Chapter 4
Unfortunately, although the system of this trash can is outdated, it is not so easily deceived. It continues to shovel, engaging in a cold tug-of-war with the elderly within a limited space
In the dense withered grass, a car had stopped at some unknown time. Fourth Brother stood with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the car body, appearing to have waited for quite a while.
Prepare to activate the spatial field, locate the broken tavern—based on the mech model, it should be the people from 'Venom Nest'
At the very moment he turned around, a thin red beam suddenly shot out from the wall, piercing straight through the "Spider"'s neck. The "Spider"'s laughing mouth had not yet closed when it fell down silently.
At the moment the biological chip was peeled away, the "spider" with its metallic skin immediately collapsed, and its body temperature, heart rate, and metabolism plummeted sharply, making him appear as if he had aged several decades, with his face almost wrinkled.
The old beggar could not help but ask hesitantly: "Are you ... ... "
The security robot approached him menacingly
Fourth Brother was somewhat surprised: "What are they coming to Beijing for?"
Zhanlu carefully stored the unfamiliar chip, the mechanical hand transformed back into a human hand, and removed all electronic devices from the "Spider," reducing him to a primitive state. He bent down to carry the person and then turned back to disable the mecha's encryption system, taking it away as he left Venus Port
He originally intended to return the same way, but as he approached the hall, Zhan Lu suddenly paused. He raised his head and closed his eyes, and then, as if summoned by something, he turned in another direction and walked straight into the dense white grass.
The mental network within the mech was in complete disarray. If one were to rashly get caught up in it, not to mention a human, even a silicon-based life form would be left severely damaged by the electrical surges. Therefore, without a moment's hesitation, he smashed the emergency safety valve with a punch, quickly switched to manual operation, forcibly opened the already heated hatch, and shouted as he rolled out.
As soon as he finished speaking, the alarm system on the mech began to scream inexplicably. "Spider" heard a sharp crackle in his ear, and the communication was immediately cut off. He abruptly raised his head and saw the mech on the launch pad trembling like a living creature. The mental network within the mech had not yet connected with its master when the body suddenly shook violently, causing "Spider" to stagger backward. At the same time, the mech's mental network sparked erratically, producing a smell of ozone—this was the result of severe interference with the mech!
An elderly vagrant, with a hunched back, carried a similarly ragged child on his back. Suddenly, he stumbled and fell to the ground. The child rolled off like a ball, landing stiffly and revealing a small face mottled with blue and purple— it turned out that the child had long since lost its life.
"Come catch me!" the spider shouted defiantly, whistling sharply. There was no response from the surroundings, and he let out a hearty laugh, giving the sky the middle finger, preparing to board the mech again
This tall and handsome "Zhanlu" is actually an artificial intelligence that is strikingly similar to a real person
The security passage between the reception hall and the launch platform is locked. A fake homeless man pulls out a palm-sized chip from his body, presses it against the lock, and after three seconds, the door lock program silently unlocks. The heavy door swings open to both sides, and he cautiously looks around before slipping inside
Venus Port is a semi-abandoned interstellar harbor, with only a few workers receiving meager wages from the government, coming in daily to perform basic maintenance
The mecha behind him was shrouded in thick smoke, and the security robots that he had just immobilized somehow came back to life, with seven or eight laser guns aimed at him, yet there was not a single person to be seen on the platform
At this moment, on a cold and deep night, there is no one around Venus Harbor, and in the vast expanse of open land, the frost-covered withered grass, towering over a person, sways back and forth in the howling wind, making a rustling sound. As far as the eye can see, it resembles a desolate area, with a bleak and somber hue. The old buildings of Victoria Harbor and the launch pads are displayed within, resembling scenes depicted in old science fiction novels, indescribably ugly.
The disoriented old vagabond finally came to his senses, hurriedly wiped his nose, shook his head, and then the man took long strides, following the tracks of those vagabonds from earlier.
On the platform, the robotic security and surveillance equipment simultaneously malfunctioned. The "Spider" confidently bypassed the stationary mechanical security and approached the outermost track, retrieving a small mech that was docked in the spatial field. The mech landed steadily on the launch pad, and the hatch automatically popped open
The mechanical hand scanned the unconscious "Spider" from head to toe, emitting a few beeping sounds, and detected a strong energy field at the "Spider"'s heart.
As Zhanlu tilted its head, an extremely thin probe extended from the palm of the mechanical hand. Simultaneously, a mist of disinfectant was sprayed from the fingertips of its five metallic fingers, briefly creating a small sterile environment. The probe swiftly inserted into the chest of the "Spider," and in less than five minutes, this minor operation was completed—removing a biological chip from the heart of the unconscious "Spider."
Without thinking, the old homeless man immediately regretted his words, for this unfamiliar man was dressed neatly, exuding a subtle affluence, resembling what he considered an "upper-class person." In the old homeless man's meandering life experience, it was best to keep a respectful distance from these "upper-class people"; otherwise, he would attract disdain and often suffer physical repercussions.
The "spider" said while pressing a few times on his wrist, and an image immediately appeared on his wrist, which was a recent photo of Huang Jingshu.
The organization "Poison Nest" is located at the far edge of the Eighth Star System; beyond that point, conditions are unsuitable for human survival. "Poison Nest" rarely interacts with other gangs in the star system, and it is rather enigmatic. Rather than being classified as a gang, it is more akin to a cult. The children of the Eighth Star System are known for their peculiar ambitions, and there are quite a few cult organizations. However, most people typically fabricate some supernatural beliefs based on ancient legends, or at the very least, they worship deities resembling cats or dogs, which are still mammals. In contrast, organizations like "Poison Nest" that worship insects are quite unique.
The cold sweat of the "spider" had already begun to trickle down, as one hand reached into his bosom and pressed against his left chest—where a small implanted chip resided, his final trump card
The mechanical hand emitted a voice identical to that of Zhan Lu: "Scanning unknown energy field—"
The man who referred to himself as "Zhanlu" asked again, "May I ask if you have any other questions?"
Fourth Brother lifted his chin, signaling him to get in the car. Zhan Lu threw the captured man into the trunk, then placed his hand on the car body. Suddenly, his "hand" transformed, first his hand, then his body, and finally his head... He gradually disappeared, merging into the car body. At the same time, Fourth Brother's dormant car automatically rebooted
The white grass flanks a narrow path, which is likely a passage for workers entering and exiting the port. A group of homeless wanderers is making their way along the path towards Victoria Harbour. During the day, the workers drive them away, but at night, they can blend in to seek shelter from the wind
Those damned flies have not been shaken off yet
The voice of Zhanlu sounded: "Sir, where are you going?"
The spider sent a shiver down my spine
This is a man, tall in stature, with a neat head of light brown short hair, pale skin, and features that are so perfectly symmetrical that they appear somewhat rigid. He strides forward, each step precisely measured and evenly spaced. His posture is upright as he walks, and although he is dressed in casual attire, he inexplicably exudes a military demeanor
Within half an hour, the sound of snoring began to rise and fall.
Little did they know that the man, upon being questioned, stood still and earnestly replied: "My identity is an encrypted file, inaccessible for review; my name is Zhan Lu"
Scan failed
The security passage came to an end, and the "Spider" quickly arrived at the platform. The empty platform was patrolled by only a few robotic security guards. The "Spider" roughly confirmed the positions of the robotic guards and pressed the jammer in hand
The trash can by the roadside detected a carbon-based biological corpse on the ground and activated the automatic cleaning system, which buzzed over, extending its cold shovel and mechanical arm to remove the body. The elderly man hurriedly spread his withered arms to cover the child, as if by doing so he could impart a bit of life force to the deceased child.
It is me, the spider. There is no one else in the safe passage. The thin "vagrant" tore open his tattered outer clothing, his bones elongated and widened, returning to his original form. He lowered his voice to communicate with his accomplice, "... what a harvest, I was targeted by someone and almost couldn't escape!"
The old homeless man looked at him in disbelief
"Silence it," Zhan Lu instructed in a low voice
The wanderers gradually moved further away, when suddenly, a pair of hard-soled long boots emerged from the white grass, pausing slightly before walking towards the trash can
Continuing, a flash from the photo revealed Huang Jingshu's identity information, address, and a series of details laid out meticulously before him. The 'Spider' cast a fierce glance at the girl in the photo with bloodshot eyes: 'I have obtained her information, its authenticity is uncertain, but I don't think she is a government person... Hmm, it could also just be a coincidence; the sewers of the Eighth Star System are filled with the remnants of empty-brained individuals... Hmm, it could also just be a coincidence; the sewers of the Eighth Star System are filled with the remnants of empty-brained individuals...
"Return to the tavern," said Fourth Brother. "Do you recognize which group this person belongs to?"
The "spider" stood in place, panting heavily, revealing a somewhat smug smile. He patted his left chest and murmured, "At last, those useless ones are of some use."
With this "secret weapon," he can control the senses of all people and machines at will, just like making everyone on the city bus mistake a child for an old homeless man. Even when encountering a "空脑症" like that of a little brat, it is not a problem to deceive for a moment.
At 13:00 Universal Time, it is precisely midnight at Venus Port on Beta Star in Beijing
The man silently reached out to open the backend program of the trash can, bent down to fiddle with it for a moment, and with a creak, the trash can slowly leveled the iron shovel, revealing the small corpse it had just devoured.
Failed to scan intruder identity
If the delinquent girl Huang Jingshu were here, she would be able to recognize at a glance that this is the disguised appearance of the "monster" involved in child trafficking. He escaped through the back door of the "broken tavern" and directly arrived near Victoria Harbour via a small spatial field, blending in among the homeless, intending to leave Beijing β star from here
There is no doubt, the trash can has won
The reception hall of Victoria Harbour is heated, and the wanderers hurriedly peel off their coats, rubbing their hands and feet to warm themselves as quickly as possible, grasping the last bit of night before dawn, and racing against time to fall asleep.
Zhan Lu bowed formally to Fourth Brother and said: "Sir"
In the next moment, an invisible field spread out like a tide, centered around the "spider". The locator of the robotic security lost its target, and the scanning results showed that the platform was empty. The robotic security, holding a laser gun, turned around in confusion on the "vacant" platform for a moment, finding nothing, and had no choice but to return to their respective patrol routes.
This man not only walks with the same stride, but also speaks in a steady, word-by-word manner, with almost no fluctuation in tone, resembling a machine. After reciting this monotonous script as if it were a rehearsed line, he lightly tapped his heel, gave a slight bow to the old homeless man, and turned to leave
The "spider" stepped inside, the glow of the launch pad coalescing on his face into a layer of metallic cold light. He said: "No matter whose person she is, no matter if it is a coincidence, for safety's sake, it is better to kill her—"
Then, the previously blank wall suddenly bulged, and a man with flaxen short hair appeared as if by magic from within the wall; it was indeed the man who called himself "Zhan Lu".
Warning! Raise your hands!
He did not mind the filth, lifting the child's corpse with both hands and returning it to the old homeless man who was kneeling on the ground: "Please accept my condolences"
The security passage was long and narrow, with a significant echo. Although he was well aware that the surveillance system had been disabled, the echo of his own voice still made this "spider" quite anxious. He cursed and said: "A bunch of trash, all they know is to demand people and things. They can't even replicate the damn silent communication system. The Alliance's dogs are about to make it available to the public, and they still think they can overthrow the Alliance? What a daydream... I don't know, a woman—how am I supposed to know whose person she is?" He cursed again: "A bunch of trash, all they know is to demand people and things. They can't even replicate the damn silent communication system. The Alliance's dogs are about to make it available to the public, and they still think they can overthrow the Alliance? What a daydream... I don't know, a woman—how am I supposed to know whose person she is?"
Unauthorized entry! Unauthorized entry!
Zhan Lu extended his right hand, and the pale hand transformed into a mechanical hand out of thin air, identical to the one in the "Broken Tavern".
The old homeless man stared blankly at him, and the man pointed in a direction: "Detected at the three o'clock position, approximately two hundred meters away, the soil is the softest there. You may choose to bury your child there. I once again express my condolences for your loss."
However, in the remote and impoverished Eighth Star System, the vast majority of the locals have never seen a mech in their lifetime, so where could such interference technology come from
Scan failed again - unable to recognize - warning -
At this moment, a sneaky and slender figure stood up from the corner, carefully avoiding others, and walked towards the port
The frail old homeless man was knocked down by a rude garbage bin, kneeling on the ground, overwhelmed by sorrow, and unable to help but cry out loud. His companions glanced at him from a distance, following the sound, and then heartlessly continued on their way to their destination. For here, it is not uncommon for the dead to be taken away by garbage bins, and it is not worth making a fuss about.