Players Invade Cyberpunk-Chapter 676 - 216: What’s With That Look and Expression! (Part 2)

There's no way around it; he's currently beyond his own control, his life in someone else's grip, leaving no room for choice.

If it's exposed that he's an old network lifeform, the Internet Supervisor would probably be at Brunan's door with a bounty on him the next day.

Only after leaving the power station and returning to the company did Lucy ask,

"How was your field trip?"

"What else could it be? A tangled mess."

Brunan sat honestly on the bench; he hadn't expected the other party to actually prepare a semi-modified body for him to use.

The feeling of treading the earth and observing the world again filled him with both joy and fear.

He felt no self-awareness in this body, and it suited him perfectly. Either the previous occupant was dead before he took over, or it was an empty-brained clone.

Regardless, this Horizon Corporation was far more terrifying than he had initially imagined.

"Looking at the Santo Domingo nuclear power station, it seems it has been in use since the 90s, with major updates around 2014, and has been maintained since. It's a miracle it still functions now."

"Although I haven't yet observed the technology at Soviet Petrochemical, overall, it seems to remain at the fourth-generation reactor level."

Brunan spoke with a sigh.

In the blink of an eye, fifty years had passed, and the saddest part was that after fifty years, what he learned still belongs to the 'advanced' category.

He could still lead projects in those nuclear-related industries.

Except for prosthetic technology, the entire world's technology seems to have regressed rather than advanced.

This is truly the sorrow of the scientific community.

"So, does this mean that the Prometheus Laboratory's technical reserves still hold a competitive edge in the market?"

Lucy was eager. If it weren't for Lin Miao prohibiting her from frequently using Black Wall data inside the old network to prevent attracting too much AI attention, she would have long since breached those data fortresses, sparing the players their difficult dredging efforts.

"At present, it looks that way. Back then, the fourth-generation molten salt reactor I oversaw had reached version 3.0, capable of sustaining over fifteen hundred megawatts of power generation in a smaller volume, enough to power a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier."

"Hmm... it seems like there are no more nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in this era."

Brunan suddenly realized that, following the collapse of the initial network, global navies crumbled under AI attacks. Now, airships are used for deliveries.

He then asked,

"Are you guys really planning to retrieve all the laboratory data? I must warn you, Prometheus is not a half-baked AI like me. It's much stronger than typical rogue AIs… with your crew, even a thousand would perish. Is it worth it?"

Brunan ultimately refrained from saying 'idiots,' given that he's the one dependent on others now.

"That's not your concern. It belongs to our company's classified technology, and the data reduction is to minimize the cost of potential losses."

Brunan went on to caution, "I must remind you, nuclear engineering requires a sizable investment; the initial cost is much greater than your water purification plant, and it also demands a large number of skilled technical workers to assist. Given your company's current scale, it is unsuitable for such an enormous undertaking."

"Thank you for your advice, we will consider it."

After learning about the old network's technological advancements from Brunan, Lucy decided to help Lin Miao continue developing it. Even if the discoveries are not immediately useful, they serve as a technical reserve for future needs.

Besides, in Cyberspace, there's more than just her helping Lin Miao as a top hacker.

Seeing Lucy's determination, knowing the laboratory data wouldn't escape, Brunan couldn't help but say,

"If possible, I still hope you could leave this experimental AI, Prometheus, behind. Its auxiliary functions in nuclear experiments are significant; with it assisting, project difficulties would be greatly reduced."

Even though Prometheus had gone mad, it had protected him for years, and it wouldn't be true to say he felt nothing.

"I will."

Lucy smiled slightly

She had been with Lin Miao for some time and knew all too well how he and the players would act.

Still hoping for AI?

If nothing else, those players might tear down the walls and take them back.

If even a bit of the data fort remains, count it as her loss.

————

Stone Ridge Mountain Town

Or maybe now it should be called the Stone Ridge Mountain Industrial Base.

Currently, the robotic factories on the mountain are producing at a pace of 50 door frames and 80 transportation platforms daily, operating around the clock, and the production lines are still expanding.

Moreover, with the influx of new players and those involved in the Dragon Field renovation project, the progress accelerates daily.

The whole mountain range is a massive construction site, and the yellow dust engulfs the mountain in a shimmering haze.

Lin Miao had excavated much of the mountain and was carrying out a secret renovation project inside. Even the players working there had no idea what they were building.

Only a few high-ranking members of the ERO Medical Corporation had some insight.

Meanwhile, some players didn't forget to engage in 'entertainment' while working like beasts of burden.

Buzz! Buzz!

On a mountain road, a jeep crawls along, driven by West Fire Grass, grinning as he shouts forward

"Run! Wheelchair! Run faster!"

"Damn it! Come down if you dare and see if I won't run you over!"