John had no interest in the farm owner's values.

They turned the conversation back to business competition—the protein food factory was sure to retaliate against the farm owner.

Violence was bound to happen.

Racing cars block distributors, robbing raw materials for fresh food, setting up ambushes on roads in and out of the city, even vandalizing and looting new shops...

"I've told you, John, if you encounter a similar situation and lend a hand, I guarantee that Radiant Dust Farm's rewards and support will arrive before the enemy's retaliation."

The farm owner puffed on a cigar, eyes sharp like a hawk's.

"If you don't want cash, I'll accumulate contribution points for you, which could be exchanged for gourmet food in the past, although you sure don't need it now that you've opened your own shop..."

"Haha."

John smiled, playing with the whiskey glass.

"Let me guess, if we have a good enough relationship, you'll assign me more professional jobs with more generous rewards."

The farm owner raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and spread his callused hands.

"Smart kid, believe me, John, what Radiant Dust Farm can offer you goes beyond imagination, wealth, raw materials, fame, upper-level access... You can get priority access to prosthetic bodies and biotechnology from various labs."

The cigar burned steadily, filling the room with fragrance.

John's nasal membranes began to itch.

"Sounds really high-end."

"You deserve it, John, times have changed, you have the qualifications to fight for 'opportunities' that ordinary mercenaries don't have."

"I'm looking forward to it."

John didn't show much anticipation.

He didn't even know if he would live that long.

The farm owner saw it as a sign of composure, making him more satisfied with the young man in front of him. He motioned to his amputated leg, unable to get up to see him off, only able to raise a glass for a few pleasantries.

John left the parlor and headed straight for the rooftop.

He wanted to see Alonna.

The metal clicked open on both sides.

A heatwave came rushing in.

The rooftop of Radiant Dust Farm was equipped with several massive equipment boxes wrapped in thick bulletproof layers, with iron grates covering trenches where rainwater and cooling system condensate flowed.

Concrete barriers divided the area into several sections.

Each section was patrolled by mercenaries, with staff occasionally coming up to receive hovercars or to service equipment.

At night...

This was also the primary target for enemy air strikes.

John navigated through a tangle of cables and saw miniature cooling equipment and supply boxes strewn around—inside were still unmelted ice cubes, along with common beer on the market.

"F*ck, this work environment and benefits are way more comfortable than when I was running transport at Tiebang Logistics."

John commented, revealing his presence.

Alonna, sitting in the shade, gave a slight nod as a greeting.

No extra pleasantries, appearing somewhat cold.

But those familiar with the War Mother camp knew—a smile was her warmest gesture.

She wore her familiar gray vest, her blonde hair tied up, with strands of hair soaked in sweat clinging to her neck, cobalt blue screw covers on her protruding spine.

"Thank you for having my back, uh, whoa, what is this?"

John's attention was drawn to a shooting position.

It was surrounded by concrete and metal fences, with matte black alloy flooring, equipped with a smart module, even with a dedicated power line for the weapon in the center.

[Weapon: Plato-Mistilteinn [Smart Sniper Rifle]]

[Module: AI Assistance System, Energy Amplification V]

Its main structure was comparable to a miniature turret, with even its thinnest muzzle a few centimeters thicker than an adult male's arm.

This was the weapon Alonna had used to save him.

An experimental-grade anti-materiel smart sniper rifle.

John walked up to the platform for a closer look.

[Mistilteinn]'s cooling slots lit up, with the manufacturer's logo and serial coating faintly glowing.

The firearm was provided by Radiant Dust Farm.

It was placed on the rooftop, ready to obliterate any approaching hovercars and ground vehicles.

[Manufacturer: Plato Military Industry]

"Experimental weaponry."

"The farm has a partnership with Plato; the weapons manufacturer offers custom services for high-end clients, and this rifle was specially made."

Alonna explained while continuing to hydrate.

Despite the installation of sunshades and cooling equipment on the rooftop, ultraviolet rays and the sun remained fierce.

The shift work was indeed tough.

"Do you have to keep looking through the scope?"

"No need, there's an AI smart targeting system."

Alonna's pupils flickered, demonstrating and explaining to John on-site.

The spherical wheel at the base of Mistilteinn began to turn.

The smart module contained an AI assistance system, linking scopes, CCTV cameras, and even the prosthetic eyes of the team's mercenaries.

The data volume was enormous.

The program processed the information on the server first, filtering necessary content, setting reminders, and finally projecting it onto the retina.

Alonna stood up.

On the distant street was a line of vehicles, the Jingke Heavy Industry management team just leaving Radiant Dust Farm.

Ambush vehicles lurked around, eager to move.

Alonna prepared at the shooting position.

The enemy was clearly apprehensive of this sniper, unsure of its range limits.

Their will to attack was weak, even somewhat hesitant to proceed, ultimately deterred by the corporate emblem, they dared not attack Jingke Heavy Industry's troops.

Alonna also lifted herself from the shooting position.

"Do you want to take a look?"

"Ah, can I?"

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