John felt a headache coming on.

Even amid gang warfare, these numbers would make gambling addicts betting on death lotteries gape, let alone the fact that the bodies belonged to wealthy merchants, influential people, and corporate executives...

The phone was filled with sirens and screams.

Barry, a lieutenant colonel with the ECPD overseeing Sakura Cross Street, was overwhelmed, taking refuge in an armored vehicle under the pretense of a smoke break, handling the information streaming in from various channels while calling John for confirmation.

[Shit, *sigh~ I'll keep it brief.]

Bam.

John heard a banging sound, then Barry began describing the cause of the incident.

Du Remon released a matrix cage in Owl Town's most luxurious Sex Doll Club, trapping a rogue AI that Raqi Industry caught on the dark web.

[All the nerve-linked clients were on cloud nine. I came out of the crime scene, damn it, the walls and ceiling were sprayed with brain matter, the corridors reeked of burnt flesh, and men and women with sex doll chips went berserk, slashing at people like mad... phew~ patooey!]

Barry spat a tar-laden glob through the window.

John raised an eyebrow.

"Did the Rift Party really dare to pull off a terrorist attack? F*ck, those Shark Coins sure do have guts!"

[Ha, thanks to you.]

Barry sneered sarcastically, not immediately questioning what grudges John had with the deceased.

[That son of a b*tch Du Remon, he didn't go crazy. He intended to blackmail Owl Town and Raqi Industry, just to scam money. The other side readily agreed, everything was fine, they even arranged the terms and the time for the transaction...]

John's thoughts raced, blurting out a question.

"I bet they set it for 18:35?"

[Precisely 40, ha, no difference, because you killed that Shark Coin before he could hand over the matrix key, so Owl Town didn't even get the chance to pay the ransom. When the time hit, the monsters behind the black wall came out and sent everyone in the club to heaven!]

Barry seemed exhausted, pausing, then asked with a tone of lament before catching himself.

[Who hired you to take out... eh, alright, even a monkey could figure it out, it's tied to the Black Gold Gang, right? I heard their new boss is pretty damn tough, didn't expect they'd actually have the balls to go all out.]

The rumble of machinery came over the phone, slightly disrupting the communication, and the device inside was filled with beeping sounds and calls from operators.

Sirens and screams were drowned out.

[Internet Surveillance is on the scene, I have to go, good luck on the streets.]

This was undoubtedly a turbulent situation.

John had taken the call out of earshot from others, now frowning as he entered a tent with a metal folding table and a wall-mounted TV.

Maya, Simon, and a few Wanderers were either sitting or standing, all looking up at the screen.

The morning news was broadcasting the situation on-site.

The images showed emergency units' hovercars cramping the streets chaotically. The wealthy and influential were all platinum members of insurance companies, but unfortunately, the rogue AI acted quicker than their contracts allowed.

Police cars squeezed through openings, struggling to block off intersections.

Bollards and spike strips surrounded the scene's building, and the camera feed was slashed through by yellow caution tape everywhere.

Officers in dark gray body armor and emergency units wearing white helmets were arguing among themselves, while paparazzi and Owl Town gang members scuffled, ready to pull out weapons.

The sound of gunfire rang out.

The camera jolted upwards amid gasps, showing Internet Surveillance drones cutting through the smoke...

"Whew, it's really chaotic."

No internal footage had leaked yet, and Raqi Group's public relations swiftly moved to block information.

The casualty list kept growing.

Hospitals and private clinics were packed with paparazzi, and security companies even jostled with mercenaries for hospital rooms to prevent photos of employers getting gutted from appearing on TV screens.

Two council members from Eden City were dead.

This would surely lead to political turmoil.

If Owl Town's street gang battles, fueled by cyber-psychosis, had escalated gang warfare, then the Black Gold Gang killing Du Remon, indirectly causing the rogue AI to go out of control, signaled that the war had truly reached the corporate level…

It was foreseeable that:

Raqi Industry and Jingke Heavy Industry would step forward, maneuvering for commercial territories and council seats.

The camp tent was lifted open.

Outside, dawn was already creeping in, bringing a heatwave along with a strong Wanderer.

He glanced at Maya, whistling at John and Simon, and nodded towards the commotion at the sentry.

John stepped out and saw a familiar black bulletproof business car.

[Vehicle: Louis Doug - The Thinker]

From afar, Maya spotted the pale gold insignia, a scent of high-end business transport wafting through the air, as she quietly guessed at the visitor's identity.

Oulos, dressed in a corporate blazer, removed her silver half-frame glasses as she left the car, without pausing, familiarly heading towards the campsite's central tent.

The sentry did not stop her.

The vehicle continued on, passing through the inner barricade, rolling over yellow sands and rubble, and parked in a slightly cool spot.

John looked at Simon with puzzlement.

"Why does she act like she lives here?"

"After the Silver battle ended, she started coming regularly. Oh, pal, she's the real deal—a Christmas tree. Internet Surveillance and ECPD are like puppies around her."

There was surely some exaggeration in that.

Oulos didn't rush to John, holding her equipment like she walked into an office, busying herself with checking the inventory list. Several hackers from the Wanderer Camp worked with her, while those in charge of living supplies and proxy transport systems stood by...

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