Su Hao used five temporary tools to complete one of the most tedious preliminary tasks for the Praying Mantis evolution paper.
"A complete, commercially viable evolution paper requires detailed data support from every stage."
Back then, his Dream Butterfly paper had been incomplete.
The data support had come later, through detailed experiments conducted by Master Chen's team and other teams.
But for the Praying Mantis paper, he planned to finish all the experiments before officially publishing it.
That way, the returns would be higher too.
"First, practice with an evolution paper, then roll out the finished jade powder package."
That was Su Hao's plan.
After the morning's experiment assessment, Su Hao sent the five tools home to wait for news.
Then...
He returned to his office computer and sent an email to the girl named "Kong Yun."
Congratulations, you've won!
"Done, well... I've also filled the lab's staffing needs."
The entire lab, besides an assistant at the Spirit Breeder level, also needed a secretary to handle logistics, client reception, and such.
Plus a few regular employees to help collect data and assist with tasks.
Though called regular, these people still needed a foundation in Spirit Breeding.
Su Hao's recruitment targets were those who had repeatedly taken the Spirit Breeder qualification exam but failed.
They could be called "apprentice Spirit Breeders."
But without that certification, their待遇 were vastly different from junior Spirit Breeders.
They were very practical secondary tools.
To be honest, if apprentice Spirit Breeders could handle tasks like caring for wild spirits or mixing jade powder packages, he... might not need formal Spirit Breeder-level tools at all.
...
Three days later.
Chief Tool Kong Yun officially started work.
Also reporting for duty were a 28-year-old secretary named Du Yuting, as stated on her resume, and five regular employees aged from twenty-eight to thirty-five.
Seven people total, plus two temporary workers—that was the entire staff of "Su Hao Lab."
"Crackle-pop—"
Firecrackers sounded at the lab's entrance, wishing the lab would bring Su Hao booming profits.
After a brief speech, Su Hao announced the lab's first task.
"Research the second evolution path of the Wood Mantis."
He said to Kong Yun, "The subjects for this experiment are those ten Wood Mantises. You'll handle most of the experiments—group them and do controlled cultivation."
"Ah, me?"
The bespectacled Kong Yun looked up in surprise, "I, I can't do it."
Of course I know you can't.
If you could, you wouldn't be a qualified tool.
Su Hao thought to himself, keeping a warm smile on his face, "I'll point you in the right direction. You just need to follow my requirements step by step. Can't even do that?"
He put on a slightly stern expression.
This was the boss's authority.
"N-no problem."
Kong Yun immediately stood straight and replied.
But she was still astonished.
Elsewhere—whether at school, a company, or a private lab—junior Spirit Breeders like her were lucky just to assist and learn from big shots.
There was no way they'd be handed an experiment.
Teacher Su... he's such a good person!
A great person!
Kong Yun was moved and vowed to achieve results, not to let Teacher Su down.
...
With the tasks assigned, Su Hao had some free time.
He would, of course, use the instruments and do small experiments.
But the tedious, repetitive work... well, he left that to the Chief Tool.
And to Die Xiaodie.
It wasn't like he was exploiting child labor—how could fostering a spirit's interest be called exploitation?
Clearly, Die Xiaodie enjoyed it herself.
"Guno?"
"You're looking for the purifier? Let me see..."
Su Hao opened the lab cabinet, rummaged around, and handed Die Xiaodie what it wanted.
Watching it continue tinkering with experiments—analyzing, filtering, purifying—Su Hao suddenly paused.
"How come... I feel like I've become an assistant?"
...
Su Hao spent several days in the lab.
From time to time, he video-called his spirits, like the Fire Crow, far away on Whale Island.
Checking on their training progress.
He also took on some orders.
Consultations on spirits, designing cultivation plans.
He was already a senior Spirit Breeder, and by industry standards, a full set of plans started at several hundred thousand.
But unfortunately, his reputation wasn't enough.
He averaged one order every two days, just earning a bit of pocket money.
Hard-earned money at that.
"I also need to consider security. It's fine while I'm here, but if I leave, just two temporary workers won't be enough for safety."
And he, Su Hao, a freshman at Whale Island University.
Certainly couldn't stay at the lab forever.
—Actually, he could stay. If he were in the Spirit Breeding major, at this level, being at school or not made no difference.
His advisor wouldn't make any demands.
Early graduation wouldn't be an issue either.
But...
The world was too dangerous.
Even within Dragon Country, there were plenty of wanted criminals, plus dangerous organizations like the Black Society. According to Senior Brother Wu, the Black Society's upper echelons included Champion-level fighters.
Champion-level criminals...
Dangerous, too dangerous!
He, Su Hao, was just an ordinary, weak Spirit Master with only four Elite-level spirits!
He had zero sense of security!
"Power is what matters most, so I need to go back to school for classes and use this month's quota at the training camp.
"After I leave, I'll need to hire at least one Elite-level guard..."
One probably wasn't enough.
In his ideal, he'd want three to five.
But...
Money was the issue.
"In the new world, hiring an Elite-level bodyguard costs several hundred thousand a day... though that amount gets cut by fees and guarantees from local guilds and alliances, leaving less than thirty percent for the Spirit Master... plus they don't have business every day."
But recruiting a decent Elite-level would cost a monthly salary of several hundred thousand.
Too expensive!
"Unless... I leverage my own strengths."
Su Hao pondered.
What were his strengths?
Being handsome... that had nothing to do with it.
"My strength is my senior Spirit Breeder status and cultivation plan designs that surpass even senior Spirit Breeders... but I've been in the field too short, my reputation hasn't spread, and the quality of consultation plans takes time to show results, so very few Spirit Masters actually know about me..."
He thought.
Suddenly, a few faces appeared in his mind.
A year ago, in the Changbai Mountain Primitive Zone, he'd made his biggest deal.
Designing full cultivation plans for several Elite-level Spirit Masters. If it were them...
Su Hao pulled out his phone, scrolled through, and finally found a few Spirit Masters he'd exchanged contact info with. He dialed.
"Hey, Brother Zhong?"
...
In a rental apartment just a few kilometers from "Su Hao Lab."
There were three men: a tall, skinny guy, a round, fat guy, and one with a big black mole on his forehead.
Plus three spirits: a Night Dream Owl, a Six-Eyed Flying Fish, and an Explosive Mushroom.
The tall, skinny guy pulled the curtains shut, looking both nervous and eager as he turned to the mole guy and asked:
"Old Li, what's the word? Are we really going to rob that lab?"
The mole guy took off his jacket, tossed it onto the couch, and looked at the other two. "Relax, I've already scouted the place.
"It's a new lab, only two guards for now, both just senior Spirit Masters."
"What about the lab owner? I heard you need to be a senior Spirit Breeder to set up a lab. That's a big shot. What if an Ultra-level spirit shows up? We'd be throwing our lives away."
The round, fat guy asked worriedly.
"Heh!" The mole guy sneered. "If I say we're doing this, I've got confidence.
"From my observations these past days, the lab has very few people. That senior Spirit Breeder is probably young."
Young meant shallow resources.
Only veteran senior Spirit Breeders had the capital to raise powerful spirits one by one.
The mole guy tempted them, "We can't rob established labs, and we definitely can't touch those with major research results... But a newly set-up lab with weak defenses? That's a golden opportunity!
"We only found it because we're hiding out in Huayang County.
"The lab's instruments are very valuable. If we can steal some, or the wild spirits they're raising, and sell them to hunter organizations or the Black Society.
"That money... would be more than enough to raise another one or two Elite-level spirits!
"With stronger spirits, we could join some neutral organizations, stop living like this—wanted, hiding in the shadows. A chance to rise in the world is right there."
He finished and looked at the other two.
"A chance at great wealth is right in front of us. In or out?"
The round, fat guy and the tall, skinny guy exchanged glances, both seeing the temptation in each other's eyes. They hesitated only two or three seconds before saying:
"In!"