There was nothing that could bring Lin An more joy than this discovery.
The breathing technique of the Antler Witch-Hunting Knight Order could actually exempt him from seeing those bizarre things!
Although this hallucinatory ability was pretty awesome.
Other people's gazes, if they contained certain emotions, would generate some kind of visual image in his own vision.
Furthermore, he could see the spirituality on beings such as Witch Hunters and witches, among other Transcendents.
Was it useful?
Of course, it was incredibly useful, truly magical.
But it couldn't withstand the sudden appearances before his eyes every now and then!
The biggest insight Lin An had gained during this time was that only a Transcendent power that can be controlled is truly a Transcendent power; uncontrollable Transcendent power is just a disease.
He was sick, and quite seriously at that. This sickness was driving him nearly insane.
Now, at last, he had found the antidote.
Lin An began to consciously practice replacing his breathing rhythm. It was difficult, but everything could be overcome.
The only problem was that he couldn't maintain it for too long, or the excess oxygen in his lungs would put him in a state of oxygen poisoning again.
But wasn't this already wonderful?
When Lin An clocked in for work, he felt an indescribable lightness in his step.
Until...
"Move to your office?"
He was stunned by the little boss's decision!
"Mhm." The little boss was looking down at his documents, frowning and hesitating for a moment before finally picking up a pen and swiftly signing them.
After signing, he casually tossed the documents aside and then looked up at Lin An.
"You know, when my dad passed away, the producer pulled some senior staff and divvied up all the technical personnel from the planning and art departments..."
He squinted his eyes, "At times like this, one has to be cautious, not to overestimate the goodness of human nature. I'm planning to send all those computers from the two departments to a third-party company for inspection, to see if someone secretly installed some backdoors in them before leaving."
Lin An understood but said nothing.
The circle was only so big. Several big shots who had left Lu Jiao Software and taken people with them had now found considerable success.
Some had secured what was widely recognized as the best investment, backed by a powerful internet giant; some had game demos that had already ignited tremendous excitement online, with countless people eagerly awaiting the official release...
They were all unbeatable powers for an ordinary worker like himself.
"Just squeeze in with me in my office for the time being, until I get someone to tidy up, and then I'll arrange an office for you in the planning department." The little boss pointed to a computer desk next to his office.
Lin An merely nodded silently and glanced at the office door where a huge grey wolf was staring at him fiercely—no need to ask, it was surely his supervisor, Mr. Liu, watching him.
Besides, it wasn't just Mr. Liu.
There was also a huge black cat in the office, lying on the little boss's desk, fixated on Lin An as well.
"..."
Indeed, it was rather cramped.
Under the scrutiny of Mr. Liu and other colleagues, Lin An moved his computer from his workstation into the little boss's office.
Can you imagine the scene? Lin An, head down unplugging the monitor's data cable, looking up to find a dozen monsters and ghosts surrounding him, some with malevolence, some merely curious, and others with more complex meanings.
The craziest part was a female programmer colleague's gaze, which revealed a one-meter-tall rabbit. Standing cheekily not too far away, grinning slyly with both rabbit eyes formed into pink hearts, she looked at Lin An, then at the little boss in the office, and back at Lin An again...
Hiss~~
Don't get any weird ideas!!!
Kid, chasing every ship will only ruin you~
With a stone-faced silence, Lin An hauled his computer into the little boss's office, instantly feeling a wave of relief.
Then, turning back, he saw quite a scene as if he were a gorilla in a zoo, with the doorway jam-packed with curious and ogling monsters and ghosts.
There was much chatter outside the door, and no peace inside either.
The black cat that represented Suxin Software's female boss hopped down gracefully from the little boss's large desk and strode elegantly over to Lin An, looking at him curiously.
"Meow~?"
Stay away!
Stay away!
Lin An tried to breathe deeply, striving not to show any weird behavior, and quietly pulled out the books Professor Cao had lent him from his backpack.
He didn't bring books like "The Eight Animal Plays" or "The Spirited Dance of the Fawn," worrying the little boss might think he wasn't focusing on his job.
After all, the little boss wanted him to learn from Mr. Cao, mainly the structure of Armor.
He brought two books, "Research on Walking Armor and Iron Floats" and "Military Preparation: Leather Armor Section."
Compared to metal armors like walking armor and iron floats, Lin An was actually more interested in leather armor.
After all, he really wasn't intending to learn how to make Armor, nor was he planning to wear it to fight wars; he was more about pondering the issue from the standpoint of a working man.
The little boss was right about one thing—we need to look for a unique differentiation from others.
```
The boss took notice of him now because of his unique aesthetic.
This aesthetic came from the peculiar and bizarre images he had seen, like the grey wolf at the door representing Mr. Liu's gaze.
The fur of that grey wolf seemed so distinctive, the grey hairs faintly revealing a hint of sapphire luster, appearing as light as silk yet with a profound depth that carried a certain ominousness, as if it were the surface of an unknowable deep pool shimmering slightly.
The lightness and depth were so harmoniously blended, creating an inexplicable sense of harmony.
This, perhaps, was the complexity of the human heart.
Lin An was neither a sociologist nor a psychologist, unable to articulate what exactly this unique temperament and perception amounted to, but he could apply it to character armor and monster design.
And this was what made his work uniquely different from others.
Unlike the cold feel of metal, leather and fur come from living beings and, once given aesthetic and definition by the armor craftsman, take on a very unique life of their own.
Not to mention applying it to game graphics, which favor flamboyant and splendid over practicality, an abundance of beast-shaped armor details could allow him to showcase his unique touch.
Even the design of game monsters could draw inspiration from all this.
In school, he had read a phrase in Chinese literature class, "A gentleman changes with time."
Since there was no choice left, Lin An began to consider his future career planning, if he truly intended to take the path of game design, then this would be his most competitive edge.
Even if the young boss's game turned out to be a complete mess, or even if the company went bankrupt, the designs he planned in that game could still land him a good job.
He knew that.
The prerequisite was to do well, to achieve perfection.
Of course, that was just the worst-case scenario. Lin An actually held out hope that the young boss would succeed. In over twenty years of his life, it was rare to meet someone who recognized his worth and was willing to give him a chance.
How could he not work his hardest.
The soul of Lin An, the wage earner, was awakened. He no longer paid attention to the big black cat that meowed incessantly at him, nor the abnormal monsters that appeared at the office entrance now and then, but focused solely on learning.
"Military Preparation: Leather Armor Section" was a particularly interesting book about armor that used classical Chinese, creating a slight barrier in reading, but understanding it wasn't as difficult as one might imagine. Part of the book covered a topic seldom touched upon in modern times—dressing the armor with a ritualistic elegance.
Modern people no longer care about rituals and etiquette in their tools, but judge by the amount of money one has. It's about getting what you pay for, the expensive things being naturally more exquisite.
But ancient military armors were different, every detail conformed to their own set of etiquette. Any slight overstep, and beheading was the consequence.
Particularly fascinating.
He couldn't tell how much time had passed when the young boss ran in excitedly with his phone, shouting, "Really? She's actually in class? Okay, okay, prepare me a more dignified gift, and I'll head over right now."
He grabbed the car keys from the desk, snatched his suit jacket, and rushed out.
After a moment's thought, he ducked under the desk to work the combination on the safe and took out a small wooden box which he then placed in front of Lin An.
"An, I was supposed to visit Mr. Cao this afternoon, but I probably won't have time now. You should go for me since he's now your teacher, and it would be suitable for you to visit."
Lin An paused for a second, looking at the quaint box on the table.
"Inside is a ginseng; give it to Mr. Zhang, he'll know what to do with it," the young boss said, glancing at his wrist watch. "I'm guessing I won't make it in time, so you take a taxi over, and I'll reimburse you for the fare, alright?"
Lin An raised an eyebrow, "I understand."
"Damn!" the young boss exclaimed, "It's not what you're thinking."
He looked around, then leaned in, explaining in a low voice.
Of course, what he wouldn't know was that a giant cat face had also leaned in close, curiously listening to the conversation.
"The sister of Suxin Software's owner, yes, the one you know about, the project where I asked you to create that Empress poster, it's her sister, Chen Shuyun, who plans to make that website's traffic-driving image. Man, I'm telling you, that girl is beautiful!"
As he spoke, the boss's head, sticking out from the collar of his shirt, turned back into a cluster of blooming chrysanthemums, swaying in the breeze.
Especially weird.
Lin An thought of something, and looked at him with an odd expression, "You're not planning to pursue her, are you?"
"How could that be!" the young boss shook his head with a look of repulsion, "An, you might be only a bit less handsome than me, but you don't have my wealth. You have no idea how many girls I could have! Would I be foolish enough to mix business with romance?"
Thanks a lot.
Thank you for reminding me that I'm a pauper.
"I'm intending to use this connection to help push for the completion of an outsourced project. You don't understand, Chen Shuyun also holds 26% of the Suxin Software shares. Though she doesn't manage the company affairs, she still has considerable influence!"
"Oh," Lin An replied impassively.
The young boss didn't seem inclined to say much more, and he hurried out the door.
Lin An turned his attention back to the book. He discovered something interesting—his thinking had become much livelier, and his comprehension seemed to have improved as well. He was actually finding pleasure in reading these books.
But that cat was just too noisy.
The huge black cat, creeping with its body low to the ground, opened its mouth full of sharp fangs, growling deeply at the young boss's retreating back, as if ready to pounce at any moment.
Pity it seemed unable to leave the office.
Lin An watched the scene curiously, pensive.
If this black cat represented the spirit of Suxin Software's female owner, then she seemed particularly resistant to the young boss visiting her sister.
Oh, right, one was a witch, the other a descendant of Witch Hunter Knights. Who knew if there would be some kind of vendetta, like an inherited blood feud.
Tch.
Just then, a message notification popped up on the phone lying on the desk.
The yoga blogger 'Yunjuan Yunsu' from the knowledge sharing forum had replied to Lin An's private message.
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