John snapped back to reality, frowning as he inquired.

"Which company is researching the basic physique?"

"There are far too many of them..."

If artificial means could create the basic physique, it would be a pivotal step towards mechanical immortality from a biological standpoint.

This is a technology on par with CHOOH2, enough to be recorded in history.

The life expectancy limits in the Cyber Era are highly contentious.

"High-tech" has allowed prosthetic body modifications and medical technology to break through bottlenecks, continuously setting new records for the lifespans of wealthy and powerful individuals.

"Low life" has resulted in the average age of ordinary citizens becoming complex.

Those corporate dogs who sell themselves to the companies might have to toil for a hundred years due to a commercial loan, signing inhumane contracts, constantly draining their life force.

The "medical benefits" provided by the companies ensure they wouldn't decrease in efficiency in their strenuous posts due to physiological reasons.

Citizens not joining companies still face worrying living standards.

Thieves, mercenaries, middlemen, ghouls, exiles, wanderers, corporate soldiers, gangsters...

Violent incidents frequently occur in the streets and alleys.

Their average lifespan even hovers around "adulthood."

Though Vito was born from a street gang.

He stands high enough to have the upper view of the upper circles.

Capital has a passion for mechanical immortality.

Every multinational corporation has corresponding factions and has established biological laboratories.

Originally, these technologies were all kept secret to themselves.

But business spies go back and forth among companies, stealing and then integrating, perfecting their technology, only to be stolen again, until no one knows which patent exclusively belongs to whom in the end.

John wanted to pursue the related research on the "basic physique."

Even within the technology sectors, among top commercial research institutes, identifying who is the mastermind might be challenging.

Vito thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure, but within Eden City, I believe Gaia Cells should be at the forefront, hehe, they just love to engage in this kind of thing."

He made his guess.

Gaia Cell Company specializes in the fields of genetics and biotechnology.

Their world-shocking creation was solving the next-generation energy crisis with artificially synthesized alcohol — CHOOH2.

Up to this day.

Gaia Cells still control the energy market with this technology.

Meanwhile.

They hold multiple world-class cutting-edge medical technologies through their relentless breakthroughs in the biological and genetic fields.

Gaia's medical products are expensive, and they have been revealed to be prone to dependency...

But even the most critical opposing media have never questioned the efficacy of those products.

John has tried them too.

Indeed impressive, being expensive for good reason.

At Eden City's highway entrances, across the city skies, and in street corners, Gaia Cells' ads are as rampant as vending machines.

John has also had dealings with Gaia Cell Company.

After the Tiebang Logistics transport incident, he investigated his transport team's colleagues and learned from internal data provided by Kuang Xin — those involved in that transportation either disappeared or were sent, wrapped, to Plato and Gaia Cells.

Later, John carried out a mission with Eden.

He encountered a former colleague with disordered memories, already driven insane by Gaia Cells, muttering about things like memory alteration.

Now.

Gaia Cells are getting entangled with the "basic physique."

"Phew~"

John took a deep breath.

He reassembled Mr. Vito's intelligence; every time he thought, it felt like an intense struggle.

Firstly, knowing the existence of the [Vacuum Tube].

They manufactured the Tiebang Logistics transport incident, replaced John's body, sold superweapons in Eden City, and allegedly cleared out Dan Street Apartment's Black Light...

John's next step was to get information from Serum.

She is likely related to [Vacuum Tube].

Secondly, the line of [basic physique] and [Gaia Cell Company].

The body John is in now is not his own.

The doctor and Oulos were surprised by his adaptability to advanced prosthetic bodies, likely related to the so-called [basic physique] research.

John didn't have the resources or capability to investigate any multinational corporation.

What he could do was share intelligence with Oulos, leveraging the resources of this legendary middleman to progress.

Oulos once took John to dine with Gaia Cell's top executives.

The elegant gentleman named [Blake Astikas] enjoyed cooking cloned human tissue.

He furrowed his brow in deep thought.

Mr. Vito then raised his wrist again to check his expensive mechanical watch.

John knew it was time for him to leave.

He gazed at Angelica leaning unconscious against the wall, until Vito's voice pulled his attention back.

"Thank you for helping Ariani; I'll assist you in leaving, and after tonight's chaos ends, I'll compensate you again..."

"What about her?"

"The best treatment and protection."

Vito's voice was calm, his gaze steady.

Emotions in the Cyber Era always feel foreign, as if any relationship would be mixed with regret and compulsion.

John furrowed his brow, blurting out for reasons unknown.

"That's not what she wants."

"I know."

Vito glanced at John one more time, revealing a slightly weary smile.

Only in that moment.

He no longer seemed like the Speaker of Eden City's largest gang but like an ordinary father unable to fulfill his daughter's wishes, no different from ordinary citizens struggling under the neon lights of Eden City.

Ariani was not asking for toys and food.

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