"Oh! So that's how you solve that problem?!" Theresa gasped, sounding exactly like a brand-new intern having her mind blown by basic corporate logic. She turned back to Otto, looking for confirmation.
"Recruit. Of course we are going to recruit."
Leaning back against his pillows, the smile on Otto's face grew even gentler, bearing the relaxed confidence of a grandmaster who had already secured victory. "However, there is no need for you to look so tragically heroic.
"While I have indeed exhausted myself over this past month, my efforts have not been entirely fruitless.
"I have already personally handled all of the core challenges and the most sensitive, complex administrative affairs.
"What remains are merely projects requiring long-term oversight and trivial, day-to-day operational matters. In other words..."
Otto paused, a sly glint flashing in his emerald eyes. "I have already established a functional management infrastructure that can be smoothly and safely delegated to the general public."
Everyone in the room collectively inhaled sharply.
Good lord.
In a single month, while simultaneously processing Schrödinger's mountainous backlog of experimental data, he had constructed the entire bureaucratic framework for Arc City's reconstruction and ironed out the underlying operational logic of the new society?!
He was a literal superhuman!
Shu never imagined a day would come when he would look at Otto with such profound awe. Usually, it was Otto looking at him with this exact expression of incredulous admiration.
No wonder he worked himself into a coma. That workload... simply wasn't something a carbon-based lifeform was designed to handle.
Realizing this, the tragic, "marching to the execution ground" despair vanished completely from Theresa's heart.
She let out a long sigh, visibly relaxing. She even pulled up a chair, sat down by the bed, and enthusiastically began discussing future administrative plans with Otto.
"In that case, shouldn't we restructure the departments?" Theresa's eyes sparkled. "Logistics, Security, and a dedicated Administrative Approval Division... Tell me, Grandpa, how do you think we should set this up?"
Watching the oldest and youngest Apocalypse passionately discussing bureaucracy, Seele listened quietly for a moment before timidly offering her own suggestion.
"Um... Principal... Overseer... Shouldn't we also recruit some people for Dr. Schrödinger? She's managing so many different scientific divisions by herself... It's too much for one person..."
"Hehe. You are as thoughtful as ever, Seele." Otto nodded approvingly. "Indeed, it is time to assign some personnel to Schrödinger. I will authorize several assistant positions for her. However, as for the directors of the core research divisions..."
Otto's gaze drifted past the group, looking out the hospital window. His voice became distant and profound. "Those positions are being reserved for the others currently residing in Future City."
Shu immediately caught the underlying implication.
He raised an eyebrow, getting straight to the point: "That's a nice thought, but how are you planning to headhunt them?"
Hearing the question, Otto turned his head. A meaningful smirk touched his lips, and his tone became as soft and persuasive as a lover's whisper.
"That will require the intervention of our esteemed 'Incubus,' of course."
"..."
Shu broke out in goosebumps.
He rolled his eyes and gave Otto a look of sheer, unadulterated disgust.
I knew it.
You definitely had an ulterior motive.
Since this old bastard insisted on trying to gross him out, he couldn't blame Shu for exploiting the opening.
"Alright," Shu said. He crossed his arms and leaned back slightly, his tone completely unapologetic and openly threatening.
"Since you aren't retiring yet, we can easily come to an arrangement.
"We formed a band, and now we need a stage. I want you to figure out a way to organize a reasonable public performance for us."
He paused, glaring sharply at Otto. "If you dare make excuses or drag your feet, I'm going to post the fact that you just played dead onto the Schicksal Intranet. I even have the headline ready: 'SHOCKING! Fire Moth Overseer Fakes Death With Ketchup to Escape Overtime!'"
The air in the hospital room froze for a second.
"What?! He was faking it?!" Kiana stared at Otto in shock, her expression twisting into a snarl.
"The exhaustion is real, though," Theresa waved her hand, quelling Kiana's rising anger.
Otto's eyes, however, lit up the moment he heard the word "band."
"Oh? A band?" Otto's tone instantly became incredibly serious, adopting the gravitas of a formal, governmental spokesperson. "This is an excellent idea! Highly constructive!
"Music is the solace of the human soul! A bridge that connects hearts!
"In Arc City, a metropolis rising from the ashes of devastation, cultural events like this are precisely what we need to boost morale and unify the populace!
"The fact that you recognized this need proves you possess not only talent, but a profound understanding of the bigger picture and a deep sense of social responsibility!"
Everyone: "..."
What the hell is he scheming now?
"Therefore," Otto declared with finality, "I shall spare no effort in organizing a grand, city-wide Band Audition Competition for you!"
"Wait." Shu raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'Competition'?"
He had just asked for a stage. Why did it suddenly turn into a competition?
Otto's smile grew even more radiant, as if he had been waiting for that exact question. "A single band is hardly enough for a city the size of Arc! The people deserve more choices! More possibilities!
"Therefore, we must discover hidden talents! Nurture rising stars! Allow every young person with a dream to find their own stage!
"This will be a carnival for all citizens! A major milestone in the cultural revitalization of Arc City—"
"Stop."
Shu raised a hand, expressionless, cutting off Otto's political grandstanding.
He stared directly into Otto's eyes and asked, enunciating every word: "You're slipping your own personal agenda into this again, aren't you?"
Otto blinked. He offered an incredibly open, honest smile. "Yes. I am."
Shu: "..."
"Of course, my request is hardly unreasonable. I merely desire a pre-approved entry slot in the competition." Having been exposed, Otto didn't just admit it confidently; he explained his reasoning without hiding anything from the group.
"You know how it is, my friend. Competitions like this are rarely clean. I am merely asking for an entry slot. I won't even rig the final results. Frankly, as far as backroom dealings go, this is incredibly ethical."
Shu was speechless.
What else could he say? Otto had already stooped this low. He decided to just humor the old man and give it to him.
And so, after a bit more haggling, the "Voices of Arc City" Band Competition was hastily established.
...
Level -10, Villa District.
The warm, soft light in the living room and the faint scent of tea in the air finally allowed their tightly wound nerves to relax.
But relaxing was one thing; they still had business to discuss.
"So..." Kiana flopped onto the sofa, resting her chin in her hands as she stared intently at Shu. "Shouldn't we go back to our original topic?"
"What topic?" Shu, who had just poured himself a cup of tea, paused.
"Your character design, obviously!"