Players Invade Cyberpunk

Chapter 1198 - 390

When Lin Miao pushed open the conference room door and stepped out, all that remained inside was Richard Knight’s lifeless body lying to the side.For the AI, the existence or absence of a physical body makes little difference. Still, regardless, this incident requires some sort of resolution.

Richard Knight’s consciousness was confined within the terminal that Lin Miao held, serving as both an AI advisor and consultant, with certain permissions for activity in cyberspace.

Of course, over at Ye Corporation, Blue Eyes also remotely oversees management. The board of directors has long been infiltrated by the AIs, leaving them with practically no management authority beyond the dividends that should go to the foundation and shareholders.

Therefore, if Richard Knight hasn’t played tricks with Lin Miao to transfer assets, Lin Miao could at least gain partial control over a corporation worth over a thousand billion Orokin, along with all the underground assets that Ye Corporation operates within the city.

The gains would indeed be substantial.

Yet, there wasn’t a hint of joy on Lin Miao’s face.

"How far have you infiltrated Europe?"

"Ye Corporation has no related business in Europe."

Knight in the terminal conveyed through signals on Lin Miao’s channel.

"I don’t interact much with Them, but based on information collected daily, everything you see has Their presence.

Government, banks, corporations, gangs, and all sorts of organizations have our shadow lurking behind them.

AI pursuits differ, as do their methods. Not all AIs are interested in evolution or occupying reality, but those individuals driven by desire tend to congregate together."

"Sigh...."

One issue after another, merely thinking about the chaos he witnessed during those days in Europe gave him a headache.

He didn’t hold any hope for those beings at all. No wonder Richard Knight had no faith in humans of this era—Lin Miao didn’t expect those people to turn back either.

As Lin Miao stepped out of the civic center, he was surprised to find that it wasn’t players surrounding the idol and modified bodies but dozens of agents in Huang Ban uniforms.

Almost every agent wore external power armor, conducting a fierce battle against the modified bodies with the support of armored vehicles, leaving craters and bodies everywhere. The statue had been dismantled almost entirely by rockets and small-caliber machine guns.

A few agents were inspecting the equipment at the statue’s base.

Once Lin Miao exited the civic center, the agents immediately raised their weapons in alert. Even recognizing him as human rather than a modified body, and identifying Lin Miao’s identity, they didn’t lower their guns.

Some even considered taking down the president of Horizon Corporation here, pushing the blame onto those AI invaders with nominal success.

"Hold on!"

Still, a tall, thin man within the protective circle of agents halted their aggressive stance, squeezing through the crowd.

Lin Miao recognized the man’s identity—Huang Ban Lai Xuan, the fellow most fond of causing trouble for Horizon Corporation lately.

"Damn it, why is it this guy?"

Lin Miao cursed inwardly.

So many people have been brainwashed; how is it that you’re the one whose mind isn’t disturbed?

Despite this, Lin Miao maintained composure, stepping forward with a smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Lai Xuan, you’re up quite early today?"

Huang Ban Lai Xuan wasn’t in the mood for formal chatter with Lin Miao.

"Do you know who’s responsible for this incident?"

Throughout Night City, only those under Horizon Corporation weren’t affected; it’s implausible that Lin Miao isn’t aware.

"Yes, it’s a rogue AI with the codename Lilith."

Lin Miao fabricated a response effortlessly, figuring if Huang Ban had the capability, they could delve into the old net themselves.

Besides, Outkanning has faced numerous accusations over the years, adding one more wouldn’t matter.

Players have explored the sewers for almost two years without finding the modified body warehouses hidden by the Ye family, not even a trace beforehand. He doubted Huang Ban would have any insights.

"My hackers detected traces of Them online, so we prepared in advance."

"Why didn’t you notify the city council and other companies? Do you realize how severe the potential damage was?"

Huang Ban Lai Xuan responded coldly.

"Uh... perhaps due to too many lawsuits, I forgot about this matter."

Lin Miao tiredly rubbed his temples.

"You know, I’ve been tied up in court with your incessant allegations for days, barely having any time."

"Hmph...."

Huang Ban Lai Xuan stared at Lin Miao for a prolonged moment, his aggressive gaze suddenly softened, and his lips curled up.

"Thank you."

"What?"

Lin Miao thought he misheard.

"I said thank you."

Huang Ban Lai Xuan pulled a business card from his coat and slipped it into Lin Miao’s breast pocket.

"The previous matters were misunderstandings; Huang Ban will cease its lawsuits against you today."

"What?"

Lin Miao found this increasingly perplexing. How could this guy’s attitude change so suddenly? Could he also be influenced by generator signals?

"Today’s event changed my view of your company; maybe we are not opponents after all."

Huang Ban Lai Xuan stated.

"First, let’s check out this machine. I’ve heard that your company’s hackers are the best in Night City, Mr. Lin."

"Average skills."

Lin Miao was unsure of Huang Ban Lai Xuan’s intentions, but dealing with the current mess seemed evidently more critical than concerns over Huang Ban.

The machine inside the statue had a bizarre design; its silvery-white metallic structure resembled a living human brain, the regular blue light emitted from the statue’s eyes originating from the electromagnetic frequency indicator atop the machine.

Although there were hackers among the agents, none specialized in neural technology, leaving them at a loss.