Chapter 178: Open the Door! Free Trade or Join the Grid! Pick One!
Li Ang stared at the auto-save function on the system panel and couldn't help but think of the Omega in Edge of Tomorrow.
That alien creature, resembling a giant sea anemone, possessed a reset mechanism akin to rewinding time. Whenever an individual "Alpha" Mimic died, it triggered Omega's reset ability. Returning to the past allowed Omega to continuously refine its plans and strategies against humanity, much like a gamer replaying a level, resetting to the last save point after dying.
However, Omega's reset mechanism was far less convenient compared to Li Ang's auto-save feature.
Li Ang could freely select any point in time to revert to! If he wanted, he could go back to the very day he first arrived in Night City and restart his corporate empire.
Of course, there was no way Li Ang would ever do such a thing. After finally achieving a perfect run, starting all over again? Who could bear that?
Li Ang shifted his attention to the rewards related to his body enhancements. It seemed his physical condition had been upgraded by the system.
As for the specifics…
After assessing his physical state, Li Ang found that apart from feeling lighter and more energetic, there didn't appear to be any major changes.
He didn't suddenly grow denser bones or larger muscles like an Astartes warrior enhanced by genetic seeds, nor did he sprout three heads and six arms to become a superhuman powerhouse.
Though his appearance remained unchanged, the system interface indicated that his physical strength was now equivalent to that of an average Astartes.
"Even a downgraded human Emperor is still an Emperor!"
Li Ang remained optimistic. At this rate, he joked to himself, his golden throne wasn't far off.
In addition to his superhuman constitution, Li Ang also gained two incredibly useful buffs: longevity and freedom from sleep!
"This is the endgame reward?"
Li Ang was thrilled. Without undergoing any modifications, he had been granted longevity and perpetual energy, two traits perfect for tireless work. A dream come true for strategy game enthusiasts!
With these buffs, his corporate empire would march forward Infinity ly, driven by expansion and conquest.
However, longevity didn't equate to invincibility. Though his body was significantly stronger than before, Li Ang wasn't immune to physical harm or potential magic damage from the cyber realm.
This meant he still couldn't achieve feats like destroying stars with a single hand or dominating the galaxy like a Super Saiyan.
But such limitations didn't bother Li Ang. As a pragmatic strategist, efficiency mattered more than flashy battles. Why duel when overwhelming force could crush enemies?
Super Saiyans? How many planet-destroying starships do they have? Could they withstand celestial bombardments?
"Well, let's draw some prizes first," Li Ang said cheerfully.
Before exploring the final reward upgrade, Li Ang decided to use up his remaining lottery chances. A free shot was a free shot, after all.
As the roulette of the All-Heavens prize pool spun, the rewards were unveiled one by one.
As expected, most of the prizes were duplicates, which were automatically converted into company currency.
Li Ang wasn't surprised by the outcome. Low-level items in the prize pool were nearly exhausted, leaving only a few rare treasures.
Fortunately, Li Ang didn't walk away empty-handed. From the Level 4 prize pool, he snagged a valuable tech upgrade:
[Nexus-9 Replicant (Codename K) · Blade Runner Universe · Tyrell Corporation]
Yes, this time Li Ang's prize was Nexus-9 Replicant K, the combat model protagonist from Blade Runner, resembling Ryan Gosling.
"Unbelievable! I casually pulled Gosling out of the pool!"
Li Ang was surprised by this reward. The Nexus-9 Replicants were Tyrell Corporation's pinnacle product, virtually indistinguishable from real humans.
Covered in gene-engineered synthetic flesh, equipped with programmed personalities, and even basic emotional responses, these replicants were practically human.
In fact, the Nexus-7 model, Rachel, was already capable of blending in as human and even reproducing with them!
As a more advanced Nexus-9 model, K should logically surpass Rachel in every aspect.
"This tech outshines the cloning technology from Resident Evil!"
Li Ang immediately realized the significance of this tech for LA Corporation.
While cloning was effective, the process from embryo to full-grown, labor-ready adults was time-consuming and costly.
Even though LA Corporation had managed to streamline the cloning process to one or two weeks, it was still inefficient for mass production.
In contrast, Tyrell's replicant technology was essentially a modular assembly line for synthetic humans. Eyes, organs, and limbs were manufactured separately and assembled, with personality and emotions programmable to specifications.
The Nexus replicants even came with a built-in lifespan, allowing them to die at pre-set intervals and be recycled for reuse.
This was the perfect disposable workforce!
As LA Corporation pushed for interstellar colonization, vast amounts of labor were needed for mining, farming, and construction. With replicant technology, labor shortages would no longer be an issue, and construction efficiency would soar!
"Imagine pulling the Three-Body Problem's Thought Imprint tech someday," Li Ang joked.
Replicants were great for construction and mining but unsuitable for creating loyal armies.
These replicants, though programmable, could still develop independent thoughts and view themselves as human, even if they were essentially mass-produced corporate products.
To ensure soldier loyalty, Li Ang would either have to rely on strict company policies for mercenaries or use AI systems to control cloned soldiers.
For clones with unstable factors, Li Ang naturally wouldn't incorporate them into his legion to avoid the risk of being betrayed by turncoats.
Thus, Li Ang decided to deploy the Nexus series clones for construction and interstellar colonization purposes.
As for LA Company's most elite Astartes Legion, dubbed the "Iron Hands," they were created using a combination of cloning, AI brainwashing technology, genetic seeds, and cybernetic enhancements—resulting in super soldiers for interstellar warfare.
Under AI control, their loyalty to Li Ang and LA Company was unquestionable. However, AI developed from the Matrix wasn't yet ready for large-scale deployment.
As a result, producing an Astartes warrior was quite costly for LA Company. At most, Li Ang could manufacture 50,000 Astartes soldiers—an absolute production limit. Producing more would jeopardize the soldiers' loyalty due to a shortage of AI for rapid indoctrination.
Creating absolutely loyal soldiers required either professional brainwashing from a young age or using tools to forcibly correct their thoughts. Both approaches were incredibly costly—the former demanded extensive training time, while the latter required expensive AI.
Currently, LA Company relied on AI-controlled brainwashing tools. However, the quality and quantity of AI varied significantly. AI captured from beyond the Black Wall was unusable; only custom AI generated by the Matrix server could be employed.
If Li Ang could extract the "Thought Imprint" from The Three-Body Problem, it would solve everything—replacing AI brainwashing with the Thought Imprint to mass-produce absolutely loyal Astartes warriors.
"Not bad. This could work," Li Ang muttered, satisfied with the Nexus-9 cloning technology he had extracted. After receiving all the items from the Roulette system, his focus shifted to the final reward: Upgrade Points!
From the system interface, the upgrade points appeared as ordinary tiny light dots. Compared to the previous rewards, they seemed unremarkable.
"Upgrade points… Could these be free enhancement points for a technology?" Li Ang speculated, considering several upgradeable technologies under his golden finger.
For example, the Matrix from The Matrix or the perfect version of genetic seeds from the Warhammer 40K universe—both required upgrades to unlock more functions.
Normally, Li Ang could spend corporate credits (CorpCoins) to upgrade these golden finger technologies. If these upgrade points only served that purpose, they would be somewhat underwhelming.
However, upon closely reviewing the upgrade points' description, Li Ang realized their true function. They weren't for upgrading technologies like genetic seeds or the Matrix—they were for upgrading the entire system!
That's right. After the system upgrade, more corporate templates, technologies, and even access to additional universes would become available. This was the most crucial item among all the rewards.
"I thought the system was trolling me, but it's actually giving me something amazing!"
Li Ang 's previously furrowed brows relaxed instantly. The thought of the system upgrading and undergoing a qualitative transformation left him so excited that even his breathing became quicker.
This was the real treasure!
The corporate templates provided by the system were vital to Li Ang . These templates offered the technological points necessary for LA Company to dominate the multiverse.
However, Li Ang 's current CorpCoin resources could only exchange for templates that were either redundant or unimpressive, such as the Colossus Corporation from Call of Duty. Its military products were decent but on par with existing military tech.
Similarly, Umbrella Corporation from Resident Evil offered virus technology comparable to polymer-based bio-weaponry. Moreover, mutated monsters were laughably weak against modern firearms. Unless the virus reached the infection and parasitism level of the Flood from Halo: Infinite, it was simply inefficient as a bioweapon.
Even if it did, the Flood's strength would be overkill, capable of infecting AI and machinery, let alone biological lifeforms. With such standards, Li Ang had little interest in redeeming templates like Umbrella or Colossus.
Li Ang already possessed templates like KangTao and Militech, providing sufficient military and industrial technology for interstellar colonization—as long as no overpowered alien species were encountered.
Furthermore, with the Vavilov Institute's capabilities rivaling major corporations, Li Ang held absolute control over energy, agriculture, and neural networks. Even exchanging for the IMC from Titanfall felt unnecessary since LA Company's starship and Titan tech already surpassed IMC's.
Faced with such limitations, the upgrade point's ability to unlock new templates and technologies held unparalleled importance.
"If I can unlock the technologies from Stellaris, creating a truly universal LA Corporation would far surpass exchanging individual templates!"
Li Ang fantasized about obtaining powerful weapons or constructive technologies from Stellaris. Such advancements would be revolutionary for humanity in the cyberpunk universe.
Of course, Li Ang didn't expect immediate access to Stellaris technologies or an instant LA Corporation empire. He was content to grind, knowing his immortality guaranteed eventual success. This was the ultimate triumph of perseverance—victory for PDS grand strategy fans!
With renewed resolve, Li Ang activated the system upgrade using the upgrade points.
As the upgrade commenced, the system interface emitted an intense white light that almost blinded Li Ang .
"Damn! Original!" he nearly exclaimed, likening the dazzling light to Genshin Impact's loading screen. Thankfully, the upgrade process was brief.
Once completed, the upgraded system's interface revealed its transformative changes:
1. Expansion Capabilities: Li Ang could now engage in interstellar colonization, military conquests, and territory acquisition across multiverses.
2. Automated Revenue: Occupied territories with valuable resources would autonomously generate CorpCoins. The amount depended on the resources' abundance and potential.
3. Honors System: A new Multiversal Glory Wall showcased achievements, starting with 100% domination of Cyberpunk 2077.
4. New Universe Unlocked: Li Ang 's next target was Avatar's Pandora—a planet located 4.37 light-years from Earth in the cyberpunk universe.
Li Ang chuckled. "Looks like I'm the villain this time!"
With the LA Company's overwhelming military might, conquering Pandora seemed inevitable. Unlike the Avatar universe, where RDA lost to the Na'vi, Li Ang planned to annihilate the natives or integrate them into the Matrix as power generators.
For Li Ang , the system upgrade marked a new era of interstellar conquest and domination. And he was ready to make his universal empire a reality.
The indigenous beauty of Pandora, a planet located just 4.37 light-years from Earth!
This means that LA Corporation's interstellar fleet doesn't need to traverse parallel universes; a single space warp is all it takes to reach Pandora.
Furthermore, in what was originally the domain of RDA Energy Corporation in the Avatar universe, it is now replaced by Li Ang 's LA Corporation as the primary antagonist!
"Unbelievable! The villain turns out to be me!"
The thought of his next objective—piloting an interstellar battleship to crush the natives—brought a gleeful chuckle to Li Ang .
This is nothing short of a dimensional power play!
Although popping champagne mid-game isn't the best habit, the current LA Corporation boasts the Infinity-class starships, Astartes legions, and a wide array of military-grade weaponry.
If they were to lose in such a dragon-on-your-doorstep scenario, it would be a disgrace to humanity!
Yet, in the Avatar storyline, RDA Energy Corporation, despite possessing interstellar colonization technology, not only failed to conquer Pandora but was also utterly defeated by the local Na'vi people and a "human traitor" protagonist. Truly, a humiliation of galactic proportions.
If it were Li Ang in charge, the Na'vi would have been instantly enslaved as bio-fuel generators, integrated into the power grid, and used to charge the Matrix!
"This world has been designed with deep intent!"
Li Ang pondered thoughtfully, analyzing the system's arrangement.
With LA Corporation's current technological prowess, conquering Pandora shouldn't be too difficult.
However, this planet seemed like freshly loaded content, now integrated into Li Ang 's present universe rather than existing in a parallel one.
It felt as though the system was deliberately setting up a beginner's tutorial for Li Ang .
He would have to subdue this world's alien species before venturing into other dimensions and launching broader fleet expeditions!
This system certainly understands human nature—gradual progression, leveling up steadily, slaying monsters at a reasonable pace, and building power over time.
"This setup is acceptable, not overly abrupt," Li Ang thought as he recalled the Avatar universe, which is essentially a cyberpunk-themed backdrop.
In that version of Earth, humans live in a similar high-tech, low-life scenario characteristic of cyberpunk dystopias.
If the corporations from Cyberpunk 2077 pursued space colonization, they might well have ended up resembling RDA Energy Corporation, exploiting other planets to expand their dominion.
That's why Li Ang found this setup somewhat plausible—not breaking the immersion of a cyberpunk world, nor feeling out of place.
"I wonder if 'Engineers' from Prometheus will show up later," Li Ang mused, imagining the possibility.
He knew that the Blade Runner and Alien franchises share the same universe.
Blade Runner focuses on Earth's stories, while Alien shifts the narrative to outer space.
If that's the case, Li Ang might indeed encounter the creators—the Engineers from Prometheus—and go head-to-head with these advanced extraterrestrial beings!
Thinking about these Infinity possibilities, Li Ang accepted this arrangement with open arms.
He then proceeded to explore the upgraded system and, unsurprisingly, found that its improvements offered far more than expected:
[The host's LA Corporation is no longer limited to monopolizing business operations. It can now autonomously colonize worlds, occupy interstellar territories, and launch military strikes!]
[Any successfully colonized worlds, planets, interstellar regions, or universes, along with victorious military campaigns, will yield corresponding corporate credits.]
[Territories under LA Corporation's dominion, if resource-rich, will be designated as production zones capable of automatically generating corporate credits.]
[Note: The amount of corporate credits generated depends on the richness and potential of the territory's resources.]
"This… This is straight-up switching from survival mode to StarCraft conquest mode!"
Li Ang was ecstatic about the new gameplay introduced by the system.
The upgrade felt like downloading a brand-new DLC!
In the past, Li Ang had to rely on groveling and negotiating with the likes of Myers , that despicable woman, to curry favor and secure corporate deals.
He had to play the long and tedious game of alliances with other corporate executives.
But now, Li Ang could completely disregard such trivialities.
In the clean, efficient universe of life and death, destruction and survival are decided in an instant!
Li Ang had absolute confidence that he could lead LA Corporation in establishing a massive corporate empire, living up to the legendary status of Paradox Interactive gamers!
As for any defiant alien native scum, they'd first be greeted by orbital plasma bombardments from a star destroyer, followed by waves of bombers to flatten the landscape and cleanse it of any alien contamination.
In the vast multiverse, Li Ang vowed to treat all lifeforms equally:
First, with the mantra "Open trade doors," and if that failed, "Join the power grid."
The ultimate choice of diplomacy or annihilation was entirely theirs to make.
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