With the end of all tests, Su Yu was called to the Work Hall, and the results were announced to everyone.
“Dear Miss Su Yu, after our unanimous discussion, we’ve decided to promote you exceptionally to an A-Class Hero. You are currently ranked 193rd overall. Congratulations.”
“A? A-Class?”
Su Yu pointed at herself in disbelief, then turned to look at Lin Mo with a face full of surprise.
“It really came true as you said… Did you pull some strings?”
Lin Mo didn’t confirm or deny it.
He just explained calmly, “As long as the data is sufficient, nothing is unpredictable.”
“…All right, you win.”
Su Yu pouted.
She wasn’t particularly impressed by that answer.
Instead, she turned to the staff member and asked the question she cared about most.
“Um, if I may ask, how much subsidy does an A-Class Hero get per month?”
“This…”
The staff member clearly hadn’t expected that to be her first concern.
He was visibly taken aback.
But fortunately, this question wasn’t difficult.
After a moment of recollection and organizing his words, he smiled and revealed a number that was enough to excite Su Yu.
“Hoo hoo hoo… ahem…”
Unable to stop herself, Su Yu let out a strange sound, but she quickly caught herself.
She cleared her throat with feigned seriousness and instantly put on a cool, indifferent expression.
“Not bad. But these are just material things. I’m more concerned about the work ahead.”
The girl said this without a blush or a racing heart, earning a contemptuous look from Lin Mo.
Due to the occasion and the need to maintain his persona, he didn’t speak up to mock her.
He just quietly watched the girl secretly pleased.
“Your concern is not unreasonable. After all, our Association has strict rules and regulations. As a rookie, Miss Su Yu needs to understand these contents.”
The staff member didn’t notice Su Yu’s mood.
He maintained a businesslike attitude, his tone warm enough.
“Next, please allow me to introduce…”
“There’s no need to waste time explaining these rules. I’ll educate her when I have time. No need to trouble you.”
The robot’s cold voice suddenly rang out, cutting off the staff member.
The latter shivered and immediately fell silent.
“Since Lord Metal Storm says so, we’ll trouble you then. But there’s one more thing that must be discussed. As a hero rookie, Miss Su Yu, we need to give you a sufficiently eye-catching hero title and also take a few portrait photos. You understand… social support is very important for a hero. When would you be available?”
“I…”
Su Yu had never expected so many things to be waiting for her.
She had no idea how to handle it, and instinctively turned her gaze to Lin Mo.
“Fine…”
Lin Mo sighed and, manipulating the robot, said, “I’ll bring her again in two days. We’ll discuss these matters then. We have important matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave now.”
Lin Mo had been through this before.
The process was extremely tedious.
And now that this girl had so much online buzz, she would probably be put through the wringer.
She was already tired enough today.
There was no need to finish everything in one day.
If this frail girl collapsed from exhaustion, he wouldn’t be able to accept it.
At least he needed to leave her some energy for experiments.
“Oh, of course, of course. Lord Metal Storm’s official business comes first. We’ll be waiting anytime in the next two days.”
Faced with Lin Mo, the staff member naturally dared not object.
He simply saw the two off with a professional fake smile.
—
Today was truly a memorable day.
For the rest of the day, Su Yu was extremely excited, filled with inexplicable energy.
She talked nonstop the whole way, like a child, full of hope for everything ahead.
Lin Mo thought she looked great like this—much better than when they first met, when she was a disheveled, foul-smelling, dark shut-in.
The contrast was like a complete rebirth.
The emotionless robot silently recorded the entire day’s events, soundlessly, as if planting a seed.
But despite that, Lin Mo hadn’t forgotten his fundamental goal.
When Su Yu was at her happiest, he still chose to let her mood dip a little.
“I know you’ve had a tough day, and I don’t want to spoil your fun, but my experiment has entered a critical phase, so today’s routine experiment can’t be skipped.”
“Ah~”
The girl’s voice shifted through four tones in an instant, and the expression on her face darkened slightly.
But to Lin Mo’s surprise, Su Yu wasn’t upset or complaining this time.
That strange cry sounded more like a joke between friends—no trace of resentment.
“A heartless boss indeed~ But since you’re paying me, I can’t say no, can I?”
“…”
This time, it was Lin Mo who fell silent.
He could clearly feel that this girl was undergoing some unknown change, but he couldn’t put it into words and didn’t want to dig into it.
At the very least, he thought it was a good sign.
It meant that everything he had done lately was paying off.
Their trust was steadily growing, which would benefit his experiments.
As long as tonight’s plan went smoothly, their relationship would likely reach a very solid level.
This was all for the sake of his research…
There was no other way.
Calculating in his mind, Lin Mo responded to Su Yu without any change in expression.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
—
The two returned to the Laboratory and worked without a break until evening, exhausting Su Yu.
But thankfully, hard work paid off.
These experiments were highly efficient, and Lin Mo had basically collected all the data he wanted.
“The surprises you’ve given me, I can’t express in words. Today has been very fruitful. This data is enough to support the completion of my experiment.”
“Mm…”
Unlike the excited Lin Mo, Su Yu’s spark had already faded.
Excessive fatigue had drained the last bit of performance from her body.
She could only lie on the sofa and let out a weak grunt in response.
Indeed, work was what really wore down a person’s spirit.
Once she was tired, she completely forgot about everything from the day.
“You’ve worked hard today. The experiment is at a good stopping point. You don’t need to come here for the next few days—consider it a small vacation. Besides that, I have a gift for you, to celebrate you becoming an A-Class Hero. Don’t you want to get up and see?”
At the mention of a vacation and a gift, Su Yu shot up instantly, as if she had endless energy again.
Little stars even began to shimmer in her eyes.
“What gift?”
“Don’t be impatient.”
Lin Mo gave a mysterious smile.
He pointed a finger at the ceiling, and the lights dimmed a little.
“I personally care about a sense of ceremony. So, close your eyes first. Maybe when you open them again, it will be right in front of you.”
“Is that so? All right…”
Though still hesitant, she obediently closed her eyes.
—
Time passed second by second.
To Su Yu, it felt like an eternity.
After who knows how long, Lin Mo’s voice sounded again.
Su Yu opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a flicker of candlelight, and then the exquisite cream cake came into view.
She was momentarily stunned, but her ears clearly picked up that emotionless male voice.
“Although for an adult, this might be a bit childish, I think sometimes adults also need a childlike innocence. This is for you. To celebrate you becoming an A-Class Hero, and to congratulate you on becoming an independent person. Happy birthday, Miss Su Yu.”