Chapter 2, I Want to Steal Electricity

So, going to the construction site? The personnel there are quite mixed; just casually find a hard hat to put on your head, lower your head, and follow behind the migrant workers who come out to buy cigarettes, and you can easily blend in. Moreover, construction sites operate day and night, consuming a significant amount of electricity, making it an excellent place to be. However, the people at the construction site are hardly clean-handed; petty theft is definitely a common occurrence. There are plenty of electricity thieves; these "electric rats" do not care about any regulations, and as long as there is an opportunity, they will dare to connect a wire. The night watchmen at the factory are certainly not few! You are like a fluffy little chick approaching a butcher with a big knife! Hey! They will catch you without hesitation! Furthermore, the cables at the construction site are buried underground; even if a wire end comes out, it is quite thick. Without specialized tools, how can you manage it? It's simply a joke! Furthermore, the cables at the construction site are buried underground; even if a wire end comes out, it is quite thick. Without specialized tools, how can you manage it? It's simply a joke!

Rank: Second Lieutenant

Electric energy? Charging directly at home? Or should we not take such risks? Absolutely not. The energy reserves of the base's intelligent core must be quite substantial. Even if we consider just one percent of that reserve, it would far exceed what the 220V voltage at home can provide. Not to mention the current-limiting settings of the fuses, even the transformers within the community have overload protection devices.

Having indulged in food and drink, Wang Zheng lay comfortably on the bed, groaning softly. What? Writing homework? Hehe! Sorry, I’m not in the mood for that. You expect someone who graduated nearly ten years ago and is just coasting through life to come and do high school homework? Let’s put that aside for now. Do you even remember how to guess your way through it? If you did well back in the day, that’s something! Just wait until Monday to copy it! Fortunately, I’m in the second year of high school, so the teacher won’t be watching me like a hawk during morning self-study; the supervision isn’t too strict. If it were the third year, well! Just wait to die!

The rain intensified, with large droplets pounding against the old iron rain awning, producing a clanging sound. Wang Zhan, holding an umbrella, zipped up the collar of his jacket to retain some precious warmth. He cautiously surveyed the surroundings, then began to slowly move outward, bracing against the wind with his umbrella.

The base's intelligent core flickered briefly, slowly emitting a dim glow. The metallic surface connected to the wires suddenly retracted inward, revealing a small square hole. A tiny mechanical arm extended, grasping the copper wire and gently pulling it into the matrix, directly connecting it to the base matrix

I wrapped the mouse cord and stuffed it into my pocket, casually grabbed a book from the table, picked up the umbrella leaning against the door, and shouted, "Mom! I'm going downstairs to buy a pen!" Without paying any attention to what my mom shouted behind me, I opened the door and ran out with a thud!

Task rewards: promotion in rank, activation of base permissions

Position: Commander

I glanced down at the matrix. The time "23:25:46" is still quite ample, more than enough!

Task Name: Base Smart Brain Energization

The base's intelligent core has exhausted all its energy during the prolonged standby and four-dimensional time transfer, including the emergency backup energy. The remaining energy can only support the standby time of the base's intelligent core for twenty-four hours. If no energy intervention occurs within the specified time, the base's intelligent core will enter a self-destruction countdown to prevent intrusion.

Wang Zheng removed the tube, took down the base matrix from his neck, found a flat stone to place it on, and in a state of confusion, he randomly prayed to no one in particular. Taking a deep breath, he gently touched the small metal piece with the other end of the mouse cable.

After finishing dinner, I was sent back to my room to do homework by my mother, while she stayed in the kitchen to clean up the battlefield. It is no exaggeration to call it a battlefield; after all, what can one expect from a homebody office worker? Cooking is basically just about not starving to death. As for deliciousness, I’m afraid that’s out of the question! For someone who lives on fast food and instant noodles, and only treats themselves a few times a month, it was quite a luxury to enjoy the home-cooked meals from my childhood. Wang Zheng was being polite by not finishing the entire table of food.

In a dimension where technology is underdeveloped, electric energy is the purest among natural resources and has the fastest energy transmission speed

It is said that in the past, one could occasionally see something resembling a piece of black charcoal hanging above. At that time, I had no idea what it was and thought it was a plastic bag. Now, reflecting on it, I realize that it must have been the charred remains of a wild cat that had committed suicide during its mating season. Just thinking about this made Wang Zheng shiver involuntarily

The factory is indeed a good place, with ample power and a high current limit. However, the challenge lies in how to sneak in. Just imagine a high school student staying up late at night, stealthily trying to slip into someone else's factory; isn't that just asking for trouble? If they encounter a bad-tempered security guard, they might end up getting beaten up, with no place to cry!

Name: Wang Zheng

Task Requirement: Commander Wang Zheng, Second Lieutenant, please ensure that the base matrix enters energy loading status within 24 hours

What is that? A small electric spark flashed into Wang Zheng's view. Electric discharge? That's right, the high-voltage electric fence! Behind the residential area where Wang Zheng lived, there was a high-end villa community, surrounded by a network of high-voltage electric fences for security. When the light rain hit the electric fence, it caused fluctuations in voltage, occasionally producing small sparks. The high-voltage electric fence there is not just for show; it is a genuine prison-grade electric fence. This was revealed years later when a television station exposed the incident of a thief being electrocuted. This electric fence is powered by a dedicated small thermal power plant, providing ample electricity. As for whether it costs a lot, that is not something for us common folks to worry about. The villa area is inhabited by wealthy individuals; as long as the security measures are in place, spending a little money is nothing. Moreover, the costs are shared among the households. No one cares!

Then there are only the high-voltage transmission towers left, but those things are usually located in river valleys or on mountain ridges. By this time, it was already night; if he went there, it would be in the middle of the night, and he would have to climb up. What if he slipped and missed his step? Wang Zheng shuddered and dared not think further. Moreover, Wang Zheng was still a high school student; if he didn't return home at night, his mother would surely make him suffer in various ways. The thought of being subjected to her scolding was unbearable. The danger level was off the charts.

Since it is not feasible at home, the only option left is to seek external sources. Generally, the places with the highest electricity consumption are factories, construction sites, and high-voltage transmission towers.

Having made up his mind, he began rummaging through drawers in search of tools. A broken mouse with only half a head left, a paper cutter blade that had only one piece remaining, and an old, pitch-black lighter that looked like it had seen better days. A roll of insulation tape with very little left was all that Wang Zheng had at his disposal. Using the pitiful little blade, he carefully peeled away the skin of the half-dead mouse head, revealing the copper wire inside. He used the antique lighter to burn away the visible cut marks. While it was still warm, he wrapped the melted insulation head with insulation tape a few times, squeezing it tightly with his hand before removing it. He took another look and saw that the copper wire was now completely clean. Preparation was complete

The residential community at m.hetushu.com occupies a modest area, likely developed as a high-end neighborhood years ago, thus comprising only a few dozen households. Each building possesses its own unique characteristics, and the picturesque scenery is diverse and captivating. The community features pavilions and terraces, interspersed with lakes, bamboo groves, grassy areas, small bridges, and streams, creating an almost ethereal paradise. Wang Zheng envied this place for a long time; during his childhood, he often sneaked in with friends to play, engaging in an eight-year-long guerrilla warfare of 'enemy advances, we retreat' with the security guards. Thanks to the security guards, Wang Zheng became intimately familiar with the layout inside, especially the dog holes and low walls, making him well aware of where the electric fences were sparse.

However, this is indeed a solution, ha! As expected, "When the willows are dark and the flowers are bright, there is another village; when the boat reaches the bridge, it will go straight naturally." The ancients truly do not deceive me. Wang Zheng suddenly had an idea. "Hehe, the electric thief is about to be on the move, and the police will have something to do again!"

Wang Zheng's heart trembled; it had finally arrived! He quickly got up to lock the door, glanced up and down outside the window, and seeing nothing unusual, he drew the curtains and turned the music up to the maximum. Once everything was ready, he focused his gaze.

Feeling troubled, Wang Zheng scratched his head. All three had declined, and this matter was becoming quite vexing! He pulled back the curtains and pushed open the window, and a gust of wind rushed in with a whoosh, startling Wang Zheng and instantly clearing his mind! The chilly spring winds in March were still quite strong. He leaned out to let the wind blow on him. Yantai is a coastal city, and a level 9 wind is considered mild. Moreover, it is currently the season when spring rain is as precious as oil, with sporadic light rain mixed with howling winds making it difficult for Wang Zheng to open his eyes. He leaned out to let the wind blow on him. Yantai is a coastal city, and a level 9 wind is considered mild. Moreover, it is currently the season when spring rain is as precious as oil, with sporadic light rain mixed with howling winds making it difficult for Wang Zheng to open his eyes.

Before long, Wang Zheng arrived at the base of a low wall, which was where the heating pipes entered. The security guard, perhaps fearing that someone might step on the pipes and fall in, took it upon himself to raise the wall by an additional section. However, when it came time to relocate the electric grid, he was taken aback; the length of the grid was insufficient, and he had no choice but to cut it and twist together a few steel wires. This resulted in unstable voltage, which was manageable most of the time. Yet, on a windy and rainy day, one could hear the crackling sound of the circuit sparking. This section of the wall is located at the back of the community, near a small river, and is quite far from the residents' homes. Additionally, the wind and rain would mask that sound, so it wasn't until 2008 that it was discovered due to an incident involving the security guard stealing electricity to smelt steel. Therefore, it should still be safe now.

Wang Zheng looked around, but there wasn't even a ghostly shadow in sight! It made sense; if there weren't any urgent matters, who would be foolish enough to come out to the small riverbank in the middle of the night during windy and rainy weather? Wang Zheng found two small branches and used them to connect the exposed copper wire of the mouse cable to the high-voltage power grid while carefully stepping on the heating pipe. With a 'pop', a small spark flew out. The safe connection was completed! Now only the final step remained!

As this gentleman, resembling a dignified elder, crossed his legs and shook his calf in rhythm with Jay Chou's mumbling from the computer, a current surged across the surface of the small metal piece on his chest, creating three small holes. Three beams of light shot out, converging in front of Wang Zheng to form a transparent light screen. It was inscribed with the following:

The transmission of the commander's information is complete, and the mission is now displaying... The screen shows a frontal photo of Wang Zheng along with a series of information below.

The cooldown for the four-dimensional teleportation has completed, and the commander’s data is being transmitted...

The beam of light dispersed, and the screen vanished. A faint countdown appeared on the base matrix: "23:59:58"

LOADONG......