Optimizing a Second-Hand Junkheap in Two Hours

It took an entire day to get the nano-surgery station set up, but nothing major happened along the way.

The machine itself was medium-sized, about 1.2 meters tall and roughly 1 meter wide, but it was quite power-hungry.

The nanobots charge through the console and are programmed to enter the body via disposable specialized guide equipment. After completing their modifications, they are retrieved again.

It was a pretty advanced piece of surgical equipment, complex to operate, but Vic had experience using cyber-surgical stations, so he quickly got the hang of it.

Of course, a safety check was necessary before using it.

[System loading…]

[Interface protocol group: Raven Central Control]

[Driver version: BioNexusLab Ver.XXXXX]

[Initiating self-check]

[Self-check in progress…]

Leo raised an eyebrow when he saw the interface protocol group: "Vic, this thing's using Maelstrom's setup?"

Vic nodded: "Yeah, you can only get regulated surgical equipment from Maelstrom. They've got connections, and surprisingly, they're pretty trustworthy in business. I checked, and there's nothing wrong with it.

Although, it's definitely not as smooth as the original software drivers, but it'll do."

"'It'll do?'" Leo shook his head. "How can you settle for 'it'll do'?"

"They're the best in town at this stuff. If you want anything better, you'd have to go to a big corporation."

"Not necessarily. Let me optimize it for you."

Maelstrom? They're nothing compared to the elite research team of Marvel!

With that, Leo packed up the structure, manual, and software info of the nano-surgery station and sent it over to Marvel's bio-lab.

[Temporary Bio-Lab Project Initiated: Reverse Engineering and Optimization]

[Difficulty: Low]

[Researchers: Professor Connors, Dr. Otto]

[Assistant Researcher: Peter Parker]

[Project Advantage: All researchers are experts in the relevant fields, greatly improving efficiency and effectiveness.]

[Estimated completion time: 3 hours in this world.]

[Personal involvement will increase efficiency.]

Vic stared suspiciously at Leo, his eyes darting over the few pockets on Leo's T-shirt.

No more places to hide stuff this time. Where was he going to pull out some magical upgrade chip from?

But this time, Leo didn't pull anything out. Instead, he focused on modifying the drivers from the ground up.

This left Vic with his heart pounding in fear. Whether it was a tech specialist or a cybernetic doctor, they were more like engineers than actual developers.

They could use the tools well, even make small improvements to them.

But to optimize and change the tools from the bottom up?

That sounded more like something a corporate R&D department would do. One wrong move, and this several-hundred-thousand-eurodollar surgical station would be bricked!

In his eyes, Leo was being way too bold. The equipment wasn't just used by one person, and both the hardware and software were a mess, to say the least.

Yet, Vic's worst fears didn't come true — not even when Leo directly started messing with the wiring.

Leo sat down for half an hour, then got up and began pulling apart the circuits!

[Project completed]

[Tech Points +100]

[Current Tech Points: 3400]

[Lab has added new manufacturing standards for: Nano-Surgery Station]

[Description: The Nano-Surgery Station, in conjunction with nanobots, allows doctors to perform medical procedures and implant cybernetics on a nano scale. However, the precision and functionality of the nanobots remain critical to the surgery's success.]

[System loading…]

[Nanobot Model in Standby: BioNexus Injectable Nanobots]

[This nanobot model has nano-level injection components, useful for modifying and adjusting non-standard biological components.]

[Warning: Nano-surgeries carry significant risks. Non-professionals should not use the Nano-Surgery Station.]

[Nanobots ready.]

In two hours, across two worlds, four people had optimized the equipment.

The nano-surgery bots weren't incomprehensibly advanced. Dr. Otto's octopus arm link modules already included similar components.

After all, this wasn't some kind of mystical nanomaterial like Iron Man's tech.

Leo withdrew his personal link, patted the machine, and said to Vic: "Alright, Vic, take a look."

Vic stiffly glanced at Jackie and V, who looked completely calm, and a strange sense of absurdity washed over him:

Hmm? Huh? What?

Was he just overreacting?

No, it had to be these two kids who were just too clueless.

With doubt in his mind, Vic connected his personal link.

Data flickered through his cyber-eyes, and his mouth slowly dropped open—

The UI was much simpler, the instructions clearer, and all those cryptic error messages that no one could understand were gone. It felt like a brand-new surgical component straight from a corporate lab.

If the previous nano-surgery station had been a rusty yet essential precision scalpel, usable but with the risk of tetanus from all the rust, then now it was a sleek, high-tech laser scalpel — efficient, advanced, and radiating futuristic vibes that made him feel a bit overwhelmed.

Was this the kind of equipment a clinic in Heywood should have?

It seemed like just a month ago, Leo had barely passed his exam to get his license...

"One at a time—Jackie, you go first!" Leo waved Jackie over.

Jackie obediently lay down. "Hey Leo, could you throw in a little body sculpting for me too? My tattoos look a bit distorted."

"Let Vic handle that; I'm not good at it." Leo waved his hand towards Vic again. "Vic, why are you spacing out?"

"I…" Vic thought for a moment and sighed.

Never did he think he'd ever envy these two clueless kids.

Ignorant and carefree, with nothing to worry about.

"Alright, alright, I guess I'll have to keep this thing well-hidden."

"No worries. I bypassed the digital signature. The software still credits Maelstrom. If they come looking, it'll be them they'll find."

"You're surprisingly humble, resisting the urge to put your name on it."

Vic sat by the surgery station, pulling over the nanobot conduit.

Leo connected his cyber-eye to the surgical system: "Haven't I always been humble?"

"I guess that's true."

As the anesthesia kicked in, the two began cutting into Jackie's skin, removing the deformed subdermal armor and locating the points where the conduit would be inserted.

Nanobots, carrying bioplastic, cell-adaptation coatings, and molecular sieves, entered the designated locations through the conduit, guided by bio-signal indicators, and integrated into Jackie's circulatory system.

First the bioplastic, then the cell adaptation, and finally the molecular sieves—

Jackie was the first street kid in Heywood to receive such a luxurious cybernetic upgrade: minimal cyberware ratio change, maximum physical enhancement.

[Lizard Berserker Module Upgrade Complete]

[Reward Tech Points +100]

[Current Tech Points: 3500]

[Lizard Berserker Module Type-2]

[Description: The internal circulatory system is fully upgraded. The integration of the lizard serum is now fully monitored, with higher controllability and increased strength.]

Then came joint replacements, muscle augmentation, and finally, with the help of the cyber-surgery station, they welded the subdermal armor onto Jackie's skull, shoulders, torso, and legs as if it were a piece of armor.

Jackie was now a true walking tank.

[Subdermal Armor: Militech Enforcer-5]

[Description: Composed of a composite of ceramic, fiber, and alloy materials, this armor boasts exceptional hardness and was issued to elite gunners during the Unification War.]

[Its only downside is that it's suitable only for top-tier giants. Those with augmented giant-sized bodies may risk developing cyberpsychosis when implanted with this armor.]

[Fireproof coating applied]

[Artificial skin material adhered.]

[Cybernetic surgery complete.]

The lizard serum storage compartments were hidden within Jackie's leg armor. Once everything was set, Leo activated the berserker module—

The power output was set to one-thousandth, just enough to support Jackie's altered biological tissues and organs, secreting enough biliverdin to regulate his immune response.

[Cybernetic/Biological Weight Ratio: 66.3kg/177.4kg]

[Cybernetic/Biological Volume Ratio: 27.67%]

[Cybernetic/Biological Integrity Ratio: 33.3%]

[Immune and Inflammatory Response: Weak, no need for additional immunosuppressants]

[Brain Activity: Stable]

[Note: Incredible cyberware compatibility. Contact local corporations to explore target potential. You will receive]

Leo raised an eyebrow: It seemed like his research team had overlooked this bit of the UI; they forgot to delete the prompt.

But it was just a prompt, and none of the body data would be transmitted to corporate servers as they might hope.

The anesthesia was perfectly timed. Jackie opened his eyes and flexed his hand under the lights.

"Feels good, but... doesn't seem that different."

Vic clicked his tongue in amazement. "You clueless kid, just stay like that."

If you had to buy this kind of upgrade...

No, even if you had the money, mercenaries without the backing of a giant corporation would never get to experience this level of modification.

Jackie got up from the surgical table, moving around with ease, and then eagerly headed towards Misty's psychic shop.

Beside him, V was rubbing his hands together, "My turn!"