Warhammer Byrne's proposal immediately received the approval of the other three Byrne avatars.
Seeing everyone looking at him, Star Rail Byrne froze for a moment. He said helplessly, "Alright then, since you all want to know, I'll say a few more words. When I first crossed over, I learned through the original host's memories that my rank in the Strategic Investment Department was only P25."
Inception Byrne remarked, "If I recall correctly, P25 is already considered a senior employee, right?"
Star Rail gave a bitter smile and waved his hand. "Calling it a 'senior employee' sounds nice, but in reality, it's like being the filling in a sandwich. It's better than those below but nowhere near those above. You only truly enter the high-level executive sequence when you reach P30 or higher."
"Currently, my daily work is trivial and troublesome. I have to organize investment data for various planets while dealing with high-level performance reviews. If even a small mistake is made, at best your performance points are deducted; at worst, you're directly transferred to a fringe planet, and you can forget about entering P30 for the rest of your life."
Cryptid Byrne crossed his arms and asked with curiosity, "Are fringe planets the kind that haven't been fully developed or hide some shady secrets? Like the world I'm in, where strange urban legends exist—calm on the surface but full of traps underneath?"
Star Rail Byrne nodded. "Exactly. The first investigation task I took over was a mining planet called Aratasso. It's said that the ore veins there are rich in Stellaris Iron, a crucial material for manufacturing mecha components."
"The Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC) has long wanted to secure exclusive mining rights there. They sent two batches of people to investigate before me. The reports they brought back all said everything was normal—the ore reserves met the standards, and the local natives were willing to cooperate."
Young Byrne chewed on his straw, his eyes bright. "That sounds pretty good. The mission must have been quite easy then?"
Star Rail Byrne chuckled. "If it were really that easy, it wouldn't have been my turn to take over."
"The surface of that planet is entirely gobi desert. During the day, the temperature can melt a mecha's shell; at night, it can freeze and crack metal. The mines are built in canyons deep within the gobi, with the local Vara people responsible for the extraction."
"When I first arrived at the mine, I didn't find any problems. The reserves and purity of the ore veins were exactly the same as in the previous reports. But the more 'normal' it looked, the more panicked I felt. Those two previous batches of investigators were veterans; how could they not have spotted even a hint of an anomaly?"
Warhammer Byrne held his coffee cup, his expression serious. "You suspected the first two batches were bribed and that the reports were rigged?"
Star Rail Byrne nodded. "At first, it was just a suspicion, until I stayed at the mine for the third night and realized something was wrong. Then later—"
From there, Star Rail vividly recounted his experiences over the month since his reincarnation. Finally, Star Rail Byrne took a long breath of relief. "Fortunately, the matter was successfully resolved. The Corporation recovered its investment in the planet, and my Credit Point performance was saved."
In the world of Honkai: Star Rail, on a trade planet controlled by the Corporation.
At eight in the morning, the optical computer by Byrne's bedside rang on time. Simultaneously, a new message popped up.
[Master, Director Aventurine has sent a notification. He wants you to come to his office regarding the follow-up wrapping-up matters for Planet Aratasso.]
Byrne rubbed his temples, swiped to turn off the prompt, and stood up to walk to the sink. The young man in the mirror wore loose cotton loungewear. His features were seventy percent similar to the other avatars, but his eyes carried a bit more of the exhaustion and caution typical of a corporate employee.
The original host's looks weren't outstanding, but he was clean and neat. Combined with his steady and meticulous way of doing things, he had barely managed to gain a foothold in the talent-filled Strategic Investment Department.
After washing up and eating breakfast, Byrne took a uniform out of the wardrobe. A dark grey suit jacket with the Corporation's emblem embroidered on the left chest, paired with a white shirt, a silver tie at the collar, slim-fit dress pants, and black leather shoes.
Once he changed into the uniform, his previous lethality faded, replaced by the sharpness of a professional. He straightened his collar in front of the mirror, checked the data related to Planet Aratasso stored in his optical computer one last time, and confirmed nothing was missing before picking up his briefcase and leaving the apartment.
Byrne's apartment was located in the Midtown area of Planet Nova, not too far from the IPC's office tower—only fifteen minutes away by maglev transit.
Stepping out of the apartment building, the streets were bustling with traffic, and maglev vehicles moved in an orderly fashion through the air. Holographic billboards on both sides of the street looped information about the Corporation's investment projects and planetary trade. Everyone on this planet was busy for the sake of rank, Credit Points, and survival.
Byrne boarded a maglev train, found a window seat, and opened his optical computer to browse the follow-up report for Planet Aratasso.
The report showed that the Vara tribal chief had been captured by the Corporation's security department. The source of the prohibited drugs was being traced, and the first two batches of investigators had been summarily dismissed. Furthermore, they had been blacklisted by the IPC, banned for life from joining any enterprises or institutions related to the Corporation.
Looking at the content of the report, Byrne felt relieved. This matter was finally a closed chapter.
The maglev train traveled smoothly between buildings. The neon lights and metallic towers flashing past the window formed the unique prosperity of Planet Nova. From the falsification of mining data to the Vara chief's private stash of prohibited psychiatric drugs, to the first two batches of investigators accepting bribes to alter reports—it was all linked. A single misstep, and he, a newly appointed P25 employee, would have become the scapegoat, exiled to a fringe planet.
Fortunately, he had bet correctly. Not only did he keep his rank, but he also left an impression in the department of being meticulous and steady.
The train arrived at the Corporation Station. Byrne tucked away his optical computer and followed the crowd out of the carriage. Looking up, the towering IPC Headquarters building stood not far ahead, piercing the clouds. Its silver-grey metallic outer walls glinted coldly in the sunlight, and the Corporation emblem at the top was faintly visible amidst the clouds, silently proclaiming its dominance across the star systems.
Entering the building, he went through card swiping, security checks, and boarded a dedicated magnetic levitation elevator. The elevator rose rapidly, the numbers jumping all the way to the 97th floor—the executive office area of the Strategic Investment Department.
Unlike the busy clamor of the lower-level employee areas, it was so quiet here that only the light sound of footsteps could be heard. Investment star charts of major planets and performance reports hung on the walls along the corridor, each representing massive amounts of Credit Points and power.
Byrne walked to the end of the corridor and stopped before a door engraved with golden patterns. There was no name on the door, only a faint Corporation slogan: "Invest in the Future, Control the Sea of Stars."
He took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in."
A lazy and pleasant male voice came from inside. The tone was casual, yet it carried an undeniable sense of control.