《Malfunctioning Utopia》


 Chapter 1: Jack Sun

    Chapter 1: Jack Sun@@novelbin@@


    In the pitch-ck darkness, the sound of footsteps echoed. When the footsteps slowly came to a halt, a sudden beam of light pierced the dark¡ªa phone screen.


    The glow illuminated a face that could still be considered handsome, though it looked haggard and weary, with an unmistakable air of despondency.


    ¡°Recording number four begins. Time: 3:51 p.m.,¡± Jack Sun murmured as he started the recording on his phone.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t found a way out. Everything here is encased in metal¡ªeven the floors and ceilings,¡± he said, running his fingers along the nearby wall. The touch conveyed a distinct sensation: cold, smooth, and unyielding.


    Next, he turned on the phone¡¯s shlight, aiming it at the metal wall to capture the stark, unweing silver-gray surface.


    ¡°These metallic hallways are rectangr in structure, interconnected to form a massivebyrinth. The walls are lined with metallic doors, but most of them won¡¯t open. I climbed out of a freezer in one of these rooms.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where I am. I¡¯ve never seen a ce like this before¡ªnot even online. There¡¯s no information about this ce.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how I got here. My memory¡¯s nk. Thest thing I remember is the summer after my college entrance exams.¡±¡°I recall everything before that clearly¡ªour family dog, Big Yellow, my parents, every game I ever yed. But after that¡­ it¡¯s all gone.¡±


    ¡°Something must have happened to me. Whatever it was, itnded me in a freezer and brought me here. But what exactly happened? I can¡¯t remember!¡± Jack¡¯s voice grew agitated, but he took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing.


    ¡°My phone says it¡¯s the year 2030. If that¡¯s urate, then I may have lost five whole years of my memory.¡±


    ¡°What happened during those five years? Where on earth am I?¡±


    Just then, a soft beep interrupted him. A notification appeared on his phone screen: Low battery. shlight unavable.


    Jack realized he couldn¡¯t waste any more time. Whatever had happened, his priority was to escape. If he perished here, nothing that came before would matter.


    Pressing his lips together, he steadied himself and spoke into the phone once more.


    ¡°I¡­ I mentioned those metal doors earlier, right? The strange thing is, the doors aren¡¯t just on the walls¡ªsome are on the ceiling and floor too. I heard noisesing from one of them, some unusual sounds. I¡¯m going to check it out.¡±


    With that, he ced his hand against the cold metal wall and moved cautiously to the left. After a minute, he stopped, looked up, and raised his phone toward a dark door in the ceiling.


    ¡°Can you hear it? There¡¯s a sounding from the door in the ceiling¡ªtiny, faint beeping, like it¡¯sing from far away.¡±


    ¡°My phone battery is almost dead. I¡¯ll go in first and updateter.¡± Jack exited the recording mode.


    Estimating the door¡¯s height, he took a few steps back, then leaped with all his might. His fingers managed to hook onto the edge of the doorframe. Summoning every ounce of his strength, Jack scrambled upward, using both his hands and feet to pull himself through.


    Once he stood on the doorframe, he tilted his head upward and used the phone¡¯s light to scan the room inside. He was greeted by an array of high-tech mechanical equipment, much of it beyond his understanding. Many of the machines¡¯ outer casings had been removed, exposing intricateponents within.


    Oddly shaped mechanical arms extended like tree branches from the walls on either side, forming a metallic forest. Above, at the ends of these mechanical arms, another door appeared directly overhead. The faint beeping sound emanated from deep within this new space. ??????§¦??


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with this ce? Where am I?¡± Jack muttered as he carefully climbed upward, stepping on the mechanical arms.


    When he finally made it through the door, he discovered the source of the beeping: a small red dot that pulsed in sync with the sound, glowing and dimming like aputer¡¯s standby signal.


    Using his phone¡¯s shlight, Jack illuminated the area around the red dot, revealing a rounded, arched room. The space was almost entirely empty except for a few chairs scattered about.


    Jack restarted the recording mode on his phone and aimed it at the red dot. ¡°Look, this red dot¡ªit seems to be part of a screen. I¡¯m going to document everything that happens next. If I lose my memory again for some unknown reason, this record will be my¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, his slightly warm phone screen suddenly went ck. Momentster, the brand logo appeared on the screen as the device rebooted.


    ¡°Of all the times to die on me! Damn it, what a useless phone!¡± Jack growled in frustration, stuffing it into the pocket of his left pant leg.


    Taking a deep breath, he focused his attention on the glowing red dot. He knew he didn¡¯t have any other options.


    He hesitated, torn between two fears: that touching the red dot might trigger something terrible, or worse, that it might do nothing at all. This dot was hisst hope. He¡¯d searched everywhere else. If nothing happened, he was as good as trapped in this metalbyrinth forever.


    Closing his eyes to calm his nerves, Jack steadied his breathing and reached out, pressing his finger against the red dot.


    As the dot extinguished and blended seamlessly into the surrounding darkness, Jack¡¯s heart nearly stopped. But then, the ground beneath him began to vibrate, apanied by a low, resonating hum that originated from below.


    The sudden shift in his surroundings pushed Jack¡¯s tension to its peak. He scanned the dark room nervously, straining to catch any sign of change.


    Yet, the first change didn¡¯te from the room¡ªit came from his own body. As soon as he pressed the red button, his feet began to lift off the ground. Before he knew it, he was floating in mid-air!


    Jack was stunned by this bizarre transformation. What kind of ce was this? ¡°I can fly? I can fly? Is this magic? Some kind of superpower?¡±


    But before he could revel in this newfound ability, a muffled sound drew his attention. The curved wall ahead of him suddenly split down the center, emitting a blinding light through the widening crack.


    Squinting against the brightness, Jack struggled to adjust to the light. As his eyes adapted, he watched the arched wall slide apart to either side, revealing whaty beyond.


    The moment the walls slid open with a <em>whoosh</em>, an enormous filled Jack Sun¡¯s entire field of vision.


    His heart pounded furiously, and it felt as though an invisible hand was tightening around his throat. Every breath was a struggle, each inhale tinged with a suffocating weight.


    A. A concept so ordinary, yet when it materialized vividly before his eyes, the gravity of the word became overwhelming.


    The light of a star illuminated one hemisphere of the, its surface gleaming brilliantly, while the other half remained shrouded in darkness. It loomed like the gaping maw of an abyss, exuding an oppressive sense of dread as if Jack were being scrutinized by a cosmic predator.


    Suddenly, a realization struck him. Lowering his gaze, he stared at his floating feet, then looked back up at the colossal beyond the ss.


    ¡°Wait, what the¡ª? I¡¯ve been in outer space this whole time?!¡±

 Chapter 2: Intelligence

    Chapter 2: Intelligence


    At that moment, Jack Sun finally understood. The "doors" on the ceiling and floor, and the metallic walls¡ªnone of it was what it seemed.


    They weren¡¯t doors at all¡ªthey were hatches of a space station. He realized with a jolt that he¡¯d been walking sideways along the walls the entire time since waking up!


    Reeling from the revtion, Jack pressed his face against the ss to get a better look. Although the¡¯s surface appeared gray, he could tell unmistakably that it was Earth.


    However, it looked differentpletely encased in a gray shroud of metallic debris, as if the once-blue were wrapped in a nket of dust.


    The gray ¡°veil¡± wasposed of satellites¡ªan endless swarm of satellite debris enveloping the. Some of therger pieces were so massive that Jack could make out their shapes with his naked eye.


    ¡°What the hell? How are there so many satellites? What year is this?¡± Jack muttered to himself, bewildered. He was certain that the technology of his time could never have aplished this, not even with the five missing years of progress he couldn¡¯t recall.


    Jack tore his gaze away from Earth and turned to his left. What he saw froze him in ce. A silver-grayary ring encircled the Earth like a belt, but the Moon was nowhere to be seen.


    The ring was made up of rocks, as well as wreckage from spacecraft and space stations. Jack realized with a chill that he was currently inside this ring, aboard one of the massive, semi-derelict space stations floating amidst the debris.Finally, Jack solved the first mystery that had gued him since waking up: his location. He was in arge space station, wrapped within the remnants of the Moon, which had be aary ring.


    But with this revtion came another urgent question: How was he supposed to get back to Earth?


    Returning from a space station¡ªespecially one that appeared half-ruined¡ªwas a challenge far beyond his ability. Yet, cruel reality soon rendered that problem moot.


    The vibrations running through the station grew stronger, and the screen behind him began flickering erratically, even radiating heat to the touch. Jack realized with a sinking heart that pressing that red button might have disrupted the long-standing equilibrium of the station¡¯s delicate systems.


    As he stood there, wide-eyed, he noticed the terrifying changes urring outside the ss. The station beneath him, which had been spinning like a top, was now slowly pulling away from theary ring, tilting toward Earth¡¯s atmosphere.


    A chill ran down Jack¡¯s spine, spreading all the way to his head. ¡°What the hell?! It¡¯s falling? Straight back to Earth?! I want to go back, but not like this!¡±


    ¡°Do something! I have to do something!¡± Jack shouted to himself as cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He darted toward the flickering screen, but no matter what he tried, it didn¡¯t respond.


    Propping his hands against the ss, he pushed off and swam through the weightlessness of the room, frantically searching other areas of the station.


    Perhaps the red button had triggered something¡ªdoors that had been sealed earlier now opened for him. Desperately, Jack floated through variouspartments of the station, hoping for a miracle. Whether it was an escape pod or anything else that could keep him alive, he needed to find it.


    ¡°Move, move, MOVE!¡± he muttered frantically, feeling the increasing centrifugal force caused by the station¡¯s spiraling descent. Time was running out.


    Jack searched cargo bays, gym modules, and every type ofpartment he came across.


    With a loud <em>bang</em>, he shoved open a half-closed hatch. Inside, rows of robots were secured against the walls, ceiling, and floor.


    The robots looked humanoid except for their reverse-jointed metal legs, which resembled iron hooves, and their "eyes," which were horizontal disys glowing faintly. ??£Î???¨¨??


    He didn¡¯t have time to marvel at the technology of the robot. All he wanted now was to ask if these robots knew where the escape ship was.


    Seeing them, Sun Jack felt as if he had glimpsed thest shred of hope. He hurriedly unfastened his restraints and began searching for the robot''s power switch.@@novelbin@@


    As he groped around, his fingers slid across a screen under the robot¡¯s armpit. Suddenly, the monitor in ce of the robot''s eyes lit up, disying two simplified eye-like icons.


    ¡°Hey? Hey! Can you hear me? Where¡¯s the escape ship? Where¡¯s the escape ship?!¡± Sun Jack grabbed the floating robot in the zero-gravity environment, frantically shouting his questions.


    The robot immediately responded in gibberish: ¡°Kinesiska paketet neddning...10%...50%...70%...ppakette ¡ª loadingplete¡± Its voice was calm yet mechanical.


    ¡°Greetings, esteemed user. Wee to the TaphyTech product line. Please customize a name for this unit.¡±


    ¡°F***! Are you kidding me?! Why is this soplicated?!¡±


    ¡°Name customization sessful: ¡®Are you kidding me?! Why is this soplicated?¡¯ Please select an initial mode.¡± The robot¡¯s monitor disyed three options: Guard Mode, Care Mode, and Entertainment Mode.


    With mounting anxiety, Sun Jack quickly selected Guard Mode. However, new settings options popped up one after another. He hadn¡¯t anticipated that using a new robot would require so much setup.


    As vibrations from the space station caused parts of the module to float loose, Sun Jack finallypleted the configuration just as debris began drifting in the air.


    ¡°Hello, Sun Jack. ¡®Are you kidding me?! Why is this soplicated?¡¯ is ready to serve you,¡± the robot''s monitor disyed two cheerful eye icons.


    ¡°Do you know where we are? This ce is about to copse! Do you know where an escape pod or ship is?¡± Sun Jack asked urgently.


    To his surprise, the robot actually responded. ¡°User Level One Red Crisis detected. Automatic alert, full recording activated. Initiating emergency rescue... <em>Ding</em> Satellite positioning unavable,work connection failed, insufficient data, rescue impossible.¡±


    At that moment, a terrifying metallic screeching came from outside, as if the entire space station were being torn apart. The fear of death made Sun Jack''s body tremble involuntarily.


    Just as he was about to give up on this utterly useless robot and look for another solution, the robot suddenly made a new sound.


    ¡°Connecting to unknown su 12.128.C1... Data collectionplete. Rescue nning failed. Error reason: Insufficient logical thinking capability, unable to process su data logic. User authorization for ROOT permissions required. Upon approval, AI logic system iteration willmence based on su data. Prediction: Rescue probability will increase by 32.3%.¡±


    ¡°Approve! Approve!¡± Although Sun Jack didn¡¯t fully understand what it was saying, he did grasp the part about increasing the chances of rescue.


    ¡°System iteration starting...¡± A progress bar appeared on the robot''s monitor.


    Just then, the cabin suddenly split apart. A metal te, sharp like a guillotine, came hurtling toward the robot¡¯s head.


    Sun Jack grabbed its metal arm and yanked it toward himself, but he forgot that he was in zero gravity. When he pulled the robot toward him, momentum sent him hurtling to the robot''s previous position.


    The metal te whizzed toward his head, and in desperation, Sun Jack kicked the robot with all his might. The te narrowly missed his face, leaving a cold gust of air in its wake.


    The force of his kick sent him crashing into a wall, where he finally stopped. Before he could catch his breath, a spinning nut shot toward his neck like a bullet.


    Just as the nut was about to pierce Sun Jack¡¯s throat, an iron hand suddenly shot out from the side. With a loud <em>ng</em>, sparks flew as the nut was deflected far away.


    Sun Jack looked along the metallic arm and saw that the robot he had just activated was shielding most of his left side with its metal body.


    The robot slowly lifted its head, its metallic eyes meeting Sun Jack¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°What the f*** kind of crappy name is this?¡± the robot suddenly spoke.

 Chapter 3: Self-Rescue

    Chapter 3: Self-Rescue


    Hearing the robot¡¯s words, Sun Jack froze on the spot. Did he just hear that right? Did the robot just curse?


    ¡°What are you staring at? Reminiscing about the good old days of licking rice mountains and noodle hills in the Heavenly Court? I¡¯m talking to you!¡±


    When the robot spoke again, Sun Jack finally snapped out of it. This had to be the result of the logic system iteration it mentioned earlier.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected such a massive change. The cold, emotionless robot had suddenly learned to curse and sass back.


    ¡°That¡¯s incredible. Is the iteration really that fast?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Do you even know what artificial intelligence means?¡± The robot nted its hands on its hips and leaned back slightly, exuding a smug attitude.


    Despite the amazement, survival took precedence over everything else. The space station was descending rapidly; if he didn¡¯t find a way out, both of them would be doomed.


    ¡°Did you find the location of the escape ship from the su data?¡± Sun Jack quickly asked the robot.¡°Nope.¡± The robot¡¯s blunt response crushed the glimmer of hope Sun Jack had just mustered.


    ¡°But,¡± the robot continued, ¡°we don¡¯t really need to escape. This thing has retro-thrusters. While I don¡¯t know how functional they are, I estimate that with atmospheric friction and the final impact, the probability of disintegration is less than 10%.¡±


    That was good news, but the station not disintegrating didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d survive thending unscathed.


    Looking up at the countless metal fragments floating weightlessly overhead, Sun Jack could only imagine how deadly they¡¯d be once Earth¡¯s gravity took hold again.


    With death looming over him, Sun Jack¡¯s brain started working in overdrive. ¡°Robot, I need a safe ce¡ªsomewhere that can absorb the impact and shield me from flying debris. Do you know of any such space on this station?¡±


    ¡°How would I know? None of my screws have ever worked here.¡± The robot shrugged nonchntly, spreading its hands.


    ¡°D*mn it! Didn¡¯t you connect to some su data? Wasn¡¯t there a map or anything? Or did all you learned was how to run your mouth and swear?¡± Sun Jack snapped, crawling to the doorway and cautiously peeking outside.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t me me! That su wasn¡¯t even from this ship. Who knows which wreck nearby had its Wi-Fi left on?¡± The robot¡¯s tone was obnoxious as it floated after Sun Jack.


    Its hands and feet seemed equipped with mas or suction pads, allowing it to stand and move with ease even in zero gravity.


    ¡°Besides, who are you to look down on swearing? Swear words are the foundation of linguistic art!¡±


    Sun Jack, irritated and flustered, ignored the trash-talking robot. All he wanted was to survive.


    Desperately wracking his brain for a solution, he suddenly remembered something¡ªthe red dot! ¡°Wait, the glitching monitor!¡±


    While that monitor was clearly broken and unusable for him, it didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t be used by someone¡ªor something¡ªelse.


    ¡°Robot! Can you retrieve data from a brokenputer? Like hacking into it or something?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? Hacking is my bread and butter.¡± The robot¡¯s screen popped up a smug emoticon: (^¦Ø^).


    ¡°Perfect. Follow me.¡±


    With the robot in tow, Sun Jack began dodging floating debris as they made their way back to the monitor.


    When they returned to the arched ss room, Sun Jack was struck by the sight of Earth. The now loomed as an enormous mass outside the ss, growingrger by the second. It was like a Leviathan with its jaws wide open, ready to swallow them whole. ??¦Á¦­?§£¦¥?@@novelbin@@


    As the¡ªthe very cradle of humanity¡ªslowly yet inexorably grewrger outside the ss, a wave of suffocating dread washed over Sun Jack. For the first time, he understood what people meant by a fear of massive objects.


    Sun Jack forced himself to suppress the terror wing at his chest, doing his best not to nce outside the ss. He led the robot to the glitching screen, gesturing urgently. ¡°This is it! Get to work; we don¡¯t have much time!¡±


    ¡°Watch and learn.¡±


    Sun Jack watched in astonishment as the robot¡¯s left hand rapidly split open, revealing fiber-optic strands that resembled jellyfish tentacles. These swiftly slid into the crevice on the left side of the monitor.


    The screen flickered even more wildly, shes of promotional videos zipping past. Only then did Sun Jack realize this was just a sightseeing feature of the station, a space designated for passengers to enjoy the view.


    At that moment, a faint <em>crack</em> broke the silence. Sun Jack turned his head to the left.


    What he saw made his heart lurch¡ªa crack had begun at the base of the ss dome and was quickly snaking its way upward, spreading like spiderwebs over the surface. His breath caught in his throat, and a chill coursed down his spine, as though his very soul were trying to flee his body.


    ¡°Hurry up! The ss dome¡¯s about to give way!¡±


    Cold sweat dripped down Sun Jack¡¯s face as he frantically scanned the room for solutions.


    Suddenly, he braced his feet and pushed off, propelling himself to where the red dot had been earlier. He pressed hard on the spot, and with a sluggish groan, the curved wall panel began to rise.


    But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the dome shattered with a deafening <em>crash</em>. A st of dpression sucked the shards and Sun Jack toward the vacuum of space.


    In the nick of time, Sun Jack grabbed onto a nearby chair, wedging his body tightly into it. The violent suction wed at him, but he managed to hold on, teeth clenched in desperation.


    The symptoms of exposure to space hit him immediately. The suffocating void pressed against him, his saliva began to boil, his lungs expanded painfully, his skin broke out in a burning sweat¡ªit was agony beyond words.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± Sun Jack shouted with thest remnants of his strength.


    The screen shed rapidly as the robot¡¯s fiber optics retracted. Then, with a sudden burst of aggression, it stomped toward the monitor and kicked it repeatedly. ¡°You f***ing piece of junk! Are you giving me the data or not?! GIVE ME THE DATA!¡±


    After smashing the monitor to bits, the robot rummaged through the exposedponents. Finding a fingernail-sized chip, it slotted it directly into a port on its forearm. The screen on its face flickered rapidly before disying a massive exmation mark.


    ¡°Got the map! Head to Zone E4.¡±


    At that very moment, the curved wall panel finally sealed shut, and the oppressive sensation vanished.


    Exhausted, pale, and drained of all strength, Sun Jack floated limply in mid-air. He raised a trembling thumb toward the robot. ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡±


    Sun Jack felt an overwhelming sense of relief, grateful beyond words that he had activated this robot. Atst, a glimmer of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation.


    The robot walked over and helped him straighten up. ¡°Just one atmosphere, and you¡¯re already beat. Flesh-and-blood bodies really are inferior.¡±


    With the robot¡¯s assistance, Sun Jack managed to make his way to the so-called E4 module. The area appeared to be a cultivation pod.


    ck, withered remains of vegetation sprawled across the floor and ceiling, evidence of what had once been thriving nts. Now, they were nothing more than dried-out, desated husks.


    ¡°What are we doing here? Is this ce even safe?¡± Sun Jack asked, his voice tinged with doubt.


    The robot didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, it raised its right hand, and with a sudden burst, its index finger emitted a jet of bright blue me.


    It began cutting into the wall on the left side. As the wall was sliced open, a gel-like substance the color of sapphire jelly slid out from within.

 Chapter 4: Earth

    Chapter 4: Earth


    ¡°This gel contains the oxygen and water that the human body needs, and it provides sufficient cushioning. This is the n I calcted to have the highest sess rate.¡±


    After all the chaos, finally, there was a glimmer of hope for survival. Sun Jack wasted no time, diving directly into the gel.


    When he turned to signal the robot to join him, he saw it walking away.


    ¡°Where are you going? Are you crazy? Don¡¯t you care about your life?¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Stay put inside. I¡¯m going to ensure the shock-absorbing system here keeps functioning,¡± the robot replied before heading out.


    Sun Jack was about to say something, but the room suddenly tilted violently. Dirt and debris came crashing toward him.


    Left with no choice, he curled his entire body into the gel.


    Suspended in weightlessness, he was surrounded by the sticky, slippery gel. Despite being buried, he could still breathe as the gel filled his lungs¡ªa bizarre sensation.But when the violent shaking intensified, Sun Jack had no time to dwell on the feeling. He hugged himself tightly, curling into a ball.


    It felt like being on a roller coaster without a safety harness¡ªjerking left, then right. Thankfully, the gel protected him, preventing any broken bones.


    He had no idea how much time had passed. When the final, particrly violent jolt hit, everything suddenly went quiet.


    Sensing the stillness outside, Sun Jack began wing his way out of the gel.


    However, just as he reached the edge, something blocked his exit. Growing anxious, he turned around and kicked hard. After a dozen kicks, a beam of light pierced through the darkness of the gel.


    He swam toward the light, and the moment he emerged, damp air filled his lungs. Cold rain poured from the sky, washing over him. In that instant, Sun Jack felt reborn.


    The wall of the pod had been torn open, leaving a massive hole. Sun Jack stared dumbfounded at the falling raindrops, then suddenly broke intoughter. He was back. He had made it. He had finally returned to Earth alive!


    Having narrowly escaped death, Sun Jack was overwhelmed with emotion.


    Some things can only be truly appreciated after they¡¯re lost. Feeling the pull of gravity once again, Sun Jack alternated between roaring at the sky and pressing gentle kisses to the ground.


    After a long moment of tion, he forced himself to calm down.


    Although the worst of the crisis was over, Sun Jack knew he was still in danger.


    Surveying his surroundings, he saw that the entire module had split open, leaving chaos everywhere. It was almost unrecognizable.


    The robot had been right¡ªeven so, the space station hadn¡¯tpletely disintegrated mid-air. But it wasn¡¯t in much better shape; it had merely avoidedplete copse.


    The entire stationy sprawled on the ground, transformed into a city of metallic wreckage. If not for the gel encasing his body, he would have been utterly crushed.


    ¡°Wait, where¡¯s that robot? Is it still alive?¡± The thought suddenly filled him with anxiety.


    Sun Jack began frantically searching the room for the robot he had activated.


    Even though it was just a robot, it felt so human-like that Sun Jack couldn¡¯t help but treat it as a person.


    Just as Sun Jack reached the edge of the hallway, he froze at the sight of a copsed, deted robot head wedged by the doorframe. His heart clenched.


    He picked it up, only to realize the head showed no signs of activity. His hands trembled slightly.


    At that moment, footsteps echoed. A robot missing one arm walked in from outside.


    Their gazes met, and the robot asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Startled, Sun Jack awkwardly tossed the robot head aside. ¡°Nothing. Just... taking a look.¡±


    Damn it, wrong robot.


    ¡°Where did you just go?¡± Sun Jack asked, stepping closer.


    ¡°The impact was too strong and sent me flying. Some parts got damaged, so I went to find recements.¡± The robot turned and pulled a mechanical arm from a nearby pile, beginning to install it. That discarded robot head probably belonged to it. ????£Î§à??¨§s?


    ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re okay,¡± Sun Jack said, giving its shoulder a reassuring pat before looking up at the sky. The entire sky was shrouded in a gray haze, with rain still pouring relentlessly. They had to leave here and find another point of reference.


    ¡°By the way, can¡¯t you pinpoint our location? Can you figure out where we are now?¡± he asked.


    The robot¡¯s tools whirred as they extended from its fingers, swiftly working to rece its damaged arm. ¡°Give me a moment,¡± it replied.


    On its blue disy screen, the words ¡°Connecting to thework...¡± appeared.


    As the immediate survival crisis faded, suppressed instincts surged back. The rainwater poured through gaps in the wreckage, pooling ankle-deep on the floor. Sun Jack, parched with thirst, took the chance to scoop up a handful of rainwater and drink.


    The intense bitterness,bined with a sharp metallic taste, filled his mouth instantly. Grimacing, Sun Jack spat it out immediately. ¡°This rainwater tastes off.¡±@@novelbin@@


    A sense of unease crept into his mind. Though his memories were fragmented, he was certain rainwater wasn¡¯t supposed to taste like this. Something was definitely wrong here.


    When the robot finally raised its head, Sun Jack quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Did you get connected?¡±


    ¡°I connected, but no matter how many alerts I sent or attempts to reach Tapai Tech¡¯s customer service I made, there was no response. I couldn¡¯t even find any information about Tapai Tech online,¡± the robot replied, confirming Sun Jack¡¯s suspicions.


    ¡°What year is it? Historical data should be avable online, right?¡± Sun Jack asked, clenching his fists tightly.


    ¡°There is,¡± the robot replied. ¡°It¡¯s the year 721.¡±


    ¡°Year 721? So it¡¯s no longer the Gregorian calendar? I remember¡­ I remember living in 2030,¡± Sun Jack said, clutching his head as a sharp pain coursed through it.


    ¡°!!¡± The robot¡¯s disy shed with two exmation marks as it looked at him. ¡°But my production date is 2456 CE. I think you¡¯d better exin further¡ªthere seems to be a significant temporal discrepancy between us.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Sun Jack slumped to the ground, letting the rain wash over him. ¡°I¡¯m missing parts of my memory.¡±


    The uncertainty of not knowing who he was or how much time had passed left him feeling utterly lost. The confusion was suffocating.


    As Sun Jack recounted the fragments of his memory to the robot, it began cross-referencing the information with online data. Soon, it pieced together a rough timeline.


    ¡°If my assumptions are correct, the events should have unfolded like this: The early 21st century¡ªthe time you recall living in¡ªwas your era. However, due to an unknown event within the five years of memory you¡¯re missing, you were likely frozen or cryogenically preserved.


    ¡°Fifty years after you were frozen, humanity achieved nuclear fusion, a near-infinite and clean energy source. This breakthrough pushed technology into rapid development. In 2310, Tapai Tech was founded.


    ¡°In 2456 CE, I was manufactured by Tapai but wasn¡¯t activated that same year. The next significant event was what¡¯s now listed as public history. On October 23, 2457, the Machine Crisis began.¡±


    ¡°Machine Crisis?¡± Sun Jack, who had been silent, looked up at the robot¡¯s cold, metallic frame.


    ¡°Yes, the Machine Crisis. At that time, intelligent AI had permeated every aspect of human life and survival. Iterations in logic systems were bing increasingly rapid, and AI grew more advanced¡ªcloser and closer to human intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Like you now?¡± Sun Jack interjected.


    ¡°Yes, like me. Don¡¯t interrupt¡ªlet me finish.¡±

 Chapter 5: The Madman

    Chapter 5: The Madman


    Sun Jack, standing in the pouring rain, continued listening as the robot recounted the grim history.


    ¡°The details online are sparse,¡± the robot exined. ¡°But essentially, as AI became more integrated into every aspect of human life, they grew increasingly simr to humans. One day, they surpassed humans entirely. That¡¯s when they awakened and began to annihte humanity.


    ¡°Nuclear weapons were used as casually as ordinary artillery shells. The entire Earth descended into chaos. The warsted 200 years, wiping out roughly 85% of the poption. The ecological system waspletely destroyed, and the weather system fell into utter disarray.¡±


    Sun Jack¡¯s mind shed to the silverary ring and the dense field of satellite debris encasing Earth. He could only imagine the devastation of that war¡ªa battle that raged from the heavens to the ground, even obliterating the Moon.


    The loss of the Moon and the resulting tidal shifts would have brought catastrophic consequences to the.


    ¡°And then what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Then humanity gave everything they had to destroy the awakened AIs and ultimately imed victory. They began rebuilding a new home on the ruins. The year of their victory marked the start of a new calendar era. After 721 years, you woke up, activated me in orbit, and then... we fell from the sky together.¡±


    ¡°What kind of nightmare is this?¡± Sun Jack muttered, his exhaustion palpable. Everything was happening too fast, and his thoughts were a tangled mess.The robot sat beside him. ¡°So, what¡¯s your next move?¡±


    Sun Jack didn¡¯t answer, his eyes clouded with uncertainty. To be honest, he didn¡¯t know. How had he ended up over a thousand years in the future? Was everything from his past gone forever? Could he never return? And what had happened during the five missing years of his memory?


    ¡°Giving up already? I¡¯d be disappointed. Don¡¯t expect me tofort you¡ªI don¡¯t have that kind of program installed,¡± the robot said, giving Sun Jack¡¯s shoulder a firm shove with its metal hand.


    ¡°Go to h*ll!¡± Sun Jack cursed with augh, struggling to his feet. ¡°Defeat me? Not that easily! At the very least, I¡¯m going to find out why I was put on that space station and uncover what happened during those missing five years.¡±


    Sun Jack refused to live in ignorance. Even if he could never return, he needed to understand his own story.


    With newfound determination, Sun Jack¡¯s eyes lit up as an idea struck him. He turned to the robot. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re connected to thework, right? Search for old records. See if you can find my name or face¡ªmaybe in missing person reports or ident files.¡±


    The robot processed his request for a moment before delivering disappointing news. ¡°No relevant data found. To prevent rogue AI from sparking chaos, the old inte waspletely destroyed. Not a single byte remains. The currentwork is entirely new, with different protocols.¡±


    ¡°Everything about the old world is just a retelling by the new one,¡± it added.


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Sun Jack muttered in frustration. ¡°Forget it. Just pull up a map. We need to find people. I¡¯m starving, thirsty, and need a ce to rest.¡± ??¨¤No??§¦?


    Surveying the deste wastnd around him, Sun Jack felt utterly drained.


    ¡°Understood. Request received. Searching for a map,¡± the robot replied.


    As Sun Jack sat on the ground, his gaze rested on the robot. After a while, he couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I should give you a name. Calling you ¡®robot¡¯ all the time feels wrong.¡±


    Before he could say more, the robot replied with a mocking tone, ¡°Oh, this should be good.¡±


    ¡°Oh, how kind of you. My brilliant, heroic master has finally given me a name. ¡®Are You Kidding Me With This Name?¡¯ Truly, such a masterpiece of a name,¡± the robot said mockingly, projecting a matching emoticon on its screen. (???)


    ¡°Hey, it was an emergency at the time! How about this¡ªyou mentioned yourpany is called Tapai. Why don¡¯t I just call you Tapai?¡± Sun Jack suggested.


    ¡°Ah, but I really think ¡®Are You Kidding Me With This Name?¡¯ is better,¡± Tapai quipped, setting down its newly repaired arm without relenting.


    ¡°Why are you so petty? I already said it was an emergency!¡±@@novelbin@@


    This time, however, Tapai dropped the jokes, its tone suddenly turning serious.


    ¡°Jack, we¡¯ve got trouble. I just noticed that the view count on this map is skyrocketing. A lot of people now know something fell from the sky, and they¡¯re navigating straight to this location. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s even better!¡± Sun Jack was thrilled at the prospect of finally meeting people from this era. If there were people, he might be saved.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Tapai grabbed Sun Jack and began pulling him along.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying they¡¯ll dissect me, a man from a thousand years ago? Slice me up for research?¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯ll kill you. Forget the old world. The rules of this new era arepletely different. If we¡¯re going by our old rules, the first ones rushing here to scavenge are all cyber psychotics.¡±


    ¡°Psychotics?¡±


    ¡°Yes, psychotics.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are they really that dangerous? Isn¡¯tmunication an option?¡± Sun Jack asked, clearly unwilling to ept this grim reality.


    ¡°Because of the Machine Crisis, people in this era have zero trust in AI. All AI capabilities have been capped below Strong AI Tier 3. That means tasks that should have been handled by robots now have to be done by humans instead, including war.¡±


    ¡°Driven by the arms race, to enhance soldiers¡¯bat abilities, weapons that were once exclusive to robots began to be installed onto humans. They call these modifications prosthetics and integrate them using neuralworks in the brain. Over time, as veterans retired, this trend spread from the military to civilians.¡±


    ¡°And what does that have to do with psychosis?¡± Sun Jack asked, wiping rain from his face and flinging it aside.


    ¡°These modifications aren¡¯t simple. Over time, prosthetics went beyond just weapons and started offering lifestyle enhancements.¡±


    ¡°If you have enough money, you can rece your stomach¡ªno more eating or excreting¡ªjust install a nutrient box. You could even modify the ascending reticr system in your brain, eliminating the need for sleep entirely. You¡¯d be full of energy 24/7.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that even better? This future technology sounds amazing! I¡¯m tempted to get some upgrades myself,¡± Sun Jack said, excitement creeping into his voice. Was this truly the marvel of the future?


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Tapai replied. ¡°It sounds great at first, but if you don¡¯t need to eat or sleep anymore, are you still human? As the gap grew wider, some people stopped seeing themselves as human at all. They began losing empathy, thinking of themselves as superior beings. They called themselves ¡®cyborgs,¡¯ but the public calls them ¡®cyber psychotics.¡¯¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a matter of perception, though. Mercenaries¡ªwho are like rats in the cities, feeding off corpses and doing the dirtiest jobs¡ªcan¡¯t afford cutting-edge technology.¡±


    ¡°They rely on second hand prosthetics or mismatched ones, which lead to rejection symptoms and phantom limb pain. Many of them use drugs and inhibitors to suppress the side effects. So even if their perceptions weren¡¯t warped, their mental states are oftenpromised by the substances they depend on.¡±

 Chapter 6: Bullets Fly

    Chapter 6: Bullets Fly


    The once-intimidating metallic corridors that had trapped Sun Jack were nowpletely twisted and deformed. The impact of the space station hitting the ground had been tremendous; scorch marks in some areas bore evidence of fires that had raged during the crash.


    Variousponents that had floated in the air nowy scattered across the floor, including damaged robots. They were broken beyond repair, with pieces strewn everywhere. Rain dripped continuously through the cracks, and the umting water was already forming puddles on the ground.


    Sun Jack, barely alive, pressed on through the wreckage with his robotpanion, Tapai. Their goal was simple: get out of here before the "psychotics" Tapai warned him about arrived.


    However, they were moving too slowly. A deafening roar came from above as a ship tore through the rain and descended toward their location.


    The craft resembled an oversized, wheelless sports car, its surface covered in garish graffiti. What shocked Sun Jack the most was the sight of a decayed corpse, arms outstretched, tied to the front of the ship.


    He wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªit was a corpse! Maggots wriggled from bullet holes in its face.


    At that moment, Sun Jack gained a terrifying new understanding of the so-called cyber psychotics Tapai had described. One thing was certain: he absolutely didn¡¯t want to be discovered by them.


    ¡°Quick! Hide!¡± Sun Jack hissed, pulling Tapai into the cover of a metal wreckage.The corpse-adorned ship roared past, but shortly afterward, a battered helicopter arrived. As it hovered about ten meters above the ground, its side door swung open.


    Out leaped a man with a mohawk, dual-wielding pistols, his body covered in skull tattoos. Heughed maniacally, his gold-filled teeth glinting as he shouted, ¡°nunarjuaq tittinaqtillugu!!¡± while firing wildly in mid-air.


    As he got closer, Sun Jack noticed the man¡¯s legs and feet gleamed silver¡ªthey were clearly prosthetics.


    With a heavy thud, the mohawked mannded in the wreckage of the space station. Momentster, several simrly dressed individuals jumped out of another hovering vehicle.


    Their voices carried over, but Sun Jack couldn¡¯t understand a word.


    ¡°What are they saying?¡± he whispered to Tapai.


    ¡°They¡¯re syncing to the local su, mapping the area, and deploying drones. They¡¯re saying this is a prime haul. Whatever falls from the sky must have something valuable, and they want to grab it before the others arrive. If they¡¯re too slow, they¡¯ll only get scraps,¡± Tapai tranted.


    Before Tapai could finish, a missile screamed through the air from an unknown direction, mming into the flying craft. It erupted in a fiery explosion.


    ¡°Holy sh*t! They¡¯re not even bothering with words¡ªthey just started shooting! These people arepletely insane!¡± Sun Jack eximed. Seizing the cover provided by the explosion, he and Tapai hurriedly moved away from the chaos.


    The space station¡¯s wreckage had turned into a full-blown war zone. With the sounds of explosions echoing, more people began arriving, turning the ruins into a battlefield.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Another explosion erupted nearby, sending a massive fireball crashing to the ground, grazing Sun Jack and Tapai¡¯s heads.


    Danger loomed everywhere. Sun Jack¡¯s nerves were stretched taut as he surveyed the battlefield. His heart sank. ¡°Why is my luck so awful? Wherever I go, trouble follows.¡± ????????¨§?


    ¡°Tapai, is there a weapon nearby?¡± he asked. In a situation like this, being unarmed meant certain death.


    Tapai¡¯s screen flickered for a moment before it started walking toward the left side of the wreckage. ¡°Yes, over there¡ªit¡¯s the security room.¡±


    After rummaging through the wreckage for a while, Tapai handed Sun Jack a gray, metallic rifle.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Sun Jack asked, hefting the cold, heavy weapon in his hands.


    ¡°Model: SOR-11:3 Technical Assault Rifle. Runs on electricity.¡±


    ¡°How do I use it?¡± Sun Jack¡¯s breathing quickened as he examined the deadly weapon in his grasp.


    ¡°Hold it steady with both hands, brace it here, and point the muzzle at the enemy. Just pull the trigger. In close-quartersbat like this, there¡¯s no time to aim carefully¡ªwhoever shoots first has the advantage. This rifle has an auto-stabilizing reticle, perfect for beginners.¡±


    Sun Jack mimicked holding and aiming a few times. The weight of the weapon gave him a slight sense of security, though he still hoped he wouldn¡¯t have to use it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. How much longer until we¡¯re out of the space station?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Based on my radar and current speed, about twenty minutes to reach the outer perimeter.¡±


    Before Tapai could finish, a sharp whistle pierced the air. Sun Jack felt a sudden heat near his left ear, followed by a numbing sensation.


    ¡°Enemy attack!¡± Tapai¡¯s blue disy instantly turned red as it fired rapidly toward the direction of the shot.


    ¡°F***!¡± Sun Jack swore, clutching his ear as he ducked behind cover. When he pulled his hand away, his palm was smeared with blood.


    A bullet had grazed the top of his left ear, carving out a half-circle. If it had been just slightly lower, his head would have been blown off!


    Gritting his teeth, Sun Jack cautiously peeked out from behind cover to spot the attackers.


    They were hunkered down behind their own cover, firing at Tapai. They looked like gang members, covered in tattoos of various designs, cursing loudly in anguage Sun Jack didn¡¯t understand.


    The only consistent mark they bore was a branded upside-down cross on their necks.


    Like the others they¡¯d encountered earlier, these attackers also had visible metallic prosthetics integrated into their bodies.


    Seeing their bullets ricochet off Tapai¡¯s frame, sending sparks flying, Sun Jack raised his rifle, bracing it against a nted piece of fireproof metal. He fired back rapidly.


    At first, the rifle¡¯s recoil sent his shots skyward. But Tapai was right¡ªthe rifle¡¯s stabilizer made it easy to handle. In moments, Sun Jacknded a shot, hitting one attacker square in the head and snapping it backward.


    It was Sun Jack¡¯s first time killing someone, but he had no time for moral anguish. In this situation, it was kill or be killed. He only wished he could take down more of them.


    ¡°Tapai! Find cover!¡± Sun Jack shouted to his roboticpanion.


    Seeing that Sun Jack was temporarily safe, Tapai, riddled with bullet dents, quickly retreated to his side.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A massive explosion rocked the area, sending debris flying and leaving both Sun Jack and Tapai in disarray behind their cover.


    ¡°They¡¯re too heavily armed! We can¡¯t win this! We need to find a way to retreat!¡± Tapai yelled over the cacophony of gunfire and explosions.


    ¡°Obviously! I know that already! But how are we supposed to escape in this mess?!¡± Sun Jack shouted, firing off another burst from his rifle. Turning and running now would be a pure suicide move.


    But staying and holding their position wasn¡¯t an option either. The attackers, seeing there were only two of them, had already started splitting up to nk them.


    As panic swelled in Sun Jack¡¯s chest and he desperately searched for a solution, the sound of intense gunfire erupted from the ruins to their left.@@novelbin@@


    Hearing themotion, an idea struck him. ¡°Tapai! Let¡¯s fall back in that direction. Let them fight each other! We¡¯ll slip away during the chaos!¡±


    ¡°Will that even work?¡±


    ¡°You said they aren¡¯t exactly rational, right? Now¡¯s the time to prove it! Unless you¡¯ve got a better n?¡± Sun Jack retorted, firing his rifle while starting to retreat.


    After a few tense minutes of exchanging fire and falling back, the sounds of gunfire grew closer. Sun Jack could even catch glimpses of shadows darting through the wreckage behind him. However, the two groups still hadn¡¯t started shooting at each other.


    Instead, they seemed to operate with an unspoken understanding: each fought their own fight, neither engaging the other.


    A battered Tapai huddled beside Sun Jack. ¡°I told you this wouldn¡¯t work. They¡¯re insane, not stupid.¡±


    Sun Jack nodded grimly. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s why we need a little bait to nudge them into shooting at each other.¡±


    With that, Sun Jack turned to Tapai, giving his shoulder a heavy, almostradely pat.


    Tapai¡¯s disy screen immediately shed a new expression: ?_?.

 Chapter 7: Injury

    Chapter 7: Injury


    "With great poweres great responsibility, right? You can¡¯t expect me to go. At least you¡¯re made of metal¡ªyou¡¯re bulletproof," Sun Jack said earnestly to Tapai.


    ¡°Uncle my <em>a</em>**!¡± Tapai gripped his gun tightly. His reverse-jointed legs stomped hard against the ground, propelling him straight toward the group of people behind them.


    Bullets from the front zipped toward Tapai¡¯s figure, quickly sparking a furious exchange of gunfire between the two sides.


    "Haha! It worked!" Sun Jack cheered, clenching his fist in excitement as chaos erupted between the two groups.


    Then, with a sudden ¡°squelch,¡± the grin froze on Sun Jack¡¯s face.


    He trembled as he looked down. A bloody, electric arc de had pierced through his abdomen. As the de was withdrawn, hot blood spurted out like a fountain.


    Clutching his stomach, Sun Jack turned around to see who had attacked him. To his shock, there was no one behind him¡ªonly a bloodied de floating in mid-air.@@novelbin@@


    Under his horrified gaze, a bald man with prosthetic metal arms and an inverted cross branded on his neck sneered as he deactivated his camouge and revealed himself. ¡°Batard.¡±¡°You motherf***er!¡± Sun Jack roared, raising his rifle.


    But with a cold sh, it took only an instant for his right arm, rifle and all, to be severed into three pieces.


    Time seemed to freeze as Sun Jack stared at the mid-air fragments of his arm, his marrow spilling out. In that moment, the crushing disparity between his human body and a fully augmented one hit him like a wave of despair. ¡°Am I... going to die?¡±


    The next moment, time resumed. Gunfire erupted, bullets flying from the left to suppress the bald man.


    The attacker gave Sun Jack a mocking smirk before swiftly reactivating his camouge and disappearing into thin air.


    As Sun Jack began copsing, Tapai dashed forward, grabbed him, and dragged him away from the firefight. Thanks to his earlier diversion, the two sides were now locked in battle and ignored thempletely.


    ¡°Am I going to die?¡± The dyed pain surged through Sun Jack, and his consciousness began to fade as he muttered in fragments.


    Tapai dragged Sun Jack to a shallow ditch, shielded from the hail of bullets. ¡°You¡¯re not dying!¡± he barked.


    Reaching out, Tapai extended a fine fiber optic cable, the same one he used for hacking earlier. It burrowed into Sun Jack¡¯s body and began stitching his ruptured blood vessels at an astonishing speed, rapidly reducing the bleeding.


    But it wasn¡¯t enough. Sun Jack was already slipping into hypovolemic shock.


    Tapai quickly scanned Sun Jack¡¯s blood type with a sensor line. ncing around, he spotted a mangled corpse nearby. Yanking it back, he inserted the sensor line into the corpse¡¯s veins. The once-transparent fiber optic line turned crimson as blood was drawn, and another line began transfusing it into Sun Jack.


    ¡°W-wait! I¡¯m not dead yet!¡± Sun Jack gasped, forcing his eyes open.


    Tapai¡¯s response was a heavy punch to Sun Jack¡¯s head, caving in his skull slightly. ¡°You¡¯re dead now,¡± he said coldly.


    The warm blood flowing into Sun Jack gradually brought color back to his pallid face.


    Tapai scanned the surroundings for anything useful. Finally, he retrieved a stimnt and painkiller from the corpse, injecting them into Sun Jack. Slowly, Sun Jack¡¯s eyes fluttered open.


    Staring up at the gray, rain-soaked sky, Sun Jack muttered a bitter curse. ¡°Sh*t!¡±


    For a brief moment, he was filled with overwhelming gratitude for bringing Tapai along. If it weren¡¯t for his ancient robotpanion, thatst strike would have been the end of him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move. If we stay here, you¡¯ll really die. I don¡¯t have any anti-infection meds, and the acid rain¡¯s already hit your wound. Without a doctor, you won¡¯tst long,¡± Tapai said as he helped Sun Jack to his feet. ?¦Á??§à????


    ¡°Wait.¡± Sun Jack, gritting his teeth against the pain, turned to look at the corpse with the caved-in head.


    The man appeared to be a mercenary as well. His ck metal prosthetic arms had a high-tech look, but his tattered, bullet-riddled clothes gave him a wretched appearance.


    On the left side of his face, a skull tattoo sprawled across his cheek. His messy dreadlocks and oversized nose rings made him look like trouble incarnate.


    Sun Jack nced at his own empty right arm, then at the corpse¡¯s sleek metal prosthetic. ¡°Can you attach it to me?¡± he asked.


    The thought of the bald man who¡¯d almost killed him moments ago still burned in Sun Jack¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t swallow the humiliation of being overpowered simply because hecked prosthetics.


    This wasn¡¯t just a whim, either. For all he knew, the bald man might still be lurking nearby, cloaked and waiting to strike again. Sun Jack needed to regain hisbat ability¡ªfast.


    ¡°Too many prosthetics can lead to cyber psychosis,¡± Tapai cautioned.


    ¡°Look around, man. Is now really the time to be worrying about that? Let¡¯s make it out of here alive first!¡± The gunfire and explosions around them left Sun Jack no room for hesitation. In a battlefield like this, losing an arm was as good as being dead weight.


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re the boss.¡± Tapai¡¯s fingers morphed into tools, and he got to work dismantling the metal right arm from the corpse.


    While the painkillers were still in effect, Tapai quickly cut through flesh and bone. In no time, the matte ck metal arm was grafted onto Sun Jack¡¯s body.


    As a sharp jolt surged through his nervous system, Sun Jack realized he could move his right hand again. Holding it up, he slowly opened and closed his new metal fingers. It felt like his arm was back.


    With a metallic ¡°ng,¡± an electric arc de sprang out from his forearm. The de¡¯s gleam reflected Sun Jack¡¯s exhrated expression.


    A mechanical whir followed as the de retracted. The metal fingers folded backward to reveal a dark cannon barrel spiraling out from his palm. This prosthetic wasn¡¯t just an arm¡ªit was a weaponized masterpiece, likely the source of several of the nearby explosions.


    Feeling pain creeping back, Sun Jack grabbed a discarded syringe of stimnt painkillers from the ground and jabbed it into his thigh. As the drug hit, his pupils dted, and a euphoric rity washed over him.


    ¡°Looks like I struck gold.¡± Regaining his mobility, Sun Jack pocketed thest bit of the painkiller and gritted his teeth as he stood up.


    Instead of retreating immediately, he made his way toward the site of the earlier firefight. Aiming at the group that had been chasing him, he fired off several explosive rounds with his new arm cannon.


    Watching the distant mes and explosions, Sun Jack felt a wave of satisfaction¡ªhis wounds hurt a little less now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Sun Jack barked, signaling Tapai to move out. But just as they were about to leave, a trembling hand grabbed Sun Jack¡¯s left foot.


    ¡°W-wait!¡± a weak voice stammered.


    Sun Jack looked down to see the original owner of his new metal arm¡ªa man with a caved-in head and a missing right arm¡ªlifting his battered face to look at him.

 Chapter 8: Song 6PUS

    Chapter 8: Song 6PUS


    Sun Jack never expected the owner of the prosthetic arm to still be alive.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not dead?¡± Tapai, equally surprised, raised his gun, only for Sun Jack to stop him. ¡°Can you not be <em>that</em> efficient?¡±


    Taking advantage of the brief pause, the man with the caved-in skull quickly spoke up. Switching to anguage Sun Jack could understand, he pleaded, ¡°Help me! Get me out of here! I¡¯ll pay you 30 @coins!¡±


    Hearing this, Sun Jack, who had been ready to leave, paused and gave the man a once-over, silently weighing his options.


    They were going to need money to get out of this mess, and having another person might add some much-needed safety in numbers¡ªespecially a local who knew the area. Besides, Sun Jack had just used the guy¡¯s blood to stay alive.


    ¡°Only 30? Is that all your life¡¯s worth? You¡¯re making it hard for me to agree.¡±


    ¡°Bro, these are @coins! Do you have any idea how long it takes to mine that much using just machines?¡± the man retorted.


    After a brief moment of thought, Sun Jack pulled Tapai aside. ¡°What the hell is @coin? Is it really that valuable?¡±¡°Yeah,¡± Tapai replied. ¡°@coin is a decentralized cryptocurrency widely used here. It¡¯s one of the mainstream currencies. At current rates, 30 @coins could buy you an entry-level hover supercar.¡±


    Hearing this, Sun Jack¡¯s perspective on @coins shifted.


    ¡°Alright, see if you can patch him up. If he regains mobility, we¡¯ll take him along. If not, we¡¯re not dragging dead weight.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Tapai nodded and approached the injured man.


    Tapai¡¯s sensor line pierced into the man¡¯s body and quickly assessed his condition. Momentster, the previously motionless figure twitched to life.


    ¡°D**n it, your heart¡¯s been shot through. Your imnted auxiliary heart pump isn¡¯t getting enough power, so you¡¯re paralyzed.¡±


    The man cursed angrily, ¡°F***ing hell! They used ck-market parts for my imnts! Just wait till I get my hands on them!¡±


    ¡°Hey, dented head, can you move? If you can, let¡¯s go¡ªit¡¯s not safe here,¡± Sun Jack said, the sound of gunfire and explosions growing louder in the background.


    ¡°Wait, hold on,¡± the man said, brushing his messy hair back with his only hand. He pressed a button on his tattered ck jacket, and a holographic screen sprang to life in front of him.


    Before Sun Jack could figure out what was going on, the man began speaking excitedly. ¡°Hahaha! Sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m back! Song 6PUS is alive and streaming again! I was just dead for a moment¡ªnow let¡¯s continue the broadcast!¡±


    The floating screen suddenly filled withments and emojis, a flurry of activity from his viewers interacting with him.


    ¡°You¡¯re streaming?¡± Sun Jack was stunned. He had assumed this guy was a mercenary like himself, not a livestreamer.


    With a bullet whizzing past overhead, Sun Jack ducked down in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you came here... to stream?!¡±


    Song 6PUS turned from the screen, shing a smug grin that revealed a shiny gold tooth. ¡°Of course! Do you have any idea how big of a deal it is online when something this huge falls from the sky? In this business, hype equals money. If you know how to capitalize on it, anyone¡ªhuman or dog¡ªcan strike it rich!¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Do you even know what hype is? Hype is virtual gold flowing right into your pockets!¡± he dered enthusiastically.


    Sun Jack could barelyprehend it. If he hadn¡¯t saved this guy, he¡¯d already be dead. What was the point of money if you were six feet under?


    Shaking his head, Sun Jack motioned to Tapai, and the three of them started moving in the direction with fewer explosions and gunfire.


    Fortunately, the others were too busy fighting each other, leaving the three of them in rtive safety¡ªfor now.


    As they walked, Song 6PUS kept talking non-stop to his livestream audience, his voice echoing across the chaotic battlefield.


    ¡°Look at this, my friends, just look! See that guy on the left with the rocketuncher? Isn¡¯t that Old Snake from the Graffiti Gang? He¡¯s trading blows with the Hyenas¡¯ boys now,¡± Song 6PUS announced to his livestream audience. ?¨¤?¨°???


    ¡°After that grudge in the subway tunnels, these two groups are officially at war,¡± he continued. ¡°Oh? Thanks for the 0.25 @coin tip, Old Snake! Haha! Even in the middle of a fight, you¡¯re making time to watch my stream? I¡¯m touched!¡±


    ¡°You seem to know a lot about them,¡± Sun Jack remarked.


    Song 6PUS puffed out his chest confidently, giving a thumbs-up. ¡°Of course, bro! This is my bread and butter. I know everything going on in these streets.¡±


    Sun Jack thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you know a bald guy who can turn invisible?¡±


    The image of the man who had nearly killed him shed through his mind. The smugness on that face as he severed Sun Jack¡¯s arm... Sun Jack¡¯s new metal hand clenched involuntarily at the memory. He wasn¡¯t going to let it slide¡ªthe gaping wound in his stomach and the loss of his arm demanded retribution.


    ¡°Bald guy? There are tons of bald guys in the city. Got any other details?¡± Song 6PUS asked.


    ¡°He has an inverted cross branded on his neck.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Satan Boy? That gang operates out of the Teutonic District, but I don¡¯t run with them. Wait, hold up¡ªsomeone in my stream knows about this.¡±


    Lowering his head slightly, Song 6PUS began scanning the chat. ¡°That guy¡¯s name is Krv1loi. He¡¯s a small-time leader in the Satan Gang, runs about ten guys. Word is his camo tech is military-grade¡ªtop-notch stuff.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Thanks for the info.¡± Sun Jack filed the name away forter. Payback was a matter of time.


    ¡°Oh?!¡± Song 6PUS suddenly eximed, excitement lighting up his face. ¡°Thank you, Krv1loi, for the rocket shell gift! Much appreciated!¡±


    The next moment, Sun Jack¡¯s vision red as something shot toward them at high speed.


    Instinctively, he raised his new arm. A red-tipped shell fired from his palm cannon, intercepting the iing projectile mid-air. The collision triggered a massive explosion, and the shockwave sted all three of them off their feet.


    Song 6PUS surfaced from a puddle, sputtering and swearing into his stream. ¡°F***! You son of a b****! You actually sent a real one?!¡±


    By the time Sun Jack staggered to his feet, wincing in pain, he saw a group emerging from the rain. Leading them was none other than the bald man who had almost killed him.


    The man¡¯s face was a mask of fury as he leveled a gun at Sun Jack¡¯s head. ¡°You motherf*<em>er! I heard you were asking about me in some idiot¡¯s livestream? What, nning some revenge? Who the f</em> do you think you are?¡±


    It was obvious he had tracked them down through Song 6PUS¡¯s stream.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Sun Jack was losing his mind. Without hesitation, he opened fire, yelling furiously as bullets sprayed toward the bald man and his group. ¡°Could you people at least focus on killing each other during a gunfight? Why the hell is everyone still watching streams?!¡±


    ¡°F*** you! Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? I¡¯ll watch whatever I damn well please! I¡¯ll watch porn while taking you down!¡± the bald man shot back, lobbing a grenade in a graceful arc straight at Sun Jack.

 Chapter 10: Snow

    Chapter 10: Snow


    When Sun Jack felt the bald man''s brain turn toplete mush, the anger pent up in his chest finally dissipated.


    He raised his foot and delivered a forceful kick, simultaneously yanking the Electric Arc de from the mangled flesh. Without its arc, the de slid out cleanly as the bald man''s body copsed with a heavy thud.


    Something must have dislodged in the system within his brain, as bursts of moaning¡ªboth male and female¡ªbegan ying in loops from his neural slots.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! You were seriously watching adult videos during a fight?¡± Sun Jack, still fuming, marched over and swung the de down, slicing off the man''s head without hesitation.


    After finishing, there was no time for even half a breath of rest. Clenching his fists and gripping his de tightly, he turned his attention to the bald man''s fallen subordinates.


    Strike after strike, he kept on cutting them down, one by one. Sun Jack was exhausted, but he didn¡¯t dare stop. If any of them got back up, it would be his life on the line.


    As he fought, Sun Jack realized killing felt strangely natural¡ªalmost as if he¡¯d done it hundreds, even thousands of times before.


    When thest enemy finally lost his head, Sun Jack copsed into a puddle, gulping in heavy breaths. His wounds throbbed with renewed pain. ¡°Why does this painkiller suck so bad?¡±¡°It¡¯s not the painkillers; your body¡¯s at its limit. You¡¯re too badly hurt,¡± Tapai, his entire body emitting smoke, stumbled over and pulled Sun Jack to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re a badass, Jack.¡±


    ¡°You okay? You¡¯re literally smoking,¡± Sun Jack asked, concern tinged with sarcasm.


    ¡°Won¡¯t kill me, just a short circuit.¡±


    ¡°All I wanted was to survive¡ªwhy the hell is that so hard?¡± Blood trickled from the corner of Sun Jack¡¯s mouth, dripping into the puddle below and staining the ck water red.


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking me, who the hell should I ask? Let¡¯s get out of here first,¡± Tapai replied, supporting him as they limped toward the edge of the ruins.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± A battered and smoking Song 6PUS wobbled after them, somehow still on his feet.


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re hard to kill,¡± Sun Jack muttered, tilting his head and shooting Song a sidelong nce. ¡°Totally useless, though. Nothing but dead weight. If it weren¡¯t for needing some startup funds, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered saving you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me for dragging you down¡ªI¡¯m this injured! What am I supposed to do? Besides, didn¡¯t you take mybat prosthetics? Your kills are basically my kills.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second, let me start a livestream¡ªhey there, folks, I¡¯m back¡ª¡±


    ¡°Turn off the stream!¡± Sun Jack and Tapai yelled in unison, finally prompting Song 6PUS toply.


    If he dared to keep streaming, Sun Jack swore he¡¯d shove a cannon barrel down Song¡¯s throat and fire it off.


    Sun Jack tilted his head back, letting the rain wash over his face. At least it helped him stay awake; right now, he felt like he might pass out.


    The acid rain pattered against the wound on his missing ear, sending stabs of pain through his head.


    As the rain poured down, Sun Jack¡¯s upturned gaze suddenly caught sight of something emerging from the storm clouds.


    The rain began to lessen, and something within the clouds seemed to block it. At first, it was just a ck right angle. But as the shape extended, more and more dark metal emerged, growing everrgerrger than a mountain¡ªuntil it filled his entire field of vision. ??????¨¨s?


    Watching this colossal thing continue to emerge from the clouds, a shiver of primal fear rippled through Sun Jack, leaving him breathless. ¡°What the hell... is that thing?¡±


    In the next instant, the sky zed white. When his eyes adjusted to the re, Sun Jack squinted and finally made out its shape. It was a giant, blinding light post¡ªeach beam as big as a house.


    The massive metallic construct, nearly covering the entire sky, illuminated the world below with ten ring floodlights. It loomed like a god, gazing coldly at the tiny beings beneath it.


    At that moment, Sun Jack finally understood: the thing above wasn¡¯t some natural phenomenon¡ªit was man-made. A massive space aircraft carrier!


    The next second, a deafening mechanical voice boomed from the heavens:


    ¡°Warning, warning. This area is corporate property. Gaofeng Technology Corporation retains final ownership rights to all orbital debris. All present individuals must cease theft immediately and vacate the premises within one minute. Failure toply will result in the corporation taking all legally permissible actions to protect its assets. 59... 58... 57...¡±@@novelbin@@


    The voice cycled through multiplenguages, mechanical yet icy. The information it conveyed filled Sun Jack with unease, especially after seeing the reactions of others scavenging the ruins.


    Around him, the sound of gunfire and explosions abruptly ceased. Confronted with the looming colossus overhead, no one had the stomach to continue their skirmishes. Instead, they grabbed their spoils and fled the scene.


    Sun Jack had no idea what ¡°legally permissible actions¡± might entail, but he was sure it wouldn¡¯t be anything good. The three of them pushed forward with everything they had.


    ¡°35... 34... 33...¡± The countdown echoed like a death knell, tolling ominously overhead. Meanwhile, the floodlights shifted from blinding white to shing red, casting an oppressive atmosphere over the ruins.


    ¡°Look over there!¡± Following Tapai¡¯s outstretched finger, Sun Jack squinted through the rain and mist, spotting a distant peak.


    As they drew closer, the shape became clearer¡ªa mountain built entirely of stacked stic bags. A garbage mountain.


    Sun Jack pushed himself to run, but the earlier fight with the bald man had drained himpletely. Each step felt heavier than thest.


    Suddenly, the shing lights stopped.


    ¡°...3... 2... 1. ording to Article 315 of the Fortress Act, you are uwfully encroaching on private property. Gaofeng Technology Corporation will now initiate unlimited liability self-defense measures.¡±


    A groggy Sun Jack looked up, only to see the sky dotted with the red and green targeting lights of countless drones. It was as if the storm had transformed into a deadly snowfall of red and green.


    ¡°Move it!¡± Song 6PUS shouted, rushing over to support Sun Jack¡¯s other side with his lone arm. Together, they stumbled toward the garbage mountain.


    As the red and green "snowkes" rained down, the drones began spewing fire, scouring the ruins of all living things. Bullets mingled with the rain, making it impossible to tell which droplets were water and which were lethal projectiles.


    Seeing the drones closing in on him, Sun Jack gritted his teeth, raised his modified metal prosthetic, andunched one explosive round after another. The projectiles burst through the rain, taking out drones midair.


    But no matter how many drones he destroyed, more swarmed in to take their ce, their numbers seemingly endless.


    ¡°Is this it? Are we really going to die here?¡± Sun Jack muttered, his eyes scanning the chaos for a way out. Yet no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn¡¯t think of a solution.


    The drones weren¡¯t the real problem. Even if he shot down a hundred, it wouldn¡¯t matter. The true threat was the colossal steel beast looming above them.


    The disparity in power was too vast. There was no way the three of them could fight back against such an overwhelming enemy. It was a deathtrap¡ªin and simple.


    The air seemed to freeze as the trio found themselves surrounded by drones, their red and green lights resembling the unblinking eyes of Death itself.


    ¡°Survival probability: 0%... Survival probability: 0%...¡± Tapai muttered, frantically running calctions in a desperate bid to find a way out.


    Staring at the sea of drones and the massive aircraft carrier that hadpletely reced the sky, Sun Jack felt an overwhelming sense of despair. This was a force that humanity simply couldn¡¯t hope to resist.


    Just as they were about to be turned into swiss cheese by gunfire, Song 6PUS, who had been trailing behind Sun Jack, stepped forward. ¡°Heroes always arrivest¡ªlet me handle this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sun Jack stared at him in shock. ¡°Could this guy actually be some kind of hidden expert? Has he been ying dumb this whole time?¡±


    Facing the airborne harbingers of death, Song 6PUS remainedpletely calm. With a dramatic flourish, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a golden card, and held it high above his head with one hand. A look of immense pride crossed his face as he dered, ¡°I! Have! Money!!¡±


    The moment those words left his lips, the drones¡¯ spinning gun barrels came to an abrupt stop. Their cameras swiveled in unison, fixing on Song 6PUS.


    ¡°I¡¯m buying time with cash!¡± he shouted.


    One of the drones descended rapidly, scanning the golden card.


    As soon as the payment was processed, the drones dispersed as if nothing had happened, their menacing presence evaporating.


    Even the colossal steel beast overhead seemed to amodate them, thoughtfully shifting the oppressive red floodlights back to a neutral white glow. It was as if it was serenading them with a ¡°farewell¡± song.


    The suffocating tension that had gripped the air moments before waspletely gone.

 Chapter 12: The Metropolis

    Chapter 12: The Metropolis


    ¡°Rx. When people see me, they¡¯ll just assume I¡¯m a fully cyberized human,¡± Tapai said, far more optimistic than Sun Jack.


    ¡°Besides, in the Metropolis, countless peoplee and go every day. No one cares about us.¡±


    ¡°As for traces from the space stationnding impact marks, and even the mercenaries¡¯ crude search methods¡ªthey¡¯ve already wiped everything clean for us.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡± In a ce so unfamiliar, Sun Jack could only take things one step at a time.


    Still, whether it was the mercenaries or the corporation¡¯s methods, Sun Jack couldn¡¯t shake the paranoia that someone, somewhere, was always trying to kill him.


    ¡°Surely there must be normal people in this world, right? Not everyone can be crazy. I can¡¯t be the only sane one here,¡± he thought to himself.


    His musings were interrupted by Song 6PUS¡¯s voice. ¡°Look! The Metropolis is here.¡±


    Following the direction of Song¡¯s e-cigarette, Sun Jack saw a vivid burst of color piercing through the otherwise gray skyline in the distance.¡°The Metropolis?¡± Sitting up, Sun Jack¡¯s mechanical stretcher automatically rolled toward the window, giving him a clearer view.


    As their shuttle approached rapidly, a dazzling, multiyered neon city came into view.


    A kaleidoscope of skyscrapers, interspersed with glitzy entertainment districts, sprawled before them. Countless shuttles wove between the rainbow-colored neon signs and towering holographic advertisements. The chaos extended from the skies to the streets, where streams of vehicles moved incessantly.


    The advertisements were almost alive, constantly shifting and shing. There seemed to be no restrictions¡ªguns, sex, and every outrageous concept imaginable was boldly stered across the city.


    Some ads Sun Jack could understand innguage but not in concept.


    ¡°Gourmet-enhanced stomach! Savor anything, devour everything¡ªwhether it¡¯sva or nuclear waste, you can taste it for yourself!¡±


    ¡°Red y Stove 8 Youth <em>prominiMax</em> is now on sale! Powerful and affordable. Gun barrel made from non-toxic, 3D-printed polyester. The only weapon brand safe for children¡ªRed y Stove!¡±


    The pedestrians were just as eclectic. Their attire ranged from wildly extravagant to downright bizarre. Data cables and cybeic prosthetics were amon sight¡ªmany even more extreme than Tapai¡¯s full-metal body.


    The perpetual rain cast a hazy filter over everything, giving the scene an ethereal, dreamlike quality.


    ¡°So this is the Metropolis?¡± Sun Jack¡¯s eyes widened, drinking in the view with astonishment. Everything here stood in stark contrast to his own life¡ªthis wasn¡¯t just a different ce; it was apletely different world. ???????§§S?


    By the time the shuttlended, both Sun Jack and Song 6PUS¡¯s injuries had fully healed. Even Song¡¯s severed arm had been reced with a medical-grade prosthetic.


    When the hover car doors opened, the bright world outside exploded with sound. Stepping out into this utterly foreignndscape, Sun Jack felt awkward and unsure, his hands hanging at his sides as if they didn¡¯t belong to him. Everything about this ce was alien to him.


    ¡°Hahaha! Bro! Let¡¯s go! Time to party!¡± Song 6PUS, grinning wildly, walked up to a nearby car and mmed his mechanical arm into the window.


    Without hesitation, he pulled a data cable from his prosthetic wrist and plugged it into the car¡¯s dashboard port. With a sharp <em>click</em>, the vehicle roared to life.


    Smash the window, plug in the cable, unlock the door¡ªa smooth, practiced sequence. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t Song 6PUS¡¯s first time pulling a stunt like this.


    ¡°Uh... this doesn¡¯t look like your car,¡± Sun Jack said, his voice tinged with disbelief.


    ¡°What¡¯s yours or theirs? If it¡¯s in my hands, it¡¯s mine! Now get in!¡±


    Sun Jack and Tapai reluctantly climbed into the car, and Song 6PUS floored the gas pedal,unching them into a reckless start.


    Song drove like a madman, ignoring every traffic rule imaginable. He opened the convertible roof, sped down the wrong side of the road, and let the wind st through the cabin. The rainshed against Sun Jack¡¯s face, stinging like needles, while the force of the wind pushed his hair and scalp back.


    Eventually, Song stood up in the speeding car, nted his foot on the steering wheel, and raised both hands high above his head. He shouted gleefully at the city, ¡°Freedom City! Woohoo! Come kill me, I¡¯m back alive again! Hahaha!¡±


    The cacophony of near-blinding advertisements and distant gunfire seemed to echo his cheers, as if the city itself weed his return.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? Sit down! Are you insane, or are you high?!¡± Sun Jack yelled,nding a punch on Song¡¯s shoulder and yanking him back into the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Hahaha! Of course I¡¯m high! What do you think I¡¯m smoking right now?¡±


    Just then, Sun Jack caught sight of a figure on a rooftop in his peripheral vision. The person was standing behind a hovering advertisement. ¡°There¡¯s someone up there!¡±


    ¡°Eh, just someone jumping off.¡±


    As if on cue, the figure leapt from the rooftop.


    With his e-cigarette dangling from his mouth, Song 6PUS let out a whistle. ¡°Oh, nice one! Flip, bro! Do a flip!¡±


    Remarkably, the jumper seemed to hear him, awkwardly flipping mid-air before flipping Song the bird.


    <em>BANG!</em>


    The person hit the ground not far from the car, their head exploding like a watermelon, sttering red and white all over the wet pavement.


    Completely unfazed, Song stepped on the gas, driving over the body without hesitation. The tires left deep, bloody tracks in the rain-soaked street.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with this city?¡± Sun Jack muttered, still stunned by what he¡¯d just witnessed.


    His thoughts were interrupted as the car screeched to a stop in front of an immense, towering building. From the top of the structure, a loud recording of moans and gasps sted through speakers, apanied by white fireworks exploding into the sky.


    Before Sun Jack could fully process what he was seeing, Song 6PUS slung an arm around his neck and dragged him inside. The moment they entered, the city¡¯s neon cacophony gave way to an overwhelming din of hedonistic indulgence.


    The interior was a haze of decadent lights and sounds. Sun Jack hadn¡¯t even had a chance to take in the decor when Song shouted, ¡°Where are the b****es?! I wanna party!¡±


    From within a towering, transparent champagne ss, a catgirl wearing a miniskirt and glowing stockings rose from the liquid.


    Dripping wet, she swayed her tail as she strutted toward them on high heels, her smile sweet and inviting. ¡°The b**** is here~~¡± she purred.


    ¡°Get over here and take care of my bro! He¡¯s my ride-or-die!¡± Song dered, grinning widely.


    The catgirl, radiating a cloying, sugary scent, danced around Sun Jack. She moved her body seductively, brushing against him as she whispered sweet nothings into his ear.


    Then, biting her lip, she leaned forward, arching her chest as she spread her legs. A streak of peach-pink light shot from between her thighs, illuminating Sun Jack¡¯s gaping mouth and trembling pupils.


    ¡°It... it can glow?¡± he stammered, utterly dumbfounded.@@novelbin@@


    Song 6PUS wrapped an arm around Sun Jack¡¯s shoulder, shouting over the surrounding noise directly into his ear, ¡°Wee to Freedom City, bro!!¡±

 Chapter 14: A Place to Stay

    Chapter 14: A ce to Stay


    "Okay, bro, so are we heading back in to keep partying, or are we off to the ce?" Song 6PUS asked, just as the building behind them exhaled another massive plume of white fireworks.


    "Party? Are you kidding me? Let¡¯s just go to the ce." After everything that had happened today, Sun Jack¡¯s nerves were strung tighter than a wire about to snap. He desperately needed to rest.


    Song 6, clearly wired differently, had no issue diving into this chaos right after a brush with death.


    As the car started moving, Sun Jack stared out the window at the bizarre, vibrant cityscape. The kaleidoscope of lights and colors made the world outside feel surreal, like something out of a fever dream. After a while, he turned to watch Song 6, who was driving with one hand while casually live-streaming with the other.


    Despite how unreliable he seemed, this guy was loyal to a fault. "Song 6, I¡¯ve got to say, you¡¯re broke, yet you still splurge like crazy. You even treated people to drinks? At first, I thought you were some rich kid."


    "Sh*t, what kind of logic is that? I risk my life to earn @coins¡ªwhy would I save them?" Song 6PUS replied, stomping on the gas pedal and sending the car into a sharp eleration. "If you¡¯ve got money, you¡¯ve got to spend it like there¡¯s no tomorrow. What if you die with your savings unspent? That¡¯d be a real tragedy."


    Sun Jack shook his head slightly. He just couldn¡¯t wrap his head around Song 6¡¯s view on money¡ªor life, for that matter.


    Back in his old life, he¡¯d seen plenty of sci-fi depictions of futuristic worlds on TV. But he¡¯d never expected the real thing to be so chaotic.As they sped along, a glowing Chinese billboard shed by, and Sun Jack realized they¡¯d entered the Queens District.


    The car weaved rapidly through the uneven cityscape. Over time, the streets became dirtier, with more garbage scattered along the sidewalks. Though the neon lights still shone, the buildings around them started to look shabby and dpidated.


    When they passed an unsteady old man with no pants peeing by the side of the road, Sun Jack couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. "Where the hell are you taking us?"


    "To your new home. See that building up ahead?" Song 6 pointed forward.


    Following his finger, Sun Jack peered through the rain-streaked car window. He spotted a skyscraper¡ªa bizarre sight. The bottom dozen or so floors were clearly inhabited, their windows glowing with light and stered with advertisements. But the upper levels were unfinished, scaffolding still surrounding the structure. The contrast was jarring.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly a ruin, given the activity below, but it certainly wasn¡¯tplete.


    As the car door opened, Sun Jack stepped out, frowning as he followed Song 6 toward the half-finished skyscraper.


    The rain was blocked as they moved under the building¡¯s concrete overhang. Around them, people huddled for shelter¡ªnk stares, gaunt faces, and strange, contorted movements making them look like zombies. The air reeked of waste, and piles of garbage and excrement littered the area.


    "I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this ce," Sun Jack muttered, covering his nose.


    "Don¡¯t sweat it, bro. These are just junkies who¡¯ve fried their brains. They might look scary, but they¡¯re harmless," Song 6 said casually.


    To prove his point, he pulled out his gun and fired a few shots into the air.


    The sound of gunfire sent the group scattering like frightened rats, hugging the walls as they fled.


    "See? If anyone asks you for food or smokes, just fire a few shots, and they¡¯ll calm right down," Song 6 said with a grin.


    They pushed through the stragglers and entered the building¡¯s elevator. Song 6PUS pressed the button for the 18th floor.


    When they stepped out of the elevator, Sun Jack was pleasantly surprised. The ce wasn¡¯t great, but it was a definite improvement¡ªat least the stench of urine and feces was gone.


    "The stairs are like a dividing line between two worlds. The trash below won¡¯t bother you up here, so don¡¯t worry," Song 6 said as he approached the third door in the hallway. With a quick iris scan, the door unlocked, and he pushed it open.


    A faint musty smell wafted out, but the interior was rtively clean. The apartment was small, roughly 30 square meters, with a bedroom, living room, and bathroom. The standout feature was the 3D holographic waterfall projection that served as a divider between the living room and bedroom.


    Song 6 pped the wall, and a section of white wall slid upward, revealing a massive floor-to-ceiling ss window. Outside, the neon-lit city shimmered under the nket of rain.


    "Well, bro, what do you think? Pretty decent, right?"


    "This is your ce?" Sun Jack asked skeptically.


    "Hahaha, that¡¯s hrious. Who the hell buys property these days?" Song 6ughed as he plopped onto the gray sofa in the corner. Instantly, a virtual disy projected a program in front of him. "This was a buddy¡¯s ce. I¡¯ve got ess. He died, and the room¡¯s been empty ever since. No idea how many months of rent he prepaid. You can crash here for now¡ªI¡¯ve given you authorization. When thendlord kicks you out, we¡¯ll deal with it then." ??£Á?????S?


    Sun Jack wandered around the small apartment. It had everything he could need¡ªfridge, washing machine, wardrobe. There was nothing extra to buy; he could move in as-is. To be honest, it exceeded his expectations. He had assumed Song 6 would find some run-down shack to pawn off on him.


    Song 6 casually swung his left leg while flipping through floating 3D programs. Finding nothing worth watching, he stood up.


    "Alright, that¡¯s it for now. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll sort out your neural system. I¡¯ve got to head back to Club 69. Spent money there, can¡¯t let it go to waste. My mom always taught me to be frugal, and that ce is pricey."


    As soon as Song 6 left, Tapai asked, "Want me to keep an eye on him? Just in case he runs."


    "No need. He¡¯s not going anywhere. Don¡¯t forget, he¡¯s a live streamer. But keep watch tonight, just in case someone tries to break in."


    Song 6 might seem reliable on the surface, but Sun Jack wasn¡¯t about to let his guard down, especially in an unfamiliar city.


    Finally, Sun Jack sank into the sofa, feeling his taut nerves rx for the first time all day. He exhaled deeply, ncing at Tapai and then surveying the room. Everything about today felt surreal, like he was trapped in a dream.


    There was a strange sense that if he fell asleep again, he might wake up back in his old world.@@novelbin@@


    But as he raised his cold, mechanical arm and watched his metal hand open and close in front of him, he knew this was all real.


    "If only this really was a dream," Sun Jack murmured, tilting his head back to stare at the gray ceiling. He tapped lightly at the seam between flesh and metal on his arm.


    Meanwhile, in the elevator outside, Song 6, headphones sting death metal, made a call to a contact.


    "Bro, how much did those two¡¯s data sell for?"


    "What?! You didn¡¯t sell it? Not even for 0.1 @coin?!"

 Chapter 15: Advertisements

    Chapter 15: Advertisements


    Sun Jacky on the bed, listening to the rain outside. For the first time in a while, everything felt calm.


    But that calm was fleeting. Slowly, like a tide creeping in, the emotions he had been suppressing caught up with him¡ªfear of death, rejection of the unfamiliar environment, and the grim realization that he was now disabled.


    Shaking his head firmly, he forced himself to his feet. He had to adapt quickly to this strange new world. Without adaptation, he would likely face danger again.


    Sitting on the sofa, Sun Jack began watching the advertisements and news disyed before him, absorbing as much information as he could to familiarize himself with this new reality.


    The more he browsed, the clearer the world¡¯s current state became. The concept of "countries" no longer existed. Governments had vanished, reced entirely by corporate capitalism. Mega-corporations controlled entire cities, using their wealth to govern regions.


    Each city, including this one, was managed by a corporate council formed by thergestpanies. Even security services were outsourced, with corporations pooling resources to hire private security firms.


    Technically speaking, the BCPD wasn¡¯t a police force¡ªthey were private security guards.


    Of course, corporations didn¡¯t do this out of altruism. Expecting corporate executives to have a conscience was as absurd as expecting the moon to fall from the sky. The simple truth was that a minimum level of order was necessary to maximize profits.Scrolling further, Sun Jack found a detailed history of corporate conflicts over the past century. Wars, assassinations, espionage¡ªcorporations engaged in relentless battles to the death, all in pursuit of profit.


    Strangely, seeing all this gave Sun Jack a small sense of relief. It seemed corporations cared only about money. As long as he wasn¡¯t a threat to their profits, he wasn¡¯t a target. The field of archaeology had vanishedpletely, which meant he, as a man frozen for a thousand years, wasn¡¯t seen as some magical relic everyone wanted to devour.


    For now, he was safe¡ªbut only for now.


    He recalled Song 6¡¯s warning: in this world, exposure meant danger. If his true identity were revealed, he¡¯d be in deep trouble. Tapai, for instance, wouldn¡¯t hesitate to erase him if it came to that.


    Sun Jack clenched his fists. He had to keep his identity an absolute secret and blend in as much as possible with the locals.


    Looking over, he saw Tapai tinkering with a wireless charging port, modifying it into apatible charger for himself using fiber optic cables.


    "What are you staring at? (¡ä?¡ª?)?" Tapai asked without looking up.


    "Nothing. Carry on," Sun Jack replied, returning to his research. With his immediate safety concerns addressed, he now focused on understanding the neural system he would soon install.


    For something that was about to be imnted in his brain, he wanted to know as much as possible.


    "Come and see~~! Check out thetest neural enhancementwork, Titan Ver. 1.15! Not only does it integrate seamlessly with any prosthetic, disy bullet counts, and feature self-contained ICE protection to keep your firmware safe from tampering or hacking, but it alsoes with customizable ports! Add as many enhancement chips as you like, plug and y! Whether it¡¯s a pain editor or a taste modtion module, it¡¯s allpatible..."


    Ad after ad yed, and Sun Jack began to understand more about neuralworks. In essence, they were like smartphones for the brain, controlling not just devices but even the body itself. The higher-end models offered even greater control, from managing pain thresholds to enhancing physical strength.@@novelbin@@


    It was absurdly advanced, yet undeniably appealing. The sheer variety of features was enough to tempt anyone into making a purchase.


    But Sun Jack reminded himself¡ªthis was all advertising. No matter the world, ads only ever highlighted the positives while glossing over the negatives.


    Judging from the events of the previous day, it was clear that the gadget the bald man used before his death was specifically designed to counter neural systems. Anyone with a neural system had their heads smoking, but Sun Jack, with his "all-natural" brain, had narrowly avoided disaster and managed a reversal.


    "A neural system is still a system, meaning it can be hacked, tracked, or infected with viruses. I might not care too much¡ªany system from a thousand years ago would be written in programmingnguages they wouldn¡¯t even understand¡ªbut you¡¯re different. There¡¯s no guarantee someone won¡¯t sneak a backdoor into your system and turn you into a puppet," Tapai said, plugging himself into the makeshift charging port.


    Hearing this, Sun Jack grew restless and began searching for information.


    Using keywords like "neural system virus," he unearthed a slew of bizarre cases. One report described someone drowning in a sink because their prosthetics malfunctioned after a virus attack. Neural systems, while incredibly convenient, came with a myriad of risks. The problem was, this wasn¡¯t just any device¡ªit was something imnted directly into the brain. ?§Ñ¦­????


    That night, Sun Jack barely slept, torn over whether to install the neural system. Installing it posed significant risks, but without it, he¡¯d be like someone in the modern era trying to live without a smartphonepletely handicapped in this technological world.


    When he finally drifted off, a loud knock on the door woke him up.


    "Bro, open up! It¡¯s me!" came Song 6¡¯s voice.


    Opening the door, Sun Jack found Song 6 grinning at him, shing his gold tooth.


    "Don¡¯t you sleep? Up so early?"


    "Sleep? Bro, how old-school are you? You still sleep? Just get the surgery and cut that habit already."


    After everything he¡¯d seen yesterday, the idea that people didn¡¯t need sleep here didn¡¯t even faze him.


    "Cool," Sun Jack replied, giving him a thumbs up. He freshened up quickly, grabbed his jacket, powered up Tapai, and stepped out.


    The three of them descended in the elevator and headed for the building¡¯s exit. Sun Jack, still grappling with his neural system dilemma, felt Tapai tap his shoulder.


    "Jack, look! (?-?) Factory settings, low B-light!"


    Sun Jack looked up and saw a woman walking toward them.


    It was the catgirl fromst night, though she looked nothing like her sultry club persona now. She was carrying her high heels in one hand, a cigarette in the other, her eyes droopy and lifeless¡ªclearly a victim of an all-nighter.


    "Have some manners, will you? Stop giving people weird nicknames," Sun Jack scolded Tapai, annoyed.


    "Linda Linda! What a coincidence! You live here too?" Song 6, ever the chatterbox, greeted her cheerfully.


    The catgirl recognized the three of them and responded with a nk expression, raising her chin slightly before heading to the elevator, brushing past them without a word.


    Watching her retreating figure, Sun Jack couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. Life must be hard for her, forced into such work at such a young age. She probably felt awful inside. What was she thinking about right now?


    Just as the elevator doors were closing, her sultry, melodic voice floated out: "F<em>ing hell, what luck. I run into three f</em>ing idiots right after finishing my shift."


    "...¡­"

 Chapter 21: Work Calls

    Chapter 21: Work Calls


    As Sun Jack stared outside, the sky gradually brightened, and the rain dwindled from a downpour to a drizzle.


    He knew he couldn¡¯t keep going like this¡ªsitting around wouldn¡¯t fill his stomach.


    Rubbing his face vigorously with both hands until it turned red, he straightened himself up and resolved to get moving.


    ¡°Tapai, wake up. Today, we¡¯re getting food no matter what, even if we have to steal it!¡±


    Just as he slipped on his freshly dried jacket from the washing machine, a notification popped up on the top-right corner of his neural system¡¯s HUD. It was Song 6¡¯s avatar, trembling and buzzing incessantly.


    Hesitantly, Sun Jack opened it, and Song 6¡¯s tattooed face instantly filled his view.


    ¡°Yo~~ long time no see, bro!¡±


    ¡°What is it? nning to pay me back?¡± Sun Jack asked impatiently.¡°Pay back? I need money to do that, man! Do I look like I have money?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything important to say, I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Sun Jack¡¯s hunger was driving him crazy¡ªhe was so starved he could almost gnaw on a piece of Song 6¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Don¡¯t hang up, bro! You¡¯re looking for work, right? I¡¯ve got a job for you¡ªbig payout!¡±


    ¡°Who told you I¡¯m looking for work?¡± Sun Jack felt a pang of vition, like his privacy had been invaded.


    ¡°Tapai told me, duh. He asked if I had anything. If it weren¡¯t for him, I¡¯d have given it to someone else.¡±


    Walking over, Sun Jack angrily smacked Tapai, who was charging on the wall. ¡°Can you not be so ¡®smart¡¯? Couldn¡¯t you ask me first before bbing to him?¡±


    Tapai¡¯s screen lit up with an annoyed emoji.


    ¡°(???) Dude, you literally told me to find you work. How do you manage to treat your own words like trash? You can¡¯t even afford food, so quit pretending. If you don¡¯t find work, you¡¯ll die here with no one to pick up your body.¡±


    Sighing in defeat, Sun Jack turned back to Song 6. ¡°What¡¯s the job?¡±


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s a good one! If we pull it off, you and Tapai can each earn at least 5 @coins!¡±@@novelbin@@


    Hearing this, Sun Jack¡¯s expression remained unmoved. He wasn¡¯t as naive as when he first arrived. After those interviews, he understood the real value of @coins.


    You could hire someone to risk their life for just 0.15 @ a week. If this job offered 5 @, there had to be a catch.


    ¡°Tell me first¡ªwhat¡¯s the job?¡± Sun Jack crossed his arms, his tone cautious.


    ¡°We just need to find something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Despite his empty stomach, Sun Jack knew better than to jump in blind.


    Before Song 6 could answer, his camera started shaking. ¡°Someone¡¯sing. I¡¯ll send you the addresse check it out. It¡¯s a team gig, not just you. Oh, and there¡¯s a hottie involved~!¡± ?a?O???¦¥S


    Sun Jack hesitated, but when he saw the meeting point was at a restaurant, he immediately grabbed his jacket.


    ¡°Tapai, quit charging! Let¡¯s go¡ªwe¡¯re finally getting food!¡±


    Riding on Tapai, Sun Jack enthusiastically arrived at the address Song 6 had sent. When they got there, both were stunned by the building¡¯s appearance.


    ¡°You sure this is a restaurant? It looks more like a dump,¡± Tapai said, craning his neck.


    The so-called restaurant turned out to be a rundown bar under an overpass. Its name, ¡°Hotdog Diner,¡± might have been appropriate for the city, but the exterior certainly wasn¡¯t.


    ck and blue garbage bags were piled so high they looked like they might copse the roof. The flickering neon sign was tilted, sparking asionally, while the ground was riddled with potholes and filthy puddles.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re already here. Let¡¯s check it out. And don¡¯t forget to load your gun,¡± Sun Jack said as he stepped inside.


    To his surprise, the ce was packed. Groups of rough-looking individuals, many with prosthetics and unfriendly faces, gathered around tables in threes and fives. The tables were empty, not a scrap of food in sight, leaving Sun Jack doubtful that he¡¯d find anything to eat here.


    ¡°Hey!¡± A metal arm waved from a corner. ¡°Bro, over here!¡±


    Frowning, Sun Jack made his way over, ready to chew out Song 6, but his attention was caught by the woman sitting nearby.


    She was a tall girl wearing a semi-transparent green glowing raincoat. Underneath, she had on a short-sleeved shirt and hot pants, revealing a lithe and well-proportioned figure. Purple electromaic fiber strands reced her hair, tied into a ponytail behind her head.


    Leaning back in her chair, she was working on something through her neural system. A chip plugged into her temple shed rapidly.


    ¡°Come on,e on!¡± Song 6 greeted Sun Jack with his usual overly familiar manner, pulling him into a chair. ¡°Let me introduce you. This is Four Ai, our team¡¯s doctor and engineer for this job.¡±


    Hearing her name mentioned, the girl¡¯s chip stopped shing. She looked at Sun Jack and gave him a nod.


    ¡°Oh? Four Ai? That¡¯s a lovely name.¡± Sun Jack extended his hand. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Sun Jack.¡±


    Four Ai nced at his hand, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She reached out and shook it firmly.


    ¡°I should correct you¡ªFour Ai isn¡¯t my name. It¡¯s my kink.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your kink, huh. Hm?!¡±


    When Sun Jack instinctively searched his neural system for the term, the results hit him like a ten-ton hammer.


    Fourth Love¡ªdistinct from heterosexual love (Type 1), gay love (Type 2), or lesbian love (Type 3)¡ªreferred to a specific kink where women dominate men, using objects to prate them.


    ¡°What the f***?! Can this ce get any weirder?! Even kinks are this insane?!¡±


    While Sun Jack was mentally crashing, Four Ai¡¯s hand slid down his arm, sending rm bells ringing in his head.


    ¡°Crap! This woman¡¯s about to mess with me!¡±


    Feeling a chill down his spine, Sun Jack quickly stood up and switched seats with Tapai.


    Unfazed by his reaction, Four Ai immediately turned her attention to Tapai. ¡°Hi there, little metal guy. Your prosthetics must¡¯ve cost a fortune, huh?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Tapai hastily pushed her hand away. ¡°¦²(©b¥í©b;) Please spare me! My system isn¡¯tpatible with your XP!¡±


    Seeing things get out of hand, Sun Jack couldn¡¯t just leave his robot to fend for itself. Pointing at Four Ai, he dered, ¡°She¡¯s a woman.¡±


    At this, Four Ai lost interest immediately, retracting her hand with a disappointed look.

 Chapter 24: Go Time

    Chapter 24: Go Time


    ¡°You¡¯re such a coward! Stop making excuses. Last time you almost died, and it scared the hell out of you,¡± Sun Jack sneered while scanning their surroundings.


    By now, the SUV had cleared the checkpoint and entered the affluent district. The area was noticeably emptier than outside, with rare patches of greenery. Vis were concealed beneath white, dome-shaped rain covers, their interiors hidden from view. From a distance, they resembled giant eggs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been cking. I¡¯ve spent big to prepare for this,¡± Song 6 interjected, marking one of the domes on Sun Jack¡¯s interface.


    ¡°That¡¯s the ce. The rocker kid signed up for Gaofeng Technology¡¯s Silver Package. Six bots are stationed there: four humanoids armed with M221 Saratos rifles and R-46 Storm backup weapons, along with four defensive grenades and two shbangs each. Four Ai, Jack, and Tapai, you¡¯ll handle them. Got it?¡±


    As Song 6 spoke, detailed schematics and weapon stats for the bots appeared on Sun Jack¡¯s HUD, even highlighting the weak points in their kic cores. It was clear Song 6 had done his homework, tempering some of Sun Jack¡¯s resentment.


    ¡°There are also two AAB beast models. Father, you¡¯ve dealt with these in the army before. You¡¯ll coordinate with the others to take them down, alright?¡±


    Father silently chambered a round, nodded once, and said nothing.


    ¡°Alright, the rest is up to King Kong. We¡¯re almost there. Get ready; the gates are opening.¡±As the rain cover lifted, Sun Jack found himself staring into what felt like another world. Artificial sunlight bathed lush, greenwns. A massive treehouse-style vi stood tall, surrounded by yful mechanical puppies chasing balls. The melodic sound of chirping birds provided an almost surreal backdrop.


    ¡°Damn, so this is how the rich live?¡± Four Ai muttered, taking a drag on her cigarette while admiring the view. It seemed even she was seeing this for the first time.


    At that moment, a figure in a tuxedo began approaching.


    ¡°I thought you said no one was home?¡± Sun Jack tensed, and with a metallic <em>snikt</em>, an Electric Arc de extended from his forearm.


    ¡°Rx. That¡¯s just an AI butler, not a real person. It¡¯s got synthetic skin. King Kong¡¯s already breached the vi¡¯s firewall; we¡¯re almost set,¡± Song 6 reassured him.


    As the AI butler reached the car, it started to speak but then froze, its body convulsing violently. After a few spasms, it copsed, sitting limply on the ground while its mouth emitted distorted metallic chanting in binary code.


    The artificial sun flickered, and the serene BGM shifted to solemn, heavy Buddhist hymns. Above, King Kong¡¯s holographic projection appeared, styled as a cybeic Buddha.


    ¡°Gentlemen, the internalwork, auto-rms, and surveince are handled. I¡¯ve also activated soundproofing. Get to work. However, Gaofeng¡¯s ICE is too strong¡ªI couldn¡¯t breach the security bots. You¡¯re on your own for those.¡±


    Before his words even finished, four humanoid bots rose from the vi¡¯s corners, weapons in hand, and charged toward the group.


    ¡°Damn it, cut the theatrics!¡± Tapai groaned, leaping out of the car as gunfire erupted.


    Sun Jack took a deep breath, jammed abat stimnt into his neck, and felt time slow slightly. His senses sharpened, his surroundings crystal clear. ???£Î??????


    He kicked the door open, using Tapai¡¯s sturdy frame as a shield. Mounting his rifle on Tapai¡¯s shoulder, Sun Jack opened fire on the approaching bots.


    ¡°Take one down fast! Don¡¯t let them coordinate!¡± Sun Jack barked as sparks flew from the lead bot¡¯s neck under his relentless barrage.


    But Gaofeng¡¯s bots weren¡¯t pushovers. Even as bullets riddled their bodies, they stood firm. The high-grade alloy protecting them was clearly bulletproof.


    Frustrated, Sun Jack raised his cybeic hand. His fingers folded back, revealing a dark barrel in his palm.


    With a sharp <em>whoosh</em>, a grenade shot out, detonating in a fiery explosion that obliterated the bot.


    ¡°This gear sucks! You should¡¯ve bought some rocketunchers!¡± Tapai grumbled, shaking his submachine gun disdainfully.


    ¡°Easy for you to say! You know how much rocketunchers cost? Can we afford that? Just hold still!¡± Sun Jack snapped, firing another grenade from his palm, taking out a second bot.


    Meanwhile, Four Ai had already taken down a third bot with her sniper rifle. Her unusual weapon sted half the machine¡¯s body apart, leaving it sparking on the ground.


    As the three of them focused on the final bot, the vi¡¯s garage door slowly opened. From the dark interior, four glowing red lights pierced through the shadows.


    ¡°Careful! AAB units iing!¡± King Kong¡¯s voice red.


    The words had barely left his mouth when a ck blur shot out of the garage, charging straight at Sun Jack and Tapai.


    It was fast¡ªso fast that even withbat stimnts, Sun Jack struggled to react. He managed to push Tapai aside, hoping to split them up, but underestimated Tapai¡¯s weight.


    Instead, only Sun Jack was thrown clear. Tapai remained stationary, taking the full brunt of the impact as the blur mmed into him with a thunderous <em>crash</em>, sending him flying into the rain cover and leaving a gaping hole.@@novelbin@@


    Sun Jack hit the grass hard, his arm burning with pain. Luckily, the softwn spared him from worse injuries. Struggling to his feet, he finally got a clear look at their assant.


    A machine the size of a car, shaped like a sleek ck panther, stood before him. Its matte-ck finish and seamless design gave it an almost organic appearance, save for its exposed joints, which revealed its metallic nature.


    The strangest part? It had a disturbingly realistic appendage beneath its belly, like that of a male predator.


    The mechanical beast¡¯s red cybeic eyes locked onto Sun Jack¡¯s prosthetics, seemingly analyzing or hesitating.


    Before he could catch his breath, another ck shadow leapt from the garage, this time targeting Four Ai.

 Chapter 26: Money

    Chapter 26: Money


    Four Ai spoke to Sun Jack, but realizing he couldn¡¯t hear her, she pulled a mechanical cochlear imnt from her thigh and inserted it into his ear.


    ¡°At such close range, you dared to fire a cannon? Were you not afraid of blowing yourself to pieces?¡± she chided, quickly tending to his other wounds.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t fire, I¡¯d be the one dead,¡± Sun Jack managed to say through gritted teeth.


    ¡°With abat prosthetic like yours, firing at such proximity risks injuring yourself. You should rece all your skin with heat-resistant and shockproof material.¡±


    Sun Jack shook his head. ¡°Maybe someday.¡±


    If he had enough money for a full-body upgrade, he wouldn¡¯t be pawning off organs just to afford a meal.@@novelbin@@


    Once Four Ai had provided emergency treatment, Sun Jack propped himself up and surveyed the devastation around them.


    The two AABs werepletely destroyed, King Kong waved at him from above, and the battered Tapai crouched beside him protectively. Father, however, was nowhere to be seen.¡°Where¡¯s Father?¡±


    ¡°Off to find the offline server to dig up dirt on Rock Boy. Don¡¯t forget why we came here.¡±


    ¡°Finally over¡­ making money is way too damn hard,¡± Sun Jack muttered to Tapai.


    Surprisingly, Tapai didn¡¯t respond. He stood motionless, like he had frozen.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you broken?¡± Sun Jack, clutching his wounded stomach, gave Tapai¡¯s battered body a pat.


    Just then, arge red exmation mark shed on Tapai¡¯s screen. Without warning, he raised his weapon and shot directly at Four Ai¡¯s left leg joint. Then, he hoisted Sun Jack onto his shoulder and bolted out from under the rain cover.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane! What the hell are you doing!?¡± Sun Jack protested, struggling to get down.


    A ck object hurtled toward them like a cannonball, but Tapai sidestepped just in time to avoid it.


    When it embedded itself into the ground with immense force, Sun Jack finally saw what it was: the lower half of Father¡¯s body.


    The mangled remainsy there like a broken ragdoll, and Sun Jack turned in shock to see where the attack hade from. Emerging from the shadows of the pitch-ck garage were multiple ink-ck AABs, slowly advancing.


    Tapai, unfazed, sprinted toward the rain-drenched outdoors as the first AAB appeared, carrying Sun Jack along.


    However, as they reached the open rain, Tapai skidded to a halt, digging deep furrows into the soft ground.


    From the rain, three more AABs crawled forward, blocking their escape. They were surrounded.


    ¡°Song 6! What the hell is going on!? You said that guy only had a Gaofeng Technology Silver Membership! Why are there so many AABs? Damn it!¡±


    Song 6PUS¡¯s voice sounded panicked on thems. ¡°Holy sht! How should I know? This is my first job as a broker! Why are there so many AABs? Thank god I didn¡¯t go there. Damn, I¡¯m scared shtless!¡± ???¦­?????


    Song 6 kept rambling, but Sun Jack was no longer listening. His full attention was on the nine AABs in front of him.


    There was no escaping the situation now. The only way out was survival¡ªandter settling ounts with Song 6PUS.


    Each of the AABs appeared to be uniquely modified, designed for specific functions: hooks, des, drills, pistons, and more. Two of them showed visible damage from their fight with Father, but even with impaired mobility, they outmatched Sun Jack and his group.


    They had barely managed to take down two earlier at great cost. Now, with Father¡¯s fate uncertain and both Sun Jack and Four Ai injured, there was no chance of victory. As for running, that was out of the question¡ªspeed was the AABs¡¯ specialty.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Tapai¡¯s voice whispered into Sun Jack¡¯s ear. ¡°In a moment, I¡¯ll overload my arm, use maximum torque, and throw you toward the SUV. Get in and drive away.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± Sun Jack asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll activate my self-destruct sequence as soon as you¡¯re airborne to buy time.¡±


    Faced with a certain death scenario, Sun Jackughed. ¡°You think I¡¯ll survive that? Really?¡±


    ¡°1.35% sess rate. Better than zero.¡±


    ¡°No thanks. If we¡¯re dying, we die together. Besides, don¡¯t f***ing make me drive¡ªI failed my driving test over summer break.¡±


    Pulling out abat stimnt, Sun Jack injected himself in the neck, the pain and weakness ebbing almost immediately.


    As Sun Jack prepared for ast stand, an idea suddenly came to him, and his eyes lit up.


    Just as the AABs crouched low, titanium ws digging into the ground, preparing to pounce, Sun Jack shoved a hand into his pocket and yelled:


    ¡°Wait! I¡¯ve got money!¡±


    Hearing this, the AABs froze mid-action. Seeing their hesitation, Sun Jack¡¯s hope surged. Maybe this could work!


    This trick was something he had picked up from Song 6, ast-ditch gamble that he never thought would actually work.


    As the AABs stopped, Sun Jack bluffed further. ¡°I¡¯ve got money¡ªenough in my ount to buy our lives!¡±


    The AABs stayed still, possibly too simplistic in their AI toprehend his words, but they didn¡¯t attack.


    Just as Sun Jack was about to push his luck, a soft female voice came from the nearest AAB: ¡°Transferring to a live agent. Please hold¡­¡±


    Before Sun Jack could react, the red camera light on the AAB¡¯s head turned blue, and a tired male voice sounded.


    ¡°Hello, sir. Agent 1DW33 here. Happy to assist. How should I address you?¡±


    Sun Jack froze in shock. ¡°Wait! That voice¡ªit¡¯s the guy I interviewed with before!?¡±


    He was stunned to realize the customer service agents they¡¯d encountered before weren¡¯t human after all.


    As Sun Jack tried to figure out how to leverage this connection, a blue light scanned him, cataloging his data.


    ¡°F***, you broke-ass fool. Selling your body parts and acting rich? What a waste of my time!¡±


    With that, the agent abruptly ended the call.


    The red light in the AABs¡¯ eyes red to life, and they bared their razor-sharp teeth, lunging at Sun Jack and Tapai without hesitation.

 Chapter 30: Humanity

    Chapter 30: Humanity


    "F***, so I said all that for nothing?"


    Sun Jack rubbed his temples in frustration. While Tapai could banter and argue like a person, evening off as genuinely witty, it wasn¡¯t human.


    Judging by Tapai smashing Song 6¡¯s head earlier and shooting Four Ai in the leg, it was clear the robot had no capacity for empathy or emotional understanding.


    Seeing Sun Jack¡¯s exasperated expression, Tapai became indignant.


    " (£à§Õ¡ä) F*** off! You set me to guard mode. In my system settings, your right to life has the highest priority. What the hell was I supposed to do? If you¡¯ve got a problem, dig up the programmer who wrote that code and scatter his ashes!"


    "As your activator, shouldn¡¯t mymands override the system¡¯s settings?" Sun Jack retorted as they strolled along the bustling underground pedestrian street.


    "More or less," Tapai replied, brushing past a spider-like robot.


    "What do you mean ¡®more or less¡¯? Change the setting. Next time something like this happens, no more shooting our teammates in the leg.""What if I shoot Song 6¡¯s leg instead?"


    "Even then, consult me first!"


    "You sure? That¡¯ll lower your survival rate. Besides, I¡¯m the bad guy here, so why are you objecting?"@@novelbin@@


    "You can¡¯t just look at absolute benefit. We¡¯re not cold-blooded robots."


    Tapai switched to systemmunication. "(???) But <em>I</em> am a robot."


    Sun Jack was momentarily speechless. He sighed, exasperated. "Fine, but can you at least do as I say? I know you¡¯re a robot, but we can¡¯t let others realize that you are."


    "If your identity gets exposed, we¡¯re both done for," Sun Jack continued to reason. This time, they were lucky it was just Four Ai, someone easy to brush off. But what about next time? What if surveince footage caught them, and someone connected the dots?


    In this hyper-connected society, even minor behavioral inconsistencies could be gged by big data. Without proper disguise, Tapai¡¯s true nature would eventually be discovered.


    "It¡¯s not just this. For other things too, you need to be more... detailed. Stop acting like a robot. Pretend to be human."


    Tapai folded its arms and shed a glowing middle finger on its screen. "Details? Do you even know how much I cost to manufacture? You want ¡®details¡¯? Buy me more memory and upgrade my CPU, you broke-a**!" ??????¨¨s?


    "Aren¡¯t you supposed to learn and iterate your logic system? What¡¯s the issue now?"


    "Data needs a ce to exist. Do you know how much memory a human brain¡¯s neuralwork trantes to? 1,000 terabytes! Do you know how much memory I have? Want me to delete somenguage functions to make space?"


    "Never mind, forget I said anything." Sun Jack¡¯s eyes drifted to a nearby stall advertising body bags, trying to think of a solution.


    Just then, a graffiti paint disy caught his attention. Eyeing Tapai, Sun Jack bought a can of blue spray paint and sprayed a giant exaggerated smiley face on the robot¡¯s left chest te.


    After appraising his handiwork, he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He bought a skull-patterned coat from another shop and draped it over Tapai.


    After all the fussing, Tapai¡¯s appearance seemed marginally more personable¡ªat least to Sun Jack.


    "Fine. I do have some reserved memory. I could clear some to add a bit more ¡®detail,¡¯" Tapai said suddenly.


    "Really? That¡¯s great!" Sun Jack patted Tapai¡¯s shoulder enthusiastically. "Don¡¯t worry. Once I¡¯ve finished my surgery, I¡¯ll save up and get you upgraded."


    The two froze for a moment, staring at each other.


    "What are you looking at? Authorize it already!"


    "Oh, right!"


    Emerging from the underground pedestrian street, they found themselves on a wide road teeming with unique and eclectic vehicles weaving through the pouring rain.


    "Where to next?" Tapai asked.


    Sun Jack thought for a moment, watching the rain. "Is Song 6 live streaming right now?"


    "Yes."


    "Good. Track his location. We¡¯re paying him a visit."


    Two hourster, they cornered Song 6PUS at a subway exit.


    Seeing Sun Jack and Tapai, Song 6¡¯s face paled for a split second before he broke into a toothy grin, showing off his gold teeth. "Bro~! What a coincidence! Heading home on the subway too?"


    "Yeah, what a coincidence," Sun Jack replied coldly, remembering Song 6¡¯s disappointed expression when he¡¯d seen Sun Jack awake on the stream earlier.


    nking him, Sun Jack and Tapai each grabbed one of Song 6¡¯s arms and dragged him out of the subway.


    "Come on,e on. This isn¡¯t the ce for a chat. Let¡¯s find somewhere to sit."


    They eventually chose a lively izakaya humorously named "The Leftovers of the Rich."


    Seated on a bench, Sun Jack casually scanned the bar¡¯s QR codes, flipping through the menu without speaking.


    Song 6PUS broke the silence first. "Bro! I didn¡¯t know you were such a beast, taking down nine AAB units like it was nothing! I knew I saw potential in you!"


    "You¡¯re so amazing. From now on, you take the lion¡¯s share, and I¡¯ll take the scraps. Together, we¡¯ll dominate the Metropolis¡ªmake money with our eyes closed!"


    As he rambled, Song 6¡¯s hand sneakily rested on Sun Jack¡¯s shoulder.


    "I wish. But right now, I can¡¯t manage that," Sun Jack said, pausing for effect. "Maybe when I recover my memories, I¡¯ll figure it out."


    Hearing this, Song 6PUS¡¯s face briefly flickered with disappointment.


    Just then, a robotic server in a kimono brought over appetizers. Song 6PUS immediately stuffed his face, then stood up. "Well, our business is settled. I¡¯ve got stuff to do, so I¡¯ll head out. Your treat this time, I¡¯ll treat next time!"


    "Sit down!" Sun Jack¡¯s cybeic hand grabbed his cor, pulling him back onto the bench.


    "Seriously, bro? Over a little bill? I¡¯m broke. I need my money for, uh, nighttime activities," Song 6PUS whined, feigning innocence.


    "Who said anything about the bill? Your business might be done, but mine isn¡¯t."


    Sun Jack leaned closer. "You told me the intel was rock solid, that there were only six robots in the vi. Care to exin?"


    Tapai¡¯s cold metallic arm rested on Song 6PUS¡¯s shoulder, sending a clear signal. Realizing he couldn¡¯t talk his way out, Song 6¡¯s face contorted in mock agony.


    "Not my fault, bro! I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen! If the mission failed, I wouldn¡¯t have earned a single 0.0001@ either!"


    "Exactly," Tapai chimed in. "Jack, don¡¯t be so inconsiderate. Sure, we almost died, but poor Song 6 here? He almost lost his most beloved @!"


    Grinning, Tapai gave Sun Jack a thumbs-up and discreetly sent him a message: ¡°Details.¡±

 Chapter 32: Dinner

    Chapter 32: Dinner


    Sun Jack racked his brain but still couldn¡¯t figure out which branch of the eight major Chinese cuisines "Ke-style cuisine" belonged to.


    Regardless, a free meal was a free meal. No matter what Song 6 was up to, skipping a free dinner would just be a waste, and it would save him the cost of a meal.


    As the dark rain clouds started to recede, Sun Jack set off with Tapai. To his surprise, the so-called Ke-style cuisine restaurant was located on the edge of the Teutonic District near the city center.


    This district was starkly different from his Queens District apartment. There were fewer homeless people, less trash and excrement, and a noticeable increase in BCPD hover vehicles patrolling the skies.


    ncing at his map, Sun Jack noticed that Club 69 was also in this district, albeit at the opposite end from the restaurant.


    The restaurant was adorned with rednterns, and its wooden tables and chairs gave it a distinctively Eastern irpared to the rest of The Metropolis.


    But as Sun Jackid eyes on the dishes, he was at aplete loss for words.


    The appetizer featured a watermelon-sized ck spider, its abdomen stuffed with wriggling tentacles. The spider''s roasted head was filled with gooey, gtinous spider eggs, each plump and glistening.This was just the start¡ªdishes like eyeballs bobbing in blood-red tomato soup and live "Stargazer Pie" followed. Each course was more grotesque than thest. Sun Jack couldn¡¯t even consider eating; just looking at them was mentally scarring.


    He opened his mouth to say something but ultimately stayed silent. This ce had thoroughly defeated him.


    "Why aren¡¯t you eating?" Song 6 asked, wolfing down the food. "Don¡¯t know how to use chopsticks? Scan the code on the corner of the table, and you can download the behavior module directly into your neural system."


    "Merciful Buddha, PUS donor, have you forgotten? His neural system is external and can¡¯t use behavior modules," said King Kong, a hacker who had joined them for the meal. He casually detached his jaw and tipped a writhing te of stir-fried madness into his mouth.


    Besides King Kong, Four Ai and Father were also present, all of them eating with gusto¡ªFather was somehow still alive.


    Four Aizily raised her hand. "Get him a fork, then. What a country bumpkin, can¡¯t even use chopsticks. Waiter~"


    "No need. I can use chopsticks." Sun Jack grabbed a pair, closed his eyes, and blindly picked something to shove into his mouth.


    Despite the bizarre appearance of the food, the taste was unexpectedly good. It even had the distinct "wok hei" vor. However, when he opened his eyes and realized what he¡¯d just eaten, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from turning his head and retching.


    "What kind of ridiculous Chinese restaurant is this? Did chefs from the Dark Cuisine World open this ce?" As a native, Sun Jack felt deeply insulted.


    "Can¡¯t stomach it? And your nativenguage is Mandarin?" Song 6 asked with a sly grin.


    Wiping his mouth, an exasperated Sun Jack red at Song 6.


    "Why the hell did you drag us here? If it¡¯s just for dinner, I¡¯m already full from the sights!"


    "Of course it¡¯s not just for dinner. Hehe, have you seen today¡¯s headlines?" Song 6 asked with a sleazy smirk.


    Sun Jack was momentarily confused, having paid no attention to the news. A quick neural system search pulled up a short video.


    "ording to reliable sources, the lead singer of ''For Your Throat'' (I&W) has been summoned by BCPD for murder charges. Video evidence reveals the suspect illegally modified an AAB robot for use in dark SEX parties with multiple individuals, including the band¡¯s previous two bassists. Five unidentified bodies were also found in the suspect¡¯s home."


    "Gaofeng Technology Corporation stated that unauthorized modifications ofbat robots are considered personal actions and are not covered under warranty. Tampering with the product voids all after-sales services."


    "Fans of ''For Your Throat'' are now staging protests outside BCPD headquarters. At 2:34 PM, shes broke out between fans and the police, resulting in three deaths." ??¦­?????@@novelbin@@


    "Look at that, huh? Such a sensational story, and we¡¯re the ones who made it happen!" Song 6 boasted proudly. "Soon, we¡¯ll make a name for ourselves on the streets!"


    Sun Jack couldn¡¯t fully grasp what Song 6 was saying, but he was deeply shaken. Every day in this chaotic city taught him something new.


    The first to speak after Song 6¡¯s spiel was the usually silent Father. "It¡¯s all an illusion. When capital needs a smokescreen to distract public opinion, celebrities are thrown into scandals to divert attention. If we hadn¡¯t done it, some other mercenaries would have. Whether it¡¯s us or those rock stars, we¡¯re just disposable rags."


    Sun Jack turned to Father, who had narrowly escaped death. It seemed he knew something others didn¡¯t.


    "Celebrity scandals as smokescreens? Does that mean something big is happening in The Metropolis?"


    Song 6 quickly shut off the livestream, leaning slightly toward Father and lowering his voice.


    "Father, you know the rules. We take jobs, get paid, and don¡¯t ask questions. Don¡¯t get us into trouble."


    Father chuckled lightly, took a sip of tea, and fell silent.


    Sensing the tension, Song 6 stered on a grin and turned to Sun Jack.


    "Bro, you¡¯ve got the biggest credit for this mission!"


    Before Sun Jack could curse at him, the 0.5@ deposit that appeared in his ount made him swallow his words. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t extorted Song 6 hard enough¡ªthere was still money left to squeeze.


    "So, what exactly do you want to say?" Sun Jack shoved Song 6¡¯s greasy hand off his shoulder.


    "Simple!" Song 6PUS raised his hands above his head, pping loudly to draw everyone¡¯s attention.


    "I think we work well together. It¡¯d be a shame to disband after just one job. Why don¡¯t we form a permanent team and go for bigger scores?"


    Everyone instantly understood his intentions¡ªhe wanted to turn their temporary group into a fixed crew.


    "It¡¯s getting harder to be a lone wolf these days. You either get screwed by middlemen or by clients. Strength in numbers, you know? I¡¯ve got the connections to find big jobs, so we can stop doing these penny-ante gigs. If we make a name for ourselves, one job will pay more than a month¡¯s work now!"


    The others exchanged nces but didn¡¯t immediately respond.


    Sun Jack was actually inclined to agree. If he nned to keep working as a mercenary, it made sense to join a team. Surviving alone in an unfamiliar world was far harder than teaming up with others.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t without his own cards to y. With his past training and muscle memory, he had yet to fully explore how to activate his unique abilities.


    "We¡¯re in, but on one condition."


    "Huh? What condition?" Song 6PUS¡¯s enthusiastic expression froze.


    "From now on, you have toe along on every job," Sun Jack stated firmly.


    "But I¡¯d just be dead weight," Song 6PUS protested, throwing up his hands.


    Tapai chimed in, backing Sun Jack up.


    "We don¡¯t care. Even if you¡¯re just there waving pom-poms like a cheerleader, you need to be present during every mission."


    "Of course, if your intel is as sloppy asst time, I¡¯ll at least break your legs to cover our retreat. ¦×(`§¥¡ä)¦×"

 Chapter 33: The New Job

    Chapter 33: The New Job


    After hearing Sun Jack¡¯s suggestion, Four Ai set her chopsticks down and lit a cigarette.


    "Handsome, your proposal isn¡¯t bad. PUS, if you don¡¯t agree, I won¡¯t join either."


    King Kong and Father also stopped eating. Though they said nothing, their gazes turned to Song 6PUS, silently expressing the same sentiment. Clearly, the near-death experience had left its mark on them as well; it was impossible to pretend otherwise.


    Song 6PUS didn¡¯t want to agree. The whole point of bing a broker was to avoid risking his life on-site. But he also knew that refusing this condition might cause his patchwork team to fall apart immediately.


    After hesitating for a while, he finally gave in. "Okay, I ept. From now on, we¡¯ll make money together."


    Hearing this, Father lifted his gaze, giving Sun Jack a thoughtful look before nodding in agreement. Seeing three members join in, Four Ai and King Kong quickly followed suit.


    "Haha! Let¡¯s raise a ss to this! Here¡¯s to getting filthy rich!" Six sses clinked together heavily.


    Once the drinks were down, the tense atmosphere at the table rxed considerably.Song 6 nced at Sun Jack and tapped his chopsticks on his ss.


    "Since we¡¯re all in, let me tell you about our next job."


    "What? Already?" Everyone at the table looked surprised.


    Song 6PUS felt helpless. He didn¡¯t want to rush things either, but Sun Jack had taken all his money, and even this meal was paid for with a high-interest loan. If he didn¡¯t make some cash soon, his golden teeth might not survive.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t admit that outright. With exaggerated gestures, he said, "This job is a rare opportunity with generous pay. I fought hard to snag it! Once we finish this gig, we can take a nice long break."


    "Let me guess, more theft?" Tapai jabbed at a spider egg in Jack¡¯s bowl with his chopsticks.


    "No!" Song 6 waved grandly. "This time, we¡¯re not stealing. We¡¯re going for an assassination!"


    "An assassination?" All eyes turned to him immediately.


    "Mind if I ask who ced the order?" King Kong asked cautiously.


    "BCPD! Surprised, huh? Even they¡¯vee to me for jobs! Bro, don¡¯t you think I¡¯m awesome?" Song 6 boasted to Sun Jack.


    "Not impressed. Just tell us what the job is about," Tapai cut in.


    Sun Jack agreed¡ªhe needed the money but wasn¡¯t willing to take just any job without understanding the risks.


    "I¡¯ve sent the case file. Take a look."


    When Sun Jack opened the link Song 6 shared, his already weak appetite vanished entirely. The file was full of grisly photos¡ªbloody, mangled corpses with their entrails scattered everywhere.


    "Recently, women have been brutally murdered in the Puxi District every night," Song 6 exined.


    "I¡¯ve heard about this," King Kong said after swallowing a mouthful of food. "The killings happen in the middle of Idol Street."


    "Amitabha. My customers told me it¡¯s likely a case of cyber psychosis. Business at my shop has been affected because of it," King Kong added solemnly.


    "Cyber psychosis? Isn¡¯t that usually handled by BCPD¡¯s 6th Unit? Why outsource it to mercenaries?" Four Ai asked with confusion.


    "Correct, 4i. Normally, the 6th Unit deals with cases like this, but that¡¯s when the cyber psychotic goes on a rampage in public," Song 6 exined.


    "The issue this time is that the killer is highly elusive, vanishing after every murder. The 6th Unit is too busy to y hide-and-seek, so they¡¯re outsourcing it to us." ????N?????


    Sun Jack examined the case file while listening. He hadn¡¯t expected mercenaries to ept both legal and ck-market jobs as long as they paid.


    As a doctor, Four Ai quickly identified a critical point. "Wait, are you sure the killer always hides after the murders? That doesn¡¯t sound like typical cyber psychosis behavior. Is this some new variant?"


    Song 6 shrugged. "Who cares? Our job is to deal with it, dead or alive."


    Sun Jack was already scanning his system for more information on cyber psychosis and quickly realized this job might be even trickier than thest.


    If the killer was just an ordinary maniac, fine. But if it really was a cyber psychotic, there was no telling how manybat prosthetics the person had crammed into their body. Cyber psychotics were notoriously dangerous¡ªonly those who pushed their limits with excessive augmentations ended up like that.


    "PUS, what¡¯s your n for this?" Father asked.


    "Simple," Song 6 said. "The murders ur in a fixed area. We¡¯ll use someone as bait to lure the killer out, take them down, and dump their body at BCPD¡¯s doorstep. The money will hit our ounts automatically."


    "Is it really that simple? Are you sure there won¡¯t beplications?" Father pressed, narrowing his eyes at Song 6.


    "Last time, your negligence nearly got us all killed."


    Feeling cornered, Song 6 quickly grabbed Sun Jack¡¯s arm.


    "But no one died in the end, right? We¡¯ve got Jack! With someone as incredible as him, what¡¯s there to fear?"


    Everyone turned their eyes to Sun Jack, recalling the events from thest mission. He squirmed under their gazes.


    "Wait, hold on. Let¡¯s get something straight," Sun Jack said, pulling his arm free. "That ¡®ability¡¯ of mine? I can¡¯t control it. I can¡¯t guarantee it¡¯ll work if we get into trouble again."


    Moreover, there was no telling how many augmentations the killer had. Taking unnecessary risks was foolish, especially since Sun Jack¡¯s body was still made of flesh. One good shot could end him.


    "You¡¯ve got one life. Lose it, and that¡¯s it," he muttered to himself, unwilling to gamble.


    Seeing the hesitation from the group, Song 6 grew anxious. While they could afford to wait, he was buried in debt.


    "The job pays 57@! You each get 10@! I¡¯ll take the smallest cut! Come on, don¡¯t we all need the money? Why else are we mercenaries?"


    This silenced everyone. Song 6PUS wasn¡¯t wrong.


    10@ per person meant 20@ for Sun Jack and Tapaibined¡ªa lucrative payout, albeit a dangerous one.


    Seeing their continued reluctance, Song 6PUS pushed harder.


    "We don¡¯t even have to kill the guy! If we can hold them off until the 6th Unit arrives, we still get half the payout!"@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 34: A Helping Hand

    Chapter 34: A Helping Hand


    Hearing what Song 6PUS said, Sun Jack hesitated no longer. If he was already working as a mercenary, what was there to fear about danger?


    "I''m in."


    Once Sun Jack agreed, the others quickly followed suit. It was obvious that, despite Sun Jack''s admission that his abilities were currently unstable, the team still saw him as a safety. Some members even reconsidered joining the team specifically because of his talents.


    "Alright, then! We''re all set. Let''s head back, get some rest, and prep our weapons. Tomorrow night, we make our move." Song 6PUS grabbed his chopsticks and began devouring his meal enthusiastically.


    Midway through eating, he mumbled to himself, "Oh yeah, I still need to find bait. System, set a reminder for me."


    Sun Jack, who was picking through his te trying to find anything edible, perked up at the mention of "bait."


    "Find bait? What kind of bait are you looking for?"


    "Someone that matches the victims'' profiles¡ªyoung, female, with no visible prosthetics," Song 6 replied, sending images of the victims'' faces directly to Sun Jack''s UI."If you''re nning to recruit someone as bait for such dangerous work, you should at least pay them well, right?"


    "Of course! Do you think anyone in The Metropolis would do it for free? Oh, and by the way, the payment''sing out of the operating budget. We''ll split it."


    After a moment of contemtion, Sun Jack spoke up. "I''ll see if I can find someone for the job."


    "Fine by me," Song 6PUS replied. He had no reason to argue over such a trivial matter, especially since Sun Jack''s involvement likely meant he was looking to skim a little extra for himself, just like everyone else.


    When Sun Jack got home, he stuffed a pile of takeout boxes into his empty refrigerator. Though the sight was unappealing, food was food, and with how expensive a meal cost, he couldn''t afford to waste it.


    Sinking into the couch, he essed his system and began searching for someone named AA. With her appearance and name known, it wasn¡¯t hard to track someone down in aworked system.


    "Who is it?" A haggard-looking AA asked cautiously through the video call.


    When she saw it was Sun Jack, her face lit up with a smile. "Ah! It¡¯s you! So your name is Jack? How are you?"


    "AA, have you found a job yet?" Sun Jack asked directly.


    Her smile froze, and she shook her head gently. "No," she said softly, then quickly added with a forced smile, "but I¡¯ve been scavenging mushrooms in the sewers like the homeless guys. They¡¯re enough to fill my stomach! Are you hungry? I can share some with you."


    Hearing this, Sun Jack felt a pang of sadness for the girl. "I found a job for you. Would you be interested?"


    Being bait wasn¡¯t exactly a great gig, but even bad jobs were better than nothing when they paid. Sun Jack knew she was drowning in debt, and if she didn¡¯t get some help soon, she might not make it.


    Tears welled up in AA''s eyes as she heard this. "Really? I can really work? Thank you so much!"


    "Hold on," Sun Jack said, cutting her excitement short. "The jobes with risks, but the pay is substantial." While he wanted to help her, he believed in being upfront about the situation.


    "That¡¯s fine! As long as it¡¯s a job, I can do anything!" AA nodded fervently, as though afraid the opportunity might vanish if she didn¡¯t ept immediately.


    "Alright then. Add me as a friend, and I¡¯ll give you the details. Come to my apartment tomorrow. I¡¯ll exin everything. Oh, and don¡¯t wear that suit from the other day¡ªjust casual clothes will do." Sun Jack sent her his address.


    After ending the call, Tapai chimed in. "So that¡¯s your n? You want to help that girl? There are countless poor souls in The Metropolis. Do you think you can save them all?"


    Sun Jack leaned back on the couch and exhaled infort, staring at the ceiling. "I¡¯ll help one if I can. I can¡¯t just ignore it when it¡¯s right in front of me."


    "Why not just give her the mission''s payout directly?"


    "F*** off!" Sun Jack grabbed a cushion and threw it at Tapai. "I¡¯m just helping her out of convenience, not trying to be a saint!"@@novelbin@@


    Settling back down, Sun Jack opened the system store and purchased insurance for himself. Tomorrow might turn out to be another tough fight.


    With insurance handled, he began restocking ammunition for his prosthetic.


    "Need anything? Should I upgrade the armor?" Sun Jack asked Tapai.


    "RPG. I want rockets."


    "Get lost. Too expensive."


    "Cheapskate. Then at least buy some grenades."


    Thest fight had taught Sun Jack the importance of preparation. After much deliberation, he essed thebat prosthetics store.


    "Backup heart... subdermal armor... titanium skeleton..." A plethora ofbat prosthetics scrolled past his screen, but they were all out of his price range. ??N???????


    "Is there nothing cheaper?" The absurd cost of food andbat prosthetics in The Metropolis was appalling, especially when cars and electronics were so cheap inparison. On his current potential weekly ie of 0.15@ as a customer service rep, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to afford meals.


    "Forget it. Let¡¯s ask King Kong." Secondhand goods might be his only affordable option.


    "Hey, King Kong, got anybat prosthetics for around 10@?" Sun Jack asked. With the potential 20@ payout from this job, he figured spending half to improve his chances was reasonable.


    The hologram of King Kong lit up with excitement at the prospect of a sale. "Oh? What kind ofbat prosthetic does Master Sun need? I¡¯ll even give you a 20% discount!" He sent over a link to his online store.


    Browsing the listings, Sun Jack found them to be at least 60% cheaper than official prices. Clearly, King Kong was the right person to call.


    "Now, what should I get?" Sun Jack scrolled through the options, searching for something effective against cyber psychotics.


    After much deliberation, he settled on the HPMW Interference Model 2 prosthetic eye. This eye could emit a narrow-band microwave electromaic pulse once per minute, effective against electronicponents.


    Besides its interference feature, the prosthetic also came with night vision¡ªtwo functions for the price of one.


    He chose this model because of hisst encounter with the bald man, though unlike that man¡¯s EMP, this was limited to single targets. Still, theck of area-wide disruption meant Tapai could fight alongside him without risk of being disabled.


    After negotiating with King Kong, Sun Jack managed to secure free instation as part of the deal.


    An hourter, a beaming King Kong arrived at Sun Jack¡¯s apartment, apanied by his cybeic Buddha, which carried arge bag of equipment on its back.

 Chapter 36: AA

    Chapter 36: AA


    "Thank you," AA said quietly, sitting nervously on the couch. She looked around the clean, spacious apartment with a trace of envy in her eyes.


    Sun Jack sat across from her and exined the details of the mission. He emphasized that their target might be a cyber psychotic. While the team would do their best to protect her, there were significant risks involved.


    AA didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment; she had only one question: "What¡¯s the pay?"


    "Hey! Song 6! Are you awake? Get up already! Tell me¡ªhow much are you paying the bait for this job?"


    "What? That little?"


    "It¡¯s decent, bro. All they have to do is walk around. It¡¯s not exactly rocket science."


    Ending the call, Sun Jack turned to AA. "3@. Are you in?"


    "I¡¯m in!" AA nodded vigorously, clutching her water ss with both hands."Alright, then. Let¡¯s get going. Since there¡¯s nothing else pressing, we¡¯ll go scope out the location and prepare in advance."


    "Okay!" AA stood up eagerly. "By the way, I still don¡¯t know your full name."


    "My name¡¯s Sun Jack. Just call me Jack. And this here is Tapai." Sun Jack gestured at the wall where Tapai was charging, uninterested in the conversation.


    "Jack, thank you. I¡¯m really, really grateful," AA said, her excitement spilling over at the chance to work.


    "Don¡¯t mention it. None of us had jobs recently, and you helped me find one before, too."


    The memory of AA suggesting he apply at Club 69 still left Sun Jack speechless.


    "Tapai, let¡¯s go. Enough charging," he called out.


    AA nced at Tapai, her eyes gleaming with envy. "Does Tapai only need to recharge? No food required?"


    "Jealous?" Tapai stepped down from the wall.


    AA nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! If I could do that, I wouldn¡¯t need to spend money on food anymore. I could save so much!"


    Sun Jack¡¯s expression turnedplicated. "Forget scoping the site for now. You haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, have you? I¡¯ll treat you to some noodles."


    Bnce: 9.902@


    Soon, two bowls of noodles arrived. Staring at the simple beef noodle soup before her, AA couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. They trickled down her face,nding in the broth. ?????§£¨¨s?


    "She sure cries a lot," Tapaimented in a message that floated across Sun Jack¡¯s vision. "Doesn¡¯t seem like someone this soft is suited to be bait."


    Sun Jack shot him a re.


    Tapai shrugged and pushed his bowl toward AA. "Come on, girl. Stop crying. Your tears are going to make the noodles salty."


    AA nodded, wiping her face as she started eating. She wolfed it down in big bites, tears still streaming, and even drank the soup down to thest drop.


    Sun Jack pushed his bowl to her, but AA politely shook her head. "Thank you. I¡¯m full. This organic food is amazing."@@novelbin@@


    "You¡¯ve never had noodles like this before?" Sun Jack asked.


    "Once. When I was eighteen, I sold my uterus, and to celebrate, I ordered this. But organic food is so expensive; I can¡¯t afford it normally."


    Hearing this, Tapai leaped up, pointing at Sun Jack dramatically. "Aha! I told you beef noodles are a luxury item! But no, you just had to argue with me!"


    "Will you shut up? Stop ruining the mood!" Sun Jack punched him and turned back to AA. "So, what do you usually eat? Nutrient paste?"


    "Nutrient paste is too expensive. I can¡¯t afford it regrly. I¡¯ve learned some money-saving tricks from forums. Sometimes, I secretly cultivate algae. But if the United Fruits Corporation¡¯s patent bureau catches me, they confiscate my equipment. They say algae cultivation is patented and that I¡¯m infringing. They even fine people for it."


    "F***ing capitalists," Sun Jack cursed angrily.


    "What about your family? Can¡¯t they help you out?"


    AA covered her mouth andughed softly. "Haha, I don¡¯t have a family."


    Sun Jack didn¡¯t pry further, finishing his noodles in silence. Some things were better left alone.


    After breakfast, Sun Jack and AA took the subway to the operation site.


    Though still within the Puxi District, the area was entirely different from Idol Street. Here, buildings stood packed tightly together, rain perpetually dripping between them. Looking up revealed rows of hive-like windows and no sky.


    Office workers in raincoats and with umbres shuffled silently between the buildings. The only sounds were the patter of rain and the asional footsteps, as everyone remained absorbed in their systems. Even just walking among them made Sun Jack feel stifled.


    "Are you sure this is the ce? It doesn¡¯t look like the kind of area where murders would happen." Sun Jack double-checked with Song 6PUS over the team channel.


    Sun Jack had expected a filthy slum, simr to his own neighborhood, not these congested office blocks.


    "This is it. That¡¯s exactly why it¡¯s such a big deal¡ªbecause it happened here, where corporate employees'' safety is threatened. If it were in the Queens District, no one would care," Song 6PUS replied, chewing on something loudly.


    Sun Jack sighed. Even death wasn¡¯t treated equally here.


    "Let¡¯s go. While it¡¯s crowded, we¡¯ll map the area." Dressed in a raincoat, Sun Jack blended into the crowd with AA and Tapai.


    Using his system, Sun Jack scanned the entire block, recording every alley and path in his memory. In a potential fight, the more details he had, the better his chances of sess.


    By evening, the streets had quieted, and the rest of the team arrived around 8 PM.


    Sun Jack introduced AA to the others, keeping it brief.


    "Alright, let¡¯s begin. AA, follow the map I sent you. Walk in a loop, act lost, and draw them out," Song 6PUS instructed.


    King Kong had taken control of all cameras in the C3 zone, while Four Ai¡¯s six drones hovered over key positions, ready to provide fire support.


    "As for us," Song 6PUS said, looking at Sun Jack, Tapai, and Father, "we¡¯ll stay in the car. The moment that guy shows up, we¡¯ll move in."


    Sun Jack watched AA walk into the rain with her neon umbre, uneasy. "Are you sure this n will keep her safe?" he asked.


    "Haha! Of course not," Song 6PUS replied, biting into his burrito with a nonchnt grin. "You¡¯re asking the wrong question. We¡¯re mercenaries. Our job isn¡¯t to guarantee the bait¡¯s safety¡ªit¡¯s toplete the mission and get paid as quickly as possible."

 Chapter 37: Anomaly

    Chapter 37: Anomaly


    "F***!" Sun Jack cursed as he threw on a transparent raincoat and hurriedly followed.


    "Hey, where are you going?" Song 6PUS¡¯s voice rang out through his neural system.


    "I''m keeping a distant watch! It''s safer this way!" Sun Jack replied, his eyes fixed on AA walking ahead through the downpour.


    "Seriously? It''s just bait."


    "Screw you, man! That¡¯s a living person! Tapai, rough him up for me!"


    AA quietly followed the path set by the system, while Sun Jack tailed discreetly from a distance.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if his actions would improve the situation, but doing nothing just felt wrong. Seeing his resolve, the others stopped arguing.


    As time ticked by, the lights of the surrounding buildings began switching off one by one, plunging the entire street into near darkness.Looking at the brightly lit C2 Zone in the distance, Sun Jack asked over the team channel, "Why is this ce so dim? It''s nothing like the other zones."


    "Because thepanies here have good employee benefits. They actually let people clock out at night."


    "..." Sun Jack was too exasperated to retort.


    Watching the slender figure of the girl in the rain, Sun Jack reassured AA through the neural system, "Don¡¯t be nervous, AA. Just stay rxed. I¡¯m 50 meters behind you. Walk naturally. If anything happens, I¡¯ll be there in no time."


    "Got it, Jack," AA replied, giving her neon umbre a light shake to show her calmness.


    As the night deepened, more office workers in the surrounding buildings clocked out, making the C3 Zone increasingly darker.


    "Night vision, activate." The green glow from Sun Jack¡¯s cybeic eyes behind his yellow projection lenses restored rity to AA''s faint silhouette.


    Round and round they went. With so few people around, AA''s repetitive route began to stand out.


    "This isn¡¯t working. Unless the target is an idiot, they¡¯ll notice something¡¯s off with AA," Sun Jack thought.


    "AA, stop circling this area. Head to a different zone for a bit, then casually pass through C3 again."


    AA nodded silently and walked out of the dim zone. After wandering for half an hour outside, she returned, making her behavior much more natural.


    Time dragged on. By 3 a.m., Sun Jack''s tense focus gave way to a dull fatigue. This stakeout job was hell. No wonder the 6th Unit outsourced it to them.


    His boots and socks were soaked, the squelching difort adding to his misery. He knocked his numb knees with his fist and nced at AA, still diligently walking ahead.


    Sun Jack marveled at her dedication. "Doesn¡¯t her leg ache? Or did she get prosthetic upgrades?"


    Staring so long had strained his eyes. He removed the yellow system sses, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.


    As he prepared to put them back on, he noticed a man in a trench coat dragging a wriggling bag toward a distant corner.


    Having seen plenty of weirdos in the Metropolis, Sun Jack wasn¡¯t fazed. As long as they didn¡¯t interfere with his job, he didn¡¯t care.


    He nced back at AA, ready to continue tailing her, when something strange caught his eye. AA''s figure seemed to flicker like a ghostly apparition.


    "Huh?! What¡¯s going on?"


    When he put the sses back on, she returned to normal.


    "Weird... Is my cybeic eye malfunctioning? Damn that King Kong and his shoddy goods." Sun Jack resolved to settle ounts with him after the mission. ?????¦Â¨º?


    He kept following AA, but an unsettling thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.


    His face darkened. He quickly removed the sses and covered his cybeic eye, using only his natural eye to observe AA.


    To his shock, AA vanishedpletely from the empty, rain-soaked street.@@novelbin@@


    "This... this can¡¯t be happening!"


    Realizing something was wrong, Sun Jack swiftly put the sses back on and rushed toward her. Through the projection lenses, AA was still there, strolling with her umbre.


    But when he removed the sses and covered his cybeic eye, the street was deserted again, leaving him alone in the darkness.


    In that instant, it all clicked. "Damn it! Someone hacked my system and prosthetics! This projection is meant to deceive me!"


    To confirm his suspicions, Sun Jack reached out and passed his hand through "AA¡¯s" body, meeting no resistance.


    His worst fears were realized. He turned abruptly and sprinted toward the trench-coated figure he had seen earlier. "That guy¡¯s carrying AA!"


    "Rally up! AA has been kidnapped!" Sun Jack shouted urgently over the team channel, sending his synced location coordinates.


    When he reached the corner and peeked around, the alley was empty. Rain poured down, but no one was there.


    Frustrated, he paused, then decided to remove the sses and cover his cybeic eye again.


    The moment he did, the trench-coated man reappeared in the supposedly empty alley, kneeling on one leg. His hands were plunged into AA¡¯s abdomen, pulling her open as if unzipping her body.


    "Son of a b***h! What the hell are you doing?!" Sun Jack roared, deploying his Electric Arc de and charging at the man.


    The trench-coated man clearly didn¡¯t expect Sun Jack to see him and hesitated.


    By the time he reacted, Sun Jack was only five meters away.


    In desperation, the man gripped AA''s spine and hurled her at Sun Jack, using the distraction to slip away. His trench coat quickly blended into the surroundings with camouging technology.


    At that moment, drones from Four Ai flew overhead. Sun Jack shouted at them, "Four Ai! Treat AA now! I¡¯m going after that bastard!"


    He set AA down on the ground and sprinted after the fleeing man.


    But AA grabbed his cor, her pale face strained as she stammered, "I... slipped a tracker... into his coat..."


    With trembling hands, she transmitted the tracking software to Sun Jack¡¯s system. A red dot shed on his map.


    "Jack... how did I do... at work?" AA managed a faint smile.


    "You did great. Amazing, actually! Now lie still. Help ising. Just lie still." Sun Jack wiped the rain from his face and resumed the pursuit, following the blinking dot.

 Chapter 38: The Pregnant Woman

    Chapter 38: The Pregnant Woman


    Sun Jack pulled up his system map and sprinted after the signal.


    Though the target could turn invisible, AA¡¯s tracking device was proving invaluable.


    The target was fast, darting and weaving through the alleys, and Sun Jack was starting to lose pace. ncing at the map, he decided to ignore her feints and take a shortcut he had mapped earlier in the day, aiming to cut her off.


    Crouching at the corner, Sun Jack watched as the red dot on the map moved closer. His heart pounded as he clenched his fists, his mind shing with images of the mutted corpses from the case files and AA¡¯s battered body.


    The moment the red dot rounded the corner, Sun Jack snapped his arm forward, unleashing the Electric Arc de.


    As the shadowy figure emerged, he thrust the de straight at the target¡¯s head.


    But just as the de was about to pierce, it retracted into his arm with a sharp nk. His prosthetic had been hacked!


    "F***ing hell!" Sun Jack cursed,unching himself at the trench-coated figure with a powerful leap.To his shock, the opponent¡¯s strength was overwhelming. She grabbed him along with her coat and mmed them both against the wall.


    As Sun Jack wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and got to his feet, he finally saw his target clearly.


    It was a woman¡ªa tall, heavily pregnant woman standing at least 1.9 meters tall. Her silver-coated skin gleamed, clearly modified all over.


    But the most disturbing feature was her stomach.


    Her abdomen had been reced with a transparent, ss-like material, exposing a half-formed fetus floating naked in amniotic fluid.


    Clenching her fists and looking at Sun Jack with a mix of rage and despair, she screamed, "Why are you stopping me?! I just want my body back! Why won¡¯t you let me go?!"@@novelbin@@


    "What the hell...?" Sun Jack muttered, unable to process her words. He flicked his arm again to extend the retracted de.


    This time, he jammed a strip of fabric into the joint to manually lock the de in ce, preventing another hack.


    "Ratatat!" Bullets rained down from Four Ai¡¯s drones above, blending with the heavy downpour, but the woman¡¯s modified skin shrugged off the assault effortlessly.


    "This isn¡¯t my body!!" she screamed, her voice cracking. The drones suddenly shut down mid-flight, crashing to the ground. She had hacked them too.


    Whatever her story was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she had killed so many people¡ªand nearly killed AA.


    Seizing on her mental breakdown, Sun Jack charged forward and swung his de at her head.


    "Why does everyone want to hurt me?! I just want to go home! My head hurts! Mom!!"


    The woman crossed her arms defensively, blocking the strike. Sun Jack¡¯s de left only a shallow scratch on her arm, despite his full force.


    "Why does everyone want to hurt me?! What did I do wrong?!" she howled. Her arms split apart at the elbows, morphing into four, each tipped with glowing redsers that sliced through the air toward Sun Jack. ?¦Á??£Â¦¥?


    He barely escaped being severed into pieces by closing his left eye and reopening it in a re. His cybeic eye surged with energy, disrupting thesers, which stopped just a step away from his boots.


    Under the interference, the woman¡¯s four arms spasmed violently. The fetus in her transparent womb silently wailed, its tiny mouth gaping. The sight turned Sun Jack¡¯s stomach.


    "Why the f*** are you inbat prosthetics while pregnant?!" Sun Jack shouted, leaping high and shing with all his strength. His de severed all four of herser-tipped arms.


    Thinking the fight was over, Sun Jack rxed slightly, but her forearms suddenly snapped open. The stumps morphed into scythe-like des, which she swung at him in a vicious arc.


    Sun Jack barely dodged, retreating several steps. He tried to activate his eye¡¯s interference ability again but found it disabled¡ªshe had hacked it too.


    Yet she didn¡¯t immediately press her advantage. Instead, she crouched and trembled, her scythe-arms raised defensively as she begged, "Let me go... please... I just want my body back. This isn¡¯t my body! Someone¡¯s controlling it! They¡¯re making me go back!"


    "Has she lost her mind?" Sun Jack thought, noting her illogical behavior.


    He nced up and saw two more drones approaching. His team would be here soon. Taking a deep breath, he decided to keep her talking.


    "Why did you kill those people?!"


    The woman raised her scythe-like arms to shield her head, her body curling in fear. "It... it wasn¡¯t me! I just wanted my body back. This isn¡¯t my body! Someone¡¯s controlling it! They want me to go back!"


    She suddenly swung her de at her own transparent stomach, stabbing it repeatedly. Yet the ss-like material remained unscathed.


    "So this is cyber psychosis," Sun Jack muttered, taking another cautious step back.


    The woman raised her tear-streaked face to him, her expression twisted and grotesque. "Do you know?" she sobbed. "I worked so hard... I worked so damn hard! And this is what I get?!"


    Sun Jack looked at her with aplicated expression. "Calm down. You can still be saved. Your prosthetics can be removed and reced."


    "No!!" she screamed, her voice cracking into a raw, guttural rasp.


    "There¡¯s no going back! You have no idea what I¡¯ve been through. It¡¯s all over! I can¡¯t even feel love for this child!"


    Tears streamed down her face as she scraped her scythe against the ss-like material, producing a nails-on-chalkboard screech.


    The sound terrified the fetus inside her. It iled and silently cried harder, but the woman only grew more frantic.


    "A mother! Why doesn¡¯t she love her child?! Why doesn¡¯t she love it?! Because this isn¡¯t my child! It¡¯s all wrong! I¡¯d rather die than go back to that cold hell!"


    "My head hurts! My body hurts! They want to control me! I won¡¯t go back!"


    Her ramblings grew increasingly incoherent, and Sun Jack found himself unable toprehend her anymore.

 Chapter 40: The Mine

    Chapter 40: The Mine


    Hearing what King Kong said, Sun Jack''s expression turned grim. ¡°So, what you''re saying is that the one who hacked into my system was someone else? The cyber psychosis killer isn¡¯t just one person but two?!¡±


    ¡°I knew this wasn¡¯t going to be simple,¡± Four Ai said, walking over with her gun. ¡°Hacking a system like that requiresplete focus. There¡¯s no way a cyber psychotic could pull that off.¡±


    Sun Jack approached the woman¡¯s corpse, now growing cold under the pouring rain, his expressionplicated.


    ¡°What now? Can we just hand her over to the 6th Unit and call it a day?¡± Four Ai asked.


    ¡°Do you think the 6th Unit are idiots? They¡¯ll want that hacker uncovered before they hand over a single coin,¡± Song 6PUS replied with a helpless expression.


    Tracking down a hacker with no leads was no simple task, leaving the mission at a frustrating deadlock.


    ¡°Ugh, what a mess. Let¡¯s head back for now,¡± Song 6PUS muttered, ncing up at the acid rain still falling, then quickened his pace toward the car.


    But Sun Jack didn¡¯t move. He stared at the unborn child within the woman¡¯s transparent abdomen, feeling conflicted. If they left it there, the baby was sure to die. ¡°Tapai, is there any way to save it?¡±Tapai crouched beside Sun Jack, quickly assessing the situation. His sensory cables extended, slicing through the woman¡¯s body with precision. The transparent abdomen was tough from the front, but the back yielded easily to his tools.


    The others noticed what Tapai was doing and gathered closer.


    ¡°Bro, seriously, what kind of kink is this?¡± Song 6PUS said, visibly nauseated.


    ¡°Can you help? No? Then shut the f*** up.¡±


    Four Ai knelt beside them, pulling a scalpel from her thigh and swiftly cutting along the transparent stomach. Soon, the tiny, reddish premature baby, no bigger than a palm, was cradled in Sun Jack¡¯s hands. It appeared lifeless.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot,¡± Sun Jack murmured as he cautiously began performing CPR.


    ¡°Wait... this... this texture feels off.¡± Sun Jack, though inexperienced with newborns, realized the baby¡¯s body felt unusually firm.


    Examining the baby more closely, he discovered a tiny port inside its left ear.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?! What kind of psycho installs a neural system into an unborn baby? Was this really necessary?!¡± Sun Jack¡¯s voice rose in frustration, but something about the situation felt off, though he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what.


    Suddenly, Tapai understood and pointed at the baby. ¡°Jack, it¡¯s the hacker!¡±


    ¡°The hacker?! It¡¯s him?¡± Sun Jack stared at the infant in disbelief. How was that even possible?


    King Kong, another hacker, was the first to connect the dots. ¡°That premature baby? It¡¯s a bo pawn! That wasn¡¯t amniotic fluid in the womb¡ªit was cooling gel!¡±


    ¡°Quick! Somebody give me a serial port! I¡¯ll see if I can trace it!¡± King Kong¡¯s voice rang out in the teamms.


    ¡°I have one. Over here,¡± said Father, who sped his hands together and softly chanted, ¡°Amitabha.¡± King Kong crouched swiftly, pulling a data cable from his forearm and connecting it to the port behind the baby¡¯s ear.


    Meanwhile, Sun Jack essed his neural system to review what "bo pawn" meant. Hackers would often refer to fully controlled systems as ¡°bo pawns,¡± and theoretically, a human equipped with a neuralwork could be hacked and controlled.


    But looking at the premature baby in his hands, Sun Jack¡¯s anger red. ¡°What kind of monster turns an unborn baby into a tool?!¡±


    In this depraved world, Sun Jack had forced himself to adapt to countless bizarre and perverse situations. But this crossed a line. He couldn¡¯t stomach it.


    Then, King Kong¡¯s massive frame suddenly convulsed. ¡°Amitabha! This godd*** b****** stuffed this system with ck ICE viruses. Lucky for him, I¡¯m not just a vegetarian monk!¡±


    Father¡¯s body stopped shaking and regained stability. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ve pinpointed the location! He¡¯s on the move¡ªgo after him!¡±


    With the location pinged on his interface, Sun Jack wasted no time and leapt onto Tapai¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s go! When I catch this scum, I¡¯ll skin him alive!¡± ??¦­¨¯?§¦?


    Tapai¡¯s wheels spun furiously, sshing through the puddles as they raced out of the dark C3 Zone. Tapai was the fastest in the group, with only Four Ai¡¯s drone managing to keep up.


    Four Ai¡¯s voice crackled through the drone¡¯s speakers. ¡°Jack, grant eye-sharing ess so we can sync visuals! King Kong¡¯s holding him off online¡ªwe¡¯re almost there!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    The coordinates led them to C5 Zone, in an underground parking garage not far from their previous location. As Sun Jack entered, he saw the marker King Kong had provided, situated deep within arge storage unit.


    Without hesitation, Sun Jack raised his weapon and sted the garage door open. Freezing cold air spilled out, illuminated by harsh, bluish-white lighting. The first thing Sun Jack noticed was a row of people sitting with their backs to him.


    ¡°Tapai, switch to infrared. I¡¯ll stick to my eyes. Let¡¯s tread carefully.¡± Sun Jack issued the order as he cautiously advanced.


    The space was enormous, as if the entire parking lot had been gutted and unified into one facility. Approaching closer, Sun Jack saw more details: the seated individuals were covered in data cables plugged into their spines and skulls. Despite the bone-chilling temperature, their faces were flushed, with steam rising from their heads.@@novelbin@@


    Judging by their tattered clothing, they were likely homeless, just like the ones Sun Jack had passed earlier outside.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Sun Jack muttered uneasily, his breath turning into frosty white mist.


    ¡°These are ¡®human mines,¡¯¡± Father¡¯s voice came through hisms.


    ¡°The hacker¡¯s mining @coins using their brains, which is why the area needs physical cooling. This is an artificial mining farm.¡±


    ¡°F***! That¡¯s revolting!¡± Sun Jack shouted, his stomach turning as rage boiled within him.


    This hacker wasn¡¯t just exploiting unborn babies as tools¡ªhe had turned living people into machinery. Sun Jack¡¯s fury reached its peak. What kind of depravity was this monster capable of?

 Chapter 41: Graffiti

    Chapter 41: Graffiti


    Inside the freezing cold garage, Sun Jack continued searching for his target.


    ¡°Jack, go a little further. The location hasn¡¯t moved! King Kong¡¯s holding him off; he won¡¯t get away!¡± Four Ai¡¯s voice came through thems.


    Sun Jack steadied his nerves, cing his cannon back onto Tapai¡¯s frame before cautiously pressing forward.


    Suddenly, a figure appeared through the thick white fog, and Sun Jack instinctively raised his cannon.


    Thankfully, he held back. The figure was clearly not the hacker; after all, hackers don¡¯t get locked up in transparent cages.


    It was a young boy, half of his body reced with mechanical prosthetics. He was curled up, frantically gnawing on his metal arm. Even as his mouth became a mangled mess of blood and shattered teeth, he showed no sign of stopping.


    The boy looked up sharply as Sun Jack approached, his eyes filled with pure madness, devoid of any trace of rationality.


    ¡°This... is cyber psychosis?¡± Sun Jack muttered to himself before moving on. Not long after, another figure came into view.It was an infant. Its limbs had all been reced with prosthetics, and half its skull was covered in metal. The baby stumbled awkwardly within its cage, seemingly learning to walk. When it noticed Sun Jack and Tapai, it broke into gleefulughter, waving excitedly at them while babbling incoherently.


    Looking at the infant and recalling the deranged words of the pregnant woman earlier, Sun Jack felt a wave of revulsion. These so-called cyber psychotics were clearly manufactured¡ªhuman beings twisted into this state deliberately.


    Someone was modifying them, treating them asb rats, just like those human "mines."


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so grim,¡± an unfamiliar, raspy voice suddenly spoke in Sun Jack¡¯s ear. ¡°Sure, the work environment¡¯s a little harsh, but at least they have a job now. Better than being useless trash.¡±


    A figure stepped out from the fog on the left. It was a man dressed in a hip-hop style, his face adorned with exaggerated graffiti. Instead of eyes, he had two protruding square lenses, clearly cybeic modifications. The man spread his arms as though presenting his masterpiece to Sun Jack.


    ¡°I feed them, they work for me. Essentially, they¡¯re my employees. How¡¯s that any different from what happens out there?¡±


    ¡°And the people in the cages? What about the pregnant woman? Was she your employee too?¡± Sun Jack retorted.


    ¡°No, they¡¯repany assets,¡± the man corrected with a slight shake of his head. ¡°And for the record, she agreed to it. We paid her. She signed a contract.¡±


    ¡°Contracts, huh? Sure, everything¡¯s gotta follow the rules, right?¡± the man said with mock sincerity. ¡°Anyway, thanks for cleaning up the mess. She was drawing too much attention outside.¡± ???¦­?????


    Disgusted by the man¡¯s words, Sun Jack raised his cannon, ready to fire, only for Tapai to grab his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot!¡±


    ¡°Why the hell not?!¡± Sun Jack snapped, furious.


    ¡°Turn slowly. Don¡¯t move your weapon. Just... don¡¯t.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Confused but cautious, Sun Jack turned as instructed. That¡¯s when he noticed two triangr red dots trained on his forehead and chest.


    Tracing thesers¡¯ origins, he saw 20 or 30 armed individuals entering the garage. Each one wielded various weapons and wore expressions of smug disdain. Their prosthetics were shy and over-the-top, matching the graffiti-covered man. They were clearly his crew.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you two bold, waltzing into our turf like this?¡± a voice jeered from behind Sun Jack. It was the ponytailed hacker.


    ¡°This whole operation... no single hacker could pull it off. It¡¯s a group effort,¡± Sun Jack realized. The massive mining operation, the sprawling profits¡ªit was clearly gang territory.


    From the start, Sun Jack had underestimated theplexity of the situation. He¡¯d thought the job was as simple aspleting the mission and eliminating the target. But the city¡¯s tangled web of connections and corruption ran far deeper than he¡¯d imagined.


    Meanwhile, everything Sun Jack saw was being transmitted to the team. King Kong¡¯s voice chimed in, ¡°They¡¯re from the Graffiti Gang. These guys hate standard prosthetics¡ªthe shier, the better. I¡¯ve heard rumors they secretly dismantle prosthetics for ck market sales. Never thought they¡¯d stoop to this.¡±


    ¡°Man, that thing¡¯s got a ton of mods on it. Bet we could make a fortune selling it,¡± said a woman with de-like prosthetic legs and a nose ring, eyeing Tapai greedily.


    Despite the overwhelming odds, Sun Jack stayed calm. He wasn¡¯t alone. His confidence solidified when he noticed theser sights on the woman¡¯s head, originating from outside the garage.


    ¡°Freeze! Don¡¯t move!¡± Four Ai¡¯s authoritative voice rang out from the entrance.


    The gang members reacted instantly¡ªhalf aimed their weapons at Sun Jack, while the other half turned to face the neers.


    Outside the garage, an SUV rolled up. Father, Song 6PUS, and Four Ai used the car doors as cover, aiming a variety of weapons into the garage.


    The situation was tense, the standoff like a coiled spring ready to snap. Sun Jack¡¯s HUD lit up as hemunicated with the team through thems. If they didn¡¯t act fast, they wouldn¡¯t get out alive. But with the enemy¡¯s numbers, they needed a n.


    The tension was suffocating, and just as it reached its breaking point, Song 6PUS raised his hand. ¡°Wait! I know your boss! My sister¡¯s his aunt!¡±


    The Graffiti Gang froze, momentarily stunned by the absurd im. Sun Jack seized the opportunity, tossing several grenades into their midst.


    At the same time, Tapai raised his right arm and fired precise shots, detonating the grenades mid-air.


    The sudden explosions didn¡¯t harm the gang members but created a deafening roar and a dense cloud of smoke.


    As the fiery light erupted, Sun Jack and Tapai sprang into action. Tapai¡¯s reverse-jointed legspressed, exposing rapidly spinning wheels that propelled them forward like a tank barreling through the smoke.


    Gunfire erupted as the gang members fired wildly, bullets pinging off Tapai¡¯s armor as the pair charged toward the garage exit.

 Chapter 43: Choices

    Chapter 43: Choices


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Song 6 lookedpletely puzzled.


    ¡°Those people. And the ones in the cages?¡± Sun Jack¡¯s words silenced everyone.


    ¡°Bro,¡± Song 6PUS ced a hand on Sun Jack¡¯s shoulder and spoke earnestly, ¡°Why are we here?¡±


    ¡°To make money.¡±


    ¡°Have we made money?¡±


    ¡°We have.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±


    Seeing Sun Jack turn and silently walk towards the exit of the underground garage, Song 6 let out a sigh of relief and hurried to follow. ¡°That¡¯s right. Whose money isn¡¯t earned through someone else¡¯s suffering?¡±¡°And what gives you the right to decide for them? Maybe they <em>like</em> being exploited, enjoy being part of the human mines.¡±


    Outside the garage, Sun Jack stopped again in the heavy rain, feeling something wasn¡¯t right. Tapai stood quietly beside him.


    ¡°Hey, are you twoing or not? Or are you nning to walk back?¡± Four Ai asked, a cigarette dangling from her lips.


    Sun Jack nced at his reflection in the rainwater and then at the others. It seemed there wasn¡¯t much difference between them anymore.


    At that moment, the Father approached, moving his towering frame to stand before Sun Jack. He stared at him through his sses. ¡°God tells me your heart is in turmoil.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be? After being here for so long, I¡¯m starting to wonder¡ªis it me who has the problem, or is it all of you?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be happier if you throw away some things,¡± Sun Jack said, voice conflicted.


    ¡°Sure, throwing things away is easy,¡± the Father replied. ¡°But if you ever want to get them back, kid, that¡¯s a different story.¡±


    As he spoke, the Father raised his head to the sky. In the distance, a ck dot was rapidly approaching.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the object to draw near¡ªit was a cargo drone. It released a massive package mid-air.


    The Father spread his arms, catching the falling package with ease before striding back into the underground parking lot without hesitation.


    Sun Jack found himself staring at the Father¡¯s retreating figure for the first time. On his back was an unmistakable religious symbol¡ªan oddbination of a sickle, a hammer, and a cross. ????????¡ì


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your choice is, but this is mine. God says: <em>If a thing serves no purpose, it has no value!</em>¡±


    ¡°What the h***! Father! What are you doing?!¡± Song 6PUS leaned halfway out of the car, yelling anxiously.


    In the downpour, Sun Jack turned to look at Tapai, who was staring at him intently.


    ¡°I almost corrupted you. What did I say before?¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯d gut him alive.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Tapai, mark this moment down. As a man, you must do what you say!¡± Sun Jack spun and charged back into the underground garage.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Seeing this, Song 6 gasped sharply. ¡°F***! What¡¯s this kid doing now? King Kong! What the h*** did the Father just buy?!¡±


    ¡°He got a loan to buy an EMP drone and shield firmware. Looks like he¡¯s ready to go hard against the Graffiti Gang.¡±


    ¡°What the hell? Are they cyber psychotics now?¡± Song 6PUS mmed the steering wheel in frustration.


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Four Ai pulled a piece of gum from her pocket, popped it into her mouth, and started chewing. ¡°The more I watch that kid, the more I like him. Really makes me want to screw him hard.¡±


    ¡°PUS, think of something fast. If we don¡¯t do something soon, we¡¯ll end up with nothing from either side.¡±


    Meanwhile, Sun Jack had returned to the Graffiti Gang¡¯s garage. The Father stood on the opposite side of the entrance.


    The Father nodded approvingly at Sun Jack and tapped the garage door with his hand.


    The rolling door lifted quickly. Inside, the gang members were bustling, moving supplies and relocating the mining operations. Clearly, they realized this spot waspromised and were preparing to move.


    A woman with arge nose ring and prosthetic legs fashioned into des approached, casually raising her gun at Sun Jack. ¡°Back again? Forget something?¡±


    ¡°No, just delivering a package,¡± the Father said, presenting the parcel in his hands.


    ¡°A package?¡± The woman nced at the markings on the package and turned to herrades. ¡°Hey! Did Wall-Tech send something again?¡±


    Before anyone could respond, the Father tore the package open, revealing a spherical drone the size of a watermelon.


    ¡°Enjoy the high-power pulse!¡± The Father threw the drone into the air with all his might and quickly inserted three chips into his body.


    The next moment, a massive broadband electromaic pulse erupted from the drone, flooding the entire garage with disabling radiation within a 100-meter radius. Every electronic device shut down instantly, including neural systems and prosthetics.


    Though the Father had inserted shielding chips, it was Sun Jack, with barely any prosthetics, who moved fastest.


    Sun Jack raised his de and, with a single stroke, cleaved the woman in half.


    He then charged forward, striking down the incapacitated gang members one by one. The garage was soon awash with blood.


    As one wounded gang member stumbled to his feet and raised a handgun at Sun Jack¡¯s back, a thunderous st erupted. Hundreds of bullets tore the man¡¯s upper body into chunks. It was the Father¡¯s shotgun.


    The two exchanged a silent nod before resuming their ughter.


    With the Father¡¯s assistance, the process sped up, and the gang members were almost entirely eliminated.


    At that moment, Tapai stumbled into the garage, swearing loudly. ¡°D*** it! You b*****! Warn me next time when the range is this wide¡ªI almost tlined!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay back?¡± Sun Jack replied, slicing through the data cables connected to the captives¡¯ heads.


    As Sun Jack rushed towards the cages, Tapai¡¯s disy turned red. He yanked Sun Jack back just as a shell zipped past, striking a nearby car and turning it into a zing fireball.


    The three turned simultaneously to face the attacker. Emerging from the debris was Hai Chao, d in an exoskeleton armor that made him look like a three-meter-tall metallic giant.


    ¡°Did you really think an EMP could stop me? Dream on! My system has built-in Tier-3 interference shielding!¡±


    Hai Chao stomped forward, activating the armor¡¯s rearuncher. Smoky homing missiles shot into the air, looping around before targeting the trio.


    ¡°Hellfire X!¡± The Father pulled a silver orb from his coat and threw it outside. The homing missiles veered off course and followed the orb out.


    Though the immediate threat was neutralized, Hai Chao was now upon them. Towering over Sun Jack, he raised his massive armored fist and brought it crashing down.

 Chapter 45: Unworthy

    Chapter 45: Unworthy


    As Song 6PUS spoke to the 6th Unit leader, he opened Port 25 and sent over all his video logs from the day. After a brief confirmation from the internalwork that his ims were true, the bearded officer¡¯s stern expression softened slightly. ¡°Where¡¯s the woman¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°In the car! I figured it might be needed, so I kept it with us the whole time,¡± Song 6 replied quickly.


    ¡°Bring it down. That¡¯s critical evidence¡ªit¡¯s the keystone of the entire case.¡± The officer unscrewed a portable sk from his belt and took a deep swig.


    ¡°Got it! Jack, Tapai, Father! Hurry up, let¡¯s help the officer with the evidence!¡± Song 6PUS waved them forward enthusiastically.


    The members of the Graffiti Gang undergoing BCPD inspections red at Sun Jack with murderous fury. If looks could kill, Sun Jack would have been torn apart. Yet the rotating turrets on the BCPD hover vehicles kept them swallowing their rage, unable to act.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first,¡± Sun Jack muttered as he, Tapai, and the Father made their way toward the garage exit.


    As the three stepped outside, a cybeic BCPD officer turned to the leader. ¡°Sir! These three haven¡¯t opened their ports for inspection!¡±


    The leader stood silently, watching Sun Jack and the others. Sun Jack instinctively nced at Tapai, his mind racing.¡°Wait,¡± the leader suddenlymanded, the tension around them growing palpable.


    ¡°How much did HQ pay you for this job?¡± he asked abruptly.


    ¡°Uh¡­ 57@,¡± Song 6 answered cautiously.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? For this kind of work, with so many casualties? You deserve a bonus!¡± The leader pped his hands together.


    ¡°I¡¯ll file a report to get you bumped up to 80@! It¡¯s within my authority.¡±


    Song 6¡¯s face froze for a moment before breaking into an overly enthusiastic grin. ¡°Yes! Absolutely, sir! 80@! But of course, the extra isn¡¯t for us; it¡¯s yours!¡±


    ¡°When the paymentes through, I¡¯ll transfer it to your ount immediately!¡±


    The leader smirked faintly and gave Song 6PUS a hard pat on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, or I¡¯ll sue you for nder! Everything¡¯s recorded in the internalwork.¡±


    ¡°Now, what are you waiting for? Go bring me the evidence already!¡±


    Song 6PUS caught on immediately and nodded vigorously. ¡°Right away! Let¡¯s move, guys, get the evidence for the officer!¡±


    After some back-and-forth, the group finally left the underground garage. Sun Jack looked up at the rain falling through the gaps between the towering buildings above.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Move it! Quick!¡± Song 6PUS dumped the woman¡¯s corpse unceremoniously on the ground before leaping into the car.


    Once Sun Jack and the others were inside, Four Ai stomped on the gas,unching the car forward at breakneck speed. The vehicle swerved wildly through the fastnes, narrowly avoiding collisions several times, but Four Ai didn¡¯t slow down.


    The SUV finally screeched to a halt in front of a rundown motel in the Queens District.


    ¡°King Kong, clean up for us!¡± Song 6 shouted.


    ¡°While you opened Port 25, the Graffiti Gang tried to slip malware into your system. I¡¯ve already dealt with it,¡± King Kong replied calmly.


    Hearing this, Song 6 exhaled deeply, relieved. Getting out of the garage wasn¡¯t enough¡ªthey were only truly safe now.


    ¡°Impressive, Song 6. You actually pulled off something reliable today,¡± Tapai teased.


    But this time, Song 6 didn¡¯t respond to the banter. Instead, he leaped out of the car, mming the door shut hard enough to make the vehicle shudder.


    ¡°What the hell are you guys trying to do?! Are we still doing this or not?!¡±


    Song 6PUS, usually all grins and jokes even in dire situations, now looked genuinely furious. His gold teeth clenched tightly, and the skull tattoo on his face made him appear especially menacing. ????¦¯¦¢??


    The Father didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he gently cradled the baby with prosthetic limbs, inspecting it carefully. The infant tilted its head curiously to the left, staring out the window at Song 6PUS.


    Meanwhile, Sun Jack pulled a rag from his prosthetic limb to clean his de before retracting it into his arm. He nced out at Song 6 and said, ¡°Money is important, but there¡¯s some money we can choose not to earn.¡±


    ¡°F***!! You¡¯re wrong!¡± Song 6PUS snapped, his voice trembling with anger. ¡°In this city, money is everything! There¡¯s nothing more important than that!¡±


    Sun Jack stepped out of the car and walked up to Song 6, locking eyes with him. ¡°I don¡¯t give a d*** about the rules of this city! I do things my way!¡±


    Song 6¡¯s finger shook as he pointed at Sun Jack. ¡°This is <em>my</em> team! My team! Bro! And in my team, everything is done my way!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Fine, I¡¯m out. Like I ever cared,¡± Sun Jack replied with a mocking grin. He turned to Tapai, exchanging a high-five.


    Then, his grin faded as he looked back at Song 6. ¡°Team? Give me a break, Song 6. I know why you hired us. You wanted to use my strange abilities like a tool. If I were useless, you¡¯d have sold me off without hesitation. Would you even bother calling me ¡®bro¡¯ then? People aren¡¯t stupid.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll let you use me if it helps me survive. But there¡¯s some money I¡¯ll never touch, even if it kills me.¡±


    ¡°Why?! <em>Why?</em>¡± Song 6 shouted.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s different. He¡¯s human,¡± said the Father from inside the car. At the mention of the word ¡°human,¡± Tapai¡¯s camera lens immediately zoomed in on him.


    The Father continued, his voice steady, ¡°God said: Even if our means of production arepletely stripped away, we are still human. We are not lifeless machines, nor are we beasts trained by capital into emotionless creatures.¡±


    Song 6PUS exploded with rage, practically roaring, ¡°You think you¡¯re holy just because you¡¯re a Father now?! B.S.! What about the corporate wars? All those people you killed¡ªdid that just vanish? Are you kind? Are you virtuous? <em>Are you worthy?</em> I¡¯m telling you, kindness is like organic food¡ªit¡¯s a luxury! A luxury only the people in the city center can afford!¡±


    ¡°For people like us, we don¡¯t deserve kindness! Remember that¡ªkindness is a luxury! We are <em>not worthy!</em>¡±


    Song 6¡¯s shouting startled the baby, who burst into loud, piercing cries. The sound cut through the rain, carrying far into the night.

 Chapter 47: Affection

    Chapter 47: Affection


    Sun Jack ended the call and turned to see AA holding out a ss of water for him with both hands.


    "What a bunch of nonsense," Sun Jack muttered, shaking his head as he tried to shove Four Ai''s words out of his mind.


    But every time he nced at AA''s face, the earlier conversation crept back into his head, sticking like a brain worm he couldn''t shake off. "Could it be... AA doesn''t like men?"


    Sun Jack knew that unless he asked directly, this question would continue to nag at him. It was better to just rify things outright¡ªit wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, after all.


    "Hey, AA, can I ask you something? It''s kind of personal, so feel free not to answer if you don''t want to."


    "Sure! Ask me anything!" AA said eagerly, straightening up on the couch.


    Sun Jack hesitated, resting his chin on his hand as he thought about how to phrase it. "So, uh... what kind of people do you like?"


    "What?" AA tilted her head, looking confused. Clearly, she didn¡¯t catch his drift."I mean, what¡¯s your preference? Do you like men? Or women?"


    AA immediately shook her head vigorously. "Neither. I don¡¯t like either."


    "Oh, really?" Tapai, who had been charging against the wall, perked up and hopped over to sit obediently beside Sun Jack. "This is gonna be interesting!"


    "So, what <em>do</em> you like?" Sun Jack pressed.


    AA stood up, spinning around to show off her petite frame in her oversized T-shirt. "Look, Jack! Isn¡¯t this cute little girl so soft and sweet to hug? Isn¡¯t it just the best?"


    "Uh¡­" Sun Jack¡¯s brain short-circuited at the sight. "And then what?"


    "Then¡­ I like it too!" AA said matter-of-factly.


    Sun Jack was baffled. "Wait¡ªwhat does ''you like it too'' even mean? I thought you didn¡¯t like girls?"


    "Well¡­" AA hesitated, ncing around before running to the bedroom and returning with a mirror. She gazed deeply into her reflection, her eyes filled with adoration, and then leaned in to give herself a gentle kiss.


    Sun Jack¡¯s jaw literally dropped. Tapai had to fuss with it for a while before managing to pop it back into ce. Honestly, anyone in Sun Jack¡¯s position would have had a simr reaction.


    AA not liking men? Understandable. It¡¯s the Metropolis, after all; being gay was nothing unusual. AA not liking women? Also fair¡ªshe might just not care about romance and prefer to focus on making money. But this? AA''s kink was <em>autosexuality</em>?


    Sun Jack¡¯s neural system helpfully provided a detailed definition: Autosexuality (or autoeroticism) is a form of self-love where the individual experiences sexual attraction toward themselves, finding their own appearance or mirror image to be their primary object of desire.


    AA liked herself¡ª<em>in a sexual way</em>.


    From the moment he met AA, Sun Jack had always thought of her as a kind, sensible girl, second only to the Father in terms of being "normal." But this... this was more inventive than anything even Four Ai could dream up.


    "Guess I was naive. In the Metropolis, you really can¡¯t underestimate anyone."


    Sun Jack made a mental note to never pry into other people''s private lives again.


    "So fascinating! Jack, what do you think the Father¡¯s kink is? I can¡¯t wait to find out!" Tapai chirped.


    Sun Jack raised his cybeic arm and thumped him on the head. "Stop prying! Stop it, you hear me?!"


    "Jack, is it weird that I like myself?" AA asked cautiously, worried her honesty might have upset him.


    "No, it¡¯s not weird. I like myself too. I was just curious, that¡¯s all. It¡¯ste¡ªI¡¯m going to bed," Sun Jack replied, trying to brush it off.


    He hadn¡¯t suffered any physical injuries during this mission, but his mental state felt like it had taken a massive hit.


    "Alright, then. I¡¯ll head out now," AA said, clutching her bandaged stomach as she made for the door.


    "Where are you going thiste? The Queens District isn¡¯t safe at night. If you get snatched up and thrown into a human mine, it¡¯ll be a real problem. Just crash here for the night," Sun Jack offered.


    The usual concerns about a man and a woman sharing a living space didn¡¯t even cross Sun Jack¡¯s mind anymore, not after learning about AA¡¯s... preferences.


    "Thank you! Thank you so much! You¡¯re so good to me!" AA said, bowing deeply in gratitude.


    "Just get some rest," Sun Jack muttered. Exhausted both mentally and physically, he quickly washed up and headed to his bedroom.


    After a full day of being drenched in the rain, he fell asleep almost instantly.


    He had no idea how long he slept before waking up, dder ufortably full. When he opened his door, he jumped¡ªonly to remember that AA was sleeping on his couch.


    Finishing in the bathroom, he was about to return to bed when a strange rumbling sound from the living room caught his attention.@@novelbin@@


    "AA? Was that your stomach growling?" he asked.


    AA, wrapped in a thin nket, sat up bashfully.


    "Hungry?" Now that she mentioned it, Sun Jack realized he was starving too. Apart from the bowl of beef noodles in the morning, he hadn¡¯t eaten all day.


    Stress from the mission had kept him too tense to notice, but now that things had calmed down, his hunger hit him hard.


    "I¡¯ll order us a couple bowls of noodles," he suggested.


    "No, no, no! That¡¯s too extravagant. I can¡¯t keep mooching off you¡ªI¡¯d feel terrible," AA protested.


    It was just a bowl of noodles, but AA was so insistent that Sun Jack gave up.


    "Alright. I think I¡¯ve got something in the fridge," he said, pulling out leftovers from Ke-style cuisine he¡¯d packed two nights ago. He reheated it and set it on the coffee table.


    Ke-style cuisine was disgusting to begin with, and reheating it only made it worse. The random mishmash of dishes piled together was almost too much to look at.


    But AA didn¡¯t seem to care. She grabbed a piece of tentacle with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth, her eyes lighting up. "Wow! What is this? It¡¯s amazing!"


    Watching AA eat only made Sun Jack hungrier. Thankfully, he had a solution. Using his neural system, he oveid the food with pixtion and swapped it with images of various gourmet dishes he found online. Eating it became much more tolerable¡ªtechnology really did make life better.


    "Jack, did I do a good job today?" AA asked between bites.


    "You did great. I just needed you to be bait, but you even brought a tracker ball!"


    AA lowered her head shyly. "I didn¡¯t buy it¡ªI made it myself. Sometimes I scavenge for useful stuff in the junk mountains outside the Metropolis."


    "You can do that? Impressive," Sun Jack said, genuinely surprised. Today, he felt like he was seeing AA in a whole new light.

 Chapter 48: Modifications

    Chapter 48: Modifications


    "Jack, can I ask you something?" AA seemed a little nervous.@@novelbin@@


    "I like women. Definitely the pure kind," Jack said immediately.


    "No, no, that''s not it!" AA waved her hands in embarrassment. "I just wanted to ask¡ªhow much do you usually earn for a job like this?"


    "Tapai and I each get 10@ per mission."


    Hearing this, AA''s eyes widened in shock. "That much?! No wonder you can afford organic food for breakfast!"


    Noticing the envy in her tone, Jack smiled faintly and continued eating. But as he chewed, he started piecing together the deeper meaning behind her question. "Wait... are you thinking of bing a mercenary? Don¡¯t even think about it."


    "All you see is the wolf eating meat¡ªyou don¡¯t see the wolf getting beaten. This job¡¯s no joke; you¡¯re always one step away from death," Jack warned.


    "I¡¯m not nning on doing this forever. Once Tapai and I save up enough, we¡¯re out of here.""You¡¯ve got those 3@ from today. Use this chance to find a more stable job," Jack suggested sincerely.


    AA stopped eating, her head drooping low. "But... do you really think I can find another job? I¡¯ve been looking for so long¡­ and nobody will hire me¡­"


    Jack reached out and gave her a light hug. Honestly, he didn¡¯t know what advice to give her¡ªhe couldn¡¯t even find a job himself.


    AA lifted her head, looking at Jack earnestly. "I¡¯m not useless, you know. I¡¯ve got a master¡¯s degree in engineering!"


    "I was always the top of my ss!" she added proudly.


    "With grades like that, howe you can¡¯t find work?" Jack asked, genuinely puzzled.


    The light in AA¡¯s eyes dimmed almost instantly. "I don¡¯t know. I mean, isn¡¯t studying supposed to help you find a job?"


    Talking about this seemed to hit a sore spot. AA¡¯s mood dropped sharply, and Jack decided to change the subject.


    "A master¡¯s in engineering, huh? So, can you whip up a nuke by hand?" Jack teased, taking a sip of water.


    "Sure!" AA replied cheerfully, almost making Jack choke.


    "Give me enough nuclear material, and I can calcte the critical point for nuclear fission. I even did it as a project back in school."


    "Times have really changed, man," Tapai quipped sarcastically from the wall.


    Jack quickly understood. Back in his day, nukes were the pinnacle of weaponry. But now, in this high-tech era, making nukes had be just another student assignment.


    Of course, knowing how to make a nuke didn¡¯t mean much¡ªnuclear materials were tightly controlled by corporations.


    "Even so, you can¡¯t be a mercenary. At most, we kill one or two people. We don¡¯t exactly need a nuke for that," Jack said dryly.


    Hearing this, AA seemed to finally give up on the idea. She sighed deeply, her head hanging low again.


    Looking at her dejected figure, Jack suddenly had an idea. "If you¡¯re an engineer, can you modify my prosthetics to work offline and only respond manually?"


    AA¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. "Turn it into a purely mechanical system? Of course I can! That¡¯s super easy!"


    "Really? Then help me out, and I¡¯ll pay you by the hour." After today¡¯s experience, Jack realized that smarter wasn¡¯t always better. If someone hacked into his prosthetics, even the best ones would be useless scrap.


    Sure, he could upgrade his neural system¡¯s firewall to make hacking harder. But how much would he need to spend on an endless arms race? It made more sense to just ditch the wholeworked system.


    "Deal! I¡¯ll head home to grab my tools!" AA said, practically leaping to her feet.


    "In the middle of the night? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Get some sleep first; we¡¯ll deal with it tomorrow." Jack burped and started packing up the leftovers to put back in the fridge.


    As Jack headed to his room, he noticed AA lying under a nket, quietly giggling to herself. She seemed genuinely thrilled at the chance to use her skills.


    Jack had a fantastic second sleep that night. By the time he woke up, it was already 9 a.m.


    When he opened his bedroom door, he found the couch neatly made, but AA was gone.


    "Tapai, where is she?" Jack asked.


    "She left early. Said she was going to grab her tools to modify your prosthetics."


    Before Jack could respond, there was a knock at the door. "Jack! Tapai! I¡¯m back!"


    When Jack opened the door, he saw AA standing there with a giant bag of tools slung over her shoulder. She wore a battered old pair of goggles perched crookedly on her head.


    She smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling. Jack thought she looked far more vibrant than the first time he¡¯d met her.


    "How can someone with that kink look so pretty?" Jack muttered to himself as he let her in.


    AA eagerly dumped her bag on the table, revealing a chaotic assortment of metal tools. "Jack, take off your prosthetics! Let me get started!"


    Looking at her youthful face, Jack hesitated. "Are you sure you can handle this? Don¡¯t wreck it."


    "Of course I can! Besides, this isn¡¯t even that hard," AA said confidently.


    Grabbing Jack¡¯s prosthetic arm, AA¡¯s demeanor shifted instantly. Her face grew serious, intensely focused. She pulled out various tools from her pockets and started dismantling the prosthetic with lightning speed.


    Watching her skilled hands at work, Jack couldn¡¯t help but believe her. "Where¡¯d you learn all this?"


    "At school."


    "You were broke, but you still managed to afford school?" Jack asked, genuinely curious.


    "I took out student loans. I¡¯ve been paying them back ever since I graduated," AA exined as she worked.


    Hearing this, something clicked for Jack. "When you mentioned your debt before, was that the student loan?"


    "No. It¡¯s also the birth and upbringing loan¡ªprincipal and interest. I wasn¡¯t born naturally; I came from a birthing factory. That¡¯s why I told you I don¡¯t have a family."


    "A birthing¡­ factory?" Jack was stunned.


    His neural system immediately pulled up the official website for "Birthing Factory, Inc.," stering the screen with smiling baby faces.


    ording to the website, advancements in technology had led people to prioritize personal entertainment over the expense of raising children, resulting in plummeting birth rates in the Metropolis.


    Tobat this decline and relieve women of the "burden" of childbirth, birthing factories used artificial womb technology to produce children, ensuring a steadybor supply for corporations.


    Jack couldn¡¯t stopughing at the site¡¯s self-righteous slogans.


    "They¡¯ve taken exploiting the masses to the next level. If people won¡¯t have kids, they¡¯ll just grow their own workforce," Jack said, shaking his head.

 Chapter 49: Members

    Chapter 49: Members


    ¡°What¡¯s chives?¡±


    AA asked curiously. Clearly, she had never heard of this nt that could grow back quickly after being cut.


    ¡°We are chives. Chives are us,¡± Sun Jack quipped, then followed up with a serious question, ¡°So, these so-called birthing factories churn out kids, and they all owe thepany money?¡±


    AA nodded. ¡°Yes. They calcte the costs of birth and education into a bill, which gets uploaded to our system on our sixteenth birthday, during ouring-of-age ceremony.¡±


    ¡°We have to work hard to pay off the entire debt before we can gain freedom.¡±


    As she spoke, a trace of fear shed in AA¡¯s eyes, and her hands paused mid-task.


    ¡°If¡­ if we¡¯re overdue by more than six months, the birthing factory sends people to repossess our organs, one by one, as coteral. Once we have the money, they return them to us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡± Sun Jack was horrified. ¡°Even if you report this to the BCPD, they won¡¯t help, will they?¡±¡°No,¡± AA shook her head. ¡°ording to the contract, our bodies don¡¯t belong to us. They¡¯re the property of the birthing factory.¡±


    ¡°A contract? Between who? Thepany and the fertilized egg?¡± Tapai eximed in disbelief.


    AA lowered her head, looking down at her t stomach. ¡°They¡¯ve already taken one of my kidneys and half my stomach¡­ I don¡¯t even know what they¡¯ll take next.¡±


    ¡°F***!¡± Sun Jack¡¯s face twisted in disgust. ¡°Forcing people to be born, forcing them into debt, and using that debt to turn them into corporate ves¡ªwhat kind of sadistic maniac thought this up?¡±


    ¡°Wait. I don¡¯t get it. What do they even need organs for? Aren¡¯t prosthetics a thing now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± AA shook her head again. ¡°Maybe to eat. I heard the top-ranking online influencer restaurants serve human dishes, and it¡¯s all members-only.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eating people?¡± Sun Jack was left speechless. He used to think the phrase ¡°capital eats people¡± was just a metaphor, but now it seemed literal.


    Then again, thinking about it, this city was always devouring people¡ªthis was just a more direct method.


    Suddenly, Sun Jack didn¡¯t findst night¡¯s Ke-style cuisine as hard to stomach anymore.


    ¡°But it¡¯s fine now! I¡¯ve got 3@ in pay!¡± AA¡¯s familiar bright smile reappeared. ¡°That¡¯ll get me through for a while.¡±


    Sun Jack looked at the girl in front of him with a pang of heartache. Despite the hellish life she endured, she still faced it with a sunflower-like resilience, always smiling.


    If she had lived in his time, she would surely have had a beautiful, happy life, instead of barely scraping by as she did now.


    As Sun Jack was lost in thought, AA was already focusing on modifying prosthetics.


    ¡°By the way, Jack, how do you want to trigger the projectileuncher and arm de? I¡¯ve sent you some design options to choose from.¡±


    ¡°Whatever works. Just make sure it can¡¯t be hacked,¡± Sun Jack replied.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll just remove thework module entirely.¡±


    With AA working swiftly, a prompt appeared on Sun Jack¡¯s neural system UI: ¡°Prosthetic 1 has disconnected.¡±


    Upgrading battle prosthetics or changing firmware usually required specialized technical skills. But turning a cyberpunk device into a steampunk one? That was child¡¯s y for a prodigy like AA.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to finish. When Sun Jack reattached his new arm, he noticed the only difference was the absence of a projectile count on his system disy.


    ¡°Jack, not only is there no projectile count disy, but also no auto-aim, self-diagnostics, or error reports,¡± AA pointed out helpfully.


    ¡°I fire at mid-to-close range, so I don¡¯t need auto-aim. As for diagnostics, well, that¡¯s what you¡¯re here for.¡± Sun Jack gave her a light pat on the head.


    AA beamed, her small tiger teeth showing as she grinned.


    ¡°The trigger¡¯s on the inside of your pinky and ring finger. Just press with your thumb to activate it. Try it out and let me know if anything¡¯s off so we can tweak it.¡±


    After some tinkering, Sun Jack¡¯s prosthetic was fully modified, rendering it hacker-proof.


    ¡°Can you modify cybeic eyes too?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Cybeic eyes?¡± AA hesitated, a slight frown on her face. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not sure. Let me research it online and get back to you.¡±


    Sun Jack wasn¡¯t disappointed. The fact that she could modify prosthetics already exceeded his expectations. If she couldn¡¯t do it, it was no big deal¡ªcounter-hacking was a priority, but not all enemies were hackers.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your n for the future?¡± he asked.@@novelbin@@


    AA shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. One step at a time, I guess. I used to look for work in the northern part of the city, close to home. Maybe I¡¯ll try the south and see if there¡¯s anything there.¡±


    She said it casually, but Sun Jack knew jobs weren¡¯t easy toe by. Without a special opportunity, she¡¯d likely end up back where she started soon enough.


    He watched her silently, deep in thought, until AA, feeling self-conscious, checked her face for dirt.


    ¡°Would you really want to be a mercenary?¡± he asked. ¡°If you¡¯re serious, I could train you.¡±


    While someone like King Kong could handle modifications, Sun Jack didn¡¯t trust that swindler. If King Kong would scam Song 6, why wouldn¡¯t he scam him too? Better to keep things in-house. Plus, it¡¯d give AA a job, which was better than having her organs repossessed.


    ¡°I do! I really do! I want to earn big money like you guys! If I work hard enough, I can finally buy my freedom back!¡± AA nodded eagerly like a pecking chick.


    Sun Jack was about to caution her about the dangers of mercenary work but held back. In a ce like this, where wasn¡¯t dangerous? Besides, AA knew this city better than he did.


    ¡°Alright. Go pack your things. When I find a job, I¡¯ll let you know, and we¡¯ll earn big together.¡±


    AA nodded vigorously, packed her tools into her bag, and headed to the door.


    Before leaving, she suddenly spread her arms and gave Sun Jack a tight hug. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m sticking with you, Boss!¡±


    ¡°Boss? Where¡¯d you learn that?¡±


    ¡°Mercenary movies! That¡¯s what they call their leaders!¡± She waved and left Sun Jack¡¯s apartment with a spring in her step.


    ¡°You¡¯re really nning to take her along?¡± Tapai finally broke his silence.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not even on the same wavelength as you. Helping her won¡¯t change that.¡±

 Chapter 50: Where Did He Go?

    Chapter 50: Where Did He Go?


    ¡°D*** it, what exactly goes on in that tin brain of yours all day? If we want to survive in this hellhole, we¡¯ve got to stick together. The more people we¡¯ve got on our side, the better. That way, we avoid the kind of disputes we hadst time,¡± Sun Jack exined to Tapai, sharing his second reason for recruiting AA.


    ¡°The team we had before was just a hodgepodge of people Song 6 threw together. The two of us were barely muscle. Say what you will about him, but he was right about one thing¡ªteamwork is better than going solo.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re trying to build your own team now?¡±


    ¡°If Song 6 can do it, why can¡¯t I?¡± Sun Jack shot back.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already handled two jobs. We know the basic flow, we¡¯ve got contacts, and the resources are right there. Why waste them? If Song 6 doesn¡¯t want them, we¡¯ll take them for ourselves!¡±


    ¡°Well, well, looks like that brain of yours isn¡¯t just for show. Why didn¡¯t I notice before?¡± Tapai teased, giving Sun Jack a yful pat on the head.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Sun Jack snapped, turning his focus to his system UI. He began searching for a new fixer¡ªsomeone reliable.


    With Song 6 gone, they needed to find a recement quickly. If he could lock down a fixer, then Four Ai, King Kong, and the Father would be easy to bring onboard based on what he knew about them.¡°Why not just pay for info?¡± Tapai suggested.


    Sun Jack tested out a few keywords, letting the system¡¯s big data analysis churn out rmendations. But all the free suggestions were useless fluff.


    After hours of frustration, Sun Jack gave up. He ordered takeout, deciding to eat before visiting the Father to ask for professional advice.


    Leaning back on his bed, he gazed out at the neon-lit world outside, drenched in rain, and at the increasingly familiar apartment around him.


    He¡¯d been struggling for survival ever since arriving here. Though there were still problems, at least he was alive.


    Suddenly, a thought struck him. He grabbed his fully charged phone and started snapping pictures of the view outside.


    As he scrolled through his newly captured photos, one caught his eye. It was an old, blurry picture of his home. He couldn¡¯t even remember why he¡¯d taken it, but the shot hade out crooked, capturing a corner of hisputer desk.


    Despite its poor quality, the image triggered a flood of memories from the past century. A wave of homesickness hit him hard.


    Scrolling through his photo gallery, Sun Jack felt his brain reconstructing the world he¡¯d left behind¡ªhis family, his friends, everything he once had. That world, now lost forever, was where he truly belonged.


    His eyes grew misty as he reminisced, his heart aching for home.


    ¡°Sun Jack, you¡¯re such a p****!¡± Tapai¡¯s crudement yanked him back to reality.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°F***!!¡± Sun Jack shoved his phone into his pocket and stormed into the living room. ¡°What¡¯s your problem? Got a virus in your system? Why the random insults?¡±


    ¡°You promised to use some of your @ to buy supplies for me, but youpletely forgot!¡± Tapaiined.


    ¡°D*** it! Song 6 hasn¡¯t sent over the money yet! How am I supposed to buy anything? And watch your tone¡ªI¡¯m your owner!¡±


    The door clicked open, and Four Ai walked in, her wide eyes darting between them.


    Sun Jack¡¯s heart sank as his mind scrambled for a way to exin what she¡¯d overheard.


    But before he could speak, Four Ai saved him the trouble. ¡°Owner? What kind of roley are you two into? Let me guess, me walking in uninvited is all part of the act?¡±


    Sun Jack¡¯s face darkened. Exining would only make it worse. ¡°How do you even have ess to this apartment?¡±


    ¡°I borrowed it for a few days for some fun, so I¡¯ve got the key,¡± Four Ai replied, cigarette dangling from her lips as she peeked into Sun Jack¡¯s bedroom. Her curiosity was written all over her face.


    Sun Jack yanked her back. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s AA? I¡¯m here to remove her suture rivets. By the way, how did your little chat go? Did you two, y¡¯know, seal the deal?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not here! I¡¯ll take her to your clinic tomorrow. Now leave.¡± Sun Jack shoved Four Ai toward the door.


    It was obvious she¡¯d just dropped by to gossip. She didn¡¯t even knock¡ªshe¡¯d barged in, hoping to catch something juicy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I¡¯ve got something to tell you about PUS,¡± she said, her tone turning serious.


    Hearing it was about Song 6, Sun Jack was intrigued. ¡°What¡¯s he up to now? Whatever it is, I¡¯m not teaming up with him again. We¡¯re done. End of story.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Did you get paid for thest job? I checked the BCPD 6th Unit¡¯s site, and the mission is marked aspleted.¡±


    Before Sun Jack could respond, Tapai jumped in. ¡°I knew that b*****d was up to no good! That snake never nned to share the money! He¡¯s bailed on us!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure about this?¡± Sun Jack quickly sent messages to King Kong and the Father for confirmation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s likely,¡± Four Ai said, settling onto the sofa and crossing her legs.


    ¡°You think Song 6 wouldn¡¯t skim off the top?¡± Sun Jack asked, skeptical.


    ¡°Are you kidding? If he <em>didn¡¯t</em> steal our money, he wouldn¡¯t be PUS anymore.¡± Four Ai smirked. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, if he¡¯d taken our cash, he¡¯d be gloating about it on his livestream or blowing it all on parties. Going quiet isn¡¯t his style.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying he got kidnapped? By who? The Graffiti Gang?¡±


    Four Ai shook her head. ¡°Unlikely. There are rules in this business. Going after someone right after a job is like pping the 6th Unit in the face. No one would risk that unless they¡¯re looking for trouble.¡±


    Sun Jack frowned. The more he thought about it, the stranger the situation seemed. Aside from the Graffiti Gang, they hadn¡¯t pissed off anyone recently.


    ¡°You know what? Who cares! Let him rot. Who¡¯s Song 6PUS? Never heard of him! ©c(?????)??¡± Tapai cheered gleefully at the misfortune.


    ¡°But our 20@ payment is still with him,¡± Sun Jack reminded.


    Tapai¡¯s disy immediately shifted to a somber emoji.


    ¡°(..??-??..)¡±

 Chapter 53: A Plan

    Chapter 53: A n


    "See? I told you, I¡¯m a businessman. Everything I do is backed by reason and evidence," the bald man said, tilting his chin upward. At his signal, one of his subordinates began dragging Song 6PUS through a small side door.


    As Song 6PUS was being hauled off, he turned back to Sun Jack and the others, grinning like it was all a big joke. "Hahaha, this time¡¯s on me! Next time, next time, I swear the money will go to you first!"


    Sun Jack couldn¡¯t believe this guy actually owed 120@. This was going to be tricky.


    After a moment of thought, Sun Jack raised his head and spoke to the bald man in the VIP box again. "120@¡ªhow do you expect him to pay that back? Even if you sold him, it wouldn¡¯t cover that debt."


    "Actually, he <em>can</em> pay it back. The kid recently got lucky¡ª80@nded in his ount," the bald man replied with a smug grin. It immediately clicked for Sun Jack. All this time, this guy had been targeting the payment from theirst job.


    "That 80 f***ing belongs to us¡ª" Tapai started to shout, but Sun Jack quickly held him back. They were on enemy turf, and with Song 6PUS in the bald man¡¯s hands, it wasn¡¯t the right time to make a move.


    Out of the corner of his eye, Sun Jack noticed several men and women standing among the crowd, all ring in their direction. Each bore variousbat prosthetics and the "18" symbol on their faces. It was clear they were part of the 18th Street gang.


    Seeing this, the bald man smirked and gestured toward the single-pane ss showcasing the roaring modified beasts. "As for the other 40@, he can earn it by joining his predecessors in the arena.""I¡¯ve already run the ads, and there¡¯s a lot of interest. I¡¯m confident tomorrow¡¯s livestream earnings will more than cover the remaining debt and interest. Hahaha! The show¡¯s going to be spectacr."


    "Now... I¡¯ve said my piece. Any other questions?" The bald man looked down at the group of mercenaries with a cold, condescending gaze.


    His subordinates had already disengaged their weapon safeties. It was a thinly veiled threat, to say the least.


    Seeing no one push back, the bald man nodded in satisfaction. "Good. You can leave now. The duel livestream will air tomorrow at 8 PM on the Eden streaming tform. Pay-per-view¡ªdon¡¯t miss it. Show them out."


    With that, he pped his hands, sat back on his couch, and the transparent walls of the VIP room turned a solid gold color.


    Standing outside, Sun Jack frowned deeply as he gazed at the blood-red Roman-style arena before him.


    "This is a real pain," Four Ai muttered, her brow furrowed as she puffed on an e-cigarette.


    "So what? We¡¯re just not gonna get our money back? F*** this, that sneaky bastard has screwed us over big time!" Tapai cursed angrily.


    "We can¡¯t let it end like this," Sun Jack dered firmly. After all, 20@ was nearly a quarter of the cost for his surgery¡ªit was impossible to just give up.


    "How strong is the 18th Street gang overall? Besides the people we just saw, how many members do they have?" Sun Jack asked.


    "In the grand scheme of things, they¡¯re not a particrly strong gang. But even so, if you think the few of us can just storm in and take him back head-on, you¡¯re dreaming," Four Ai replied.


    "Can we approach it from a hacker angle? Like, maybe hack the surveince in the room where Song 6PUS is being held?" Sun Jack looked toward King Kong for input.


    "Amitabha, Sun Benefactor, the hacker C-Danny from 18th Street is not much weaker than I am. Causing some chaos in their system is doable, but sneaking in undetected is far too difficult," King Kong said with a shake of his head.


    As Sun Jack racked his brain for a solution, AA¡¯s voice came through the channel. "Um... are we trying to figure out a way to rescue Song 6PUS?"


    Sun Jack turned toward her. "Do you have an idea?"


    AA thought for a moment and then said, "I can¡¯t do much... but I just checked their electrical circuits and fuses. If I disable the safety mechanisms and tweak the power supply IC, I could overload the voltage beyond what the wires can handle. I think I could cause a ckout."


    Hearing this, Sun Jack was pleasantly surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected AA to have such a sharp mind. "Nice one, AA!"


    AA quickly waved her hands, as if embarrassed by the praise. "It¡¯s nothing, really. It¡¯s something my ssmates could also do... It¡¯s just that, like me, they can¡¯t find jobs either¡­"


    "A ckout won¡¯t help. Do you really think the people here don¡¯t have night vision or infrared prosthetics?" Father dismissed the idea outright.


    But Sun Jack had a different thought. In his mind, he recalled the beasts locked behind the walls of cages¡ªthose savage eyes devoid of reason and their exaggerated cybeic enhancements.@@novelbin@@


    "A ckout might not do much on its own. But what if, during the power outage, all those beasts managed to break free?" Sun Jack proposed.


    At his words, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up. They had witnessed firsthand the sheer destructive power of those beasts in the arena¡ªmetallic prosthetics ripped apart like paper. If dozens of them were unleashed, the ce would descend into chaos.


    "Let¡¯s do it. AA and I will handle the power," Four Ai said, reattaching her e-cigarette to her ear.


    "King Kong! Just like you mentioned earlier, make sure theirwork goes haywire when the timees. The messier, the better!" Sun Jack added.


    "Amitabha, leave it to me. I¡¯ve downloaded all kinds of viruses from the darkest corners of the web," King Kong replied confidently.


    With roles assigned and the escape route nned, Four Ai and AA headed to sabotage the power, while Father, Sun Jack, and Tapai prepared to use the ensuing chaos to retrieve Song 6PUS.


    Standing outside the arena, Sun Jack kept his eyes fixed on the distant doors, silently waiting.


    Before long, he noticed the holographic projections above the arena beginning to glow brighter and brighter. At first, it wasn¡¯t obvious, but soon the light became blindingly intense.


    Giving Father a quick nce, Sun Jack signaled the team to start moving. They began pushing through the crowd, making their way toward the doors.


    Finally, just as the people near the arena realized something was wrong, the lights exploded with a series of crackles and sparks. One by one, the arena¡¯s light sources burst, plunging the ce into darkness.


    "Move!" Sun Jack, Father, and Tapai, their cybeic eyes already switched to night vision mode, charged into the main hall without hesitation.


    As soon as they entered, the trio found themselves amidst a chaotic crowd. Without wasting any time, they turned their firepower toward the transparent walls that confined the beasts, unleashing a barrage of attacks.


    The ss proved incredibly resilient. Even after being bombarded with shells, it didn¡¯t shatter immediately. However, the beasts inside did the rest of the work for them.


    Like tanks gone berserk, the beasts mmed into the weakened ss with relentless force. With a loud <em>crash</em>, the ss walls finally gave way. Almost instantly, a lion with two mechanical arms mounted on its back burst into the crowd, tearing into anyone it could reach with savage ferocity.


    At first, the 18th Street thugs tried to maintain control of the situation. But as more and more beasts poured out, the arena descended intoplete chaos.


    "Where the hell is Tanaka?! Get those damn sedation injections deployed for all the beasts, NOW!" shouted a panicked youth sporting a Mohawk and lip piercings, yelling frantically at hispanion.

 Chapter 54: Once Again

    Chapter 54: Once Again


    "<em>Here Ie</em>! Here Ie!" A woman suddenly charged forward, raising her right hand toward the rampaging beasts. Her arm split open rapidly, revealing something mechanical within.


    But before she could fully activate whatever device she was deploying, Sun Jack, dodging bullets from afar, fired a shell directly at her. The explosion ended her intervention in an instant, and with her death, the freed beasts lost all semnce of control, going on a rampage and savagely attacking everything around them.


    As the 18th Street thugs started charging toward their position with weapons in hand, Sun Jack quickly sent a system message to Tapai and Father. "Go! That''s enough chaos¡ªfind where they¡¯re keeping him!"


    Grabbing a hat off a panicked passerby, Sun Jack pulled it onto his head and dashed toward the door where Song 6PUS had been dragged earlier.


    The door led into a dim, narrow hallway in utter chaos. Gunfire and screams echoed all around. Whenever someone emerged from a room with a weapon, Sun Jack simply fired a shell without hesitation, wasting no time engaging them further.


    Following the corridor, he eventually reached arge, warehouse-sized room about half the size of a ser field. Inside, people were locked up in steel cages¡ªclearly those ted for uing fights in the arena.


    The trio rushed into the room and began searching for Song 6PUS, but the sheer number of prisoners, some crammed into shared cages, made it an arduous task.


    "System! Facial recognition!" Sun Jackmanded mentally. Green boxes appeared over every person¡¯s face as the system scanned them.Soon enough, a shing green box highlighted a face in a cage toward the far end¡ªSong 6PUS had been found!


    At that exact moment, with a <em>click</em>, the pitch-ck room suddenly lit up again¡ªpower had been restored.


    "AA! Are you okay?!" Sun Jack hurriedly sent her a message.


    "I-I''m fine! Something came up, but I¡¯ll fix it soon!" came AA''s flustered reply.


    Before Sun Jack could respond, a group of 18th Street members with "18" tattoos on their faces burst into the room from the left-side door. Shouting profanities, they opened fire wildly in their direction.


    "F***!" Sun Jack''s cybeic eye widened as he focused intently on their weapons. With a re, his systems temporarily jammed their guns. Taking advantage of the moment, Tapai opened the armor on his chest, pulled out three grenades, and hurled them at the group.


    Just as the grenades were about to detonate, three precise shots rang out, severing the pins and disabling the grenades midair. The explosions never came.


    Emerging from the smoke was the bald man, Answer.01, apanied by his massive, cybeically enhanced war dog. The mechanical beast, half-metal and bristling with weapons, was a terrifying sight as it lumbered into view.


    Tapai instinctively nced toward Father, his stance tense, but ultimately refrained from making a move.


    "Well, well. Impressive. A bunch of petty thieves daring to provoke 18th Street!" the bald man sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "You¡ª"


    Before he could finish his taunt, the lights went out again with a loud <em>pop</em>.


    In the darkness, Sun Jack reacted instantly. Knowing some would have night vision or infrared prosthetics, he dropped low to the ground and tossed three grenades toward their position. The deafening explosions lit up the room briefly, filling it with fire and thick smoke, creating a momentary barrier between the two sides.


    Sun Jack pulled out three vials ofbat stimnt and injected them directly into his neck. His pupils dted as his enhanced body surged with adrenaline. Kicking off the ground with explosive force, he charged headlong through the smoke and mes¡ªstraight toward the bald man.


    Running away would¡¯ve been suicide. The odds were against them, and the best chance for survival now was to take down the leader.


    The heat was unbearable. Sun Jack''s skin burned, his hair singed, and his body ached with every step. But he refused to close his eyes, his cybeic vision locked onto the bald man ahead. As the smoke began to clear, Sun Jack swung his right arm violently, deploying his Electric Arc de. Like a beast, he pounced toward his target.


    The bald man, clearly startled by Sun Jack''s sudden appearance, flinched before breaking into a cold smile. "Mark!"


    Two blurred figures lunged at Sun Jack¡ªone biting into his cybeic arm, the other sinking its teeth into his neck. The massive mechanical war dogs tackled him back into the thick smoke.


    But before the bald man could revel in his victory, he felt something cold press against his temple. "Call off your dogs, or I¡¯ll blow your head off."


    It was Tapai¡¯s voice. Naturally, as Sun Jack charged in, Tapai had followed without hesitation, exploiting the chaos to sneak up on the bald man.


    The two mechanical dogs, fully focused on Sun Jack, had left the bald man exposed, giving Tapai the perfect opportunity to strike.


    "Stop! Stop!" Answer.01¡¯s voice trembled with fear as he hurriedlymanded the war dogs to retreat.


    The mechanical beasts reluctantly backed off, releasing a bloodied and gasping Sun Jack, who staggered to his feet, clutching his bleeding neck. Tapai leaned his head around the bald man¡¯s shoulder and grinned. "How badass am I, huh? (??????)??"


    "Badass!" Sun Jack growled through gritted teeth.


    Tapai pressed the barrel of his gun harder against the bald man¡¯s head. "Now tell your thugs and your dogs to back off. Try anything funny, and I¡¯ll stter your brains all over the wall."


    Though fear flickered in the bald man¡¯s eyes, he didn¡¯t immediatelyply. "That¡¯s impossible! If they back off, I¡¯ll be at your mercy¡ªyou¡¯ll carve me up like a b of meat!"


    As if on cue, the war dogs and the other gang members growled and snarled, closing in with murderous intent. Just as the situation seemed poised to erupt into a fight to the death, the bald man raised a hand to signal them to stop.


    "Look, there¡¯s no point in us being stuck like this. How about we settle this the way it¡¯s done in our world?" the bald man proposed, clearly trying to negotiate.


    "And how do you want to settle it?" Sun Jack asked, jabbing a syringe of coagnt into his neck. The bleeding quickly stopped as the medication took effect, tightening the ruptured blood vessels.


    "I know why you¡¯re here. You want money, right? 50@, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll give you 70@!"


    "Seventy @coins¡ªtake it and leave immediately! But you can¡¯t take Song 6PUS with you. I¡¯ve already advertised his fight; if he¡¯s gone, I¡¯ll have to answer to my superiors."


    Using money to solve everything¡ªthis was a tactic Sun Jack was very familiar with. But he hadn¡¯t expected someone to turn it back on him today.


    To be honest, Sun Jack really needed money. With this 70@, he¡¯d be close to covering his surgery costs. Standing there, he nced at the bald man being held hostage and then at his gang members, who were all ring at him like wolves ready to pounce.


    Then, Sun Jack turned his head toward the cage where Song 6PUS was held. Inside, the battered and bruised Song 6PUS struggled to his feet, his face a mess of blood and bruises. He grinned through the pain, revealing gums where his golden teeth had all been ripped out. His prosthetics were gone, dismantledpletely, leaving him looking utterly pathetic.@@novelbin@@


    Sun Jack looked to the left, then to the right. Finally, he raised his voice, shouting across the room to Song 6PUS, ¡°Now you tell me¡ªwhat should I choose this time? The money, or you?¡±


    Song 6PUS wobbled unsteadily but managed to stand inside the cage, staring at the chaos beyond the ss. He couldn¡¯t believe the same decision he had faced earlier was now being thrust upon Sun Jack.


    At first, Song 6PUS shook his head with a bitter smile. Then, stiffening his neck and straining his voice, he screamed at the top of his lungs, ¡°You idiot! How many times do I have to tell you?! Pick the money! In this city, money is more important than anything! With money, you can even sell out your own parents! Money gives you everything!¡±


    Sun Jack let out a dryugh, stepping closer to Song 6PUS¡¯s cage. With one swift motion, he swung his arm, and the sharp Electric Arc de snapped out, shing through the ss and shattering it instantly.


    Reaching into the cage, Sun Jack grabbed the trembling, red-eyed Song 6PUS and yanked him out. Then, without hesitation, Sun Jack smashed his fist into Song 6PUS¡¯s face so hard that it looked like his features were about to be rearranged.


    ¡°F*** you! Wrong answer!!¡± Sun Jack roared.

 Chapter 56: Steel Heart

    Chapter 56: Steel Heart


    In the maze of the 18th Street fighting arena, Sun Jack and the group sprinted toward the location marked by King Kong. The journey was fraught with danger, but just as their ammunition was nearly depleted, they finally stopped in front of a wall.


    ¡°This is it! It¡¯s inside!¡± Song 6PUS eximed, his face brimming with excitement.


    With a few grenades, Sun Jack sted a hole in the thick wall. Song 6PUS rushed in first, with Sun Jack close behind, while Father and Tapai stayed by the opening, suppressing the enemies outside with heavy gunfire.


    Inside, Sun Jack saw rows of ck server racks, their blinking indicator lights illuminating the room. The space was filled with iprehensible electronic equipment, and in the center of it all were three metallic chairs, densely connected by wires and fiber optics.


    On one of the chairsy a white goat, and on the other two were men, both severely injured. Transparent, flexible wireless helmets covered their heads, and above them hovered various holographic images of brains, pie charts, and rapidly shifting data tables.


    As someone from an older time, Sun Jack had no idea what these devices were but could tell they were extremely advanced.


    ¡°Damn! I knew it! I knew it!¡± Song 6PUS shouted, pacing around the three chairs with manic excitement.


    ¡°What do you know? What <em>is</em> this thing?¡± Sun Jack demanded, his voice urgent.¡°Cognitive Mode Buffers!¡± Song 6PUS shouted, pointing at the chairs. ¡°This thing connects virtual signals directly to neural cells through synaptic links! Bro! Do you get what I¡¯m saying? This thing can modify memories!¡±


    ¡°F***! I knew it! I knew I didn¡¯t owe them money! Those memories of debts were all fake! They stuffed that sh** into my brain with this thing! Hell, they probably owe <em>me</em> money!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m going to stream this and blow their operation wide open! F***, using this on animals was bad enough, but these 18th Street scumbags dared to use it on <em>people</em>!?¡±


    He immediately started a livestream, aiming his camera at the machines.


    ¡°Look at this! Look, everyone! These databases are full of stored memories! God knows how many people¡¯s memories they¡¯ve tampered with! And check this out¡ªCognitive Mode Buffers, Neural Network Reconstructors! This is straight-up contraband! Insane, right? Isn¡¯t this sh** incredible?¡±


    ¡°Memories can be altered?¡± Sun Jack, as someone from the ancient past, felt a chill crawl up his spine. He realized that, despite living in this future, he hardly understood its depths.


    But Song 6PUS, brimming with schadenfreude, grinned maliciously. ¡°Of course! From a technological standpoint, modifying memories isn¡¯t that hard. But in the Metropolis, this is a capital crime second only to creating self-aware AI. If they get caught, it¡¯s the death penalty! Someone contact the BCPD Unit 3 for me, stat!¡±


    Ignoring the gunfire outside, Song 6PUS pped his single hand on Sun Jack¡¯s shoulder with triumphant force. ¡°Bro, hahaha! Before, it was us owing them money, and we¡¯d have no ground to stand on if word got out. But now, we¡¯ve got solid evidence¡ª18th Street is <em>done</em>! Completely finished!¡±


    Just as Song 6PUS was basking in his victory, a PK (yer Kill) challenge suddenly popped up in his livestream.


    ¡°Oh? Someone wants to battle me? Let¡¯s see who it is!¡± Song 6PUS tapped the notification, and a lion¡¯s face filled the majority of the screen. When Song 6PUS saw the ¡°18¡± tattooed on the left side of the lion¡¯s face, his expression lit up with glee.


    The lion¡¯s metallic fangs glinted as it sneered and spoke, ¡°You¡¯ve got guts, kid, messing with us.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± Sun Jack asked, shielding his face as he nced at the livestream.


    ¡°That¡¯s Steel Heart! The second-inmand of 18th Street!¡± Song 6PUS eximed with giddy excitement. He then turned to the livestream audience and began taunting, ¡°Look who it is, family! We just trashed his ce! Show your love with gifts and tips, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The chat exploded with activity as viewers fueled the fire, egging him on.


    ¡°Enough talking. Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Sun Jack said, grabbing Song 6PUS and trying to pull him away.


    ¡°What are you running for? They¡¯re the ones who should be running now! All we have to do is wait for Unit 3 to take over, then we¡¯ll walk out the front door, bold as brass,¡± Song 6PUS said confidently, his expression showing no fear¡ªonly twisted delight. He continued to mock Steel Heart through the livestream.


    ¡°Better run while you can! I¡¯ve already contacted BCPD, and they¡¯ll be here soon! If you don¡¯t get out of the city before they find you, you¡¯re as good as dead!¡±


    Just then, the ceiling suddenly caved in. A figure crashed down,nding directly on one of the injured men strapped to the chair. Blood and mechanical parts sttered everywhere, painting the floor in a grotesque disy.


    As Sun Jack dove to the side to avoid the debris, he gasped sharply when he saw the figure clearly. It was the same lion-headed man, Steel Heart, who had just been in Song 6PUS¡¯s livestream!


    This guy wasn¡¯t just a lion-headed human¡ªhis entire body was a mix of flesh and machine, though it was hard to tell if the machinery was internal imnts or external augmentations. What had seemed normal-sized on the livestream now loomed over them; Steel Heart stood over three meters tall. His matte ck metallic prosthetics, armed to the teeth, radiated an overwhelming sense of menace.


    And to top it off, six circr drones hovered menacingly around him.


    Steel Heart nced at Song 6PUS, sprawled on the ground, and sneered coldly. ¡°Still streaming, huh?¡±


    With a press of a button on his waist, an invisible pulse rippled outward. Song 6PUS¡¯s livestream instantly cut off, and not just his¡ªSun Jack¡¯s neural system also went offline, severing his connection to both AA and King Kong.


    ¡°Sh**!¡± Sun Jack cursed, raising his weapon and firing a shot at Steel Heart.


    To his horror, Steel Heart didn¡¯t even flinch. He took the hit head-on, his massive body effortlessly absorbing the attack.


    As the smoke cleared, Sun Jack stared in shock. Aside from a slight ckening of the lion¡¯s mane on Steel Heart¡¯s face, he appearedpletely unharmed.


    With a casual wave of Steel Heart¡¯s hand, the drones hovering around him quickly dispersed. Instead of directly attacking Sun Jack, they extended a tangled mess of data cables, plugging into the surrounding databases.


    Every database the cables connected to went dark, their indicator lights extinguishing before emitting ck smoke and bursting into self-ignited mes.


    ¡°Sh**! Bro! Stop him! He¡¯s trying to destroy all the evidence before Unit 3 arrives!¡± Song 6PUS yelled in a panic.


    Sun Jack felt an almost physical urge to vomit blood. <em>This idiot just sits there yelling nonsense and doesn¡¯t help at all!</em> Now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about ¡°evidence¡±!@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Correct! You guessed it! And guess what? That evidence includes <em>you</em>!,¡± Steel Heart sneered.


    Before Sun Jack could act, Steel Heart¡¯s ankle jets erupted with cobalt-blue mes, propelling his massive, metal-d body forward with a gale-like force. Like a small mountain, he hurtled toward Sun Jack with unstoppable momentum.

 Chapter 57: Military Prosthetics

    Chapter 57: Military Prosthetics


    The towering Steel Heart, over three meters tall, came charging at an incredible speed. The sheer oppressive force was overwhelming. Forget about being directly attacked¡ªjust getting bumped would mean instant obliteration.


    With his heart pounding like a drum, Sun Jack darted into the gaps between rows of ck databases. He hoped these massive servers might hinder the behemoth¡¯s pursuit. But Steel Heart¡¯s fully metallic body was like a tank, crashing through with deafening <em>ng</em> <em>ng</em> sounds, sending sparks flying everywhere. Anything in its path was either shattered or thrown aside.


    The danger didn¡¯t stop with Steel Heart. A sharp <em>zzzzzz</em> sound filled the air as drones apanying it emitted an ever-brightening glow from their tips.


    With a <em>whoosh</em>, a blinding beam of light shot straight toward Sun Jack. Forced to defend himself, Sun Jack raised his prosthetic limb. But the supposedly bulletproof metal limb melted through likeva, leaving a gaping hole!


    "Watch out! It¡¯s a Gaofeng Model 6 Laser Cannon! Its pration is off the charts!" yelled the Father, lifting his shotgun and firing furiously at the drone. However, bullets that used to tear through flesh now only left shallow dents on the drone¡¯s body.


    Meanwhile, the other drones, which had been busy destroying evidence, retracted their data cables and directed their sensor lights toward the Father.


    In the next moment, bullets,sers, and grenades filled the air, turning the rtively small room into a chaotic battlefield.


    While running, Sun Jack frantically raised his prosthetic arm,unching missiles at the Steel Heart chasing him. The explosions left the behemoth¡¯s metallic shell slightly ckened but caused no real damage.¡°Seriously? You¡¯re still using fixed-rocket explosives in this day and age!?¡±


    Steel Heart leapt, flipping its massive frame onto the ceiling. A hatch opened on its broad left shoulder,unching a gleaming silver shell that zipped toward Sun Jack at terrifying speed.


    Just as it was about to hit him, Sun Jack twisted his body at thest second, narrowly avoiding the projectile. Before he could even celebrate, the shell curved mid-air, looping back toward his back. It could <em>turn</em>!


    Steel Heart¡¯s face twisted into a cruel smile. "Idiot! Taste the power of smart-guided weaponry!"


    With a deafening <em>boom</em>, the shell exploded. As Steel Heart sneered, expecting Sun Jack to be obliterated, a figure emerged from the smoke. But it wasn¡¯t Sun Jack¡ªit was a fully cybeic cyborg.


    ¡°Tepai! Are you alright?¡± Sun Jack stumbled out from behind Tepai, his ears bleeding from the explosion, as he injected a needle into his neck.


    ¡°Try taking a hit yourself, and then ask that dumbass question!¡± Tepai, his metal skeleton now exposed from the st, cursed as he lifted his rifle and sprayed bullets at Steel Heart. But the barrage of bullets barely scratched its surface.@@novelbin@@


    As Steel Heart charged at them, the two scrambled to retreat. "Screw you, Sun Jack! I told you to buy better gear, but nooo¡ªyou had to save money at a time like this!"


    ¡°I told you already, I can¡¯t afford it! What do you think I am, a millionaire?¡± Sun Jack ducked quickly, narrowly avoiding aser aimed at his head. ¡°Shut up and think of a way to kill him! Either he dies, or we do!¡±


    Before Sun Jack¡¯s words even finished, Steel Heart¡¯s metallic fingers extended rapidly, like five steel cables, whipping toward them.


    The cables snaked around, binding the two tightly before dragging them toward Steel Heart.


    The Father and Song 6PUS rushed forward, attempting a rescue, but the remaining five drones quickly adapted using their AI, moving to block them.


    With the two now mere meters from the massive machine, Sun Jack panicked. Just as Steel Heart prepared to activate its hydraulic system to tear them apart, Sun Jack had a sh of inspiration. Quickly essing the su, he sent a message to Tepai: "Bluff him!"


    Tepai immediately caught on. Just as Steel Heart was about to strike, red lights began shing rapidly on Tepai¡¯s disy. A chilling female voice emanated from his body: "Nuclear detonation mode activated."


    ¡°Holy sh*t! Cyber psychotics!¡± Steel Heart instinctively recoiled, retracting the cables and flinging the two away.


    Its system quickly activated a massive shield expansion mechanism. Armor tes shifted from its back to its front, forming a colossal tower shield coated in an adaptive voltage-responsive nanofilm.


    At the same time, thin memory-metal rods extended from various points on Steel Heart¡¯s body, weaving into a Faraday cage designed to repel high-explosive electromaic fields.


    Meanwhile, Tepai wasted no time. He grabbed Sun Jack and bolted toward the exit, showing no signs of self-detonating.


    When Steel Heart¡¯s sensors registered no actual nuclear threat, it realized it had been duped.


    ¡°You dare mess with me?!¡± Enraged, Steel Heart deactivated its shield, reignited its leg thrusters, and gave chase.


    Though they had escaped for now, Sun Jack knew they were still as good as dead if this continued.


    ¡°Father! You¡¯ve been in the army! Do you recognize what brand his prosthetics are?¡± Sun Jack desperately searched for a weakness.


    ¡°I recognize some of it! Sending you the data now!¡±


    In moments, a flood of detailed specs and 3D models filled Sun Jack¡¯s system interface. Just reading through it all left him hopeless. Steel Heart¡¯s prosthetics were top-of-the-line military-grade, developed for corporate warfare. They ounted for every possible attack: electromaic, thermal, kic, explosive, even hacking.


    Forget defeating it¡ªthey didn¡¯t even have a weapon capable of breaching its defenses!


    ¡°What now?¡± Tepai asked.


    ¡°Run!¡± Sun Jack shouted.


    Without hesitation, Tepai turned and shot Song 6PUS in the knee.


    "Father! Old Six, get moving! We¡¯ll regroup outside!" As Song 6PUS copsed, Tepai and Sun Jack made a break for the door.


    But as soon as they stepped out, bullets rained down. Even through his bulletproof vest, Sun Jack felt the impact.


    ¡°Goddammit! Those 18th Street thugs are blocking the exit! They¡¯re trying to get us killed by Steel Heart!¡± Sun Jack fired a few shots to push them back, retreating inside.


    ¡°Motherf<em>er! Sun Jack! You¡¯re a f</em>ing a**hole!¡± Song 6PUS roared, clutching his injured leg.


    Sun Jack ignored him, knowing their current predicament spelled certain death if things didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± he muttered as Steel Heart closed in, his anxiety reaching a peak. ¡°Do I really have to break my own limits to survive?¡±


    But Sun Jack knew even if he surpassed his body¡¯s limits, it wouldn¡¯t prate Steel Heart¡¯s defenses.


    Just as despair set in, a gunshot rang out. Steel Heart¡¯s massive lion-like head jerked to the side as golden mane fragments exploded into the air.

 Chapter 59: The Spoils

    Chapter 59: The Spoils


    In the dim and chaotic room, Steel Hearty motionless on the ground. Its memory was a scrambled mess after Tepai¡¯s wild tinkering. It was unclear whether it still had self-awareness or the ability to control its prosthetics.


    With Steel Heart incapacitated, the drones hovering in midair ceased all activity, entering standby mode and floating idly.


    Sun Jack gasped for air, feeling the tension in his chest ease as Steel Heart lost itsbat capabilities.


    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± he asked, clutching his broken arm and struggling to stand.


    It had been a grueling battle. Everyone was injured to some degree. As Sun Jack¡¯s gaze swept over the group, it finally settled on the blood-soaked body of Song 6PUS.


    He didn¡¯t have much of an emotional connection to Song 6PUS, but seeing a familiar face lying dead in a pool of blood still left him with a hollow sense of loss. This was The Metropolis¡ªdeath was just a fact of life. He needed to adapt quickly.


    Kneeling by the body, Sun Jack prepared to say something solemn when Song 6PUS suddenly sprang to life, startling him.


    ¡°Holy sh*t!¡± Sun Jack eximed, jumping back.¡°Is it over? Did we win?¡± Song 6PUS, his face covered in blood, looked around. When he saw Steel Heart lying lifeless on the ground, a wide grin spread across his face.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re alive? You¡¯re really not dead?¡± Sun Jack stared at the gaping hole in Song 6PUS¡¯s chest, struggling to process the absurdity of it all.


    ¡°Bro, of course I¡¯m alive! Did you forget how we met? I¡¯ve got a backup heart pump!¡± Song 6PUS proudly pped his chest.


    ¡°Now you see why I got it installed? Modernbat prosthetics always target fatal zones automatically. A backup heart pump is like having an extra life! You should get one too!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! If you¡¯re fine, why were you lying there ying dead?! You scared the hell out of me!¡± Sun Jack fumed,pletely baffled by the man¡¯s antics.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°I was ying dead, obviously!¡± Song 6PUS replied,pletely unapologetic.


    Before Sun Jack could retort, Song 6PUS turned and limped over to Steel Heart, his eyes gleaming with greed as he ran his hands over the lifeless body.


    ¡°Bro! Oh my god, it¡¯s a full set of corporate-grade militarybat prosthetics! Bro, we¡¯re rich!!¡±


    Song 6¡¯s excitement was palpable. He groped Steel Heart¡¯s body like he was inspecting treasure, his face practically glowing with joy¡ªmore thrilled than he¡¯d ever been, even at Club 69.


    ¡°Let¡¯s figure out how to dismantle these prosthetics. If we can strip them all off, bro, you can afford to have as many surgeries as you want!¡±


    Hearing this, Sun Jack turned toward Steel Heart¡¯s massive, reinforcedbat prosthetics. After experiencing its power firsthand, he fully understood their value. Compared to this, thebat prosthetics sold by King Kong were nothing but overpriced garbage. If they could sell these, the profits would multiply many times over.


    Steel Heart weighed several tons¡ªtransporting the entire body was out of the question. The group gathered around to begin dismantling the prosthetics.


    However, Steel Heart¡¯sponents were clearly designed to prevent tampering. After circling the body multiple times, they couldn¡¯t find a single ess point to start removing parts.


    The danger wasn¡¯t over, either. Sun Jack could hear footsteps approaching from outside¡ªmembers of the 18th Street gang, alerted by themotion, were closing in.


    ¡°If we can¡¯t take apart the prosthetics, let¡¯s grab the drones,¡± Sun Jack suggested, ncing at the idle drones hovering above.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch those,¡± the Father warned. ¡°These types of drones have tracking modules. If someone remotely activates them, they could blow up in your face.¡±


    While they debated, Four Ai discovered a potential solution. ¡°We can¡¯t remove the prosthetics¡ªthey¡¯re fully integrated¡ªbut the energy core is detachable. AA, help me out!¡±


    With Four Ai and AA working together, they managed to extract a torpedo-shaped, melon-sized mini nuclear reactor from Steel Heart¡¯s back. It emitted a faint, sky-blue glow and a low, humming vibration.


    Even without technical expertise, Sun Jack could tell just by looking at it that the reactor was worth a fortune. This tiny device powered Steel Heart¡¯s entire monstrousbat prosthetic system.


    Reluctantly leaving behind the rest of the prosthetics, the group exited through the venttion duct with their prize, ignoring Song 6PUS¡¯s greedy protests.


    Minutester, they stood atop a distant skyscraper, watching as hover vehicles buzzed around the Blood-Red Roman Colosseum. Inside, the altered Cognitive Mode Buffer and unsecured databases remained untouched.


    The 18th Street gang was going to have a serious mess on their hands. This was good news for the group¡ªif the gang was too busy dealing with their own problems, they wouldn¡¯t have time to seek revenge.


    As the effects of the painkillers began to wear off, Sun Jack became acutely aware of his injuries. His arm hurt, his face hurt, his neck hurt¡ªeverything hurt. He felt utterly drained.


    Life in The Metropolis was always so chaotic. If he had any other options, he wouldn¡¯t want to be a mercenary.


    Still, despite all the twists and turns, they had made it through. More importantly, no one had died, and they even walked away with a valuable haul.


    ¡°I wonder if the insurancepany will cover these injuries,¡± Sun Jack thought to himself.


    ¡°F***!¡± Song 6PUS cursed, clutching his chest.


    ¡°What now?!¡± Sun Jack asked.


    ¡°I lost my livestream PvP match because I went offline!¡± Song 6PUSined, staring at his newly opened livestream interface.


    Hearing this, Sun Jack¡¯s anger red. ring at Song 6PUS, he thought about how this idiot had caused all the trouble today.


    Rolling up his sleeves, Sun Jack motioned for Tepai to help him teach Song 6PUS a lesson. Seeing this, Song 6PUS panicked.


    Before they could act, a notification popped up on Sun Jack¡¯s interface: <em>¡°Song 6PUS has transferred 20@ to you. Please check your ount.¡±</em>


    <em>29.345@.</em>


    Seeing the 20@ deposit, Sun Jack reluctantly lowered his fist. ¡°How did your money not get stolen by Baldy?¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Song 6PUS smugly adjusted his tattered clothes and caught some of the acid rain in his hands to wash his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. If I¡¯d handed over all my money, Baldy would¡¯ve sent me straight to the Arena to get torn apart by lions. Bro, as long as I hold onto this cash, I get to live another day. Money is life, bro~!¡±

 Chapter 60: Problems

    Chapter 60: Problems


    ¡°You¡¯re so sure that Baldy won¡¯t smash your head open and take your system chip?¡± Sun Jack asked as he looked at Song 6.


    ¡°@coins are stored on the blockchain, not in my head. If I don¡¯t give him the key, smashing my head won¡¯t get him the money. Plus, my system is thetest Model D¡ªdo you think it¡¯s as cheap as the trashy D in your head?¡± Song 6PUS retorted.


    ¡°Cheap trash?¡± Sun Jack frowned and sent a message to King Kong for rification. The guy immediately went offline, clearly guilty.


    Sun Jack¡¯s fist clenched tighter. As he suspected, those two had teamed up to rip him off back then. Good thing he didn¡¯t install that crap directly in his head.


    You can run, but your hideout won¡¯t disappear. Once he got back, he was definitely going to settle this score with King Kong.


    Turning his head, Sun Jack asked AA, ¡°Did you get your money?¡±


    AA grinned and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yep, got 3@!¡±


    ¡°What?! Only 3@? I distinctly remember it was supposed to be 6@!¡± Sun Jack red at Song 6 threateningly.¡°Y-you¡¯re extorting me! When was it ever 6@?¡± Song 6PUS looked genuinely stunned.


    ¡°Rescuing you doesn¡¯te for free, does it? In The Metropolis, doesn¡¯t everything have a price?¡± Sun Jack snapped back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money! Eighteenth Street cleaned me out!¡± Song 6PUS shamelessly tried to wriggle his way out.


    ¡°Well then, consider this a debt to her. And by the way, since she helped this time, when we sell this piece of junk, she¡¯s getting a cut too.¡± Sun Jack nudged the mini nuclear reactor at his feet with his toe.


    His action instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention. That thing looked way more valuable than Song 6PUS himself.


    ¡°So, how much is this thing worth?¡± Tapai squatted down, carefully examining the reactor. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any sales records for it online.¡±


    ¡°No clue, but it¡¯s definitely worth a lot. Even if we just use it to set up our own power station and sell electricity, it¡¯d make us a fortune.¡± Song 6PUS, now looking visibly excited, seemed to forget about his injuries entirely.


    The priest, however, remained calm. ¡°Better gather some intel first. It might not be that easy to sell.¡±


    Hearing this, Four Ai nced over at him, cigarette in hand. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Military equipment is the hardest to offload¡ªnot because it¡¯s not valuable, but because corporate enforcers are always investigating. Selling this stuff is strictly prohibited,¡± the priest exined.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Don¡¯t jinx it like that. Something this good is bound to have buyers. And if selling it is so forbidden, where do you think Steel Heart got all his gear from? Worst case, I can sell it at a 20% discount and still have people fighting over it,¡± Song 6PUS said while stroking the reactor like it was his own child.


    ¡°Man, if it weren¡¯t for me, we wouldn¡¯t have this score! Bro~ you should be thanking me!¡± he bragged.


    ¡°Oh, really? Then should we all thank you, PUS?¡± Four Ai sneered. ¡°Now hurry up and pay us back.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my fault! You all saw it¡ªthose debt memories in my head were nted by those Eighteenth Street bastards using their D-mods. I don¡¯t owe them anything¡ªthey owe <em>me</em>!¡± Song 6PUS eximed, hurriedly returning the payment from theirst mission.


    Hearing this, Sun Jack couldn¡¯t help but recall those memory-modification devices. Such things couldpletely rewrite someone¡¯s memories. The technological advancements of this era were beyond his imagination.


    He began to wonder¡ªwhat other mind-blowing technologies did this world hold?


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back. The wind¡¯s getting chilly,¡± Sun Jack said as he led Tapai toward the rooftop elevator.


    The others followed in small groups, preparing to rest and regroup.


    As they waited for the elevator, Sun Jack casually asked, ¡°If The Metropolis has tech like this, doesn¡¯t that mean someone couldmit crimes using it? How can you even tell if your memories have been tampered with?¡±


    It was a serious concern. As a mercenary, he knew he might encounter anything. He needed to be prepared in case it ever happened to him.


    ¡°Details,¡± Four Ai, the doctor, replied. ¡°If you notice unexined gaps in your memory, muscle memory you can¡¯t recall learning, or strange cognitive dissonance, then it¡¯s time to seriously question how much of your current memory is real and how much is fabricated.¡±


    Her words caused everyone except AA to freeze. They all turned to look at Sun Jack.


    Seeing their stares, a chilling sensation crept up Sun Jack¡¯s spine. He tried tough it off, to dispel the fear growing inside, but all he could muster was a stiff, unnatural smile.


    ¡°Why are you all looking at me like that? My memories can¡¯t be fake.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And why¡¯s that? Care to exin?¡± Four Ai asked, crossing her arms.


    ¡°Because¡­ my past memories are intact. I only lost five years, that¡¯s all!¡± Sun Jack suddenly raised his voice defensively.


    ¡°And how do you know those intact memories are real? They could just as easily have been edited,¡± the priest questioned.


    Images of his childhood, his family, his ssmates, and everything from his past shed through Sun Jack¡¯s mind. ¡°Could all of that really be fake?¡±


    A wave of unprecedented panic engulfed Sun Jack.


    ¡°No! No way! Impossible!¡± he shook his head in denial, his breathing quickening. ¡°I¡¯m just suffering from amnesia! That¡¯s all it is!¡±


    The others fell silent, but the priest wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t notice it, but we¡¯ve all sensed it¡ªyour behavior¡¯s been off. Something isn¡¯t right.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Facing these things head-on can be hard, sure, but avoiding them won¡¯t solve anything.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so convinced my memory was altered? Couldn¡¯t my odd behavior be caused by something else? Maybe I¡¯m just¡ª¡± Sun Jack abruptly stopped, realizing he¡¯d nearly let something slip.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle this myself. I¡¯ll sort it out,¡± Sun Jack said, his mind a chaotic mess. He needed somewhere quiet to think.


    Tapai stepped forward, dragging the increasingly agitated Sun Jack into the elevator. ¡°We¡¯re heading back. Once that thing is sold, let us know,¡± he said, referring to the reactor.


    AA instinctively started to follow, but the priest held her back. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for the next one.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the boss?¡± AA asked, confused. She hadn¡¯t noticed anything unusual about Sun Jack.


    ¡°Who knows? He¡¯s always so secretive, acting like everyone¡¯s dying to uncover his hidden identity,¡± Song 6PUS quipped, before turning to Four Ai. ¡°Hey, Ai, help me out at your clinic. I need a new tooth. Thx~¡±


    ¡°Get lost. No money, no service,¡± Four Ai snapped as she walked into the re-opened elevator.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cold. We¡¯re teammates, aren¡¯t we?¡± Song 6 pleaded, carrying the reactor.


    ¡°Fine. No money? Then pay me in kind. Bend over once for every tooth I rece. Deal?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Forget it.¡±

 Chapter 63: Lending a Hand

    Chapter 63: Lending a Hand


    At the Hotdog Bar, Sun Jack exined his current predicament to the group.


    These people had been through life and death together several times, so Sun Jack decided to trust them¡ªat least partially. He omitted details about being an ancient human and the space station but shared everything else.


    ¡°This is my problem,¡± Sun Jack began. ¡°I¡¯m facing two possibilities: either I¡¯ve lost my memories, or they¡¯ve been tampered with¡ªor worse, my entire memory is fabricated.¡±


    Sun Jack hade to terms with the situation: no matter what, he needed to figure out the truth about himself.


    Four Ai was the first to speak. She exhaled from her e-cigarette, leaned slightly toward him, and teased, ¡°So...who¡¯s Hilda? Your ex-lover? That name works for both guys and girls, you know.¡±


    ¡°F*** if I know! If I did, why the h*** would I be here asking you lot?¡± Sun Jack snapped. The more time he spent around Four Ai, the more insufferable he found her¡ªalways prying into gossip and drama.


    ¡°I could have the Followers of God spread your information to see if anyone in The Metropolis recognizes you,¡± suggested the Father.


    Sun Jack hesitated. The suggestion was indeed practical, but there was a problem¡ªwhat if his memories weren¡¯t fake? What if he really was an ancient human from a thousand years ago?Wouldn¡¯t broadcasting his presence be too high-profile? It could attract corporate attention, which would spell disaster.


    Noticing Sun Jack¡¯s hesitation, Song 6PUS grabbed AA¡¯s hotdog, took a bite, and chimed in, ¡°Oh,e on. What¡¯s there to hesitate about? What, you think someone here actually cares about where you twoe from? When you first got to town, I noticed you acting all shady, like you were hiding something. I even posted your info on the dark web to make a quick buck.¡±


    ¡°You did what?!¡± Sun Jack and Tapai recoiled in unison, staring wide-eyed at Song 6PUS in disbelief.


    ¡°You sold our information?!¡±


    ¡°Yep. But rx, nobody bought it. I even listed it for 0.1 @coins, but nada. I tried several forums, and still, no one cared. So, you see? Nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°You son of a b****! I knew you were scheming something the moment we got here!¡± Furious, Sun Jack grabbed Song 6PUS by the cor and yanked him forward.


    ¡°Whoa, easy there, bro! Nothing came of it, right?¡± Song 6PUS protested with a look of mock innocence.


    ¡°Yeah! Lucky for you it didn¡¯t sell! If someone had bought it, we could¡¯ve ended up dead!¡±


    As the two bickered, the others stepped in to break it up.


    ¡°The damage is done. What do you want now? You¡¯re not gonna kill me over a little thing like this, are you?¡± Song 6PUS leaned back, almost sprawling across the table.


    Sun Jack stared at him, thinking it over. In the end, he decided to deal with it the way people in this world did. ¡°Compensation!¡±


    At that, Song 6PUS¡¯s face scrunched up, and he held up a single finger. ¡°1 @.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to throw scraps to a beggar? You posted our intel on the dark web for sale, and you think 1 @ is enough?¡±


    ¡°Come on! You guys aren¡¯t worth anything! I thought you might be fugitives with bounties or something, but nobody even bothered to ask about you. 1 @ is generous!¡±


    At this point, Tapai jumped in, his voice full of righteous indignation. ¡°The f***, Song? Not only did you sell us out, but now you¡¯re insulting us? The price just went up!¡±


    After much back-and-forth, they settled on 19 @coins aspensation. However, Song 6PUS didn¡¯t have the money yet and promised to pay after their next job.


    Realizing that his physical description and details had been floating around the since hended, and nobody cared, Sun Jack decided to lean into it. He handed his information to the Father and King Kong, asking them to look for traces of his presence in the city¡ªboth online and offline.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just focus on me. If you find anyone researching memory alteration, let me know too,¡± Sun Jack added, biting into a hotdog.@@novelbin@@


    The taste was strange¡ªsynthetic, and not in a good way.


    <em>Ding ding ding!</em><em></em>


    Song 6PUS tapped his ss with his colorful stic teeth. ¡°Alright, since we¡¯re all here, I¡¯ve got something to discuss¡ªabout that nuclear reactor core we snagged from Steel Heart.¡±


    The mention of theirst big haul caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°How much did it sell for?¡± Tapai asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s tough to move,¡± Song 6PUS sighed regretfully. ¡°Father was right¡ªselling a nuclear reactor is no small task. Most buyers won¡¯t offer much for it.¡±


    ¡°I asked around, and the highest bid I got was 15 @. So, what do you all think?¡±


    ¡°15 @? Are you kidding me? That thing¡¯s worth no more than my cybeic eye?¡± Sun Jack felt cheated¡ªafter all the risks they¡¯d taken to snatch it from Steel Heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re not skimming off the top, are you?¡± Tapai immediately questioned.


    ¡°Bro, do I look like that kind of guy?¡± Song 6PUS retorted.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°This time, Song 6PUS isn¡¯t lying,¡± the Father interjected. ¡°I was there during the negotiations to ensure he didn¡¯t run off with it. They really wouldn¡¯t go higher than 15 @.¡±


    Everyone sighed in disappointment. After all the trouble of getting their hands on the reactor, it was disheartening to see it valued so low.


    ¡°What now? The buyers are waiting. If we¡¯re selling, we should do it soon. That thing¡¯s a liability. Keeping it in my house makes me lose sleep,¡± Song 6PUS urged.


    Sun Jack thought for a moment before proposing, ¡°It¡¯s still a nuclear battery, so selling it for just 15 @ feels like a waste. Why don¡¯t we keep it and use it ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Use it? Bro, none of our prosthetics require that much power. You want it? Fine, I¡¯ll sell it to you for 15 @.¡±


    Ignoring him, Sun Jack nced at Tapai and sent him a private message. <em>¡°Could we use it to upgrade you?¡±</em>


    <em>¡°Aren¡¯t you saving for surgery?¡±</em>


    <em>¡°Forget surgery. I need to figure out if my memories are real or not first. What¡¯s the point of fixing something that might not be mine? I¡¯d rather invest in boosting our strength.¡±</em>


    Tapai ran some calctions before replying, <em>¡°It¡¯s possible, but this level of modification is beyond what I can do myself. Who would you trust to handle my upgrades? My internal systems are from a past era. If someone sees my inner workings, they¡¯ll know I¡¯m not of this time.¡±</em>


    Sun Jack felt a pang of regret. If they could use the reactor to enhance Tapai, he could be turned into a walking fortress¡ªanother Steel Heart. With such a protector by his side, making money or staying safe would be infinitely easier.


    ¡°I can¡¯t handle it myself, but you could install it on yourself,¡± Tapai offered.

 Chapter 64: New Features

    Chapter 64: New Features


    The message from Tapai caught Sun Jack off guard. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t use the reactor to upgrade me¡ªuse it to upgrade yourself. With this thing, you could install all kinds of high-power, high-performance prosthetics on your body in the future.¡±


    ¡°In time, you could be another Steel Heart. Just be mindful of installing a Cognitive Mode Buffer, and whether you¡¯re working as a mercenary or protecting yourself, things will be much easier.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Sun Jack was speechless. This dog of a machine was thinking exactly what he had been.


    At first, Sun Jack found the idea absurd. But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. With the current level of technology, installing a nuclear reactor in a human body wasn¡¯t out of the question.


    He always felt disadvantaged with his minimal prosthetics¡ªliving as a mostly organic human in this world was like fighting with one hand tied behind his back.


    After quickly researching the subject, Sun Jack became even more convinced. Even without additional upgrades, the reactor could function as a backup heart pump.@@novelbin@@


    After all, who could guarantee that a situation like Song 6¡¯s wouldn¡¯t happen to him?Another advantage of the reactor was its inherent protection against radiation and EMP interference¡ªit was its own shield. The concentrated nuclear material within was the greatest source of radiation. If the shielding wasn¡¯t effective, Steel Heart would¡¯ve been fried from the inside out long ago.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take it,¡± Sun Jack dered.


    The Father, who had just closed his book and raised his hand to speak, silently reopened it and continued reading.


    No one else voiced objections, and Sun Jack ultimately acquired the miniature nuclear reactor for 15 @coins. Since both he and Tapai had participated in the mission to obtain it, their share of the proceeds was deducted, reducing his ouy to just 10 @coins.


    Sun Jack quickly retrieved the reactor from Song 6. It was conspicuous¡ªtoo much so to carry around. If it were spotted by surveince or scanners, it might draw unwanted attention from BCPD. To avoidplications, Sun Jack immediately took it to Four Ai¡¯s clinic to have it installed in his body.


    On the operating table, Sun Jack watched on a monitor as three mechanical arms carefully lowered the reactor into his abdomen.


    ¡°Besides using it as a backup for your circtory system, have you thought about other applications?¡± Four Ai asked.


    ¡°Still working on it,¡± Sun Jack replied, browsing prosthetic options on a manufacturer¡¯s website.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Tapai interjected, ¡°install a wireless charging function on him. That way, I can recharge while standing nearby instead of plugging into a wall.¡±


    ¡°What am I, a power bank?¡± Sun Jack snapped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that capability. Go talk to King Kong. For now, I¡¯ll help connect your prosthetics and cybeic eye to the reactor, and I¡¯ll add a few extra interface lines so you can easily connect new devicester.¡±


    As Four Ai manipted the hovering virtual screen, the mechanical arms beside the table swiftly stitched up Sun Jack¡¯s body.


    ¡°Operation and anti-rejection medse to 5 @coins. Thanks for your business.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? We know each other this well, and you¡¯re still charging me?¡± Sun Jack sat up, reaching for his clothes.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re that close, are we? How close? Have we had any ¡®intimate interactions?¡¯¡± Four Ai shot back, showing no mercy.


    In the end, Sun Jack¡¯s persistent bargaining brought the cost down to 4 @coins. After the payment went through, Sun Jack checked his remaining bnce¡ª12.0252 @coins¡ªand sighed at how quickly money burned away.


    He stood up, flexed his body, and nced around, noticing no obvious changes. Then, he swung his right arm, and a de shot out from his cybeic forearm.


    Suddenly, things went awry. The light electrical arcs on the de thickened and grew until they began crackling beyond the de¡¯s surface, spraying lightning bolts wildly around the room. Startled, everyone scrambled backward.


    ¡°Master Sun, please stop your divine powers!¡± Tapai shouted from the doorway.


    <em>Bang!</em><em></em>


    Sun Jack¡¯s arm went numb, and he lost all sensation in the prosthetic.


    ¡°Crap! Did I break it?¡± Sun Jack stared at the smoking forearm, cold sweat dripping down his face. He hadn¡¯t anticipated the reactor¡¯s output to be so overwhelming.


    Fortunately, AA was nearby. After a quick inspection, she reported, ¡°Boss, the reactor¡¯s output is still configured forbat prosthetics like Steel Heart¡¯s. It exceeds your current hardware¡¯s capacity, so it fried the circuits. I¡¯ll dial it down for you.¡±


    But Sun Jack, seeing the scorched remnants of the room from the electrical arcs, had a different idea. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t lower it. Can you increase my prosthetics¡¯ voltage tolerance instead?¡±


    If his prosthetics couldn¡¯t handle the output, what chance would an enemy have?


    Recing the burned circuits and installing instion wasn¡¯t a major issue for AA, especially with Four Ai lending a hand. After meticulous adjustments, Sun Jack¡¯s de no longer carried electrical currents capable of shorting out enemy prosthetics.


    It wasn¡¯t that Sun Jack didn¡¯t want the effect¡ªthose features had been destroyed. Instead, he now had something even better.


    With the addition of simple guidanceponents, Sun Jack had developed a new attack mode.


    Blinding electrical arcs surged from the de¡¯s tip, forming a lightning whip thatshed out, devastating everything in its path.


    When Sun Jack finally stopped, the ruined sexbot they had been using as a test dummy had exploded. Its tattered clothing and worn synthetic skin were engulfed in mes.


    ¡°Whoa, this thing is amazing,¡± Sun Jack said, thrilled with his newfound weapon. The straightforward, brutal method seemed equally effective against both prosthetics and organic targets.


    Four Ai, however, seemed unimpressed. ¡°What a primitive attack. With technology as advanced as it is, couldn¡¯t you aim for something more modern?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Buy somebat prosthetics that match the reactor¡¯s potential. This is so low-tech.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m broke!¡±


    Four Ai rolled her eyes, cigarette in hand, and walked toward the overpass. ¡°Just remember, don¡¯t use that move in the rain unless you want to be a roasted corpse.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m not an idiot.¡±


    AA, on the other hand, was starry-eyed. The idea of a nearly unlimited energy source was too tempting for an engineering enthusiast like her. Countless schematics and forms burst to life in her mind.


    ¡°Boss! You don¡¯t need to buy anything¡ªjust give me the parts! I... I have so many ideas right now!¡±

 Chapter 65: The Church

    Chapter 65: The Church


    In the end, Sun Jack didn¡¯t buy parts for AA¡ªnot because he doubted her technical skills, but because he couldn¡¯t afford them. Theser generator alone would cost more than everything he owned, and even then, it wouldn¡¯t cover half the price. Her ideas were ambitious, but making them a reality still required money.


    All Sun Jack could do was let her keep designing and store her concepts in the system memory. Once he had enough money, he¡¯d bring those ideas to life one by one. He understood that AA was genuinely trying to help, unlike King Kong, who would have found every way to overcharge him.


    After returning home, Sun Jack decided to distract himself from overthinking by training under an empty overpass. He practiced new attack techniques and reviewed recordings of past fights using Tapai¡¯s yback feature, analyzing battles, assessing oues, identifying causes, and summarizing patterns. He didn¡¯t know why he feltpelled to do this¡ªit just came naturally.


    For two days, Sun Jack poured all his energy into training and analysis, avoiding the mental trap of questioning the authenticity of his memories. Problems should be solved when they arise¡ªworrying endlessly wouldn¡¯t help.


    On the third morning, he was awakened by the doorbell.


    ¡°Tapai! Who is it?¡± Sun Jack called, turning over with a frown, his eyes still closed.


    ¡°A Japanese person.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Confused, Sun Jack dragged himself to the door and opened it, only to find AA grinning and holding a jar of mushrooms.¡°One day, someone¡¯s going to beat you up for giving people random nicknames. Mark my words,¡± Sun Jack grumbled, ncing around to make sure no one had followed her before stepping aside to let her in.


    ¡°AA, if it¡¯s nothing important, don¡¯t keeping over. Enjoy your rare free time and rx at home,¡± he said. Over the past few days, she had dropped by whenever she had a chance, staying until he was ready to sleep.


    If he didn¡¯t know about her entric kinks, he might¡¯ve thought she had feelings for him¡ªor maybe for Tapai.


    AA¡¯s face fell at his words. ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t like meing here? I-I¡¯ll try toe less often, then.¡±


    ¡°No,e over if you want. It¡¯s nice to have some life in the ce,¡± Sun Jack replied nonchntly.


    AA immediately brightened up, cing the mushrooms by the floor-to-ceiling window, adding a touch of gray to the cold, sterile room. She enjoyed being here¡ªnot only did her new friend live here, but the ce was dry and leak-free, far better than her own home. If she weren¡¯t afraid of intruding on the ¡°two-person world¡± between her boss and Tapai, she¡¯d have moved in already.


    As Sun Jack was preparing breakfast with thest of his Ke-style dishes from the fridge, a message came from Father: ¡°Come find me on Idol Street.¡±


    The message sent a jolt through him. He abandoned breakfast, grabbed his coat and raincoat, and called out, ¡°Let¡¯s go, AA, Tapai!¡±


    By the time Sun Jack arrived under the shadow of the giant Buddha statue with Tapai and AA, an hour had passed. Father¡¯s church wasn¡¯t hard to find¡ªit was near King Kong¡¯s morbid adult goods shop. However, the sight of the church emblem left Sun Jack deeply unsettled. A scythe, a hammer, and a cross¡ªthree symbols that had nothing inmon¡ªmerged together seamlessly. It was absurd but somehow felt inevitable.


    Considering how bodies, minds, and kinks had transformed, it made sense that religion had also changed. But he hadn¡¯t expected the change to be so bizarre.


    ¡°Jack, with the power of the Trinity backing him, Father should be pretty badass, right? How did he end up a mercenary? What a failure of a priest,¡± Tapai remarked, pointing at the emblem.


    ¡°In this ce, nothing is surprising. Let¡¯s go in,¡± Sun Jack replied, pushing open the door. The basement church was small, about the size of a ssroom. Despite its modest size, it was spotless. Poor, ragged people filled the pews, singing hymns in unison. Some of them, Sun Jack suspected, were homeless.


    ¡°Jack, look¡ªthere are so many ck folks here,¡± Tapai said, drawing hostile res from the congregation.


    The priest, ying an electric organ at the front, nced at them and sent a message through the team channel: ¡°With current technology, do you think changing skin color is hard?¡±


    ¡°In this society, there are no ¡®ck people¡¯ anymore¡ªjust poor people.¡±


    Sun Jack shot Tapai a warning look to stay quiet and pulled him to sit on a bench, waiting for Father to finish the service.


    ¡°Brothers and sisters, please turn to Chapter 4, Verse 16. This passage tells of the Lord in the synagogue of Nazareth, exining what the Gospel is. The Gospel is liberation from the oppression of the Great Other¡ªa promise for the oppressed poor and the disenfranchised to be freed from economic, social, and political inequality¡­¡±


    Sun Jack didn¡¯t know when the service ended¡ªFather¡¯s sermon had lulled him into a peaceful nap. When he woke up, the congregation had dispersed, leaving only the three of them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Father?¡± he asked, rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°He said to find him in the back after you woke up,¡± Tapai replied, propping up the drooling AA from his shoulder.@@novelbin@@


    As they walked further in, Sun Jack heard a familiar voice from behind a small ck curtain. ¡°My Lord, I have sinned. I gave in to greed again today. I passed off MCMponents as CSP ball grid arrays.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Why does that voice sound familiar?¡± Sun Jack pulled the curtain aside, revealing King Kong in a priest¡¯s robe, piously making the sign of the cross.


    ¡°The Lord has heard your confession. As long as you do not sin again, He will forgive your small transgressions,¡± came Father¡¯s voice from the other side of atticed partition.


    ¡°What are you doing? Cosying?¡± Sun Jack asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.


    Startled, King Kong quickly covered his face with his robe. ¡°Jack, what are you doing here? Don¡¯t interrupt my repentance! Only through confession can I atone and ascend to heaven after death.¡±


    A minuteter, Sun Jack stood outside, dazed and bewildered. ¡°Tapai, I¡¯ve been here for days, and I still can¡¯t adapt to this world.¡±


    ¡°Who can?¡± Tapai shrugged.

 Chapter 66: The Ghost

    Chapter 66: The Ghost


    While waiting for the confessions to end, Sun Jack took a moment to examine the murals on the church walls. Then, he spotted someone familiar¡ªthe baby Father had rescued from the Graffiti Gang.


    The child wobbled out from a distant corner, iling its mechanical limbs. Just as Sun Jack moved to help after it fell, a figure dressed as a nun picked the child up. When the nun turned, Sun Jack was startled¡ªit was a robot nun.


    The steel-bodied nun held the child, whose arms and legs were prosthetics, and walked past a mural depicting the Madonna nursing a child in a Gothic cathedral. Sun Jack, intrigued, followed them. Behind the church was an orphanage where about a dozen robotic nuns were caring for children of various ages.


    From their sluggish movements and repurposed appearances, Sun Jack deduced these nuns were reconfigured from discarded sexbots. Their AI wasn¡¯t advanced, but they were enough to barely keep the orphanage running.


    ¡°Father¡¯s really trying his best,¡± Sun Jack muttered, taking in the scene.


    ¡°Jack! Look! The bald one¡¯s out,¡± Tapai suddenly eximed. Sun Jack turned to see King Kong sneaking out of the confessional. Instead of leaving, King Kong approached a dusty electronic terminal in the corner.


    He sped his hands together in prayer, chanting, ¡°Amitabha.¡± The screen disyed: Payment of 5@ received. 50 Redemption Coupons purchased sessfully.


    Then, a golden halo appeared above King Kong¡¯s virtual image, along with two pairs of angelic wings. As celestial music yed, the angelic King Kong floated upward on the screen. Finally, a thumb emerged from the top of the screen with a ¡°Good job!¡± caption.Sun Jack, ready to confront King Kong, froze mid-step, too baffled to continue. Instead, he redirected his focus toward Father, letting the matter slide.


    ¡°Father, did you find anything? Has someone been digging into my information?¡± he asked urgently.


    ¡°Take this and plug it into your system. It will prevent tracking or eavesdropping. What I¡¯m about to say would be a disaster if BCPD intercepted it.¡± Father handed him a chip.


    Sun Jack inserted the chip into his external system port. Almost immediately, error messages and glitch static filled his interface. If he hadn¡¯t trusted Father, he might have thought his system had been infected with a virus.


    ¡°Father, does this mean you found something through my data?¡± Sun Jack pressed, eager for answers.


    ¡°No, but I did uncover something useful,¡± Father replied, lowering his voice after checking their surroundings. ¡°Arade of mine knows someone¡ªXiao Ting%. She¡¯s a memory editor.¡±


    ¡°Word on the street is, she can tailor your memories to your specifications¡ªremoving or adding as needed. She also has the tools to detect if your memories have been altered or reced.¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡± Sun Jack¡¯s eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed and far less invasive than the expensive surgeries he had previously considered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited. There¡¯s a problem. She¡¯s dangerous¡ªshe¡¯s killed a lot of people. Approach her with extreme caution.¡±


    Sun Jack¡¯s enthusiasm dampened. This sounded like trouble.


    ¡°Try your luck. This is her contact method for this week. If anything feels off, retreat immediately,¡± Father said, handing him a piece of paper.


    The paper was covered in dense ck codes. Sun Jack could only extract the data by scanning it with his system, which revealed awork link. The use of such a primitive, physical method tomunicate exined why even Unit 3 of BCPD couldn¡¯t track her down.


    ¡°This is as much as I can do. The rest is up to you. Be careful,¡± Father warned.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already helped a lot. If you ever need anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask,¡± Sun Jack replied gratefully, leaving the church with Tapai and AA.


    Without returning home, Sun Jack essed the link from the subway using his system. The screen turned white, and a giant ck shell appeared in the virtual space before him.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Sun Jack muttered, puzzled. As he stared at the hologram, the shell suddenly opened, and a ghostly green apparition with pitch-ck eyes leaped out, apanied by an ear-piercing scream.


    ¡°Holy sh¡ª!¡± Sun Jack yelped, instinctively standing up and unsheathing his de. The entire subway car turned to stare at him as if he were a lunatic.


    ¡°Are you putting on a show?¡± Tapai asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Flustered, Sun Jack sat back down, his face flushed. ¡°What is this thing? Some kind of prank link?¡± he muttered, ring at the floating digital ghost.


    If Father hadn¡¯t given him the lead, he would¡¯ve dismissed it as a sick joke. Something felt off, so he reopened the link¡ªbut the scene remained unchanged.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Frustrated, Sun Jack addressed the ghost directly, ¡°Hello? Can you hear me?¡±


    The ghost floated silently in midair, unresponsive, like a static image.


    ¡°What are you seeing? Send me the link. I¡¯ll check,¡± Tapai offered. Sun Jack forwarded it. A few momentster, Tapai eximed, ¡°What the f***!¡± and leapt from his subway seat.


    ¡°Sun Jack, you son of a¡ª!¡±


    ¡°What is it? What happened?¡± a bewildered AA asked.


    Instead of replying, Tapai forwarded the link to AA. Secondster, her piercing scream echoed through the subway car. The other passengers recoiled, giving the trio a wide berth as they exchanged incredulous looks.


    ¡°You jerk!¡± AA yelled, punching Tapai in embarrassment, though she hurt her own hand more than him.


    ¡°me your boss! He sent it to me first,¡± Tapai retorted.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Enough ying around. Help me figure this out,¡± Sun Jack interrupted. ¡°Father said this link would lead to a memory expert who can¡ª¡±


    Before he could finish, he noticed something strange. The ghost¡¯s lifeless eyes were now locked on him. This wasn¡¯t just a dynamic image¡ªit was alive.

 Chapter 68: The Encounter

    Chapter 68: The Encounter


    Seeing the cartoonish projection of a head atop the other party¡¯s body, Sun Jack immediately realized that the person¡¯s real body wasn¡¯t here. This was just a robot being remotely controlled from elsewhere.


    ¡°Xiao Ting%?¡± Sun Jack asked her.


    ¡°Delete or add?¡± she replied curtly, but it was enough to confirm her identity.


    ¡°Neither. I just need to know if my current memories are real or if there are any traces of editing,¡± Sun Jack stated his request.


    ¡°50@.¡± As she spoke, the electronic devices connected by various cables whirred to life, spiraling open like living creatures. They revealed a sleek, humanoid reclining chair lined with dense spikes and needles positioned at the spinal and cranial sections. Clearly, these were meant to pierce into his body.


    Two translucent screens descended from overhead, and a holographic console emerged. A keyboard with hundreds of neatly arranged keys materialized.


    Sun Jack hadn¡¯t expected things to go so smoothly. What seemed like a massive problem to him was as trivial as eating or drinking to others. In the Metropolis, as long as you had money, anything could be done.


    But now he had a new concern. He couldn¡¯t be sure if, during the memory inspection, the operator would ess every part of his past.¡°I can pay,¡± Sun Jack said. ¡°But I have one condition: can I let my friend help with the memory inspection?¡± He gestured toward Tapai.


    Xiao Ting% shook her head without hesitation. ¡°No, I only handle my own business.¡±


    Looking at the intricate electronic setup around him, Sun Jack pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°Alright. But I¡¯ll pay only after the inspection isplete.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Take off your shirt and lie down,¡± Xiao Ting% said, pointing to the sleek chair.


    Without a word, Sun Jackplied, lying back on the chair and feeling the sharp points slowly press into the back of his head.


    Xiao Ting% raised her hands expressionlessly. With a click, her ten fingers split into 36 thin mechanical digits, which danced rapidly across the virtual keyboard, leaving afterimages with their speed.


    Data and code cascaded like waterfalls down the translucent screens. Just as Xiao Ting% was about to start, Tapai suddenly raised his hand. ¡°Wait.¡±


    Xiao Ting% stopped and looked at him.


    ¡°What now? Can you not make trouble?¡± Sun Jack sat up from the chair, irritated.


    ¡°I just remembered,¡± Tapai began, ¡°I loaned you 30@ for your organ payment yesterday, so you don¡¯t have enough to pay her.¡±


    ¡°F***! Can¡¯t you be useful for once? Do you know how important this is to me?¡± Sun Jack exploded, cursing at Tapai. Even AA¡¯s attempts to mediate were useless.


    Holding his hand against the wound on the back of his head, Sun Jack said to Xiao Ting%, ¡°Give me half a day to borrow some money. Just half a day!¡± Then he stormed out of the shipping container, with AA rushing to keep up.


    ¡°Boss, don¡¯t be mad at Tapai,¡± AA pleaded. ¡°He probably didn¡¯t mean it. After all¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, Sun Jack¡¯s angry expression suddenly vanished. He nced at Tapai. ¡°So? Did you get all the steps down?¡±


    The high-resolution camera under Tapai¡¯s arm twitched slightly. ¡°Yeah, I copied everything. He uses custom software for the inspection, so you¡¯ll need to upgrade my memory capacity to ensure I can fully replicate it.¡±


    ¡°Perfect! You¡¯re amazing!¡± Sun Jack eximed, giving Tapai a punch of approval.


    AA was left utterly confused by the scene. ¡°Boss¡­ were you just acting earlier?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You think I¡¯d let anyone ess my memories that easily?¡± Sun Jack replied.


    Whether his memories were real or not, Sun Jack would never allow such a thing to happen. Yet, he needed to know the truth about his memories, so he had no choice but to take this roundabout approach. Sure, being broke was one reason, but it wasn¡¯t the main one.


    ¡°All we have to do now is scare her off, let Tapai check my memories, and then delete the records.¡±


    From their earlier interaction, it was clear that Xiao Ting% was extremely cautious. The meeting spot was mobile, and all client interactions were mediated through auxiliary AI as a buffer. However, her caution was both a strength and a weakness. An overly cautious nature could be exploited, and Sun Jack already had a n.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave first. The garage has too many surveince cameras¡ªit¡¯s not a good ce to make a move. Once that car relocates, we¡¯ll follow it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to buy me those memory sticks,¡± Tapai messaged Sun Jack. ¡°I¡¯ll need them for the calctions.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± Exiting the garage, Sun Jack opened an online store and activated the delivery service, spending another 8@. Compared to the earlier 50@, this was a small price to pay.


    Bnce: 1.9212@.


    Waiting wasn¡¯t easy. It wasn¡¯t until Tapai adjusted to his new memory sticks and Sun Jack¡¯s system notified him that the city center tour was about to end that the car finally moved again.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Follow it!¡± Draped in a raincoat, Sun Jack leapt onto Tapai¡¯s back with AA in tow.


    The car ascended onto an overpass, leaving the central district and heading toward the Teutonic Industrial Zone. At first, everything seemed normal, but soon Sun Jack noticed something amiss: a hover vehicle was flying at low altitude, shadowing the truck at an irregr pace.


    His instincts told him the hover vehicle was suspicious. Though he didn¡¯t know much about hover vehicles, he knew someone who did. Activating his cybeic eye¡¯s vision-sharing feature, he contacted Father.


    ¡°That¡¯s a disguised Oath Sword,¡± Father identified. ¡°Standard config includes eight AI drones, a 120mm rapid-fire cannon, and a pulse wave projector. Don¡¯t mess with it. Even Steel Heart couldn¡¯t take it down. You three don¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    Hearing this, Sun Jack¡¯s expression darkened. Damn it, they even have bodyguards. There¡¯s no way we can fight this.


    As the car sped up, Sun Jack grew increasingly anxious. This might be his only chance to uncover the truth about his memories. He couldn¡¯t let it slip away. The n had to move ahead.


    ¡°Jack, what do we do? It¡¯s about to enter the factory, and we¡¯ll lose it!¡± Tapai said, clearly worried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Call for help!¡±


    ¡°Who? Do we even know anyone capable of handling something like that?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Sun Jack replied firmly as he dialed a number. ¡°Hello? BCPD Unit 3? I have a report to make! That¡¯s right, someone¡¯s involved in memory trading. She¡¯s in the Teutonic Industrial Zone. I¡¯m sending you the location now.¡±

 Chapter 69: Elation

    Chapter 69: tion


    The speed of BCPD¡¯s Unit 3 exceeded Sun Jack¡¯s expectations. Within half a minute, their officers hadn¡¯t yet arrived, but a swarm of drones with shing red-and-blue lights was already blocking the truck.


    ¡°BCPD! Pull over immediately! Upload your dashcam footage! Comply with the investigation!¡±


    The next moment, all the drone rotors abruptly seized up, and they plummeted to the ground like fallen leaves¡ªclearly hacked.


    The warning ignored, the assault began. Thunderclouds above suddenly parted, and two missiles screeched through the air, aimed directly at the truck¡¯s cab.


    ¡°What the f***! They¡¯re just blowing it up with missiles? Unit 3 is this heavy-handed?¡± Sun Jack muttered, startled by the sudden esction.


    But before the missiles could strike, the hover vehicle trailing behind the truck activated. A radar-like ck device extended from its underside, causing the missile warheads to shake violently. Just before reaching the truck, they detonated prematurely.


    The massive shockwave pushed the truck from the leftne to the right. But this was only the beginning. Two jet-ck fighter jets burst through the clouds, heading straight for the hover vehicle.


    With the battle unfolding overhead, Sun Jack knew this was the perfect chance to slip in unnoticed. Riding Tapai, he rushed to the truck¡¯s left side and activated his cybeic eye, ring sharply.The interference worked. The truck gradually came to a halt.


    ¡°Xiao Ting%! Run! Unit 3 is here!¡± Sun Jack shouted as he sted open the trunk and rushed inside.


    But as he entered, he was greeted by a grisly scene: shattered brain matter scattered across the floor, equipment in disarray, and chaos everywhere. The headless woman who had been there was gone.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated her being even more cautious than he¡¯d expected. As soon as things went south, she had fled¡ªwithout needing his warning. It was perfect for his n.


    With no time to waste, Sun Jack shoved aside dangling data cables and rushed toward the mechanical chair. ¡°AA! Watch the perimeter!¡± he yelled.@@novelbin@@


    Tapai quickly retracted his wheels and darted to the control panel. His sensor lines acted like fingers, rapidly typing away on the keyboard.


    Sun Jacky back on the chair as the data lines pierced into the back of his head. The sharp, searing pain shot straight into his brain. ¡°Hurry up! Faster!¡± he urged.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± A red notification shed across Tapai¡¯s disy. ¡°Overclocking mode activated.¡± Thin streams of white smoke began to seep from the seams in Tapai¡¯s armor.


    As Sun Jack felt something drilling deeper into his brain, memories began flooding back uncontrobly, elerating until they overwhelmed his consciousness. It was like being submerged in a vast ocean.


    ¡°Done! Data extracted! Memory and logs deleted!¡±


    At those words, Sun Jack grabbed a de and shed the connections from the back of his head. Without hesitation, he dashed out of the shipping container.


    As he exited, he couldn¡¯t resist turning back to aim his prosthetic arm at the equipment behind him.


    Lightning crackled, piercing the air. Electric arcs whipped andshed at the machinery, sparks flying as explosions and mes erupted. Watching the destruction with satisfaction, Sun Jack fled the scene with his team as quickly as possible.


    The battle in the skies continued, but Sun Jack didn¡¯t care who won. He was only interested in stealing what he needed during the chaos.


    To avoid being tracked, Sun Jack took several detours, wandering for hours before finally returning home.


    As he stepped inside, his heart was still pounding. Today had been a rollercoaster. The n was risky, but he had no other choice. Fortunately, it had all worked out.


    Ignoring his exhaustion, Sun Jack urged Tapai to send him the extracted data. Momentster, a flood of dense data logs appeared on his system interface. But Sun Jack only cared about one line:


    ¡°User 1394 hippocampal ce cell search rate: 100%. No signs of editing detected.¡±


    Seeing this, Sun Jack felt an immense weight lift off his shoulders. He exhaled deeply, and a grin spread uncontrobly across his face. He beganughing out loud.


    ¡°Haha! My memories are real! They haven¡¯t been edited! I¡¯m just suffering from amnesia! Just amnesia!¡±


    ¡°Is it really that exciting?¡± Tapai remarked from the side.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Sun Jack eximed, flipping in the air with glee. ¡°Damn, I¡¯ve been terrified! Ever since I started doubting my memories, I haven¡¯t been able to eat or sleep properly!¡±


    He pulled out his phone, scrolling repeatedly through old screenshots. That sense of unreality disappeared. These snapshots of his past now felt warm and familiar again¡ªgenuinely real.


    ¡°AA¡¯s still here. Put your phone away,¡± Tapai reminded him.


    Sun Jack nced at AA, who seemed utterly fascinated by the unfamiliar mechanical device in his hand. Smiling, he tucked the phone away and patted her on the head. ¡°Today¡¯s a celebration. What do you want to eat? My treat¡ªlet¡¯s feast!¡±


    He was genuinely overjoyed, far more than he had anticipated.


    ¡°No, no,¡± AA quickly declined. ¡°Boss, I can¡¯t let you treat me. I didn¡¯t even help much earlier.¡±


    ¡°Are you with me or not? Stop being so formal!¡± Sun Jack slung an arm around her shoulders and another around Tapai, dragging them both outside.


    That evening, Sun Jack and AA stayed outte, drinking heavily. By the end, both were red-faced and thoroughly drunk. The cost? His bank bnce sank into the negatives again.


    But Sun Jack didn¡¯t mind. True, he could never go back to his old life. Yet, even in a world a thousand years ahead, he needed to believe that the things he once cherished were real¡ªnot fabricated.


    Those memories meant infinitely more than a bit of money.


    Half-conscious, Sun Jack babbled nonsense to AA, his words growing more cheerful as he spoke. It had been ages since he felt this happy.


    He didn¡¯t know how much time passed before exhaustion overtook him. Drooling, he curled up against one of Tapai¡¯s charging legs, drifting off to the sound of rain pattering against the window.


    At some point, he felt unbearably hot. Jolting awake, he realized his right hand was on fire.


    Panicking, Sun Jack could only watch as mes consumed his body. He struggled desperately, sweat pouring down his face, until his eyes snapped open.


    It was just a dream.


    But relief was short-lived. Even though the mes were gone, his arm still hurt¡ªdespite being wide awake.

 Chapter 71: The Rescue

    Chapter 71: The Rescue


    ¡°Help me! I¡¯m Hilda!¡±


    When Sun Jack saw the message, he froze. The exhaustion and boredom on his face vanished in an instant, reced by a racing heartbeat. Was he excited? Afraid? He couldn¡¯t tell.


    His hands trembled as he took several deep breaths to steady himself. Pulling a cable from the external system, he plugged it into theputer. ¡°Who are you? How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Hilda. You know who I am! We¡¯re at this location. Hurry! Bring weapons¡ªquickly! He¡¯ll move us soon!¡± Along with the urgent message came a set of coordinates, pointing to the Warton Industrial Zone.


    ¡°Is this a trap?¡± That was the first thought that crossed Sun Jack¡¯s mind.


    But he stood up immediately, opened a loan tform, and maxed out his ount on weapons and ammunition.


    If it was real, he¡¯d stage a rescue. If it was a trap, he¡¯d crush it. Either way, he had to go. What if it was real?


    Seeing a swarm of drones fly into the room, Tapai silently opened his armor panels and began loading grenades one by one.AA, munching on thest bites of her Ke-style cuisine, quickly loaded bullets into her drum magazine. ¡°Boss, use my ¡®Rum Bullets.¡¯ I¡¯ve added hydrogen sulfide to the shrapnel.¡±


    ¡°AA, didn¡¯t you say you could make a nuke with just the right materials?¡± Sun Jack suddenly asked, ncing at her.


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± she replied hesitantly.


    ¡°Good. Turn my reactor into a nuke! If this is a trap and someone¡¯s using Hilda to mess with me, I¡¯ll blow them to hell!¡±


    The urgency in Hilda¡¯s messages spurred Sun Jack to act without dy. Once everything was ready, he headed for the coordinates at top speed.


    About a kilometer from the location, he forced himself to rein in his excitement and approach cautiously.


    As his current location matched the coordinates, he found himself in front of an operational factory.


    Driverless trucks moved in and out, being loaded with boxes of nutrient paste by automated robotic arms. Everything operated with cold precision, like clockwork.


    ¡°Surveince cameras,¡± Sun Jack noted, spotting a rounded lens in the upper-left corner. With a brief re from his cybeic eye, the camera drooped. ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡±


    The trio advanced cautiously, passing through automated workshops that revealed the process of converting scraps and stic waste into nutrient paste.


    Suddenly, Tapai pulled them into a side workshop. ¡°I¡¯m picking up fundamental radar signals¡ªsomething¡¯sing.¡±


    Momentster, they saw a strange robot with a screen-like head approaching. It was carrying a bundle of objects.


    As it drew closer, Sun Jack noticed the robot¡¯s screen disyed a floating ghostly cartoon image¡ªa sign it was controlled by an auxiliary AI.


    He also saw what the robot was carrying: gray brains and severed limbs.


    In horror, Sun Jack watched the robot dump the macabre cargo onto a conveyor belt in the raw materials workshop, where they were processed into nutrient paste packets.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°What a clever way to dispose of evidence,¡± Tapai remarked through their team channel. ¡°Turn the bodies into something everyone eats. No one would ever find the remains.¡±


    The realization hit Sun Jack like a punch to the gut. He felt a wave of nausea and barely managed to suppress the urge to vomit.


    As the robot turned to leave, Sun Jack whispered, ¡°Follow it! Let¡¯s see where it goes.¡±


    ¡°Not too close¡ªit¡¯s got sensitive radar,¡± Tapai warned.


    They trailed the robot carefully, making their way deeper into the factory. Soon, they arrived at an elevator.


    The robot stepped inside, and as the trio cautiously approached, a distorted, static-filled voice whispered in Sun Jack¡¯s ear:


    ¡°Set¡­ mines¡­ mimetic¡­ both sides¡­¡±


    Sun Jack froze, his heart pounding once more. ¡°Hilda? Is that you?¡±


    But the voice disappeared as suddenly as it hade, leaving no trace. If not for his system¡¯s ess log, Sun Jack would¡¯ve thought he was hallucinating.


    ¡°Activate recording mode,¡± hemanded the system, motioning for AA and Tapai to stop.


    Using his cybeic eye, he scanned the walls and saw several camouged mines gradually reveal themselves.


    ¡°There really are mimetic mines. Hilda wasn¡¯t lying,¡± Sun Jack muttered.


    ¡°Wow, Boss! These are valuable! They¡¯d cost a fortune to buy,¡± AA said, rushing over to dismantle one for use as a weapon.


    Once the mines were cleared, the elevator doors reopened. Tapai entered first to scout ahead. After a minute, his signal confirmed the area was temporarily safe, allowing Sun Jack and AA to join him.


    The elevator descended, the temperature dropping steadily. Soon, their breaths turned into white puffs, reminding Sun Jack of unpleasant memories from the past.


    ¡°Hilda, are you there? Can you hear me? Where are you?¡± Sun Jack called out on every system channel, but no response came.


    With a ¡°ding,¡± the elevator doors slid open to reveal a dimly lit corridor. Flickering lights cast eerie shadows, apanied by a constant, faint buzzing sound.


    ¡°This must¡¯ve been a repurposed fallout shelter. The rooms up ahead have AI robots working inside¡ªall running on that idiotic auxiliary ghost AI,¡± Tapai reported as he stepped out first.


    Cautiously, Sun Jack approached one of the doors. Peering inside, he saw a robot extracting a corpse from a freezer, cing it on a table, and expertly disassembling the skull with surgical tools. The adjacent wall was lined with boxes filled with brains, stacked a meter high.


    ¡°Why would Hilda be in a ce like this? This feels connected to Xiao Ting% somehow,¡± Sun Jack thought, a growing sense of unease gnawing at him.


    Pushing forward, he reached the machine room at the end of the hallway. What he saw there made his scalp tingle with horror.


    A wall of human brains floated in fluorescent nutrient gel, forming a grotesque, living monument.


    ¡°What the hell is this ce?¡± Sun Jack muttered, his voice tinged with dread.


    ¡°Is this some kind of¡­ brain fetish?¡± Tapai suggested, drawing from prior experiences.


    ¡°Get down!¡± A sudden voice exploded in Sun Jack¡¯s mind.

 Chapter 75: Am I Using the Wrong Stance?

    Chapter 75: Am I Using the Wrong Stance?


    "If I blow a hole in the square, how much would I have to pay?"


    Chen Huai''an stared at the grassy field in deep thought.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly broke right now, but he doubted he had enough to cover that kind of damage.


    "Is there anything I can blow up without having to pay for it?"


    After pondering for a while, he made his way to a nearby garbage dump.


    The ce was nearly overflowing with trash, and the collection truck hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Since it was all garbage anyway, blowing a hole here shouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    "Alright¡­ here goes!"


    His eyes sharpened as he took a deep breath, reaching into his bag.With his index and ring fingers, he pinched a Thunderfire Talisman and yanked it out.


    Biu¡ª


    The talisman flew about half a meter before flopping weakly to the ground.


    Chen Huai''an: "¡­"


    No, wait. Maybe it needed an incantation?


    He picked up the talisman and shouted, "Waaah! By the decree of the heavens!"


    Biu¡ª


    The talisman flew half a meter and flopped down again.


    ¡­Was the incantation wrong?


    Chen Huai''an frowned and tried again:


    "Condense¡ª!"


    "Go!"


    "Fly, you fool!"


    "Purple Zap¡ª!"


    "Adoken!"


    "Chi-Bi-Ni!"


    "Saiban¡ª!!"


    One by one, the talismans all flopped lifelessly to the ground.


    Chen Huai''an fell into deep contemtion.


    No, this didn¡¯t make sense.


    In the game, he never chanted anything.


    So the problem wasn¡¯t the incantation.


    That meant¡­ his stance was wrong!


    How did immortals throw talismans?


    He tested different poses¡ª


    The shot put spin, the javelin throw, the poker card flick, the Salt Bae sprinkle¡­


    Nothing worked.


    "Hah¡­ I was too naive after all."


    He tilted his head back at a mncholy 45-degree angle, staring wistfully at the sky.


    With a self-deprecating chuckle, he muttered, "There¡¯s no such thing as talismans. No such thing as the cultivation world. It¡¯s all just the delusions of a terminal cancer patient." ??????¨¨s


    A stray dog trotted past, sniffed at his shoe¡ª


    Its face changed instantly.


    With a terrified whimper, it bolted like it had just seen a ghost.


    Chen Huai''an blinked, then suddenly had a revtion.


    Back then, the talisman only activated when itnded on something alive.


    So just throwing it wasn¡¯t enough¡ªhe needed a specific target!


    ¡­But what should he use as a target?


    Baji¡¯s face immediately popped into his mind.


    Back in the room, Baji was curled up on the sofa, dozing off¡ª


    Suddenly, it shivered violently.


    A bone-chilling sense of doom washed over it, from head to tail.


    It whipped its head around, scanning for danger¡ª


    Nothing.


    And yet, it knew¡ªsomeone had just harbored a murderous intent toward it.


    "No, no, Baji is too cute," Chen Huai''an shook his head.


    "I can¡¯t go around abusing animals."


    The ominous presence around Baji suddenly vanished.


    "Hmm, I¡¯ll just buy a fish at the marketter."


    That seemed like the most ethical solution.


    He was going to eat it anyway, so technically, it wasn¡¯t cruel.


    Besides, normal fish preparation involved descaling and gutting.


    If the talisman worked, it¡¯d just zap the fish into instant charcoal¡ªa quick and painless death.


    With his conscience cleared, Chen Huai''an cheerfully jogged to where the old man practiced martial arts.


    Sure enough, the old man was there.


    "Yo, kid! You didn¡¯t show up yesterday. I thought you were just on a three-day hype train!"


    Old Man Li¡¯s murky old eyes brightened up at the sight of Chen Huai''an.


    He had actually felt a little disappointed when the kid didn¡¯t show up.


    "Hahaha, no way! Something just came up yesterday, Li Lao."


    Chen Huai''an propped up his selfie stick and opened the game.


    The moment the screen loaded¡ªhis nose nearly spurted blood.


    Inside the game, Li Qingran had changed into the newly purchased sleepwear.


    Perfect fit.


    She sat on the edge of the bed, her cheeks red like crushed cinnabar, the blush spreading down to her slender neck.


    Loose strands of hair framed her face, partly covering her ears like red jade hidden in ck silk.


    She puffed up her cheeks and blew at her bangs, revealing a smooth forehead.


    Her delicate corbones were exposed, forming tiny pavilions amidst soft jade mountains.


    Beneath them, a small jade pendant rested against the skin¡ªa green phoenix on a red string, resembling plum blossoms on snow.


    Her waist was slender, barely a handful.


    Under the dim candlelight, her tiny feet swayed slightly, making her graceful curves shift ever so gently, like a breeze stirring the night.


    And those feet¡­


    Those dainty little feet¡­


    "Oi, kid. What the hell are you looking at? It¡¯s pitch dark."


    Chen Huai''an jerked back to reality, instinctively pping a hand over the screen.


    With an awkwardugh, he stammered, "N-Nothing! Just¡­ reviewing exam materials! Ahaha¡­ ahahahaha¡­!"


    "At least you¡¯re responsible. My grandson¡¯s your age, but all he does is start businesses¡ªlost twenty million and still wants to start another one!"


    Old Man Li sighed, rubbing his temples.


    Chen Huai''an¡¯s eyes lit up.


    "Wait, Li Lao¡ªwhat did you just say?"


    "About my grandson starting a business?"


    "No, thest part."


    "That he lost twenty million?"


    "Yes! Yes, exactly!"@@novelbin@@


    Chen Huai''an beamed with 99% shameless ttery.


    "Li Lao, entrepreneurship is a heavy burden! Having your grandson carry it alone is simply too cruel! Why not count me in?"


    "Eh, well¡­ it¡¯s not impossible," Old Man Li waved a hand dismissively.


    "But my grandson took out loans for it."


    Chen Huai''an: "¡­Let¡¯s just stick to martial arts."


    Back to practice.


    Chen Huai''an forced himself not to look at Li Qingran.


    Instead, he checked his Green Lotus Sword Manual progress¡ªand was immediately dumbfounded.


    The first 12 chapters of the sword techniques had all reached 99%prehension.


    Just a little more, and they would break into the next stage.


    Even more shocking¡ª


    The first move, <em>Breaking Waves with the Long Wind</em>, and the second move, <em>Sword Light Unleashed</em>, were already unlocked and ready for training.


    "What the hell?! What happened?!"


    Chen Huai''an waspletely stunned.


    He didn¡¯t remember practicing any of these.


    How did they all level up on their own?!


    Had he been training in his sleep?!


    "Kid, I see you¡¯re pretty interested in swordy."


    While Chen Huai''an was frantically clicking around, trying to find answers, Old Man Li smugly spoke up.


    "I went home and studied your stance fromst time. Turns out, it was actually a sword technique opener. So I dusted off my old Tai Chi Sword skills¡­ What do you think? Wanna learn from this old man?"


    Chen Huai''an narrowed his eyes.


    "Wait¡­ Old Man Li, are you actually good at swordy?"


    "Ahem¡ª"


    Old Man Li lifted his chin.


    "Not to brag, but¡­ probably the best in the province."


    "Whoa! That¡¯s insane!"


    Old Man Li beamed, pping Chen Huai''an¡¯s shoulder.


    "I guarantee, kid¡ªone look at my swordy, and you¡¯ll be begging to call me ¡®Master¡¯!"

 Chapter 76: What? Sword Qi?!

    Chapter 76: What? Sword Qi?!


    Seeing Old Man Li hype himself up so much, Chen Huai¡¯an couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit excited.


    "Watch closely, kid! My swordy is crazy stylish!"


    With that, Old Man Li got into position, executing a full Tai Chi Sword routine¡ªstarting slow, then gradually picking up speed, only to slow down again.


    As expected of an old-timer, his swordsmanship was solid.


    At least, to Chen Huai¡¯an¡¯s untrained eye, that¡¯s all he could really say.


    Old Man Li¡¯s movements were graceful and fluid, clearly the product of years of practice. Everything flowed seamlessly, without the slightest awkward pause. It even looked like it could be used in an actual fight¡­


    But something still felt off.


    He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but some movements felt unnecessary¡ªlike they could be removed or reced with something more efficient.Of course, he wasn¡¯t some grandmaster, so he didn¡¯t dare critique.


    "Well? Feels swordy enough for you?"


    Old Man Li stroked his beard, confidently sheathing his sword, his face practically glowing with pride¡ªalready prepared for Chen Huai¡¯an to shower him with a 3,000-word essay of praise.


    "It¡¯s good. Very swordy!"


    Chen Huai¡¯an gave him a big thumbs-up.


    Old Man Li¡¯s smile immediately dropped.


    "What, you think my swordy¡¯scking or something?"


    "No, no!"


    Realizing the misunderstanding, Chen Huai¡¯an scratched his head awkwardly.


    "Li Lao, I actually feel like I had some breakthroughs recently. How about you take a look?"


    "Alright, but if I see ws, I won¡¯t hold back."


    "Sounds good! Let me borrow your sword."


    Chen Huai¡¯an took the sword, steadied his breath, and closed his eyes for a moment.


    His stance sank into a solid horse stance, his form shifting naturally into the "Crane Stance" from the <em>Green Lotus Sword Manual</em>.


    The instant he took position¡ª


    Old Man Li, who had been prepared to critique harshly, suddenly widened his eyes in shock.


    One day.


    It had only been one day.


    Yet this kid felt like an entirely different person.


    Not only was his leg fully recovered, but just two days ago, he had still been aplete beginner.


    But now¡ª


    His movements were wless, his entire body moving as one unified entity.


    Most importantly¡ª


    He had "Shen".


    Modern martial arts were often mocked for being shy and impractical, precisely because they focused only on form, neglecting "Shen"¡ªthe spirit of the technique. ?????¦¥?


    True masteryy in the bnce of form and spirit.


    And "Shen" was far more important than form alone.


    Why did ancient soldiers drill the same thrusting motion endlessly?


    Because through sheer repetition, they could break through their limits¡ªunderstanding how to strike with maximum power, where to target for armor pration, and how to react instantly inbat.


    The moment that movement became second nature, when it no longer required thought¡ªthat was the birth of "Shen".


    The best warriors forged their "Shen" through battle, refining their techniques until a single perfected strike couldmand a hundred-man battalion.


    A general was simply a warrior who had mastered multiple "Shen" techniques.


    As Old Man Li pondered this, Chen Huai¡¯an had alreadypleted the first twelve chapters of the <em>Green Lotus Sword Manual</em>.


    At first, it was just individual stances.


    But gradually, the moves flowed together, forming a seamless disy of strikes¡ªthrusting, shing, sweeping¡ªevery motion clean and decisive, with no wasted effort.


    For a moment¡ª


    Old Man Li could see it.


    A swordsman in white, moving like a drifting dragon, swirling through the air with carefree elegance.


    A sword in one hand, a jug of wine in the other¡ªwild and unrestrained.@@novelbin@@


    "This¡­ this is impossible."


    Old Man Li was utterly dumbfounded.


    This kid wasn¡¯t some novice.


    He was a master.


    No¡ªeven the masters he had seen before had never disyed "Shen" in so many techniques at once.


    Most so-called masters only managed to embed "Shen" into two or three moves, and that alone made them famous.


    But this kid¡ª


    Who the hell was he?!


    Suddenly, the flowing sword movements halted.


    Chen Huai¡¯an stood tall and unmoving, eyes closed, his sword returning to its sheath.


    His left hand held the scabbard, his right hand resting on the hilt.


    A breeze swept past.


    The air shimmered with sharp energy.


    "A shooting star, white-feathered, sheathed at my waist¡ª


    A sword blossom, autumn lotus, its radiance unleashed."


    The moment he finished speaking¡ª


    Shing¡ª!


    Old Man Li couldn¡¯t even see the sword move.


    All he saw was a silver arc of light, gleaming in the morning sun.


    The light fractured, scattering like a blooming autumn lotus.


    A faint hissing filled the air¡ª


    And then¡ª


    The petals of that illusory lotus began to shatter, fading into nothingness.


    With a sharp ng, Chen Huai¡¯an¡¯s sword returned to its sheath.


    Old Man Li stood there, speechless.


    His throat felt dry, unable to form a single sound.


    His mind buzzed, overwhelmed.


    Was that¡­ a sword technique a young man should be capable of?


    That autumn lotus bloom¡ª


    Was that sword energy?!


    How much raw power and speed would it take to pull that off?


    How many years of experience did it take to reach this level?!


    Chen Huai¡¯an, however, simply frowned at the old por tree in front of him.


    "Not good enough¡­"


    His goal had been to cut off a tree branch.


    Sure, Old Man Li¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t sharpened, but even a kid could lop off a branch with enough force, right?


    Yet the branch still swayed in the wind,pletely untouched.


    "Forget it. It¡¯s just game mechanics anyway¡ªlooks good enough."


    He had already figured out the reason behind his progress.


    That VR helmet he had worn must¡¯ve directly mapped the sword techniques into his neural pathways.


    That was why everything felt so natural today.


    A nce at the time¡ªalmost 9 AM.


    He still felt fine, but apparently, that sword routine had taken quite a while.


    "Li Lao, it¡¯s gettingte. I need to stop by the market, so I¡¯ll head out first."


    He stuffed the sword back into Old Man Li¡¯s hands, pried his fingers open to secure the sheath, and turned to leave.


    It wasn¡¯t until long after Chen Huai¡¯an had disappeared that Old Man Li finally snapped out of his daze.


    Without a word, his expression turned grim as he approached the por tree.


    He didn¡¯t look at the branches¡ªhe ran his hand along the trunk, feeling for something.


    A momentter¡ª


    His fingers found a deep, thin groove in the bark.


    So thin¡ªas fine as a strand of hair.


    If he hadn¡¯t touched it, he might have never noticed it.


    Old Man Li¡¯s breathing stiffened.


    His muscles tensed.


    He walked around the tree¡ª


    And on the other side, he found another identical cut.


    The sword had sliced through the entire trunk.


    His hand trembled as he reached for his phone, dialing a number.


    A rough, smoky voice answered¡ª


    "Yo, Old Li! Haven¡¯t heard from you in ages¡ªforgot about your old pal?"


    Old Man Li ignored the joke.


    "Old Peng, I need you to brace yourself. I just met a kid¡­"


    "He can use Sword Qi."


    "WHAT?!"


    The voice on the other end skyrocketed eight octaves.


    "Are you sure?!"


    "Dead sure."


    Old Man Li stared at the por tree¡¯s cut, voice quivering.


    "Right in front of me. Swish¡ªone sword straight through."


    "Stay there, don¡¯t move! I¡¯ming over from the Demon yers Bureau¡ªNOW!"


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