Cyberpunk:Gained a body of steel

A brand new figure had emerged—one unlike any seen before. Not only could this individual fly, but he could also emit laser beams from his eyes with temperatures exceeding 5,000 degrees.

His power clearly surpassed the performance metrics of the prosthetic King Kong that the department was currently attempting to recover.

"How many people know about this?" Gail Gibbs asked coldly, his eyes sharp as a blade.

"Apart from you and me, only two researchers from my institute are aware," Hall replied calmly. "Oh, and of course, that idiot you were just cursing a moment ago."

"That guy will take the fall, regardless of whether he succeeds or not. He's already a dead man walking." Gail Gibbs' expression didn't change. The life and death of a department head-level figure was of no concern to him.

So what if the man had some talent?

Plenty of people with talent were already under arrest. To ensure that research results remained confidential, Gail wouldn't bat an eye before ordering their elimination.

"The people on your end can keep their mouths shut, right?"

Hall laughed darkly. "Heh, don't worry. They're all my students. When faced with such perfect research material, they'd rather die than let a single word slip."

He said it with confidence. His research methods were leagues beyond conventional science. Naturally, his research efficiency was significantly higher, and those he accepted as students were practically clones of himself in mindset and ambition.

Birds of a feather flock together, after all. These few individuals shared the same twisted dedication.

"Good. This matter must not reach headquarters," Gail Gibbs said firmly. "If they catch wind of this, you and I won't be the ones studying this person."

Gail understood Hall's limits—or lack thereof. The man would dissect his own parents if it meant completing a project.

But amid their calculated planning, they overlooked one crucial detail: if Peter was truly this powerful, how could they possibly capture him?

Perhaps they had grown too comfortable in their dominance over the lower classes. Years of wielding unchecked power had warped their judgment, making them believe anything they desired was theirs for the taking.

---

Military Science and Technology Security Department

"Stott, head to the Intelligence Division and tell them to run a trace on the person in this photo. Say it's a direct order from the president," Brandon said, his face stiff with tension as he handed over the image.

This was Meredith Stott—the same Stott who had received the defect-modified data chip from the little flathead drone, courtesy of Peter. Because he had recovered a significant number of company assets and delivered that chip, he'd recently been promoted from a mid-level security project director to second-in-command of the Night City Branch's Security Department.

"Understood, boss," Stott replied.

As he glanced at the photo, his pupils involuntarily contracted—but his face revealed no reaction. He simply slipped the photo into his pocket and asked casually, "Boss, who is this guy? And what exactly are the president's instructions?"

Brandon looked at Stott with an unreadable expression. He wasn't suspicious of him—after all, he had personally promoted the man.

"He's the main suspect in the recent attack on our floating convoy. President Gibbs wants full intel on this guy as soon as possible."

Brandon stopped there. He wasn't about to admit that he'd failed to capture the suspect within three days and was now facing the prospect of becoming a lab experiment himself.

Though Stott had been promoted by him, Brandon wasn't foolish enough to spill everything.

Besides, if anyone was going to be the scapegoat in the end, it would be Stott.

Letting a little bit of info leak was just a way to prevent Stott from becoming suspicious.

"He was the one who hijacked the floating boat? But the guy in the photo looks barely twenty," Stott remarked, recalling his first encounter with Peter.

Peter had led him into a Whole Foods factory strewn with corpses—calm, smiling, confident. In retrospect, it was obvious that most of the Whirlpool Gang had been wiped out by him alone.

"How the hell should I know?" Brandon snapped, then lowered his voice and said, "But if you find this guy and handle it right, it'll more than make up for past mistakes. Hell, you might even take my place."

He was laying it on thick. What he didn't know was that regardless of the outcome, he'd already been marked as a guinea pig.

"I understand," Stott said, nodding. "I'll head to the Intelligence Division now."

He left the office promptly and delivered the request to the Intelligence Division, repeating Brandon's instructions verbatim.

Once they heard the name Gail Gibbs, the Intelligence team didn't dare waste a second and immediately got to work.

They estimated it would take a full day to gather the necessary information on Peter.

Stott, meanwhile, returned to his office.

He opened his phone, pulled up the dialer, and stared at Peter's number in silence.

For five minutes, he hesitated—thumb hovering over the call button—before finally locking the screen.

To be honest, it was almost a miracle that Peter hadn't already exposed him.

Calling now would only drag him deeper into this mess, maybe even to the bottom of the sea.

Stott's career was just beginning. He had recently made a public appearance representing the company at a major press conference. At best, he could only try to walk a tightrope between both sides.

---

The Next Day—Noon

Ding~

[Caller ID: Unknown Number]

Peter was eating when the unfamiliar call came through.

"Who is this?" he asked, putting down his chopsticks.

"Mr. Peter, I'm the person in charge of handling your lab transfer. We've already cleared a lab that meets your specifications," the voice on the other end said politely. "I'll send you the address now. I'll be waiting there to hand over the keys."

Peter recognized the voice instantly. It belonged to the assertive woman from last time—Xu Xinyue.

Looking at the screen, he saw her smiling face.

"You're the same one who tried to make me hand over the Yinglong blueprint last time, aren't you?"

"Yes, Mr. Peter. I'm deeply sorry for the inconvenience and discomfort I caused back then," Xu Xinyue replied, her tone respectful, her expression sincere.

What Peter couldn't see was her tightly clenched fists—if he had, he might've given her an award for acting.

"No hard feelings about last time," Peter said. "I'll swing by the lab after I finish eating. I'll bring the blueprint with me too."

"Really? Thank you, Mr. Peter!" Xu Xinyue's voice brightened, and the tension in her fists eased.

Though she was still fuming internally, recovering the Yinglong blueprint was a significant win.

Peter had no intention of selling the blueprint to Military Tech or the Araba Group.

But who could predict the future?

The Yinglong's design contained some of Kangtao's most advanced smart weapon technology.

If either Military Tech or Araba got their hands on it, the consequences would be catastrophic.

"Why are you thanking me already?" Peter said lightly. "I'm charging you. One hundred thousand Euros. Daily insurance."

Xu Xinyue froze, the corners of her mouth twitching.

---