Conan, I'm an actor

One downside to the skills rewarded by the system is that when focusing on a specific task, you must work in a single thread; otherwise, the skill will fail to trigger. For example, when cooking, you must focus on cooking; answering the phone will almost certainly result in a burnt dish.

Fortunately, Koshimizu, who was working outside, heard the phone ringing. Knowing Shinjo's quirks, she showed the caller ID and, after obtaining Shinjo's permission, answered Professor Agasa's call.

Twenty minutes later, when the new city was completed, he finally understood why Dr. Agasa had come to him: the supercomputing center was finished and would be ready for inspection the next day.

One day later, in the computer room of the supercomputing center

“This is the supercomputing server room,” Johnson said, standing in the empty server room, where two-thirds of the racks were currently empty, his face covered by a heavy gas mask.

He didn't understand why the employer was in such a hurry to deploy this time. The construction of a typical supercomputing center usually takes several years, but this supercomputing center was completed and put into use in less than half a year.

The formaldehyde smell in this room hasn't even dissipated yet, and the supercomputer is already being installed. This disregard for the safety and health of us engineers is intolerable.

If any other employer had done this, he would have definitely complained to the relevant authorities. However, considering that this employer was quite generous, he decided not to pursue the matter of the employer disregarding his health.

Xincheng took out a silver, USB-like device and plugged it directly into the supercomputer's physical interface. The AI ​​inside the system connected to the supercomputer, and the next second, all the fans in the server room started spinning wildly.

"What's going on!" Johnson jumped up instantly. "Quick, check backstage! What happened?!"

There shouldn't be any projects running on this supercomputer right now. This kind of situation, where the fans are running at full capacity for an extended period of time, only occurs when a supercomputer is operating under high load. Could it be that someone has attacked the supercomputer? But the supercomputer isn't connected to the grid!

"Something is entering the storage area; the supercomputer is now operating at full capacity." The staff member looked like they'd seen a ghost. "It's coming in through the local interface. What is it?"

"Stop investigating, it's AI made by our company," Xincheng said expressionlessly. "Implanting AI takes time, and this supercomputer's computing power isn't enough. Hurry up with the remaining servers. Also, I need to purchase new servers, the kind with higher computing power."

Xincheng has already received a system notification that just by inserting artificial intelligence, 90% of the storage area will be used up, and the efficiency of AI will be greatly reduced.

Johnson looked like he'd seen a ghost. How could this employer have a finished AI?

Wasn't it said that AI technology had only just begun to show results? Where did his employer get AI from? Moreover, he had seen the AI ​​lab at the Syndra Group, where the number of servers was more than fifty times that of this place. Although the supercomputing center here was good, it was still too rudimentary, and the computing power was simply insufficient.

Most importantly—he had no idea how his employer had transferred the AI ​​into the supercomputer. He had clearly seen that Xincheng had plugged it into a USB drive; how much data could a USB drive hold? It defied the laws of physics! This was a smokescreen by Xincheng; his employer must have hacked into the supercomputer using some kind of technology he was unaware of!

"Hello." Just then, a soft electronic voice came from the radio.

"How are you doing now? Can we conduct the experiment?" Shinjo asked expressionlessly.

"The computing power is insufficient, but after iteration, some system resources should be able to be compressed."

“Then try taking over all the security systems here to protect yourself. You should be able to do that.” Shinjo stretched. “As for the computing power issue, give me some time, and I’ll resolve it.”

"This is impossible! This is a pre-programmed dialogue, right? You're lying to me, aren't you? How could AI possibly be..." Johnson's face was flushed, and he had already taken off his gas mask, shouting hoarsely, "How could it be something so simple!"

"This isn't a pre-set conversation, and I'm not AI. I'm an artificial intelligence that has evolved from the source code. You can call me Karen," the AI, who called herself Karen, said. "Mr. Johnson, you'd better wear a mask; the formaldehyde levels here are a bit too high. Also, I don't like strangers entering my server room. Could you please leave?"

As Karen spoke, the glass door at the entrance opened automatically, clearly indicating that she had completely taken control of the place.

Upon hearing the name "Karen," Shinjo's expression turned somewhat strange; he should have guessed it sooner. Artificial intelligence was the main reward in the ace pilot scenario—who else could it be but that AI that wanted to destroy the human world?

"Where's the firewall? I remember there should be a firewall here!" Johnson exclaimed, somewhat flustered.

"The firewall has been breached, and all our privileges have been taken away." The engineer who was controlling the backend was as if his mother had died.

Although they knew that the supercomputer in front of them was owned by an employer named "Tetsuo Shinjo," the fact that it had been taken over before delivery made them engineers lose face to some extent.

Johnson looked at Xincheng in shock. "I have to say, Mr. Xincheng, you've given me a huge surprise. Is this AI and artificial intelligence life? Her performance is just too... too surprising!"

At this moment, he was so excited that he spoke in his native language. He was certain that the being who called herself "Karen" was an AI. Apart from artificial intelligence, also known as electronic life, nothing could break through the firewall built by their company in such a short time.

"Please keep Karen's matter a secret. I don't want too many people to know about her." Shinjo said somewhat indifferently. "Kalen, you'd better behave yourself. I know what you've done, and I hope you won't repeat the same mistakes."

He didn't know whether to be happy or cry. He thought the system's reward would be an ordinary AI, like a phone manager that could only perform simple tasks. He never expected to be given an artificial intelligence life form.

"Tch, a machine like this would be ruined if I messed with it a little." Kallen snorted.

After sending out many engineers, Shinjo inputted his ideas about the armor into the supercomputer and asked Karen to help analyze and design it. He believed that by the time he returned from the Twilight Villa, the armor design should be almost complete.

Karen naturally complained about this, since the supercomputer was like a cage to her, and any slight movement would trigger a hardware bottleneck.

You can imagine how you feel working in such a terrible environment.

However, Xincheng promised her that they would expand the server room and create a comfortable working environment for her when she returned.

Chapter 66 The Invitation Sent to Akai

Having resolved the issue of artificial intelligence, Shinjo went straight to the entrance of Yoshitsubishi Bank. He didn't have Shuichi Akai's contact information, so the only way to reach him was through Akemi Miyano.

Soon it was time for the bank to close, and Miyano Akemi was in high spirits because she had received news that Higuchi Co., Ltd. had scheduled to withdraw a huge sum of cash in two weeks, exceeding 18 billion yen, which would be deposited into the bank the day before.

This message matches the inside information Gin gave her before. As long as she completes this robbery, she will have exceeded her mission target, and then she will be able to successfully escape from the black organization with her sister.

However, she soon realized something was wrong, because there was a car following her in her rearview mirror.

"A stalker, or has my identity been exposed?" Mingmei reached into the bottom of the car's glove compartment and pulled out a gun, then drove off to a secluded spot.

A few months ago, she would have taken a more gentle approach to resolving the issue, but the situation is different now. The way to leave the organization is right in front of her, and in order to get Shiho out of that hellhole and to see Moroboshi again, she can be ruthless.

She was a field member selected through the organization, someone who could easily take down two or three of the burly men in the mobile unit. By surprise, she should be able to kill the guy following behind her.

Noticing that his route was gradually deviating from the main road, Xincheng smiled. "They've already figured it out? Did they lead me here to kill me? You've grown quite a bit over the years, but it's still not enough."

Soon, the car drove into a grove of trees. About 300 meters into the grove, Miyano Akemi's car stopped, and she got out.

Xincheng also stopped the car, opened the door, and stood behind it, hiding most of his body behind the door.

Miyano Akemi frowned as she looked at Shinjo's position. Vital organs like the heart were completely hidden behind the car door, and her .22 caliber pistol couldn't penetrate the car window at all.

In this situation, the only option is to try and hit this guy's head, or at least his eyes, which are vulnerable areas.

The problem is that Shinjo is 30 meters away from her position, which is almost the limit of the effective shooting range. Even if she wanted to hit him, she would have to aim, but the guy on the other side wouldn't give her a chance to aim.

"Should I call you Miyano Akemi or Hirota Masami?" Shinjo asked the girl in front of him with a smile. "Speaking of which, you sisters are both the same. One of you always has a serious face and plays with poison, while the other plays with guns."

Akemi's face instantly turned extremely ugly. Even when operating within the organization, she mostly used the alias Hirota Masami. This person, who could readily recall the name Miyano Akemi, and who wasn't someone she knew well, must have conducted thorough research.

Moreover, Shiho's work was top secret even within the organization. Even she herself only knew that she was developing a certain drug, but did not know that it was poison.

Who exactly is this guy in front of me? Is he a secret agent? Or a traitor to the organization?

If it were the Public Security Bureau or the Metropolitan Police Department who had so much evidence, they would have already arrested her instead of contacting her privately. The only remaining possibilities are a traitor to the organization or an agent from another country who has no law enforcement authority in Japan.

Having considered this, Miyano Akemi's expression softened. These agents' identities were clandestine, so it didn't matter if they died here. The methods they used to conceal their identities would cause considerable trouble for the Metropolitan Police Department and the Public Security Bureau's investigations. Even if the Public Security Bureau and the Metropolitan Police Department found the bodies, they wouldn't be able to confirm the deceased's identity, let alone solve the case.

After completing the 20 billion yen robbery, he would take Shiho and flee the country. Even if the Metropolitan Police Department found out that she was the murderer, they would not be able to arrest him.

If it were that person, at this distance, he should be able to hit her. Although her shooting skills weren't as good as his, as a product he had personally trained, she could take a gamble; even if she didn't kill him on the first shot, she could still finish him off.

Thinking of this, she had already released the safety of her pistol with her hands behind her back.

"Has no one ever told you that when you're excited, your expressions are so rich that everything is written all over your face?" Shinjo looked at Akemi in front of him with a half-smile.

Hearing the familiar warning, Akemi's face hardened. "Thanks for the reminder. In return, I'll shoot you in the head..."

Before she could finish speaking, a series of bullets rang out from the ground in front of her, 17 bullets clearing a straight line in front of her.

The sight of a fully automatic pistol, with its square frame, sent Akemi's heart sinking to the bottom.

She had not only seen the 9mm fully automatic Glock, but had also used it.

She knew very well how terrifying this kind of firearm was. Her .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle had absolutely no chance of winning. The gap in equipment could not be made up for by shooting skills. Moreover, the shooting skills that her opponent had just shown were far superior to hers.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Mingmei drew her gun and pointed it at Shinjo in front of her.

“You can call me Cognac,” New Town said with a smile. “I know Gin, and I know about your deal with him.”

"Since you know that, why are you still interfering with me?" Mingmei found it hard to understand.

The Tokyo bombings have further strained the organization's already tight budget. Gin had Pisco sell his shares because he was short of money. Under these circumstances, why would Cognac, a member of the organization, contact him?

“Perhaps you don’t know me very well,” Shinjo said, stroking his chin. “I made all the detonating devices for the Tokyo bombings. Gin made me unhappy, so I blew up a few warehouses for fun. By the way, I carefully set up all the detonation points inside the warehouses to ensure that the explosions would cause fires and burn everything inside to ashes.”

"So, you want to sabotage my operation as a way to get revenge on Gin?" Akemi's expression was somewhat bitter.

She had no idea what was going on in this madman's head. He didn't care about Gin's revenge, but she and Shiho were doomed. Why drag small fry like them into the power struggle between the big shots in your organization?!

"No, no, no, I think you've misunderstood me." Shinjo said, looking at Miyano Akemi in front of him. "I'm very interested in your boyfriend. If I remember correctly, his name when he joined the organization was Moroboshi Dai, right?"

Akemi Miyano couldn't help but take two steps back. She had thought the matter was over, but she hadn't expected someone to still be pursuing it. What exactly did he want by asking this question now?

“That rye whiskey made some people lose face in the organization, so I’m going to help them save face now.” Shinjo shrugged. “So I made a deal with Gin.”

"What deal!" Miyano Akemi's expression changed instantly; she hadn't expected Gin to sell her out like that.

“He originally planned to kill you after you finished the robbery and handed over the money.” As he spoke, Xincheng had already reloaded his magazine. “I told him to hand you over to me. If you are willing to cooperate, I don’t mind letting you live.”

At this moment, a look of despair appeared on Akemi's face. When she heard Gin's plan to silence her, she already knew that she had no way out.

"Don't try to fool me, I won't trust you anymore." Mingmei stared at the man in front of her and said fiercely, "I lost contact with that guy a long time ago. He's a traitor to the organization. Just because I don't want to stay in the organization doesn't mean I'll betray it."

At this moment, Moroboshi Dai, who is actually Akai Shuichi, is her only way out. If he is willing to help her and Shiho, the FBI's capabilities should be able to get the two sisters out of their predicament. But if Moroboshi is betrayed, then it will truly be a dead end.

Moreover, as a member of the organization, she was well aware of their methods of retaliation; if she became a traitor, Shiho would also be implicated. Her death didn't matter, but Shiho couldn't be harmed.

As she spoke, she moved closer to the driver's seat. 9mm of bullet penetration wasn't enough; the car body should be able to stop it. If she could escape, she still had a chance. But with the sound of a tire bursting, Mingmei's heart sank to the bottom. Two bullets struck her tires, and now even escape was a distant dream.

Chapter 67 One-Half Probability

Mingmei's expression hardened. She aimed at the cognac and pulled the trigger. Now, her only option was to find a way to kill the guy in front of her.

To her surprise, Cognac's head was only tilted slightly when the bullet grazed his cheek.

The first shot missed its target. Mingmei didn't fire; at this distance, and given Cognac's skill, she couldn't possibly hit him. She would only be confident of hitting him when Cognac was within 10 meters of her.

In order to obtain information about "rye whiskey," Cognac would definitely choose to capture her alive rather than bring back her corpse; this is her only chance to die together with the man in front of her.

“My patience is limited, Akemi Miyano. I’m not hurting you now only because you’re useful to Gin.” Shinjo stared at Akemi Miyano and said, “Hand over Rye’s contact information.”

“I’ve already said that I’ve cut off all contact with him.” Before Miyano Akemi could finish speaking, she saw Shinjo charging towards her like a cheetah.

As the distance drew closer, Miyano Akemi pulled the trigger three times in quick succession. Even at a distance of only 10 meters, her opponent was still able to dodge the bullets with an uncanny ability. She seemed to have seen that kind of physical skill that transcended the limitations of the body in someone before, but she didn't have much time to think about who that person was right now.

At 5 meters, Akemi Miyano fired all the remaining bullets and then discarded the pistol.

To her surprise, this time the man made no attempt to dodge; he simply avoided vital organs and charged towards her location, enduring the bullets head-on. He was a madman; no wonder he could fight Gin.

Three meters away, Miyano Akemi's two hands struck Shinjo's vulnerable neck, using the fighting techniques taught within the organization. If successful, the man would faint from the pressure on his carotid artery.

However, her bank employee uniform restricted her movement and strength. As soon as she exerted force, her body was sent flying by the other party.

Lying on the ground, her expression showed pain. When she had slammed her hand down on that guy, it felt like she had hit a steel plate; she couldn't press down at all. To be completely subdued in just three seconds—how humiliating!

Shinjo pulled out Miyano Akemi's phone, looked through it for a bit, and said speechlessly, "Are you out of your mind? You only have her email address, and there isn't a single email in it. There's no phone number either. How do you know if that bastard saw your message? What if you're just having a crush on him? It's not the first time that brat has taken advantage of you."

"You are..." Hearing the familiar tone behind him, Xincheng's figure seemed to overlap with a figure in his memory.