Aviloya directly. Yet Aviloya remained unfazed, her expression like still water. She looked straight at him and asked calmly, "Chen Gu, on behalf of the entire Bureau of Mystic Security, I need to ask you so questions. This is very important. You must answer truthfully."
She stepped aside to reveal Chen Jixian. "Director Chen is here as a witness."
Chen Gu glanced at his older son, noticing the latter’s usual half-lidded, unchanging expression. Chen Gu nodded slightly, having already guessed what Aviloya was about to ask.
Indeed, Aviloya imdiately continued, "Chen Gu, do you hold multiple professions?"
At this point, Chen Gu didn’t beat around the bush and nodded frankly. "Yes."
Even though she had guessed it, the answer still made Aviloya’s breath catch.
"How did you accomplish this? Besides being a Radiation Missionary, what other professions do you have?" Aviloya pressed, her voice laced with an eagerness she couldn’t quite hide despite herself.
Chen Gu, in contrast, was quite calm. He knew he had to push his acting skills to the absolute limit to erge unscathed from Aviloya’s intense questioning.
"I will first answer the questions I can. Besides Radiation Missionary, I also have three other professions: Star Battle Instructor, Quantum Wizard, and Brain Domain Hacker."
Chen Jixian’s eyelids abruptly lifted, an incredulous light flashing in his eyes.
Aviloya also exclaid, "Four professions in total?" She had originally suspected Chen Gu held three.
Chen Gu nodded. "Yes, but Brain Domain Hacker was newly awakened during this operation."
Awakening... Aviloya silently repeated the word to herself. Indeed, Professionals can awaken naturally, but this mostly occurs with older professions. In the realm of new professions, such occurrences are rare.
Moreover, the awakening of new professions often required replicating the special environnt in which that profession first erged. So, what was the special environnt that gave birth to the Brain Domain Hacker?
Aviloya carefully recalled. It was back in the Mother Star Era, when humanity was about to embark on its grand interstellar exploration. An explosion occurred at a large particle collider laboratory, set up by a major consortium outside a city, leading to a terrible disaster. During that disaster, a reclusive programr in the city was experinting with linking the human brain to computers. He then beca the first Brain Domain Hacker. But where on that planet could a similar special environnt be found?
She looked at Chen Gu doubtfully. Chen Gu remained calm, his eyes clear and without a trace of guilt as he t the Valkyrie’s gaze. "I know this is hard to believe. In fact, what I’m about to say is sothing I can’t answer myself: I don’t know how I did it either.
"Apart from Radiation Missionary, which I awakened to thodically in the generator, all my other professions awakened inexplicably at critical monts.
"Moreover, these awakening processes bore little resemblance to the original awakening environnts of the first-generation Professionals.
"If the Bureau needs this information, I can record the details of each process and submit them to you."
Aviloya nodded. "Alright."
After a pause, she asked, "Why didn’t you confess to the Bureau earlier?"
Chen Gu gave a bitter smile. "I didn’t dare."
Aviloya’s lips moved slightly, but she didn’t voice the question forming in her mind: So why did you willingly expose yourself this ti?
On that planet, everyone understood that Chen Gu could have fled on his own using his Professional abilities. He wouldn’t have needed to expose his secret and could have survived comfortably. Yet, he made a choice. He fought alongside all the warriors until the very last mont, securing a glimr of hope for the others to survive.
Thinking of such a person, Aviloya once again felt that peculiar sense of incongruity. Was he really the sa shaless little thief from all those years ago? Or had he... grown up?
Aviloya couldn’t find the answer. But setting aside his checkered past and looking at him now—not only his steadfast defense of the cave stronghold but also all his subsequent actions on the planet—everything could only be described as outstanding.
Such a hero deserved his due, rather than being confined to a laboratory, Aviloya couldn’t help but think.
However, she was the Director-General. She needed to consider the bigger picture and couldn’t let Chen Gu off so easily.
After a mont’s contemplation, she continued, "The benefits previously promised to you will be honored in full. Furthermore, I will grant you the status of a Senior Advisor within the Bureau—a rank equal to that of Lord Gong Shuxu."
Chen Gu looked at Gong Shuxu, who smiled and nodded at him.
Senior Advisor? Chen Gu speculated. Isn’t that about the sa status as an ’old venerable’ from the fantasy novels of my previous life? I guess I’m at the ’old monster’ level now! Well, if I count the ti spent in Soul Imprisonnt, I’m really not young at all.
"Your situation must remain confidential for now. Otherwise, if word gets out before we understand how you can hold multiple professions, it could send massive shockwaves through the entire Professional field and potentially lead to disaster."
Chen Gu nodded. "I understand."
"Also, we need your full cooperation with Dr. ng Ji’s research. Can you do that?"
Chen Gu instinctively replied, "I guarantee it."
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