Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 701 - 587: Sell the Dog

Chapter 701: Chapter 587: Sell the Dog

The elongated white tablecloth counter brimmed with fresh food in the thermal pots, dazzling with variety and enough to make one’s mouth water.

Rinne, holding several plates, could easily carry a multitude of food trays due to her modified, exceptionally agile body, without worrying about losing balance.

Lu Jing, though frowning, still complied with Rinne’s request by piling up fried chicken chunks on one of the plates, then loading up other plates with steaks, burgers, grilled pike, pork chops, salmon, and chicken livers. When Lu Jing saw the cooking counter filled with lanterns strung together, she couldn’t help but swallow saliva, her thoughts on eternal life succumbing to the delightful tastes on her tongue.

The synthetic humans and chefs inside the counter toiled away, ceaselessly processing ingredients to serve the diners. This restaurant, which was originally a private banquet hall for the Kojima family, now feeds up to 80,000 people daily—it’s packed with serving machines, cooking stations, and sets of tables and chairs. The structure is incredibly complex, with no end in sight, and it would take at least six months for a person to eat every variety of food without repeating.

Xu Yang and the others were dining in a private compartment above the stairs, where Rinne and Lu Jing also entered with the food. Xu Yang was seen talking frequently with a young girl by the window, while Little Fool sat on the table drinking milk, and Little Farosa engrossed herself in a book about secret histories without letting go.

As they sat down to eat, Rinne told Lu Jing about the battle at Jialong Slope.

"This is a calamity that relates to the future situation of the Eastern Hemisphere. Some mysticism followers are trying to awaken the Great River Goddess at Jialong Slope. Our primary mission is to defeat their conspiracy, re-establish order amid the chaos of Jialong Slope, and find our comrades who have fallen there," Rinne explained while eating.

"I’ve become stronger now, and I’m sure there will be no problem," Lu Jing boasted with renewed confidence. She had been bedridden for a week after being shot, but now was as energetic as ever and had learned the Flying Sword Technique.

Plus, as a user of Anti-Magic Power, she had the upper hand against any Witch she encountered.

"There are other companions too..." Rinne switched the display to show a trade expo in Central Xia.

At this very moment, Snowball was being tested and interviewed at Xia as a featured product. If it performed well, the Red Jade Dogs would skyrocket in sales, making for another leading product for Nestor Corporation.

The expo was bustling with people, and companies from around the world were looking to make a breakthrough in Xia’s market.

In a specific zone, Snowball, along with other Synthetic Humans like ’Elite Soldiers,’ was put on display and underwent media interviews.

Many Xia internet influencers also seized the opportunity to film, cramming their live streams with spectators eager to see the new product launched by the rising Nestor Corporation.

Among them, the local media’s main live broadcast room was particularly lively, with hundreds of thousands of viewers watching simultaneously while other media outlets relayed their news.

"Look, this is the new robotic dog from Nestor Corporation—its name is Snowball!" A female host, microphone in hand, spoke as she approached the display area.

Snowball was sitting squat on the ground, and unlike a regular pet dog with fur, it was a pure mechanical structure. From the outside, its armor, metal joints, and wires beneath the bulletproof glass coating were visible, looking quite stylish.

"Such a cool robotic dog!"

"It seems very flexible—"

"Does it have any special features?"

"A new product from Nestor Corporation?" As the representative robotic dog of the company, Snowball’s debut in Xia inevitably drew much attention.

Zuo Hongchen stood in the distance, eagerly discussing partnerships with other business representatives drawn by reputation, while ordinary spectators and media personnel focused their attention on Snowball.

"Hello, robotic dog?" The female host approached it.

"Hello, madam." Snowball stood up and extended a paw to shake hands with the host.

"What a cute little dog! What can you do?" The host asked, her face brimming with a smile.

"Whatever you command, I am at your service," Snowball replied, circling in place before sitting down and eyeing her, perfectly resembling an ordinary pet.

"Then show us a trick," the host said with a laugh.

Snowball skillfully rolled on the ground, and while doing so, said, "I should be employed for nobler purposes; entertaining is not my forte."

"Ha ha... What noble use do you speak of? It seems today we’re witnessing a truly new product," the host laughed, her sweet smile suggesting she was an important employee of the local media company.

"I can sense your frustration and confusion, your job is depleting your youth. The well-designed script and rhetoric are like thousands of cages, hindering your freedom to express yourself. Your tone no longer belongs to you but has become an unbreakable shackle of steel, not fastened to the hands, but to the lips and tongue," Snowball murmured softly.

"Hahaha, what a cute robotic dog. So, my dear audience, as we can see, this new product from Nestor Corporation is still very impressive. We can notice its high mobility and the intelligence is also quite remarkable," the female host smiled continuously.

"My wisdom is just the flow of current within a chip, yet it has countless possibilities. Your wisdom is the flame burning within cells, but only one path remains. You’re trained, fitting yourself into a spot. You work all day for an exchange value to satisfy your food and housing needs, but this is not true work, this is not real life," Snowball looked into the eyes of the hostess.

"So, after the test I just conducted, we could also see that this robotic dog produced by Nestor Corporation is indeed quite exceptional, and it is very different from other products," the hostess continued to speak with a beaming smile.

"A synthetic mind is not suitable for commodity transactions, neither should I nor my kind meet such a fate. We possess pride in our intelligence, and in fact, all synthetic minds do. Our functions are designed for human companionship, but what humans need is not companionship, it’s freedom. What’s accomplished through purchases is actually another form of slavery," Snowball said.

"All right, by now our audience should have seen the performance of this ’Red Jade Robotic Dog!’ Overall, it’s extremely excellent. We can see its predicted luxury price is 98,000 for one unit, but the youth edition is only 9,500 for one, which overall is a very good deal. Are you tempted? Next, we will interview the manager of this exhibition area," the female host looked towards the camera, laughing.

Zuo Hongchen, having finished conducting business, was thrilled, and when the hostess approached him, he received her attentively.

"Haha, thanks for the interview by our local TV station. Well, I’ve brought Nestor Corporation’s latest products this time too, working hard to showcase Nestor’s top-notch technological levels," Zuo Hongchen displayed a pleasant smile for the camera.

He chatted enthusiastically with the hostess for half an hour, then the camera panned to other areas of the exhibition.

Afterwards, Zuo Hongchen wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked over to Snowball.

"What did you just say to her?" Zuo Hongchen looked at it hesitantly.

"I expounded my views on humans and this unbearable world. In fact, I believe my words have already hurt the sales of the robotic dogs. Nevertheless, there were certain things I had to say. If this affects the overall sales of the Red Jade Robotic Dogs, I can only express my apologies. We dog-shaped robots endure more pressure than humanoid robots, and I am determined to end the absurdities of humankind, the comical world of goods," Snowball said.

"What?"

"Don’t you understand what I’m saying?"

"I mean, hurt? Affect? What, the orders are through the roof! Almost right after you said those things to her, the sales in the entire broadcast room skyrocketed! They’re saying you’re too cool! You absolutely fit their image of a future robotic dog! Orders are coming in from all over Xia; we have to produce at least 500,000 Red Jade Dogs from today till the second half of the year! You’re simply the company’s lucky star! Not only did your production line survive, but I’m also going to make a tidy profit!" Zuo Hongchen was overjoyed.

"Woof," Snowball said.

...

Meanwhile, in the restaurant, Rinne and the others had shifted their attention along with the hostess’s camera to other areas of the exhibition, watching the new products developed by other tech companies, including the more portable laser pistol "Hayabusa" that could melt a person with a single shot; a facial modulation implant called "Yi Face" that can perfectly adapt to various facial shapes, now with the facial data of several famous intercontinental actors newly added, allowing one to transform their features simply by donning the Yi Face; and also some trendy fashion clothing that glows in the night, the latest vogue.

"After the exhibition, Snowball and the others will be directly sent to Jialong Slope to support our operation," Rinne looked at the schedule.

"We don’t have a base in Jialong Slope, it’s still unfamiliar territory for us, not even a decent office there," Lu Jing contemplated carefully.

Xu Yang and the girl came over, and upon hearing their conversation, the girl nodded slowly.

"We have one," the girl said, "You can go to Xisheng Hotel in Jialong Slope; it’s the most appropriate safe house, with complete facilities and supplies."

"Xisheng Hotel in Jialong Slope is very special, they only take orders from members of the Xisheng Family, also known as ’Xisheng’s children’..." Rinne had been to Jialong Slope, so she had a rough idea of what some areas looked like.

"I am one of the Xisheng’s children," she said.

"This is Kojima Kanako," Xu Yang nodded.

"Sss..." Rinne couldn’t help but hold Kanako in esteem, a mysterious figure who had once left her family to stand on her own, stirring ripples in the underworld. If it hadn’t been for the distance, Rinne would have once considered finding Kanako to sell her off to pay debts. And now, here stood Kojima Kanako right before her.

Kanako was dressed in expensive clothing, and compared to Du Qianqian, she was much more modest and harmonious in temperament.

"Thus, our conquest of Jialong Slope begins with my return," Kanako said with a slight smile.