On Croft’s dark black suit fabric, faint golden threads seemed to flow.
{Young man, you’ve done well.}
The telekinetic entity stepped forward and stood beside Yang Zicang, closely observing the miniature illusions of various scenes he had helped modify.
{Very good. Even these discarded plans have been executed with meticulous care.}
He dragged a finger, and one of the mental fields—resembling a haunted forest house—appeared in his hand.
No one knew exactly what this officer did, but the small scene flickered continuously, with modified images flashing one after another.
{You revised it eighteen times and ultimately abandoned it. Yet each time, you completed the work cleanly and decisively. What’s your name?}
–Lord Officer, my name is Yang Zicang.-
{Excellent, Yang Zicang. When you come to the New Fate Trajectory in the future, you can find me at the Sacred Ring Council Construction Proposal Department. A talent like you deserves a place in my work group.}
Those sitting nearby heard this and felt a twinge of envy in their hearts.
Good heavens—no wonder he was favored by Group Leader Fu Qiyong of the First Action Group; he had actually won the direct patronage of this officer.
Yang Zicang felt a quiet joy in his heart.
{Hmph, don’t worry that my work group has low status just because I’m not even a manager. Managers are called managers because they have to oversee ten thousand or eight thousand people. My work group may be small, but every member is a first-rate elite. You’ll understand once you join.}
Wang Dingshan stood with his back ramrod straight.
Croft glanced at him, nodded, then fixed his gaze on Jiao Ma.
{You are the team leader, coordinating the overall situation. It’s normal that fewer items pass through your hands, but what is the meaning of this?}
His finger pointed to a small illusion of a doll, which was solemnly placed in the center of the room against the wall, with its surroundings also decorated.
–Ah?- Jiao Ma’s face turned deathly pale. She had forgotten to conceal this scene.
Ding Jiaojie struggled to hold back her laughter.
{And you!}
Croft turned and pointed in front of Ding Jiaojie:
{What is all this? You always nitpick over trivial details, but you haven’t even set up the main framework. You selected so many tiles and curtain walls—are you planning to hoard renovation materials?}
–I’m sorry, Cadre, I…-
{This is how efficiency gets delayed. However, you do have a fair number of stable psychic fields, so I’ll barely give you a passing grade.}
He flicked his hand, and several specks of light in different colors drifted onto the people around him.
[I have obtained a –Flower of Excellent Review-.]
A small red flower was affixed to the left side of Yang Zicang’s black coat uniform, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into an illusory light radiating a captivating luster.
[I have received an excellent review from Master Designer Dwight Croft. Having this flower proves that my performance in the construction of the Unnamed Demon Hero Hall was top-notch.]
Jiao Ma and Wang Dingshan also received flowers of excellent review.
As for Ding Jiaojie’s, it was light blue.
As for the newcomer Zorro, although his mental training wasn’t particularly advanced, thanks to the group’s concerted efforts and his exposure to various scenes, he also earned a pale blue flower.
Zorro sensed it and flashed a wide grin, revealing his big teeth.
[I feel the affirmation from Master Designer Dwight Croft. Possessing this flower proves that I have contributed to the construction of the unnamed Magic Hero Hall.]
Croft said earnestly:
{In the future, if you have the opportunity to participate in the construction of other Magic Hero Halls, consider this my endorsement for you.}
Only then did the group truly understand what this flower, which could be recorded in Moxel, really represented.
It was equivalent to a credential of qualification—an affirmation from the great designer Croft!
Yang Zicang felt that his stint at the Lost Mirage company this time was definitely not a loss.
The weirdo’s psychic body vanished with a whoosh.
Various scolding sounds continued to echo around, but in the end, Croft would still present everyone with a flower formed from psychic energy.
Ba Haitao glanced enviously at the small red flower on Yang Zicang’s chest in the distance, then looked at his own gray-white flower.
[I feel the encouragement from Master Designer Dwight Croft. Possessing this flower proves that I participated in the construction of the unnamed Magic Hero Hall.]
He quickly adjusted his mindset afterward, because even his own team leader only had a small blue flower.
All psychic bodies were retracted.
After everyone had noisily vented their excitement, Croft spoke calmly.
–Next, let me see your final results.-
Yuwen Haowen, who had been waiting eagerly, nodded excitedly.
He quickly used his team leader credentials and the employee card from Black Fish Illusion to show the results of his efforts during this period.
The phantom image of an ancient, majestic castle appeared floating in the office.
–Lord Secretary, allow me to explain.-
Yuwen Haowen raised his hand, and the castle phantom rotated 45 degrees and zoomed in on a part.
–This side is the entrance to one city, and the other side is the entrance to another city. Everyone who enters will first appear in a grand hall, and then, according to the path they desire, proceed to the next place…-
Under the gaze of more than three hundred eyes, Croft listened quietly to the young man’s explanation.
Outside the office, Gong Huanwu waited nervously at the tightly closed main door, while the evaluation inside continued in a tense atmosphere.
With this master’s guidance, it is said that the general framework and most of the design have been completed, but whether it will ultimately pass the parliament’s review remains unknown.
But it should be fine, thought Gong Huanwu in the corridor.
After all, this master has already become a collaborator of this magic palace.
As long as it is the Chronos offset in the Arena City, through the agreement, part of it will be converted into Virtual Zero Chronos and allocated to Croft’s bloodline statue.
This is the final agreement that was settled.
The two directors had roughly calculated that the loss of Void Zero Chronos should not be too great; the director who ultimately acquired it would not exceed six hundred thousand.
Tap tap.
A figure walked over.
Gong Huanwu turned to look at the newcomer from the other end of the corridor. After a moment of surprise, he said with deference, –Steward Gu, you’ve come.-
The slender-faced, clear-spirited man nodded.
–I heard you’re building the Demon Hero Hall, so I came back to see. How is it? Can we secure the rights to produce it for Starlight Illusion in the future?-
Gong Huanwu smiled bitterly and shook his head.
–Being able to pass this trial is already a blessing from heaven. Future production rights depend on whether a city’s chief dares to challenge the trial of the highest hall.-
Director Gong looked at the great door and sighed softly as he continued.
–If there are still people among this group who remain by then, we could try to produce it directly.-
Steward Gu, sporting a small braid, also looked up at the ancient door.
–The Demon Hero Hall: with the Demon King’s might, it tempers the ambitions of heroes. To gain permanent authority to produce it is no casual wish.-
He paused for a few breaths, then turned and walked back the way he came.
Gong Huanwu, standing with his legs together, gave a slight bow to the retreating figure.
The man, walking away down the broad corridor, raised a hand and made a circling gesture, signaling that no formalities were needed.
Gong Huanwu straightened up, letting out a soft laugh and shaking his head. Just moments ago, he had been thinking—what if he could design the Demon Hero Hall himself this time? But how could that ever be possible.
Suddenly, his ears perked up. Faint but intense scolding was coming from inside the room.
–Huh?-
Gong Huanwu couldn’t help but move a step closer to the door.
……
–There’s less than a month and a half left, and this is all you’ve managed to produce after so long!-
Kroft lifted his chin, his nose almost pressing against Yuwen Haowen’s chin as he screeched:
–Such an arena city—even if it passes the Council’s review—is utterly unworthy of bearing my name, Kroft! At that time, don’t even bother displaying those flower insignias on your chests, because they will never find an arena city plan with my signature!-
–M-Master.- Yuwen Haowen stepped back, staring nervously at the stern cyan-colored face before him.
None of the people in the office had expected that the work they had produced according to the requirements would still fail to meet this director’s signature criteria.
Some of them glanced down at the flowers on their chests—as if, more likely than not, they had celebrated in vain.
Joan, who had a small white flower pinned to her chest, took a deep breath. Suddenly, she raised her hand and stood up from her seat.
–What are you doing now?- the middle-aged man beside her gasped in shock and anger, tugging at the hem of her clothes and whispering, –Sit down!-
–Respected Director, isn’t it enough that we just design a decent combat arena? It already reaches at least seventy or eighty percent of the standard of the Demon Hero Hall we used as a reference. Why doesn’t it pass your criteria?-
–Good!- Croft turned around, clasping his hands behind his back as he looked at her with approval.
Joan, who had braced herself for a scolding, was taken aback.
Everyone in the office turned their gazes toward them, their eyes shifting back and forth between the two figures.
–Don’t worry—I’m not an unreasonable person. On the contrary, I admire your courage to face the crux of the problem head-on. No one else dared to question me; they’re afraid to challenge authority.-
Wang Dingshan stared at Joan’s graceful silhouette in the other group, barely resisting the urge to pull out a scratch-off ticket.
–Her luck should be good today. Later, I’ll anchor her luck for her. Tonight, let’s play Dou Dizhu together—I’ll be on her team.-
Yang Zicang muttered under his breath, –Shut up.-
On the aisle between the wooden cubicles, the green-skinned cadre stepped over to stand opposite Joan:
–You want to know where the crux is? Fine, I’ll tell you. In this Demon Spirit Hall design, there are only tests for the examinee’s strength—but nothing, or at best very little, that helps them improve.-
Everyone looked at him thoughtfully.
Yuwen Haowen, following behind him, suddenly showed a look of shock and dawning realization.
Joan watched nervously as the strange man came to stand before her.
This unfathomably powerful official was actually answering her question in all seriousness—and through her inquiry, he was granting everyone a higher level of understanding and design ambition.
–Exams are not the goal! What we need to do is not just assessment—we must also provide the possibility of growth for those involved, even the possibility of rapid growth!-
–M-my lord!-
Yuwen Haowen rushed over, tears streaming down his face.
He finally understood why everyone else had flowers, but he did not.
He wished he could kneel right there, kowtow to this green-skinned stranger, and thank him for the enlightenment he had given.
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