Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 665 - 12: The Cruel Law of Machines and Reduction (Updated 3 times)

Chapter 665: Chapter 12: The Cruel Law of Machines and Reduction (Updated 3 times)

Bang! A punk intentionally bumped into a woman, then staggered backward as if pushed, started to howl, using his familiar trick of extortion.

The woman was flustered, not knowing what to do.

"Can’t you watch where you’re going?" A brash teenager got up in her face, spewing saliva as he spoke, purposefully reaching out to push her.

The woman kept stepping back in fear, this submissive behavior further inflamed the punks’ arrogance.

The young woman was average-looking, but she had a good figure, especially her buttocks that were wrapped in Capri pants.

"Hand over some money, or you’re going to the hospital!" The punk blustered and took a few more steps forward, almost pressing against the woman.

"Pay up quickly!" Another hot-headed teenager yelled while snatching her handbag away, rummaging through its contents.

"Uncle, are we just going to let them get away with this?" Lu Fan was getting frustrated. These three bastards were quite adept at bullying people, using the same tactics they’d use to torment their female classmates on this helpless woman.

The other newbies also looked at Tang Zheng, but all held their tongue, preferring to stay out of trouble.

"Listen, that shrill sound should be a siren!" Tang Zheng looked at his wristwatch, calculating the time; it was almost three minutes before a Cylinder Robot Police arrived.

"Your actions have violated criminal law article 162, and you will be sentenced to a 3-year term. Disarm immediately and come with me to the police station!" The robot stretched out its mechanical arm, infrared target locked onto the arrogant teenager who was clutching the woman.

"What is this? A trash can?" The teenagers didn’t care, they just aimed their guns at it and started shooting.

"Unit 17863 under attack, requesting backup." The Mechanical Police reported to the station before preparing to counterattack, but the three teenagers didn’t give it a chance. They discharged all their bullets, turning it into a pile of scrap iron.

"An iron pile trying to be brave, overestimating itself." The punk with the earring kicked the wreckage of the Mechanical Police, spat at its electronic eye, and feeling unsatisfied, started to tear it apart piece by piece.

The woman also realized that these teenagers were troublemakers. She turned and tried to run, but didn’t get far before being tackled by the punk.

"Did you think you could run? Pay up!" The youngster straddled the woman, reaching for her chest with both hands, intending to take advantage of the situation.

The woman screamed loudly, swinging her arms to fend him off. The teenager, losing his patience, slapped her across the face.

"Come over and help, this woman is strong, but she does have a big chest!" The two other hot-headed teenagers who were rifling through the handbag and dismantling the Mechanical Police rushed over when they heard.

"This is unbearable, I’m going to kill them!" Lu Fan was very angry. He jumped out from behind the bushes on a nearby street and was about to beat them up.

"There’s no need for you to get involved!" Ruan Feifei stopped him. A piercing siren sound engulfed the area as Cylindrical Mechanical Police from all directions rushed to the scene, raising their mechanical arms and targeting the three brash teenagers immediately upon seeing the ’corpse’ of their ’colleague’.

The numerous red dots moved about on the ground before landing on the three teenagers. The sight finally scared them but the one straddling the woman responded quickly, grabbed her collar, pulling her up, and using her as a shield.

"Stop, or I’ll kill her!" The teenager yelled, seemingly releasing his fear and becoming arrogant again, "Don’t be scared, it’s just a dream, we can’t die!"

After all, everything that had happened since they entered the room was very sci-fi. It was understandable for them to think it was a dream.

"Terrorists detected in East City District, eliminate them immediately. All uninvolved personnel should evacuate immediately. The police station will not be responsible for any accidental injuries." A robot with three thick red stripes, clearly the captain, amplified its speaker and warned the surrounding citizens.

"Is this really something a policeman would say?" Chen Hong was taken aback. These iron bumps were clearly uninterested in protecting the public or their property and lives.

Although the three teenagers were reckless, they weren’t completely stupid. They reacted like players in counter-terrorism games - looking for cover and attacking the Mechanical Police. The eerie noises they let out made it clear they were having a blast with this exciting game.

"Begin your attack, smash those robot police!" Tang Zheng was only conducting an experiment, with no intention of using the innocent woman as cannon fodder. Hearing the iron bumps’ speech, he realized something was wrong and immediately ordered everyone to open fire.

Zii zii, the Thunderstorm Rifle fired off a barrage, blue electric balls whistling out and striking the cylindrical robots. Instantly, there appeared charred marks on their bodies, and various pieces of burst iron components rained down on Long Street, clanging ceaselessly.

A hapless adolescent with severe adolescent heroic dreams was hit in the abdomen by the robot’s bullets and fell to the ground. His blood poured out at once, forming a pool of blood. Feeling the strength in his body rapidly fade away, he finally felt fear and reached out an arm to his companions for help. However, despite moving his lips a few times, he couldn’t utter a word.

With a screech, a robot pursuing him braked, stopping next to him and aimed its mechanical arm at his head. Amid the flickering muzzle flame, it blew up his head.

The newcomers taking cover were startled by the bloody scene. Seeing the white brain pulp splattering around and the cranial cap spinning and rolling on the street, their bodies shuddered uncontrollably, almost crying out loud.

Two adolescents with serious adolescent heroic dreams also broke out in cold sweat. One was so frightened that he fell to the ground, while the other one who was using a woman as a shield, dragged her backward, but it was too late. The remaining robot circumvented to the right before Tang Zheng could destroy it, firing directly and breaking both his legs.

Pang Meiqin put away her rifle, watching the surviving young adolescent run over tearfully. She flicked the dust off her clothes dismissively.

"See? Disobedience can be fatal," Tang Zheng’s gaze swept over the newcomers. What did it matter if a few disobedient adolescents with serious adolescent heroic dreams died? It not only reduced the team’s hidden danger, but also intimidated the newcomers, making them more obedient.

The adolescent with broken legs let out a mournful scream asking for help, intensifying the sense of panic among the crowd.

The young man who ran back fell down in front of Tang Zheng, got up and grabbed his arm, "I won’t mess around anymore, I’ll listen to everything you say."

With a smack, Tang Zheng slapped him on his face, pointing to the street on the right, "Lu Fan, Xin Lan, lead them and get moving."

The adolescent with serious adolescent heroic dreams covered his face, looking embarrassed. He shrank back, meekly obeying the orders, completely ignoring his injured buddy with whom he had shared pleasures and tribulations.

Tang Zheng pulled up his face mask, making sure his face could not be seen, and caught up with the woman who had been bullied. He took out ten gold bars and handed them to her, "Hello, may I ask for directions?"

Tang Zheng didn’t apologize, otherwise he would reveal his identity.

The terrified woman seemed about to run away, but then her eyes lit up with surprise. Tang Zheng knew that gold bars were also universal in this world. He then opened the radar. As he was preparing to ask about the green dot, he decisively retracted it, "Sorry to bother you, I remembered."

The adolescent with broken legs screamed in pain. Seeing Tang Zheng leaving, he suddenly felt desperate, his breath growing weaker and weaker, until he finally died in the pool of blood.

Tang Zheng had no intention of silencing anyone, so asking for directions would bring about hidden dangers and would likely be traced by robots. It might be better to just ask any stranger on the street.

"But the destination does not seem to be safe either. There’s no time to waste!" Tang Zheng at once took out the Velociraptor. Riding on it in a wild gallop, he stopped a stranger to ask for directions and finally understood the basic aspects of this world.

This place is the Future City. The entire city’s order and normal operation rely on robots for management. It has been like this for hundreds of years, uneventful. According to the initial statement of the Presidential Palace, humans may act out of personal considerations and be swayed by personal desires. Only robots could make the world fairer and more beautiful as administrators.

"The idea is good, but it has not eliminated hunger and poverty," said Tang Zheng, having seen many homeless people and lower-class citizens along the way. This is because this area is the slums with the worst air and environment, while the uppermost layer of the city is the residence of the tycoons.

The girl Tang Zheng was looking for lived on the sixth floor, which was middle-class. The Resistance, on the other hand, is a terrorist organization opposed to the Robot Government. They believe the laws enacted by robots are too harsh, rigidly binding humans and erasing their thoughts, till one day, they will lose their existence and become soulless shells.

Since the robots have gained self-awareness, they have amended the law five times. Each amendment was far stricter than the last. For example, someone who cuts in line while getting on the subway and gets caught by the electronic eye will face three months of imprisonment. And if they reoffend, the sentence will double.

Spitting on the street or littering is also not allowed, punishable by one to two months of imprisonment.

Tang Zheng felt annoyed. He urged everyone to hurry along anxiously. He thought he had been hiding well, but he never expected that the entire city was filled with electronic eyes. His group’s actions of killing the robot police had already been monitored. By now, the full force of the police station had been mobilized to hunt them down.

"These robots are sick, installing so many electronic eyes everywhere!" Chen Hong held her forehead and sighed. Did this not mean that they were sitting ducks?

"The robots are trying to build a world that venerates order. Every human must act according to those doctrines and laws. If they go against them, they must face punishment," Tang Zheng also felt oppressed, as there were too many laws. One could easily break them accidentally. "I heard after kids learn to read, the first class they take is to memorize the law. If they fail, they will be ordered to drop out."

Chu Baichuan’s team also ran into trouble. The man in the jacket, Zhou Xiong, was trouble. He kept gazing at women, which resulted in a passing mechanical police officer blocking his way.

"Please stop your indecent behavior immediately, or you will face a week’s re-education!"(To be continued. If you like this work, please come to qidian.com to vote for recommendation, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest power.)