Chapter 101: Vigilance

Rodriar?

Chen Xiaolian smiled. “This guild must be very powerful.”

“It is one of the guilds with permanent residence in Zero City,” Lun Tai pursed his lips to the side. “They are very trustworthy and they never bully other normal Awakened ones. Word is they are very good. They opened this place. We stayed here during the few times we have been to Zero City.”

After saying that, Lun Tai walked to the counter. “We need a few rooms.”

There was no staff member behind the counter. Soon however, a fully automated projection appeared. It was the projection of a sweet looking female staff member decked in hotel uniform. She smiled and spoke in a sweet and gentle voice. “May I ask if you have any specific requirements?”

“It would be best if we could get a suite, one that could accommodate up to seven people.”

“All right, please wait a moment.”

The projected figure smiled sweetly. Next, she extended her finger out to tap the air several times and a translucent projected screen appeared in the air.

The sight transfixed Roddy!

“Holy shit, this… the sci-fi feeling of this place is too overwhelming!” This youngster stared at the uniformed beauty and suddenly whispered out a question to Bei Tai who was beside him. “Bro… is the attendant here… also an Awakened? She looks so beautiful and gentle.”

“How is that possible?” Bei Tai rolled his eyes. “At present, there are only a small number of Awakened ones. How could they be here as an attendant? You are thinking too much into it. These are all virtual projections from the computer. You may consider them as artificial intelligence from computers.”

“… Such a beautiful sister is actually just an artificial intelligence,” Roddy looked at the uniformed beauty with a trace of regret. “What a pity!”

Roddy bumped into Chen Xiaolian and realized that Chen Xiaolian was also in a daze. “To think that you would dare get dumbstruck by a beauty. Are you not afraid of Big Miss Qiao’s tantrum?”

Qiao Qiao pursed her lips to the side as she stared at Roddy. Then, she turned to Chen Xiaolian with a gentle face. “Xiaolian is not as easily distracted like you.”

Chen Xiaolian sighed. “Truth is… I feel somewhat inferior.”

“Inferior?”

“Indeed, inferior,” Chen Xiaolian pointed towards the magnificent looking hotel and the highly sci-fi virtual projection of the beautiful staff member. He smiled bitterly. “We are both out here trying to survive. That Rodriar Guild is a guild. We too, are a guild! And yet, look at how they are surviving compared to us…

“When will we be able to occupy a place in this Zero City? When will we be able to participate in business like this? When will we be able to even produce such a technologically advanced artificial intelligence…

“Compared to others, the current we are but a bunch of travelling performers.”

Bei Tai who was standing to the side laughed out and patted Chen Xiaolian on his shoulder. “I say, little Guild Leader. Truthfully, my brother had also said those kinds of words the first time we came here!”

Lun Tai shook his head. “Back then, I was still green. The longer you get to survive in this world, the more your heart will know fear. A legendary guild like the Rodriar Guild is not something that we could match up to. We can only look on with envy at them. Take the qualification for permanent residence in Zero City for example. I heard that there has been no new guild capable of earning that in nearly a hundred years.”

“A hundred years? Are you saying that this place has existed for a hundred years?” Roddy stared with bulging eyes.

“This place has existed for far longer than a hundred years. However, how far back does it date is something that no one knows. Perhaps, only the old monsters from Zero City would know,” Bei Tai laughed.

…

They were given a grand suite the size of five bedrooms.

The expense could be paid using money and the one to foot the bill was naturally the richest person in the guild, the affluent Big Miss Qiao.

The room was astonishingly expensive with a daily price of 20,000… US dollars!

“Will there be a credit card record? Are the people from Zero City not afraid that someone will trace the credit card records to find this place?” Qiao Qiao curiously asked after using her card.

“Of course not. I don’t know the specifics of it either, however since they dare to do something like this, that meant they have the means to handle this matter.”

“What I am curious about is… what would they want money for?” Chen Xiaolian suddenly asked with a low tone. “Money… may be useful for ordinary people. However, for high-levelled Awakened ones and those legendary top guilds… what use is money for them? Just look at the virtual projection system and that artificial intelligence. If they were to take that to the outside, any country would scramble to buy it.

“Why would they still build a hotel to earn money?”

“System restrictions. Items that have a higher level of technology or magic compared to the standard of the outside world are prohibited from appearing in the outside world. That will disrupt the balance of the system’s settings. That is why…” Lun Tai smiled. “Even though they have a great deal of ability to make money, it is not as easy as you might have imagined.”

After entering the suite, they took a slight rest.  The suite did not have anything that was shocking to it and was only a hotel room with more luxurious furnishings.

“The counter work may be left to the virtual projection… but in the hoteling industry, attendants, cleaners and chefs in the dining area could not possibly be left to virtual projections, right?” Roddy could not help himself and asked out.

“Fool, they even have mechs here. Could they not have humanoid robots?” Qiao Qiao rapped Roddy’s head.

“All right, stop throwing a ruckus! Come over and we’ll start our discussion,” Chen Xiaolian snapped his fingers and all seven of them gathered.

Qiao Qiao and Soo Soo stood to Chen Xiaolian’s left side and the others formed a circle.

“We will be heading out in a moment. Since this place is safe, I suggest that we move separately. Everyone have their own place that they want to go. Thus, there is no need for us to move together for now.”

Chen Xiaolian voiced out his suggestion.

Lun Tai thought about it. “Not a bad idea… this place is very safe. No dangers will appear here. This aspect of Zero City remained unshaken even until today. We can enjoy ourselves normally and shop around. As long as we do not stir up trouble recklessly, everything will be all right.

“It so happened that I too, have some things that I want to purchase.”

Chen Xiaolian did not question Lun Tai what was it that he wanted to buy – after all, their guild was newly formed. From a fundamental perspective, they were unable to trust to one another completely and would have some reservation towards one another.

“Roddy, where do you want to go?”

“Naturally, I want to go see the mechs!” Roddy immediately shouted out.

Lun Tai laughed. “In that case, Roddy will be following me. I am going to the North District’s business area. I can bring him to the Military Arms Department while I am on the way.”

Xia Xiaolei pondered. “I also want to follow Guild Leader…”

Roddy purposely nudged him and sent him winks while laughing. “Fool, their family of three are going shopping. If you go, you will end up disturbing them.”

After saying that, Roddy made a weird facial expression. Xia Xiaolei immediately understood; Qiao Qiao on the other hand threw a sharp stare at Roddy.

“Then it’s settled. Roddy, Xia Xiaolei, you two will follow Lun Tai and Bei Tai to the business district,” Chen Xiaolian said with an indifferent voice. “I want to go have a look at the flea market. Soo Soo and Qiao Qiao will be following me. It is currently… 3 pm. We will meet up at the outdoor cafes by the riverbank that we saw earlier. Lun Tai, will 3 hours be enough for what you intend to do?”

“It is enough,” Lun Tai nodded his head. After pondering for a while, he spoke to Chen Xiaolian. “Guild Leader, I won’t ask you what you want to buy at the flea market. However, I want to remind you. Zero City prohibits the acts of coercive selling, but the flea market plays host to both dragons and snakes. There will not be any acts of robbery or theft… however, you will still need to be wary of deceptive people. Some cunning Awakened ones will pass themselves off as good people and are very crafty. After signing the transaction contract, you will end up realizing that you have paid a huge price for a bunch of trash.

“I would suggest that you refrain yourself from buying anything on your first day. Walk around and check things out first. If you want to buy something, it would be best for you to be clear on the situation.

“Finally, there is a protective mechanism within the flea market that will protect the identity of both buyers and sellers. Before entering the flea market, first go to the Services Office to obtain a set of identity concealing equipment.

“That way, you will not become exposed. If you manage to get your hands on something good here, and others set their sights on you, even if they dare not act against you here, they can note down your identity and looks. Then, when you go outside… who knows what would happen!”

“Very well! I will take note. Thanks!”

…

“Secured!”

“Secured!”

“Secured!”

Several I-Model Sentinel Mechs were standing on the rooftop of the big building. One of them was still holding on to a searchlight like instrument to conduct an internal scan on the sliced elevator door.

“No deep infiltration detected.”

A middle-aged man in white clothes stood by the table wreckage.

The receptionist Jack was lying within a transparent glass container. His torn out limb was already reconnected.

The middle-aged man in white regarded Jack and said indifferently. “Send him for treatment first. Temporary quarantine.”

At that moment, the damaged I-Model Sentinel Mech was moved away and an Awakened wearing protective suit stood before the middle-aged man. “Leader…”

This person turned out to be a woman with a very conspicuous purple hair.

“I need a report, the sooner the better,” The middle-aged man glanced at the Awakened before him.

“Yes sir,” The purple haired woman hesitated for a moment before speaking out slowly. “The I-Model Sentinel’s anti corrosive coating had a very poor effect. Back then, if I had not urgently utilized fire bombs and intense electrical currents to repel the target, I fear…”

“Include all that into your report,” The middle-aged man in white gave a bitter smile. “When it comes to installation products that are mass produced, those fellows from the Military Arms Department will not use those that are really good. Consider yourself lucky this time. I will consult this matter with the upper brass. The lives of our security personnel are not that cheap! Hmph, there will be a squabble this time.”

After saying that, the middle-aged man observed his surroundings and spoke with a serious tone. “According to security protocols, this temporary entrance and exit gate will be completely shut down! Additionally, increase the security system of Zero City by one level. All security personnel will have their vacations cancelled and must assume full duty status! Also… circulate this news to the top and see if further actions are necessary.

“In conclusion, do not be careless! Of all the infiltrative attacks executed by the Electronic Guardians, this one marks the closest that they have ever made towards us! Although they did not manage to infiltrate Zero City, this issue is something that requires an increased amount of vigilance!”