22. A Bottom Line Destined to be Broken

"Hawk, check the data."

"One hundred and eight."

"Hawk, I need to go to the SL laboratory. Help me gather the materials on my desk."

"No problem."

"Hawk..."

Today marked the twentieth day since Hawk began his summer job at Osborn Bio-Industries.

Yet, he still hadn’t found a chance to visit Dr. Connors’ laboratory.

Because in these twenty days, not to mention stepping into Dr. Connors’ lab, he hadn’t even left the entrance of the Power Engineering Department.

From the moment he started work until the end of the day, he was either helping someone check data or on his way to help check data.

Or, as now, helping tidy up the papers on someone’s desk.

Watching the engineer hurriedly leave, Hawk approached the desk.

Though it had been twenty days without a chance to visit Dr. Connors’ lab, Hawk was in no rush.

On one hand, good things are worth waiting for.

On the other, despite the busyness, the salary was truly generous.

Eight hundred dollars a week, an eighteenth-floor cafeteria with buffets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Despite fleeting thoughts last month about robbing a bank, he never acted on them.

Most importantly,

While boundaries were meant to be broken, before Hawk crossed his own bottom line, he preferred to avoid doing so prematurely.

Because he was afraid.

Hawk didn’t know what he would become once he broke that line.

Everyone knew it:

Travelers through worlds were beings with highly flexible moral boundaries and a deep-rooted indifference toward people and events.

Hawk was no exception.

This was also why he never socialized; sometimes, looking at others felt like observing NPCs.

How to put it? It was as if everyone else were intoxicated while he remained sober.

The reason he still followed the rules after awakening his inner cosmos was simple.

His previous life’s education had instilled in him the principle: be a person—not necessarily a good one, but not an evil one either.

That was why, even after awakening his inner cosmos, Hawk lived modestly.

Had it been another traveler, probably the day after awakening their inner cosmos, they would have declared, "Those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish."

Of course,

The most important point might be that he was kind!

Unfortunately...

No matter how unwilling Hawk was to cross this boundary, he felt it inevitable that he would have to break it soon.

But for now, before that moment arrived, he was happy to abide by it.

Having worked for ten days and grown familiar with the rhythm of the Bioelectric Power Engineering Department, Hawk quickly organized the scattered documents on the engineer’s desk, then carried them to the filing cabinet, placing them neatly in order.

Just then, the office phone rang.

"Hawk..."

"I’ll get it."

Hawk answered promptly, picking up the receiver: "Power Engineering Department."

"Hey, Hawk?" came a familiar voice from the other end.

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Gwen?"

Since Gwen had brought him to report to the Bioelectric Power Engineering Department ten days ago, Hawk hadn’t seen her again.

After all, he was busy.

Gwen was even busier.

Even though Hawk was now in the Bioelectric Power Engineering Department, he’d heard that Dr. Connors had been conducting experiments like a madman these days.

The lab mice weren’t just being used one by one anymore—they were used by the boxful.

Exaggerated, indeed.

Gwen made a humming sound.

"It’s me. By the way, there was a voltage instability just now in our lab. Dr. Connors asked if you could send someone over to check."

"Okay, right away."

Hawk hung up and informed the department supervisor.

The supervisor, fifty years old, completely bald, wearing an expression of detachment, glanced around the empty office.

"All labs are reporting voltage instability today, probably due to the resistors. We just replaced them yesterday... Forget it. You, take Hawk and go to Dr. Connors’ lab to swap out the resistor."

Following the supervisor’s gaze, Hawk looked to the not-so-distant figure, with a simple expression and dark skin—a future Electroluminescent Worker who clearly looked honest.

Yes.

Honest.

Max Dillon was truly an honest man, not at all like the other dark-skinned workers who were cunning or sly.

In these twenty days, Hawk had witnessed that if there were a hardworking award in the Bioelectric Power Engineering Department, Max Dillon would win it hands down.

If Max had any political savvy, he wouldn’t have worked so blindly, to the point that his own supervisor didn’t even remember his name.

But Max didn’t seem to care. Perhaps he was used to being called “that guy.” When he heard the supervisor’s order, he just nodded and went to the warehouse to fetch the parts.

After a while,

Hawk stood at the entrance of the Bioelectric Power Engineering Department, waiting for honest Max.

When Max approached, Hawk said, "Mr. Dillon."

Max’s body suddenly stiffened, his pupils contracting as if at that moment.

His voice trembled slightly as he looked at Hawk: "You... know my name?"

Hawk smiled. "Of course, Mr. Dillon."

Though he didn't intend to interact much with future Electroluminescent Workers, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t make a good impression with the present Max.

Being kind to others is being kind to oneself.

Hawk thought to himself, then looked at Max, whose eyes seemed to glisten with tears.

"Mr. Dillon, let’s go. Dr. Connors’ lab just called again, urging us."

Max snapped back to reality, nodding repeatedly. "Yes, yes, let’s go."

Hawk smiled inwardly and followed Max toward the nearby elevator.

Finally, he could visit Dr. Connors’ laboratory.

As they stepped into the elevator, Hawk watched the ascending indicator with a sigh.

In these twenty days, he had thought more than once about how to get into Dr. Connors’ lab.

Yet, not once had he succeeded.

After all, this wasn’t like going to the market to buy groceries.

Did he really think that Osborn Bio-Industries, heavily investing in hopes of developing regenerative technology to monopolize the future market, would let anyone enter the lab at will?

Later, when he settled his mind and went with the flow, lo and behold, the chance to visit Dr. Connors’ lab came.

Indeed,

Mindset is everything; no matter what you do, don’t rush.

Hawk silently reminded himself, fulfilling his daily self-reflection.

Soon,

The elevator doors opened.

"Gwen," Hawk’s eyes brightened as she waited in the elevator lobby. Seeing Hawk, she rushed over, "Why so slow? Dr. Connors is already losing his temper."

Hawk was about to speak.

Gwen grabbed him eagerly, pulling him toward the laboratory.

Hawk was dumbfounded.

But as he looked toward the lab not far away, his heart stirred!