Job Transfer, Dad's Sales Pitch

He boarded his flying vehicle, watched Liu Xuan's flying vehicle rise into the air and depart, then casually activated Psychic Vision.

"Liu Xuan changed flying vehicles. Four bodyguards? All of them have S-level Cybernetic Prosthesis implants?"

It seemed the security around Liu Xuan had also been upgraded.

He closed his eyes and sensed the surroundings.

The gaze he had felt yesterday had already vanished. Those mercenaries had most likely been dealt with by the company.

Lin Qi started the flying vehicle and did not linger at the company, avoiding another abnormality being detected by the intelligent system.

He returned smoothly to the Cybernetic Research Institute.

Just as he parked the flying vehicle, a communication request from the company suddenly came through.

Lin Qi quickly accepted it. On the other end was Supervisor Wei Wei.

Wei Wei's expression was somewhat complicated, as though he were still dwelling on what had happened earlier.

After two seconds of silence, Wei Wei finally spoke. "Lin Qi, starting tomorrow, your position will be temporarily reassigned. You will serve as an A-level researcher at the Greenland City Branch and participate in A-level project research."

"Before seven tomorrow morning, you must arrive at the company and take the Red-Green Train with company personnel to the Greenland City Branch."

Lin Qi was somewhat puzzled. A promotion? To A-level?

But it did not look like a good thing.

Lin Qi could sooner or later become an A-level, or even an S-level or X-level researcher through his own abilities. Being promoted early meant there would surely be a price to pay.

More importantly, Lin Qi knew that Greenland City had descended into chaos before Red Fruit City.

His brow furrowed slightly. Seeing Lin Qi's expression through the communication, Wei Wei considered for a moment and unexpectedly added another sentence.

"This time, only the company's upper management will be going to Greenland City. Even the accompanying personnel must be at least A-level."

Wei Wei had subtly revealed some information, but clearly after careful consideration, he had not gone into much detail.

Wei Wei believed that if Lin Qi truly had something going on with a member of the Liu Family, the information he had revealed would already be enough for Lin Qi to learn the truth.

Lin Qi's frown gradually eased.

Upper management?

Other than senior executives and S-level-or-higher researchers, the only people in the company who could be called upper management were members of the Liu Family.

The only person Lin Qi could possibly have connections with was Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan was going to Greenland City? So she had brought him along as well?

The Liu Family of Hongguo City and the Si Clan of Greenland City—had they made some unknown deal?

With the chaos at hand, a member of the Liu Family was heading to Greenland City. The two families had to be cooperating.

"Thank you," Lin Qi replied to Wei Wei.

Seeing Lin Qi's expression, Wei Wei knew that Lin Qi had already figured out most of the cause and effect.

His guess had been right. Lin Qi really did have deep ties with a member of the Liu Family. Perhaps Lin Qi would become one of the company's "own people" in the future.

Wei Wei manually ended the communication. His objective had already been achieved.

It was merely a notification. Wei Wei had not needed to personally make a video call; he only needed to send a message according to company procedure.

His choice to make a video call had been entirely his own initiative.

If he wanted to climb higher in the company, he had to earn the direct attention of upper management.

Lin Qi was merely a medium.

Lin Qi was in no rush to enter the Cybernetic Clinic. Instead, he sat inside the flying vehicle and pondered.

Recalling the intelligence provided by Capitalist and Arthur, the two cities were on the verge of turmoil. A clash between S-level beings and Fourth Rank Extraordinary beings was highly likely.

Now that the two major corporations were showing signs of cooperation, it meant the conflict had not originated between the corporations themselves.

There was still a third party hiding in the shadows.

The Assassin's League?

Or the third party that had hired the Assassin's League for the assassination?

Were the mercenaries targeting the Weapon Research Institute in Hongguo City also sent by another force?

Lin Qi's identity clearance was insufficient, making it difficult for him to see the full picture.

"The destructive power of S-level and Fourth Rank Extraordinary beings is too high. If I get dragged into a battle at close range, my L-level strength plus First Rank power would be utterly insignificant."

"Psychic Vision alone isn't enough to avoid danger."

"Perhaps I need to contact Arthur, but Arthur seems to be constrained by something as well. Unless necessary, I can't rely on Arthur's strength."

Based on Lin Qi's judgment, among the two members of the Highest-Rank Mercenary Group who regularly went out on missions, the strongest was likely Master Ma. He was most likely a full-body A-level cybernetic implant user and a Fourth Rank Extraordinary being.

Extraordinary-side combat power was higher than cybernetic combat power.

Lin Qi's basis for that judgment came from the environment at the mission site afterward.

As for Arthur, he was likely an incomplete S-level cybernetic implant user with a certain degree of Extraordinary-side combat ability, though his exact rank was unknown.

His overall combat strength was likely weaker than an S-level or Fourth Rank Extraordinary being.

Even Arthur, who possessed such combat strength, was trapped in Greenland City. That indicated Arthur's trouble was no small matter.

"At a critical moment, I can ask Guangleng for help. Networks have too great an influence on Cyber Cities. As long as Guangleng is willing to act, even an S-level or Fourth Rank Extraordinary being can be held back for a short time."

That was Guangleng's own promise. If a Mercenary Group member encountered a major crisis, he would unconditionally use all his strength to save them, but each person was limited to one such rescue.

That was the fundamental reason the four members had been willing to join the organization known as the "Highest-Rank Mercenary Group."

The influence of networks in the Cyber World was terrifyingly immense.

"I have two trump cards that can save my life in Greenland City, but I'm still too weak."

"Upgrading my cybernetics—or rather, my Exoskeleton—is temporarily limited, but I can try to improve on the Extraordinary side as quickly as possible."

"A Wizard's abilities are more unpredictable than those of other Extraordinary Professions. I need to become a Second Rank Wizard as soon as possible."

Lin Qi still lacked two Extraordinary Items before he could become a Second Rank Wizard.

He thought of the First Rank Extraordinary Short Blade Lin Xin carried close to her body.

He shook his head. There were countless Extraordinary Items in the Doomsday World. It was not as though he needed to set his sights on Lin Xin.

That Extraordinary Short Blade had come from the Assassin's League. Who knew what kind of monsters it might drag in?

He stepped out of the flying vehicle and entered the Cybernetic Clinic.

"Dad still hasn't finished?" Lin Qi asked Lin Xin.

He had waited all day without receiving any news from Dad.

Lin Xin shook her head. "This client is pretty difficult to handle."

How difficult?

Lin Qi activated Psychic Vision and directly "looked" toward Dad's workshop.

Dad, Doctor Lin, wore a crazed smile at the corner of his mouth as he repeatedly picked up tools and sent sparks flying from the customer's body.

Then he looked at the customer.

Good lord, a full-body L-level cybernetic implant user. Under Dad's operation, his arms were being upgraded with A-level components.

Full-body, in the literal sense.

His modification level exceeded ninety percent. The flesh left on his entire body could probably only make half a plate of dumplings.

"I feel like my nerves are a little numb," the customer reported.

"Numb, my ass. If you want to make a name for yourself in Hongguo City, this is the price you have to pay. Or do you just want to remain a nameless nobody in the gang? Wait until you're eighty, lying in a hospital bed with a catheter stuck in you, waiting to die?"

"Maybe your remaining head and dick will get wrapped into dumplings and fed to dogs."

The customer fell silent for several seconds. "I trust your skills, Old Lin."

"I don't trust your wallet. You still owe me fifty thousand Credit Points for this A-level cybernetic body. Once it's done, kid, you can leave."

Watching all this, Lin Qi understood that Dad was once again using his words to fool street thugs into getting cybernetic implants.

He had even put the thug on an installment plan.

A nameless nobody? Making a name for himself?

The temptation was simply too great for gang thugs.