Chapter 904 - 183 Mr. Barefoot

Berlin’s magnificence exceeded Elliot’s imagination. Even though the media often reported on how prosperous the city was, seeing it firsthand felt different.

However, the development of things cannot detach from reality. People need to eat and drink, and steel, concrete, and everything else that supports this city require industrial production. To sustain such a city’s landscape, more manpower and materials are needed, but they place these unseen by Berlin citizens.

Berlin has, and only has, one large-scale industry requiring workers and engineers: the logistics industry. The city transports necessary materials from elsewhere via extensive rail and road systems.

And don’t forget, Germany used to be divided into East and West Germany.

Moreover, in this world, the Soviet Union didn’t disintegrate but instead underwent "self-reformation," transforming into the Su Federation...

The old ideological banner has been dismantled, but the massive number of workers gathered here haven’t been dissolved, nor did they transform with the Su Federation’s change into wealthy liberal pioneers.

The current "Berlin" seemingly aligns more with the Bonn region in West Germany, the former capital of West Germany in the Marvel World Line, while East Germany retained the enormous industrial conglomerate, serving as the current Berlin’s periphery for logistics operations.

Although composed of a large number of advanced technology machines and equipment, this place and the Berlin just seen are clearly worlds apart...

It’s not too low-grade or dirty; in fact, the environment here is impeccable, a model industrial zone almost free of dirt, with shiny machine surfaces...

One could say this is another world compared to the "factory" or "industrial zone" Elliot knew.

"...Would there really be Cyber Psychosis here?" Elliot began to doubt himself, "For technical workers, this place could be Heaven, right..."

Sevens glanced at Elliot: "Doesn’t it feel familiar? This is the place in the European Union’s public basic education materials, it was previously the standard for the International Electric Company, but the IEC got involved in the company conflicts...

The key issue is...policy changes, so now it’s controlled by the BOSCH Group; recently I’ve heard IEC might integrate business with BOSCH."

Elliot’s eyes shifted: "So this time, we’re between these two companies..."

"No..." Sevens shook his head, a flicker of worry crossed his face, "BOSCH and IEC are held by a group, the former has always been owned by Berlin Industrial Investment Company, while the latter was founded by Berlin Industrial Investment Company.

IEC was heavily damaged in the company conflicts, could only regroup, now they’ve returned, Berlin Industrial Investment Company seems to be fixated on IEC."

Elliot furrowed his brow, filled with confusion:

He began to understand what Lille told him, about how to wander between companies, leveraging their desires to carve out survival space.

But this time, it’s different? This time these two companies seem controlled by one company, would they fight?

The answer to this question is actually quite straightforward:

No, they won’t.

Lille said nothing until Elliot tentatively spoke:

[Elliot: Big brother, something feels off...]

[Lille: Wait and see, someone named "Barefoot" in the forum claimed they’d already done this in Foxstone, though they only said that much, we need to know why they act this way.]

This Barefoot casually said something incomplete, Network Supervision intervened to have the workers’ forum delete this line.

So, they’re here this time to find Barefoot.

"Alright... let’s see what’s happening. Previously, a guy named ’Barefoot’ mentioned in the forum that they engaged in such activities before but didn’t succeed."

Sevens looked puzzled: "How come I didn’t know?"

"Because Network Supervision had us delete that message—not via email, but there’s a monitoring interface in our forum within the European Barrier..."

"No, no need to explain the technical details to me. You mean we’re now seeking an information controlled by Network Supervision?"

Why are we investigating a message Network Supervision requested to be deleted?

[Lille: It’s simple, we’re obliged to comply with Network Supervision controls, but there’s no law stating we can’t investigate what they’ve deleted.]

"Uh..." Elliot quoted, "The law doesn’t prohibit us from checking, and isn’t this our job?"

"You have a knack... definitely didn’t misjudge you."

While talking, they drove into the industrial area, straight to where Barefoot was networked, facing a huge logistics factory, a site equipped with berths for hovercraft, drones bustling back and forth.

Because Berlin is not only seemingly advanced but truly advanced, its development of unmanned tech and AI technology is highly sophisticated, hardly any workers were seen on site, visiting engineers were sparse.

Most engineers wearing professional equipment for data transmission, site surveys, inspection, their faces covered with visors, making it impossible to see their expressions...

At first glance, they seemed like robots, the occasional pause and humanistic movements, like scratching their heads, showed they were indeed humans.

As their car just arrived at the factory entrance, a reception robot stepped forward steadily:

"Hello, gentlemen, if you’re scheduled visitors please present your reservation code, if under other circumstances, provide any identification, including but not limited to Interpol search warrants, European Court summons notices, etc."

Sevens raised his arm with a personal terminal capable of carrying encrypted files with complex data signatures, such as one from the European Union given to them with the Cyber Psychosis Special Political Committee’s signature.

Honestly, he didn’t know if this would allow entrance, since the European Union laws often seemed enforceable, but most times were impartial only to ordinary people, companies, civil servants, varying largely with situation and class.

However, they’re already here, may as well try, especially since they were assigned an instructor, maybe that helps?

The robot quickly read the transmitted data and connected to European Barrier data:

"Ah, welcome members of the Cyber Psychosis Special Political Committee, although this company recently has no Cyber Psychosis incidents, it’s been safe production for over 1409 days, and recently responded to EU policy requirements conducting employee physical examinations.

Considering you haven’t made reservations, I might have to decline your visit application."

Not getting in.

Honestly, as "decent people," IEC’s reception robot provided a pretty decent response:

We haven’t had issues, and held employee physical exams, well complying with policy.

Sevens was quite unwilling, thinking quickly, he replied:

"...We don’t need to enter the factory, we’re here to find Mr. Barefoot—this is his online name, plus his network address connection record."

"Okay, searching for Mr. Barefoot for you..."

After a moment, the robot replied swiftly: "Sir, the Mr. Barefoot you’re looking for is named Moke Rogers; it appears he left the company some time ago.

As for other matters, IEC values citizen privacy greatly, won’t excessively interfere in employees’ lives; if you wish to know more, you should seek other law enforcement departments for assistance."

Barefoot was gone.