CYBERPUNK: Travel to 2075

Oliver and Jack thought the company dog had heard them and was about to come over to bite them, but the company dog stopped in front of Karl and stared at his face for a few seconds.

Karl's face was indeed a handsome one, but in this era, if you wanted a handsome or beautiful face, you could find any prosthetic doctor to do it. Naturally, it was impossible for Karl's face to attract this company dog. What she noticed was Karl himself.

"I saw the surveillance in Little Chinatown in the Watson District yesterday. You took out 16 members of the Vortex Gang by yourself, didn't you?"

What had happened yesterday was known today. Surveillance in the cyberpunk world was extremely meticulous.

Thinking to himself, Karl couldn't figure out the reason for this company dog's interest. Even if there was something wrong with taking out the gang members, it should have been the NCPD's business.

But there was one thing he needed to correct.

"It wasn't just me. My friends helped me."

As he said this, Karl pointed at Oliver.

But the company dog didn't even glance at Oliver. She stood in front of Karl and folded her arms. The thing on her chest, modified or not, was pressed down by the company uniform. Under her folded arms, it formed a considerable arc.

"I've seen the surveillance. I'm not blind. I know who was the main force. Don't worry, I'm not with the NCPD, I'm not some vigilante with a misplaced sense of justice, and I'm not a relative or friend of the garbage you killed. I have something for you to do. The reward is 100,000 euros. Interested?"

"100,000 euros?"

As expected, Karl was instantly attracted by the number. But he quickly came to his senses. "So, you're here to hire us."

Karl's expression changed instantly. A smile appeared on his face, and his tone turned enthusiastic.

"You said you were a guest earlier. Miss... company employee, please sit down. Let's talk about it in detail. As long as it's within our capabilities, we can handle it for you."

The company dog had become a client, so Karl temporarily set aside his prejudice.

Oliver and Jack exchanged glances, both showing a hint of contempt for Karl in their eyes. But they acted quickly, standing up to make room for Karl and the company employee to chat.

If you have a job for us, just say so earlier. We're all family here—why be polite?

100,000 euros. For a low-level mercenary, that was more money than they could typically earn in a year.

The company employee glanced at Jack and Oliver but seemed displeased by the seats they had kindly vacated. She didn't seem willing to sit in a seat previously occupied by the two mercenaries. She looked around and found an empty chair next to Karl. Although it wasn't particularly clean, at least no one had sat there before she arrived. She chose that one and sat down.

After sitting, she pulled out a data chip and handed it to Karl.

Karl took the chip, inserted it into the access port he had just modified yesterday, and read its contents, which appeared in his field of vision.

After a few seconds of scanning, Karl removed the chip and handed it back to her.

"What do you think?"

"What's your name?"

Karl's tone was more serious this time. The job was doable.

"You don't need to know my name. Just complete the task. Let me know if you can do it."

"Of course. But how do I send you proof of completion?"

"Call this number and send me a photo. Don't call me unnecessarily—I'm very busy."

The company employee transmitted the contact information to Karl and transferred 30,000 euros to him.

"This is a deposit, an advance payment. Don't think about running away with the money unless you're not afraid of me using the remaining amount to buy your life."

After giving her warning, the company employee stood up. She moved briskly and walked out in high heels. From the moment she entered the Wild Wolf Bar to the moment she left, she hadn't spoken a word to anyone else or even glanced at them.

"Karl, what's the deal?"

Oliver, understanding that Karl had just accepted a mission, asked curiously.

"I'm sorry I accepted the mission without asking you first."

"It's okay, buddy. Don't sweat the small stuff. Honestly, it's pretty awesome. Someone came to us with a mission this quickly. I'm thrilled."

Oliver was still curious. "So, what's the mission?"

"Wait a moment."

Raising his hand to signal Oliver to hold off, Karl turned to Jack, who was observing them, and said, "Jack, since you're working solo now, want to join us on this mission?"

"Me? Can I?"

Jack understood that any mission brought by a company employee would likely have a significant reward. He didn't expect Karl to invite him to join in on such a lucrative opportunity.

"The more, the merrier."

Karl smiled. "So, are you in?"

"Brother, of course, I'm in."

Seemingly moved by Karl's smile, Jack agreed without hesitation. He didn't even ask about the mission details or the reward. His trust was wholehearted.

"Alright, let's split the deposit first."

Oliver and Jack's eyes lit up. They hadn't even started the mission, but Karl had already decided to share the 10,000 euros each.

"My god, that's a generous deposit. What's the mission about, brother?"

"It's not a mission that compromises conscience or involves anything disgusting."

As Jack marveled, Karl outlined the task briefly:

"Go to a Vortex Gang site in the Watson District, where 20 people are stationed. Find a box the gang stole from the company, destroy it, and take a photo of the remains as proof."

"So, this company girl has something to hide," Jack mused, guessing the box might contain sensitive materials.

"It's probably blackmail material. Isn't that how it usually goes in Japanese movies?" Oliver suggested knowingly.

But Karl pondered the connections. The Vortex Gang had previously robbed the Sixth Street Gang. Now, this company employee who saw him fighting the Vortex Gang had come to him for help. Was there a link, or was the Vortex Gang simply on a spree of robberies?

There wasn't enough information to know. It wasn't worth overthinking.

What mattered now was—

"Shall we go?"

"After we finish eating."

Oliver and Jack stuffed their mouths with ham slices.

Well, the kind made from questionable raw materials.