Chapter 83: Mechanical Branch, Electronic Mind (Second Update)

Chen Yun was driving a large-build black Knight Rider, its quad headlights piercing the night, twenty-two-inch rims spinning, pitch-black tires skimming the ground and splashing rings of water.

Chen Zhang, already changed into a crisp white shirt and jeans, turned the steering wheel with one hand while muttering:

"What's with this summer? It's been raining especially frequently."

Lin Yunqing in the passenger seat felt a bit stifled, rolled the window down a little to let the cool air in:

"Didn't you hear the Meteorological Bureau's forecast? There might be a typhoon passing through."

Chen Yun shook her head:

"The Tai'an area has always been pretty stable; aside from winter getting quite cold, often dropping to minus ten-something degrees, there's never been any major disaster. How come even typhoons are blowing in now?"

Lin Yunqing chuckled:

"Since ancient times, when a monster appears, there must be portents. Probably Heaven spotted another monster poking its head out."

【9】 She turned her head to look at Qin Shi in the back seat, eyes closed cultivating his spirit, a triumphant smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

She turned her head to look at Qin Shi in the back seat, who was sitting with eyes closed in Spirit Cultivation, and a triumphant smile curved the corner of her mouth.

Such a big, tender, juicy Chinese cabbage — and it was plucked by this big sister!

Those little brats in the Qiguang Heng University Martial Arts Department seem to have all blown their tops.

Having defeated two sophomore students in a row, one can foresee the number of people nailed to the New Martial Arts faction's pillar of shame will only grow.

What a spectacular sight!

Just thinking about it makes one a little excited!

"I think you're the monster! Unreliable all day long, about to graduate and you don't even plan your future; you won't really just muddle into a library position, be an administrator sipping tea and reading newspapers, will you?"

Chen Yun hated iron for not becoming steel; she had always been career-minded and couldn't stand her best friend's salted-fish attitude, too lazy to even flip over.

"What's the rush? The Spiritual Ability Domain follows an academic path, an ultimate late-bloomer occupation. Leaving the newbie village at thirty, reaching max level at forty, starting to raid dungeons and craft equipment at fifty, able to dominate in all directions at sixty — that all counts as me being heaven-blessed."

Lin Yunqing didn't care much; her dad's background wasn't deep, his mountain not big, patents not many, only one thing relatively outstanding.

That was connections!

Commonly known as face!

Even if I truly amount to nothing, relying on filial support from dad, eating off mom, I should still be able to scrape by as a specially-appointed teacher at one of the Four Great National Universities.

Anyway, I won't starve, and I won't suffer.

"No ambition! I've never relied on my dad!"

Chen Yun snorted lightly:

"Xiao Lin, at least get a doctorate title, then grab a lifetime achievement award and retire to support the elderly. Otherwise how embarrassing, people saying the Lin family has generations of scholarly fragrance, only for it to be cut off at you!"

Lin Yunqing replied blandly with the eight-character mantra:

"Not listening, not listening, a turtle reciting scriptures."

The two up front bickered, but Qin Shi in the back was uneasy.

The Stele Panel flickered quietly — it was 【Super-Sensory Perception】 issuing a reminder.

"Not a very strong danger omen, like frightened birds before an earthquake, fleeing beasts.

Indicating the crisis doesn't come from a specific opponent, but a suddenly erupting event?"

Qin Shi lightly rubbed his brow, wanting Chen Yun to stop the car so he could immediately run away.

But he soon realized he was currently heading to Old Factory Street.

If turning back home could avoid the disaster, then wouldn't Lao Liang, youngest Qin Lan, and Brother Yuan Cheng Ge and the rest be in for it?

"Old Factory Street has always been calm; natural and man-made disasters are very rare. What could happen? It can't really be a typhoon, right?"

Qin Shi forcibly suppressed his unease, gaze passing through the car window toward the nearby Jiusong Port.

The Jia River flowed quietly, its pitch-black water surface rippling with fish-scale waves.

Boom!

Stomping hard on the gas, Chen Yun's ride turned off the viaduct, flashed the Patrol Department Zhen Zu's official credentials, and entered the port interior unimpeded.

Due to an arson case, yellow warning lines had already been cordoned off here; several officers in Patrol Department uniforms maintained order to prevent the scene from being damaged.

"Zhen Zu!"

The moment Chen Yun got out of the car, several Inspection Personnel rushed straight over.

"Qin Family's General Manager Qin came by earlier; he wouldn't let us in, said this is a company internal dispute that can be mediated privately. General Manager Qin had his Secretary stay to tally property losses and left ahead of time himself……"

Listening to her subordinate's intelligence briefing, Chen Yun looked at the pitch-black messy ground and the metal wreckage of containers, and asked:

"Based on the scene traces, have you gotten any usable leads?"

A youth with a crew cut and a fierce bearing answered first:

"Size forty-two adult male footprints. He infiltrated from behind the port, bypassed the gate post and patrol guards, went straight to the warehouse where Qin Lihao stores his collections, violently picked the lock and entered; he should have taken some items, then chose to commit arson……"

Chen Yun gave him an approving look:

"Not bad, a very comprehensive behavioral trajectory profile. Can you judge the Life Force Development Level?"

The crew-cut youth with the fierce bearing pondered a moment, gave a relatively broad range:

"Between fifteen points and thirty-eight points. He didn't use techniques many times — just breaking in and arson, two times total."

Chen Yun frowned:

"This Life Force value shouldn't be enough to leave the Qin Family at their wits' end."

Although, Life Force doesn't necessarily represent Combat Power level.

But roughly it can serve as one of the judgment data points.

"Zhen Zu."

A female inspector with a cute round face suddenly called out:

"That man seems to be injured; he left blood traces."

She held a plastic bag with tweezers, inside was a faint blood color from a syringe sample.

"According to the Level Five Electronic Control Regulations, we can activate the Mechanical Dog to track it. Its signal isn't strong, and its energy consumption isn't high either; it's within the safety range."

The crew-cut young man suggested.

"Fine. Does anyone have a Tactical Case? Deploy a Mechanical Dog."

Chen Yun pondered for a moment, then nodded in approval.

Although Old Factory Street is an Electronic Control "martial law zone," generally speaking, a few high-tech Mechanical Dogs won't cause a peak value fluctuation.

Otherwise, just the electronic signals released by the residents of this area normally using communication devices, radios, refrigerators, and other daily necessities would be enough to cause a "Disaster."

"I have one in my car."

The cute round-faced female Patrol opened the trunk, carried the rectangular black metal case with both hands, and slammed it onto the ground with a clang.

"You wouldn't lend a hand either, you blockhead."

Chen Yun shot a sideways glance at the crew-cut young man and admonished:

"Hurry up and get it ready. See if you can find the suspect's tracks. Qin Lihao isn't pressing charges, but arson endangers public safety; the Inspection Department has the reason and the authority to intervene in the investigation."

The crew-cut young man opened the black metal case. He was from the Mechanical Field Branch; his Qi Life Force was like Electrocardiogram Fluctuations condensing into mist, enveloping that simply structured Mechanical Dog.

Zzz, zzzzz—

As if a current had been connected, clear noise came intermittently, like an outdated radio.

Immediately after, that Mechanical Dog actually seemed to "awaken." Its four limbs stood straight up, its electronic eyes emitting blue light, as if scanning the Scene.

"Something Wrong……"

Qin Shi, who had been somewhat dizzy ever since entering the Port, the moment he saw that Mechanical Dog, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

As if an alarm had been triggered!

The amplification effect brought by 【Super-perception Senses】 pushed to the maximum, he could even hear his own heart pounding violently from excessive tension, and see the Electronic Fluctuations threading through the air like strands of light rays.

Vision, hearing — they composed a bird's-eye perspective transcending naked-eye observation, transmitting the Jiusong Port real-time map into Qin Shi's Brain Sea.

Above, an Invisible force field shrouded the area; thick darkness eroded this place.

The instant that Mechanical Dog activated, a piercing bee-buzz sounded.

The force field contracted; the darkness rolled back in reverse!

That Mechanical Dog's electronic eyes turned from blue to red, then amid zzzzz crackling electric sparks, its surface metal coating was eroded and rusted, revealing a grim, cold steel skeleton. It then assumed an offensive Stance, like a maddened evil dog.

The crew-cut young man controlling it convulsed as if suffering a sudden epileptic fit, trembling uncontrollably, and suddenly collapsed to the ground.

His face was full of fear, as if he had glimpsed an extremely terrifying Xiang Zheng; his eyes were bloodshot to the point of bursting.

"Evi……l Spirit……"

From his heaving throat, only those two short bytes could be squeezed out.

Everyone present was stunned by such a sudden change; even Chen Yun involuntarily retreated half a step. Only a single figure stepped forward.

Long legs like battle-axes cleaving, swift and fierce, he flew up with a kick, heavily striking that Mechanical Dog which seemed possessed by an Evil Spirit.

"Get lost! You're annoying the hell out of me!"

Qin Shi only felt his brain aching from being stirred by that piercing bee-buzz. Simultaneously, seemingly due to the Contact, the Stele Panel faintly lit up, displaying a line of prompt text.

【Activated Junior Achievement - Electronic Mind】

(Chapter End)