How To Live as a Cyberpunk Solver

111. family

Leonard’s methods of finding people varied. How to hack city hall’s tax information or corporate personnel information, how to blackmail or bribe a work colleague to get personal information, how to hide in places where targets often appear and wait recklessly, and so on.

“Of course it’s the first one, right?”

“The third, of course.”

The most hassle-free way was to meet face-to-face without involving a third party. However, it had the disadvantage of taking a long time as the risk was low. Young and brave Max did not like it.

“It’s not really about going undercover.”

Leonard was a hacker. It’s not something to brag about, but he was an excellent hacker who skillfully handled the latest programs. Although corporate hacking is burdensome, street cameras and implant devices could easily be stolen.

“If you find a video from before last September and trace the movement, you can get the approximate address.”

Most private cameras do not keep records for long and cannot be fully traced. Still, even though I lived on the street a few times, the work was easy.

“As long as you are a human, you will see the market, so it is not difficult if you search the local mart’s access records or credit payment records.”

“Is it difficult enough?”

It was a daunting task for Leonard alone. But with a high-powered Android assistant, it’s a different story.

Leonard borrowed Sigma’s facial recognition and implant identification capabilities to scan all the 3-3rd Street cameras for clues. The video passed in seconds.

“How long does it take?”

“3 hours if it takes long?”

It was a possible time because it was White Town. If it was a junk town black market, there was no way. Leonard delegated the task to Sigma and thought the other way for a moment.

As I said before, there were usually two reasons for looking for people. family or debt collectors. As a scavenger and mutant, King had a hard time fitting into both.

‘If I didn’t fall from the sky, would I have a family?’

If the parents were wealthy, they would treat them early – usually amputations – and replace them with implants, but they usually just left them on the street or in the wasteland. In a place where even a cyborg with a full-body implant would be hard to survive, the chances of a newborn baby converging to zero.

‘How is the King alive?’

I imagined a fairy tale where mice feed and put them to sleep, and then I put them away. It is true that King’s ability was bizarre, but it was not the ability to call miracles. And to say that he grew up in the sewers, he has a noble way of speaking and excellent intelligence…

“I found it.”

It ended sooner than expected. Leonard checked the video after a moment of synchronization. Sigma said with a smile.

“It is not a video. I found a credit payment record.”

“…delivery?”

It was a service that was not available in Junk Town, where the owner bought it and robbed it. Leonard got up after checking the records of the 3rd-7th street distribution marts recently traded.

“let’s go.”

The role of mechanical assistant is over. It was the turn of the two-legged human sidekick. Max smiled broadly and packed his gear.

“Can I drive?”

“no.”

In White Town, Blueby was good in many ways. And Leonard had no intention of putting him behind the wheel of a new car.

@White Town’s high-end mart has better records than Junk Town’s alley market, and drone delivery was easier to track than shopping in person. This is because the personal information and address of the payer are detailed.

“This is not a black market. When you make a fuss, the scary public security man comes! So stay calm.”

Looking at the precedents so far, I couldn’t believe it, but in White Town, I was ‘somewhat’ careful. This is because it is annoying when public security and disputes arise, and it is a headache in many ways when citizenship is revoked.

“I’m not even a child…”

“You are right child. You don’t even get a car license.”

“Chit… Why are you bringing such a child?”

One of Max’s usefulness was that he was a ‘child’. Neither town nor the implanted pure child did not buy the vigilance.

“uh? Wait. Is this a bit strange?”

However, Max’s own usefulness was different. Although he doesn’t have as much experience as Leonard or can perform high-performance arithmetic like Sigma, he has the ability to see things from multiple angles and make inferences.

“You have the same taste as me!”

Max glanced over the information Sigma had sent him on his phone. In addition to the account, time, and address, the contents of the order were detailed. There was a lot of grain and unprocessed meat mixed in. Leonard looked at him pathetically.

“Your taste is advanced?”

“That’s an obvious fact, but more than that, it’s the diet that living humans eat.”

Leonard conceded after going through the list of recent orders. It was uncontaminated food material that human organs could digest.

“Originally, rich people only eat good things.”

“Uh… are there any canned goods that don’t look too good?”

Leonard parked the Blue Bee in front of a luxury villa on 3rd-7th Streets and hit the brakes. Jamie Bolt’s residence was directly across the street.

“You’ll know when you meet him in person.”

Security was excellent, befitting a wealthy neighborhood in a single-digit district. From the entrance of the building, we started looking for visitors. Leonard put the jack behind his neck and connected it directly to the security panel. It didn’t take 3 seconds.

-Welcome, Mr. Jamie Bolt.

“Did you steal your ID?”

What is reflected in the camera lens is Leonard wearing a hooded hood, but what is displayed on the video device is a woman in her 40s with a benevolent expression.

“This is basic.”

After breaking through the door, the rest was a breeze. The Android guard guarding the lobby and the AI guide in the elevator also recognized and greeted him as Jamie Bolt.

“Wow… Wow…”

Max, who came to the real rich neighborhood for the first time, was repeatedly impressed. Everything was luxurious, from the ceiling height, floor design, and lighting brightness. There were even six elevators, all of which were working.

“It’s better than the last hospital.”

“Because it’s a public facility, after all.”

The rich man’s elevator rose quietly, without sound or vibration. Because the resident’s ID was used, procedures such as confirmation of the purpose of visit, connection, and permission were omitted.

-29th floor. have a good day.

The AI greeted me with a gentle voice and opened the elevator door. Not Leonard’s cheap hallway villa, but the front porch. Leonard rang the bell and waited for a while.

-…Who are you?

I thought it was a home android, but I decided it was a human. Not even Sigma, but no Android had such a gruff voice.

“My name is Leonard Walker.”

-I didn’t ask for your name.

It was clear that he knew how to make people feel bad. But the illegal visitor was not angry.

“He’s the one who works as a fixer in Junk Town.”

No one liked the fixer in any village. What if Max revealed that, he cast his gaze. Again, I couldn’t keep up with the president in terms of age.

-…What happened to the fixer?

“Someone is looking for you. Of course, to protect the identity of the client, I cannot tell who it is.”

Leonard waited patiently for a response. If you get angry and ask if you’re joking, you don’t know anything, and if you deny there’s no such person, you know something. But Jamie Bolt’s reaction was neither.

Cheek-kki-ik…

The front door, which would not budge even with machine gun fire, opened slowly. Even for the experienced Leonard, the ‘invitation’ was an unexpected development.

“As expected, Mr. Leonard…”

He just put on an expression that he expected because he was in front of Max. Even if the inside is pretty complicated.

@Max is full of curiosity, but he put his visit to rich houses aside for a while. It wasn’t the mood to take a leisurely look around the house.

My first impression of the space three times the size of Leonard’s office was ‘dark’. All the lights were off and the blinds were dark.

“Sit over here.”

Homeowner Jamie Bolt pointed to the sofa in the living room. Compared to the gloomy atmosphere, the house was tidy.

“I didn’t expect guests to come, so I didn’t prepare anything.”

“There is nothing to worry about.”

I already didn’t care. Jamie Bolt let out a short sigh as he sat across from the sofa. She is a beautiful woman with distinct features, and she looks younger than her actual age thanks to the use of good implants. However, a face as gloomy as the corner of the house did not appeal to me. As the silence grew longer and there was a sense of awkwardness, Jamie Bolt opened his mouth.

“How is King?”

I already knew who the client was. Leonard was embarrassed and coughed.

“If you’re asking about your health, you’re doing well.”

If you ask about economic power or living environment, you have to tell them about the scavenger’s tough life, but fortunately, Jamie Bolt didn’t ask that far.

“I’m so glad.”

The awkwardness was about to set in again when Max quickly intervened.

“It’s strange to ask such a thing, but what’s your relationship with Mr. Schultz?”

“Schultz?”

“Your last name, Mr. King, is Schultz, right?”

He didn’t seem to know everything about King. Jamie Bolt hesitated and asked cautiously.

“Could you take me to where the King is?”

“It’s not a good place for outsiders to hang out.”

“If you can find me, the maze of sewers won’t be a problem.”

I didn’t know King’s last name, but I knew where he lived. I needed to closely match what I knew and what I didn’t know.

“It was King Schultz who hired us. First of all, since you are a client, we cannot disclose information without your permission.”

“Isn’t it exposure that revealed your purpose to me?”

“That was done as a friend, not as a fixer.”

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Jamie Bolt’s expression changed. It wasn’t that I was angry. On the contrary, it was joy and relief.

“Then can you guide me as a friend?”

“No, because we’re not that close again… And what does that have to do with you?”

“If you’re your friend’s mother, can’t you ask for that kind of favor?”

The rope, which had been carefully pushed and pulled, was suddenly pulled. Leonard and Max, who had fallen mentally, burst into moaning after a while.

“Eh?”

Maybe once wasn’t enough.

“…uhhhhh?”

@To clear up any misunderstanding, I’d like to clarify first that it wasn’t my birth mother.

It was a chance encounter with Jamie Bolt dispatched to A-044 City.

“At the time, he was like a little puppy. And that’s because he was only three years old.”

I expected it to some extent with its classy tone and cultured behavior. What was unexpected was the age.

‘The year Jamie Bolt came to A-044 City…’

‘So how old is Mr. King…?’

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Jamie Bolt’s wrinkles softened.

“I must be 16 now.”

With that face and that size, being the same age as Max shocked me the most.

“Oh my God…”

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Jamie Bolt smiled as Leonard and Max opened their mouths. It seemed to be taken in a different way.

“It wasn’t officially adopted. They are not legally parents. But no matter what anyone says, I’m King’s mother.”

Leonard glanced at the kitchen. 50% of Jamie Bolt’s body was implants. In particular, most of the organs were implants. However, the food on the table was a living human diet that Max could eat right away.

“I can’t take you to the King.”

“but…”

King wouldn’t want it. I’m sure he’s a prodigal son who ran away from home, but he wouldn’t want to show his parents what he’s living like now. Then there was only one way.

“If you’re bringing the King, I’ll think about it.”

It is not a hacker’s specialty to persuade biological humans, even mutants, but nothing was easy with the original solver request.