Malfunctioning Utopia

Chapter 32: Dinner

Sun Jack racked his brain but still couldn’t figure out which branch of the eight major Chinese cuisines "Ke-style cuisine" belonged to.

Regardless, a free meal was a free meal. No matter what Song 6 was up to, skipping a free dinner would just be a waste, and it would save him the cost of a meal.

As the dark rain clouds started to recede, Sun Jack set off with Tapai. To his surprise, the so-called Ke-style cuisine restaurant was located on the edge of the Teutonic District near the city center.

This district was starkly different from his Queens District apartment. There were fewer homeless people, less trash and excrement, and a noticeable increase in BCPD hover vehicles patrolling the skies.

Glancing at his map, Sun Jack noticed that Club 69 was also in this district, albeit at the opposite end from the restaurant.

The restaurant was adorned with red lanterns, and its wooden tables and chairs gave it a distinctively Eastern flair compared to the rest of The Metropolis.

But as Sun Jack laid eyes on the dishes, he was at a complete loss for words.

The appetizer featured a watermelon-sized black spider, its abdomen stuffed with wriggling tentacles. The spider's roasted head was filled with gooey, gelatinous spider eggs, each plump and glistening.

This was just the start—dishes like eyeballs bobbing in blood-red tomato soup and live "Stargazer Pie" followed. Each course was more grotesque than the last. Sun Jack couldn’t even consider eating; just looking at them was mentally scarring.

He opened his mouth to say something but ultimately stayed silent. This place had thoroughly defeated him.

"Why aren’t you eating?" Song 6 asked, wolfing down the food. "Don’t know how to use chopsticks? Scan the code on the corner of the table, and you can download the behavior module directly into your neural system."

"Merciful Buddha, PUS donor, have you forgotten? His neural system is external and can’t use behavior modules," said King Kong, a hacker who had joined them for the meal. He casually detached his jaw and tipped a writhing plate of stir-fried madness into his mouth.

Besides King Kong, Four Ai and Father were also present, all of them eating with gusto—Father was somehow still alive.

Four Ai lazily raised her hand. "Get him a fork, then. What a country bumpkin, can’t even use chopsticks. Waiter~"

"No need. I can use chopsticks." Sun Jack grabbed a pair, closed his eyes, and blindly picked something to shove into his mouth.

Despite the bizarre appearance of the food, the taste was unexpectedly good. It even had the distinct "wok hei" flavor. However, when he opened his eyes and realized what he’d just eaten, he couldn’t stop himself from turning his head and retching.

"What kind of ridiculous Chinese restaurant is this? Did chefs from the Dark Cuisine World open this place?" As a native, Sun Jack felt deeply insulted.

"Can’t stomach it? And your native language is Mandarin?" Song 6 asked with a sly grin.

Wiping his mouth, an exasperated Sun Jack glared at Song 6.

"Why the hell did you drag us here? If it’s just for dinner, I’m already full from the sights!"

"Of course it’s not just for dinner. Hehe, have you seen today’s headlines?" Song 6 asked with a sleazy smirk.

Sun Jack was momentarily confused, having paid no attention to the news. A quick neural system search pulled up a short video.

"According to reliable sources, the lead singer of 'For Your Throat' (I&W) has been summoned by BCPD for murder charges. Video evidence reveals the suspect illegally modified an AAB robot for use in dark SEX parties with multiple individuals, including the band’s previous two bassists. Five unidentified bodies were also found in the suspect’s home."

"Gaofeng Technology Corporation stated that unauthorized modifications of combat robots are considered personal actions and are not covered under warranty. Tampering with the product voids all after-sales services."

"Fans of 'For Your Throat' are now staging protests outside BCPD headquarters. At 2:34 PM, clashes broke out between fans and the police, resulting in three deaths." ŗä𝐍Ő₿ЁⱾ

"Look at that, huh? Such a sensational story, and we’re the ones who made it happen!" Song 6 boasted proudly. "Soon, we’ll make a name for ourselves on the streets!"

Sun Jack couldn’t fully grasp what Song 6 was saying, but he was deeply shaken. Every day in this chaotic city taught him something new.

The first to speak after Song 6’s spiel was the usually silent Father. "It’s all an illusion. When capital needs a smokescreen to distract public opinion, celebrities are thrown into scandals to divert attention. If we hadn’t done it, some other mercenaries would have. Whether it’s us or those rock stars, we’re just disposable rags."

Sun Jack turned to Father, who had narrowly escaped death. It seemed he knew something others didn’t.

"Celebrity scandals as smokescreens? Does that mean something big is happening in The Metropolis?"

Song 6 quickly shut off the livestream, leaning slightly toward Father and lowering his voice.

"Father, you know the rules. We take jobs, get paid, and don’t ask questions. Don’t get us into trouble."

Father chuckled lightly, took a sip of tea, and fell silent.

Sensing the tension, Song 6 plastered on a grin and turned to Sun Jack.

"Bro, you’ve got the biggest credit for this mission!"

Before Sun Jack could curse at him, the 0.5@ deposit that appeared in his account made him swallow his words. Apparently, he hadn’t extorted Song 6 hard enough—there was still money left to squeeze.

"So, what exactly do you want to say?" Sun Jack shoved Song 6’s greasy hand off his shoulder.

"Simple!" Song 6PUS raised his hands above his head, clapping loudly to draw everyone’s attention.

"I think we work well together. It’d be a shame to disband after just one job. Why don’t we form a permanent team and go for bigger scores?"

Everyone instantly understood his intentions—he wanted to turn their temporary group into a fixed crew.

"It’s getting harder to be a lone wolf these days. You either get screwed by middlemen or by clients. Strength in numbers, you know? I’ve got the connections to find big jobs, so we can stop doing these penny-ante gigs. If we make a name for ourselves, one job will pay more than a month’s work now!"

The others exchanged glances but didn’t immediately respond.

Sun Jack was actually inclined to agree. If he planned to keep working as a mercenary, it made sense to join a team. Surviving alone in an unfamiliar world was far harder than teaming up with others.

Of course, he wasn’t without his own cards to play. With his past training and muscle memory, he had yet to fully explore how to activate his unique abilities.

"We’re in, but on one condition."

"Huh? What condition?" Song 6PUS’s enthusiastic expression froze.

"From now on, you have to come along on every job," Sun Jack stated firmly.

"But I’d just be dead weight," Song 6PUS protested, throwing up his hands.

Tapai chimed in, backing Sun Jack up.

"We don’t care. Even if you’re just there waving pom-poms like a cheerleader, you need to be present during every mission."

"Of course, if your intel is as sloppy as last time, I’ll at least break your legs to cover our retreat. ψ(`Д´)ψ"