57: More than I expected! (Bonus chapter for 5K chapters! Congratulations to PSG on their championship win!)

"Ding-dong."

The wristband vibrated, and a holographic notification popped up directly in front of Jiang Feng.

Jiang Feng glanced at it, and his jaw nearly hit the floor.

[Terran Union Network Service Alert: You have used 10086TB of data this month, exceeding your limit by 86TB. An additional fee of 72240 earth federation coins is required.]

[Account deduction completed automatically. Current balance: 631469.5 earth federation coins.]

The air inside the car seemed to solidify like jelly.

"Beep!"

Jiang Feng slammed his fist onto the steering wheel, and the hover pickup's horn let out a piercing blare, scaring several drunks outside the parking lot into stumbling away. Gold-Wrapped Silver stood up from the back seat, its electronic eyes flickering nervously.

"Mainframe!" Jiang Feng's voice sounded like it was squeezed through his teeth.

"Just how much data did you use?"

The blue light cube paused for a rare moment, as if the AI was calculating how to handle human anger.

[Connections made during data analysis: - 39 dark web nodes - 6 military database mirror sites - 12 cross-border smuggling forum historical archives - 3 abandoned satellite frequency bands...]

"Stop!" Jiang Feng raised his hand to interrupt, his temples throbbing.

He should have realized it sooner; how could an AI capable of simulating gang warfare strategies not consume an astronomical amount of data?

The analysis of those blueprints, the investigation of cargo flows, and even the cracking of encrypted communications—they were all monsters that devoured data!

The light cube pulsed, and the Mainframe displayed a data usage breakdown.

[Cross-border data retrieval: 420TB]

[Real-time monitoring streaming media: 2800TB]

[Encrypted communication cracking: 1600TB]

"72240..."

Jiang Feng stared at the number, reciting it silently.

In his mind, he saw the image of Lin Xiaoyu in the middle of summer, unable to bear buying herself an ice cream just to save money.

He remembered the money he had earned only after working for over twenty hours to fix the zero-gravity fighting cage.

He even recalled the moment Jasmine's four hundred thousand final payment arrived—the first time he felt he could finally catch his breath.

Now, a huge chunk of it had been bitten off by this damn bill!

Gold-Wrapped Silver carefully rested its head on his thigh, letting out a low whimper.

Jiang Feng subconsciously rubbed its iron heads, and only when his fingers touched the cold alloy shell did he realize that even this silly dog's daily data synchronization consumed data.

"Next time..."

He took a deep breath, his tone calming down: "Next time, before executing large-scale calculations, please estimate the data cost first!"

"Instruction recorded."

"Suggestion: Upgrade to the enterprise-level unlimited data plan, monthly fee 150,000 earth federation coins."

The Mainframe flickered slightly, its voice remaining as calm, reliable, and trustworthy as ever.

"150,000..."

Jiang Feng shook his head slightly: "I only have so much money on hand right now. Dropping 150,000 all at once isn't good for future investments."

"Whew, I should have thought of it sooner. The three essentials of a Super AI—network, electricity, and cooling—I completely forgot."

The light cube flickered in silence. Jiang Feng abruptly started the hover pickup; air currents swept across the road, and the thrusters emitted a piercing sound.

As the vehicle surged forward, he caught a glimpse of himself in the rearview mirror.

His eyes were red, like a beast backed into a corner.

Six hundred and thirty thousand sounded like a lot, but at the Mainframe's rate of burning money, plus the cost of acquiring materials from the scrapyard, round-trip tickets to the moon, retirement funds for his parents and in-laws, pocket money for Lin Xiaoyu...

'Oh, and the two hundred thousand final payment for Ghost Protocol!'

Jiang Feng hit the brakes hard and turned back toward the club, gritting his teeth without saying a word.

Gold-Wrapped Silver suddenly pawed at the storage box, pulled out a can of iced soda, and handed it over. Jiang Feng was stunned for a moment before taking it with a wry smile.

When the aluminum can opened, it let out a "hiss" that was exceptionally clear in the cabin.

"You certainly know how to comfort people." He took a big gulp, the ice-cold liquid sliding down his throat, slightly suppressing the fiery irritation.

"Alternative plan designed."

"Subroutine waiting for deployment; it can hijack nearby Wi-Fi hotspots as relay nodes."

"Estimated 97% reduction in data consumption."

Jiang Feng nodded: "Fine, handle it yourself."

He crushed the empty can: "Forget it, money spent is money spent. The data from just now was worth the price."

Jiang Feng fished a hardware wallet out of the glove box—a small square block like a flash drive.

"Ding-dong."

[New message: Your account has spent 200,000 earth federation coins.]

[Account balance: 431469.5 earth federation coins.]

Jiang Feng felt every finger trembling. He took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked into the club with decisive strides.

He took a storage tag and placed the hardware wallet into a locker in the changing room.

He sat back in the car, his inner fire not yet extinguished.

[Anonymous A: The goods are good. The final payment has been deposited in locker 308. The key is as follows—attachment.]

Less than five minutes later, a chubby figure snuck out of the club's back door in a furtive, stealthy manner.

Jiang Feng vaguely saw that he seemed to be holding the hardware wallet he had just deposited.

'Is this guy Ghost Protocol?' Jiang Feng thought to himself.

He narrowed his eyes and immediately continued messaging.

[Anonymous A: Please check it immediately. I am not responsible for any theft.]

Sure enough, the next second, he saw the chubby figure raise his wristband to check it, then reveal a cocky smile.

[Ghost Protocol: Boss is generous! Boss is awesome! Boss, I love you!]

After thinking for a moment, Liu Xiaopang hurriedly added a sentence.

[Ghost Protocol: Boss, you need to be careful; don't get played to death by the AI!]

Jiang Feng rubbed his temples, almost not knowing how to respond.

[Anonymous A: That won't be necessary, but it was a pleasure doing business.]

[Ghost Protocol: Boss, if you have any more needs, please be sure to consider coming to me.]

Jiang Feng did not reply. He turned his head to look at the light cube and asked: "Who is he?"

"Facial recognition match, wristband real-name authentication match, social welfare number query match."

[Liu Xiaopang, 22 years old...]

Jiang Feng glanced at it; almost all the information was half-truth and half-false: "Why does it look so fake?"

"The other party's identity information is protected by dynamic encryption. Forcing a crack would require a massive amount of computing power and data, and it would inevitably trigger the warning system, bringing unpredictable risks."

Jiang Feng suddenly realized the brilliance of identity encryption. It seemed that from now on, anyone checking his identity would be the same way. But he was suddenly startled: "Then can I still pass security checks? What if the Public Security Bureau checks me?"

"The original dynamic encryption will interfere with the police database; it requires the deployment of a specialized intelligent algorithm."

"You have me."

Jiang Feng raised an eyebrow, becoming increasingly satisfied. This 300,000 was truly worth it. Even with the data fee overage, it was worth it!

He pulled up the map, and his finger slid across, displaying Pier 7.

144th District, not far, it would take an hour to drive there.

He suddenly smiled, a fierce look in his smile: "Since I spent so much money buying intelligence..."

"Before I go to pick up Lin Xiaoyu, I'll make them spit it back out with interest."

Gold-Wrapped Silver gave an excited "woof," Little Handsome waited quietly for the mission, and the Mainframe displayed a line of text.

"Suggestion: First go to the scrapyard to purchase materials; arming the robot can better execute the mission."

Jiang Feng glanced at it and nodded slightly.

The Garol Gang had attacked Lin Xiaoyu. No matter the reason, this hatred would not disappear, no matter how many people died.

Money can be earned back, but the opportunity to make those scum pay the price—priceless.

...

144th District, Pier 7 in the night only had a few scattered solar streetlights left.

The light was dim and yellowish, like melted butter.

Jiang Feng's hover pickup silently slid into the shadows, the engine kept running, ready to bolt at any moment.

"Scan," he said in a low voice.

The Mainframe's blue light flowed before his eyes.

[Area surveillance hacked.]

[12 heat source signals.]

[4 fixed guard posts, 8 patrol units.]

[Communication base station system taken over, signal jamming complete.]

Jiang Feng's lips curled up. In the back of the pickup, four Peregrine Falcon Robots and four Robot Dogs crawled out.

Little Handsome and Gold-Wrapped Silver stood at the front of the formation, their electronic eyes extinguished, their matte, rusted paint job completely inconspicuous.

"Remember," Jiang Feng poked his head out the window and instructed: "No survivors, do not trigger alarms, leave no traces."

The robot troops nodded silently.

"Mainframe, you take over."

The next second, they scattered like ghosts.

21:07, time for the guard shift change.

Ram yawned and touched the bulge on his belt; it was a gun, a real gun.

He had been in the gang for two or three years, fighting on the front lines several times, and had finally earned the chance to join the elite hit squad. Ram knew he had to perform well; otherwise, his beloved Priya wouldn't marry him.

Dark skin, a skinny body, and a large head disproportionate to his frame.

He was a "Dalit," the lowest level of untouchables.

Ram had heard that the young masters and mistresses lived very well, but a few days ago, he was fortunate enough to be assembled and caught a glimpse of the Garol Gang's core manor from afar.

White marble, cascading waterfalls, peacocks roaming everywhere, and even two white elephants in heat in the courtyard.

Rose petals were scattered on the clean ground, with five hundred male servants and five hundred female servants moving in an endless stream.

Ram had sharp eyes since he was a child, and at a glance, he saw a young lady wearing a veil, surrounded by maids.

Cyan silk, golden embroidery, a red veil, and black eyes.

According to others, that was the second young lady, "Parvati."

But Ram felt she was a god, a goddess who had descended from the heavens, just like "Radha," the lover of "Lord Krishna." She was love itself, the source of all beauty in the world.

It was a pity that he only saw her once; in this life, that would be the only time he could ever look at her.

He couldn't even bring himself to have a single profane thought.

The night wind blew. He would be off duty in thirteen minutes, and he was planning which small club he should go to for a drink later.

Perhaps he could pop a few capsules; maybe, in his dreams, he could see the goddess one more time.

He didn't notice the shadow that flashed across the surface of the ventilation pipe above the warehouse at all.

Peregrine-3 descended from the ceiling, and the hydraulically driven electro-thermal blade stabbed into Ram's cervical spine from behind.

The 1500-degree Celsius high temperature instantly carbonized the flesh and tissue; the muscles didn't even have time to spasm.

When the body was gently laid down, the electro-thermal blade was withdrawn, and charred remains covered the wound; not a single drop of blood flowed out.

Dozens of meters away, Gold-Wrapped Silver was crouching in the shadow of a container, tilting its head.

Two Robot Dogs lunged out from the shadows, one from the left and one from the right.

The targets were a guard who was urinating and his companion who was laughing beside him.

"...Your carrot is way too small... urgh, urgh, urgh, urgh!"

High-voltage electricity caused incontinence, and even though he had just finished urinating, he still couldn't help but irrigate the ground; fortunately, he hadn't zipped up.

The two guards, their brains scorched, slumped to the ground as wisps of blue smoke rose slowly, carrying their souls up to the kingdom of the Elephant God.

On the other side of the warehouse, three people were laughing loudly.

"I saw Young Master Aditya grab her hair and slam it hard against the steps!"

"Her eyes went straight immediately, once, twice..."

One man acted it out vividly, his face ferocious, as if he had transformed into a "Brahmin" young master at that moment, shedding his dark skin and dirty background.

"Did she die then?" one person asked cautiously.

"Of course she died!"

"Hahaha, serves her right!"

"How could a lowly woman offend the young master's divine majesty? Daring to appear in front of men while on her period..."

"And what about Young Master Aditya? He touched her while the woman was unclean; has he been purified?"

"Don't worry, the High Priest arrived immediately and used holy water..."

Three slight "pfft" sounds rang out almost like a string of firecrackers; three bullets tore through the night sky, their trajectories forming a perfect parabola.

Little Handsome maintained his firing stance as the three bodies fell to the ground, all shot in the left ear, their brains destroyed instantly.

Peregrine-2 quickly stepped forward, covered the bodies with canvas, and worked with Peregrine-4 to pack them up and take them away.

The Mainframe updated the battle situation in real-time on the holographic map.

"Northern sentry post cleared."

"Western patrol annihilated."

"Surveillance footage synchronized and rendered; no anomalies."

Jiang Feng opened a can of soda and drank it casually.

The blue dots representing his own units spread across the pier's floor plan like a plague.

"This is simply too easy, like turning on God Mode in a game."

He thought to himself. When the last red dot went out, he was only halfway through his soda, which was still quite fizzy.

"Area clearance complete, cleaning up traces."

"Time elapsed: 4 minutes and 28 seconds."

"Zero alarms triggered."

Jiang Feng clapped his hands lightly and sighed, "Beautiful."

The Mainframe flickered and added, "I suggest disguising the scene as a gang retaliatory crime."

"No, recycle these bodies; I'll just throw them into the Armory for recycling. Clean up the scene completely and turn this into an unsolved case—no, better yet, turn it into an urban legend."

Jiang Feng had his own ideas; of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, the best is to attack the mind.

"As you command, Supreme Commander."

Inside the warehouse, the electronic locks and metal doors had been completely cracked.

Jiang Feng carried a black briefcase and strode inside.

Little Handsome had already come out holding the loot, which were two black hardware wallets from the safe.

The Mainframe instantly burned through the encryption of the hardware wallets.

[Account 1: 28,700 earth federation coins.]

[Account 2: 21,329 earth federation coins.]

Jiang Feng smiled slightly; this wasn't much money, but it counted as compensation for the data traffic fees.

He put all the junk into the Miniature Galaxy, where the Armory completed the decomposition and converted it directly into energy.

"Where is the stuff?" Jiang Feng asked.

"Please follow me." Little Handsome turned and led the way.

At the back of the warehouse, there were two box trucks, their rear doors already pried open, with eight large cardboard boxes printed with the word "Recycle" stacked inside.

Jiang Feng opened one of them and took out a box; Little Handsome's electronic eyes lit up, turning into flashlights.

What came into view were three elegant characters: "PPSh."

Jiang Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Good stockings, why call them PPSh? He opened the box and lifted the thin, cicada-wing-like black silk with his fingertips. The quality was pretty good, just the type that was cheap and plentiful, the kind that would tear at the slightest snag.

"I know why they're called PPSh now; this rate of fire, just thinking about it is fast!"

There were six pairs in one box, one hundred boxes in one carton, and eight large cartons; it was worth quite a lot.

If sold at the black market's "charity price" of 50%, as Jiang Feng planned, that would be 150 per pair.

Eight hundred boxes added up to a total of 720,000.

Jiang Feng couldn't help but smile; this was much more than he had expected.

"Move them all down."

With the order given, the robot troops immediately went into action, moving the cardboard boxes to the ground.

Jiang Feng carried the box, reached out and touched the box truck lightly, and sent it into the Cybrex Warforge.

Half was converted into materials, half into energy.

[Comprehensive material reserves: 4427 kg]

[Energy reserves: 0.097%]

Finally, the cardboard boxes were stored in the Miniature Galaxy in a dry environment, not a space environment, to avoid damaging the stockings.

The Mainframe suddenly popped up and said in his earpiece.

"Detected a communication check from the Garol Gang."

"Simulated guard response as normal."

Jiang Feng grinned, returned to the pickup truck, and waited for the robot troops to finish cleaning up before driving away.

On the way back, while waiting for a red light, Jiang Feng suddenly laughed out loud.

This was a large sum of money, a fortune the old him couldn't have imagined, but all such wealth was, without exception, stained with blood.

He had heard a saying: "Once your hands are dirty, there's no going back."

Jiang Feng sneered, feeling indifferent in his heart. He hadn't killed innocent people for merit, nor had he abducted women; how was this getting his hands dirty?

"Do no evil, fear no ghost knocking at the door. I will accept this money from the Garol Gang with a clear conscience."

Gold-Wrapped Silver suddenly leaned over and rested its iron head on his lap; its round blue electronic eyes displayed a thin slit.

Jiang Feng rubbed its iron head and tugged at the antenna on its head: "What, do you want to wear stockings too?"

The Robot Dog turned its head away in disgust, its tail wagging back and forth, making him burst into laughter.

The flowing lights outside the window, the night was thick.

Jiang Feng narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment; from the past until now, he had never seen Lin Xiaoyu wearing stockings.

A flame rose in his heart: "No, I have to try this time, really try it!"

"Ding-dong."

The wristband rang.