062: Kuang Xin's Burning Party
John drove back to the Dani Street apartment with a dark face.
At this point, the package provided by the Black Gold Gang offered incredible cost-effectiveness.
The Eisenburg drove straight into the dedicated garage, where scanners slowly descended from the ceiling, ordered original-factory replacement parts and paint based on the actual damage, and then sent the final repair duration and bill directly to John.
The high insurance premiums covered every single expense.
However, the wool always came off the sheep's back; when renewing next quarter, the rate would undoubtedly experience a surcharge based on the repair record.
John had no money in his pockets, so as long as they didn't ask for cash, anything was fine.
Following this surgery, he recovered at home for two full days, strictly following the doctor's orders, taking his medicine on time, and adjusting his body back to its optimal state.
Swish, swish, swish—
As soon as the adaptation period ended, John immediately went to wash away the post-surgical grime and filth.
He experienced his brand-new body.
Whether working out with home equipment or wearing the chip to play simulated combat, there was not the slightest bit of discomfort.
The sluggishness and phantom pain mentioned on the internet never appeared.
John also began to increase his workout intensity, taking the opportunity to test his cyberware—Plato's subcutaneous armor was remarkably accommodating to muscle fibers, and its performance was definitely superior to the vast majority of cyberware on the market.
After the Plato warehouse was bombed, they issued a bounty for every single item.
Not long ago, a hacker reverse-engineered the database to obtain the complete inventory and publicly sold it on the black market for one Euro.
Eden deduced that a rival corporation was stirring up trouble.
John felt that the thing was more like a user manual, which detailed the subcutaneous armor [UFP] along with its bounty, as well as the Electric Eel's individual bio-electric skeletal frame, both of which were terrifyingly expensive!
Nando gave him this stuff as compensation, along with an additional cash payment. According to the going rate for mercenaries, it was undeniably very generous.
John had nothing to complain about.
Nando had even specifically called him.
[Thalia said you've already been discharged from the hospital. How is your condition?]
[This job wasn't easy, and my judgment was also off. The supplies inside the truck are abundant and will come in handy for the camp. A black market vendor is establishing a connection with me, wanting to buy some small items. If you're interested, come over and pick; I'll give your side priority access.]
[The camp's business in the city is also on track. We even rented a storefront opposite the construction site as an office for our shell company. I'll be handling some matters there recently, feel free to drop by whenever you have time.]
[Thalia has a bit of a wild personality. To be honest, when she snatched you away while you were heavily wounded, I was really... sigh, sorry, I'll give her a serious warning.]
John readily accepted and didn't say much else.
About half a day later.
Elona actually sent a text message as well. Due to the distance, it was transmitted through a relayed signal.
[I heard you were badly hurt. Can you still drive?]
John could practically picture her deadpan expression.
[I'm heading back to Eden City at the beginning of the month. Want to come with me to pick up a new car?]
“We’ll see.”
[Mm.]
No sooner had John's body recovered than troubles piled up on him all at once.
First, that bastard the Tie Clip finally showed up, claiming the matter was settled and asking for John's old employee ID number to search the transport queue archives.
After sending it over, he had to wait again.
Ten minutes after the Tie Clip hung up the phone.
[Oros Grenada [Video Call]]
The caller profile picture was an eyeball.
A pop-up window leaped out from the top left corner of the screen.
Oros was wearing a deep-V gown, her lips painted purple.
[John, hurry over to the address I gave you last time. It's time to pay back your favor.]
“I'm pretty resistant to fixers right now. Besides, why don't I remember ever owing you anything?”
[Then take a look at this.]
John received a compressed file.
He knew Oros was a top-tier hacker, but he had a piece of Blacklight in his head that she couldn't handle.
After extraction, it turned out to be a drone surveillance video:
The Eisenburg Silver Knight 577 forced its way through the gates in a restricted zone, rammed two police cars, and clashed with passing members of the Owl Town Gang two intersections later.
The footage froze on a single frame, continuously zooming in to reveal John slumped helplessly in the passenger seat, a breathing tube jammed into his mouth.
Thalia's hands were clenched on the steering wheel.
“Fuck!”
John had only heard it described second-hand.
He hadn't expected the actual situation to be so intense.
[Care to guess who smoothed things over for you, made the police drop the pursuit, and intercepted the Owl Town Gang's reckless retaliation?]
“Sigh, what do you want?”
[I have a client I need to keep alive. If this job gets done, you won't have to deal with that asshole Tie Clip ever again.]
Oros hung up the phone right after speaking.
[Mission: Kuang Xin's Hot Party]
[Reward: Remuneration]
John sighed, turned around, and went back to his room to retrieve his gun.
He picked up the business card from his workbench, scanned the text with his cybernetic eye, pasted it into the navigation system, and sent it to his vehicle.
His sedan was currently in the repair shop.
John had no choice but to mount his motorcycle once more.
He sped furiously along the highway, circling the beltway for over ten minutes, and looked down from a commanding height to spot a container processing plant nestled at the edge of the bustling district.
He parked his bike and walked up close, only to find that things weren't that simple.
***
A heavily secured parking lot had actually been built in a godforsaken place like this, contracting the old city's airport runway and converting the original warehouses into spacious entry and exit tunnels.
Secretive and luxurious.
As John approached the main gate of the factory, he realized that the dilapidated walls were entirely surrounded by the most advanced security systems.
There were more detectors inside than at a checkpoint.
There were even burly men in work clothes patrolling the grounds.
The edge of a bulletproof vest was exposed from beneath their bright yellow work uniforms.
The security checkpoint was hidden at the end of the passage past the main gate, extremely concealed, with numerous entry and exit portals.
John approached with a head full of question marks.
He had already been scanned several times along the way, his weapons completely exposed, yet no one came over to stop him.
Oros was standing right next to the security checkpoint.
She wore high heels and a sequined deep-V dress, her alluringly colored skin exposed to the air.
Though traces of artificial leather could be detected, it was brimming with temptation.
“Come with me, John. Let's go change clothes first.”
Oros led him through the security checkpoint. The alarms flashed deafeningly, but the sunglasses-wearing tough guy merely calmly reached out and pressed the mute button.
He didn't even spare the two of them a second glance.
Utterly professional.
“Where is this?”
John trailed behind her.
He surveyed the interior decoration.
He hadn't expected that beneath the dilapidated exterior of the factory lay a luxurious palace comparable to the VIP area of the Borago Club.
It was divided into numerous rooms.
Both spacious and narrow ones.
Oros's high heels stepped across the silent carpet.
Her full curves swayed in a coy dance of retreat and advance.
“I don't want to touch a man at all this month, so don't get any ideas. I'll show you something that'll blow your mind later, babe.”
She glanced sideways with a smile at John, tilted her head, and kissed her own ring.
A shirtless male waiter walked past in the opposite direction.
His muscles were oily and full.
His face was also one of the market's latest facial plating models.
He walked past with his head down, holding a tray, with a high-end sex-doll chip plugged into his neck.
John had seen that thing before at the purple-haired girl's place; no memories of anything happening during the service would ever be retained.
Oros placed her wine glass onto the tray.
She turned around, grabbed John, and pulled him into an empty room, which contained a soft bed, drinks and beverages, and various... enhancing items.
“What style of beast do you want to be?”
Oros pulled open the wardrobe, searching for the appropriate men's clothing size.
“I'm taking you out to see the world, babe. I hyped you up as being very professional, so at least your outfit and styling should match the scene's requirements, right?”
John ended up choosing a suit.
[Equipment: Waterproof Seamless Smooth Two-Piece Suit]
Oros dressed him up to look like a male guest on a television talk show.
“Check your pack into the locker later, and keep your revolver hidden on your body. In this kind of setting, don't let any gun go off, absolutely not!”
She poked John in the chest with her fingertip.
Oros closed the sliding door and pushed inward directly; the entire wardrobe rotated ninety degrees, exposing a passage.
The roar of noise instantly flooded the small room.
“Damn, that soundproofing is insane.”
John only had time to utter those words before his attention was hijacked.
In the center of the dim hall stood a glass stage.
Under the spotlights, several supermodels occupied different positions on the stage, twisting their bodies.
Below the stage was a sea of fluttering beauties.
John followed Oros as she walked forward.
The architect was absolute genius, always managing to cut off lines of sight in unexpected corners to create small spaces that were both private and open.
“Welcome to Adult Disneyland.”
Oros whispered softly to John. “Your scanning database must be pretty deep. How much can you tell about that person in the middle of the stage?”
John followed her gaze to the dark corner amidst several beams of light.
An Asian man was speaking in the shadows.
[Name: Kuang Xin]
[Affiliation: Iron Bang Logistics]
[Cyberware: Overdrive Big Cannon [Custom Edition], Neural Sensors, etc.]
[Archives: Public Relations Department Director of Eden City, Resident Archives Deleted (Iron Bang Logistics Sub-database), Intelligence Department Operative of European Branch, Overseas Deployment Records and Work History Deleted. (Messiah Sub-database)]
“How come I've never seen him at Iron Bang Logistics?”
John found something wrong with this guy's file. “Why is he linked to two compa—”
Before he could finish his sentence, his mouth was blocked.
Oros casually grabbed a mask from nearby and put it on John.
She whispered in his ear.
“Anyone can install a colloquial translation plugin, so watch your language on occasions like this, darling. Everyone who comes here is an Eden City dignitary; everyone has their little secrets.”
***
Oros pushed him into a small corner.
Her cybernetic eyes began to flicker.
John received a message.
[Kuang Xin is the boss of this joint, and his identity is quite varied. On the surface, he's a new Iron Bang Logistics executive, but secretly he's a corporate spy for Messiah. The intelligence dealer could only find out this much.]
“You know more?”
[He's the legitimate son of a famous Asian manufacturer, and he's made a splash in European circles thanks to his social talent. Everyone loves hanging out with him, and there's no party he can't put together.]
“This guy is that awesome?”
[Mostly because that piece of cyberware below is formidable.]
John raised an eyebrow.
“You've tried it?”
[Aren't you afraid I'll plant a bomb under your car? Anyway, I need to quickly open up a situation in Eden City, and he's the best business partner, so I need him alive. Tonight, there's going to be some unexpected trouble.]
“Kuang Xin is heading over here.”
John stood up and stepped behind her like a professional bodyguard.
Kuang Xin was a well-proportioned Asian man, speaking in Chinese, wearing only a golden bathrobe and a bulging pair of golden briefs.
Subtitles floated into John's field of vision.
[What the hell, Oros, how could you do this? You rejected me using the excuse of not touching men, and now you're sneaking snacks over here. (Chinese)]
“He's your bodyguard.”
Oros sneered twice.
[Sorry, brother, you've got to cover my back now. (Chinese)]
Kuang Xin immediately put aside his playful demeanor and walked up familiarly to John's side. Though a head shorter, he was still very enthusiastic.
[I've always been super loyal to the people around me. You're one of us now; today's scene isn't even explosive enough, only about twenty-some guests. Hang out with me for a night, and you'll be able to brag about it in your own circles for a whole year! (Chinese)]
He placed a hand on John's back.
[Tsk, crouch down a bit, brother. See that councilman over there? He came with his wife. Political marriage, they each play their own games. New America has over twenty genders, and I've got a good half of them gathered right here. Which kind do you want? (Chinese)]
John looked toward Oros.
The latter smiled and walked toward another corner.
John activated his cybernetic scan and discovered that the Armor Behemoth was over there, and his hands appeared to have blood on them.
“What kind of trouble did you stir up?”
John also sensed that the atmosphere had turned sour.
Kuang Xin's expression shifted rapidly, letting out a few awkward laughs as he led John to push open a secret passage nearby and step inside.
The door behind them closed seamlessly.
The noise vanished instantly.
Kuang Xin suddenly collapsed to the floor, panting heavily, his golden robe now soaked through with sweat.
[Damn it... get me out of here, brother, I've been set up. (Chinese)]
He was trembling all over.
John immediately initiated a scan, discovering that his groin was covered in blood, and the cyberware he was so proud of was burning hot like a ghost.
“I'm gonna...”
Kuang Xin cursed, snatched John's revolver, bit down on his arm, and fired two shots straight down at his lower body until a certain component dropped onto the carpet.
He let out a piercing whimper, barely holding on and refusing to pass out.
John was dumbfounded and hurriedly pulled out a hidden syringe to inject him with medication.
Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, two bullets pierced through the wall, striking John in the back.
The sound was very muffled.
They must have been equipped with silencers.
“Fuck!”
John immediately grabbed the revolver and retaliated, aiming at the holes in the wall—several openings were blasted into the sealing material, breaking the soundproofing, and the sound of a corpse hitting the floor echoed through.
He kicked open the secret door.
In the hallway stood a shirtless waiter, his cybernetic eyes flickering continuously, the behavioral chip on his neck buzzing loudly.
[Mission Objective Updated]
[Escort Kuang Xin out of the party alive. (Optional)]
“Who the hell did you hire? They want their own boss dead.”
[Get me out of here, brother. If I bite the dust, throw my corpse outside the factory grounds at least. (Chinese)]
Kuang Xin managed to stay conscious through sheer, terrifying willpower.
John ignored him.
He first checked his surroundings, then returned to the previous room to retrieve his rifle, and came back to support Kuang Xin.
“You can't take a motorcycle in your condition. I need to find you a car.”
[Can't be seen by any of the guests, I'm begging you! (Chinese)]
“You really are a tough bastard.”
John sighed, unable to help himself from questioning:
“What kind of crap did you think you were messing with? You need emergency medical attention right now!”
[I was framed, the Owl Town Gang did this... If anything happens to me, the credibility of this place will be ruined, and a lot of people are going down. I can die, just throw my corpse outside, make sure you throw it out! (Chinese)]
Kuang Xin stared wide-eyed and finally passed out cold.