"So... Mr. Ke Lan, I'm afraid that the agreement that the Soma Group made with you before can no longer be fulfilled." Caroline's tone was apologetic, "But we will keep it confidential for you as much as possible, especially with the Security Bureau. The Soma Group will bear all responsibilities. In addition, we will also compensate you with a generous 'liquidated damages'."

"Also... the captain has a personal offer for you, but it is entirely up to you whether you accept it or not."

"What compensation?" Ke Lan asked.

"The captain wants to hire you as a special consultant to the Soma Group. The annual salary is six million credit points, plus L8-level authority to transfer personnel and materials within the Soma Group... I need to add that L8-level authority is equivalent to the senior director of the group, second only to the general directors of the board of directors."

"Does this count as... recruiting me?" Even though Ke Lan didn't attach much importance to power and wealth, he was still a little scared by the price.

"If this can be considered as recruitment, I'm afraid the headhunting departments of all the consortiums in the Ark will be shocked..." Caroline glared at Ke Lan, "This is the benefit that the captain has secured for you with her special identity as one of the legal heirs of the Soma Consortium. To put it bluntly, this special consultant job is just a nominal position. You don't have to do anything to enjoy the corresponding benefits... To be honest, I'm a little jealous."

Caroline uttered the last few words through gritted teeth.

"Damn? Could it be that your captain has taken a fancy to this guy?!" The Hound turned around and carefully looked at Ke Lan's face, then said: "Although he is not ugly, he is not handsome either. He has no potential to be a pretty boy!"

"Old dog, I suggest you stop being a hunter and become a writer of exciting novels. Maybe you can become famous." Ke Lan said unhappily. At the same time, he was wondering in his heart... Did Zofia really throw out such an attractive olive branch just to win him over? But the problem is that his value on the surface is just that of an ordinary relic hunter. Although he can barely reach the threshold of elite level in this industry, there are many people who are better than him... Ke Lan really can't figure out what is so good about him that is worth her paying such a high price to win him over.

As the legal heir of a large consortium, everything Zofia did could be considered a business, but this business was a loss-making one no matter how you looked at it. It was like using a box of gold bars to buy an ordinary cotton coat. Such cotton coats were everywhere in the store, and they were clearly marked with prices. They could be bought for only 1%... or even 1/1000 of the box of gold bars. She only needed to randomly take out one gold bar from the box to buy more high-end furs and silks...

But why did she have to buy this one?

Ke Lan's heart suddenly trembled. Could it be... that she discovered her secrets?

The so-called special consultant, is it just a bait?

Ke Lan immediately became alert, and he asked Caroline tentatively: "Uh... can you give me some time to think about it?"

"You even need to consider this?" Caroline's expression was even more exaggerated than before. Even the hound looked at Ke Lan in surprise. "Ke Lan, are you crazy? The opportunity to rise to prominence is right in front of you, and you still need to consider it?"

"Eh? How about this, Old Dog, you take my place as the special consultant? I'll give you the opportunity to make a fortune, how about that?" Ke Lan suddenly said.

"What?" The Hound narrowed his eyes and waved his hands. "Forget it, I'm not interested. I don't like dealing with those self-proclaimed big shots. Besides, I don't have to worry about food or clothes, and I don't lack money to spend. I won't go."

"What do you mean?" Caroline said with a hint of anger in her tone. "Ms. Zofia paid a lot for this special consultant position. How come it's like it's worthless and can be picked up anywhere on the street?!"

Caroline snatched the document from the Hound's hand and said unhappily, "I said at the beginning that it is entirely up to you to decide whether to accept it or not. If you don't want this position, you can refuse it."

"I mean... can you give me a little more time..." Ke Lan pointed at her body wrapped like a mummy with her eyes, "Even if I want to accept it, I can't get the job in my current state."

"Then I suggest that you should not take more than a month to consider it." Caroline's tone slowed down a little.

"Why?"

"Because the consortium headquarters has approved the job application... that is to say, the salary has been issued. If you do not complete the employment procedures within a month, the first month's salary will be returned to the finance department."

"Then you have nothing to lose."

"You! How can you not understand good or bad words! I'm thinking about you, okay!" Caroline finally reached the limit of her patience and yelled, "In short, whether you accept or refuse, just make this call when the time comes - Okay, I still have to work, if you have packed your things, get on the plane quickly!"

After saying that, the female first mate turned around and left, slamming the door as she went out.

"This woman... has a bad temper." Hound touched the stubble on his chin and turned to Ke Lan.

"But he doesn't seem like a bad person." Ke Lan nodded, "Will you guys go back with me?"

"What else? You are lucky to be able to come back alive this time. Do you remember the agreement before departure? If any danger occurs, you must stop the operation immediately." The Hound said seriously, "It's a pity... the doctor..."

"In fact, we have already succeeded." Ke Lan said.

"Successful? What do you mean?"

"Do you remember that stalagmite I mentioned?"

"Is it... is it the thing that even the Seed of Corrosion is afraid of?"

"Yes! That thing should still be there, right?"

"Here! I asked Layton to guard the equipment you brought with you, including the things in your backpack... The people on the ship didn't say anything, but the little bastards from the Aurora Financial Group were clamoring for a piece of the action, and we almost got into a fight."

"What happened next? Were our people not hurt? Was any of their belongings stolen?" Ke Lan suddenly became a little nervous.

"No, you can rest assured." The Hound waved his hand disapprovingly. "At first, that guy named Benson was quite arrogant, but Asano Akira shaved all the hair on his head with a knife in one second, and then he became obedient... As for me, Asano Akira was too lenient, he should have shaved the hair in his crotch as well... Oh, by the way, is there any problem with that stalagmite?"

"He can save Ivan."

"How?" The hound was stunned for a moment. "You mean, use this stalagmite to nail Ivan like the second body you encountered..."

"Not really. The remains have been completely mutated, so we have to use this method. For an infection like Ivan's, we only need to knock off some fragments from the stalagmite and bury them in the body. This should be able to suppress the mutated cells of the Seed of Erosion."

“…Will it work?”

"I'm more than 90% sure this time." Ke Lan said, "The seeds of corrosion in the remains were suppressed for more than 40 years, and they were not revived until I pulled out the stalagmite. The alienated cells in Ivan's body haven't even formed a 'nucleus' yet... Maybe the stalagmite can be used to eradicate them directly."