“Which floor and which area do you live in? What’s your room number?”

“You’re asking these for what?” Charlotte Reed was both startled and suspicious.

Brian Carter glanced at him:

“To go ask her if there’s any chance she might like you.”

“……” Even with no experience, Charlotte Reed knew this would ruin everything. “Haha, stop joking around.”

He didn’t dare continue this topic:

“Brian Carter, which department do you want to join?”

“The Security Department.” Brian Carter answered without hesitation.

Charlotte Reed almost lost control of his voice:

“Are you crazy?

“That’s really dangerous! Don’t think that just because there’s a meal allowance it’s a good thing! Haha, you’re joking again.”

The “Security Department” was the most dangerous of all the company’s departments, with an annual employee death rate several times higher than all the others combined.

This was because they were responsible for many external operations, including but not limited to escorting large shipments through the wilderness, fighting with people from invading territories or monster hordes migrating here, guarding outposts outside the underground building, venturing deep into the wilds to search for Old World relics, and protecting scientific teams as they carried out their missions.

As a result, “Security Department” employees often had to face pollution, disease, monsters, the mindless, and gunfire. Injuries, illness, mutations, and even death were all but inevitable.

While Charlotte Reed was still shocked by Brian Carter’s answer, William Clark and the others entered the activity center one after another, each finding a seat in a familiar area.

Edward Harris was close with Brian Carter and Charlotte Reed; not only did they live on the same floor, but they had also gotten into university at the same time and entered the same major. So, after scanning the room, the fair and refined Edward Harris headed straight for the two of them.

“Huh, why do you look so weak? Didn’t eat breakfast?” Charlotte Reed looked at Edward Harris as he approached, asking with concern.

Edward Harris blushed:

“I ate.

“I’m just a bit tired.”

“Why are you tired?” Charlotte Reed looked puzzled.

Edward Harris didn’t know how to explain, so he turned to Brian Carter, sighed, and said:

“So it turns out getting married is such a tiring thing.

“But it’s still pretty good. You two should hurry up and find someone too.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but smile.

Charlotte Reed felt he understood and didn’t ask further, instead returning to the previous topic:

“Edward Harris, Brian Carter was just joking about wanting to join the ‘Security Department’!”

Edward Harris thought seriously for a moment:

“If it could be limited to a desk job, I’d want to go too. The benefits are really good.”

The “Security Department” employees’ salaries were the same as other departments, all according to company regulations, but because they needed intense training, they got to eat meat once a day—on training and duty days, they ate at the Security Department’s exclusive cafeteria, which was cheap and had generous portions, and on other days, they received meal allowances.

This was a deadly attraction for many company employees.

“Isn’t that obvious? If it really was limited to desk jobs, everyone would want to go—uh, except for management and those who love research.” Charlotte Reed said disdainfully. “Too bad, the Security Department rotates between desk and field work, unless you can get into the boss’s personal guard, the management’s direct action group, or the important project protection group.”

Brian Carter, who had been silent, suddenly spoke:

“I want to do field work.”

“……” Charlotte Reed waved his hand in front of Brian Carter’s face. “Is there something wrong with your head? Don’t you know how dangerous it is out there?”

There were many “Security Department” employees, and everyone knew a few, so they knew what things were like on the Ashlands right now, and that outside was still more chaos than order.

By comparison, the company’s peaceful, orderly, and reliably supplied interior was practically paradise.

Because of this, even though field work in the Security Department came with extra allowances and you could bring home Ashlands items that didn’t need to be turned in or destroyed, few people truly wanted to go.

To encourage people to join the Security Department, the board was very generous with promotions for those employees. Many people in regular positions might only ever reach D3 in their lifetime and never become senior staff, but Security Department employees could reach D4 in a year, or even half a year. Also, anyone who retired from the Security Department and transferred to a normal position would be promoted one rank.

Edward Harris also couldn’t understand Brian Carter’s thinking, but he didn’t argue, only pointed out:

“Security Department employees are basically all chosen from those who are already married with children. They rarely pick people who just got married or aren’t married yet.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Charlotte Reed nodded with a smile.

He looked at Brian Carter and asked:

“Why do you want to do field work?”

“To save all of humanity.” Brian Carter’s expression didn’t change at all.

“Cough, cough, cough.” Charlotte Reed and Edward Harris both choked on their own saliva.

Just then, two people in black uniforms came in from outside and handed a sealed envelope to the activity center supervisor, Henry BrooksOld Man Brooks.

Charlotte Reed, Edward Harris, William Clark and the others all stood up at once, holding their breath.

That envelope contained the results of this round of assignments.