The information and clues are still too few.

"These are just our conjectures, can't be verified. Maybe once we figure out what's happening to you, all the questions will have answers."

Oulos's cybernetic eye stopped flickering, murmuring softly.

"It's almost time."

"Huh? What... time..."

John squinted and nodded hard, his attention started to drift, his speech turned into murmurs, and he uncontrollably collapsed onto the sofa.

His eyelids grew heavy, as if all strength had been drained out of him.

"... What the... hell..."

Red wine splattered across the industrial carpet.

The remaining liquid broke into droplets, gathering into beads.

Oulos's voice became exceptionally distant.

"Don't worry, you need rest..."

John watched as Oulos stood up, placing the wine glass down in a blur, stepping over him to open the door.

A team of medical personnel dressed in full protective gear entered the apartment living room, methodically setting up the area, then brought in a large number of tools and medications.

John was turned over.

He struggled to stay conscious, his eyelids drooped, and the blurred lights swayed until his view was obscured.

[Eden City - No. 013 Dan Street (John)]

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Oh, shit... Phew..."

John groaned, sitting up from the floor.

He lay naked in the living room, covered with a white sterile thermal blanket, intravenous lines densely inserted in his arms and chest.

"What the hell?"

John pulled out the syringes to inspect his body.

He seemed to have received a very good treatment, with surgery done on his sternum and spine.

The diagnostic program showed that [Igdrasir] and [Sianweistan] had been maintained.

Black Light would optimize the prosthetic body programs in real-time to ensure they were in peak condition, but physical wear and hardware damage still required manual handling.

The sofa in the living room had been pushed into the corner.

The spot where John was just lying had a blanket, beside it was a mobile stand with hanging medication fluids.

The smell in the air was remarkably complex.

A faint yet pungent scent of disinfectant.

The lingering smell of blood that hadn't fully dissipated.

And a fragrance of a high-end aroma that covered most of the unpleasant odors, bringing a sense of calmness.

Near the stairs, there was a mobile clothes rack.

His clothes had been washed and dried, neatly hung with a plastic cover, emitting an unfamiliar fragrance.

John wrapped himself in a towel and headed to the bedroom.

Oulos lay on his bed, turning over with a frown when she heard the noise, picking up clothes and throwing them over.

Her shoulder was exposed, her arm pressed on the quilt.

The exhaust seams were neat and beautiful, like matte lines tattooed on the body, with no visible wounds or bloodstains.

"Pls, can you be a bit quiet? Take some tranquilizers or something, if you really can't sleep, just go for a walk, just don't be late tonight..."

John reached out to catch the flying bra and evening dress.

"So last night did you hire the medical service? Incredible, the craftsmanship's good enough, I almost thought I was dreaming last night... Wait, we did actually make it back, right?"

Oulos didn't answer, she turned over to the other side.

John threw the clothes back on the bedhead, unable to hold back his question.

"Did you drug me!?"

"Ah, dear God... It was a necessary pre-operation prep with a touch of biotechnology added, no side effects, mainly to ensure you get a good sleep and recharge... You were too anxious, dear, in this state you can't work."

Oulos was facing away from him.

John carefully felt, indeed more refreshed than usual.

"What do you mean by not being late tonight?"

"...Vito's retirement party."

"You got an invitation too?"

John was slightly surprised.

Oulos didn't answer anymore, seemingly truly exhausted.

John gave up asking, not wanting to test her morning temper,

he realized it while washing up in the bathroom:

The tie clip was the most renowned broker on the West District streets, connected with executives inside companies like Jingke Heavy Industry.

Oulos swallowed his network and status, of course she'd get invited.

John cleaned himself up, dressed, and went out.

Today was the restaurant's official opening day.

He took the elevator downstairs.

Sparks flickered in the private garage—several mechanical arms hung down, carrying out basic repairs on a damaged Alloy RCH, with the dense bullet holes and scratches on it attesting to last night's dangerous escape.

This was the vehicle maintenance package.

John went to the terminal on the wall to settle the costs.

The parts needed for maintenance and cleaning were to be paid for separately, with staff bringing original parts for home service appointments.

John drove the Jurassic ZT15 out of the underground garage.

The daytime in Eden City was unbearably hot, the sunlight pale, the billboards around the streets lost their original colors.

The commotion last night caused quite a stir.

There were many gang vehicles patrolling the streets of the West District.

Just as John left Dan Street, he saw a temporary checkpoint.

The Black Gold Gang wielded more influence than the municipal government in their core control zones.

A row of modified urban SUVs blocked the intersection, the bridge piers covered with massive graffiti, with sandbags, gym equipment, and stereo setups piled nearby...

Heavily armed members of the Black Gold Gang were inspecting passing vehicles.

John leaned against the car window waiting at the back.

He watched as muscular black guys warned with gunfire, swearing, dragging out one normal-looking Asian face after another, beating and interrogating them, using the guise of checking Eastern people to extort and loot.

Bone Shards brought prosperity and wealth but also bred chaos.

Beep, beep beep—

A distant armored luxury vehicle honked, grabbing John's attention.

Jilead stuck his head out of the window, waving a gold-plated revolver remotely signaling the gangsters to let through.

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