Chapter 1, Cyberpunk Escape Operation

No matter where he goes, he will become a wanted person, and the security department will find ways to bring him back

100 million

Xu Yang's heart raced uncontrollably

How can I take action when you are so weak? The pitiful weak cannot withstand pressure; what the company needs are strong individuals, not useless ones

However, trees that are moved may die, but people who are moved can thrive

The person before us is the witch named Pan Ruiyi, who is employed by the High Pavilion of the Nine Provinces for military security operations. Her witchcraft abilities are exceptionally formidable, specializing in close combat, and she is also a member of the mobile riot control team, routinely conducting field inspections across major regions of the Eastern Hemisphere

Replaced without any warning, and then unemployed

I apologize, but everyone has completed their tasks today, and I do not have any work for you at this time. The department will soon undergo personnel adjustments, so please take note of that

A battle-hardened witch clad in armor dismounted from the vehicle

The company is filled with surveillance cameras, originally controlled by Xu Yang, but now managed by the "Tiangong" AI. However, after the AI was offline for one hour, they have reverted back to Xu Yang's control.

In order to enhance his work efficiency and avoid being eliminated by machines, he took out a loan of over 4 million from the company to install human enhancement implants for himself

Utilizing the permissions still available to him, he made a bold attempt to place himself on a whitelist to avoid tracking, turning off all cameras and motion sensors along the route from his location to the dormitory, and quickly left his workstation. Xu Yang was all too familiar with the company's surveillance methods, and now he had given himself the green light to escape

His parents were also company employees, and due to their excessive busyness, they had no time to care for him, passing away at a very young age, at just 35 years old

The East District collected 30 witch infants from 28 households, including 2 defective ones, 18 with industrial potential, 6 with combat potential, and 4 with unknown potential

His job title is Level 2 Neural Network Engineer, and he works in the cybersecurity department of the company's branch. His daily responsibilities include supervising employee activities and maintaining network security

Xu Yang fell back, he was optimized

Xu Yang returned to his workstation, opened the lunch box in front of him, and found a tube of nutritional paste inside. It appeared like white mud and had a bland taste, but he liked it very much as it was efficient and convenient

The first camera encountered by Xu Yang had already been inspected

The terminal flickered briefly, and Xu Yang turned his head to see a new message from Huang Na.

I will not repay this debt

For each child born, the company's debt will decrease by 25%. This is the only reason why the company's employees have not become extinct; even knowing that their descendants will also become company personnel, they have accepted it.

He walked briskly to an unattended taxi, pretending to be on a business trip. He connected remotely with the vehicle using his digital intellect, intending to crack the civilian-grade key it carried in order to gain control over it, as early as possible.

Of course, it doesn't matter. What is the approximate compensation?

... ...

Xu Yang turned his head and was startled to find that the witch had appeared beside him at some unknown time, sneering coldly, her expression full of disdain. Behind her sunglasses, her eyes seemed to want to devour Xu Yang on the spot

The performance for this month is sufficient

Xu Yang naturally would not believe it, but he felt it was necessary to give it a try; having come this far, how could he still be choosy

This also means that he has no retreat left, and he must act quickly

If a person does not work, they will die

Digital Mind is a cutting-edge technology of modern times, transforming biological neural currents into electrical signals. In Xu Yang's mind, the Digital Mind panel takes shape, providing a comprehensive view of the security system of the entire company building, with every camera, alarm device, automated defense equipment, robotic security, and laser traps all connected to him.

Engaging in this carries significant risks, as it would be in direct opposition to the company's alliance and could even provoke other major enterprises. You wouldn't mind, would you

Breach of contract and fleeing, although a serious act of betrayal, will inevitably lead to pursuit, yet it also holds infinite possibilities

Xu Yang originally intended to take a short rest with his eyes closed, but the murmurs of people from other companies in the distant workstations disturbed his peace of mind, making it better for him to continue working

Xu Yang's only way to survive is to proactively resign, then go out to find a job to repay the debt and fill the gap left by the loan.

During these 10 days, he has already withstood over ten thousand attempts to track his whereabouts. The High Pavilion of the Nine Provinces is extremely furious about his escape and has immediately announced that he has violated the company's employment contract and must be apprehended and brought back.

He intends to earn back everything that has been damaged and trampled upon.

The thought of his parents being worked to death at their company desks filled Xu Yang with a deep-seated disgust

It seems to have completed my part, what about me

No problem. Xu Yang's numerical mindset is of very high quality, with both authority and technical capability being exceptional, making it easy to handle products from other companies

Because he has no real income, he eats from the company, uses the company's resources, sleeps at the company, and receives monthly consumption vouchers issued by the company, exchanging them for a bunch of things he does not need, thereby helping the company meet its consumption targets

Xu Yang numbly pulled out the cash card, and the screen content switched to the slogan "Your service makes the High Pavilion of the Nine Provinces more prosperous," accompanied by a round smiling face

Xu Yang's mind has already integrated a technology known as "Digital Mind"

The technical department has developed a new model, codenamed 'Tiangong'. It has many functions and has gone live after pressure testing. It will be our new colleague from now on

The moment he recognized her, Xu Yang felt a chill run down his spine

In recent days, I have been unable to sleep at all during the nights

He quickly opened the terminal at hand and contacted the department head, Huang Na

In an instant, Pan Ruiyi vanished like a swiftly darting shadow, disappearing without a trace

This is the cost of fleeing, Xu Yang is worried that his whereabouts have already been exposed. The only time window lies in the difficulties of law enforcement across the jurisdictions of large enterprises; the department can only conduct a preliminary search while waiting for approval for a large-scale investigation

Staying here for even a second is tantamount to self-destruction

The digital mindset, although a brand new design, is highly compatible with him. After the transformation, his technical foundation has greatly improved, and his status within the company has significantly risen. He possesses high authority, enabling him to oversee the daily activities of thousands of employees within the building, as well as to inspect potential hazards in the company's built-in defense systems. This is an extremely tedious task, as thousands of devices require maintenance, and he must also guard against hostile hackers infiltrating the system, while simultaneously warning those employees who engage in dishonest practices.

The security department has been frantically searching for him across the Eastern Hemisphere, waiting to bring back his head in exchange for their own continuous rise in leverage

Now we can also bring along the numerical mindset, rather than being completely stripped bare. Of course, this would be another crime altogether

Xu Yang picked up a cigarette and smoked it desperately; each time his nerves were stretched to the limit, he had to do this to numb himself

One method to reduce loans is through childbirth

He feels trapped at his workstation

Xu Yang supervises and controls the devices through his consciousness, without the need for physical intervention. In his mind, these devices can be directly inspected, controlled, and modified. With the assistance of implants, his brain is comparable to an advanced computer

Even if doing so would put oneself on the company's blacklist

Xu Yang is a "company person," a term used to refer to those who remain in the company from birth to death

Please expedite the report on your end

He quickly reviewed the equipment of the entire company and was astonished to find that all of it had been maintained. He hurriedly searched the logs and discovered that an AI called "Tiangong" had taken over Xu Yang's tasks.

... ...

AI is currently undergoing maintenance for 1 hour, you can see what you can do.

"Certainly." Xu Yang swiftly conveyed the message, "I still have great confidence in the area of information offense and defense."

This series of actions is still unsafe; once the company's "Tiangong" AI is restored, it will be able to locate Xu Yang instantly

"Do I have any other work to do?" Xu Yang hesitated for a moment and added another piece of information, "I kindly ask you to assign me some tasks."

The replacement of human jobs by artificial intelligence is an inevitable trend, and the pace at which humans become stronger cannot keep up with technology

He knows that the area is poorly regulated, and the passenger flow in the taxi zone is insufficient, resulting in a lower risk. He has never reported it, instead leaving himself a way out. Xu Yang's digital mindset, which integrates network offense and defense as well as hacking techniques, should enable him to hack a taxi and escape

Escape with a numerical mindset

A new conversation notification lit up in the lower right corner of the screen, Xu Yang widened his eyes, quickly sat up straight, and opened the message.

Your digital mind is just a debt trap... If you resign, you need to go to the cybernetic department to dismantle it

You are just right, take a moment to relax

Didi

Now running, one can also take some items out to exchange for money, while better preserving the numerical mindset, through healthy physical activity

Xu Yang's expenses for growth, accommodation, education, and medical care are all covered by the company. By the time of graduation, these expenses will amount to approximately 500,000, which he will need to work hard to repay

This is the only opportunity to escape the company now

Today is different

No ... ...

Since joining the company, he has worked diligently, even fantasizing about spending decades in his position in peace and stability, but all of this feels like a joke

Xu Yang's heart raced

Xu Yang is a company person, having signed a lifelong service contract for Gao Ge Jiu Zhou while still in the womb. If he were to escape, he would undoubtedly face pursuit.

Unable to work, the pursuit is about to arrive. With the little money he has now, he cannot afford decent security services for self-protection. Being captured is merely a matter of time, as the weight of the pursuit from the High Pavilion of the Nine Provinces is too heavy.

The most terrifying aspect is that Xu Yang has taken out a loan to create his digital mind. Now that he has no work, if he cannot repay the loan, the company will directly dismantle and reclaim his digital mind. Given the high degree of overlap between his brain and the digital mind, once it is dismantled, Xu Yang will be in life-threatening danger

This is the fate of corporate individuals, raised by the company, dedicating everything to the company, until their individual destruction. All of this is confirmed by a contract at the moment of their birth. Their parents gave birth to them to alleviate their own pressures, without considering their fate

Xu Yang felt a chill in his heart

His personal efforts are worthless; the skills acquired through training at the company, along with the digital mindset enhanced by loans, are all inferior to the newly developed artificial intelligence, which checks the efficiency of cybersecurity systems at more than 10 times that of Xu Yang

Can you handle the security system

He unplugged the data cable from his right wrist and inserted it into the socket.

Thus, the loan cannot be repaid.

Moreover, over the years, I have never heard of any company personnel escaping from the High Pavilion of the Nine Provinces and surviving; this is the gravest of crimes! Xu Yang is responsible for the monitoring system and is usually extremely vigilant against the escape of personnel from other companies, fully aware of the consequences they would face if they were to flee.

Everywhere there are recorders and timers, reporting every move of each employee to the supervision backend, while Xu Yang secretly shields the monitoring backend, allowing his actions to leave no trace

As a company employee, to breach the contract and flee, Xu Yang's heart raced with anxiety, what audacity! If it were someone else from another company, they would likely resign themselves to their fate and await death, but Xu Yang was determined not to give in.

If he voluntarily resigns, the company is not obligated to pay him a single cent in compensation, allowing him to fend for himself and turning him into their debtor. Xu Yang must desperately seek work outside to continue repaying the company loan, until he is exhausted to death

In this era, there exists a deep anonymous network that specializes in illegal activities. Xu Yang originally did not want to engage with any of its members, but now he himself is a fugitive from the company. He has no choice but to contact the smugglers among them, selling off all the valuable items he brought out from the company, ultimately exchanging them for 120,000, which he deposited into a cash card

Due to his technical proficiency, the workload in the department has instead concentrated on him, resulting in his schedule being filled with tasks every day

Gao Ge Jiu Zhou is one of the giant enterprises in the Eastern Hemisphere, having gained an advantage in various internal company conflicts. It has a complete range of departments, sufficient manpower, and is thriving, focusing on vehicle development, industrial production, and security services

"If employees are so incompetent, how can one expect to be a decent person?" Pan Ruiyi turned to look at the towering company building and said, "If you are this weak, how do you expect to survive? Fool, without the company, you are nothing. Now get lost, the further you escape, the better!"

Once "Tian Gong" resumes operation, everything done will be recorded. At that time, there will be no way to escape, leaving only a dead end!

Xu Yang was momentarily taken aback

Anju City is a major city under the jurisdiction of Kyoto, but it is also a place where Xu Yang cannot afford to live, so he can only seek refuge in the underground city beneath it, Aizuwakamatsu Castle

Do we really have to go back to the company for a settlement, just like the warm reminders in the employee handbook

The people from other companies around seemed like wooden figures, remaining at their desks, blankly staring at the smart screens in front of them, completely indifferent to anything beyond their work. Xu Yang could easily avoid them.

Do not worry. Pan Ruiyi chuckled lightly, Today I am on leave, not working

He checked the status of the network address being tracked, and heard the harsh scolding from the dark corridor outside, feeling anxious and fearful that the assassin might come knocking at any moment

What can one do when offline? Now it is AI that earns a salary for people, handling everything. Xu Yang felt increasingly frustrated. Voluntarily resigning would be tantamount to death; if Xu Yang's digital intellect were dismantled, he could very likely become paralyzed or suffer a serious illness, and he would not be able to afford the subsequent medical expenses. For him, he was already facing a dire fate.

Xu Yang quickly turned off the parking platform's camera, adjusted the patrol route of the security robot, and cautiously approached one of the taxis, preparing to hack in

Xu Yang remained silent, merely using his numerical intellect to hack into the car, getting inside, and allowing the taxi to swiftly take him away from the company

She is tall and beautiful, wearing sunglasses, with her long black hair tied up. Her upper body is wrapped in metallic armor that encases a pair of enormous peaks, while streamlined, sturdy armor protects her vital areas. There are no visible traces of modifications or implants, and large areas of enticing skin are exposed, yet she exudes an air of danger that deters any inappropriate thoughts. With the power of a battle witch, she could destroy an entire street in an instant

How could I possibly dedicate myself to such a heartless enterprise

How is it possible

He casually grabbed a few items at hand and stuffed them into his bag. As a member of the cybersecurity department, every device in his vicinity was under the manipulation of his digital mindset

Is it to be a company dog for a lifetime, or to seek a path to freedom

"Good." he replied

Witches are inherently endowed with unique and powerful abilities, some of which cannot be matched even by the most advanced technology. The company extensively breeds, captures, recruits, and trains witches to serve its interests

The circumstances of other employees in the company are similar to his; the more they work, the more they owe the company, and they must work tirelessly to repay their debts

Ten days later, Xu Yang concealed himself in the vast territory of Kyoto, a giant enterprise renowned for its high-tech innovations, entertainment and leisure, as well as the anime industry

As soon as he boarded the flight to escape, Xu Yang began to look for work, hoping to earn some funds. However, a full 10 days passed without him receiving any job contracts

The shopping vouchers that the company has given to Xu Yang over the years have all accumulated in the dormitory. If they were all sold, they could fetch around 150,000, which would be enough to buy the earliest flight ticket to hide away in a small place

Hmph, trying to escape? A faint voice echoed in my ear

Please wait...

The death of Xu Yang has no impact on the company whatsoever

Now is not the time to show weakness

Sister Huang, why is it that I don't have to work today, haha? Xu Yang hypocritically sent the message, feeling anxious in his heart

"Excuse me, if I resign now, which set of procedures should I follow?" Xu Yang asked tentatively.

Staying here, one is forever just a human battery, working and clocking out, accepting the predetermined fate set by the company, burning oneself for the sake of the company

Xu Yang felt a chill in his heart

The company has performance requirements every day. Xu Yang's work is now replaced by AI, which means there is no work output every day. Not only does he not receive a salary, but he is also subject to fines, and it could even be considered a crime.

The judgment for escapees is extremely severe; their brains will be extracted and transformed into a personality matrix, erasing their free will and emotions, thus becoming truly selfless contributors to the company

On the parking platform, through the glass windows, one can see the bustling city outside, with many unmanned taxis occupying the parking spaces, capable of traversing the suspended airways

The taxi area located in the central platform of the building presents a slim chance of escape

Xu Yang bought a cigarette, took a deep puff, then discarded it, stomping it into the ground, vowing never to smoke again, never to return to any company for work. He also vowed that he would never allow himself to be subjected to such humiliation again

Xu Yang rented a small room in the underground Aizuwakamatsu Castle and registered on a deep anonymous network that the company could not access

Xu Yang was almost about to curse; he clenched his fists and then relaxed them. Instinctively wanting to connect to the company network to continue his checks, but the "Tian Gong" AI had already obtained higher authority, completely surpassing Xu Yang's position, overseeing and controlling the entire building on his behalf

He felt completely exhausted and opened the company system, only to find that the "Tian Gong" AI, which was working for him, was temporarily offline

Xu Yang ran back to the dormitory, stuffed all the valuable and lightweight items into his backpack, and left with the bag on his back

Xu Yang had made a decision in his heart

Insufficient performance will result in fines

Level 2 Neural Network Engineer Xu Yang, with an income of 7,500 this month, has a debt of 4,606,300. After deducting 7,500 for repayment, the remaining debt is 4,598,800, resulting in an actual income of 0 this month

As a trained neural network engineer, Xu Yang can connect digital minds to the interconnected network, where most modern electrical devices are integrated into the same network for unified management

He works in the cybersecurity department and has a relatively comprehensive understanding of the development and utilization of digital intelligence, enabling him to hack and infiltrate electronic products, vehicles, and devices. Thus, he refers to himself as a free neural hacker with advanced hacking capabilities

Can it also be used to deal with a complete set of company goods

Those who leave the company have nothing at all

Meanwhile, an unmanned taxi arrived from a distance

To sell physical labor, can one earn 5,000 in a month? How many years will it take to pay off this 4.5 million? ... Trying every possible way to repay the debt ... ... After paying it offーー

To live in a state of mere survival

Escape

Xu Yang took a deep breath, and malice began to take root in his heart

Upon seeing the message recipient, Xu Yang was taken aback. The other party had concealed their ID, but the profile indicated an extremely high credibility. In the deep anonymous network, mercenaries, hackers, and assassins give high ratings to qualified employers, which, in a sense, signifies trustworthiness

He has performance for each day, and just because these devices have been maintained today does not mean Xu Yang can take a break; it simply indicates that he has missed a day's work

According to the company, they have fulfilled their consumption obligations and labor obligations, and are exemplary employees of the company

Out of politeness, it was not explicitly stated; the underlying message, however, is that Xu Yang has been completely replaced by an AI system, and it is advisable to seek alternative paths.

Staying in the company is death, and being outside is also death. Xu Yang felt a bitterness in his heart, sensing the countdown to his demise. Is his fate really destined to end like this