I Have A Super USB Drive

by <unknown>

  "Lamb, what happened today?"

  The lady asked with concern in her voice.

  "No, not much. It's just that I didn't answer the questions of the examiners as we've previously planned."

  Lane awkwardly scratched his cheeks as he said this. The side of his face was getting itchy due to Kraken's hair brushing against his cheeks. He subconsciously tilted his head to one side. "Christina, I..."

  "Call me Kraken, thanks."

  The lady reminded Lane.

  "Alright, Kraken... As you know, there are some things that I'm deeply fixated on, so..."

  Lane shrugged as he said this, "Let's come up with some other solution. Maybe there are some other approaches we can take to expose the evil deeds of the BHB Combative Police Force and drag their reputation to the mud."

  "I suppose that's our only choice."

  There was a heavy look mixed with regret in Kraken's eyes. She looked up at the black young man who was still messing around with the server machine. "Digit, you have any ideas?"

  "I'm just a plain old hacker, I'll leave the planning and the rest to you guys!"

  The black young man called Digit replied without so much as making an effort to turn around.

  "Don't ask me, I don't know anything."

  Another voice came from under the off-road car in the corner of the garage.

  Kraken felt helpless and discouraged by this. She straightened up and brushed her hair, accidentally exposing her right cheek that was covered underneath her hair. Riddle across her right cheek was a thick, hideous, and uneven layer of a scar.

  It was the kind of scar that could be inflicted by chemical corrosion.

  It was right at that moment when Lane suddenly received a notification of a message on his phone. He instinctively reached for his phone and saw that it was an email that he received.

  Lane's heart skipped a beat as he seemed to have realized something. When he tapped open the email, he saw that it was sent to him from the official account of Blackwatch.

  Could it be...

  Lane immediately swiped down the display to read the contents of the email.

  "Dear Mr. Lane, after the initial screening, we believe that you have great potential and possess an above-average sense of justice. You also meet the conditions for Blackwatch's requirements for bionic combative police. We'd like to inform you that you are invited to the second round of Blackwatch Combative Police Force screening next Wednesday, the venue will be at 311, Reston Street, New York City. Please ensure that you can join us on time - Blackwatch Northern American Branch Combative Police Department."

  Lane's eyes widened like two large pearls when he read the email. He looked up at the pink-haired woman who had the same expression as he did. "Christi... Kraken, I passed the first screening!"

  "Thank God..."

  Kraken was ecstatic as she snatched the phone away. Digit and the other young man under the car rushed to the lady's side as well, each trying to take a look at the contents of the email.

  "Oh, good work Lamb!"

  "Awesome! There's a less than one percent chance to be chosen, you've done a great job, Lamb!"

  Upon hearing the commotion in the garage, Wildfire, who had been hiding inside the other room all this time, bolted into the garage as well. He took the phone from the others in utter disbelief and after he finished reading the contents of the email, he burst into roaring laughter!

  "Hahahaha... Great work indeed Lane, I know you had it in you!"

  Wildfire was so ecstatic he wanted to hold and kiss Lane's cheek. His current mood was a complete turnaround from his previous state.

  Lane immediately pushed himself away from Wildfire, barely avoiding his fate of being covered in the greasy man's sweat and grease.

  The five of them celebrated together for a moment before finally recollecting themselves. They stopped working on their respective tasks and sat down together at the table to discuss their next move.

  "Our next goal is to ensure that Lamb can get past Blackwatch's second screening."

  Wildfire took a large drag of beer enthusiastically before asking, "Digit, what can you do for us to help with the second round of screening?"

  "I can try to hack into the Blackwatch branch internal server and see what tests we should expect for the second round of screening. This way, we can go in with a proper game plan."

  Digit pondered for a moment and noted uncertainly. "But my previous hacking attempts have been unsuccessful. Blackwatch is very cautious when it comes to the handling of their network security."

  "I'd advise against taking such an approach unless necessary."

  Kraken shook her head. "There's no shortage of stories on the dark web of hackers who try to hack this company and end up having their IPs tracked down and arrested. I'm confident in Digit's hacking skills, but I doubt it's enough to be a match for this particular company."

  "We can approach this from another angle. For example, we can improve Lamb's combat abilities, shooting skills, and whatnot. We just need to find some way to make him stand out from the other candidates."

  "I agree with Christina's point."

  Wildfire noted with a short chuckle before turning to the other young man covered in engine oil. "What do you say, John?"

  "Mr. Wildfire, please refer to us by our codename in the organization!"

  The pink-haired Kraken immediately knotted her eyebrows together. "Your reckless name-calling is going to be the death of us one of these days!"

  "Alright, Ms. Kraken."

  Kraken shrugged nonchalantly before finishing the beer in one swing.

  After finishing the beer, Kraken slammed the end of the bottle against the table ceremoniously before turning to Lane. "Alright Lane, from today on, I'm putting you through hellish training to raise your shooting and close-combat skills. I hope you won't act selfishly again this time, you got it?

  "Don't forget, our ultimate goal is to ensure that the BHB Combative Police Force and the company behind them face the punishment that they deserve. We're not only doing this for us but also to ensure that everyone gets to witness their ugly side!"

  "No problem, Wildfire!"

  Lane responded with a confident nod.

  The meeting ended on this note. After that, the five of them left the garage and went their separate ways while Lane returned to his cheap rental room.

  The sky had turned dark by this point. When Lane reached the door, he made sure to check the trap he laid down beforehand to ensure nobody entered the room while he was gone. After making sure that the coast was clear, he opened the door and wheeled himself inside.

  After returning home, the first thing Lane did was to take a thorough shower to wash off the scent of beer and cigarettes. After that, he dragged his worn-out body to bed.

  Lane fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes and quickly fell into a dream...

  He dreamt of himself in a small square covered in bright, wet grass.

  A middle-aged woman with an air of maturity around her led a teenager through the square. They soared across the field among the wind and leaves. The hair of the woman danced in the wind like smooth silk.

  Chapter 491: Lane |

  "Agence France-Presse reporting, Blackwatch has once again benefited all mankind for the third time now after tackling the field of cancer and Alzheimer's disease by using bionic organ transplantation as an alternative to human organ transplantation. Its biomedical department announced today it has once again made an innovational breakthrough in stem cell technology and the cost of the 'Age-reversal Treatment' will once again be made affordable. The price is expected to go down from the market price set two years ago of 200,000 U.S. dollars to an average of 30,000 to 50,000 U.S. dollars.

  "The cost of the 'Age-reversal Treatment' once cost upwards of a million dollars for each person. It only took six years for Blackwatch to fulfill the promise they once made that the 'Age-reversal Treatment' will be streamlined and commercialized to a price range that can cater to re
gular citizens.

  "According to the data analysis of the Earth Federation Physiological and Health Research Group conducted over the past three years, ever since the commencement of the 'Age-reversal Treatment' in 2023 till now, the average life expectancy of the human population has soared from 70 years old to 78 years old today. Among all demographics, the average life expectancy of developed continents such as Northern America, Europe, Central Continent, and the East China Sea Continent has risen to more than 85 years old. This number is only expected to continue trending upward as time goes on!

  "Experts predict that by 2050, the average lifespan of humans will surpass 110 years old..."

  Several days later, in the corner of a garage located somewhere in New York City, three men and one woman were huddled together in front of a projector. The projector was playing an exclusive TV program of Blackwatch in the Northern American region.

  It seemed to be somewhere around mealtime since the four of them each had a variety of fast food in their hands and were happily gobbling down their food in their respective seats. There were even several empty cans of beer set in front of one of the men in a white tank top.

  "The next logical step from here is probably to delay the age of retirement."

  The pink-haired lady among the group suddenly noted dryly. "This proposal has received the support of several regions, it should be receiving attention from Congress anytime soon."

  "You have to admit that this is an excellent solution that Blackwatch has devised, at least the issues caused by an inflated elderly population is alleviated."

  A black man in the group shrugged. "The ones that get the short end of the stick are people like us..."

  "That's enough, Digit. Don't you dare sing praises of this company in front of me unless you want me to beat you up!"

  Before Digit could finish his detailing his observation, the man in the tank top broke off their conversation by viciously slamming a can of beer on the ground and reprimanded Digit in an alcohol-fueled craze.

  "Ok, no problem."

  Digit put his hands up to suggest that he was surrendering before he turned around and left.

  "That's enough bickering, we're here to watch the live feed aren't we. Lamb will be showing up."

  Kraken stopped the two from arguing any further.

  Just as she said this, the commercial on the screen ended as well and the program shifted into the main segment. There was a quick flash on the screen and the phrase "Call of Duty" appeared shortly after, accompanied by energetic background music.

  After that, the figure of the three signature members of the BHB Combative Police Force appeared on screen again. Their figures slowly faded out after that as the image transitioned into the iconic red, blue, and white flag of Northern America.

  After the intro to build up the excitement of the audience, it was finally time for the main event. A broad-shouldered bald man wearing an army uniform appeared on the screen.

  Apart from his poster muscular build, his facial features were well-defined as well. He was almost a spitting image of the famous Vin Diesel in his youth. He started with a stream of introduction.

  "Dear audience joining us today on the television, welcome to the 2028 Call of Duty show - The Bionic Combative Police Trial. I'm Algernon, your host for the Northern American Division. This year's trial is unlike last year's because thanks to Blackwatch's many technological innovations, there are fewer strenuous requirements for bionic prosthetic users. Therefore, starting this year, our participants will no longer be restricted to severely disabled ex-soldiers or police but open to many others with basic disabilities...

  "This is part of the reason that the number of contestants has increased dramatically compared to last year. We have up to a hundred contestants in the Northern American division alone. We'll be putting this group of contestants through multiple trials which includes a triathlon, combat abilities trial, shooting accuracy trial, and more to determine their potential. At the same time, we'd also like to invite our audience to show support for their favorite contestants by using the barcode below..."

  The program flow appeared on the screen following the narration of the host.

  This program was essentially a talent show launched by Blacklight Biotechnology to promote the use of bionic prosthetics.

  This selection process functioned to expand the local police force. Upon undergoing the systemic training and passing the assessment, the contestants may be qualified to become bionic combative police officers.

  Some of the contestants that manage to stand out above the rest may even get the chance to make their debut to become the same internationally renowned superheroes as the BHB Combative Police Force.

  Due to the popularisation of superhero themes in blockbuster movies, bionic combative police had attained the status of celebrities all over the world to a point where countless young people had stated that their dream was to become police officers. Most governments did not have complaints regarding this reception so they did not take any actions to thwart the popularity of these shows. Therefore, the popularity of the show continued to snowball day by day until it had become an entertainment show even surpassing the WWE and NBA.

  The show began with brief interviews of the contestants that managed to pass the first round of screening. They were allowed the chance to discuss their views on bionic prosthetics as well as the overall crime rate in modern society. This way, the audience was given a chance to get to know these contestants. After that, there were various forms of tests to determine the contestant's physical and mental capability.

  At the end of the show, the audience would get to vote and select the contestants that they deem deserving of qualification.

  This time, Lane continued to express his unique views on television. His perspective and insistent pursuit of values of justice ended up garnering the interest of a portion of viewers who decided to commit their precious votes on him.

  At the end of the two-hour-long show, Lane had unsurprisingly advanced to the third round along with eleven other candidates. He also got an employment contract from Blackwatch on the spot.

  At this point, it was pretty much a guarantee that Lane would be enlisted into Blackwatch and become inducted into the team of bionic combative police. The group stages, semi-finals, and grand finals over the next few days were only done to filter out which one among the twelve of them would be crowned champion and allowed a chance at stardom like the BHB force.

  Seeing Lane successfully infiltrating the Blackwatch as a legitimate contestant on-screen and officially being registered as an employee of the Blackwatch, everyone in the garage cheered and clinked their beer together.

  "This is great, our hard work all this time has finally paid off, Lane finally infiltrated this d*mnable company!"

  Wildfire declared with an unruly roar, "Blackwatch's streak of good luck ends here!"

  The group celebrated rowdily.

  It was only Kraken who suddenly noted with a light frown. "Lane has only made it through the doorstep of the company. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done if we want to dig into the dark history of BHB and get an edge over this company. This isn't the time to celebrate just yet."

  This sensible statement seemed to have calmed down the hot-headed crew who were getting ahead of themselves. Kraken breathed a deep sigh and glanced in the direction of the garage entrance.

  Could a ragtag group like them trump an international company of such scale?

  ...

  It was midnight by the time the first match concluded.

  Lane wandered the streets in the middle of the night in a wheelchair by himself. The gentle night breeze caressed his skin gently and although the air was cool, he still felt the burning rage of excitement flowing through his veins. When he faced the camera, he seemed to see countless people waving back at him. For the first time in his life, he knew how it felt to be under the spotlight.

  Lane had never experienced anything better than that.
..

  After Lane boarded the subway, he immediately found a suitable place to park his wheelchair before he got his phone out and started looking through the comments of the previous show.

  The comments provided insight into what the audience thought about the performance of the contestants, which one they thought had the most potential, and which one they liked best. Lane realized that he was more popular than he ever expected himself to be. There was only one other contestant who had an equal level of performance as he did, but Lane still had the most supporters rooting for him.

  When Lane saw the steady stream of comments of the audience rooting for him, he could no longer stop a smile from forming on his lips.

  "Excuse me, are you Pedro Lane?"

  While Lane still had his head buried in his phone and relishing at the moment, he suddenly heard a soft feminine voice beside him. He instinctively turned up and saw a young and innocent-looking girl somewhere between fifteen to sixteen years old staring back at him nervously.

  "That's me, you are..."

  Lane responded instinctively.

  "Ah, it's you!"

  The girl cried out in joy. She immediately fumbled around in her bag and quickly produced a notebook. "Lane, I watched Call of Duty in school today. You had an excellent performance, may I have your signature please?"

  "Sig- signature?"

  Lane started to sweat a little, he tried to brush off the comment with an awkward chuckle. "But I'm just an ordinary person..."

  "No, I believe that you'll become a superhero equivalent to the BHB Combative Police Force!"

  The girl shook her head side to side before declaring insistently, "I believe in you!"

  "Alright..."

  Lane nodded at her high praises before receiving the pen and notebook then proceeded to scribble his name on the notebook. "I'm sorry, my handwriting is poor."

  "That's alright!"