[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer":3,"chapter-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-251":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cyberpunk: Cross-dimensional Science and Engineering",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1151742,1495,"Chapter 251 - 233 If You Were Me","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-251",251,"\u003Cp>Qi Wei and Lucy simultaneously scanned the two uninvited guests and arrived at the same conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a preliminary scan revealed extremely chaotic brain-machine interface signals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Add to that the ultra-high purity of prosthetic transformation, obviously overclocked prosthetics, incoherent speech, and indiscriminate killing without distinguishing friend from foe...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were two extremely dangerous cyberpsychos!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had the gunshots grown fainter before ceasing completely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because these two cyberpsychos had slaughtered everyone outside in the few seconds of the explosion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their super-fast movement made them appear as mere afterimages to the ordinary eye, constantly exchanging blows!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dodging gunfire, the evil origin charged towards the veteran at high speed, his gaze fixed on the veteran’s finger on the trigger——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the evil origin had just moved behind the van...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bullet struck the body of the van, and the evil origin, who had moved behind the vehicle, pulled out a pistol from a small pocket in his skin with one hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coincidentally, the veteran took a large step forward and also pulled out a short knife from his clothing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evil origin’s eyebrows twitched; he heard his enemy approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they were both too fast; neither had time for a last-minute change of attack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He burst out from behind the van, aiming his pistol at the veteran who had already risen before him——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bullet and knife struck their targets simultaneously!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bullet hit the veteran’s neck, the knife slashed across the evil origin’s shoulder, leaving a wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of depth, the bullet had obviously penetrated deeper, lodged firmly in the bio-enhanced neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the knife wound looked large, it had barely damaged the muscle fibers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such exchanges would normally take 6-10 seconds for a single round, but with the boost from Si Anweisitan and numerous combat prosthetics, in the span of 6 seconds, they had engaged in 8 such exchanges!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no sword clashing against sword; each strike hit the other’s body, each aim targeted the other’s vitals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knife blades reflected the lights in the alley, dazzling to the eyes, bullets flew, and David could only lie flat on the ground, waiting for the outcome——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them exerted a pressure that matched the twenty-plus members of the Tiger Claw Gang they had just faced, if not more!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David saw Man and the others running, but in 6 seconds, they couldn’t escape the alley, and the stray bullets from the two cyberpsychos took them down one by one!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David gritted his teeth, his gaze moving to his own pistol and the samurai sword on the ground——under such circumstances, there was no choice but to gamble on luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing up to run would only make it easier for him to be shot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to wait for an opportunity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"David! David! What are you doing...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He crawled on the ground, closed his eyes, shut off the communication, discerning the sounds...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gunshots and footsteps slowed, growing slower and slower——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One became significantly slower and heavier; the other much lighter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David joined the fight!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bullet struck the evil origin, causing him some disruption, but the veteran had already been at a disadvantage...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evil origin deliberately dragged the veteran aside, and David hastily followed, crouching down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was still a little too slow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The samurai sword pierced the veteran’s abdomen, and the veteran slammed the butt of his gun onto the evil origin’s jaw——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their last exchange of attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam poured from their bodies; the veteran’s mechanically enhanced prosthetics, with their clearly defined features, glowed with a faint red light at the joints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body no longer capable of physically supporting the high-intensity operation of his prosthetics, his vital signs rapidly declining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Error warnings gradually diminished, and he struggled to lift his head...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted his head, saw the amputated limbs above the Phoenix Night Club, and instinctively lowered his head again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"... Are you also fighting for someone? But you still have not penetrated the Zen mystery, undergone the trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All tragedies are but the empty nature of phenomena, neither arising nor ceasing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The prosthetics on his body gradually completed their cooling process, the stiff joints becoming smooth once again, and the evil origin raised the samurai sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You must sense the stillness of life and death and then react, unfortunately...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evil origin was hit by a bullet that struck with precision, piercing through his not-so-thick subdermal armor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned around and swung his sword at David, his joints creaking loudly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click——\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just his joints popping; David realized his pistol was out of bullets!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn——\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evil origin was upon David in an instant, the samurai sword raised high...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang bang bang bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood sprayed; Lucy appeared on the battlefield, her bullets hitting the evil origin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The evil origin turned and swung his sword, slicing off the pistol from Lucy’s hand, scaring the girl into sitting down on the ground with a thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Lucy hadn’t reacted quickly, that slice would have even severed her hand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eagerly raising his prosthetics high, the combat limbs creaked alarmingly as David grabbed the samurai sword from the ground and thrust it with all the might he didn’t know he had!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even feared to contemplate one question:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he truly be faster than his opponent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he still thrust the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy froze in place, as slow in movement now as he had been quick when using Si Anweisitan earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slashes and bullet marks on his body poured out copious amounts of blood mixed with various synthetic fluids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, David realized: Due to the high temperatures and wounds, all the lubricants, bio-energy exchange liquids, and other fluids assisting the prosthetic’s operation inside the enemy had run dry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one hand, those fluids had run dry; on the other, the overheated prosthetics began to cool down, causing many components to seize up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A literal burnout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy’s rigid limbs still swung the samurai sword, just... too slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a stir of his samurai sword, David kicked his opponent to the ground, switched magazine in his weapon, and aimed the gun barrel at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"... Is all this really worth it for the Tiger Claw Gang?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Falling to the ground, the enemy’s gaze was as still as an ancient well, \"It’s not for the Tiger Claw Gang; it’s for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy had become a cybernetic psychopath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what exactly had driven him to become a cybernetic psychopath? What made him this way?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David was filled with indescribable emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the enemy spoke again, \"I have a question too: Why did you choose auditory prosthetics? Or rather, why choose any prosthetics at all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Si Anweisitan is fast, but it can’t break the sound barrier—that helps me to some extent in discerning your moves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for prosthetics, I’ve seen someone who was once formidable die miserably because they lacked them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, David nervously glanced over at Lucy in the distance, and at everyone who lay on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy saw this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand, one last question: If you had prosthetics like mine, if you were me, would you do the same as I have?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, the light of data in the enemy’s eyes swirled and then extinguished before David could fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doubt piled upon doubt in David’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did that mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucy on the ground also had an expression of incomprehension; this madman from the Tiger Claw Gang had transmitted a lot to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...He removed the ICE, and now there’s nothing in the nightclub—just bombs. He did transfer a lot of information about the Tiger Claw Gang to me, some of it fragmented, in need of repair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old soldier... he was the father of that girl from the Phoenix Nightclub. The Tiger Claw Gang wanted him to go against us, but he refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they came up with this method to provoke him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David was silent, looking at the carnage-strewn alley, and at the neon-lit sign flashing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phoenix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well done...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the sound, David looked and saw Man and his people giving him a thumbs-up—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was immediately brought back to reality: It seemed he had more than fulfilled the mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[David: Boss, the Phoenix Nightclub is empty, but there’s nothing there, just bombs.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: That good? Wuhu... don’t scream!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded like someone was cheering over the communication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nevertheless, David quickly wore a happy smile, but as he raised his head, he saw swarms of drones raining down gunfire over the shantytowns atop the overpass!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bullets from the drones were coming down like rain, aiming at a target speeding over the overpass—micro missiles were exploding against the bridge with the force of thunderclaps!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The target on the bridge returned fire with equally exaggerated firepower! Drones were tumbling down like rain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this war?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another explosion ripped through the guardrails of the overpass, blasting out a large section. Several micro missiles lost their lock and flew erratically, one striking the tin house above the Phoenix Nightclub!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huge chunks of rebar and metal sheeting fell, crashing into the Phoenix Nightclub...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed to trigger a certain detection mechanism—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explosion collapsed the Phoenix Nightclub in an instant! Flames soared, glass shattered, and buildings fell!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of fire rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, through a gap in the overpass, David caught sight of Mackinaw speeding past—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: Then let’s not go down.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: Remember Regina? Contact her and get her to handle it.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: Good job, keep it up.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David swallowed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>",1610,"2026-06-03T12:33:12.909Z","2026-06-03T12:33:19.802Z",1,"novelbin.me","dd6533e04210a12ab54018bd701f2730c01173512cb80ac1878bcfcfc6f01208","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-252","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-250",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cover.jpg"]