Asta herself had been through a great deal, which was precisely why she was able to shoulder the complex duties of the Station Master and maintain the smooth operation of this museum in the stars after Lady Herta had dumped the entire space station in her lap and adopted a completely hands-off approach.
However, she recalled that the Herta Space Station didn’t probe too deeply into the origins of its researchers.
As a special faction renowned throughout the cosmos, there was indeed no need to get overly fixated on any single individual’s background.
Asta decided to abandon the idea of prying into Hua Yi’s personal privacy just to satisfy her own curiosity.
Yet, that curiosity, once sparked, was impossible to extinguish.
Putting herself in his shoes, she knew Hua Yi’s story was by no means simple.
They had arrived at their destination.
As the office of the Station Master, its specifications were naturally top-tier.
Perhaps only Herta’s own office on the entire station was more unique.
“Please, have a seat.” Asta gestured for Hua Yi to pick a chair he found comfortable in front of her desk, then began to inquire about his intentions.
“Do you want to stay in the Department of Lumina Archives, or would you prefer to accept an offer from another department and transfer your file?
Don’t worry about any repercussions, just tell me what you’re really thinking.” “The Hidden Mysteries of Aeons and the Path-related rituals in the Lumina Archives are what I most want to delve into right now.
However, the knowledge from the Department of Star-Field Species and the Department of Cosmic Geography is equally enticing.
If I am able, I would also be very willing to contribute my humble efforts to the needs of the Department of Galactic Jurisprudence and the Department of Universal Things.” If she hadn’t already perceived Hua Yi’s extraordinary nature from their earlier conversation, hearing an answer that amounted to “I want it all,” Asta might have misunderstood.
She would have thought he was trying to use this opportunity to snatch up all the benefits every department had to offer.
“Are you sure?
Generally, a department’s research focus dictates the researcher’s focus.
The five major departments certainly each have their unique strengths, but if you wish to dabble in all of them, the time and energy required will inevitably multiply.” Asta paused.
A thought occurred to her, and her gaze shifted as she looked intently at Hua Yi.
“You…
you aren’t worried that the other departments will protest to me, are you?
Is that why you’re trying to satisfy everyone’s expectations?
There’s no need for that.
Since I decided to step in, I’ve naturally thought about how to handle the aftermath.” “The department heads are all experts with a wealth of knowledge and experienced administrators.
They will surely see the Station Master’s good intentions and won’t make things too difficult.
But the ordinary researchers will inevitably gossip a little, won’t they?” “A little chatting outside of work is fine.
Many researchers create all sorts of chat groups, did you know?
You must pay attention to balancing work and rest.
Sometimes, burying yourself completely in research can be counterproductive.” Meeting the young woman’s large eyes, Hua Yi could see that her concern was genuine, without a hint of false pleasantry.
What a radiant young woman, he thought.
“I’ve always been a greedy person,” he said.
“With so much precious knowledge laid out before me, how could I possibly choose only one?” Was it truly greed, or was he being considerate of others?
If things truly went as Hua Yi suggested, not only would Asta—who had already prepared herself to shoulder the pressure—find her burden lifted, but the five research departments, previously at daggers drawn, would also become remarkably harmonious.
The price, however, was that Hua Yi would have to face a multiplied workload and number of projects.
Furthermore, he would essentially forfeit any possibility of becoming a department head in the future.
He couldn’t possibly serve as the head of all five departments simultaneously, could he?
Unless the entire space station underwent a major reform, that kind of workload was simply not something a normal person could bear.
“Also,” Hua Yi added, “I’ve heard that Miss Asta was personally selected by Lady Herta to be the Station Master.
How about you report the station’s recent situation to her?
Then you can reply to the major departments, saying, ‘I have already made Lady Herta aware of the situation’.” “You want to meet Lady Herta?” “That genius doesn’t seem to pay much attention to the station’s development.
If Lady Herta does happen to take a slight interest in this matter, I am prepared to be questioned.
I won’t cause any trouble for the Station Master.” Hearing this, Asta found herself unable to grasp Hua Yi’s thinking.
Since he was certain Lady Herta wouldn’t concern herself with this matter, why ask her to submit a special report, just to mention it to the departments?
Make Lady Herta aware of the situation…
Mulling over this simple phrase, the young Station Master’s fingers unconsciously tapped on her desktop.
A moment later, she finally understood.
He wanted to leverage Lady Herta’s absolute authority on the space station to minimize the fallout from this entire affair!
The instant the departments learned that Herta might be paying attention—even the slightest possibility—their senior staff would be forced to act with caution.
They could no longer gather in large numbers to compete so fiercely and confrontationally as they had today.
If someone wanted to bypass the normal competitive process and appeal to her directly, asking her to use her authority as Station Master to permanently assign Hua Yi to a department, they would abandon their plans upon hearing that “Lady Herta is already aware.” Otherwise, if that genius were to discover any issues, the one who tried to take a shortcut would be hard-pressed to escape blame.
Of course, Asta wouldn’t let the departments influence her judgment and rashly decide Hua Yi’s research direction.
But without taking preemptive measures, the heads of each department would inevitably make repeated requests, affecting both parties’ work efficiency.
What seemed like a meaningless work report was, in reality, a move that achieved multiple objectives with a single stroke.
And to gain these “objectives,” it wasn’t even necessary for Herta herself to open the report; Asta simply needed to carry out the act of reporting.
Having unraveled his considerations, the young woman stared blankly at Hua Yi across the desk.
For a fleeting moment, she felt dwarfed by comparison.
It wasn’t just in scientific research.
His talents in administration and management were also of the highest caliber.
He was, in a word, an all-rounder.
By the time Asta realized that she had been unconsciously holding his gaze for a long time, the originally professional atmosphere of discussing station affairs in an office had become somewhat delicate due to their prolonged eye contact.
Miss Station Master hurriedly averted her eyes.
“If…
if I hadn’t shown up today, after you gave your experiment report and temporarily diverted the departments’ attention, what was your plan for handling the aftermath?” “I would have explained to the scholars that the Key of Inspiration experiment was not the final manifestation of the Mystery.
That I could try to achieve even better results, but it would require more materials and more profound knowledge, and that I hoped the major departments could provide their support and cooperation.” “I read yesterday’s experiment log.
A ritual that complex and precise…
is there really room for further optimization?” “Yes.” Asta took a deep breath.
She had made her decision.
She would report Hua Yi’s situation to Lady Herta in detail, and solemnly recommend this rising new star to the genius herself.
—o—