What It's Like Being a Vampire

Chapter 532: Home Ground Creation Plan

Chapter 532: Chapter 532: Home Ground Creation Plan

Given Xiang Kun’s current method of establishing super-sensory contact, the various assisting models built by Alice, and the various deployment methods of “Super-connected objects” he has mastered, setting up his “Super-connected object home ground” in forests and the wild still requires the deployment of existing “Super-connected objects”.

Because various elements in the mountains, whether underground or aboveground, all have strong individual characteristics. Even the same tree, leaves on the same tree, the soil and gravel under the same piece of land, all have subtle differences.

It’s very difficult to establish Super-sensory contact with these “natural creations”. Even if successful, it’s currently impossible to establish large-scale, batch Super-sensory contact with the same type of items – because it’s impossible to determine the same type of item.

Xiang Kun estimated that unless he could establish “Super Sensory contact” at the microscopic particle level, it would still be hard to conduct “batch linking” in the wild, in nature.

If he couldn’t take materials on the spot, he would have to deploy “Super-connected Objects” through the ant legion.

In some ways, the mutant ant Legion derived from “Zero Zero Two” the Ant Queen, holds a faint “Super-connected Objects” characteristic. Although for now apart from moving small items, it doesn’t do much, but perhaps in the future, there will be methods to let them truly replace “Super-connected Objects”.

Compared to forests and wilderness, within human settlements, Xiang Kun’s methods to establish a “Super-connected Objects home ground” are far more diverse, various industrial products are combinations of standardized components.

A complex entirety, broken down, can often be decomposed into pure individual parts.

Like a high-tech engine, when disassembled, it consists of various connecting rods, chains, bearings, steel balls, gaskets and so on. The standardization level is very high, and the microscopic composition between the same parts of the same model is more similar.

Since Xiang Kun can now directly establish Super-sensory contact in a “Super Sensory State” by using cognitive information, it doesn’t matter if the target object is disassembled, or is a separate individual.

Just as he was about to start the GL8, Xiang Kun tried to enter the “Super Sensory State” and attempted to establish super sensory contact with one of its metal connecting rods.

If it were in the past, he would need to make enough contact, undergo extensive observation and understanding, and at least make direct contact to establish Super-sensory contact with an object.

Like the pickup truck he first bought with Old Xia, he had to send it to the repair shop to understand, get familiar and establish contact in the process of disassembly, replacement.

But now, under the “Super Sensory State”, he can directly perceive cognitive information to complete these tasks.

Alice can also prepare detailed data, physical information of the target and notify Xiang Kun beforehand. Furthermore, she can assist him in discerning target boundaries, distinguishing cognitive information from surrounding objects under the “Super-Sensory State”.

Xiang Kun took less than five minutes to establish “Super Sensory Contact” with the connecting rod. If needed, he could deploy a portion of the “Super-connected Objects” and an “Emotion Infused Object” in the SAIC-GM factory at Pudong JinQiao where this car was manufactured. All rods of the same model and specifications within the influence range would establish “Super Sensory Contact”.

When they are installed, assembled in various cars and sold throughout the country, Xiang Kun’s “Super-Connected Objects” would also reach all parts of the country.

If he established “Super Sensory Contact” with more car parts, then at that time, there would be many “Super-Connected Objects” in each vehicle. This would be similar to each Gl8 having a “Super-Connected Object Matrix”, a miniature “Mobile Chongyun Village”.

If the Gl8 can do this, other vehicles and auto factories can do the same. Toyota, Volkswagen, Geely, Wuling… all can be done.

Next are the TV factories, air conditioning factories, refrigerator factories, mobile assembly factories, or corresponding part manufacturing factories, etc.

Of course, for now, that remains a thought, doing so will need a large amount of time and he has other ideas for now.

Xiang Kun did not continue to link to the auto parts of this car, and instead drove to Tongshi Town.

It was already past midnight, there were very few vehicles and pedestrian in town. Upon entering the town, he found a place to park, then began to walk.

Xiang Kun kept observing various objects along the roadside, searching for various “artificial elements”, looking for targets that could establish “Super Sensory Contact”.

Before he knew it, he walked to the outside of a bank, gave it some thought, slowly went around to the back, and when he had reached a dark area, a few dozen tungsten steel balls climbed out of his cargo pants pocket, permeated into the bank through various cracks, like a well-trained squad of soldiers. At this distance with the help of Alice, Xiang Kun didn’t need to enter the “Super Sensory State” and could control their movements flexibly.

The tungsten steel balls did not need to enter the vault, they just needed to maintain a certain distance. Then, leaning against the wall, Xiang Kun closed his eyes, went into the “Super Sensory State”, used cognitive information to lock onto an RMB Coin in the vault and quickly established contact. Afterward, Alice used a model application to get all the RMB Coins in the vault to establish contact.

From dispatching the tungsten steel balls to retrieving them, the entire process only took six minutes and forty-six seconds, and by then, he had already established contact with all the One yuan coins in the vault.

Only that the number of One yuan coins in this bank was unexpectedly low.

Xiang Kun continued to walk on the street, continuing to think about establishing new super-sensory contact.

The targets he chose are ones that have standard construction and are not easily damaged.

Items like napkins, paper boxes, water bottles, disposable chopsticks, pop cans, although they can establish contact, they are easily destroyed or recycled. This leads to a substantial decrease, even disappearance, of “Super Sensory Contact” once their physical properties are destroyed. Hence, these are not ideal elements for mass establishing Super Sensory Contact.

Like coins, there’s no need to worry about these factors. Coins are hardly damaged, and not many people will destroy coins. After all, intentionally damaging RMB is against the law.

Through banks or other places that need coins, he could quickly establish large-scale contacts, and once these coins circulate, they can “deploy” Super-connected Objects everywhere.

However, there’s a problem, which is that coins are often moving. Unless he uses his own coins for “Super-psychic connection” deployment, these coins can hardly stay in a predetermined place according to his original idea-unless he can connect all coins in the future.

This makes it disadvantageous for his plan to establish a regional “Super Connected Object home ground”.

So, in order to include the whole Tongshi Town into his “Super Connected Objects home ground”, he needs some items that won’t be easily moved or easily destroyed and replaced, as the base “Super Connected Objects”.

Soon, he had a target in mind.

Above the road surface there were street lights, trash bins, underground there were water pipes, cables, many of which had elements that could be associated with.

With Alice’s help, he could even conduct “modularized” association, able to separate a portion from a seemingly whole part in the physical world for an association.

For example, a certain category of steel plate Xiang Kun can connect, he only connects a unit with a size of 2X2cm. Alice can help him find the same type, material, thickness of steel plates on a variety of items, through the separation of Super Sensory Information, lock onto a similar 2x2cm area, and confirm the connectable unit.

Xiang Kun could use this method to connect to the Internet, power lines, water pipes, and other items. A ten-meter line or pipe could be “connected” to dozens or even hundreds of “Super Connected Objects” under Alice’s segmentation.

Although these items are fixed in various locations in the city and won’t be easily replaced, Xiang Kun still needs to traverse the entire city to connect with them, constantly entering the “Super Sensory State”. The efficiency still wasn’t high enough.

So, he asked Alice to look into the urban development projects in Tongshi Town during this period, including the construction plans of several major telecom operators in Tongshi Town, the timelines for equipment and cabling replacements, etc. He then looked for the contractors of these projects, the suppliers of the materials involved, and the origins and storage locations of these products.

By strategically placing some “Super-connected Objects” and “Emotion Infused Objects” in these factories and warehouses, Xiang Kun can continuously establish “Super Sensory Contact” with these selected items. The contractors will then distribute these items throughout the whole city, covering Tongshi Town and even the surrounding areas.

Tongshi Town was in the throes of rapid development, and the government was undertaking a large number of infrastructure projects and revamping outdated facilities. The abundance of related plans and programs made Xiang Kun’s job easier.

Using this method, Xiang Kun planned to slowly establish a firm territory of “Super-connected object home ground” centered around Chongyun Village and Tongshi Town, and radiating outwards from there.

At least within this territory, Alice could exert her full power, and Old Xia could utilize the few physical attack methods he had, such as the “Crispy Pork Hand Throwing Technique”.

Of course, under normal circumstances, with Alice around in the “Super-connected object home ground”, surprises like attacks from the “mutated big bird” Golden Flash shouldn’t occur—she can always detect the enemy ahead of time.

Strolling through the streets of Tongshi Town late at night, Xiang Kun felt quite pleasant and relaxed.

In the past, when he was out and about in the city at night, he always needed to avoid surveillance, especially when behaving suspiciously.

But now, with Alice’s presence, he could stride confidently on the streets. Even when he did something strange like hiding in a back alley behind a bank, he didn’t need to dodge cameras. Alice would naturally take care of it and ensure that no one would notice anything amiss.

Unbeknownst to him, he had become more and more reliant on the assistance and services provided by Alice.

This must be what they mean when they say “technology changes life” huh!

Thinking this, Xiang Kun even felt an impulse to co-manifest Alice and pat her on the head as praise.

Just then, Alice’s voice came through his phone: “Boss, we have a situation! There’s trouble at the Brilliant Fortune Building. That foreigner is fighting with another ‘mutant’ again!”

Xiang Kun was taken aback. Of course, he knew that the “foreigner” Alice was referring to was John, the “European Vampire” from the basement of the Brilliant Fortune Building.

John was fighting with another “Mutant”? Mr. Liang sent him to devour another “Mutant” again? It hadn’t been long since the last time he devoured the mutated giant snake. Why are these events occurring so frequently? Is this part of Mr. Liang’s research project, or is he deliberately “cultivating” John?

Xiang Kun quickly ducked into an isolated corner and entered the “Super Sensory State” to observe the situation below the Brilliant Fortune Building.

Observing through the cognitive information in the “Super Sensory State” as a “Mutant” dies and another “Mutant” devours its blood would undoubtedly offer great insight to understanding the essence of mutations.

…

June 16, Tuesday.

A month and a half had passed since Golden Flash was attacked by the “mutated big bird”.

Golden Flash was hopping around energetically and eating well. After recovery, because of the richer bird feed that Xiao Pingguo prepared for it during its healing period, Golden Flash had even put on a bit more weight.

Xiao Pingguo was still living in Chongyun Village, but Little Fatty Girl had been taken away by her mom in the middle of May. She moved to Peng City, enrolled in a new kindergarten, and started a new life.

With the help of the lawyer Zhang Qian found, Shiling’s dad was released on the grounds of self-defense and wasn’t prosecuted.

However, after Shiling’s dad regained his freedom, Shiling’s mom, who had been running around during this time, chose to break up with him, ending their relationship once and for all.

Shiling’s dad had no objections to this, as they weren’t married in the first place.

What Shiling’s mom didn’t expect, however, was to hear news shortly afterward that Shiling’s dad had gone back to his previous wife—the one he had a wedding ceremony with—and reconciled.

With nothing to say about this, all Shiling’s mom could do was give a bitter smile.

When she talked about this issue with Zhang Qian, she joked about herself. She used to convince herself with various reasons that she wasn’t a “mistress”, such as the fact that she knew Shiling’s dad first or that Shiling’s dad wasn’t officially married to the other woman. But the truth was that even her siblings considered her a “mistress”.

For many years, she had been deceiving herself and others.

She should have made up her mind to leave Shiling’s Dad a long time ago.

But this relationship wasn’t entirely regrettable and unsuccessful, at least she had Liu Shiling, her lovable and sensible daughter.

Under Xiang Kun’s arrangement, Shiling’s Mom began doing some non-intensive administrative work at Zhang Qian’s company. She lived in the housing Zhang Qian helped arrange, and her daughter was attending one of the better kindergartens.

Shiling’s mom knew all of these were thanks to Mr. Xiang, Miss Tang, and Miss Xia. Otherwise, a company like “Tengjia Interactive Entertainment” would never hire a single mother without a diploma, who hadn’t worked in years and needed a lot of time to take care of her daughter.

But considering the money from the house sale wasn’t likely to be recovered anytime soon and she was under significant financial strain, she had to swallow her pride and accept their kindness for the sake of Liu Shiling’s education and livelihood. She worked as hard as she could at the company, rapidly learning new skills.

At this moment, in Yangcheng City not far from Peng City, a blond elderly foreigner with kindly features sat in the back seat of a Mercedes S500, leisurely conversing in Chinese with a lady in her forties or fifties in a business suit beside him. She had the air of a successful executive.

“Professor Nas, your Mandarin is excellent. I can hardly believe that you are self-taught,” the middle-aged lady complimented with a laugh.

The blond senior, known as Professor Nas, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and replied with a smile, “I like the cultures of many countries and regions. I believe learning their language is fundamental to understanding a nation’s customs, culture, and people. It’s not just Chinese. I’m also fluent in French and Spanish.”

With that, he effortlessly exhibited a few phrases in fluent French and Spanish.

The lady, who knew a bit Spanish, nodded repeatedly in agreement, once again expressing her admiration, “Professor Nas, your language talent is truly enviable.”