Sun Jack woke up amidst a jumble of drunken bodies, the ground littered with empty bottles and kitchen waste, the stench of sweat and alcohol filling his nostrils.
Clearly, Utopia Security's hall had seen a celebration party the night before.
Sun Jack rubbed his throbbing head and sat for a while, soon realizing the memory he was missing involved celebrating victory over Gaofeng Technology.
Other than his own rush towards the Holy Grail, it seemed nothing else had changed, nor did it need to, all fitting into Guan Sanke's plans.
When he tried to recall his previous conversation with X, he found it had become increasingly blurry, fading with time, as if he was reluctant to leave any trace of it in his memory.
This individual wanted him to oppose Guan Sanke to his advantage, yet took no risks himself.
"It doesn't matter, it was just a gamble anyway, I didn't expect him to actually make a move."
Beyond testing X, Sun Jack had a fallback, a Digital Personality that had his complete memories. If indeed all of his memories were tampered with, it could remind him, though this posed a risk of exposure.
But the objective this time was achieved, whether it was probing the secrets of the Holy Grail or sabotaging Guan Sanke's deal, as well as stirring conflict between Guan Sanke and X—it had all been executed well.
What mattered more, Sun Jack rose to his feet, opened the system's assets interface, and couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face as he viewed the shares of Gaofeng Technology.
Controlling Gaofeng Technology's shares wasn't just about profiting. He controlled all the military technology of the company, its troops, and even the actual command of a spacecraft carrier!
Moreover, prior contracts with Sharp Flash Technology and Weike Medical were still valid, which meant he was now effectively in control of four companies in Metropolis.
Utopia Security was no longer just a company, it had become a large conglomerate.
Sun Jack knew that all this went so smoothly because Guan Sanke wanted it this way, or it wouldn't have been that easy.
But this did not stop him from narrowing the capital gap with Guan Sanke.
If the scenario designed by Guan Sanke was a sugar-coated bomb, then he just needed to consume the candy and throw the bomb back.
He no longer viewed Guan Sanke as unreachable. He could now create trouble for him, even consider how to defeat him.
He still remembered X's promise. He didn't need to clash head-on with Guan Sanke. If X showed signs of weakness, he was certain X would leap at the opportunity to benefit from any fallout.
With that thought, Sun Jack was filled with determination and immediately opened the company's management channel, "Gather in the meeting room! Everyone."
Half an hour later, Sun Jack sat at the round table enjoying lunch, seizing a moment to breathe. The butter chicken before him tasted exceptionally delicious.
The tender chicken wrapped in a rich sauce, sliding down with the rice into a stomach that hadn't seen food for a while, was unbelievably comforting.
He was enjoying his meal, but the same might not be said for others. Members from other departments of Utopia Security were also eating, lined up on either side.
Old Six, Hank, and accountant Zhao Yi were naturally unconcerned, but those who had fled before the battle were now visibly restless.
And it wasn't just the lower ranks who had run away.
Sun Jack glanced at them, his words sentencing them to their fate. "I know it's tough on you all, and I respect everyone's choices, so you are free to go and settle your salaries with finance."
In an instant, all faces turned ashen. Some tried to say something but were quickly silenced by a prosthetic orphan pressing a gun to their heads.
"Old Six, from now on, let's train the company's management from the orphans in those orphanages. Those five kids we saw earlier were pretty good."
"Huh?" Old Six, his head topped with a semi-transparent pink underwear and his face smeared with lipstick, seemed still drunk as he lay on the desk, his vision blurry as he looked at Sun Jack.
When he finally understood Sun Jack's words, Old Six's eyes widened in shock. "Bro? Have you lost your mind? They are just kids! They don't know anything."
"In Metropolis, there's no such thing as kids or non-kids. If they don't know, just implant a chip and let them learn. I can't afford to have half the company flee when it's time to fight a corporate war. Besides, isn't being in the company's high ranks safer than being a frontline mercenary?"
Having used the stick, it was time to offer a carrot. "Also, everyone who didn't flee gets a 50% raise and an additional half-year bonus!"
With Gaofeng Technology as a golden mountain, Sun Jack's pockets were much fuller.
"Isn't that too much? Our salaries are already higher than other security companies."
"Why not pay more to those who risk their lives for us? We need to build our reputation: with us, money is no issue."
"Okok." Old Six removed the underwear from his head, took a pleasurable sniff, and then reached under the table to put them on—he had been pantsless just before.
Just as Sun Jack was about to continue eating, he felt something was amiss.
He turned his head to look around, checking on the prosthetic Tapai tending to the meat chicken, Old Six gnawing at a chicken leg, Hanks boasting about his fruit salad, Zhao Yi enjoying caviar sushi, and Anyun being robotically fed bite by bite. He looked at each face but did not see Logistics Department Minister AA.
"Where is AA?" Sun Jack couldn't help but ask.
"Don't you know, boss? She's been seriously injured and is currently receiving treatment in the medical department," explained Zhao Yi.
"Still receiving treatment?!" Sun Jack's heart tightened immediately. He put down his cutlery and rushed to the medical room.
Soon, Sun Jack saw AA behind the thick energy isolation wall, lying quietly on an advanced hospital bed, her body covered in tubes, and the beeping of various machines weighing heavily on his heart.
"What is this? If her body is no use, why not just clone a new one and replace her body?" Sun Jack asked the nearby doctor Delete.
"The body is easy to handle, but the problem is with this young girl's brain," the doctor responded.
At that moment, AA inside saw Sun Jack outside and smiled brightly as she waved vigorously.
"The brain?"
"Yes, the brain. Although brain cells don't metabolize, they still get damaged by nuclear radiation. More importantly, part of her brain tissue has become a radiation source due to strong radiation exposure, continuously injuring the surrounding tissues."
"I'm not sure what to do, so I've already called for doctors from Weike Medical, but from the current situation, it doesn't look promising."