John hadn't expected to hear that name.

Vacuum Tube.

A group of mass-produced criminals with [Basic Physique].

Calling them criminals isn't entirely accurate, as information about them is extremely sparse; even someone as legendary as the middleman Oulos isn't sure of their existence, let alone a public wanted notice.

But John is certain.

Vacuum Tube orchestrated the Tiebang Logistics incident, thrusting his consciousness into his current body, and forcing him onto the path of mercenary survival.

What's strange is...

Although Vacuum Tube turned John's life upside down, they never actively contacted him again.

These people are very mysterious.

So mysterious that they hijacked Fukai's transport ships, delivered oversized weapons into Eden City, resulting in a senator's death and chaos across the city...

Yet no authorities have uncovered their details.

They're also very powerful.

Powerful enough to interfere with Black Light.

Back then, when John was being hunted by Internet Surveillance, the Black Light system on Dan Street was erased, causing the state police to lose evidence to arrest John under the guise of Harbor Company's protection.

Through Serum's intelligence sharing, it was almost certainly Vacuum Tube's doing.

To know, in John's mercenary career thus far, even the corporate firewall products haven't stopped Black Light's overwriting.

Even the Internet Surveillance, which sees cyberspace as its domain, saw two senior agents drop dead in an instant when directly connected to Black Light's signal...

And Vacuum Tube?

They silently erased the traces Black Light left in the Dan Street system, being the only organization capable of restricting it.

Case after case flashed in his mind.

John's heart began to beat faster.

He wanted to know why the name "Vacuum Tube" came out of Bismarck's mouth?

Said so matter-of-factly as well.

But John wasn't a street kid anymore; he had learned to hide his true intentions in front of corporate dogs, at least he wouldn't seem so urgent.

He didn't speak, withdrew his gaze.

Iron Scorpion heard the three words 'Vacuum Tube' and sneered, glancing at John beside him, his gaze losing the strong emotion it once held.

The murderous intent and disgust vanished, as if he suddenly lost interest in this mercenary.

He reached a collaboration with Bismarck, didn't linger, and left the room with the fully armed company soldiers.

"Uh-huh."

Bismarck shrugged, stood in the mess-filled operating room, as if taking a bow after a performance, then chuckled, complaining that they wouldn't listen to him, making a huge mess during a surgery.

His expression was relaxed, as if those life-or-death struggles and the knife slicing into his flesh were all fake.

Gino and John both sustained injuries to varying degrees.

But they refused medical assistance.

The precision instruments and high-end drugs were too cold; even treating a scratch in such a setting felt unsafe.

But Sword Rope had no choice.

He paid the price for his recklessness.

This guy hacked into the Source Equation thinking it was a Sex Doll Club and thought he could retreat unscathed...

And what was the result?

They had a complete network security department.

Fully equipped, expertly staffed, clearly divided.

Lying on the operating table, Sword Rope was in a sorry state, the hacker's most important [Network Access Pod] was destroyed, the neural moderator was scrapped, and his handheld terminal exploded on the spot...

He survived because the network department didn't pursue him to the end, turning to attack two other people instead.

And Gino managed because when Black Light was triggered, it caused a reverse paralysis in one of the opponent's assault teams, not like Bismarck said, a group of company-backed hackers would be useless.

The mechanical arm fell again.

Data information of Sword Rope floated on the wall.

Bismarck stood before the operating table, using his account to choose an appropriate Network Access Pod.

His tone was somewhat sarcastic.

"The self-service medical area is open to internal personnel; external clients wanting to experience it cost quite a bit."

"..."

Gino couldn't be bothered to speak.

After a long silence, John spoke.

"What does Vacuum Tube's client mean?"

"You actually know Vacuum Tube."

Bismarck didn't answer directly, fiddling with a surgical knife picked from a basin, glancing sideways at John.

John didn't hide either.

"Many in Eden City want information about them."

"No, no, John, those pieces of information only circulate among a few people; your channels are quite impressive, at least ordinary mercenaries can't reach Vacuum Tube's level."

"You don't want to say?"

John dropped his arms crossed over his chest.

He used body language to warn Bismarck — he was a mercenary, while the other was just the hostage for this operation.

"Calm down, John."

Bismarck's tone was unhurried.

"Vacuum Tube is a technical shareholder of the Source Equation; Gaia Cells and Plato can cooperate all thanks to their initial mediation..."

As an exchange condition.

Vacuum Tube occasionally arranges clients for Source Equation to conduct special experiments, although publicly declared as medical assistance.

"What are the specific contents?"

"I don't know, the process is like this..."

When Vacuum Tube contacts Source Equation, the hovercar is usually already on the road with the clients, then they urgently dispatch a project leader to participate and authorize the signing.

Clients are taken by internal elevator straight to the bottom layer.

Projects are strictly confidential.

"Designated supervisors aren't aware of specific contents, but interestingly, those who have experienced specific projects keep the experiment's details strictly confidential."

Bismarck's words were cryptic, with a smile at the corner of his mouth, as if deliberately disclosing that information to them.

"And those people?"

John planned to use mercenary means to acquire intelligence.

Bismarck shook his head.

"All died, killed by Serum."

Serum was once trapped in the Plato Laboratory; all the supervisors who experienced Vacuum Tube projects were pulled over to help, the specific process is unknown, but ever since Serum escaped from Silver Port...

"Those people were killed within a week."

Bismarck shook his head with crossed arms, a smile on his face, showing no fear or mourning for his colleagues' deaths.

"I am the independent supervisor of an external project; similarly-ranked people also died in a batch, I've mentally prepared myself, and then, you guys shot down my hovercar."

"..."

John fell silent.

Bismarck looked at John's actions and expressions and said.

"You might want to ask Serum afterward."

"Is Serum that formidable? Would Plato and Gaia Cells just watch as their people get killed by a hacker?"

"..."

The room fell silent.

Everyone had different expressions.

Gino swallowed, about to speak but stopping himself.

Bismarck looked surprised again, seeing the contrasting reactions of John and Gino, laughed on the spot.

"Hacker? You dare accept Serum's commission without knowing anything? She's not an ordinary person; she's a wandering AI, a mass of data that transformed qualitatively, a monster from the other end of the network wall."

"I just learned too."

Gino frowned deeply.

Sword Rope had wanted to discuss Serum's true identity with her alone earlier today.

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