Ch: 177-182
Chapter 177 Chapter 177
Izu disconnected the data cable from Ichirin Koshi.
With the system startup sound, Ichirin Koshi came back online.
"Detection: Ichirin Koshi's core program appears to have been tampered with manually."
This was the crucial information Izu had just discovered.
"Immediately investigate other Humagear for the same anomaly," Wang Haoyu commanded.
Although Xunlei Station had been annihilated, its remnants might still invade the system through other means.
To control Humagear, one must...
When parameters are abnormal, they disconnect from Satellite ZAIA, becoming aggressive towards humans.
"Understood, I will immediately conduct a comprehensive check." Izu turned and left.
"President Wang Haoyu, is my system status normal?" As it loaded an early backup, Ichirin Koshi had a complete historical memory.
"We lost the first round of the flower arrangement competition," Yaiba Yua directly stated the result.
"This isn't a defeat! That was just the opponent's deceptive tactic!" Ichirin Koshi retorted fiercely.
This unusual reaction caused everyone present to look puzzled.
Wang Haoyu keenly sensed the anomaly:
"What is your basis?" He realized there might be more to the story.
Choosing Ichirin Koshi to compete already had a deeper meaning—winning or losing was not the primary goal.
Losing the first battle would instead allow Tengen Gai to relax his guard and misjudge the opponent's strength.
The true decisive blow would be delivered in the final round.
To strike a fatal blow in the way the opponent is most proud of is the perfect revenge.
In the executive office of Zaia Group headquarters.
Catherine was reporting the progress of the progrise key theft to Tengen Gai.
"Are there any clues about the whereabouts of the progrise key?" Tengen Gai asked, gently swirling his coffee cup.
Several hours had passed since the key went missing.
"We are still searching diligently, but currently have no leads," Catherine reported truthfully.
This result left Tengen Gai slightly regretful:
"What a pity, I wanted to add more splendor to this elegant victory."
In his eyes, this long-awaited victory was indeed worth a grand celebration.
He had finally achieved his goal.
However, the loss of the progrise key still left him with some regret.
Just then, Tengen Gai's phone suddenly rang... Izu had a new discovery.
"Izu sent a message." Wang Haoyu said and left Hiden Group.
He quickly arrived at the address Izu provided.
The moment she saw Wang Haoyu, Izu immediately stepped forward to greet him.
She handed the data to Wang Haoyu.
After reading the data, Wang Haoyu understood why Ichirin Koshi had said that.
"So that's it... Izu, let's go find this master!"
The data showed that this Master Reika Rentarou indeed had questionable character!
Wang Haoyu and Izu arrived at Reika Rentarou's home.
Reika Rentarou was surprised at first, but quickly changed his expression.
"You lost the competition and now you're coming to me? You know, the scoring wasn't my decision alone." Reika Rentarou fiddled with the flowers and plants on the table, pretending to be calm.
Wang Haoyu's next words made him unable to sit still.
"This is the investigation data from Ichirin Koshi's memory. I didn't expect the master to be so two-faced..."
Wang Haoyu played the video.
In the footage, Reika Rentarou was instructing Ichirin Koshi on flower arrangement.
And what he held in his hand was precisely the flower that the judges deemed unsatisfactory.
"Adding this will make it even more perfect..." Reika Rentarou in the video instructed earnestly.
"I see, thank you very much for your guidance." Ichirin Koshi, as a Humagear, chose to trust human judgment.
Reika Rentarou was a bit flustered.
But the competition results were already decided, and he gambled that the other party wouldn't offend the judges over this.
"President Wang, flower arrangement is an elegant art, and the judges are all rigorously screened experts..."
Wang Haoyu directly interrupted him: "Since I came to you, I naturally came prepared!"
These words made Reika Rentarou pause.
"You pretended to guide, but in reality, you set a trap for Ichirin Koshi. You turned hostile after winning the competition," Izu pointed out his trick incisively.
At the competition venue, when the judges came to evaluate, Reika Rentarou actually openly declared that that particular flower ruined the entire work.
"Did you think no one would notice? Ichirin Koshi wanted to compete fairly with you, why did you do this?"
Izu, as a mechanical life form, completely failed to understand this human jealousy.
"Have you said enough? What do you know about emotions, you tin can?" Reika Rentarou scoffed.
In his deeply ingrained belief, machines were ultimately machines, and the true Grandmaster of Flower Arrangement would always be only him!
"A competition between humans and machines is just a game, why be so serious?" Reika Rentarou said dismissively.
"Such an act is truly excessive." A sound came from the doorway, and Tengen Gai slowly walked in.
"Let's discuss this matter objectively. I absolutely cannot tolerate your behavior!"
Although Tengen Gai intended to acquire Hiden Intelligence, he believed that winning by such means was truly dishonorable.
He wanted an honorable victory, not one achieved through opportunism.
"I have to say, I underestimated Humagear."
This was the cruel truth Reika Rentarou had already realized on the field.
He was afraid Ichirin Koshi would surpass him, which is why he resorted to this desperate measure.
He hadn't expected mechanical aesthetics to already be comparable to humans.
And Ichirin Koshi lacked confidence precisely because she was a mechanical life form.
Reika Rentarou exploited this, feigning guidance while actually sabotaging her.
"I analyzed her work with the Zaia Connector, and both the floral arrangement and color usage were astonishing!"
This was an undeniable fact.
Indeed, Reika Rentarou had unique insights in the art of flower arrangement.
He had pioneered a distinctive style system.
But at the most critical moment, he completely failed... "Master, you were afraid of losing, so you went out of your way to tamper with Ichirin Koshi's work!"
Izu reached this conclusion through data probability calculations.
Reika Rentarou fell silent.
"Your despicable actions have damaged the reputation of the Zaia Connector. If we sue, your flower arrangement career will be over!"
Tengen Gai cared more about corporate interests.
He had indeed admired this flower arrangement master before, but unfortunately... the other party's actions would only lead to losses.
So he... naturally would no longer tolerate it.
"What?!" Reika Rentarou was horrified by these words.
"If you don't want your reputation to be ruined, then compete again honorably!" Tengen Gai said sternly.
"Alright, I accept the conditions."
Reika Rentarou understood that this improper behavior could tarnish his lifelong reputation.
Becoming a master of flower arrangement was his lifelong pursuit, and a mission bestowed by his family.
If he stumbled because of this, he would become a disgrace to his entire clan!
"Let's have a rematch, Reika Rentarou. As a human, you don't understand human nature, yet you foolishly try to win by despicable means. It's truly astonishing!"
Wang Haoyu left these words and turned to depart.
Such behavior made him feel deeply ashamed as a human.
"You should reflect on yourself."
Tengen Gai said, then quickly caught up with Wang Haoyu.
"We need to talk." Tengen Gai proactively suggested.
He didn't want to be misunderstood as having premeditated this.
Although he indeed desired victory.
Wang Haoyu tacitly walked into the tea room.
"You are a reasonable person."
This was Wang Haoyu's opening remark after sitting down.
He picked up a porcelain cup and took a small sip of clear tea.
"A company's reputation is like thin ice; a slight carelessness can shatter it. The reputation of Hiden Group has been damaged because of you, and I imagine you understand that deeply."
Tengen Gai retorted, not to be outdone.
Those were merely a trap set by Wang Haoyu; it seemed his performance was convincing enough.
The reputation of technology companies is indeed fragile.
A slight misstep can destroy public trust in technology.
At that point, their products would be ignored.
"Aren't you a great admirer of Hiden Intelligence's former president?"
Wang Haoyu suspected there was a special connection between Shinnosuke and Tengen Gai.
Otherwise, Tengen Gai's reaction wouldn't be so strong.
"Sort of."
"Then you should understand the value of Humagear."
Izu, standing nearby, immediately agreed: "Indeed."
To understand a person, one must know everything about them, including their daily routines.
Wang Haoyu was certain that Tengen Gai must have thoroughly studied Shinnosuke.
In a way, he should understand the significance of Humagear more than anyone else.
"All Humagear embody the painstaking efforts of the former president, Shinnosuke."
Izu's system always contained complete information about the founder.
Shinnosuke's foresight was admirable.
"He was indeed talented, but he went in the wrong direction. We shouldn't coexist peacefully with AI, but rather use them to drive human evolution!"
Tengen Gai agreed with Izu's point, but on this matter, his philosophy differed from Shinnosuke's.
The divergence stemmed from this.
"So you proposed it to him, but Shinnosuke didn't adopt it."
Wang Haoyu had already seen through Tengen Gai's true thoughts.
"I have to admit, you are a worthy opponent; even I can't help but envy your talent."
Tengen Gai continued, "It's a pity you're still my defeated opponent!"
After a long struggle, Tengen Gai finally defeated the zero-one driver.
"So, what is your relationship with Shinnosuke?"
Wang Haoyu was indifferent to these talks of victory and defeat.
He only cared about the truth.
Tengen Gai took out a group photo from his 懷 and laid it flat on the table.
"Twelve years ago, we worked together on a project."
In the photo, the two were intimate, clearly having a close personal relationship.
One looked to the future, the other reminisced about the past.
Wang Haoyu discovered a clue in the yellowed photo:
Tengen Gai in the picture was actually identical to how he looked now!
How was this possible?
Time always leaves its mark on people's faces, unless... Tengen Gai was not human!
"Mr. Tengen Gai, may I ask your age?"
Tengen Gai smiled confidently: "Forever twenty-four."
This mindset was truly astonishing!
Even if Tengen Gai was secretive, Wang Haoyu had his ways of obtaining information.
Soon, Izu's database received an encrypted file.
"President Tengen Gai is currently forty-five years old."
But his appearance indeed did not match his age.
"Youth is the greatest original sin; foolish minds coupled with superficial behavior, even the texture of the skin is disgusting!" Tengen Gai put away the photo and turned to leave.
"What does President mean by that?" Izu was confused.
With her current understanding, it was difficult for her to comprehend.
"He is enjoying the gift of eternal youth." Wang Haoyu gave a simple explanation.
Hiden Group, top-secret laboratory.
"It's done."
Izu held the progrise key and slowly walked out of the laboratory.
"The Assault Grip has been replicated."
This was a component Wang Haoyu designed for the Driver.
It must be said that Satellite ZAIA understood his concepts very thoroughly.
Zea's power lies in its ability to perfectly reproduce all learned data... "Just like Ichirin Koshi can restore flower arrangement techniques from different schools."
Izu's words reached Ichirin Koshi's ears.
In her opinion, mere imitation had no value.
Previously, Wang Haoyu had already input the data for the replication program into Zea.
Chapter 178 Chapter 178
"So, what do you think is the charm of flower arrangement?"
Wang Haoyu wanted to explore whether Humagears possessed this kind of aesthetic perception.
"Beauty lies in change. I once thought the Master's camellias were exquisite, but after seeing through the deception, I only find them ugly."
Ichirin Koshi spoke her mind frankly.
"So I realized that flower arrangement can reflect the creator's state of mind."
0.1 Flower arrangement is a profound art.
One must pay attention to the layout, and even more so, understand the inner meaning.
True Ikebana is an art that allows the viewer to read the creator's inner heart.
"Who taught you this principle?" Wang Haoyu followed up.
"It is the Tachibana Style."
To be precise, it was something she realized herself after integrating the techniques of various schools.
By common logic, Tachibana should have been her opponent, but Ichirin Koshi didn't care.
Because Humagears do not need emotions—that was her initial setting.
"The Tachibana Style is a prestigious school of Ikebana; they are your formidable rivals," Izuemphasized.
"Indeed, but learning from opponents can enrich my knowledge base," Ichirin Koshi responded calmly.
Meanwhile.
Inside the Ikebana Master's mansion.
Reika Rentarou slumped in his chair, constantly murmuring:
"I must win... I must win this time..."
When he suddenly opened his eyes, Ichirin Koshi's judgment surfaced in his mind:
"Master Reika's work is crude and ridiculous, it's nauseating..."
The more he resisted the memory, the more it lingered.
Tengen Gai's cold sneer hovered in his ears: "Your Ikebana career ends here!"
"Ah!"
A low growl of pain echoed in the room.
"If it weren't for that Humagear, if I hadn't signed up for the competition, how great it would be!"
Would none of this have happened? He wouldn't have turned into this state either.
He regretted trusting Tengen Gai.
Although the Zaiya Connector had indeed been a big help, now... this competition would only bring more torment.
Especially since the opponent was a Humagear—he had overlooked a fatal point: Zaia could analyze data, but so could Humagears!
After tasting the flavor of success, the desire to win was stronger than anything.
Just as Reika Rentarou was on the verge of collapse, a strange female voice rang out.
The other party walked straight up to him and handed out a Driver belt: "It can protect your heart."
Before he even had time to ask, the belt was already attached to his waist, and the Driver was linked to the Zaiya Connector.
"Who are you?!" he asked with difficulty.
"A guide for humanity." The woman left these words and departed.
The belt immediately bloomed with crimson light waves.
The next day at the competition venue.
The judges were complaining: "Is there any point in having a rematch?"
"The result is already set, right?"
"We're already here, just say less."
When Catherine announced the restart of the match, Wang Haoyu and Ichirin Koshi were already in place, but Reika Rentarou was nowhere to be seen.
"He's here," Izu suddenly spoke.
When Reika Rentarou stumbled into the venue, Ichirin Koshi asked with concern: "Master, are you alright?"
Wang Haoyu stared at him, knowing in his heart—this time, things would definitely not be simple.
The mockery of Ichirin Koshi and Tengen Gai repeated constantly in Reika Rentarou's ears.
"Absolutely disgusting!"
"The Master's work is simply nauseating!"
He gritted his teeth, a flash of determination in his eyes.
"I will never lose this match!"
A Progrise Key lit up with a blinding light in his palm.
"Crushing Buffalo!"
Catherine's pupils shrank—this was exactly the Key that had been stolen from Zaia!
"Crushing Buffalo Key!" she cried out in shock.
Reika Rentarou's roar shook the entire venue: "I must win!"
"Raid Rise!"
"Buffalo Charge!"
Web-like cracks spread around him as a crimson energy field swallowed him. This usually elegant Ikebana Master now had a distorted face, yet he still stubbornly stepped into the forbidden realm.
The audience's eyes were all focused on that Key, but only Wang Haoyu stared at Reika Rentarou's trembling fingers in thought: How did the Key fall into his hands? Could Zaia Group's security system not even stop a gardener? If so, even if Hiden Intelligence were handed over, Tengen Gai probably wouldn't be able to keep the business.
"Charge forward, invincible!"
The judges' table was in chaos. Someone screamed and backed away: "A human... turned into a Magia!" This subverted everyone's understanding—only Humagears were supposed to be able to complete such a data link.
"Is it because of the Zaiya Connector?"
This was the only logical explanation.
As the demonized Reika Rentarou lunged at Ichirin Koshi, Hiden Isamu flashed in front of the judges' table. The double insurance Wang Haoyu had originally arranged now came into play; although the plan was disrupted, activating the hidden card early was fine.
"Everyone evacuate!" Hiden Isamu's Rider system locked onto the target. The crowd was sparse, so they only needed to ensure the judges' safe evacuation.
Tengen Gai slowly stood up, the Thousand Jacker glinting coldly.
"The situation has spiraled out of control."
"Zetsumetsu Evolution."
"Destruction Thrust."
"Henshin."
"Evolution Peak."
"Five Stars Connected."
"Holy Armor Awakening, Ten Thousand Armies Descend."
Five different life forms appeared around Tengen Gai, quickly transforming into mechanical armaments and merging with his body one by one.
"A masterpiece of Zaia technology."
Tengen Gai continued to launch fierce attacks at Reika Rentarou, and Yaiba Yua finally couldn't stand by and watch anymore.
"Stop! He is clearly human, how can you be so ruthless to your own kind?"
"Foolish! His consciousness has long since been lost, he is no different from an out-of-control Humagear," Tengen Gai countered coldly.
"What if something happens to the Master?!" Yaiba Yua's voice trembled.
Tengen Gai irritably pushed her away: "Get out of the way!" The powerful force caused Yaiba Yua to stumble and fall.
"Why did it come to this..." She propped herself up, her fingernails digging into her palms.
Wang Haoyu reached out to help her up: "Leave the rest to me."
By now, the battle had moved outdoors, and the fierce fight between Tengen Gai and Reika Rentaroukicked up waves of air.
"Shining Jump."
"Daybreak tears through the eternal night."
Ichirin Koshi rushed toward Reika Rentarou: "Master, what's wrong with you?"
The only response she got was a violent attack. Wang Haoyu quickly pulled her away: "He has lost his reason, communication is useless."
"Please wake up!" Ichirin Koshi's eyes reddened.
Despite having been hurt by Reika Rentarou, she always remembered the debt of gratitude for the Tachibana Style's cultivation.
Tengen Gai sneered: "The stubbornness of Humagears is truly legendary."
"No, the Master will surely break free from the control!" Ichirin Koshi clenched her fists.
Some kind of indescribable belief burned within her core.
At this moment, Reika Rentarou was no different from a hideous Beast.
His actions had completely deviated from human standards.
He had completely become a puppet.
Wang Haoyu accurately captured Reika Rentarou's fatal weakness.
"Shining Hopper!"
A sharp slash blasted Reika Rentarou to the ground. The mechanical shell cracked and fell off, and that Crushing Buffalo Progrise Key landed with a clang.
Wang Haoyu casually picked up the Key, glanced at it, and tossed it to Tengen Gai.
Tengen Gai frowned: "You could have kept it for yourself."
He found it hard to understand this decision—if it were him, he would never have given it up.
Ichirin Koshi stumbled to Reika Rentarou's side.
"Master! Are you alright?"
Reika Rentarou suddenly opened his eyes.
"Hmm?"
Seeing that her master was still conscious, Ichirin Koshi breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness!"
The judges' table was already empty, so this Ikebana duel naturally couldn't continue. Given Reika Rentarou's injuries, Wang Haoyu proposed to reschedule the match.
Wang Haoyu knew very well—it was Reika Rentarou's inflated greed that allowed the Zaiya Connectorto take advantage of him.
He brought it on himself.
(dbab)
"This was your creation to begin with," Wang Haoyu said, glancing at the Key indifferently. "Hiden Intelligence has zero interest in it."
A weapon that Tengen Gai cherished like a treasure was, in Wang Haoyu's eyes, just an ordinary object that could be replicated at will.
By the time Catherine arrived late, the smoke had already dissipated.
"I will thoroughly investigate the source of the Key," she said solemnly. This was for Zaia, and also for A.M.S.—who exactly was manipulating all this in the shadows? To be able to forcibly link a human with a Key?
The connection must be severed while the situation is still controllable.
Tengen Gai left silently, and Catherine hurried away after nodding to Wang Haoyu.
"I withdraw from the competition," Reika Rentarou said hoarsely. Ichirin Koshi shook her head frantically upon hearing this.
"Please don't misunderstand, I have realized the essence of the art of flowers from your Tachibana Style."
Reika Rentarou looked confused.
"In order to study the true meaning of flower arrangement, I specifically studied the ancient Tachibana methods. It wasn't until I saw your work that I understood that Ikebana is a mirror of the soul."
This was the truth that Reika Rentarou had long ignored. He was always obsessed with winning or losing, but failed to realize that the ultimate principle was right before his eyes. While other apprentices followed the rules, he, standing at the peak, fell because of self-doubt.
Reika closed his eyes and sighed.
"Your work is so moving," Izu echoed Ichirin Koshi's praise.
Reika Rentarou shook his head in shame: "It's more like I was woken up by her." He had already recognized Ichirin Koshi's level of Ikebana.
Mysteries that humans cannot understand, machines can analyze. Although they operate according to programs, precise data calculations actually bring them closer to the essence. But there is one thing that can never be quantified—the human heart. The foundation of being human lies in vivid thoughts and emotions. No matter how precise a machine is, it is ultimately imitating humans.
Reika never realized that Ichirin Koshi never had a chance of winning.
Three days later, the final result was finally revealed.
"The winner is Master Reika Rentarou," Catherine announced.
Reika bowed to everyone. Ichirin Koshi congratulated him sincerely: "This time, your work is indeed extraordinary." The change in address signaled a change in attitude. Winning the heartfelt appreciation of an opponent is far more valuable than winning a championship. Not to mention, this victory was well-deserved.
"Your work is equally touching, as if one can glimpse the true heart," Reika praised sincerely.
"Glimpse the true heart?" Ichirin Koshi looked at her own flower arrangement, lost in thought.
Izu and Wang Haoyu stood side by side.
"In the end, we were a step behind in skill," Wang Haoyu accepted the result calmly.
[
"Although we lost the match, what makes me happy is that Humagears can not only learn, but also teach humans what a true heart is!"
Losing for the first time is fine; we'll just win it back next time. Wang Haoyu never cared about winning or losing, but the rules must be followed after all.
Reika Rentarou reached out his hand to Ichirin Koshi, and the other party responded.
In the A.M.S. Underground Room, Fuwa Isamu brought back Horobi.
"The human loss of control incident... as expected, it's the Assault Upgrade Device causing trouble." The bound Horobi sneered as he revealed the truth.
"Assault Upgrade Device?" Fuwa Isamu frowned. "Your accomplices are still active in the shadows, right?"
"Maybe..." Horobi looked up, "they're standing right behind you—those deceased comrades."
Chapter 179 Chapter 179
Fuwa Isamu turned around abruptly. The empty Underground Room only held their shadows. Carrying important intelligence, he headed straight to Hiden Intelligence to report.
"The Assault Upgrade Device might be related to the Zaiya Connector." President Wang Haoyu keenly pointed out the key, "A connector that replaces code could very likely become a medium for controlling humans."
A city-wide alert was thus sounded—the Zaiya Connector, popular across all sectors, was spreading danger to every user.
***
Financial news scrolled across the TV: "The real estate industry welcomes good news! Aimukuya, a sales representative from Zaiya Group, has topped the charts with record-breaking performance!"
In the Sales Director's office, excited praises poured in: "Aimukuya! You are a born genius for sales! A benchmark for the entire industry!"
Aimukuya, in his swivel chair, stroked the championship trophy, a meaningful smile on his face.
（
No matter what kind of property, it always sold for a high price in his hands.
"Tell me, which one do you want me to take over this time?"
Aimukuya asked, raising his chin.
He sat brazenly in the Sales Director's seat, a privilege unique in the entire company.
But the Sales Director knew his worth—it was thanks to Aimukuya that the sales department's performance was far ahead.
What does it matter if someone with real ability is arrogant?
Everyone knew it tacitly.
"President Tengen Gai of Zaiya Group wants to see you. Seize the opportunity." The Sales Directorrubbed his hands, "My future promotions depend on you."
Who doesn't want to climb higher?
He was already tired of this position with limited benefits.
"Go now."
Aimukuya dropped these words and left, not waiting for a reply.
Tengen Gai had been waiting in his office for ten minutes.
No one had ever dared to make him wait like this.
But business is like war; as long as value can be created, these minor details are not important.
A knock sounded.
"Come in."
As soon as Aimukuya walked in, Tengen Gai got straight to the point: "Zaia and Hiden's second confrontation needs you to participate. Your specialty—sales."
This war without smoke had already begun.
Tengen Gai had only one goal: victory.
"What are artificial robots? How could humans lose to Humagear!"
Having worked at Zaia for a long time, Aimukuya naturally developed this prejudice.
That instinctive aversion needed no reason.
"Remember, if you lose to Humagear, it means all humanity loses to artificial intelligence." Tengen Gaiemphasized, "It also means Zaia loses to Hiden!"
This was a bottom line that could not be conceded.
Meanwhile, in the Hiden Intelligence CEO's office.
Wang Haoyu was reviewing documents when Izu handed him a new email.
"President, Zaia has confirmed the content of the second round of competition—" Her electronic eyes flashed blue, "A sales showdown."
Izu presented the relevant data before Wang Haoyu.
"Sales? This 0.1 Zaiya Group is indeed good at leveraging its strengths. They've been very prominent recently, and it's a good time to suppress them."
Fuwa Isamu had always looked down on that old man, Tengen Gai.
Despite his advanced age, his appearance showed no trace of time.
This was simply not human!
"Izu, do we have a suitable sales-type Humagear on our side?"
Wang Haoyu directly ignored Fuwa Isamu's complaints.
To him, Tengen Gai posed no threat whatsoever.
Izu initiated the database retrieval program.
Her system could connect in real-time to all Humagear produced by Hiden Group.
Regardless of whether they were working or in standby mode.
"A suitable candidate has been found: Sales-type Humagear Kaden Mikurui."
Izu projected Kaden Mikurui's complete profile into the air.
"I didn't expect Kaden Mikurui to be so outstanding."
Fuwa Isamu couldn't help but exclaim, this was simply Aimukuya's perfect opponent.
No, it should be said that Kaden Mikurui was even better.
"Let's leave immediately!"
Wang Haoyu decided then and there to lead the team to depart swiftly.
Kaden Mikurui's workplace was Hiden Group's Ace Sales Office No. 31.
This sales office had a special characteristic: it was established before the Hiden Group was founded.
It could be said to be the precursor building of the group.
"This building looks very old."
Fuwa Isamu gazed at the mottled, old building before him.
It was rare to see buildings of this style nowadays.
"The building is two hundred years old. Only basic maintenance has been performed during this period, preserving its original appearance. It symbolizes the development history of Hiden Group."
Izu explained earnestly.
"Let's go in."
They were here for important business, not to visit ancient relics.
"Hello, President Wang Haoyu."
"Hello, President."
"Welcome, President Wang Haoyu."
...Employees along the way continuously greeted Wang Haoyu.
Wang Haoyu nodded in response all the way.
He walked straight into the sales department office.
"President, you arrived so suddenly, we didn't even have time to prepare."
The department manager hastily stood up.
He offered his office seat.
He seemed uneasy, not because of a work error, but because he had long heard of Wang Haoyu's legendary deeds.
This young and promising leader not only presided over the top technology enterprise, Hiden Group.
But also showed extraordinary calmness and decisiveness when Humagear experienced abnormalities.
Bringing a company on the verge of collapse back to life!
"Please sit, Minister. I'm looking for Humagear Kaden Mikurui."
Izu had circled the sales office but found no target.
Only then did she enter the Minister's office.
"You mean our sales champion, Kaden Mikurui? She's currently assisting a client."
When mentioning this robot salesperson, the Minister's face was full of pride—her business capabilities far surpassed her human counterparts.
Through data modeling, she could accurately match clients with the optimal housing resources, and customer satisfaction consistently remained at the industry's peak.
"Then we'll go directly to the sales floor."
Wang Haoyu's objective for this trip was clear.
Since Kaden Mikurui wasn't at headquarters, there was no need to stay.
"She's in Exhibition Hall One now. Do you need a guide?"
The Minister maintained professional etiquette.
"No need." Wang Haoyu waved his hand, "You all focus on your main business."
Exhibition Hall One was the core sales point in the golden business district; not only were transportation hubs easily accessible, but surrounding facilities were also complete.
When everyone arrived, they found that all the real estate agents in the entire exhibition hall were Humagear.
"All robots selling?" Fuwa Isamu's eyes widened.
"Humagear can intelligently recommend housing resources based on client profiles, and currently have a 100% satisfaction rate!"
Izu pulled up the data panel.
"So if I want to buy a house..." Fuwa Isamu rubbed his hands, "Can I get a discount?"
"A discount is uncertain." Izu's mechanical eyes flashed blue, "However, the average price here might exceed your budget."
These words instantly froze Fuwa Isamu—could AI read his account balance?
How terrifying!
He secretly took half a step back.
"How may I help you all?"
Kaden Mikurui approached with a professional smile.
As a top-tier service robot, she could always precisely capture customer needs.
"Hello, Kaden Mikurui."
"President Wang Haoyu, welcome for your guidance."
All Humagear's core programs had pre-set recognition modules for Hiden Intelligence's highest administrator.
This was the established rule from the beginning.
It would be a huge joke if what one created couldn't even recognize its creator.
"Kaden Mikurui, there's a sales competition you need to participate in. Your opponent is Zaiya Group's ace salesperson, Aimukuya."
Wang Haoyu concisely stated the key.
"Aimukuya, retrieving information. Male, 28 years old, top salesperson in Zaiya Group's First Sales Department, cumulative sales of 5 billion in the past three years, consecutive five-year group sales champion..."
Kaden Mikurui fluently recited her opponent's data.
Initially, Fuwa Isamu didn't know Aimukuya's background, but now he finally understood.
"5 billion in three years? That's too exaggerated!"
Fuwa Isamu secretly calculated how many years it would take him to earn that much money. If he had known sales was so profitable, he would have entered the industry. But then, thinking of the high salary Wang Haoyu offered, he felt that 5 billion was not unattainable.
"Aimukuya is indeed exceptionally talented. I have always aimed to catch up to him."
Kaden Mikurui was full of curiosity about this sales expert's techniques.
"What do you think is the meaning of selling houses?"
Wang Haoyu suddenly asked.
Kaden Mikurui pondered for a moment: "It is to allow clients to find happiness and enjoy the warmth of home."
Wang Haoyu showed a approving faint smile. This was exactly the answer he wanted to hear.
"Prepare well. The competition officially begins today. I look forward to you surpassing Aimukuya."
With instructions given, Wang Haoyu turned and left; he still had to rush to A.M.S.
"Izu, you and Hiden Isamu return to Hiden Intelligence first. Contact me anytime if there's a situation."
After a simple arrangement, Wang Haoyu took Fuwa Isamu to A.M.S. to interrogate Horobi.
The key question was—how did Horobi learn about the Assault Upgrade Device?
Are there other accomplices?
If it truly involved the Xunlei Station, why didn't they prioritize rescuing Horobi, but instead targeted the Zaiya Connector? This logic was truly strange.
All current conjectures are merely hypotheses; the truth will only come out after questioning Horobi face-to-face.
Third-Person Dynamic Commentary Style
When the electronic clock on the grey-white wall jumped to 09:17, the metal access control system chimed with a triple authentication success tone. Fuwa Isamu's tactical boots echoed rhythmically on the alloy floor, and a 'drip' electronic sound was emitted when his leather gloves touched the access control sensor area. Wang Haoyu noticed that the corridor's lighting system used variable color temperature LED arrays, indicating that the A.M.S. Base had undergone at least three power modifications.
Horobi's cell utilized a composite restraint device, with a hexagonal Hive structure's constraining force field covering 92%, and the floor was covered with a graphene coating that interfered with electromagnetic signals. When Wang Haoyu's hiking boot soles touched the anti-static floor, Horobi's core processor suddenly experienced a 0.3-second computational delay—this was data trauma left over from the last battle.
"You should remember this." Wang Haoyu tapped the cell's central control panel with his knuckles, and a holographic projection displayed the energy spectrum graph of their last encounter. Horobi's visual sensors captured the red peak marked "Fatal Blow" on the chart, and the cooling system beneath his organic bionic skin began to accelerate.
Fuwa Isamu noticed that the temperature control system inside the cell suddenly rose by 2 degrees Celsius, a typical reaction for a Humagear experiencing data panic. As he removed his tactical sunglasses to wipe them, he deliberately allowed the pistol at his waist to collide with the metal table edge, producing a crisp sound.
Horobi's voice module output frequency showed abnormal fluctuations: "Sy... System did not retrieve a matching term." When he uttered the keyword "Assault Upgrade Device," the language logic unit suddenly switched to encrypted communication mode. Wang Haoyu's pupils slightly contracted—he read the ark system's data residue from Horobi's electronic eye iris.
Chapter 180
"Take a look at this." Wang Haoyu's smart terminal projected a 3D data model, displaying a deliberately fragmented storage sector within Horobi's core memory. The data shards rotated and merged in the air, finally revealing the complete label: "Assault Progrise_ver.5.2." Fuwa Isamu's breathing suddenly quickened; he recognized this as the development codename for Hiden Intelligence's top-secret project.
He exploited the ark's reflection mechanism to put himself into a dormant state, with the intention of provoking the boy he had adopted.
He wanted to instill a deep hatred for humanity within that child.
This was a technical loophole; one had to admit, Horobi was indeed very clever.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have survived until now.
Wang Haoyu never did anything meaningless.
Since he chose to save Horobi, it meant it still had utility value.
"How did you find out?"
Horobi blurted out, immediately realizing he had exposed himself.
"No need to be surprised; this isn't a trap. Your system has a hidden mode that usually appears as a piece of inconsequential code, not affecting normal operations, so it's very hard to detect."
Wang Haoyu exposed the secret.
When multiple commands are issued simultaneously in parallel, the system enters an autonomous state due to priority confusion.
While it seems to operate normally most of the time, this special mode remains perfectly hidden.
It was a technical flaw, yet Horobi had cleverly discovered it.
But its cleverness was not even worth mentioning before me!
"What exactly is the Assault Upgrade Device?"
Wang Haoyu was already prepared to take coercive measures.
"I'll talk."
Horobi chose to cooperate; after all, cooperating now could still demonstrate value.
Refusal would only lead to destruction.
"The Assault Upgrade Device uses the Zaiya Connector to amplify human psychological distortions, transforming humans into Demon Machines, exactly like Humagears that have lost control!"
The danger of the Assault Upgrade Device far exceeded expectations.
He had originally thought that destroying Xunlei Station would solve the problem.
But now, who exactly is using this device?
And who is giving it to humans? How are they accurately locking onto targets?
Everything pointed toward the Zaiya Group.
"Have you personally seen someone use an Assault Upgrade Device?"
Wang Haoyu's intuition told him that Horobi must have witnessed it.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be so knowledgeable about it.
"This is the ark's handiwork. As long as humanity exists, the ark will not perish—I warned you long ago."
Wang Haoyu didn't believe this rhetoric at all.
The ark is just an artificial satellite; how could it create users to control the Assault Upgrade Device?
However, Horobi did mention a key point: while the ark cannot create humans, it can indeed manufacture the Assault Upgrade Device!
"Thanks for the reminder."
Wang Haoyu's sudden thanks left Horobi completely bewildered.
"Why are you thanking me?"
He clearly hadn't revealed any critical information.
Could it be that he had accidentally let something slip just now?
Impossible; every word of his was precisely calculated.
There could be no mistakes!
"Don't trust your data too much; sometimes it's exactly what betrays you."
Leaving behind those words, Wang Haoyu turned and left.
Fuwa Isamu glanced at Horobi and quickly caught up with Wang Haoyu.
After leaving A.I.M.S., the two went straight to the Zaia Group.
"Sorry, you must have a prior appointment to see our Director."
Wang Haoyu remained silent, while the eager-to-perform Fuwa Isamu was blocked by the receptionist as soon as he stepped forward.
"You don't recognize me?" Fuwa Isamu asked back with full confidence.
He considered himself a household name, but to his surprise, the receptionist shook her head coldly.
"If you keep pestering, I'll call security."
The staff member's attitude was firm.
Fuwa Isamu immediately lost his momentum and slunk back behind Wang Haoyu.
"You'd better handle this..."
As the President of Hiden Intelligence, Wang Haoyu was recognized immediately.
"President Wang, are you here to see our President?"
"Yes."
"This way, please."
The staff member didn't ask for a reason and led the way directly to Tengen Gai's office.
Nakanatsu Rin was currently discussing the theft of progrise keys with Tengen Gai.
Recently, keys had been stolen one after another, but in a bizarre manner—not in bulk, but disappearing one by one.
Despite having upgraded the security system, where exactly was the loophole?
There were still no clues.
"You can't even handle this? Nakanatsu Rin, you've disappointed me too much."
Tengen Gai was becoming irritable.
He had always been restrained with Nakanatsu Rin and had never lost his temper with her before.
However, the sequence of events had already begun to affect Zaia's stock price.
Worse still, the boastful claims he had made at the Hiden Intelligence Group press conference were now becoming a laughingstock.
"It seems things aren't going well on your end!"
Wang Haoyu's voice reached the office first; he had heard Tengen Gai's uncontrolled shouting from outside.
It was truly lamentable to see the grand CEO of the Zaia Group reduced to this.
The confidence of the past had completely vanished from Tengen Gai.
In his view, Wang Haoyu's arrival at this moment was purely to mock him.
"What? Are you feeling very proud of yourself right now?"
Tengen Gai stared coldly at Wang Haoyu, his gaze filled with hostility.
Wang Haoyu hadn't come with that intention; he simply wanted to inform this CEO, who was being kept in the dark, of the truth.
As for Zaia's internal affairs, they would naturally still be handled by Tengen Gai himself.
"Up until now, you probably still haven't figured out where the problem lies, have you?"
Tengen Gai remained silent, a reaction that precisely confirmed Wang Haoyu's speculation.
Wang Haoyu walked straight to the sofa and sat down.
"Do you happen to know something?"
Hearing Wang Haoyu's words, Tengen Gai concluded that he held some key information.
But Wang Haoyu had changed his mind and no longer intended to reveal it—the other's attitude was truly unpleasant.
"I've been here so long, and you haven't even prepared a glass of water for me, yet you want to fish for intelligence? Do you think that's appropriate?"
Wang Haoyu intended to warn Tengen Gai that there is no such thing as a free lunch.
If he wanted information, he had to adopt the right attitude.
People who are overly proud always end up like this.
Tengen Gai gave Nakanatsu Rin a look, signaling her to go prepare tea.
Wang Haoyu didn't actually care about a cup of tea.
But seeing Tengen Gai's embarrassed expression gave him a fair amount of satisfaction.
"The core of the problem lies in the Zaiya Connector, the very thing you are most proud of."
These words struck a nerve, dealing a massive blow to Tengen Gai.
Although Tengen Gai appeared to be only in his twenties, his actual age was forty-five.
To be honest, Wang Haoyu was genuinely worried that this fact might be too much for him to bear.
Previously, Tengen Gai had been touting that his connector had 1000% development efficiency, but now overwhelming public criticism was flooding in.
Tengen Gai was clearly exhausted from dealing with it.
If Wang Haoyu chose to hold a press conference now and present evidence exposing the major flaws of the Zaiya Connector, the impact on the Zaia Group would be no less than the impact the Humagearincident had on the Hiden Group back then.
However, Wang Haoyu would not resort to such methods.
He absolutely did not want to see the public lose trust in smart technology.
"The Zaiya Connector has become the group's core product; withdrawing it from the market now is absolutely impossible..." Tengen Gai remained silent for a long time before finally squeezing out those words.
Wang Haoyu didn't care whether the connector was taken off the shelves; he had only come to reveal this fact to Tengen Gai.
His goal achieved, there was no need to stay longer.
"I'll leave the rest to you. By the way, I'm looking forward to the results of this competition."
Victory or defeat didn't matter to Wang Haoyu.
He predicted that the salesman named Aimukuya would still be controlled by the Assault Upgrade Device.
The essential difference between humans and machines lies in the dimension of emotion.
"Humagears will never defeat humans! No matter when, humans are the ultimate winners!" Tengen Gaideclared categorically.
But none of this held any appeal for Wang Haoyu.
"Then let's wait for the outcome."
Wang Haoyu had let Tengen Gai win too much, giving him that 0.1% hope too many times. This time, he was going to crush it all.
Only high-stakes games are worth investing in.
Watching Wang Haoyu's departing figure, Tengen Gai was seething with rage.
Nakanatsu Rin asked with concern about his physical state: "Are you alright?"
This sentence nearly made Tengen Gai spit blood.
Inquiries about his health were what Tengen Gai loathed most.
His youthful face had once been his proudest asset.
Though he was used to this face, it could not defy the laws of time.
"Dismissed," he waved his hand, unwilling to see Nakanatsu Rin at this moment.
The progrise key issue remained unresolved.
The urgent priority was to prevent further theft.
Controlling the source is half the battle.
On the way.
Fuwa Isamu suddenly asked: "So those progrise keys all came from the Zaia Group!"
But he was puzzled: what was the Zaia Group's true purpose in collecting these keys?
Wang Haoyu had already noticed the Driver in Tengen Gai's possession that contained the power of a thousand knights.
The surface of the Driver was engraved with all the progrise keys that had ever appeared in the world.
Tengen Gai's ambition was clear—he was forging all the progrise keys into a single Driver and having the group perform deep refinement on it.
He yearned to break through the limits of power, but in doing so, he also paved the way for his opponents' opportunities.
Once a progrise key is brought into the world, it is never truly annihilated.
Unless... the destructive price is something no one can bear.
When a satellite autonomously generates a key, it has already sacrificed core data to the key-forging system.
Forcibly destroying a key would inevitably trigger a violent backlash from the satellite itself.
Based on Wang Haoyu's knowledge of Tengen Gai, the man would never take such a suicidal path.
Zaia Real Estate Sales Center.
Aimukuya stared at the jumping sales data on the screen.
That Humagear named Kaden Mikurui was closing in on his performance at a visible speed.
Tengen Gai's warning echoed in his ears: "This duel must not be lost."
At this moment, he carried more than just personal honor—
This was a battle for dignity launched by humanity against the mechanical race.
If he failed, he would become a sinner in the eyes of all humanity.
"I must not lose... absolutely not!" His nails dug deep into his palms, and a fire of obsession burned in Aimukuya's pupils.
As the perennial sales champion, losing to an artificial intelligence would be an utter humiliation.
When the clock struck the end of the shift, he staggered out of the glass doors.
Under the red light of the intersection, a figure in a black cloak blocked his path like a ghost.
A raspy whisper came from the shadows of the hood: "Do you want to win?"
Before he could react, the cold Assault Upgrade Device was embedded into his Zaiya Connector.
Sharp pain, like thousands of steel needles piercing his brain—
Some kind of dark substance took root and sprouted deep within his soul.
When Aimukuya kicked open the showroom doors, his eyes were already filled with bloodshot streaks of crimson.
"Hypocritical data puppets!" He grabbed Kaden Mikurui by the collar of her uniform, her mechanical body crashing into and shattering the scale model, "What do you iron shells know about true human desire?!"
Chapter 181
Shards of glass reflected the trembling face of the Humagear.
Aimukuya's spittle dotted the ever-smiling face in front of him. "That damned expression of yours… it's always mocking us living humans!"
The Humagear's negative-emotion data streams into the ark system.
The ark uses it to seize control of the Humagear's action commands.
A hijacked Humagear shifts into its Magia form.
"Humans must be eliminated!"
"Wipe out humanity!"
"Destroy every malicious human!"
By now, Kaden Mikurui's consciousness had been completely
With the objective achieved, Aimukuya quietly withdrew from the scene.
President Wang Haoyu ordered Yaiba Yua to go and monitor the situation.
When Yaiba arrived, she found Kaden Mikurui already in a berserk state.
"Kaden Mikurui! Cease your anomalous behaviour immediately!"
After several failed attempts to rouse her, the Humagear kept repeating:
"Execute the Human-Purge Protocol!"
"Eliminate all humans who carry malice!"
Confirming total loss of control, Yaiba swiftly assessed the risk—
It was peak weekend house-viewing hours;
any casualties would shatter Hiden Group's credibility.
To protect the public, she activated her transformation without hesitation:
"Cheetah Core, activate."
"Kamen Rider system, start up."
"Speed Cheetah—armour load!"
Moving at high speed, she transferred the rampaging unit to Ronghua Park,
simultaneously sending Wang Haoyu the coordinates and an emergency brief.
President Wang arrived on his Rider machine within five minutes,
to find Yaiba Yua circling the Magia in a purely defensive stance.
To safeguard Kaden Mikurui's original body, still in competition mode,
Yaiba had never engaged her attack modules.
"Pull the sales-centre surveillance footage—now!"
Wang Haoyu issued his first command the moment he took over the scene.
Leveraging the cheetah armour's hyper-speed mobility,
Yaiba finished the data-retrieval in seconds—
part of the footage had been deliberately destroyed.
"Mr Wang, I can only make out a vague male silhouette; nothing else can be confirmed," Yaiba reported truthfully.
Wang Haoyu had already secured Kaden Mikurui.
With Xunlei Station gone, why were Humagears losing control again and again?
Where exactly did the problem lie?
He had to uncover the truth behind the incident; only then could he find the root of this second wave of Humagear rampages!
Wang Haoyu took Kaden Mikurui back to Hiden Group.
Inside a secret lab he booted up her core database.
Although some recordings were corrupted, Kaden Mikurui's system automatically logs every incident.
"It's… Aimukuya!" Yaiba exclaimed.
She couldn't fathom his motive. This had been a fair contest, yet he'd hurled abuse at Kaden Mikurui—why?
"Aimukuya was deliberately provoking Kaden Mikurui!" Fuwa Isamu decoded the key point of the footage.
"Exactly. He wanted to enrage her, force a connection to the ark and trigger the technological singularity," Wang Haoyu concluded, having reconstructed the entire event.
Yet when he met Tengen Gai at Zaiya Group today, Wang Haoyu didn't believe the man knew anything. Given the previous flower-arranging contest, Tengen Gai would never stoop to such tactics.
Tengen Gai loves victory, yes—but he values a fair fight and would never resort to such despicable means.
"Looks like someone beat us to it. Izu, install the new safety system on every Humagear immediately." It was the protection program Wang Haoyu had just developed.
Izu began the update at once; soon every Humagear produced by Hiden Intelligence had been upgraded.
Wang Haoyu made a momentous decision.
He would let Wato take part in this operation. Since Wato had finished his studies, the company would be his sooner or later; Wang Haoyu was merely handing him the reins ahead of schedule.
"Fuwa Isamu, tell Wato to come see me immediately."
"Understood." Fuwa left to carry out the order.
At that moment Wato was in Hiden Intelligence's showroom promoting Humagears.
"Sir, this latest Humagear fits modern lifestyles perfectly—buying it is absolute value for money!" Watogreeted the customer with a professional smile.
Since being transferred to Sales by Wang Haoyu, he had gradually adapted to the new job.
"Emergency—President Wang wants you," Fuwa cut in, dragging Wato away without ceremony.
The sudden scene no longer surprised their co-workers.
"Everyone, carry on," the department head said, restoring order.
"Slow down! What's so urgent?" Wato couldn't keep up with the man's pace.
"A mission from the president himself."
Those words ignited Wato instantly: "An important mission for me?"
Fuwa remained unimpressed: "Ask less; you'll know when we get there."
Through a hidden passage they entered an entirely new area.
"There's a whole lab hidden here? Incredible!" The first-time visitor gawked at everything.
"Stop gawking like a tourist," Fuwa said, striding down the corridor.
"Someone was way more dramatic on his first visit," Hiden Isamu remarked from the console.
"Nonsense! I never—" Fuwa denied instantly.
He still couldn't understand why the president valued Wato so highly, but he trusted every decision Wang Haoyu made.
At the centre of the lab, Wang Haoyu awaited them: "This time you'll team up with Kaden Mikurui in the contest—beat Zaia."
The arrangement would give the younger generation a chance to hone their skills.
He had to understand exactly what kind of situation he was facing.
He wasn't some hothouse flower.
The storms that had to be weathered couldn't be avoided—fear was useless!
"President, are you asking Kaden Mikurui and me to take on Aimukuya together?"
Wato had long heard of Aimukuya.
After so long in Sales, even without trying, the constant chatter made the name familiar.
"Just the two of us against him—wouldn't that be pushing it?"
Wato had no confidence in his own ability.
In the Sales Division, Aimukuya was practically a living legend.
Going head-to-head with a legend out of the blue—of course the pressure was crushing!
"What, Wato—can't handle a simple mission?"
President Wang Haoyu deliberately lowered his voice.
For no reason, Wato felt his heart lurch.
He couldn't even explain why.
"Mission guaranteed—because I'm the indomitable Wato!"
Wato forced a smile onto his face,
but his mind was in chaos,
nothing but sheer bravado propping up a brittle grin.
"Hey, Hiden, that smile looks worse than crying—quit it."
Fuwa Isamu mocked him without mercy.
"Fuwa, don't look down on me! I'll make sure Wato wins this showdown!"
Suddenly, fighting spirit flared in Wato's eyes.
"Great—then we'll be watching. Don't let President Wang Haoyu down!"
The moment Fuwa Isamu finished, Yaiba Yua tugged his sleeve.
"Fuwa, aren't you just making trouble for Wato?"
Yaiba Yua worried the young Wato might crack under the strain,
but President Wang Haoyu silently approved the provocation—he knew the principle well.
Right now, Wato and Kaden Mikurui had reached Sales Office No. 1.
"Mikurui, how do we beat Zaiya Group's Aimukuya?"
Wato ruffled his hair in frustration.
Staring at the monitor for half an hour,
all he could do was watch Aimukuya's sales figures climb.
"How's he doing this?"
The numbers were multiplying geometrically—utterly unbelievable!
"Mikurui, looks like we've got to push harder!"
Wato clenched his fists.
If Aimukuya could do it, so could he—
and he'd do it even better!
Someone asked the Humagear carpenter, "Is there any client who could instantly outperform Aimukuya?"
The Humagear replied, "I only know how to build houses; everything else is outside my scope."
Only the house-building routines in its system were complete; the rest were scattered modules. Even if it knew something, it couldn't retain it.
Inside Tengen Gai's office at Zaiya Group.
Aimukuya, data report in hand, said, "Five days left, and my numbers are way ahead—no need to worry, President."
Tengen Gai answered grimly, "It's exactly at times like this that we can't relax." He warned that many major blunders happen in the final moments.
Aimukuya had expected praise but got a caution instead.
"President, I guarantee no one can overtake me—I've just locked in a bigger order that will cement my lead!" Aimukuya was determined to claim the title of top salesperson, not only within Zaia but across the entire Hiden Group.
"Carry on. Go prepare." Tengen Gai waved him out.
Aimukuya left with resentment in his eyes, though Tengen Gai didn't notice.
"Chusho, Rin—any progress on the stolen Rise Key? Who took it?" Tengen Gai cared most about this: someone had actually managed to steal a Rise Key; what kind of opponent were they facing?
His subordinates replied, "No leads yet. We've deployed every resource, but the culprit is deeply hidden." Zaia currently had only the scant intel Wang Haoyu had supplied.
"If the Assault Upgrade Device really exists, will the Zaiya Connector be forced out of the market?" Tengen Gai would never allow that. He'd poured countless efforts into building Zaia to its present stature—how could he simply abandon it!
("Speed up. I only want results, not excuses!"
Tengen Gai's loaded words were fully understood only by Chusho and Rin.
They had to unmask the mastermind at any cost!
Conference Room 1, Sales Division.
"Just in: a massive order. Real-estate tycoon Ji Mutaro is about to purchase property; this deal will directly decide our contest with Zaiya Group."
Kaden Mikurui reported the vital news with a smile.
The property mogul's opening move was an astronomical five-hundred-million-yuan order.
"Five hundred million! Good heavens, that's astronomical!"
Wato stared at the figure onscreen, certain he couldn't earn that much in ten lifetimes.
"Still, Mikurui, he's already in real estate—why buy property from someone else?"
Wato couldn't fathom the mindset of the super-rich.
"No idea of his reasons, but this chance is crucial for beating our rivals—we must seize it!"
Kaden Mikurui was already filtering suitable listings.
Every property matching Ji Mutaro's criteria would automatically enter the database.
Hiden Group's secret laboratory.
"President Wang Haoyu, Wato and Kaden Mikurui have landed the big order."
Izu projected the data onto the big screen.
"Five hundred million! Ji Mutaro is insanely rich!"
Fuwa Isamu carefully counted the zeros on the screen, stunned.
Chapter 182
"Ji Mutaro, 62 years old. Entered the real estate industry at 30. Over his 32-year career, his assets have continued to appreciate. Currently, his personal assets exceed ten billion, making him a veritable multi-billionaire."
Izu detailed the client's background information.
It was truly enough to make one die of envy!
"This is just too unfair!"
Both were human, yet Ji Mutaro's wealth was enough for an ordinary person to live ten lifetimes... "In his eyes, five hundred million might just be pocket change."
Yaiba Yua's words left Fuwa Isamu feeling quite dejected.
"Indeed... a mere five hundred million..."
Fuwa Isamu could only sigh helplessly.
"To beat Zaia Group, we must secure this deal. Aimukuya is surely eyeing it greedily as well."
Yaiba Yua analyzed. Their competitors would never sit idly by.
Given her understanding of Aimukuya, he would definitely try to sabotage them!
At this moment, Aimukuya had already begun to take action.
With the Zaiya Connector in hand, he felt certain of victory.
Aimukuya Wang Haoyu decided to meet Ji Mutaro in person.
Stepping into Ji Mutaro's office area, the spacious office appeared exceptionally grand.
The two sat facing each other, Aimukuya's expression full of confidence.
"Mr. Ji Mutaro, we have prepared various plans for you. I believe there will be one that suits you."
Aimukuya handed over the meticulously prepared materials for his reference.
As a core client, he could not afford to lose Ji Mutaro.
Hiden Intelligence Group shouldn't even think about touching this. He held the Zaiya Connector and was a top salesman; how could he allow a Humagear to surpass him?
Right now, he had already seized the initiative, and his chances of winning were far better than Hiden's.
Ji Mutaro flipped through the materials. He was quite satisfied with the detailed analysis of housing prices and layouts, yet he remained in a wait-and-see mode.
"Aimukuya, your professionalism is beyond doubt, but I still want to see Hiden's proposal."
Ji Mutaro said with a smile.
Aimukuya's smile stiffened slightly, but he remained polite. Since the client had spoken, he was willing to wait—ultimate victory would surely be his!
Shortly after, Wato and Kaden Mikurui arrived together.
The movements inside the office were all within Wang Haoyu's grasp.
Yaiba Yua couldn't hide her worry: "Mr. Wang Haoyu, this second round of competition is crucial. Are you really not worried?"
They had already lost the initiative in the five-game series. If they lost again, the situation would become extremely unfavorable. What confused her even more was that Wang Haoyu had sent the novice Wato to face the veteran salesman Aimukuya. Even with a Humagear's help, the chances of winning remained slim.
"No need to worry, it's foolproof."
Wang Haoyu was calm and composed, forming a sharp contrast with the anxious Yaiba Yua.
Wang Haoyu's plan was proceeding smoothly.
Through Kaden Mikurui's data stream, they could clearly see everything happening on the other side. This girl was like a mobile surveillance device, transmitting images of the other party's World in real-time.
Inside Ji Mutaro's office.
"What real estate plan has Hiden Intelligence prepared for me?" Ji Mutaro asked point-blank.
Wato had already noticed the materials on the desk, which were undoubtedly the plans prepared by Aimukuya.
"Mr. Ji Mutaro, after analyzing your specific needs, we rejected hundreds of plans. We believe that what you need is not a luxury residence, but a complete family environment," Wato answered calmly.
This conclusion came from in-depth research into Ji Mutaro's life history.
"On what basis do you assume your judgment is correct?" Ji Mutaro deliberately asked back.
If this young man had just made a lucky guess, it would be too unfair to Aimukuya.
"Your willingness to spend five hundred million to purchase a residence shows that money is no longer your primary consideration," Wato said with confidence. "Combined with your current stage of life, we determined that what you long for is the joy of family."
The meeting room fell into a brief silence.
Three seconds later, Ji Mutaro was the first to start clapping.
"There is indeed a reason why Hiden Intelligence has stood tall in this industry until now. Young man, you have impressed me," he said, not holding back his praise.
Aimukuya suppressed his indignation, but the outcome was already decided.
As they walked out of the building, Aimukuya's expression was abnormal.
"Do you need me to take you to get some rest?" a colleague traveling with him asked with concern.
"Let me be alone for a bit," Aimukuya declined his companion.
After his colleague left, he walked alone toward the shadows of the building. A figure had already been waiting in the darkness for a long time:
"This meeting is exactly seventeen minutes late."
("
Are you angry? You're unwilling, right? Clearly you are so outstanding, so why did that old fogey choose not to pick you?
This is definitely not your fault; it's that group of people who are blind!
The figure of the man in black was exactly the same as the one from the floral arrangement competition.
Aimukuya couldn't figure out the other party's intentions.
But he understood that the visitor did not come with good intentions.
Because—his consciousness was being stripped away inch by inch!
The Zaiya Connector on his head began to devour his sanity.
"No... I can't..."
"Listen, you were supposed to be the winner. It was their blindness that reduced you to a loser. They are the ones in the wrong, so..."
The man in black stared intently at Aimukuya's distorted face.
At this moment, Aimukuya had already become a puppet on strings.
"Do you know what to do now?"
The seductive voice was like a poisonous snake coiling around him.
A sharp pain suddenly exploded! The Zaiya Connector turned blood-red, and a hideous belt appeared on his waist.
"Destroy humanity! Destroy them all!"
"The champion should have been me! It's you who don't know quality!"
"Henshin!"
"Crushing Shark!"
The Shark Progrise Key was slammed into the belt.
The mechanical compound eyes suddenly lit up, and the ark's puppet was born.
The man in black's laughter echoed in the darkness: "Go, take back everything that belongs to you!"
The berserk unit smashed through the door of General Ji's office.
And at this time, the General had just finished signing the contract with Wato.
In front of the surveillance screen, Wang Haoyu's fingertips slid across the data stream.
"Beautiful, this round is ours."
Yaiba Yua cheered with her arms raised. The shadow of the first round's defeat was finally cleared away by this victory. Hiden and Zaia were back at the same starting line—the real slaughter had only just begun... "I didn't expect that kid Wato and the Humagear Kaden to be such a good match."
Fuwa Isamu showed a rare look of approval.
To be able to snatch this round from Zaia's gold-medal salesman Aimukuya, it was indeed... Yaiba Yua's words stopped abruptly. Wang Haoyu's gaze had already pierced through the surveillance screen, looking toward a more distant chessboard.
Suddenly, a figure flashed across the display screen, moving swiftly.
This instantly caught Wang Haoyu's attention.
"Izu, pause."
Wang Haoyu immediately issued the command.
Through the optical sensing system, Izu accurately froze the frame.
"President, is there a problem?"
Izu sensed that something was abnormal.
"Rewind a bit, more—okay, stop, zoom in on this area..."
With Wang Haoyu's fine adjustments, the image gradually became clear. At this moment, Yaiba Yua, Fuwa Isamu, and Izu all discovered the anomaly simultaneously.
"A Demon Machine?!"
Yaiba Yua blurted out.
But her tone was full of disbelief.
As a former employee of A.M.S., she was all too familiar with Demon Machines.
When faced with something within their scope of knowledge, people always react without thinking—not to mention that Yaiba Yua had been in contact with such models for a long time.
"Something's not right, why would a Demon Machine suddenly appear in Ji Mutaro's company?"
Fuwa Isamu also felt it was strange.
The answer soon surfaced—he suddenly recalled Horobi's warning.
Assault Upgrade Device!
"Could it be... an anomaly caused by the Assault Upgrade Device?"
Wang Haoyu nodded in confirmation.
"Look at its driver belt; it's neither a standard issue nor the equipment of the Thunder Organization. This is a third-party force."
Such a subtle difference was difficult for an ordinary person to notice.
But Wang Haoyu had done it.
However—
"We still haven't found the mastermind behind the Assault Upgrade Device."
Fuwa Isamu had been ordered to conduct a secret investigation but had come up empty-handed.
Was the opponent hidden too deeply?
No, he preferred to believe that his own skills were not yet sufficient.
"Everyone prepare, move out immediately."
Wang Haoyu had already smelled the scent of crisis.
"Understood."
"Roger."
Amidst the roar of engines, the Rider Machines carried everyone toward Ji Mutaro's corporate headquarters.
At this moment, the berserk Aimukuya had already broken into the building.
Terrified screams pierced the air—
"Help, help—!"
"What kind of monster is that?!"
**1169**
"I've never seen it in the company before..."
Ear-piercing roars echoed on the first floor of the building.
Security personnel kept blowing their whistles at Aimukuya.
"Stop the attack immediately! Or we will take coercive measures!"
A security guard shouted, bracing himself.
At this point, Aimukuya had completely lost his sanity.
In his heart, there was only destruction—only by destroying everything in front of him could he quell his anger!
"Destroy humanity!"
"Destroy humanity!"
"Destroy humanity!"
He roared and charged at the security guard.
The baton in the security guard's hand was completely useless; against the Demon Machine Aimukuya, it was practically a toy.
Seeing Aimukuya approaching, the security guard hurriedly threw away the baton.
"Help..."
Saving his life was more important!
After the target disappeared, Aimukuya followed his memory into the elevator.
With no one to stop him, he quickly reached Ji Mutaro's office.
"We can handle the move-in procedures for you at any time."
Wato respectfully handed over the key.
Just as he finished speaking—
"Bang!"
The door was violently kicked open.
"Destroy humanity!"
"I am the king! I am the gold-medal salesman! I am!"
Wato already had experience with such things.
"Mikurui, take Mr. Ji and leave first."
Ji Mutaro was advanced in age.
If something happened, the consequences would be unthinkable!
It would cause immeasurable losses to Hiden Intelligence.
"Understood, please be careful."
Kaden Mikurui hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow the arrangement.
"Mr. Ji, please come with me."
She had already loaded the evacuation route for Ji's company.
However, after just a few steps—
"Swish!"
Aimukuya grabbed her by the neck... "Everyone must die!"
Ji Mutaro had already closed his eyes, waiting for the attack, but Aimukuya suddenly let go.
He turned and charged toward the residential area Hiden had built for Ji.
"Since it's something you value..."
"Then I'll destroy it with my own hands!"
Amidst insane laughter, he raised his mechanical arm—
"Boom!"
A sudden Demon Machine blocked his attack.
---
"Who are you?" Aimukuya had never seen this Demon Machine before.
The Demon Machine replied coldly: "My identity is not important. What's important is that you are vulnerable before me!"
Before the words finished, the Demon Machine had already launched an attack on Aimukuya. During the fierce fight, the entire house was completely destroyed.
This was exactly the situation Aimukuya wanted. Through the real-time sensing system, Kaden Mikuruiimmediately noticed the damage to the house.
"Someone is destroying our house," she hurriedly informed Wato.