The Creators: From Night City

Page 289

"Drink up, a bet is a bet. I told you you couldn't handle it. See that group over there? Even those guys in the entertainment industry couldn't handle those three amazing sisters."

Chapter 571 The Truth Behind the Coloring Operation

The strong, spicy taste of the liquor hit him right in the head, almost causing this 'loser' to scrunch up in pain.

"What are the backgrounds of those three women?" the jerk asked, putting down his glass, still unwilling to give up.

Those who can afford to relax and vacation at the Crystal Palace are generally well-known and influential figures on Earth, not to mention the three witches' aura, which makes it clear at a glance that they are not ordinary people.

"do not know"

The melancholy wanderer poured his friend a glass of sparkling water to rinse his mouth, and then invited a similarly hot female companion to sit next to him to comfort him.

"I asked someone to investigate, and all I found out was that they came from a flight from Night City in North America. There was no other information about them; they were very mysterious."

"Another fearless person has gone over there. Shall we bet on whether he can say a few words?" 'Melancholy Wanderer' teased his friend, raising an eyebrow as he saw yet another fearless person approaching to strike up a conversation.

"I bet at most two sentences."

The three witches' auras were so powerful that there was practically no one else within a radius of several meters.

Women, in terms of figure, appearance, and temperament, pale in comparison and naturally do not want to be left out in the cold. Men, on the other hand, are simply unwilling to get close due to some kind of inferiority complex.

"Your Highness Sabur, you've arrived." Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Jiang Bing plopped down next to three beautiful women. What was even more infuriating was that the three sisters, who had previously ignored them, now fawned over him.

"C, who's this kid?" Envy, jealousy, and resentment began to spread rapidly among the crowd.

Jiang Bing held a dark black resin bullet in his hand, feeling the micron-level ceramic hardening layer on its surface, and nodded.

He wore a pair of brown casual glasses to conceal the golden glint that occasionally flashed in his eyes.

"Get ready, there's going to be a good show tonight." Jiang Bing's voice sounded somewhat ethereal at this moment, as if he were high in the sky.

This is because although his physical body is in reality, a part of his will is immersed in the Crystal Palace's local area network.

The security system of "Golden Crystal" appeared to be functioning normally within cyberspace, but in reality, it had already been infiltrated by faint black and red illusory lightning, turning it into a sieve. Meanwhile, the golden flames subtly circled around this data fortress without being noticed by either the hacker or the lark responsible for security, remaining dormant until they were unleashed.

Jiang Bing's attention wasn't really on the lark at the moment. Instead, he was following the trail of the killer who fired the shot in the alley, moving around the network and constantly changing positions within the Crystal Palace.

The other side was clearly well-trained and had a complete and well-organized team supporting them.

Of course, the murderer couldn't completely avoid being caught on camera, but multiple hackers were closely following him in the cyberspace around him, covering his tracks, clearing surveillance footage, and guiding him. If Jiang Bing hadn't used a rather unusual way to access the internet, he might not have been able to keep up with the killer.

The reason he followed so closely was simple: he was more interested in the coloring project than the lark.

After all, if the intelligence in Agent Smith's "black box" is correct, this plan will greatly help Jiang Bing's subsequent occupation of Crystal Palace.

The battles between hackers in cyberspace often appear incredibly low-key, but the losers usually suffer terribly.

The idea of ​​brains being instantly roasted by overheated network access devices is a terrifying nightmare that every hacker fears most, yet has to face constantly.

However, besides talent, skills, and peripherals, another crucial factor in measuring a hacker's skill level and influencing the outcome of network attacks and defenses is computing power.

In cyberspace, computing power is as important as spiritual power for cultivators. The side with stronger computing power can exert pressure when advancing or defend calmly when retreating, and is born with an advantageous position.

However, computing power is not generated out of thin air; it is built up from a large number of servers and computing units.

The High Knights had dealt with Crystal Palace for a long time and understood that it would be difficult to break through Crystal Palace's data fortress from outside cyberspace and eliminate the suppression of computing power between the two sides. Therefore, they came up with an alternative approach and devised a solution that used social engineering to break the deadlock from a real-world perspective.

The 'Coloring Project' was born out of this need.

However, the 'Coloring Project' did not completely destroy the Crystal Palace network; on the contrary, it did not pose a significant threat to the Crystal Palace network.

Because it primarily targets the computing power unit's real-world security system within the Crystal Palace, and its main purpose is not to destroy, but rather to 'paint' it.

Although the High Knights dominate the moon and occupy two major space stations, making them appear powerful and well-equipped in space, they have a fatal weakness that the European Space Agency has firmly grasped in its grasp.

That is the supply of materials.

Although the lunar colony has various hydroponic crops and algae cultivation projects that provide oxygen, ensuring that the people under the High Knights have enough to eat and drink and have sufficient oxygen, they rely almost entirely on the European Space Agency for supplies transported from Earth.

From organic food to paper and fresh water, to large quantities of meat, eggs, and dairy products, and even the manpower that the High Knights lack most, everything depends on the European Space Agency.

More importantly, the Knights rely entirely on the European Space Agency for the transportation of various basic electronic components and supporting hardware facilities. Even though their technological level is very high, such heavy industrial supporting industries cannot be managed by a few colonies and a few space stations.

This is also the fundamental reason why the space regime established by the High Knights' workers' uprising, despite its tense relationship with the European Space Agency, has been able to maintain a state of struggle without breaking down for decades.

The four mass projectors on the moon, including one from O'Neill 2, gave the High Knights the power to overturn the table. However, their logistics were disrupted, and their lifeline was essentially in the other's hands. Thus, the two sides were intertwined and deeply constrained, which ironically created a temporary balance.

This also explains why, although the High Knights coveted ownership of the Crystal Palace, they would never launch a large-scale invasion.

However, this does not prevent them from conducting intelligence gathering and data infiltration, laying the groundwork for the war, and carrying out covert operations.

If the information on Agent Smith is correct, there is an unavoidable link in this plan: obtaining the biological key from the top echelons of Crystal Palace, which only a select few are qualified to possess.

In today's highly developed internet world, computing power units are the most important core for companies like Crystal Palace. The defenses in cyberspace are extremely tight, and the same is true in the real world.

Without a biometric key, it's virtually impossible to infiltrate a computing unit without causing a major disturbance.

Chapter 572 Rosalind Miles

'Golden Crystal'

As you can tell from the name, the theme here is definitely raunchy (lol).

Matilda Portman wore her usual gold leather mini-skirt work uniform, paired with bright gold high heels, and her eyes and lips were painted a deep yellow, making her look like a walking corn person.

Her face looked pale, and her calves were cramping from nervousness, but that didn't stop her from steadily carrying the expensive wine from Earth on the tray and delivering it to each table according to the orders.

These gamblers, some with flared nostrils, some with bloodshot eyes, some with furrowed brows and serious expressions, each with their own unique features, together form a picture of the myriad aspects of human life and the gambling addicts.

But Matilda had long since grown tired of seeing these true aspects of human nature.

This is a casino, a paradise, and also a hell. Some become rich overnight, while many others lose everything.

However, the former will always be less than the latter.

"Remember, relax. There are a lot of people here, no one will pay special attention to you," Matilda's new partner reassured her over the communication channel.

She calmly agreed and placed a glass of sparkling wine precisely and gently in the hands of a 'well-fed' tourist.

The other person was fumbling with the cards in their hand, but their eyes were fixed on the dealer.

This is, of course, because the dealer is 'good-looking'.

First of all, the dealer was a woman, and a very beautiful one at that. She was wearing a dealer uniform with gold as the main color, but the cheongsam-like dress was slit from the chest down to under the table. When she reached out to deal the cards, she subtly revealed everything that should and shouldn't be revealed.

Not to mention that this dress is a backless design.

Men's aesthetic tastes tend to be very similar.

It's better not to see than to see; it's better not to see everything than to see nothing; a wife is not as good as a concubine; a concubine is not as good as a stolen one; and it's better not to steal than to steal.

The misty, cloud-shrouded scenery, combined with the allure of the uniforms, made all the gamblers at the table feel a little itchy.

That's the ultimate purpose of designing this uniform: to make customers want to take a second look, and thus play a second round.

A slight commotion suddenly broke out at the door. Feeling guilty, Matilda Portman immediately hid herself in the crowd while delivering drinks to other tables. She then turned her head to look, fearing that the CPD was coming to arrest her.

Good news: He's not a CPD (Central Patient Development) person.

Bad news: Amid the commotion caused by three tall, beautiful women in glamorous silk evening gowns, she spotted the Asian man she would never forget in the crowd.

Song Zhaomei: [What happened, Matilda? Why did your heart rate suddenly spike so high?]

Matilda Portman: [That...that person! I saw that person again.]

The young waiter was so nervous he almost fell to the ground.

Song Zhaomei: [Which person?]

Matilda Portman: [The Asian man at the crime scene.]

Before this, Song Zhaomei had always believed that this person was a figment of Matilda's imagination. After all, she had watched the surveillance footage and found nothing amiss. However, the dramatic reaction of the other person's physical indicators made her feel that this might not be entirely unfounded.

Song Zhaomei: [Relax, he might just be here for fun.]

Although she comforted him in this way, she herself was also very uneasy, after all, what kind of coincidence could there be in the world?

So she secretly took over the video transmission through the security camera at the casino entrance, which had been set up as a back door, in an attempt to find the mysterious Asian man that Matilda Portman had mentioned.

However, nothing was found in the surveillance footage.

"Xiao Song, Xiao Song!" Just as she was performing facial recognition on each person, a dignified female voice brought her back to reality.

The new US president, Rosalind Myers, the former CEO of Military Technology, always kept her lips tightly pressed together, her blue eyes fixed intently on Song Zhaomei.

"I am here, Your Excellency the President." The lark quickly straightened its expression and responded to its superior's call.

Rosalind Miles was a typical American white woman, with pure blood and appearance. It is said that her ancestors were among the first British immigrants on the Mayflower, making her a pure American 'native'.

She wore a white leather office uniform with padded shoulders that gave her a powerful look, a message she, as a female president, was trying to convey.

Don't underestimate her just because she's a woman.

In fact, with her experience serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, she is definitely a brave soldier, and her re-election as president shows that she is also a competent politician. Her successful tenure as CEO of a military technology company shows that she is also a successful capitalist. By all accounts, she is a standard strong person, an elite among elites.

Indeed, that is the case.

As the former CEO of military technology, since taking office as President of the United States, she has unscrupulously used her personal connections to launch wars of unification, encourage the expansion of the new United States' economic, political, and cultural tentacles, and promote various radical military actions and the research and development of radical technologies in order to further realize the expansionist dream of the new United States.

"Focus your attention," the iron-fisted leader reprimanded.

"I understand," the lark bowed its head in acknowledgment of its mistake, though a hint of resentment flashed in its eyes.

"Your Excellency, this is the schedule for this charity gambling gala." A well-dressed aide handed over a data panel containing detailed plans for this charitable event.

“Arasaka is the main culprit who should bear the primary responsibility. If they hadn’t provided weapons to those rioting workers, this incident wouldn’t have escalated to such a huge mess.” After briefly reviewing the entire outline, the female president tossed the data board back down.

"Add a statement condemning Arakawa."

"Yes, Your Excellency, but the European Space Agency is still investigating this matter and has not yet reached a conclusion..." The aide's meaning was clear: was it a bit too hasty to express his stance like this?

"It's impossible to get any useful results from the investigation. Arasaka's secret construction of the quality accelerator has been discovered. No matter the outcome, it can no longer be built. A little more or less development rights regarding the Cloud Sea won't shake Arasaka's foundation." While receiving the final touches from the team's personal makeup artist, Miles made a decisive conclusion: "Don't worry about these things. We just need to clearly convey our position. I will use this as an opportunity to talk to the European Space Agency and the High Knights about the Cloud Sea development share that Arasaka relinquished."

"Understood," the staff member said, finally understanding.

Chapter 573 Undercurrents

"Little Song"

Miles looked up as the stylist adjusted her collar, while giving instructions once again to her most powerful 'military weapon'.

"I know you haven't been doing well lately, but you need to stay focused in a bit. Our people at Crystal Palace have reported that the High Knights have been secretly making some moves against the European Space Agency. Something might happen in a moment, so you need to keep a close eye on any activity on the network."

The lark's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her lips pursed and nodded in agreement.

It's a charity betting gala, but the name itself reveals the decadent and hedonistic atmosphere of Crystal Palace.

The format of the party was very simple: Crystal Palace's strategic executive Louis Dupont, High Knight representative Cardola, and the new US President Miles spoke in front of the media, spouting high-sounding platitudes, before announcing the official start of this century-long gamble that used the deaths of hundreds of victims as a gimmick.

Of course, the most important selling point of this gambling event is that the casino's commission for this 'charity' gambling gala has been reduced from 5% to 2%, which is the key reason why a large number of gamblers have gathered here.

In addition, a considerable number of people come here to gamble as a side activity; their primary goal is to network with high-society individuals and expand their social network.

Although "Golden Crystal" cannot operate with 1000 gaming tables simultaneously, it is still the third largest and the most luxurious casino in the entire Crystal Palace complex.

A thousand gambling tables is an exaggeration, but hundreds are certainly achievable. In addition, there is a full range of classic and timeless gambling machines such as pinball machines and slot machines, ensuring that gamblers with all kinds of hobbies can feel at home.

These high-end venues naturally have different tiers, and the standard for verification is very simple: the amount of chips you have.

For example, the bet between Crystal Palace's strategic executive Louis Dupont, High Knight representative Cardola, and the new US president Miles was located in the most central and highest box of the 'Golden Crystal' area, and the entry standard was simple: 2000 million euros.

This elevated platform, being the most luxurious and prestigious spot in the entire casino, is not usually used lightly.

Golden gene-edited tulips surrounded the entire platform, and one-way specially made transparent glass with Level IV bulletproof capability enclosed the luxurious gambling table, which was two to three hundred square meters in size. These screens not only served to isolate communication and prevent cheating from outside the venue, but also served as close-up screens. Whenever a big and exciting game took place in the venue, the video clips were repeatedly played to entice the gambling addiction of veteran gamblers.

Of course, privacy is highly valued inside the private rooms.

The VIPs here can also look down on the entire casino from inside, which makes them feel superior and greatly satisfies their vanity.

This is naturally a clever design by casinos to encourage gamblers to play more rounds.

Normally, Matilda Portman, as an ordinary waitress, would have no chance to stand aside in this situation. However, today, the internal scheduling system of 'Golden Crystal' very 'coincidentally' granted a waitress a leave of absence, creating a vacancy, and then very coincidentally filled the vacancy with her name.

However, despite this, her job was still very peripheral. She was only responsible for the etiquette work outside the private room. She was the kind of marginal role who stood outside, waiting for the staff or supervisor inside the room to call her, to refill drinks, serve snacks, and was not even allowed to enter the private room at all.

But that was enough for the lark.

Lark: [Did you get the things from the bathroom?]

Matilda stood with the most upright posture she had ever had beside the sea of ​​flowers below the platform. Her arms, which were placed in front of her chest, unconsciously squeezed her breasts together. The feeling of something between her breasts confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the object.