NOVEL NEXT Chapter 274: The Flathead
[TN:Two chapter for missing yesterday have a nice weekend and see yall on Monday]
Meredith drove a small van, choosing Chinatown as the meeting place. Immediately, the atmosphere shifted back to something Jackie and V were familiar with.
Now this was more like it—shady dealings between a corpo dog and a street kid were always handled on the streets, not in some fancy restaurant.
Jackie was holding a pack of pink All-Foods Meat Heaven, with packaging that boldly claimed: "Tastes Just Like Real Meat!"
"Man, places like this just feel right. That mayor guy is way too fancy."
But once you've had real meat, the difference between it and this cheap, synthetic street food was impossible to ignore.
V finished a piece as well and casually tossed the wrapper into a nearby trash bin. "So that's real meat, huh? Never really thought about it before, but now it's kinda freaking me out."
She nudged Leo with her elbow. "Care to explain?"
Leo spoke slowly. "It's all protein, but the stuff you ate at Embers was the real deal—cut straight from an actual cow.
What you're eating now... Remember Tina? The black market meat dealer we rescued from the 6th Street gang?
According to her database, the protein base for this meat is SP-3R1N, a genetically modified creature they call 'earthworms.'"
"What's an earthworm?" Jackie asked sincerely.
Everyone knew they were eating synthetic meat, but how many actually cared about the technology or ingredients behind it?
And how many people could even access the right sources to find out?
Food corporations had no obligation to educate consumers—eat it or don't, plenty of others will.
Crickets, worms, even maggots—whatever was cheapest to produce at scale became the main ingredient.
Leo thought for a moment and said, "You've seen maggots, right? It's kinda like that."
[TN:Damn Leo let them live in ignorance]
V and Jackie froze. Jackie was still mechanically chewing.
They might have never seen a cow...
But they'd definitely seen maggots—on corpses.
Jackie's mind instantly went to some very unpleasant places, and he was about to spit out his food when Leo gestured toward a van pulling up nearby.
"People are here."
Jackie's face turned red as he held it in, but finally, he spat the meat out with a loud ptooey!
"Mierda! I swear I'm not eating this again—at least not until I forget about this conversation."
Leo shook his head regretfully. "No need to overreact. Worms are actually pretty nutritious. Honestly, the additives are probably worse for you."
V grabbed another pack of All-Foods Meat Heaven from a nearby vending machine and examined the ingredient list:
Gusto-Polymerase X9R5, EuphoriX Beta-Omega Vitathrive, Biocompat Catalyst AX-23E, Superbinder Zeta-9Phi
No wonder the names sounded so damn sketchy.
Without proper knowledge, messing around with synthetic meat production would probably just get people poisoned.
At that moment, Meredith approached. She was wearing her usual corporate outfit—tight black suit and pencil skirt—but had a coat draped over her shoulders.
That signature corp hound aura made people instinctively keep their distance.
Biotechnica firms had plenty of docile worker bees, but Militech? Almost everyone carried a military-grade firearm, and their implants were top-tier.
They were, after all, a security company. This was just one of their perks—walking around with confidence backed by firepower.
Seeing Meredith, V spat on the ground.
"Dressed up like that... who's she trying to impress?"
Meredith lit a cigarette as she sat down at a stone table. "So, you met with Peralez. That little detail's already making the rounds in corpo circles."
Leo nodded. "Yeah."
Meredith glanced at him, then subtly shifted her cybernetic gaze toward V and Jackie.
Why did it feel like someone here didn't like her?
Oh well. Leo was the one that mattered.
"I've got a job for you. You like high-tech prototypes, right? A shipment's coming in—experimental military robots. Interested?"
She slid a datachip across the table. Leo picked it up and had a thought.
Could this be… the Flathead?
[TN: I don't know why but the author keeps on calling it little flathead similar to how the Chinese name their pets little white and shit like that hella annoying. BTW I am Chinese more like ABC so I can be a dick toward my own culture of course the only exception is little octopus the best boi]
He slotted the chip into his neural interface.
[Military-Grade Robot: Flathead MTOD12 Model]
Module: Optical Camouflage Armor DX4
Utilizes the latest dynamic optical camouflage technology, allowing the robot to change its exterior color and texture in real-time, blending perfectly with its surroundings for near-invisibility. Designed for reconnaissance and stealth in various environments and lighting conditions.
Module: Militech Immersive Combat OS CR-8
Advanced algorithms convert the robot's sensor data into a fully immersive operator experience.
Module: Titanium Alloy Fiber Drive System (Prototype)
Lightweight yet incredibly strong titanium alloy fiber structure provides powerful mobility and agility, enabling stable movement across urban ruins, mountains, deserts, and other challenging terrains.
Module: Fully Integrated Link System IN5
High-speed wireless communication for real-time data exchange and command transmission with headquarters and other robotic units, allowing for coordinated operations.
Module: Military-Grade High-Power Data Interface XP2
Compatible with nearly all data ports, ensuring precise control signal transmission.
Well, damn.
This thing was the real deal—a must-have for any serious intelligence operation.
In the original story, Maelstrom was supposed to steal this. The aftermath nearly cost Meredith her head.
Now the tables had turned—looked like she wanted someone else to lose theirs.
Leo ejected the chip. "Nice piece of tech. You in charge of this?"
"Nah, just showing it to you." Meredith pulled out another chip. "It's not for sale—the company keeps this stuff for itself.
But I happened to get my hands on the convoy's route map. If you're interested..."
Leo immediately stood up. "Not interested."
Meredith blinked in shock. Leo was already leaving, with Jackie and V following suit—no hesitation whatsoever.
She panicked and reached out to grab Leo's arm. "Hey! You're just gonna walk away?!"
"What the hell else am I supposed to do? I've got no beef with Militech—we're business partners, remember?"
Blatant. Bullshit.
Meredith grabbed his arm, her cybernetic grip tightening. "We can talk! I'll pay you."
"Now that's more like it." Leo sat back down. "I've been learning a thing or two from politicians lately. Let me guess—you've got some internal rival you want removed?"
He smirked. "We're old friends, right? Just be upfront with me. But if you're gonna play corpo games, that's just bad faith."
Meredith took a long drag from her cigarette. The smoke burned her lungs as much as her frustration.
Why didn't this punk just come to her damn hotel?
She could've used her high-end cyberware to handle him properly. Instead, he was out here—not playing for her side.
She glanced at V, who was staring blankly at her.
She is pretty cute, though.
Meredith flicked some ash off her cigarette and placed the chip on the table.
"Here's the deal. Originally, I was gonna let Maelstrom handle this, but gangsters are too much of a liability.
Since we're 'old friends,' do you want in or not?
If you take the job, I'll make sure your customs paperwork gets real smooth from now on. If you don't… well, if I go down, your life's gonna get a lot harder."
Leo picked up the chip. "I can help you…
But I ain't doing the heist.
Militech's too big a player for me to piss off."
Meredith twitched.
Oh, now you're being modest?
"...So what do you want?"
"Let Maelstrom do the stealing. I'll handle the cleanup."