How To Live as a Cyberpunk Solver

64. Information

More novels at readwn.com

Just as I found the phone number of my ‘first love’, I quickly found out my appearance, address, family relationship, and the store I frequent. It wasn’t difficult if you had the skills to hack the Junk Town communication tower and a little know-how.

“Not everyone who works for a company lives in White Town. Especially blue collar guys like guards.”

“Is that more interesting? How did you know you were here?”

‘First love’ Jessica Rabbit’s address was a studio on 11-7 Avenue. I bought two hot dogs during the evening peak time and confirmed that I was talking to my brother on the phone, and I succeeded in following him to the front of the house. It was a place with a high population density, so I didn’t suspect it even if I followed closely.

“I still have the credits I earn, but I’m not going to live in a brothel, and it’s hard to go to work on the downtown side, right? 11th and 12th streets are the most likely.”

It was a bonus to track the location based on the previous communication records. Leonard took a lollipop, gave it to his twinkling assistant, and looked up at the old villa.

It was better than the abandoned building in Junk Hill, but it was a 7-story villa with rust due to poor management. Garbage and construction materials left unattended for months also gave it an old feel. Still, there was one thing that was better than Leonard’s villa: the elevator worked just fine.

“The landlord here must be an angel.”

It was not a neat automatic elevator like the White Town Building, but an old-fashioned elevator that had to be opened and closed by hand. It was an elevator that can only be seen in old buildings, especially very old buildings, so it must be an old angel.

When Leonard closed the iron door and pressed the 7th floor button, Max made an uncomfortable expression.

“Should we meet?”

“why?”

“Now that I know the name, address, and contact information, it’s over. Just pass the information and finish.”

It seems awkward because he is a corporate mercenary. Or I’m ashamed to explain my first love. Leonard would normally do the same, but he showed himself because he had a personal curiosity.

“She’s attractive enough for Bandit to fall in love with.”

“flirt! It’s a flirt!”

Ding-

Because it was an old elevator, there was no voice guidance. Leonard got off the elevator without bothering to explain.

Since it was a hallway structure, there were at least four residents, but there was no need to bet on the 25% chance. Following the signal that Leonard’s brain chip caught, he moved to the very last house.

“Ah! Wait! You have to think about what to say!”

While Max was desperately plotting the scenario, he rang the doorbell. A camera light came on, and a voice that I had heard several times over the communication device came out.

-Who is it.

Leonard took a bite of the candy and answered indifferently.

“Solver. I got a request and came to Jessica Rabbit.”

Max was stunned. It’s not a flaw to be honest, but at times like this, there could be a flaw on the body. Because no one would think good of a visit from a fixer. What a harsh reaction there was. The door burst open and a long muzzle came out to meet me. As a guard who eats corporate rust, he was quick and accurate. If I hadn’t prepared in advance, I would have been helpless.

“I can’t even hear the purpose…”

There was no time to recite long lines. Leonard attached his forearm to the muzzle. Tung-! thump-! The gunshot that came through the silencer was like a plastic gunshot. It’s not as small as in the movies, but it’s not as scary as in real life. It will also be thanks to the 19,000 credit bulletproof coat.

Leonard kicked the guard after admiring the lining of his coat. It was a guard in two senses. Jessica Rabbit, who didn’t know how to block the bullet, was kicked and flew behind the porch. I was surprised once more by the implant output. But the real surprise was yet to come.

“Stop it.”

More novels at readwn.com

Jessica Rabbit, who had raised the muzzle to her head after a stylish fall, hesitated. Both arms did not move as intended. I tried to avoid the seat with both feet, but it was one step too late. As I was throwing my body, I stumbled and fell unsightly.

“hacker!”

More novels at readwn.com

Jessica Rabbit’s face became even more ferocious. To be honest, I’m not a beauty, but Bandit liked it.

“Hacker solver! Was it Leonard Walker!”

I will correct it. Leonard also liked the clever corporate mercenary.

@

Leonard brushed his left hand. Unable to penetrate the ceramic material, the distorted bullets fell.

His marksmanship, in which he fired two shots in the chest and aimed straight at the head, was incomparably more sophisticated than that of a gangster. It would have been very dangerous if it hadn’t been for the bulletproof coat that had been bought for a lot of money, and had it not been for the high-output implant body.

“Who sent you? Paul Buddha? Is that Dane Mark?”

More novels at readwn.com

Jessica Rabbit asked ferociously. My posture wasn’t cool, and my reasoning wasn’t cool either.

“It is not moral to reveal a client.”

“Considering a service thug, business morality is Niimi…”

“Corporate mercenaries or fixers are those things, but let’s not belittle their jobs.”

Max nodded as if he really did. I was stealing a hot dog, so I thought it was okay to be demeaned a little.

“If you know who I am, you know how I work.”

Leonard Walker. A native of the Allied Hexagon who gained notoriety seven years ago, he was one of Junk Town’s best fixers, but he was an oddball who didn’t accept contract killings.

“I don’t believe the rumors. If you spread the word that you don’t kill, you can earn more credit.”

“That’s a bit of a fresh suspicion.”

Leonard looked at her curiously, and Jessica Rabbit forced her eyes away. He was a competent guard who recognized Leonard only through his profession and hacking, so he knew it was forced.

Using Hexagon’s signature hack, ‘Suicide’, no, even using the most basic overload, it can be easily removed, but the cumbersome disconnection of the body was proof.

“The request I received, well, it can make you feel bad, but it’s not that harmful.”

“Isn’t it the sun who came to visit us during the evening and made it look like this?”

“I don’t have anything to say about that, but… I like it. Let’s make a deal.”

Leonard got Jessica Rabbit up and seated her on a chair at the table. Jessica glared at Max, who had half eaten the hot dog. said Max, turning quietly.

“I haven’t eaten anything since lunch… I’m growing up, so please understand.”

More novels at readwn.com

Jessica didn’t understand, but she didn’t argue.

“Why should I trade?”

“Because it helps you too.”

As Jessica tried to protest, Leonard drew his revolver. Jessica Rabbit opened her axe eye. She was not a timid mercenary girl who would succumb to threats. However, the gun was aimed at the small room next to the kitchen.

“I said it was a deal, but I’m not giving you a choice.”

Max pointed to the second hot dog. If I knew the address, my family knew it. Like a younger brother who should be 12 years old hiding in the bedroom and shivering.

@

More novels at readwn.com

Jessica Rabbit was deeply conflicted.

I didn’t know how to respond to a request for confidential corporate information, such as cargo transportation information. It was the truth that family is precious. That’s why it couldn’t be easier to say. In this day and age, secrecy is less valuable than pinky promises, and if HR found out, the whole family would be ‘fired’. It was a layoff that did not require a new job.

But what Leonard wanted to know was not when, where, or what cargo was being transported.

“You mean Bandit?”

“That’s right. I heard that there have been frequent raids lately.”

“…why do you want to know that?”

“Why do you want to know that? Why do you want to know?”

It was a boring pun. Jessica Rabbit was relieved after examining whether Bendit’s attack was secret information. It looked like this would end with a pay cut.

“yes. I was attacked twice in the last operation.”

“normally?”

“It varies from time to time, but on average, maybe one out of three?”

“That means it has increased by at least four times.”

More novels at readwn.com

Jessica Rabbit remade her impression as if her motionless body was uncomfortable.

“It is a strange thing. I’m not saying this out of love for the company, but when I meet an armed transport at Big Ground, they know it even in the wasteland. There aren’t that many bandits that are crazy enough to attack War Machines and heavy cannons.”

And adding ‘I don’t know if it’s an Azdec company…’, it seems that there is loyalty and pride.

“Armed?”

“An old-fashioned weapon or a crude pipe gun. You must have the courage to rob a company cargo with something like that.”

‘Aren’t they handing over their weapons yet?’

The Wildkid gang’s armament was excellent compared to gangs. There was no need to explain every word because he ran amok in the city center and had a fight with a company.

“A deal? What can you give me? Is it client information?”

“It’s more helpful than that.”

The bandit bachelor’s name, which he said he liked, had no value. Leonard threw away the remaining lollipop and said,

“I recommend hiring a wasteland fixer.”

“Just for Bandit?”

“I didn’t hire Ryan Bourne just because of the gang.”

“Because they’re not just a gang… Could it be that Wildkid is behind it?”

For a mercenary who bought hot dogs with bullets, he was quick to understand.

“I saw a bandit in the old city not too long ago. The numbers are pretty good.”

“I can’t be sure of that…”

“An increase in raids means an increase in the number of bandits.”

Even this client was a bandit. I was concerned about how many bandits had gathered around A-044 City. Leonard untied Jessica Rabbit and sent her phone number to her brainchip.

“My number.”

“…hunting?”

“Do you really want to be hunted?”

I didn’t ask for the phone number over there.

“I don’t mean to force you, but if you find out anything, please let me know. I will too.”

I could see why “The Broker” Jake was so eager to find corporate connections. It was reassuring because there was a corner to extract information from.

“If you need a hand, contact me. If the price is right, please accept it without hesitation.”

@

Leonard met with broker Jake and the Twins of the Twins gang to sell information. The testimony of Bennington Holly, the wasteland solver, the bandit client, and the corporate mercenary Jessica Rabbit are combined to provide credible information. But the price was not much.

“Similar rumors are circulating here as well.”

Neither Jake nor the twins were normal bets, but they understood it to some extent. What Leonard asked was only a little more confident.

“Is there a solution?”

“Measures? The countermeasure is for the public security officers to provide support.”

I believed that if I didn’t leave the city, I would be safe. In other words, it was the bane of corporations, not the bane of fixers and gangsters.

“Anyway, I entrusted you with finding people, so why are you digging into a gang conspiracy?”

“It was over long ago.”

“yes? It’s fast too.”

1,500 credits. It was a lot of money for scavengers and bandits, but it was about a day’s wages for a solver playing in the big water. I wonder if this is the mindset of entrepreneurs looking at junk town workers, but it was like that anyway.

“Then call the client and finish it. I’ll call you back when I get a new job.”

Leonard was dissatisfied. It bothered me that the Wildkid and the bandit alliance were not taken seriously.

‘Aren’t they the most threatening force outside of the Old Man Alliance?’

That belief was confirmed the next day. The bandit client did not appear at the tavern on the northern street of Head Town.