"I can see that you don't look very good after the negotiation. It seems the terms offered by the biotechnology company weren't favorable," Panan remarked, her voice tinged with sarcasm.
"They're only willing to continue paying us the same rate as before, with no improvements in our treatment or compensation," Sol replied, his tone heavy with frustration.
Panan scoffed. "Is this the result of your compromise? Sol, you should see the reality of biotechnology companies for what they are."
The people in those corporations were nothing short of beasts. The Adekado family had been defending their property for years, constantly fighting off the Chaos Knife Society, losing their own members in the process. And yet, the rewards they received were barely enough to survive.
"Now that you have the monster lizard, you can fight for a better future for your family. You don't need to rely on biotechnology anymore," Peter interjected, pointing toward the massive creature beside them. "They've treated you like disposable rags from the very beginning."
Sol sighed, rubbing his temples. "I understand what you're saying, Peter, but living by the sword is no longer a viable path for the Adekado family."
He took a deep breath before continuing. "Even if we use the monster lizard to seize land, we lack advanced farming technology and gene-modified seeds. Biotechnology isn't just about making medicine; they also have the most cutting-edge cultivation and agricultural technology. Even Araba and Kangtao can't compete with them.
"If we can't develop long-term sustainability, what's stopping us from reverting to raiding convoys and attacking other families? Then we'd be no better than the Night Ghosts."
Peter smirked. "Speaking of technology, I once infiltrated a biotech facility and managed to download something interesting from one of their computers."
He pulled a blank chip from his pocket, borrowed from a nearby drifter, and handed it to Sol. "This contains some of their cultivation and farming technologies."
Sol raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Is this really their technology?"
"See for yourself," Peter said with a shrug.
Sol inserted the chip into his data slot and remained silent for ten minutes as he processed the information. His hands trembled slightly, and when he finally looked up, excitement flashed in his eyes.
"This… This contains seed data and cultivation techniques that biotechnology first developed. Even with our limited resources, we can make this work!"
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Sol grasped Peter's hand firmly. "Peter! You're a great benefactor to the Adekado family!"
Peter pulled his hand back casually. "Hold off on the gratitude. I have conditions—I want a 50% share of the profits from the crops you grow."
Sol hesitated for a moment before nodding. "No problem! You provided us with the technology in the first place. Even if you had asked for seventy—" He quickly stopped himself, catching his own slip. "Ahem… Anyway, Peter, you're always welcome in the Adekado family."
Though some members of the tribe might see Peter's demand as excessive, Sol didn't. He understood that technology was the key factor here. Without it, they would have nothing. Labor alone wouldn't be enough to compete in the long run.
Peter wasn't particularly greedy; the technology would have been useless sitting idle in his possession. Handing it over to the Adekado family and taking a share of the profits was a win-win.
"I need to gather our technicians and show them this immediately. Peter, feel free to look around in the meantime," Sol said before hurrying off.
Panan, who had been standing quietly, finally spoke up. "Peter, you just handed them that technology so easily? Aren't you afraid they might run off without honoring the deal?"
Peter chuckled. "I trust them."
Leaving her with that thought, he walked toward where the monster lizard was being worked on.
"Mitch, how's the installation going?" he asked.
The mechanic wiped sweat from his brow and tapped the machine with a wrench. "Pretty smooth. We've dealt with one of these before. It's an old model from 2060, but it's been a while since I last worked on one. We need to see if it's still functional."
Scorpion approached with a smirk. "It'll take about two days to get this beast fully assembled. Some parts got damaged in the battle, probably from stray bullets."
Mitch sighed. "Couldn't you have waited before exposing me like that?"
Scorpion laughed. "Come on, Peter's practically one of us now. No need to pretend."
Some of the clan members had already started seeing Peter as one of their own, especially after his contributions today. And judging by the way Panan stood beside him, they assumed there was something developing between them.
"Get lost, Scorpion! Get back to fixing the damn monster lizard!" Panan snapped, picking up a stone and tossing it at his feet.
Scorpion only laughed harder.
Mitch turned back to Peter. "We definitely won't have this done today. I'll call you when we're finished."
"Alright, I'll head back for now. See you all later."
With that, Peter left the camp. Making sure no one was watching, he activated his flight system and soared into the sky.
North Oaks Villa
Peter dusted off the sand from his clothes as he stepped inside.
"You're back?" Lucy greeted him. "By the way, the chips you ordered online arrived this morning." She gestured toward a box on the living room table.
"Great."
Peter walked over, opened the box, and checked its contents. These chips were exactly what he needed.
Ever since he'd witnessed cases of cyberpsychosis, Peter had been contemplating whether there was a way to eliminate the side effects of cybernetic prosthetics.
Inside his private study, Peter sat at his workstation, furiously typing away.
His understanding of cyberpsychosis was that excessive cybernetic modifications corroded the human mind. When a person's natural psyche could no longer handle the artificial components, they lost control, eventually succumbing to violent insanity.
Environmental factors also played a role, but Peter's primary focus was on developing a chip that could act as a buffer—absorbing the mental strain caused by cybernetics and preventing psychotic breakdowns.
He worried about the people around him. Most of them had cybernetic implants, including V. Unlike others, V didn't have an advanced relic chip to help regulate their system.
Peter had already analyzed an empty relic chip he'd once used, but he couldn't be certain whether it still contained hidden functions that eluded standard testing equipment. There were some things even he couldn't analyze without the right tools.
So, he pushed his brain to its limits.
His fingers flew across the keyboard, calculations running in rapid succession. This was the most intense mental exercise he had undergone since arriving in this world.
Even for someone with his capabilities, the effort was exhausting.
But he didn't stop.
If he could find a solution, it would change everything.