Chapter 2, Well Spring House

"Let's eat, what do you like?" The Black man opened the ordering screen on the smart table and casually tapped on several dishes.

Those who leave the company must bear their own profits and losses, especially since Xu Yang is currently facing a deficit.

This store also utilizes a common network technology, with all devices connected to a single network

My name is Matteo. The Black man said, "I will wirelessly transmit a message to you, open the interface."

The Kyoto Unlimited Company Alliance has submitted an application, and while you are eating noodles, the company alliance is already reviewing her affiliation. During this period, there is a small window remaining, approximately 12 hours.

A steaming bowl of fragrant tonkotsu ramen was placed in front of Xu Yang, with char siu, a fried egg, peas, and strips of nori resting atop the pork bone broth and noodles

A Black man placed a box in front of Xu Yang

Xu Yang lifted the door curtain and took his seat. Within just a few seconds, he heard a series of heavy footsteps.

Goodness. The Black man couldn't help but exclaim, "Only took a second?"

Although this power is formidable, Xu Yang always feels that it does not truly belong to him when used in the company. Throughout his many years in the company, he has also taken note of this, mastering digital intelligence through extensive learning, training, and practical experience, ensuring that it is trustworthy and has become an important tool in his mind, which now also assists him in escaping peril and seeking a glimmer of hope

Aizuwakamatsu Castle is divided into three areas: the Hikari District, the 26th Heights, and the Katamuki District

"How is that possible?" Matteo said, "We need you to break into the external facilities of the excavation site, and it is essential for you to handle the internal hidden traps. When it comes time to escape, we will also need you to clean up the traces and hack into a few drones. Rather than saying we want to kill you, we are more concerned about when you might report us to Kyoto Infinite."

The expression on the Black man's face shifted from relaxed to serious as he took out a rectangular box.

The wellspring house has few guests, making it a very quiet place. The warm yellow light spreads around, creating a cozy atmosphere reminiscent of spring scenery. Classical screens separate the dining areas, adorned with images of flying birds and running dogs, the illustrations are hazy and the material is hard to discern

Jingquanyalamen, an independent brand, has 10 branches in Aizuwakamatsu, and is relatively small in scale

Xu Yang remotely activated the three geisha robots that had previously entered rest mode, bringing them into service status. They respectfully fetched tea and fans, entered their compartment, and knelt on the floor to serve them

It also includes a deposit; I don't think asking for 10 million is excessive

Their information and status are laid bare, clearly displayed in Xu Yang's digital mind

A bowl of noodles earns me 150? How is your mother?

At any time, what a company requires is the labor of an individual, rather than that individual's personal pursuits, values, and ideals, which cannot be realized within the company and must be sought outside of it

"Here is a sum for you now." Matteo pushed an anonymous cash card across the table

There are neither spices nor oil here

10 million in hand

As soon as the individual opened the payment interface, they noticed the price fluctuating rapidly, with the settlement price initially changing from 260 to 250,000, then to an even larger astronomical figure, and finally reverting to 0

Xu Yang pulled the cable from his wrist and plugged it into the interface on the side of the table

Then you can trust me, right

I see, it turns out that a third-party large company or a giant enterprise has set its sights on the resources of the witch. Xu Yang silently analyzed. Being involved in this matter is undoubtedly extremely dangerous, but missing the opportunity before him is even more distressing

Your experience is extensive, and your equipment is very advanced. The Black man nodded in approval, saying, "What other equipment can escape your control? This technology is called digital mind, and only a few giant enterprises have successfully developed it."

You seem very relaxed, Xu Yang said

It was mentioned that the excavation work started extremely smoothly; although no fossil fuels were found, many ancient treasures and burial items were unearthed, seemingly related to the ancient Witch Council

The number you reported is false, Xu Yang said

I am not picky

An extremely rare ancient living witch, whose value absolutely exceeds that of an entire large company

"Ten million?" The black man smiled and said, "You should take a look at the details of the commission first."

After an initial period of confusion, the diners quickly shifted their attention elsewhere

This was originally intended to provide charging services for some customers, but it is now being used by Xu Yang for data transmission. Controlling it with wires is more convenient, while remote control requires more effort.

Do not forget that we only have 12 hours, I would say, right now

Matteo crushed the fried chicken bones with his teeth, swallowed it down, drank a large cup of hot tea, leaned back, and said two words with a sense of relief: "Witch"

That is our goal Xu Yang felt a surge of excitement in his heart

"Do not worry," Matteo said with a smile, "I have the 'company' behind me. What I need is efficiency and capability. Who would have thought that a master with a digital mindset could be found so close at hand in Aizuwakamatsu Castle, saving me the expense of purchasing a combat robot"

With a face that clearly showed unfamiliarity with the underground world, this person likely guessed that he had just escaped from a large company and would not turn back to cooperate with them, Xu Yang thought. Indeed, he could not expose himself now; once discovered, he would surely end up with his brain being dug out.

Xu Yang looked at the list, which included a total of 4 cameras, 2 security alarms, 5 electric stoves, 1 automatic noodle-cooking robot, 1 time clock, 46 smart dining tables, 2 hovering service robots, ... high-definition wall-mounted televisions ...

What? The meat is not synthetic? I don't want it!

Within and outside of giant enterprises, there exists a significant technological gap. Xu Yang, as an elite engineer nurtured by a giant enterprise, possesses exceptional abilities. Coupled with the advanced technology exclusive to giant enterprises, known as "Digital Mind," Xu Yang naturally excels in external society

Witches are the strategic resource of this era, possessing greater deterrent power than nuclear weapons

While digging, they unearthed an ancient witch. Matteo said, "A living ancient witch buried deep within the Aizu underground castle."

Then why are they ... ...

"It is no exaggeration to say that I am the best hacker you will ever encounter." Xu Yang scoffed at the test, "Give me the problem, I will solve it, and give me 100 million, and we will be square."

Immediately afterwards, Xu Yang displayed the entire back-end of the ramen shop on television, which included daily records, inventory lists, and sanitation conditions, allowing everyone to understand the actual services of the establishment

What I mean is, just rely on 'us'?

Xu Yang introspected his internal information platform and received messages connected with Matteo. As soon as he approved, the other party transmitted eight documents, most of which were news articles, while the rest contained information from an excavation company

"Let us go," Xu Yang said, "When shall we take action?"

How?

"Is it just up to us?" Xu Yang realized.

One must not be too agitated; if my predictions are correct, there are still 90 million awaiting in the future

Xu Yang picked up the cash card and activated the digital display, which showed 10,000,000 in the upper right corner, indicating a total of 10 million funds

The safe has self-destructed, and it is empty inside

He glanced over; it was a micro safe from a small security company. Xu Yang unplugged the wires and connected them to the safe's body. The firewall was rendered ineffective in the face of his specially designed decryption algorithm for digital minds. Inside, there were 3 built-in viruses, which Xu Yang cleared in less than half a second, eliminating the risk of self-ignition

The past way of life is already a distant memory

When it comes to Xu Yang, he decided to go all out

Complaints arise from time to time

Ah. The Black man shakes his head, "Definitely not."

The large-scale excavation work outside Aizu Castle has come to a standstill. Xu Yang whispered, "Residents have been injured and gone missing. Strange lights have appeared at night. The Bronze Titan Excavation Company..."

The customers in the store noticed this change and pointed at the screen

However, even if it is mere boasting, or after going through a lot of exploitation only to receive a few hundred thousand, one can only accept it.

The civilian key is quite simple, consisting of only 5 levels, and there are no embedded security programs. After Xu Yang hacked into it, the situation was completely under control

He secretly hacked into the ramen shop's network, repeatedly checking the footage and the personnel entering and exiting in advance to avoid falling into a phishing trap

They did not dig down further

The man tapped a few times and selected fried chicken, ramen, rice balls, and rice cakes

0.1 seconds

The issue of money resolved, I will be able to be in place said Xu Yang

The television is broadcasting a hybrid combat program, featuring two winged monsters engaged in fierce combat. They are created through biotechnology, modified from a giant lizard template, resembling flying dragons, and resurrecting the bizarre entities of the witching era. Their bodies are filled with armor and implants, with roars and wails synthesized electronically

This company is a subsidiary of Near East Tian Ci.

Xu Yang, wearing sunglasses and a mask, walked casually across the street with his hands in his pockets. The surrounding pedestrians were sparse, and a large shuttle passed overhead in the public air corridor. Aizuwakamatsu is an underground city; above is not the sky, but a cold screen equipped with a large sky projector, fabricating a hollow blue sky.

Immediately thereafter, the excavation work was abruptly interrupted

Xu Yang went back to review those reports and the information regarding the excavation company

Freedom comes at a cost

Hey. He sat down opposite Xu Yang, leaned forward, took off his sunglasses, smiled, and casually reached out his hand to Xu Yang

The sound of the jet propulsion of the intelligent service robot approached from afar, interrupting the conversation. It brought the food.

Table 40 is a compartment, featuring two rows of cotton fabric sofas and semi-transparent silk curtains. Two red lanterns inscribed with the character "Ling" hang from above, and a pleasant fragrance permeates the air

Knocking on the table, Xu Yang restored everything to its original state

Xu Yang set out from his residence in Huicheng District and arrived at a ramen shop called Jingquan House located at High Ground No. 26, preparing to meet with the other party

Welcome! A hovering robot swiftly ascended from behind the counter to serve Xu Yang

Enough

Xu Yang passed by several geisha robots, which were reclining on the sofa, their faces painted a ghostly white, with makeup applied to their metallic skin. On the table in the center, there was a huge glass fish tank, with an air tube at the bottom releasing countless bubbles. Some 3D projected ornamental fish were swimming slowly within, but one of them had a bug, where the fish head was replaced by a string of garbled characters.

I do not know whether the one who has come is a frivolous impostor or a true hacker

The Near East is blessed with energy giant companies

This happened two weeks ago

Xu Yang's gaze shifted from the television to the robot, which displayed a cute anime smiley face on its screen, pulling his thoughts back from the ethereal ancient past to the present reality

Xu Yang did not move his chopsticks. In that brief moment, he reminisced about the company's nutritional paste, which did not have such a complex array of aromas

This month, 3,353 pieces of customer facial data were sold

Very good. Xu Yang stood up

Turning his head, he saw a burly Black man walking towards him. The man wore sunglasses, had thick lips, and a series of gold hoops in his ears. He was dressed in a military vest, camouflage pants, and high-top studded leather boots, with a pair of holsters hanging from his belt. Aizuwakamatsu lacked social security and regulations, and gun violence could erupt on the streets at any moment, making such attire unremarkable.

This was merely a basic technique for Xu Yang. He turned his head to look at the television in the distance, and the gaze of the Black man also shifted over. Under Xu Yang's manipulation, the channels above switched rapidly, from arena fighting to weather forecasts, then to popular anime and company news.

Xu Yang shook his head, dismissing the geisha robot, restoring the menu prices to their original state, changing the television back to the original channel, and deleting all operation records to avoid any subsequent investigation. However, most stores are unstaffed, and it would be a long time before anyone comes to handle the situation

"How can I ensure that you won't silence me?" Xu Yang said

They are so wealthy that they dig everywhere, even here, in the boundless territory of Kyoto, which has also been interfered with by their reach

Hmm?

If one is slightly careless, they are immediately bitten on the throat, metal scales peel off, mechanical parts are damaged, electric arcs spark and hiss, blood and fuel spray from the wound, igniting upon contact with the ground, causing the entire area to boil over, akin to a dragon's fire sweeping across the plains

Please follow me

Now I want to see your ability to crack the advanced products of this company

Oh. The black man is putting things away

Take me to table 40, Xu Yang stated the agreed location

He quickly browsed through the document while eating ramen

One hundred million, you really dare to say that

Of course not, but they are not here for that kind of thing

Open it

The issue of spheres of influence, Kyoto Infinite does not wish for the people of the Near East to excavate the infinitely valuable ancient seeds from their territory. The confrontation is intense, with neither side yielding to the other. The ancient witches... those witches of the past cannot be compared to the modern-day bitches, slaves, and weapons of slaughter; they were worshipped as deities in ancient times

What?

The most powerful among them can not only directly resist or absorb the power of nuclear weapons, but also manipulate and alter reality with energy

Only after confirming safety did he stroll in

You lack money, brother