A T0-level Mercenary Corps was something for Guang Ling to worry about.
'A "Highest Level" Mercenary Corps?'
Lin Qi didn't think a Mercenary Corps with only five members could live up to a name like that.
He flew his vehicle to the top floor of the research institute and landed.
The research institute was only seventeen stories high, and it had fewer employees than one might expect.
This institute only handled research projects below A-Class.
According to research classification, projects were generally divided into five levels: M, L, A, S, and X.
M-Class was for general-purpose series, L-Class for high-end series, and A-Class was military-grade. Products from A-Class research were typically not available on the open market.
As for S-Class and X-Class, those were projects far beyond Lin Qi's current reach.
It was said that X-Class projects involved planetary exploration and could enable a Prosthetic Body to land on the moon on its own.
No rockets, just mechanical ascension—a Prosthetic Body landing on the moon. It was a crazy kind of project.
Just as he stepped out of his flying vehicle, Lin Qi saw another one landing at almost the exact same time.
This flying vehicle bore the logo of Liu's Heavy Industries. It was a high-end model, worth more than a hundred of Lin Qi's.
The Door of the luxury vehicle opened slowly, and the two young ladies of the Liu Family stepped out.
The first one out was named Liu Xuan, an old acquaintance of Lin Qi's. They had known each other for five years.
Liu Xuan was wearing sunglasses. She had almost no prosthetics, save for a left eye that glowed with a faint blue light.
As she passed Lin Qi, Liu Xuan greeted him placidly, "What a coincidence. Good morning."
Lin Qi nodded. 'What a coincidence, indeed.'
This was his 399th day working at the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute, and their 372nd "coincidental" morning encounter.
As for the coincidental encounters after work? Slightly fewer than in the mornings—only 371.
Behind Liu Xuan was her younger sister, Liu Li. Compared to her sister, Liu Li was even more "natural"—from the outside, there was no visible trace of any prosthetic installations.
Liu Li said as she passed Lin Qi, "Why do you always clock in at the last possible second? Ugh..."
Before Liu Li could finish, Liu Xuan pulled her away.
Lin Qi actually wanted to retort.
'What's wrong with clocking in at the last second? You can't just exploit a cyber worker like this!'
'I've worked at the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute for a year, developing seven models of prosthetic arms and legs and one micro-nuclear powered heart.'
'Including the current H-L-023 micro-nuclear heart, I've already completed three L-Class research projects.'
'Which other L-level Researcher grinds this hard?'
'Look me in the eye! Tell me! What's wrong with clocking in at the last possible second!'
Of course, Lin Qi didn't say any of this out loud.
In truth, the products Lin Qi developed were all tailor-made for himself. He designed them so they could be easily modified into an Exoskeleton at his own Prosthetic Clinic after he acquired the finished models. Because of this, the designs were rather conventional for the L-Class category; they had some bright spots, but not many.
He was basically using public resources for private gain.
Watching the two sisters' departing figures, Lin Qi recalled the malicious stare he had felt in his vehicle just moments before.
'Could that Mercenary's target be the two of them?'
'Probably not, right?'
'How many Credit Points would it take to go after those two? Ten million might not even be enough, right?'
Others might not have known, but Lin Qi had known Liu Xuan for many years, even back in their school days.
She was no mere member of the Liu Clan.
Lin Qi had discovered through his Spiritual Vision that she had at least two bodyguards protecting her in secret.
And both bodyguards had undergone more than 60% A-Class prosthetic conversion. A conversion rate of over 50% was enough to be classified as a full-body conversion.
They also carried a wide array of weapons, enough to handle a small-scale firefight.
The combat prowess of either bodyguard, taken alone, could probably match that of Master Ma, the pillar of the "Highest Level" Mercenary Corps.
However, that was only if one didn't factor in the combat power of the Extraordinary Side.
Master Ma's prosthetic implant level was apparently only A-Class.
Lin Qi had secretly witnessed this level of combat power on a previous mission.
A full A-Class prosthetic conversion could achieve the combat power of a Tier Three Martial Artist who wasn't equipped with a Prosthetic Body. They could single-handedly take on an eight-person riot squad.
'Warn them? Probably unnecessary. With two combatants on Master Ma's level, even our "Highest Level" Mercenary Corps might not come out on top, to say nothing of the fact that this is Red Fruit City.'
'With Red Fruit City's surveillance density and intelligent algorithms, that Mercenary team has probably already been exposed.'
Targeting a member of the Liu Clan in Red Fruit City was something not even a person suffering from cyber psychosis would do.
Liu's Heavy Industries' control over Red Fruit City was insane. Lin Qi was already under immense pressure just trying to hide his identity as a Wizard.
He stepped into the employee elevator. The internal system detected Lin Qi's identity and automatically took him to the 13th floor. The institute's floors were assigned by research level, from highest to lowest.
M-Class was on the top floor, and A-Class was on the bottom.
The Weapon Research Institute's security system was strict; researchers could only access the floor they worked on.
...
In another elevator, the sisters Liu Xuan and Liu Li were heading to the second basement level. Both were L-Class researchers, but their status meant their labs were in a more central, secure location than even those of A-Class personnel.
"Sis, I've had it! We have to wait around for half an hour every day!" Liu Li exclaimed, grabbing Liu Xuan's arm and shaking it.
Liu Xuan didn't answer, seemingly lost in a memory.
"Sis!"
Liu Li raised her voice.
"Mm, I'm listening," Liu Xuan replied faintly, the hint of a smile still lingering on her lips.
Liu Li was frustrated. "Sis, what do you even see in him? His 30% prosthetic conversion? That prosthetic fiend Lin Qi is probably aiming for the 95% limit. He installs every single product he develops on himself."
"He's a walking case of future cyber psychosis! No one with over 80% prosthetic modification stays sane."
Liu Xuan shook her head. "You don't understand."
In truth, Liu Xuan knew full well that her feelings for Lin Qi were pathological.
But this pathology stemmed from a lab accident that Liu Xuan herself had caused.
That accident had forced two people, who should have never crossed paths due to their difference in social class, into the strange relationship they had today.
It was a psychological dependency born from the accident, one she could restrain but never fully suppress.
Only Liu Xuan herself understood that if Lin Qi ever disappeared from her life, she would inevitably become a madwoman—a cyber madman.
Even though her prosthetic conversion rate was less than 5%.
"I really don't get what you see in him. That pile of steel prosthetics?"
"You could pick any model from the corporate warehouse, and it'd be tougher than his Prosthetic Body."
Of course Liu Li didn't understand. She was a pure, natural human, with no prosthetic modifications whatsoever.
Someone with no prosthetic modifications could never understand the impact prosthetics have on the human psyche, much less how deeply that long-ago accident had affected Liu Xuan.
...
Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute, 13th floor. Lin Qi had only taken a few steps from the elevator when someone blocked his path.
CLANG!
The sound of metal striking the floor was loud.
Lin Qi looked ahead, his gaze shifting downward.
A young man, whose only modifications were his prosthetic legs, knelt before Lin Qi. "Please, sir, save my life!"