How To Live as a Cyberpunk Solver

123. business

In a city on the ground at the end of the century where human distrust pierces the sky, the most difficult question is ‘who pays first’.

When the unit exceeds three digits, there are often bullet agreements, and in this regard, four-digit brokers earn a living, so it was a very important issue.

“So… did you say Mr. Yakuza?”

Yakuza raised his mustache slightly.

“It’s not a name, it’s a nickname, but just call it that.”

Leonard was convinced after searching for ‘Yakuza’, which he seemed to have heard of somewhere. I thought it was not a gang, so I used a gang-down nickname.

“You’re saying you’re going to pay that much in advance without a broker’s guarantee?”

“I think Leonard Walker will do just that. Isn’t 20,000 credits a pittance compared to the value of your name?”

For Leonard, 20,000 is a lot of money, but he didn’t bother to reveal it.

“I’ll tell you just in case…”

“It is not a murder contract. Our organization does not have enough hands to entrust such a task.”

“What do you need a hacker for?”

Yakuza affirmed with a laugh. When people who know murder and violence as their calling call them experts, the answer is obvious.

“There was a commotion in front of this a while ago.”

“The news is fast.”

“Rumors say it’s anti-corporate terrorism…”

“However, it lacks depth.”

The Yakuza seemed to have accepted Leonard’s reaction positively, and leaned against the back of the sofa in a comfortable position.

“Why would those dissatisfied with corporations commit suicide in Junk Town?”

“Are you aiming for social unrest?”

“A bomb exploded? That’s an interesting remark.”

Yakuza raised a finger behind his shoulder. Equipped with a long knife, Jjoldagu pulled out a cigar box from his bosom. It was not a fake cigarette wrapped in waste paper with chemical substances, but a classic real cigarette rolled in fresh leaves. That one cigarette cost more than Max’s monthly allowance, so he was a great tycoon.

‘Implant security is also considerable…’

I poked it in a few places to plant a hacking program, but I wasn’t happy. If you forcefully pierce it, you can pierce it, but the request will go through the water.

The Yakuza cut the cap with an old-fashioned pair of scissors-cigar cutters and lit it with a torch lighter. It smelled like cheap chemical cigarettes and other savory almonds.

“Cheat demand.”

“Trickery?”

“He’s not a company, he’s targeting our organization.”

Leonard didn’t ask for evidence like an amateur. If it was a lie, then false evidence was also brought, so it was meaningless to ask the person involved.

– Sigma.

– There have been three suicide attacks in the past week.

– Where is the place?

-11th Street, 13th Street, 14th Street.

No casualty figures were released. The scavenger swept it away before the reporter arrived, so there was no way to know. Still, one thing was clear.

-It’s the Tiger Claw area.

13th and 14th Streets in Junk Town were entertainment districts. Since it was far from businesses, there was no reason to commit terrorism here.

“Looking at the fact that he wasn’t cutting with that great knife, he doesn’t seem to know who it is, and the request is a background investigation?”

Yakuza moved the cigar to his hand and let out a long puff of smoke.

“It doesn’t matter if I kill you, but if you ask like that, it will be a contract. I just need to find out who did it.”

“What is the deadline?”

“Of course, the sooner the better.”

“It can’t be, but what if we can’t find the one behind it?”

“What can I do?”

Max was relieved that he did not have to return the 20,000 credits even if the request failed. However, he was not a proud 7-year veteran.

“Five days. I can find it in five days.”

The yakuza sucked the smoke deep into his lungs and extinguished it by rubbing his cigar into a portable ashtray. Max’s nostrils flared as if he liked the scent of the cigar.

“I see, Leonard Walker. Then I will trust you.”

20,000 credits were directly deposited into the account. Maybe they just like it because it’s expensive.

@

No matter what, it is good to have uniforms.

Compared to starving without work, I was happy to earn credit by doing anything.

“What’s more, it’s a piece of money, isn’t it? Even if ‘I’ve been looking for it, but I don’t know’, the boss has pride, so he won’t tell you to spit it out. Is this really honey?”

“Do you know how expensive honey is?”

Natural honey was extinct, and artificial honey synthesized in factories was also traded in grams (g). In modern times, chemical seasonings that produce sweetness are very common, so honey, which is cumbersome in the production process, has become a luxury item beyond a luxury item.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Leonard corrected the missing conversation with Samcheonpo.

“The debt of the heart is also a debt. Will it be easier if you owe something when you have to mingle the Tiger Claw gang later?”

“Um…wouldn’t it be? Put that mind down for a moment.”

“…a good junk town kid.”

Leonard had no confidence in that. No, even Max, a child in a new country, would think about it at least once when something like that happened.

“And reputation is at stake. You know that many of our clients are entertainment people.”

The floor over there was dirty and the credits rolled around, so requests came in often. The reputation of the Tiger Claw gang that dominated the entertainment district was very important.

“You don’t get along with them, do you have any reputation left?”

“That and reputation are different.”

If the gangsters curse, the customer’s evaluation actually went up because he had the ability to fuck the gang and be fine. Leonard, Noah, and Ryan Vaughn all really did. However, being criticized for a failed commission was different. There was a big difference between being criticized as a competent bastard and being criticized as an incompetent scammer. I couldn’t afford to prepay.

“Um… so there are no easy credits. So what is the solution?”

I didn’t promise five days with just my pride without thinking. I sent clues to Sigma and Max terminals.

– will be remembered

Machines and humans looked at each other with sullen faces. Leonard confidently played one more time.

“This is the voice of a terrorist who may be anti-corporate or anti-gang.”

“…Is this the end?”

“If you do this, it will overflow.”

Assuming that the gang is the target, it is one of interest and resentment, and the focus was on interest. Max raised his right hand and asked a question.

“Isn’t the gang doing more grudges?”

“The method is messy. It doesn’t even fit.”

As far as building bombs and recruiting action squads to commit suicide, there were many easier and surer ways to get revenge. Bang on the street with stupid words! Nothing to do but bang in the gang hideout! Doing so was much more effective.

“Above all, revenge is publicity.”

“Promotion?”

“You often appear in movies. ‘This belongs to my friend David’, ‘Do you remember Jenny who died 10 years ago’, ‘My parents’ enemy! Be prepared!’ same thing.”

“Isn’t that a line you say because it’s a movie?”

“It is actually similar. I have a tremendous desire to make you regret and reflect on why you suffer and why you have to die. It feels bad when an enemy dies saying, “Ah, I’m dying because of bad luck.” Well, sometimes there are revenge plays that add to the pain by not telling them, but…”

Leonard thought of a classic classic movie and erased it from his mind. Anyway, it wasn’t an individual doing it because it wasn’t spending a few credits, and it wasn’t a simple grudge because it wasn’t an individual.

“Then the range will be reduced.”

“A group with a big stake in the business that the Tiger Claw Gang recently touched? Can we find the owner of the voice Leonard recorded there?”

He still needs to be scooped up, but he was a capable assistant who knew how to chew and swallow.

@

The most important thing in any case was information.

Techniques such as hacking, infiltration, and intimidation were means for information, and guns and knives were secondary tools used there. Therefore, information gathering was the basic quality and essential ability of solvers.

However, it was not easy to identify the right information in the cyber era where tens of thousands of pieces of information are pouring in every second. Professional knowledge, wide networking, steady social activities, etc. are required, but easily divided into credits and footsteps could be defined.

“Sigma doesn’t have feet?”

“There are high-performance chips instead.”

Leonard used both effectively and well. He asked Jake, the ‘broker’, for business information of the Tiger Claw gang, and instructed Sigma to search and verify the relevant information.

“Sigma doesn’t like accessing the net.”

“I can’t help it this time.”

When the broker changed the credits into information and transmitted them, Sigma corrected them to specific coordinates in cyberspace, and Leonard and Max went to the site on their own two feet.

It’s a pretty effective collaboration, but most of the business of the big gangs that took over the Junktown entertainment district was in vain. It only attacked a scene where pimps who did not pay protection tax to the gang were attacked once, and a funny business that was selected and sent to White Town was overthrown.

“Any other information?”

– You said you were looking for an organization? It’s not common to have an organization to fight a gang of the size of Tiger Claw, so what more are you looking for?

Leonard frowned at the complaint of the broker who was not worthy. Did you think the job was too easy? Back alley information was limited. Leonard took a bite of the lollipop and thought about it.

“yes. It’s not something a back alley merchant can do.”

-You, you are swearing at me…!

“Not you. A terrorist.”

Leonard also opened the communication from Sigma and told everyone.

“Among the businesses that Tiger Claw is involved in, look for businesses related to White Town.”

– Why is the Junk Town gang leaving White Town… Oh, I got it. just ask

Leonard looked around the office called the ‘Sorting Plant’, waiting for news. Boys and girls in their mid to late teens were huddled together. Some kids passed out unconsciously, but others stared at them with their eyes open. I couldn’t feel what kind of chip I had inserted.

“I just need to get some full-body implants, so why pay such a high price for them?”

“Ehh… I don’t know what rich people think.”

Max nodded in agreement. He was almost sold his organs in the underground city, so it wasn’t anyone else’s business.

– Mr. Leonard, I found a clue.

Before the credits, Balpum (Dive Poom?) asked for rice cakes first. The transmitted data was gradually filled from the corner of the field of vision.

-There is a business called ‘Kabuki’ in White Town that operates under a secret membership system.

“Kabuki? What’s your name?”

Leonard looked up the term and laughed. It was a strange business name than Yakuza.

-It’s a traditional performance from the Far East, and it’s a name well suited to the store’s characteristics.

After flipping through some data, Leonard was convinced.

“A performance is a performance.”

– To borrow Max’s expression, it’s an incomprehensible hobby of rich people.

All actors in Kabuki were male, but there were actors who played female roles. The name was just right. It was a bizarre establishment where a female body was manipulated to engage in sexual activity with oneself or to serve others.

I don’t know if that’s really good, but it’s the Tiger Claw Gang that provides the bodies to the companies, and the profits are huge beyond imagination. To the extent that there would be bombings to stimulate anti-corporate sentiment.