At Best a Guard-Level

Five minutes ago.

The fire escape on the 11th floor of the Dawn Company's senior staff apartment building.

Panting, Lao Zhang leaned against the wall and looked down at his phone screen.

A message sent by his wife five minutes ago: [Our daughter is asking when you'll be back. She says she wants to wait for you.]

The corners of his mouth curled up, and his thumb tapped the screen a few times:

[Soon, an hour at most. Let her sleep first, I'll take her to the amusement park tomorrow.]

After sending the message, just as he was about to put the phone back into his pocket, the screen lit up again.

A picture.

His daughter was lying on the sofa, her eyelids already drooping, but still stubbornly keeping her eyes open, staring in the direction of the door.

There was a small plate on the coffee table with a half-eaten small cake in it, leaving tiny tooth marks on the edge.

[She insists on waiting for you, I can't persuade her otherwise.]

[This cake is what she left over from the evening. She insisted on saving a small half for you, saying that Dad works hard overtime and needs to eat something sweet when he comes back.]

Lao Zhang stared at the photo for a few seconds, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening with a smile.

This little girl.

His fingertips rubbed the screen a couple of times, wanting to reply, "Tell her Dad will definitely finish it when he gets back"...

But then he felt it was a bit too mushy.

In the end, he just typed [Okay].

Putting his phone back in his pocket, his gaze swept over the two people next to him.

Lao Li—in his early thirties, tall and thin, was currently sitting on the stairs, boredly spinning a tactical flashlight in his hand.

This guy had been with the company for three years. He didn't have much experience, but he was smart and learned fast. Lao Zhang thought highly of him.

Xiao Zhou—just became a regular employee this year, twenty-three years old, his face still holding a bit of childishness.

At the moment, he was standing by the window looking out, his back a little tense. It was normal to be nervous on his first major mission like this.

Lao Zhang walked over and slapped him on the back of his shoulder:

"What are you doing?"

Xiao Zhou jumped in fright, turned around, his face showing a bit of embarrassment:

"N-nothing, Brother Zhang."

"First time, getting nervous?"

"...Yeah."

Lao Zhang smiled, took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and offered him one:

"Smoke?"

Xiao Zhou shook his head: "N-no, I don't."

"Oh, it's good that you don't."

Lao Zhang put the cigarette in his own mouth without lighting it: "Don't pick up this habit, it wastes money and hurts your body."

Xiao Zhou scratched his head, his tense shoulders relaxing a little.

Lao Li started teasing from behind:

"I say, Brother Zhang, are you giving lectures again? How come you weren't this amiable when you trained me back then?"

"Train you?" Lao Zhang looked back and rolled his eyes at him. "With your attitude back then, could you even compare to Xiao Zhou?"

Lao Li chuckled, not annoyed at all.

The stairwell was quiet for a few seconds.

Xiao Zhou hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice:

"Brother Zhang, this mission tonight... is it dangerous?"

Lao Zhang, with the unlit cigarette in his mouth, was about to speak, but Lao Li chimed in first: "What's dangerous about it? The AIs nowadays are all civilian-grade, how bad could it be?"

"Civilian-grade?" Xiao Zhou blinked, looking curious.

"Yeah."

Lao Li waved the tactical flashlight in his hand:

"The performance of all civilian-facing AIs is strictly restricted by law! Their strength can't be too high, their speed can't be too fast, and even their computing power has a cap!"

Xiao Zhou froze for a moment: "But the one we're dealing with today, isn't it our company's... highest-level custom AI? I saw the promotional materials, they made it sound amazing..."

Lao Zhang laughed and took the cigarette out of his mouth: "You're talking about that... military-grade computing core?"

Xiao Zhou nodded.

Lao Zhang waved his hand and smiled:

"Hey, that's just a marketing gimmick!"

"It sounds nice, military-grade core, but it's really just so-so."

"Military-grade sounds scary, but in reality, military technology focuses on stability, reliability, and anti-interference. If you really want to compare the maximum performance... it's not even as good as those civilian products that just stack up hardware."

"After all, for military use, as long as it's stable and usable, they won't replace it for ten or eight years. The civilian sector is the one that really fights to the death over performance."

He paused, a hint of emotion in his tone:

"If it weren't for that disaster seventeen years ago, which caused civilian AI to be restricted so strictly... today's top civilian AI technology would definitely be far more advanced than military tech."

After he said this, the stairwell suddenly fell silent.

The smile on Lao Li's face stiffened for a moment, and Xiao Zhou's eyes darkened.

That disaster seventeen years ago was a scar in everyone's heart.

Lao Zhang coughed lightly and put the cigarette back in his mouth:

"Alright, alright, we're getting off topic."

Lao Li immediately chimed in: "Right, right, right, let's talk business! The AI we're recovering this time is indeed our company's top custom model! However, it's just that the core is a bit stronger. At best, its physical body is only guardian-grade!"

He patted his chest confidently and said, "It can fight, sure, but that's about it. It can't hurt us!"

Xiao Zhou blinked: "Guardian-grade?"

"It's used to protect its owner!"

Lao Li explained:

"It's a bit stronger than a normal person, runs a bit faster, and can block a knife or something. But if guns are involved..."

"A single random shot can destroy it!"

As he spoke, he lifted the firearm in his hand and chuckled.

Lao Zhang nodded, but after thinking about it, he still spoke up:

"But then again, the target is a top-tier custom AI companion after all. Its strength and speed have reached the absolute peak of civilian AI limits, maybe even secretly exceeded them a bit. If she really gets close..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two of them:

"If we're not careful... a broken bone is still possible."

Lao Li froze for a moment, then laughed:

"Brother Zhang, you jinx, always saying discouraging things! With our equipment, can she even get close?"

Listening to the two of them talk, Xiao Zhou's nervousness eased quite a bit, and he asked in a low voice:

"Then... Brother Zhang, are we going to charge right in later?"

"Wait for orders."

Lao Zhang took the cigarette out of his mouth:

"Right now, there are drones watching outside, and specialists stalling inside. When the orders from above come down, we'll go in and clean up. It'll be over in an hour at most."

Xiao Zhou's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Lao Zhang pointed at himself and laughed:

"Your Brother Zhang has been doing this for almost ten years, what haven't I seen? Don't worry, when we're done and back, you'll still have time to play games with your friends."

Xiao Zhou smiled too, a rather shy smile: "My friends... they're probably asleep by now."

"Then play tomorrow!"

Lao Li leaned over and put an arm around Xiao Zhou's shoulder: "Anyway, you don't have to work tomorrow. Unlike Brother Zhang, he has to spend time with his daughter tomorrow!"

Xiao Zhou immediately looked at Lao Zhang in surprise: "Brother Zhang, you have a daughter?"

"I do."

Whenever Lao Zhang mentioned this, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face:

"She's seven years old, incredibly mischievous, always turning the house upside down!"

"Then you're quite happy." There was a bit of envy in Xiao Zhou's eyes.

Lao Zhang smiled.

Of course he was happy.

His wife was gentle, his daughter was adorable, his job was stable, and his income was decent.

Sometimes, when he lay in bed, with his wife's even breathing on his left and the occasional sound of his daughter kicking off the blankets on his right, he would think—

This life was worth it.

"Alright, enough chatting."

Lao Zhang glanced at the time and put away his unlit cigarette. In a little while, there should be some movement...

Ah——!!!

Suddenly, a shrill, bloodcurdling scream echoed from upstairs!

Piercing and deafening!

It shattered all the peace!

Lao Zhang's words came to an abrupt halt!

The smile instantly froze on his face!

But the next second, he sprang into action!

Go!

He raised a fist, gave a low shout, and dashed toward the stairwell!

Lao Li and Xiao Zhou froze for a moment... then reacted and immediately followed suit!

The rapid footsteps of the three men echoed urgently in the corridor!

Lao Zhang rushed at the very front, his tactical boots pounding against the concrete steps... countless thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant!

Those three screams... came from the men leading their vanguard!

What on earth happened upstairs?!

Was someone injured?

That awakened AI...

Was it actually capable of hurting them?!

Why was there no sound now?

Not even a single gunshot?

Hurry!

He growled, quickening his pace!

Rounding the corner of the stairs, the fire door to the twelfth floor was right in front of them!

Lao Zhang pushed the door open, and then... his footsteps came to a dead halt.

The scene displayed in his tactical goggles... slammed into his brain in an instant!

His pupils contracted violently!

The dozen-meter-long corridor had now transformed into some sort of... bizarre tableau.

Pale white light poured down from overhead, illuminating those...

Those...

Lao Zhang's Adam's apple bobbed.

The mutilated remains scattered across the floor.

Still clad in... the uniforms he was so familiar with.

There was no mangled flesh and blood, only... smooth cross-sections and coagulated dark red.

It looked as if they had been slashed from a certain angle by a scorching blade, and then... just fell to pieces.

A scorched scent... permeated the air.

Was this...

The smell left behind by laser cutting?

Lao Zhang's stomach violently lurched!

This——!!!

Behind him, Lao Li's pupils shrank drastically as he let out a hoarse growl, his hands trembling as they gripped his firearm in a death grip!

Xiao Zhou's face instantly turned as pale as a sheet of paper!

He just stood there frozen, his eyes bulging so wide they nearly popped out of their sockets, his lips trembling violently but unable to make a single sound.

Lao Zhang's gaze... fell upon the center of the corridor.

Two people were standing there.

The breathtakingly beautiful silver-haired girl... was embracing the man from behind.

Her slender arms were wrapped around his waist, her body pressed tightly against his back.

The hem of her deep purple skirt tangled with the legs of his trousers.

Her chin rested in the hollow of his shoulder, half of her pretty face peeking out from the side of his neck, her silver hair cascading down with a few strands clinging to the side of the man's face.

Those heterochromatic eyes...

Were staring at them faintly and eerily!

Meanwhile, from the fingertips of her other hand extended a crimson laser blade...

And it was blatantly pressed against the man's neck?!

The blade rested flush against his skin; just one millimeter further back and it would slice open his carotid artery!

Lao Zhang's pupils abruptly contracted!

Was that... a laser blade?

Huh?

Why?

Among the options for the company's top-tier custom AI... was this thing included?

He had worked at the company for nearly ten years and had never seen any civilian AI... equipped with a laser blade!

This thing, let alone civilian restrictions...

Even military-grade usage would require submitting a report for approval!

...Was this legally permitted?

Was this even possible?

Was this... the company's product?!

Yet right before his eyes, that flash of crimson was right there!

Blatant and blinding. Pressed tight against their client's neck!

Lao Zhang's gaze finally landed on the man's face—

Fang Qi.

Dawn Company's core user.

The client they absolutely had to capture alive on this mission.

At this moment, the man was being held tightly from behind by his AI companion, like a pitiful prey entwined by a venomous snake!

His face... was terrifyingly pale!

His eye sockets were completely red, tears mixed with snot smeared all over his face, and transparent moisture hung from his chin!

He kept his head down, his shoulders shaking violently, emitting suppressed, intermittent sobs from his throat!

On the floor...

There was also a fresh puddle of vomit.

Obviously thrown up by him just moments ago.

Lao Zhang's eyes swept over his lips—

Chapped, pale, and trembling incessantly.

This man was terrified!

He was scared to death!

Then, Lao Zhang saw him lift his head.

The instant he saw Lao Zhang...

A certain... light of hope, like a drowning man spotting a piece of driftwood, suddenly burst forth from those bloodshot eyes!!

Save... save me...!!

His voice was incredibly hoarse, carrying a crying tone, squeezed out from the very depths of his throat.

Save... please save me——!!!