The Interstellar Queen of Scavengers

Chapter 1502: Chapter 1502: The Cruel Bottom Level of the Laboratory

Jona stared at the Light Computer on her wrist, immobile. She wanted to immediately enter the Star Network to continue observing the Array Diagram, but she knew now wasn’t the right time. She had to wait, just a little bit longer.

Inside the laboratory, Mickey Dodge looked at the shattered materials in his hands, his expression gloomy.

The next second.

Mickey Dodge pressed the bell.

Ring ring~

As soon as the bell rang, it was picked up.

”Master Micky, please instruct,” said the voice of his female assistant, Jona. Her voice was calm but with a slight tremor, as always.

Mickey Dodge was very satisfied.

No matter how hard they tried, people who couldn’t become soul artifact makers never dared to slack off even a bit in their attitude towards him, always maintaining a careful and respectful demeanor. This was what Mickey Dodge appreciated the most, and Jona had been in the laboratory for five years. Over these five years, she hadn’t made any progress in soul artifact manufacturing, yet she was Mickey Dodge’s favorite assistant.

Because Jona never opposed him and always managed to properly arrange Mickey Dodge’s instructions. If not for her lack of talent, Mickey Dodge might have seriously considered mentoring her.

Unfortunately...

It’s your lack of talent, not my unwillingness to mentor you.

You are destined as such.

Mickey Dodge silently thought to himself, then said to Jona, ”Prepare a new set of materials for me, the freshest ones, without the slightest flaw.”

Failed again.

Jona detected the underlying tone. This kind of scenario was something she had witnessed too many times over the past five years; failure wasn’t uncommon, success was.

For Mickey Dodge’s failure rate, it was considered low. From what Jona knew from other sources, the failure rate of many ordinary soul artifact makers was nearly 99.99%. Out of a hundred attempts, succeeding once meant he was a very capable soul artifact maker.

Jona prepared another set of materials, all placed within a sterile storage space, with hardly a trace of dust. If they came into contact with other substances and reacted, it would affect the success rate. Therefore, as long as Master Micky required materials, Jona had to ensure their quality.

This batch of materials was worth about 500,000 credit points.

500,000.

Jona sighed internally, perhaps in just a few minutes, this 500,000 would turn to dust.

”Knock knock~” Jona knocked on the door.

”Leave it,” Mickey Dodge’s voice, carrying a hint of impatience amid the indifference, responded.

The laboratory door opened from the inside. Knowing that Master Micky was currently in a very irritable mood, Jona said nothing more, lowered her head, averted her gaze, placed the items down, and immediately turned to leave.

As always.

Mickey Dodge didn’t pay attention to Jona. In his eyes, Jona was merely a tool-person, equivalent to a robot. This tool-person just happened to have human emotions.

Mickey Dodge resumed the manufacturing.

Outside the door.

Jona paused for a moment, ensuring that Master Micky didn’t need her for the time being, then prepared to return to the office.

Turning at the corner, she encountered a colleague from the laboratory, Charlie. Colleague Charlie cautiously said, ”Jona, did Master Micky not succeed this time either? The backup materials in the warehouse are running low. Do we need to arrange for more?”

Even though he was sure Master Micky couldn’t hear, Charlie’s voice was subdued. He wasn’t an exception; everyone in the lab spoke quietly, fearing accidentally angering Master Micky and getting expelled.

Most of the time it was fine, but once Master Micky started manufacturing soul devices, his temper became quite bad. Although he didn’t impose physical punishment like methods on the lab staff, getting on his bad side usually resulted in expulsion.

This was an internal position at the Mickey Dodge Laboratory. Many of them had put in a lot of effort and competed against many people to enter the lab’s inner circle, while many were still waiting outside for a chance. Everyone hoped for someone to be expelled, so they could take their place.

Because everyone wanted to enter the inner circle, hoping to receive pointers from Master Mickey Dodge.

The competition within the laboratory was fiercely brutal. Although Mickey Dodge wasn’t a kind employer, his status as a soul artifact master overshadowed any imperfections.

...

Jona, after listening to Charlie’s words, said, ”There are several materials that require advance booking, arrange for someone to prepare them immediately.”

Charlie lowered his voice again and asked, ”How many sets are needed?”

Jona pondered for a moment, then said, ”Prepare 50 sets for now.”

”That many?!!!” Charlie’s lips quivered slightly. That amounts to 25 million, and if it fails, it’s all gone.

However, Charlie wasn’t new to the laboratory; he was already indifferent to this kind of situation. Soul artifact making is a money-burning industry, since many people can’t conduct their own research, they try hard to enter a soul artifact maker’s laboratory, hoping to obtain some leftover resources...

Some amiable soul artifact masters, like Master Kong Zhe, would allow their students in the lab to conduct soul device manufacturing experiments and even offer personal guidance, all expenses borne by the laboratory.

Yet, soul artifact makers are rare, and people like Master Kong Zhe are even rarer, a rare opportunity indeed.

Although Charlie, Jona, and others had been working in Mickey Dodge’s lab for a long time, they were still not qualified to conduct independent experiments, only assisting Master Micky with miscellaneous tasks.

Despite his surprise, Charlie also felt a bit unfortunate. His monthly salary was only 50,000 credit points, which was already quite good, surpassing most of the average citizens in the Alliance. But compared to the materials Master Micky casually consumed, it seemed insignificant.

Jona said, ”Prepare them immediately. Master has made progress in this research and may need more materials, 50 sets is just my conservative estimate.”

This was an order for a High-level Soul Device, ordered by the son of a Cheng family tycoon from the First Star System Main Star, Nami Star. The tycoon owned a mining company rumored to make vast sums daily, and the materials for Mickey Dodge’s experiment this time were fully provided by the Cheng family.

This 25 million, possibly more credit points, was merely a small matter for the Cheng family, and if Master Micky truly succeeded in the manufacturing, they would certainly be willing to offer more rewards.

Charlie nodded, ”I’ll arrange it right away.”

Jona said, ”Hurry up.”

Before leaving, Jona suddenly paused looking at Charlie’s light steps, and couldn’t help but ask, ”Charlie, this time the side effects of the high-frequency vibrator don’t seem as severe for you? You used to walk with shaky steps after being forcibly awakened.”

At that, Charlie also paused, then scratched his head, slightly embarrassed, ”I feel my body is better than before, perhaps it’s because I ate natural food today.”

Jona nodded at this, ”Maybe it is.”