"Call Bismarck."

John ordered, waking up the dazed Yucca Rope.

"I know you have his contact info. Tell him, if the Intelligent Mechanical Doll and project secret key are compromised and SAT finds out, his secret will be sent to rival companies, and the serum won't spare him!"

"...Yes. (Japanese)"

Yucca Rope, slow to react, quickly sent a message to Bismarck.

Beep——

The queueing cars behind honked impatiently.

John started the vehicle, joining the line of traffic.

Gino sat in the passenger seat, sticking her raised middle finger out the window, provoking a fresh round of honking from the driver behind, yet it went no further.

The morning traffic jam at the checkpoint was hardly easy for anyone.

Just the act of catching one's breath in the city was a struggle, and no one wanted new trouble from road rage.

John maintained his pace, not rushing.

If Bismarck didn't respond before the next intersection, he would drive straight out of the lane, hide in the wilderness, or go find the Wanderer, using Nando's channel to enter the city.

That's the use of connections.

Fortunately.

Bismarck was being obedient.

A long Doug with the Plato logo drove from the other side of the tunnel, stopping in a designated lane. Then people in company uniforms got out to negotiate with SAT and ECPD.

By then, John's sports car was stuck at the junction.

He was waiting for the final result.

The vehicles behind couldn't hold back from honking again.

John picked up an assault rifle, seemingly casually extending it, leaning it out of the driver's window.

The silence behind was immediate.

The honking noises further away began.

That group of company dogs, in suits, sunglasses connected to earpieces, seemed to have exchanged some procedure, allowing ECPD to clear a path for John and the others to pass.

[Vehicle System Authorization/Confirmation]

Black Light detected data changes.

This Silver Rider 577 now belonged to Plato, transporting an unreleased commercial product through the checkpoint.

According to the Free Trade Law and Eden City Independence Ordinance, they had inspection exemption privileges.

John didn't finish reading the clauses and authorization info.

He floored the gas pedal, the sports car spinning out from the flow of traffic, speeding down the opened emergency lane.

Hum——

The wind pressure in the steel tunnel was immense.

Silver Rider 577 left twin trails of tracer light, blitzing away under the strobing yellow lights overhead.

"Phew~ Good thing you have experience, otherwise we'd be dead meat."

Gino felt like she narrowly escaped danger.

She frowned again, observing Yucca Rope through the rearview mirror—this guy, holding the Intelligent Doll, had fallen asleep shortly after contacting Bismarck and was now snoring.

John trusted Gino noticed it too.

"He's not quite right."

"Indeed... a bit off. Everyone in the Wanderer Alliance knows he's an idiot, but his current state is really abnormal."

"Forgive me for saying, once this job is done, get him to see a proper doctor."

John suggested.

Gino nodded, remaining silent.

The vehicle ascended the South District overpass, the surrounding scenery passing by more slowly.

She hesitated before speaking.

"John, what's your impression of Bismarck?"

"..."

John turned his head, gripping the steering wheel—Gino's brow was furrowed, a metal patch on her cheek, her newly cropped hair bristling, her prosthetic eye reflecting the skyscrapers outside the window.

"Are you considering joining the company?"

"Mm."

Gino didn't lash out or hide anything, simply like a often clawing cat quietly licking its wounds in a corner.

"Angelica is gone. Honestly, I thought I was prepared, but when troubles arose, suddenly realized... I don't even have someone to talk to."

"...Alright."

John didn't know how to comfort girls.

He pondered briefly, offering his perspective.

"If you're asking about joining the company, I have to say, it indeed is a legitimate job, one even Macao can't find fault with. You know, I used to work for Iron Rod Logistics..."

John recounted his past.

Truth be told, memories of running long-haul logistics only became clear when he seriously reminisced; looking back, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Joining the company is exchanging your soul for a survival ticket.

The material security and technological privileges it offers are unimaginable for ordinary citizens of Eden City. The phrase "crossing class barriers" is no exaggeration in the face of Plato's technical chief's invitation.

"Company's not like the streets; the folks sitting in hovercars aren't dependable. If the stakes are high enough, they'll sell you out without hesitation."

"Fuck, I know too!"

Gino was even more annoyed.

John, however, laughed and spoke up.

"You got it wrong, sweetheart. You're just trying to earn some money for Macao's treatment, and besides, even if the boxing gym can't stay open after the Black Gold Gang's top brass changes, you guys can still find a way to survive, right?"

"Yeah.

Gino turned her face towards him.

The mercenary's lips curved with ease.

"Working for the company or intermediaries, the level of danger is roughly the same. There's no need to join Plato; just sell the tech to them, like your last... that EMP Emitter which could blast open transport drones?"

John had a vivid impression of it.

According to his prosthetic eye's scanning info, Gino's EMP Emitter's core was actually an electronic countermeasure unit leaked from Plato's warehouse.

The products from Bismarck's company.

Gino being able to modify such a weapon indicates she already grasped the core technical principles and inadvertently discovered the drone vulnerability of Iron Rod Logistics.

"You think it's just a small invention?"

John saw confusion on Gino's face.

"This technology is valuable."

If sold to a renowned intermediary.

Big news would hit within half a month; some fringe walker team blasted open a transport vehicle and stole significant company assets.

If sold to company dogs, like Bismarck, for instance.

He could use it to threaten competitors, fix company loopholes, and secure experimental data on his company's products.

"Bismarck wasn't bluffing; curing Macao really is an easy task, but you've underestimated your value. Offering EMP technology in chip form to him is enough to cover the medical fees, no need to sign contracts and sell your soul."

"...Is, is that so?"

"Yeah."

John shared his thoughts, continuing his advice.

"But you can't bet everything on one person; if Bismarck screws you over, it'll be dangerous, so find a few partners, like a high-profile intermediary, like Raphael in the East District, who has physical businesses and can find a way."

Hackers have several ways to take jobs from intermediaries.

Those favoring high risk and high reward collaborate with fringe walker teams on-site.

Technical work that doesn't require a face also exists.

Like critical equipment repairs, data recovery, prosthetic body technical upgrades, advanced chip overclocking and such...

The money won't be exorbitant.

Luxury cars, high-class apartments require time to accumulate.

With Gino's skills, doing a few gigs here and there, supporting herself and Macao would be quite easy.

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