How To Live as a Cyberpunk Solver

133. Bridge

No matter what anyone says, the trick of the fixer is finding people.

If you know their name, appearance, approximate address, or where they are frequented, finding them hidden anywhere in the city was no easy feat. As promised to the new client, I was able to catch the ‘middle leg’ before the sun went down.

“I heard it’s dark under the lamp…”

“It’s the brightest under the lamp.”

The hideout of the middle bridge was 11-2 Street. It’s a place where you can touch your nose if you fall down in Leonard’s office, and it was a place where you passed in front of you twice a day today.

“It’s the boundary between White Town and Junk Town. As the name suggests, it works well as a bridge. What did you say about this? middleman? Introducer?”

“I’m just a broker.”

Leonard looked very disapprovingly at the assistant who had been babbling ever since. Normally, I would have squeezed one, but I was sorry to touch it because I knew what a dented bun was and pouted. I was forced to be careful because I was at an age where I was very sensitive to my appearance.

Leonard knocked on the rusty iron door behind the villa on 11-2 Avenue. A red light came on on the head-high camera and a thick voice came out of the speaker.

– This is not the entrance! Come in the front door!

“I came to see Joy Bridge.”

It was a pretty fun tangent. The camera turns off and after a while, it claps! Kirik-! A sound rang out. Leonard and Max took one look at each other and passed through the iron gate.

It is a backwater warehouse on the first floor of the building, and the indoor passage leading to the lobby was blocked with clutter and space was secured to make it a hideout. It was dark and damp by Leonard standards, but it was a decent office for a backstreet life with nothing.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you, who introduced you?”

“What does that matter?”

Backstreet gangs, not well-to-do tax-paying citizens, but dubious to call gangs or scavengers, appeared everywhere. There were five of them, one in the front, one on the right, two on the left, and one on the door lock, all armed with power pipe guns. Leonard definitely picked the captain among them.

“Is that Joey?”

There was personal information from the new client, so I found out right away with a scan, but I asked politely as it was awkward to pretend to know. However, going through the confirmation process was the same on the other side.

“You came here as an introduction to a precious person.”

“Ah… do you use your own name?”

“Seeing that you know that, you’re a pro, too?”

Max looked at the two in bewilderment. Actually, it was a simple trap.

‘Joy Bridge’ was a pseudonym, as the odd name suggests. And it wasn’t the only pseudonym. It was a writer who used a different name for each transaction partner. In other words, if a visitor identified the person he or she was looking for, it was possible to roughly know who introduced him and what he was doing. Presumably, the name ‘Joy’ is the name used when dealing with people from White Town or those related to psychochips. Gun barrels popped up all over the place.

“I keep an eye on the news.”

“Are you proud?”

“If that happened during the day, there’s no way they’d send someone to buy more chips, right? Aren’t you saying you’re going to kill us to erase our filthy traces?”

That was what the new client wanted. As expected, Prora knew the psychology of the White Town rich people well. Leonard slightly raised his hands and trembled.

“Don’t overlook that. Because it’s not like that.”

“Isn’t that the guy who came to Joy Bridge like that?”

“I’m not Ryan Bourne, and if I were going to fight you, would I have come with a kid like this?”

What the old client was looking for was information on the seller of psycho chips connected to the Liberation Front. Leonard liked to keep things in order. I asked for this first.

“Do not lie.”

“Gu-gu-ra… When was it a buzzword?”

Max couldn’t stand the chatter, so he added another word. The gaze was focused for a moment, but it didn’t spoil the atmosphere very much. Leonard tried again.

“Did this person live only by being deceived? Didn’t you say you saw the news? Since the Public Security Headquarters was directly established, it is only a matter of time before the FAP invades. Even if it wasn’t for me, you and the psycho chip sellers would all be arrested.”

“Will those rich people reveal their shame so easily? Since they are the children of wealthy families, even the proud public security officers will not be able to touch them by force, and it is obvious that they will keep their mouth shut and send a mercenary like you to erase the records.”

Leonard brushed his bangs and laughed as if he was dumbfounded. But on the inside, I was admiring it. My eyesight was ninety-nine, how far I had rolled on this floor. In other words, it was just one point short.

Leonard lowered his hand, staring straight at Joy Bridge and his men. Bizarre hexagonal pupils glittered.

“Didn’t the nobleman who knew that still run away?”

“Hey, what the fuck! Hacker!”

They were also capable friends. He recognized Leonard’s identity only with his implant eyes. But even this was a bit lacking. If he knew that the opponent was a hacker, he would have to take care of the implant security first, but he pulled the trigger first, as if he was embarrassed. The thugs on the left and right punched their chins vertically. thump-!

“Put the gun away! don’t shoot! It’s a perception hack!”

The ability to recognize the enemy was broken, so when he attacked, he shot at the wrong place. You could shoot yourself, you could shoot your neighbor.

Even if you use a knife or a blunt weapon, it is difficult to attack, but it takes more load than a finger toss, so you can control it to some extent. It means that if you go into a hand-to-hand combat, you can counter it.

“You really know a lot, don’t you?”

If it hadn’t been for this incident, it might have been a useful source of information. Leonard brushed off his disappointment and ran the second hacking program.

“aaah!”

The third subordinate, who was picking up the iron club, covered his eyes and screamed. For this reason, it was necessary to use high-quality eyeballs with a water-cooling function. Overheating can be prevented, and dust can be washed with tears, but if you use a machine that does not look good even if you save a few credits, the repair cost will increase.

“Black coat, hacker fixer… Leonard Walker…?”

Excluding Joy Bridge, there is still one person left. It was close to the door, so I could run away, but I ran into it with my bare body, whether it was full of loyalty or lack of wisdom.

“Hyaat-!”

The target was not Leonard, but Max, who was nearby. It seemed like they were trying to turn the situation around by taking them hostage. I wasn’t smart either. Hackers weren’t everything they saw. I had enough time to hack, so I planted this and that. I was able to neutralize it without moving a finger. I didn’t even need that now.

“Fixer Rule #11! Don’t rush at the guy with the gun!”

Max spun the shotgun around his side and pulled the trigger. It was aiming and firing as naturally as flowing water.

“Are there ten rules?”

“I made it. I am the only heir to the office.”

It’s a claim that shows off worldly desire, but I haven’t been able to take a look at it now. I had to interrogate Joy Bridge, who had lost all her friends and subordinates.

“My introduction must have been late. It’s none other than Leonard Walker, who works as a fixer on the next block.”

It’s definitely not Ryan Bourne, but it felt like he was duped because he was just as terrifying as he was.

@Leonard didn’t get a hitman. It was a story known to anyone who dipped their feet into this floor even a little bit, no, anyone who even donated ears.

“So if I had cooperated, I wouldn’t have killed him.”

“Fuck…then you should have revealed your name from the beginning…”

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Joy Bridge, her real name is different, but she wasn’t interested in it, so the man who was just Joy Bridge felt unfair. I lost my subordinates, memory chips, and even the hideout because of the information I didn’t do much.

“Is the Psycho Chip trading volume so high?”

“Because there are many people who have to protect themselves.”

“Are there people who live like a trend?”

“You should know better?”

Leonard extracted information from the stolen memory chips. Judging from Joy Bridge’s professionalism, it’s highly likely that the really important information is kept separately, but I didn’t touch it that far. Leonard’s job was to delete the information about the distributor selling the psycho chip and the records related to the new client, Olivia. Both didn’t take long.

“There are a lot of people doing business like this, but there are only three people selling things? Really?”

Max looked suspiciously at gunpoint. Joy Bridge looked at the young solver with a different expression.

“Do you think this is a common e-drug? Shall we plug in one by one morning and evening?”

“…aha?”

The amount that one person can use is only 2-3, and customers who purchase more than that have become customers who can no longer trade. Compared to spraying it here and there, the amount of shipment was not large.

“And there is a rumor.”

“A rumor?”

“Rumor has it that the Terrorist Liberation Front is making these chips.”

“That’s not a rumor, it’s real… Eup! town!”

Leonard covered Max’s mouth and gave him a quiet glance. The secret of the performance was also a secret, so it was not allowed to reveal it carelessly.

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Joey Bridges, who was about to close his business, didn’t know what to think on the inside, but he didn’t care on the outside.

“Carefulness is no joke. I’m basically selling a vendor like me in two or three pieces. The three of them are also direct sales, so I’m not sure.”

Leonard pulled the memory chip out of its socket, checked it back and forth, and squeezed it. Precise electronic devices could not handle the ignorant grip and were crushed as they were.

“Fuck… fuck…”

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Joy Bridge muttered a small double curse. Now, it looks like I’m really going to close my business or take a long break.

“With this, the matter has been resolved.”

Leonard sent the video of the Joy Bridge and the broken memory chip to the new client and got an immediate response. 4,000 credits came in as a lump sum.

“Let’s move on.”

“for a moment! Wait! What about that person?”

Max pointed to the Joy Bridge. With my friends dead and my business destroyed, I could harbor a grudge and retaliate. I expressed my opinion with a few movements that I should cleanly deal with things that have happened like this. Putting a gun-shaped finger on your head and snickering with your mouth probably doesn’t mean anything else. Leonard was embarrassed, but it was Joy Bridge who was really embarrassed.

“They’re hired on credit! Hey, you know because you took my memory? Not friends or anything!”

“That’s the way… hmm…”

“If you do this, the store will be robbed and your subordinates will die! If you remember all those things and take revenge, how can you live in such a hard way? Besides, former Hexagon? Oh My God! I just have to be thankful for being alive and live! is not it?”

When Leonard pretended to be troubled, Joy Bridges spoke even more enthusiastically about how timid she was. Leonard said to Max, who had grown up before he knew it, ‘Is this enough?’ After making a face, I turned around. Max fidgeted with his shotgun, then reluctantly followed.

“Are you really just leaving? Leave it alive like that?”

“You got what you need.”

“Yet it is. Whew. Mr. Leonard is really soft.”

“Other people don’t know, but you shouldn’t say that.”

Leonard pouted his lips because Max was the most representative person who had stepped back. Leonard opened BrainChip’s call list and entered a name. There was no way he could see the vision of the whole brain, but Max asked with his experience and insight.

“Are you Mr. Skinhead?”

Since I received the request, I have an obligation to share information, and I needed a little cooperation for a smooth solution.

“One of the three was killed by Kruger and Elia, and there are two left.”

“Then it would be better to play at the same time?”

It won’t be just Joy Bridges watching the news. Knowing that the citizens of White Town have become psycho cyborgs, they will humble themselves. Leonard took out the candy and revealed the most important reason.

“We have to finish quickly and finish the hotel construction.”