Chapter 9: Infiltrating Kang Tao, A Newbie's First Smart Weapon

"Kang Tao, your smart electronic solutions." "This is Kang Tao. This is intelligence." A holographic airship dragging a long, holographic banner flew across the sky, broadcasting Kang Tao's advertisement. Smart weapons are Kang Tao's main business. In fact, they have the best chip manufacturing processes and the most advanced smart neural network technology. QianT is a subsidiary of Kang Tao, responsible for developing and selling cybernetic implants. However, in terms of both quality and sales, it still lags behind industry leaders like Militech in the implant market. For example, in the same category of implants: "Sandevistan," even the highest-end QianT 4 series Sandevistan might not stand up against Militech's second-tier products. Sandevistan is a top-tier implant that enhances the body comprehensively, penetrating deep into the spinal cord, connecting to the gray matter, and influencing nearly every muscle and nerve. It extracts every bit of potential from the body, pushing athletic ability and reaction speed to their limits in a short period. To the user, it feels as though time has slowed down, or even stopped entirely. However, because of its invasive enhancement of the entire body, frequent use can easily lead to the user losing control and becoming a cyberpsycho. And undoubtedly, the pressure Sandevistan puts on the body is intense. Each use is akin to slow suicide. This is the implant that can prevent me from becoming disabled—Leo thought. "Hey, what are you doing? Get out of the car already!" V's voice snapped Leo out of his thoughts. Leo looked confused, "Are you out of your mind? This job is yours, not mine." V smirked, "Oh no, I heard there's a legend in the East that you guys take pride in Kang Tao: 'You don't have to use a Chao pistol, but when you pass by Kang Tao, you bow three times.' Aren't you getting out to bow?" Leo rolled his eyes, "Idiot!" "Wow, I thought you only spoke in fancy terms. Didn't expect you to curse too." V laughed out loud as she inspected her pistol, "But I really want to try out that submachine gun Zhu Shen gave you. It'd be a shame not to." That gun was now in Leo's hands—the G-58 Dian smart submachine gun. Smart weapons in this world are highly advanced; all you need is a smart link implant in your palm, and the weapon can automatically read visual and environmental information, lock onto enemies, and never miss a shot. The bullets can even curve in mid-air—if you have the money, there's no target you can't hit. However, Leo didn't trust anything in this world, so he didn't install a smart link implant in his palm, which meant the smart weapon's auto-aim couldn't be used. Even so, it was still a top-performing submachine gun. [First Encounter: Smart Firearms] [Technology Points Earned: 30] [Current Technology Points: 86] Leo: "All implants installed in Atlanta have issues. Complex ones like smart links are the most problematic. Besides, didn't you say you could hit targets with your eyes closed?" V: "I wasn't exaggerating." Glancing at the time, the action window was approaching, and Leo said, "Alright, get into position. I'll direct from here. Remember, first connect the controller to the surveillance, and then I'll guide you from here." "Got it—let's get to work." V exited the car and headed towards the Kang Tao warehouse, quickly blending into the shadows. Tonight was clear, with the moon hanging high. As V stuck to the wall and merged with the shadows, the billboard displayed the next advertisement: "A-22B Chao, newbie's first smart weapon." "Hey, Leo, check this out." Leo looked in V's direction and saw her bowing like an idiot towards the billboard. "I bowed for you. No need to thank me, even though you're not using a Chao." Leo facepalmed and flipped V the bird. [First Time Connecting to Video Channel] [Technology Points Earned: 10] [Current Technology Points: 96] "Piece of cake, I've tapped into the channel." The park was divided into five zones, with data from 30 cameras streaming into Leo's brain. The link between mind and machine created a strange sensation. The visual signals were transmitted to his cyber eye, making it feel as though he was physically present inside the cameras. Zhu Shen's plan was incredibly useful. As long as the mercenary could stealthily navigate, slipping past the guards would be as easy as crossing the street early in the morning. "The signal's good. Everything's going according to plan. In 10 seconds, pass through the corridor ahead, but don't enter through the main door. Turn right, there's a ventilation duct." "That duct is pretty high." "Why do you think I had you install reinforced tendons? Damn, even this late, there are still so many employees working overtime. Let's adjust the plan—you'll move along the building's exterior, using the bathroom and walls to enter the office directly. Calculating the drone flight paths now." Leo used the cameras to scan all the drones patrolling outside, compiled the data, and created a model. He then transmitted the data to his portable computing terminal via his neural interface, finally displaying the action window on his cyber eye. If Leo's level of cyberization were higher, he could've done the calculations directly using a biocomputer. This process is a necessary step for beginner hackers and is also an elementary technique for using cyberware. [Mastered Practical Skill: Cyberware Techniques (Beginner Level)] [Technology Points Earned: 20] [Current Technology Points: 116] So, learning this skill earned me 20 technology points. If I had used technology points instead, it would've cost 50 points. It seems it's better to study hard on my own. "Reached the next destination—these corporate dogs even plant flowers in their bathrooms." "Don't get distracted. In 3 seconds, a drone will pass overhead. Right after that—you need to jump to the upper floor almost at the same time, sticking close. Jump too hard, and you'll crash into it. Not close enough, and you'll leave the drone's shadow and get spotted by another drone—go!" "Damn it." V cursed on the other end, and Leo couldn't help but sweat a little. This maneuver was incredibly risky, but it was the only action window and the only challenging part. If a rookie attempted this, the chance of failure would be 90%, but Leo believed V could pull it off. Besides being V, she was now equipped with the "Kerenzikov" neural implant. This implant enhances neural responses during moments of extreme excitement and tension, achieving an effect similar to Sandevistan's "time-stop." V didn't have time to think as the drone's light passed outside the window, and she leaped! The drone was fast, and she was falling behind. Gritting her teeth, she activated the reinforced tendons. The stored energy in her tendons released, blasting out a powerful jet of air, allowing her to double jump mid-air! As the drone drew closer, V's body began to heat up, her nerves tensing to the limit— At that moment, the world seemed to slow down. V tucked her head in with all her might and focused entirely on the wall. The instant her hand could reach the window, she grabbed the ledge! Plop. With a soft sound, V vanished from the window as another drone passed overhead, the two drones crossing paths. "Damn it! Why didn't you tell me how dangerous this was?" Leo pumped his fist in the car, then tried to play it cool, "You don't get it, this was to push your limits. I bet the Kerenzikov just activated." V caught her breath, "Yeah—yeah, it did. That thing is amazing... wait, so you did that on purpose?" "Go through the vent, straight ahead, exit in 30 seconds." "Screw you." The rest of the way was almost uneventful, with no close calls. Wherever she went, the employees finished their shifts and left. The drone patrols didn't have any more risky overlaps. "Walk forward a bit, turn left at the second office—that's the target. Someone ahead, do you see her?" "I see her. She's stopped. Should I take her out?" Leo's breathing became more focused. A woman stepped out of an office—could she be the target? "Zhu Shen, is this woman Cai Pin? If so, we can take her out right here." "No, she's not. Is she in your way? If so, kill her. She's just a regular employee, I don't know her." Leo didn't respond immediately. On the camera, the woman exhaled deeply, stretched, and smiled in a way that made Leo feel a twinge of nostalgia. She looked like someone who was finally done with a long shift and could go home, just like his past self. Which meant she had a home to return to. "Let her..." Leo was about to say let her go, but in the next moment, he changed his mind. The only part of the plan that couldn't be verified in advance, that had to rely solely on Zhu Shen's intel, was the situation inside the office at this moment. Maybe this woman did something that could jeopardize the plan. "...No one else around, tie her up and find out what's going on inside—if she has combat implants and shows signs of resistance..." Leo hesitated. "Finish her."