The Meeting

When he first used the T3 Sniper Auxiliary Device for practice, the trajectory calculations seemed to involve little more than ordinary knowledge. The results David worked out in five seconds were almost identical to those produced by the Medium Server.

The green line fired from the T3 Sniper Auxiliary Device crossed nearly three hundred meters and struck the white spot just beneath the head of the motionless Spiked Pincer Insect.

The difficult part was seizing that fleeting opportunity, making the calculated trajectory coincide exactly with the moment the Spiked Pincer Insect revealed its fatal weakness.

Five seconds was a little too long. Although he had correctly calculated the trajectory needed to kill the Spiked Pincer Insect, a real Sniper Armored Warrior could have fired two or three shots in that time.

But David wasn't in a hurry. Instead, a delighted smile spread across his face. He'd discovered that the virtual world really could train his ability to calculate and analyze. He believed that if he practiced here more, he could reach the calculation and analysis proficiency of a Sniper Armored Warrior with 20% proficiency.

Of course, this only trained his ability to calculate and analyze trajectories. It was still a long way from actual sniping. He hadn't factored in the impact of a Sniper Armored Warrior's specialized Sniper Rifle, or how to handle its tremendous recoil after firing.

Just then, the Identity Bracelet on David's wrist chimed.

In this virtual world, his Identity Bracelet was synchronized with the one in reality. He glanced at it and saw that it was time for his evening practice of the Eighteen Forms of Body Technique. He'd spent most of the day in the virtual world.

"No wonder they don't let minors into the virtual world. I bet they also don't want them getting addicted to it!" David took off the Virtual Helmet and muttered to himself.

He hadn't been playing, but he really had gotten absorbed in it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have forgotten to eat.

He reset his schedule on his Identity Bracelet and set limits on how long he could spend in the virtual world, leaving time for his other training.

At noon on January 5, David finished his practice early. In the dressing room, he found a loose, hooded outfit that could conceal his build and hide his face.

Before heading out, he had the Shadow Servant fly outside to check the area, even though he knew that whoever had wanted to harm him had decided to stop. Only after it found nothing unusual did he open the door and leave.

This time, he didn't take a hovercar. Instead, he flagged down a public-transport Hovercar and headed for the beverage shop.

He got off a block away from the shop and continued on foot.

Beside the beverage shop was a barbecue restaurant. David went in and took a seat only a wall away from the shop.

He glanced at the display in front of him. The meat at this barbecue restaurant was clearly very cheap; it went without saying that they served synthetic meat.

Synthetic meat was called meat, but it only had the basic flavor of meat. In reality, it was made from various edible ingredients combined with some meat-flavoring essence.

But once grilled, synthetic meat was almost indistinguishable from the real thing. It cost many times less, making it the first choice for ordinary people.

Given how well-off David's previous self had been, he would never have come to a place like this. But the David of today didn't have that kind of superiority complex. In his previous life, he'd eaten plenty of food fried in gutter oil and had even shoved skewers of so-called mutton—which might not have been mutton at all—into his mouth. Synthetic meat was no problem for him.

He ordered two synthetic beef steaks on the display. They cost him just twenty Credit Points.

About five minutes later, a server brought over two golden-brown grilled synthetic steaks, along with a complimentary synthetic drink.

David checked the time. It was a few minutes before one. He picked up one of the synthetic steaks, skewered on a metal rod, lowered his head, and began eating slowly.

His hood and the synthetic steak completely obscured his face, and he didn't stand out in the barbecue restaurant. There were other customers dressed just like him.

Many customers came here because they didn't want others to notice them—especially those who wanted to eat without ruining their image.

The synthetic steak tasted pretty good. Though David knew full well it was synthetic meat, he ate with relish. He'd been eating the food he produced himself for a long time, and all his meat was Fortified Meat. It cost dozens of times more than synthetic meat, but the flavor never changed. Even the tastiest food could grow tiresome after a while.

Still, he hadn't forgotten why he'd come. The Shadow Servant passed through the glass wall above him and flew out onto the street.

Then it picked up the Mimicry Monitor David had left on the windowsill beside the restaurant. The tiny monitor, about the size of a button, automatically blended into the windowsill.

The Mimicry Monitor weighed only about forty grams. The Shadow Servant could lift a hundred grams, so carrying it was no trouble.

The Shadow Servant's hand closed around the Mimicry Monitor, and the monitor vanished completely from sight.

No one nearby noticed. Who would pay attention to a tiny object that suddenly appeared on a windowsill, then disappeared just as quickly?

Carrying the Mimicry Monitor, the Shadow Servant entered the beverage shop next door through the front door.

The beverage shop was clearly a cut above the barbecue restaurant in its decor. Individual booths and the many green plants added a touch of vitality and calm to an environment otherwise lacking greenery.

The Shadow Servant hovered near the ceiling, waiting patiently for its target to arrive.

David sat on the other side of the wall, devoting most of his attention to the Shadow Servant while mechanically eating his synthetic steak.

He didn't have to wait long. One minute before one, David saw Trainer Jeremy from his memories through the Shadow Servant's eyes.

Trainer Jeremy was tall and powerfully built. Even his loose clothes couldn't hide his rugged air.

He seemed to be a regular. As soon as he entered the beverage shop, a server led him to a relatively quiet seat.

Two partitions and a wall enclosed three sides of the seat, while green plants obscured most of the fourth. It was an extremely secluded spot.

Once Trainer Jeremy had chosen his seat, the Shadow Servant flew above it and gently placed the Mimicry Monitor directly overhead, where it had a clear view of the seat below.

David withdrew most of his attention from the other side and continued eating his synthetic steak, freeing one hand to operate his Identity Bracelet.

He adjusted the Mimicry Monitor's pickup angle and range so that it would capture only the voices from the seat below. The music and other background noise in the shop would be filtered out.

With the Mimicry Monitor's help, he no longer needed to keep directing the Shadow Servant. He could watch the conversation next door through his Identity Bracelet.

He had just finished setting everything up when it turned one. An inconspicuous Hovercar stopped outside the beverage shop. Two stern-faced bodyguards stepped out first and surveyed the surroundings before bending down to say something into the car.

Mr. Steer, a man who looked to be middle-aged, stepped out of the Hovercar. He was dressed inconspicuously today, wearing a standard-issue travel outfit.

Although he did his best to rein in his presence, he still seemed completely out of place on this street.

"Stay outside," he ordered in a low voice, then walked into the beverage shop.

David watched the two bodyguards. The way they moved suggested they were filled with strength; they were probably both Armored Warriors.

David shifted his gaze. He knew that powerful Armored Warriors might sense when someone was watching them, and these two weren't important.

He routed the video from his Identity Bracelet to the receiver in the contact lenses he wore, and the audio through bone-conduction technology. Many people watched videos and listened to music this way.

It wouldn't disturb others, and it let him enjoy the best possible picture and sound.

"Sit down. I ordered your favorite, an Amo Fruit juice!" Trainer Jeremy remained seated and simply gestured toward the empty seat across from him with a smile.

David's gaze shifted slightly. Trainer Jeremy's status was clearly no ordinary matter. After all, Mr. Steer was a highly influential figure in Peilan City, yet a gym trainer spoke to him on entirely equal terms.

They also seemed very familiar with each other—familiar enough to know one another's tastes.

Thank you, Yuchen Xiaoke'ai, for the 100 Qidian Coins! Thank you, Listener of Stories, for the 500 Qidian Coins! Thank you, Book Friend 20171216180815991, for the 100 Qidian Coins! Thank you, I Love Magic, for the 100 Qidian Coins!