Chapter 840: Interview
“Making money is a trivial matter.” Terestina signed the last document and tossed it to the maid opposite her. “The most crucial thing is that you need this opportunity to make amends and regain the trust of Lin Wuming and Shokuhou Misaki.”
Just as Terestina said, bringing such a large sum of high-quality research assets to the foundation would yield profits ten or even a hundred times over in the future.
Given the prospect of such immense profits, Yun Chuan Ju Ya's unauthorized actions this time could be overlooked.
—Even that woman Shokuhou Misaki wouldn't be able to find fault!
Yun Chuan Ju Ya sneered, returning the retort without showing weakness: “I’m giving that sentence right back to you. As a partner to the boss, you were a bystander throughout this operation, reaping benefits without effort, only to jump out at the end to claim the spoils of victory… The small concession you’re offering now is merely an attempt to compensate for your previous actions.”
It’s just intelligence gathering, who can’t do that?
Yun Chuan Ju Ya sneered internally: You are a Kihara, but I also possess Toku Ko Ri Shi-level authority. Within the confines of Academy City, it’s hard to say whose information is more current!
“…” Terestina looked over with a hint of speechlessness.
Sure enough, these little girls are the hardest to deal with.
After a while, Yun Chuan Ju Ya also came to her senses. Thinking about it carefully, weren't they both in the same boat?
Because of their inaction or misguided actions in the previous incident, they had lost some favor with Lin Wuming, which was why they were now trying to make amends here.
“Alright, let’s end this meaningless conversation.” Terestina shook her head and stood up. “Everything that needed to be done has been completed. See you next time for cooperation.”
“Next time?” Yun Chuan Ju Ya asked, “What else do you plan to sell?”
“I'm looking to cooperate with your boss. Don't expect pies to always fall from the sky.” Shaking the candy box in her hand, Terestina rustled out of the office.
Yun Chuan Ju Ya did not stand up to see her off. For her, the truly busy period had just begun. She had to quickly get the various organizations and industries acquired in this transaction back into operation and generating positive returns.
Otherwise, even if the acquisition price was cheap, it was still a significant expenditure. Lin Wuming might not care too much, but that woman Shokuhou Misaki might. She placed great importance on the foundation's operational status and would be difficult to fool.
As for Terestina, after shedding a pile of negative assets, she felt a sense of relief and hurried back to the Research Institute, which served as her main base.
This time, not only did she sell off a bunch of industries that were useless to her, but even for the Research Institutes she kept, Terestina carried out drastic personnel changes. These past two days, she had been busy recruiting new members.
Coincidentally, there was a Researcher with an impressive resume waiting for her interview right now.
Terestina rushed back to her office in a flurry and immediately called in the applicant who had been waiting there.
A female Researcher named Hirata Kotomi.
“Ms. Hirata Kotomi,” Terestina closed the file in her hand. “According to the material, your area of expertise is the AIM Diffusion Field, which doesn’t quite match the needs of my Research Institute.”
“No, you will need me, Miss Terestina.” The middle-aged woman smiled calmly. “Indeed, you are currently trying to shift the focus of the Research Institute to equipment development, but this is ultimately a city centered on esper ability, and FIVE_Over technology is intrinsically linked to the AIM Diffusion Field. I presume I don’t need to explain that further, do I?”
“You…” Terestina frowned.
She held a prejudice against research related to the AIM Diffusion Field.
It wasn't that she wasn't proficient in this field; on the contrary, before leaving Academy City to study abroad, the AIM Diffusion Field was Terestina's main area of focus.
At that time, she was still working as an assistant in her grandfather Kihara Gensei's Research Institute…
Recalling some past memories, the joyful feeling of “beating grandfather” was greatly diminished. But on the other hand, Terestina also knew that this Hirata Kotomi was right.
If she wanted to deeply explore the technological potential of FIVE_Over, an expert in the AIM Diffusion Field was indispensable. The expert's academic level even determined the upper limit of the entire project!
In fact, Terestina had originally intended to fill this role herself.
But this woman named Hirata Kotomi had disrupted her original plan.
Moreover, if this woman’s resume wasn't fake, her academic accomplishments were far superior to her own!
This made Terestina feel even more conflicted—has the scientific community progressed so much in the two years I've been away?
—Wait a minute, something’s strange. In the job posting I published, it shouldn’t have mentioned needing a Researcher in the AIM-related field, right? So how did this woman find her way here?
Even developing and utilizing FIVE_Over technology was still just an intention of Terestina's; the proposal hadn't even been written yet.
Terestina felt confused, so she directly asked: “Ms. Hirata Kotomi, how did you determine that I need talent in the AIM-related field here?”
“It’s not hard to guess,” Hirata Kotomi said. “From the laboratories you disposed of and the ones you kept, it’s clear you want to conduct equipment research and development—presumably for your heavy armored unit, right? And in Academy City, the most cutting-edge equipment is inevitably related to esper ability, which means technology related to the AIM Diffusion Field.”
“I also know,” Hirata Kotomi continued, “that you were once an excellent talent in this field, so it’s impossible for you not to have thought of this. However, you’ve been out of the front lines of scientific research for too long, so your technical skills and knowledge base are somewhat lacking. For the sake of project progress, hiring me is the best option.”
Rustle, rustle…
Terestina shook the candy box with increasing impatience.
Although she knew rationally that this woman was right, what kind of applicant would directly mock the employer during an interview?
This woman couldn't stay at her previous Research Institute, could it be because of this terrible temper?
Terestina was also a Researcher, and a Kihara at that, so she certainly wouldn't lack “reason.”
But…
“You can leave.” Pushing the file aside, Terestina issued the order to depart.
“Are you not going to reconsider?” Upon hearing this result, Hirata Kotomi showed little disappointment, still appearing calm and composed. “Or do you think I’m wrong?”
“You’re not wrong,” Terestina narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the woman in front of her. “But I don’t like you.”
“How willful.”
“This isn’t willfulness,” Terestina shook her head, but her gaze remained fixed on the other party. “It’s a scientist’s intuition. I feel there’s something off about you, so I won’t hire you.”
