Wizard: Become stronger by drawing cards from the potions variety show

Chapter 794

Lucy pushed the silver leather case to the center of the desk.

The deputy mayor's eyes flashed with barely concealed joy, and he eagerly gripped the box with both hands, verifying his fingerprints in a hidden spot.

"Of course I trust you," he said, trying to sound calm, "but in our line of work, inspection is the rule."

He was about to pull open the box, but Lucy's hand was firmly pressed on the lid.

"What do you mean?" The deputy mayor suppressed his displeasure and looked up at Lucy.

Lucy gestured to the camera in the corner of the room: "Don't rush, let me use your access to completely block this area. It's always better to be cautious with such an important transaction."

"You doubt my ability to control things?" The deputy mayor frowned. "Don't worry, everything here is under my control, and what happened today will not be leaked."

Lucy shook her head, her hand still pressing on the box: "Since you've mentioned the trajectory, then following the procedure is the rule, and it will save a lot of trouble."

"Are you ordering me around?"

"If that's how you want to understand it, then you're right."

Their eyes clashed, and a silent contest filled the air.

The deputy mayor observed Lucy's composed expression and finally relented, "Alright, proceed according to procedure. I was just testing your safety awareness, and the result was satisfactory."

That bastard knows how to save face.

Lucy was too lazy to play games with him: "Then hand over the authority. We're risking our lives to do things for you, we deserve some protection."

The deputy mayor nodded slowly: "Okay."

Lucy listened intently until she received the scheduled signal through the earpiece before withdrawing her hand: "Everything's fine now."

The deputy mayor eagerly opened the box, plugged in the data cable to browse the stored contents, and his face gradually lit up with ecstasy. This was exactly what he had been dreaming of: "The black-box data that contributes to power, and the ledgers of those high-level officials transferring benefits..."

To his surprise, there were even records involving himself, which, of course, looked very "clean" and could be described as completely virtuous.

The reason he didn't go along with the corrupt practices was because he had bigger goals, but some minor social engagements still occurred. Now it seems that these guys even helped him clean up some information that was not good for him.

What a nice guy.

Although he didn't like Lucy, he had to admit that working with her was indeed the most enjoyable thing for him.

Now, the final piece of the puzzle to achieve our goal has finally been obtained.

"It's a pleasure to cooperate." The deputy mayor calmly closed the box. "What you brought is of utmost importance. I must begin making arrangements immediately. This has greatly increased our chances of success."

His voice emphasized the word "we".

"Please tell the person behind you that I will never go back on my promise." He picked up the box, nodded slightly to the three of them, and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Please rest here for a while, and I will arrange for someone to help you relax as a token of my gratitude."

After saying that, he strode quickly toward the door, his steps so light he almost floated, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile.

Once he steps out of that door, his plan will be complete.

From now on, the sea is wide open for fish to leap freely. As for the few "anti-AI organization members" in the room, they are just a group of thugs who attempted to assassinate government officials. What does it have to do with him?

They can also use their status to elevate themselves one last time.

An anti-AI alliance is great; it would be best if there were more organizations like this.

Brainless idiots became his stepping stones to meteoric success. He could already see a bright future beckoning him.

"Wait a minute." Lucy's voice came from behind.

Without stopping or turning his head, the deputy mayor said, "Contact my secretary later if there's anything else. I have important business to attend to right now."

"Don't rush off like that," Lucy's voice suddenly came close to his ear.

That gentle yet dangerous tone sent chills down the spine of the deputy mayor.

Lucy's two companions behind her stared in disbelief, while the shadows on the wall faithfully recorded this bizarre scene—the two shadows touched and then separated, the shadow in front collapsing to the ground, while the shadow behind exploded and then recoiled like a hedgehog.

As Lucy straightened her collar, a rugged-looking, arrogant man lay on the ground, but he was no longer breathing.

The office television was broadcasting breaking news at that moment: "Urgent Notice! A robbery has occurred at Bank No. 2 in the residential area. Based on the memories of those present, the main perpetrator has been identified as the wanted criminal, [Lu Xi]. The perpetrator is currently at large. A substantial reward will be given for any useful clues."

The screen clearly showed the face of the man on the ground.

Lucy turned to her stunned companion and asked in a coquettish tone, "Why are you looking at me like that? Hmm, something doesn't seem right."

He then cleared his throat, his deep male voice resuming: "What? Is something the matter?"

The two men looked at each other, and one of them hesitated before saying, "Big sister... no, big brother! This isn't part of the plan, is it? Our task is just to hand over the bank's information to this guy."

Lucy slowly shook her head, looking confident and as if she had everything under control: "You only know one side of the story. The organization is a mixed bag, and every member is subject to regular audits. This guy is the main target of this audit."

"He thought he had everything under control, but in reality, his plan was full of flaws. My purpose in coming here was just to hand over the intelligence; my real mission was to audit him." Lucy kicked the "deputy mayor" on the ground. "Unfortunately, he didn't pass."

Seeing that the two of them still looked bewildered, they couldn't tell for a moment whether Lucy's decision was impromptu or if she really had another mission.

There's no way around it; Lucy's impulsiveness is widely acknowledged.

Lucy picked up the suitcase from the ground and walked towards the door: "What are you all standing there for?"

They seemed to wake from a dream and followed closely behind.

Lucy stepped out of the room and ordered in a low voice, "Eliminate the intruders."

The office door instantly lit up with a fine laser grid, completely sealing the room and emitting a piercing alarm.

The alarm seemed to startle the "handsome man" lying on the ground. He suddenly moved, rubbing his temples as he got up. He looked around blankly, and when he saw the flashing red lights around him, an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

It's an emergency.

"Let me out!" He rushed to the door and pounded on it desperately.

Sentry machine guns extended from the four corners, and infrared aiming points instantly locked onto the targets.

The man suddenly felt a sharp, needle-like pain in his chest. He instinctively rolled to his side and moved away at an incredible speed.

"This isn't my body! I can't do this at all!" Normally, obtaining such a powerful body would have made him ecstatic, but at this moment he only felt a bone-chilling cold.

"They switched minds; they want to make me a scapegoat!"

While he was scheming against others, others were also scheming against him.

Attack government officials? How dare they?

This idea kept recurring in the man's mind.

Do they really think they can get away with it?

In the underlying logic of AI, humans are the most important asset. Even in a bank robbery, apprehending the perpetrator is far less of a priority than protecting political figures.

He knew this perfectly well, which is why he dared to play both sides within the anti-AI organization. Even if his plan was exposed, they couldn't do anything to him, while he could get everything he wanted.

But now he realizes he was terribly wrong.

"I'm the deputy mayor! I am!" he screamed inwardly, but what came out was: "Deputy mayor! You broke your promise!"

He tried many times and found that no matter what he wanted to say, he could only utter the same few sentences over and over again, which was obviously a limitation.

The hatred, anxiety, and despair in his tone were so real that they became the best performance to prove his "identity".

"I have to escape!" he thought. "As long as I leave, there's still a chance!"

Unfortunately, he forgot that if words can be manipulated, the body is no exception.

At first, Lucy let him put up a fight in the office, since the more realistic the struggle, the better. It would be abnormal if the thug was easily subdued. However, as control of his body was gradually taken over, he made frequent "mistakes" at crucial moments, and his injuries became more and more serious.

The combat robots outside were already in position, some protecting "Lucy" while others rushed into the room.

Shortly afterward, an explosion was heard from inside the room, followed by silence.

The combat robot emerged and reported: "Threat eliminated. Deputy Mayor, please record the details of the incident and report it to the main AI within 6 hours."

The two people beside Lucy were tense, warily scanning their surroundings.

At this distance, if one's identity is exposed, there is absolutely no chance of survival.

The combat robot suddenly turned its gaze to them: "Why are you tense?"

The two people whose names were called froze instantly.

The combat robot continued, "I am about to detain you, and I hope you will cooperate."

Just as they were wondering how to answer, Lucy patted them on the shoulder: "They are my bodyguards. I was able to escape this time thanks to them."

"Data indicates that these two individuals are in an abnormal state," the combat robot repeated, insisting, "It is recommended that they be handed over to professional interrogators for questioning."

Lucy frowned, her tone stern: "I don't want to repeat myself, get out of here! If you're so capable, go and catch the real attackers! I almost died here, and I want to ask you why you let terrorists in? Is this your level of security?"

"Instead of spending time scrutinizing the people around me, you should be working on your own protection plans and finding where the loopholes are."

"Proposal rejected," the combat robot mechanically responded. "The security vulnerability you pointed out has been recorded. Current situation: the intruder's route has been pinpointed, and security will be strengthened. Four combat robots will remain to protect you; please do not leave the government building until the situation becomes clearer."

After saying that, most of the combat units withdrew like a tide.

Lucy knew perfectly well that other areas were under tremendous security pressure, and they had executed this plan precisely because they had accurately predicted the combat units capable of AI action.

If the plan goes smoothly, he will soon be able to enter the real core of power under this identity.

He led the two back to the office, and the door closed.

The room has now been restored to its original state by a large number of small robots responsible for cleaning and repair.

The books that had been riddled with machine gun fire were now brand new, and the ground was spotless, as if nothing had ever happened.

The two people next to Lucy wanted to speak, so they gestured to Lucy with their eyes to confirm their current situation.

Lucy raised her hand to stop her.

The three remained silent until the headset transmitted a "takeover confirmed" signal.

"Okay, now you can talk." Lucy relaxed.

One of them breathed a sigh of relief: "That was terrifying! I thought we were doomed! Lucy, your abilities are incredible! They didn't find any clues on the corpses?"

"More than that, they actually pointed their fingers at the combat robot and cursed at it. I've fought a lot of combat robots, but this is the first time I've ever been cursed at so badly that I didn't dare to talk back. It felt great."

Lucy put her legs up on the desk, then lay down on the leather chair.

"Now you know, this bastard had ill intentions all along, but I discovered it early enough to turn the tables on him."

"I reckon it won't be long before the other guys send us good news. Let's wait here for a bit."

The other two also relaxed, and reflecting on their experience, they realized they had followed the right person.

The television facing the desk was currently showing footage of people being detained in the free trade zone surrounding the second-tier bank. The people were shouting protests, claiming that AI was illegally detaining them.

Clearly, the AI ​​also noticed that these people's points were somewhat unusual, but after a preliminary review, it found no problems.

The anomaly stems from the fact that those detained have an average income and assets five to seven times higher than those of people with similar technical skills.

This is clearly abnormal, but there is nothing wrong with the bank statements. Even when compared with the bank statements of the companies these professionals work for, they match perfectly.

Lucy watched the news on TV, somewhat surprised.

Because there were many people at the scene, if even one person recorded a video, there would be evidence for detention. However, so far, it seems that no footage of the scene has been released.

It's rare to see so many people so tacitly choosing to conceal the truth and claiming they know nothing.

But that makes sense. As long as they keep it a secret, all subsequent work will be paid according to the high points they are currently receiving.

Lucy laughed and said, "Little Squid said that nearly 10,000 asset protection and information concealment packages have been purchased, and people are still buying them. Not bad, not bad, the potential membership group has expanded again."

Just then, an emotionless electronic voice appeared: "Key information detected, evidence obtained."

"Calculating the combat strength of both sides... Combat strength test complete, our side's win rate: 99.7%"

The three were startled and looked in the direction of the sound, only to find a uniquely shaped robot emerging from the shadows in the corner of the room.

He was tall and well-proportioned, and looked more like a human, without any strange weapon modifications on his body.

"A new type of robot?"

"careful."

If the robot hadn't spoken, they wouldn't have even noticed that there was a robot lurking inside.

Moreover, the other party's act of coming out directly was also very strange.

None of the three on their side noticed that the enemy could have launched a sneak attack, but instead came out openly. Was it because they were absolutely certain of victory and didn't care about the advantage of a sneak attack?

"What the hell is this?"

Lucy scoffed, but her expression was serious, because she knew very well that the internal structure of combat robots meant they couldn't stealth, and the constant buzzing was their biggest weakness. But this new robot didn't have that problem.