Malfunctioning Utopia

Chapter 8: Song 6PUS

Sun Jack never expected the owner of the prosthetic arm to still be alive.

“You’re still not dead?” Tapai, equally surprised, raised his gun, only for Sun Jack to stop him. “Can you not be that efficient?”

Taking advantage of the brief pause, the man with the caved-in skull quickly spoke up. Switching to a language Sun Jack could understand, he pleaded, “Help me! Get me out of here! I’ll pay you 30 @coins!”

Hearing this, Sun Jack, who had been ready to leave, paused and gave the man a once-over, silently weighing his options.

They were going to need money to get out of this mess, and having another person might add some much-needed safety in numbers—especially a local who knew the area. Besides, Sun Jack had just used the guy’s blood to stay alive.

“Only 30? Is that all your life’s worth? You’re making it hard for me to agree.”

“Bro, these are @coins! Do you have any idea how long it takes to mine that much using just machines?” the man retorted.

After a brief moment of thought, Sun Jack pulled Tapai aside. “What the hell is @coin? Is it really that valuable?”

“Yeah,” Tapai replied. “@coin is a decentralized cryptocurrency widely used here. It’s one of the mainstream currencies. At current rates, 30 @coins could buy you an entry-level hover supercar.”

Hearing this, Sun Jack’s perspective on @coins shifted.

“Alright, see if you can patch him up. If he regains mobility, we’ll take him along. If not, we’re not dragging dead weight.”

“Got it.” Tapai nodded and approached the injured man.

Tapai’s sensor line pierced into the man’s body and quickly assessed his condition. Moments later, the previously motionless figure twitched to life.

“D**n it, your heart’s been shot through. Your implanted auxiliary heart pump isn’t getting enough power, so you’re paralyzed.”

The man cursed angrily, “F***ing hell! They used black-market parts for my implants! Just wait till I get my hands on them!”

“Hey, dented head, can you move? If you can, let’s go—it’s not safe here,” Sun Jack said, the sound of gunfire and explosions growing louder in the background.

“Wait, hold on,” the man said, brushing his messy hair back with his only hand. He pressed a button on his tattered black jacket, and a holographic screen sprang to life in front of him.

Before Sun Jack could figure out what was going on, the man began speaking excitedly. “Hahaha! Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m back! Song 6PUS is alive and streaming again! I was just dead for a moment—now let’s continue the broadcast!”

The floating screen suddenly filled with comments and emojis, a flurry of activity from his viewers interacting with him.

“You’re streaming?” Sun Jack was stunned. He had assumed this guy was a mercenary like himself, not a livestreamer.

With a bullet whizzing past overhead, Sun Jack ducked down in disbelief. “You’re telling me you came here... to stream?!”

Song 6PUS turned from the screen, flashing a smug grin that revealed a shiny gold tooth. “Of course! Do you have any idea how big of a deal it is online when something this huge falls from the sky? In this business, hype equals money. If you know how to capitalize on it, anyone—human or dog—can strike it rich!”

“Do you even know what hype is? Hype is virtual gold flowing right into your pockets!” he declared enthusiastically.

Sun Jack could barely comprehend it. If he hadn’t saved this guy, he’d already be dead. What was the point of money if you were six feet under?

Shaking his head, Sun Jack motioned to Tapai, and the three of them started moving in the direction with fewer explosions and gunfire.

Fortunately, the others were too busy fighting each other, leaving the three of them in relative safety—for now.

As they walked, Song 6PUS kept talking non-stop to his livestream audience, his voice echoing across the chaotic battlefield.

“Look at this, my friends, just look! See that guy on the left with the rocket launcher? Isn’t that Old Snake from the Graffiti Gang? He’s trading blows with the Hyenas’ boys now,” Song 6PUS announced to his livestream audience. ŗАƝǒꞖÈ𝐒

“After that grudge in the subway tunnels, these two groups are officially at war,” he continued. “Oh? Thanks for the 0.25 @coin tip, Old Snake! Haha! Even in the middle of a fight, you’re making time to watch my stream? I’m touched!”

“You seem to know a lot about them,” Sun Jack remarked.

Song 6PUS puffed out his chest confidently, giving a thumbs-up. “Of course, bro! This is my bread and butter. I know everything going on in these streets.”

Sun Jack thought for a moment before asking, “Do you know a bald guy who can turn invisible?”

The image of the man who had nearly killed him flashed through his mind. The smugness on that face as he severed Sun Jack’s arm... Sun Jack’s new metal hand clenched involuntarily at the memory. He wasn’t going to let it slide—the gaping wound in his stomach and the loss of his arm demanded retribution.

“Bald guy? There are tons of bald guys in the city. Got any other details?” Song 6PUS asked.

“He has an inverted cross branded on his neck.”

“Oh, Satan Boy? That gang operates out of the Teutonic District, but I don’t run with them. Wait, hold up—someone in my stream knows about this.”

Lowering his head slightly, Song 6PUS began scanning the chat. “That guy’s name is Krv1loi. He’s a small-time leader in the Satan Gang, runs about ten guys. Word is his camo tech is military-grade—top-notch stuff.”

“Got it. Thanks for the info.” Sun Jack filed the name away for later. Payback was a matter of time.

“Oh?!” Song 6PUS suddenly exclaimed, excitement lighting up his face. “Thank you, Krv1loi, for the rocket shell gift! Much appreciated!”

The next moment, Sun Jack’s vision flared as something shot toward them at high speed.

Instinctively, he raised his new arm. A red-tipped shell fired from his palm cannon, intercepting the incoming projectile mid-air. The collision triggered a massive explosion, and the shockwave blasted all three of them off their feet.

Song 6PUS surfaced from a puddle, sputtering and swearing into his stream. “F***! You son of a b****! You actually sent a real one?!”

By the time Sun Jack staggered to his feet, wincing in pain, he saw a group emerging from the rain. Leading them was none other than the bald man who had almost killed him.

The man’s face was a mask of fury as he leveled a gun at Sun Jack’s head. “You motherf*er! I heard you were asking about me in some idiot’s livestream? What, planning some revenge? Who the f do you think you are?”

It was obvious he had tracked them down through Song 6PUS’s stream.

“Are you kidding me?!” Sun Jack was losing his mind. Without hesitation, he opened fire, yelling furiously as bullets sprayed toward the bald man and his group. “Could you people at least focus on killing each other during a gunfight? Why the hell is everyone still watching streams?!”

“F*** you! Who the hell are you to tell me what to do? I’ll watch whatever I damn well please! I’ll watch porn while taking you down!” the bald man shot back, lobbing a grenade in a graceful arc straight at Sun Jack.