How To Live as a Cyberpunk Solver

16. Wealthy

It took a full day to get to A-040 City.

It is a little less than 100km in a straight line, but the driving distance has tripled as I twisted around avoiding the contaminated area. It was fortunate that we didn’t encounter any bandits or mutated beasts attacking the convoy.

“I was cold because I almost ran out of oil. I could have hitchhiked at my age.”

“What are you worried about with me? If it’s my cuteness, even the vicious public security agent will be kind… Evil! Don’t hit me!”

After two round trips like that, I returned to A-044 City. It was a bit of a struggle, but considering the 10,000 credits, it was a rewarding time. It was even a net profit of 10,000 without taxes and fees. I hummed and went to visit the twins. And I was disappointed in exactly 11 minutes and 17 seconds.

“Is this 10,000 credits?”

“It’s about 11,200 credits at the black market price, but I’ll give it a discount as a token of being a regular here. I don’t even pay for the procedure, so it’s completely profitable, right?”

“Shit! You’re not a gangster, are you?”

“Huh? You can’t walk out safely if you say that?”

Here, 21-1 Street was an implant parlour, as well as a gang den. Beyond the door were full of gangsters armed with Big Ground automatic rifles Leonard had brought to them.

Even the former Hexagon, where Leonard flew, jumped, and rolled, could not deal with dozens or even hundreds of gangsters. Then, instead of being a fixer, he created the Fixer Gang or the Hexagon Gang and ruled A-044 City.

“Then let’s look at things. I need to make sure it’s right.”

“I inspected it myself. Don’t you believe me?”

“How can you trust a gangster doctor you don’t even know his name?”

As if that statement had some truth, one of the twins pulled out a real object connected by wires.

“Thermo-optical camouflage module from Rykov. It definitely refracts from 380nm to 780nm, and can camouflage it by evenly lowering its thermal sensitivity by up to 20 degrees. Enemies with infrared eyes or ultrasonic sensors can’t be helped, but in general they’re pretty useful.”

“What is the general case?”

“Hmm… When stealing food from food stalls or spying on women’s baths?”

“It’s enough to hack the opponent’s eyeballs and see for yourself… Ah, no, I’m not saying that, just that I can do it.”

The first time I saw him, he was rough and had a sense of weight, but after getting to know him a little, he was Max. If you talk for a long time, you get dried up.

“But why Rykov? These guys don’t make anything right, they just spread this and that?”

“In exchange, it is cheap. Don’t you know the value? Didn’t you beat the allied forces that insisted on only the highest quality 7 years ago?”

It’s not wrong, but it wasn’t fun from the point of view of a soldier who died while being treated as a cost performance. When Leonard’s expression hardened, the twins misunderstood.

“Oh sorry. Were you allies?”

“There is nothing to be sorry about. It’s not like I have any affection for the military.”

Leonard decided after looking closely at the thermo-optical implant.

“I have to try it out or sell it as a used one.”

It wasn’t easy either. The implants were implanted in four places, the shoulder blade and the shinbone, and once installed, recovery was difficult. The twins, who hadn’t explained that, smiled broadly.

“Then, lay down here and experiment… No, customer.”

Leonard was startled as he lay on the operating table. If you think about it, no, even if you think about it running here and there, the twins were not completely sane doctors. I was worried if I could leave my body like this often.

“Next we go to White Town. really go.”

@

In a world where high-performance AI exists that is no different from humans, it is conscience, not intellect, that defines humans.

Disgusting to see injustice and inconvenient to tell lies were proof of being human, so the twins were human beings with implants and consciences all over their bodies, from the most complicated brain to the simplest teeth. He kept what he said on the line of his conscience.

“Is this a little sore? There is pain…”

“It’s because I’m not used to it. It will be fine in time.”

After connecting the newly installed implant to the brain chip and synchronizing it, several functions were created. As the twins said, they weren’t used to it yet, so they roamed the air, installed, approved, and encrypted, and started the test vehicle. An opaque optical curtain covered Leonard’s body. If you look carefully, there is a sense of difference in the surrounding objects, but it was difficult to notice easily in a dark or distracted place.

“Hmm… This can be done with cognitive impairment hacking…”

“That only fools the target’s visual sensor. I know you’re good at hacking, but how many can you do? three? four? And you can’t fool opponents who don’t have implant eyes like your sidekick. There are pros and cons, so just say thank you.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Yeah, that’s how it should be. Did you pay 10,000 credits for this?”

Leonard grumbled that this payment was not good and packed his clothes. Two hours passed, but it was still midday. Normally, I would go straight to the casino, but today I couldn’t because of Max. It’s a problem that even a complete cyborg can’t figure out, but it’s a problem because even a pure human is annoying.

Max didn’t doze off like last time. I was in a deep-deep-sleep with the chair tilted back and my saliva drooling. Leonard kicked the car door open and sat in the driver’s seat.

“Uh… uh… are you here already?”

“Look at your watch. Do you mean already?”

Max, who lacks a brain chip, pulls out his cheap phone to check the time and yawns.

“How much is the commission?”

“I got it, but I didn’t get it.”

“What is it?”

Leonard tapped it under the collarbone and started the engine.

“Let’s eat noodles.”

“Again? No meat other than noodles?”

“There is meat in noodles too.”

“It is artificial meat. I really want to eat meat.”

“Do you know how expensive ‘real’ is?”

Vegetables and fruits are also worth calling, but there was nothing to say about meat. It is said that you can buy things like mutant cows in the wasteland cheaply, but artificial meat is better than eating such things.

“Mr. Leonard was born in Lenox City.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s Sigma. You came to the surface seven years ago and started working as a fixer, right?”

“Disclosure of personal information, AI security is serious?”

It was worthless because it was information that everyone knew, from Jake, the broker, to everyone in the house below. Max, who did not know that, defended Sigma diligently before asking cautiously.

“The underground city is very rich. The streets are clean, and the people are pure. Do you eat real grain and real meat to your heart’s content there?”

“The fact that the old people are pure means that they did not have many implants. And the rich…”

Leonard paused, as if thinking about something. It was still a long way to 11-1 Street. Unable to remain silent, he parted his lips again.

“It is the same as here. The rich are rich, and the poor are poor. Even here, White Town’s high-air-breathing entrepreneurs eat only ‘real’ every day?”

“Wow… I’m envious…”

Max worked up his appetite, imagining the taste of ‘real’ meat. Back in the day, I was 15 years old without even graduating from middle school. There were many things I wanted to eat, things I wanted to know, and things I wanted to have. Leonard crushed his imagination as if it was nothing.

“There is not much difference from artificial meat. Only the texture is slightly different, but that also depends on the cut of meat and how it is grilled.”

“uh? Is the meat different for each part?”

“Of course not! Isn’t that common sense?”

Max made a funny face. It was not common sense to the residents of Junk Town who had never seen real meat.

“As expected, Mr. Leonard, have you tried ‘real’?”

“yes?”

It seemed like something was caught in an induction interrogation. Max muttered, covering his nose and mouth.

“Even in the underground city, only the rich eat ‘real’ food? Then Mr. Leonard was rich in the underground city, so why did he come up to the surface?”

Leonard admitted to being beaten by a fledgling.

“Did you come up with that out of curiosity? But won’t you tell me?”

Max was not disappointed. I shrugged.

“Well, since I found out that Mr. Leonard is rich, that’s fine. That’s how we get to know each other.”

“What do you do when you know that? Are you imitating the solver already?”

“If you are aspiring to be a fixer, you can call it a fixer.”

Leonard chuckled and turned the steering wheel.

“Let’s eat noodles.”

“…Still, the menu doesn’t change.”

There was nothing like noodles in Junk Town. At least it was 100 times better than an anchovy flavored energy bar.

@

There are differences among fixers, but usually, after finishing a task, I took a break for 1-2 weeks. No matter how good the credit is, it is useless if you die, so there was a little bit of a consumerist mindset to spend when you can use it and play when you can play. Leonard was no different. The 10,000 credits disappeared stuck in my shoulders and shins, but I didn’t intend to work as if I was being chased, even though my surplus funds weren’t running out. I’ve been busy working the past few days, but I need some rest.

“Why don’t we go to the casino on the second floor instead?”

Android Sigma, holding a vacuum cleaner in one hand, a mop in the other, a duster in the other, and a garbage bag in the other, said pathetically. Leonard, who was lying on the sofa and turning the chamber of the revolver, shook his hand in annoyance.

“They don’t do business there. Psycho cyborg destroyed it.”

“How about the 12th Street gambling house you went to last time?”

“I feel bad for Max over there. The service is also bad.”

Leonard responded nonchalantly, but belatedly felt something strange. How can I say it, is it the feeling of bruising the unemployed husband who rolls around the house during the day on weekdays?

“But why do you keep trying to kick me out? Is this my house?”

“anything. no.”

“Why is your voice like that? Is the speaking device broken?”

It was a second-generation Android that was randomly upgraded after being picked up from a junkyard.

“After earning a lot of credits, I switch to 4th gen Android.”

Cost is also cost, but I couldn’t do that because I was an analog believer. The human-like androids were somewhat distasteful.

“Hey, Mr. Leonard, do we have to do this? It’s not fun.”

Max stuck his head out of his room. There was a program called ‘Complete Comprehensive Elementary Education’.

“You want to learn how to hack?”

“Yes. I want to learn.”

“Then at least we should get rid of the multiplication table. Do you think hacking is a joke?”

Max gave a ‘Hi-ing’ sound and went back. This also felt strange. It must have seemed like scolding the youngest son for not wanting to do homework. Leonard sighed and sat up on the couch.

“In a situation like this, just do your job.”

It was Jake, the ‘broker’, his partner of 7 years who understood Leonard’s heart. The timing was good, as if it had been bugged.

– This is a new job. Do you have any thoughts?

Sigma from the kitchen and Max from the closet jumped out at the same time. I wasn’t in the mood to refuse.

“…what’s going on?”