How To Live as a Cyberpunk Solver

84. sweet potato

If Ryan Bourne was strong in open field battles with heavy weapons and heavy armor, Noah Lucas was strong in dark and complex urban combat with an ultra-light body and various concealed weapons.

In an underground facility with only half the lights out, like this one, even if one battalion of corporate mercenaries rushed in, Noah Lucas could not be stopped.

“Kill that bitch!”

“Kuk-!”

“Woo-ah!”

It was corporate mercenaries who died every time the light flickered.

I would rather have used the infrared sight to fight when the lights were completely turned off, but it was several times more difficult to respond when the lights were turned on and off repeatedly.

Leonard was thinking of providing some cover, but gave up. Even with Leonard’s advanced visual module, it was difficult to follow Noah’s movements. It was possible to get a team kill by shooting clumsily. And there was no need to help.

Noah Lucas ran with his elbows touching the floor, kicked the calf of the mercenary who was shooting wildly at random, and raised his palm to his chin.

It would hurt even if it was just hit, but there was a 30 cm long titanium blade sprouting. The calf was cut off, so it was slanted, and then a hole was drilled in a straight line from the lower jaw to the top of the head.

“Grumble…”

The implant eye was overturned and white lubricant leaked out. With this, the corporate mercenary hiding in the underground parking lot was annihilated.

“This kind of request is not good. Entrepreneur and mercenary intertwined, isn’t it the worst?”

Noah Lucas stored the sharpened blade inside his body. The corpse of the mercenary with no support fell helplessly.

Leonard put the embarrassed revolver into his shoulder holster and closed the hem of his coat.

“Still, you managed to accept it.”

“If it wasn’t the client you introduced, I would have refused.”

Perhaps it meant that he accepted Leonard’s face, but it wasn’t like a 20-year-old senior solver.

Leonard shrugged his shoulders in gratitude. My left arm didn’t go up well.

“This has been broken for a long time.”

I don’t know if I’ll be able to get the request fee properly, but even if I do, it doesn’t seem like there’s much left over. Broken implants and tattered pickup trucks were heartbreaking.

“Who is your client?”

“I sent it to ‘Rattle’. Even if corporate mercenaries believe in corporations and go wild, they won’t attack the broker’s office.”

“These days, kids can’t cover that.”

It was the words of a troublemaker who lost his home. Of course, corporate mercenaries aren’t fledgling fledglings, so they won’t risk being looked down upon in the job market. In that sense, Jake’s office upstairs would be safe too.

“Because Noah came here…”

Max crawled out from under the car and dusted himself off. My face turned red because I thought I was out of shape. Leonard asked the question on behalf of his suddenly shy assistant.

“Your coming here means your target is here?”

Hired by Harrison Pitt, the target must have been Mrs. Ellis Pitt. Noah Lucas affirmed, and Leonard and Max’s eyes moved upstairs.

“Then shall we go see each other?”

@

Leonard, Max, and Noah Lucas took the elevator up to Agent Jake’s office.

There was a sense of awkwardness from the slow hydraulic lift. Max, who usually throws out random words, twisted his body and hesitated.

“If you’re going to kill the client…”

Leonard opened his mouth as he counted the floors.

“I can kill you after receiving the commission money.”

Noah Lucas licked his lips as if he was missing something.

“Shall we pay the commission in this way?”

“A contract is a contract. A decent entrepreneur will give it to you.”

Since the request Leonard received was to find out whereabouts of Harrison Pitt, sabotaging the assassin and evacuating the target was not a breach of contract, even if it was regrettable.

“great. I will do that if possible.”

After changing elevators twice, I arrived at the broker’s office on the 15th floor.

The door opened with the sound of a bell, and a black pistol landed on Leonard’s head. At the same time, Max’s double-barreled shotgun and Noah Lucas’s titanium blade were glued to the gunman’s neck and chest. Noah growled.

“Didn’t you hear from the guys downstairs? Don’t do anything stupid and get rid of it.”

Silence can be a warning, so you must have heard enough. Leonard looked around the office, ignoring the gun to his head. Corporate mercenaries were taking over the broker’s office. There weren’t many numbers. There was only one person in front of the elevator and two people behind the sofa.

“Hey, if you shoot here, you’ll never be in Junk Town!”

exclaimed the broker Jake urgently.

Corporate mercenaries specialize in corporate requests, but due to the nature of the industry, Junk Town could not be ignored. This request alone took place in Junk Town, so the food supply of the Junk Town brokers and the company was in jeopardy. Which broker in the world would do business with the thugs in the broker’s office?

The corporate mercenary, who aimed a gun at Leonard’s head, was also unable to pull the trigger and glanced at Mrs. Ellis. It was a very difficult position to kill.

“Is it the same for the fixers that you can’t see the blood here?”

“Yes, yes! That’s the rule!”

The broker sent a complex signal to the fixers. Leonard answered with a sound instead of an arm that didn’t move well.

“You have to follow the rules to keep working on this floor. Don’t worry.”

Mrs. Ellis told the mercenary bodyguard to put the gun away. As the muzzle disappeared from Leonard’s head, Max and Noah Lucas also stowed their weapons. It has become a place where you can have a conversation even though you feel anxious as if you are walking on a tightrope.

“Leonard Walker. A hacker belonging to the Allied Forces 7 years ago. When I asked the officials here, they said he was a very competent person.”

“You hear that often.”

A few attendees laughed at the answer, which lacked humility. But the cultured Mrs. Ellis did not laugh.

“I wish I had been a little less competent, but that’s a pity.”

He must be angry that he failed to assassinate Harrison Pitt, or that the underground parking garage reprisal failed.

“I knew that my brother-in-law was alive, and he gave me an answer on how to act, so that’s enough. Thank you for your hard work.”

“It was nothing.”

Leonard nodded, and Mrs. Ellis put on a strange expression.

“And I would like to suggest a new request.”

Leonard slightly opened his palm.

“If you ask me to kill Mr. Harrison, I will refuse. As the broker here has already told you, I do not take contracts.”

Mrs. Ellis smiled. Among the entrepreneurs, he looked down on the worn-out old lady.

“This request is not that trivial.”

“Then what?”

The wife rolled her slick eyes and looked at Noah Lucas.

“Please protect me from that assassin.”

I think I heard about Noah Lucas as well. A legendary solver was aiming for his own life, but when he asked what he believed in and was proud of, this was the plan. Leonard took one look at Noah Lucas, who was in great trouble.

“There is no reason to accept that request.”

“no. It will be there.”

“why?”

“Because I haven’t paid the 100,000 credits yet.”

Max opened his mouth. Now, if Mrs. Ellis died, the request fee would be blown away. Even if it wasn’t an additional request, I had to keep it until I left Junk Town.

“This is why entrepreneurs are…”

After all, there was nothing less trustworthy than the client. The clever client was especially like that. Mrs. Ellis clasped her hands together on her lap and said,

“Actually, I also thought of calling the corporate public security, but that would be cumbersome for everyone, wouldn’t it?”

The broker nodded desperately. The people gathered here were people who committed illegal acts as if they were eating a meal. I had no choice. Leonard said resolutely, avoiding Noah Lucas’ stare.

“How much do you think the additional request fee will be?”

@

Even as a guard, there was nothing to do.

Noah Lucas was the only hit man targeting Mrs. Ellis, so I just had to stay with him at the broker’s office. It wasn’t bad, since I could earn 10,000 credits just by sitting still.

“It’s 5 on 5.”

Noah Lucas said with a sullen face. It was an unprecedented request where the assassin and the bodyguard agreed to send a target, so he was able to request enough.

“Who is 5?”

Max gets beaten up for telling a joke from an old movie. The broker wiped his forehead with a handkerchief depicting a cute cat. It was an interesting sight to see where the borderline of the forehead was.

“Now the request fee has come in.”

It was a total of 110,000 credits. As expected, the credit transaction was neat because he was a businessman. By their standards, it’s a pittance, but it’s okay.

“Okay, it’s a pity that it’s over. Did you say sweet potato in the old language?”

He sent Mrs. Ellis, who was after Leonard’s life, alive. Nothing was resolved on the Harrison Pitt side, so the finish was not good.

“How expensive is sweet potato? Credit per gram (g) is attached.”

Leonard said as if making excuses.

“And since the successor competitor and the 20-year career solver have become enemies, you won’t be able to rest comfortably.”

Noah Lucas nodded as if he would. Leonard entered and sent 10,000 credits from his account. Noah Lucas checked the message and widened his eyes.

“5 to 5?”

“It’s a reward for helping me earlier. Thank you for listening to our position.”

“…I’m sure it’s Leonard Walker.”

Noah Lucas’ big eyes widened gently. 10,000 credits was a lot of money even for a veteran solver. It was ambiguous whether he was big or immature when he readily gave it up.

“Now I’ll take care of the rest.”

Noah Lucas got up from his seat. As the blades hidden all over the body moved, the loose clothes swelled spontaneously.

“I guarantee you, you will regret not hiring the fixer Leonard Walker for a long time.”

Perhaps because of the mood, even the scattered hair seemed to fly. It was a terrifying sight to meet as an enemy.

Noah Lucas, the best known fixer, left the broker’s office on 15th-9th Street leaving such an impact.

“Why does that old woman say something nice to hear?”

“Because I earned 10,000 credits as a bonus.”

The broker beckoned into the air. I tapped the calculator, deducted corporate taxes and fees, and transferred the balance to Leonard’s account.

“I sent 52,000 credits.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Leonard was delighted with the sum, but then he realized something was wrong.

“Wait, why 52,000?”

It was a total of 110,000 credits. Even if I removed this and that, the calculations didn’t match. As if the broker knew it, he cut off the receipt and attached an additional one.

“The first request is 45,500 credits minus the medicine and fee, and the second request is 6,500 credits with only the fee removed. A total of 52,000 credits is correct.”

“Uh… huh?”

Leonard tapped his calculator and realized his mistake. Even Max, who didn’t have a calculator, found the answer with his fingers.

“Did you send 10,000 credits to Noah?”

I had to send 6,500 credits minus the broker’s fee. Since he transferred 10,000 credits without thinking, the additional request was only a loss. The broker and Max looked at each other very pitifully.

“What if the brain chip is the best? The user is an idiot.”

“Implants are a waste. Eh, sorry.”

Leonard gripped his hair with his immobile arm. It’s because of being shot. The bullet caused the deterioration of function. There was no reason other than that.

“Noah Lucas! Why did this old lady leave in such a hurry!”

There was no point in protesting in Junk Town, as there were only fixers and no lawyers. It was a pity indeed.