[{"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-322":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},1151813,1495,"Chapter 322 - 297: Brick’s Ransom Money","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-322",322,"\u003Cp>[Pan’an: All the floating cars have arrived, are you sure you want to break through head-on?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pan’an: I mean, aren’t we just subcontractors for the NCPD?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan’an was a bold wanderer. As a teenager, she’d already been robbing corporate strongholds with her family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But any city’s Terrorist Mobile Team is the stuff of top-tier legend on the streets, equivalent in status to the regular armored corps in Evil Land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had to be careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their identity as subcontractors for the NCPD was also a fallback. If things got out of control, they could just run, and the Terrorist Mobile Team wouldn’t hassle them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lille was on a mission, with her own targets in mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current situation was that they needed to protect their people, and the Terrorist Mobile Team could only get what Lille allowed them to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: It’s strategic necessity.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: We have two opportunities to shoot. We need to bring down all the floating cars.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pan’an: Alright... two shots to bring down three floating cars. If someone else said that, I would definitely think they’re hallucinating.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[V: I’ve found the antenna over here.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: Good, connect it.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the warehouse, V found the factory antenna array’s connection port.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The less imaging data the Terrorist Mobile Team got, the better. Lille needed a powerful transmitter to create a wide-range signal disruption and hack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These things were what the Vortex Gang’s warehouse lacked least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unauthorized antennas and unregistered networks in 2077 were considered cybercrimes, and obtaining unregistered equipment could only be done by theft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As such, this place was stacked with many high-powered antennas and network devices—altogether sufficient for Lille to create a full-spectrum block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quality might not be high, but it would be useful, needing only a momentary effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Jack, this big guy’s prosthetic eye flickered as Lille marked two interfaces on two cyber lunatics that could be dismantled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After crushing the connections one by one, Jack pulled out syringes he had prepared, administered two shots to the men, then used both hands to forcefully tear Brick and Carter out of their shoddy prosthetics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A torrent of mixed fluids fell, and Jack hurriedly stepped back, but still got splashed on his foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sizz...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Electrical arcs flickered. Brick barely regained consciousness, his Eyes of Golden Flame clearly moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His torso was badly damaged, and it was possible to see his barely functioning internals through the bottom and breaches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Air was sucked directly into his semi-mechanical synthetic lungs through these openings, his heart faintly beating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fucking hell...\" Brick didn’t open his mouth, but his throat made a sound, somewhat muffled, clearly indicating that his way of phonating wasn’t the traditional human airflow and vibrations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Help me kill Royce, the last deal, or else you won’t get your money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You must be delusional,\" Jack shook him, \"You think anybody would believe you can pay in this state?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ve got some nerve, thinking about killing a traitor at a time like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A traitor must die! Everyone in a gang knows that! If he lives, what would that make me?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack, receiving instructions from Lille, snorted, lifting Brick’s head up to eye level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you... you’ve got nothing left, no money, no tech, no people... and most importantly, the Terrorist Mobile Team is on your tail all over the streets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We could just turn you over to the cops and make a tidy sum.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack counted off Brick’s predicament on his fingers, bluntly and brutally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brick’s mind was a mess, incapable of detailed thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as Jack pointed out the problems, he fully understood the desperate state he was in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So his mind crashed, like an old misfired computer nearly stopping all thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack nailed the timing, looking into his eyes said, \"Royce’s life, your life—you can buy them, but not with money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...With what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the remaining three military-grade armored floating cars arrived at the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The roaring of floating car engines echoed through the air, transmitted to the steel frame roof of the factory, creating resonance, and the rapid vibrations felt as if they were striking souls directly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empty, empty, empty, empty—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V disconnected the link from the factory interface, and the exposed wires on the walls surged with electricity once more!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The omnidirectional antennas hidden within the building began to adjust, accumulating energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Vortex Gang’s pilfered goods really weren’t few, even saving them the process of on-site modifications.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack looked up at the slightly trembling roof, as dust and parts shook loose from the beams and shelving...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked back at Brick: \"No time left, just say if you’re buying or not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buy or not?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two thoughts wildly battled in Brick’s mind: one part of him wanted Royce dead so badly, while the other kept thinking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You f\\*\\*\\*ing say it, what am I buying with!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no time left for him to ponder, nor time to haggle. His hardware didn’t support that much processing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An even more intense vibration struck, this time not from the sound of engines—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from real-deal machine gun bullets!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first bullet pierced the roof, an armor-piercing bullet with sparks like the sun piercing clouds in the early morning, followed by a torrential hail of bullets!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bullets easily created openings in the roof, smashing into beams and pillars, causing the roof to crumble and sink, fire and smoke entangled together—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the thick smoke, past the flame-ridden openings, what could barely be seen was the sky occupied by floating cars!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brick’s sluggish nerves became active amidst the clamor of metal collisions—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll buy! I f\\*\\*\\*ing buy! I’ll give you whatever you want!\" he shouted with his modified metallic voice—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the shout became noisy and shrill within fractions of a second, that piercing sound coinciding with the blasting noise in the Terrorist Mobile Team’s auditory nerves, preventing them from hearing even a huge explosion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V’s hands gripped the pistol. Though she couldn’t see outside clearly, her prosthetic eye had already marked the shooting window and angle for her—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All she had to do was overcome the momentary communication block and steadily pull the trigger twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was her forte!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two bullets pierced through flames and smoke, hitting the target directly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Terrorist Mobile Team Command: Hawkeye One, this is Command Center, confirm target environment and surrounding area, over.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hawkeye One: Target is located inside the factory, factory interior schematic loaded, 12 observation points set up externally, no apparent activity, over.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Terrorist Mobile Team Command: Received, prepare to execute breach operation.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Assault Team: Fire order received.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The engines roared as the Scorpion-tailed Lion began its gradual descent, the trigger pulled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exaggerated metal jetstream appeared completely like a laser to bystanders!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiding in a distant abandoned building, Pan’an gripped her sniper rifle tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pan’an: Lille, they’ve opened fire!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: I know.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: Communications will be cut off soon, the motorcycle will enter through the hole, then use the chaos of the floating car’s crash to escape.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An utterly fantastical plan, Pan’an thought it was absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Firstly, all three Scorpion-tailed Lion Floating Cars were intact, yet this plan required them to be shot down with just two shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What weapon had such power?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V and Jack didn’t seem to have a rocket launcher either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, although Pan’an did not know how Lille planned to jam the communications, if all channels were jammed, how would the motorcycle’s autonomous driving software function?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she had also learned the basic quality of working in this team:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First trust, then question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So all she could do was watch as those three floating cars poured out terrifying firepower, the entire rooftop appeared to the outside world not penetrated, but melted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floating cars slowly lowered their height, scanners continuously operating—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that shooting window was going to appear on its path towards V’s position as the floating car descended to a certain height...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pan’an was a top-notch sniper and, of course, also a top-notch observer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the shooter was two streets away from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explosion was deafening, and smoke filled the air; as the floating cars moved, Pan’an unconsciously held her breath—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A large section of the rooftop finally collapsed under such strafing, two Scorpion-tailed Lions began to move, perfectly meeting the shooting requirements!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pan’an: Now!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Tss!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, currents like shadows and lines burst forth in the dim factory, all frequency signals encountering jamming interference, noise whirling about!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first bullet penetrated the single-sided engine of the floating car, shooting out the front, completely penetrating with its trajectory almost undisturbed, heading straight for the driver’s seat of the second floating car!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sparks flew from the armored window of the floating car’s cab, a burst of blood exploded from the driver’s clavicle, and he fell down in response!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Scorpion-tailed Lions veered off in different directions, losing control and crashing, revealing the front of the third floating car—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second shot entered directly through the front armor of the floating car’s driving window, scuffed past the driver’s helmet, penetrated the vehicle body, passing behind the occupants controlling the machine guns on both sides, striking the fuel tank!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fireball erupted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noise in the communication channels, the crashing Scorpion-tailed Lions, the violent explosion...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All these sudden events left even the battle-hardened members of the Terrorist Mobile Team unable to respond, completely unaware of the motorcycle speeding on the street!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were fixated on the bullet exit holes, V and Jack leaping high in the air towards the crashing floating car, just as the Scorpion-tailed Lions crashed, conveniently obstructing the observer’s line of sight—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they swiftly moved through the metal-storm swept wreckage and then jumped onto the motorcycle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was the crashing Scorpion-tailed Lions that completely destroyed the factory’s wiring and antennas, restoring communication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Members of the Terrorist Mobile Team only saw the motorcycle disappearing at the end of the road, flames spouting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cough...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the ruins, Rory, the police chief, stood up with one hand on a rock, his face deathly pale!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought he could simply kill a few street thugs to relieve stress; he didn’t expect to still be called over...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just arrived at the scene, and the Scorpion-tailed Lions had been blown up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might as well have come earlier!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the motorcycle sped wildly, Brick was hanging on to the back of the bike, feeling the rushing wind, his senses suddenly clearing a bit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn, bro, that was awesome!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re pretty good yourself—\" Jack laughed against the wind, \"How come with just one head, you seem even more spirited?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know!\" Brick’s voice still carried a heavy electric feel, \"Where are we going to take down Royce?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where to find Royce?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, that was a problem. The entire Watson North District was in chaos, yet Royce hadn’t appeared where he most should have.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortuitously, Lille quickly received a message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Sender: David]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[David: Big bro, we saw a very suspicious car on the road...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Lille: Location, photo, text description... and, chase him!]\u003C\u002Fp>",1844,"2026-06-03T12:33:12.909Z","2026-06-03T12:33:19.803Z",1,"novelbin.me","1ae47bf4e21767e1f09a61bd297c50c18e519f3edc2ebf4f37bfc866fcdea928","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-323","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-321",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cover.jpg"]