The underground world of Eden City has its own evaluation standards.

That is, street reputation.

If your fists are hard enough.

If your name is loud enough.

Other forces won't proactively cause trouble.

"The reputation of mercenaries is something you can borrow, I heard you often go to a restaurant in the industrial area, the owner is called Genius, right?"

The masked man let out a strange laugh.

John glanced at him warily.

The other party waved his hand.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm just giving an example. You helped Genius out, you beat up the local gang's rent collector, which indirectly covers for the Black Engine Restaurant. Similarly, if a mercenary interacts with you, they're releasing their influence to support you..."

Peers can better understand the value of a job.

John hadn't had time to think it through, when footsteps and the sound of a door opening came from the back kitchen.

Gerry came out carrying new food.

The masked man broke off the conversation, pulled an oiled paper bag from his pocket, and personally packed the items.

"Sorry, I haven't talked to anyone in a long time, I'm being a bit verbose."

He nodded, rolled up his coat, and left through the restaurant.

John always felt this guy had a strange vibe, hesitated for a moment, then activated his prosthetic eye for a remote scan.

Black Light had downloaded a massive database for him; figuring out the man's identity was quite easy.

[Name: Corey Jacob (Coconut Tree)]

[Faction: Mercenaries [Lone Wolf]]

[Scan: Biological cortex, chemical glands, Silencer, etc.]

"Oh, lord."

A list of prosthetic bodies popped up in front of John.

The masked man was not as harmless as he seemed.

Beneath his coat were various high-tech products, most of which weren't styles popular in Eden City.

This was a complete set of prosthetic equipment that worked together systematically.

Priced not cheap on the black market.

If a Ghoul saw them, they'd drool, provided they had the ability to take down "Coconut Tree."

[Bounty: None]

Coconut Tree surprisingly had no bounty information.

He was clean in the official system; for a mercenary, to have his identity and personal files deleted entirely wasn't normal.

John messaged Raphael, inquiring whether the mask-wearing man was known.

The opponent hadn't introduced himself.

When writing the message, John didn't call him "Corey Jacob," but rather "Coconut Tree," just like "Bone Shards" and "Tinfoil"; they're nicknames for everyone in this line of work.

This might be something to look into.

[Contact - Raphael [Unread Message]]

[Have you seen Coconut Tree?]

[He's a name-worthy Lone Wolf in Eden City, and one of the relatively friendly types. Big shots coming to support you, not bad luck...]

Raphael gave John a brief introduction to the mercenary situation in the city.

The underground world was richer than imagined.

[Street reputation increased, zone influence improved.]

[New interpersonal relationships unlocked.]

John's reputation had reached a new stage.

He attracted the attention of some powerful figures in the city.

Corey Jacob was just the beginning.

The restaurant would start welcoming "special" guests.

He could trade, buy intelligence, obtain equipment and resources, or even collaborate on high-difficulty tasks with them.

Friendship with these [special characters] would enhance regional influence.

Those wanting to target the restaurant would need to consider John and the potential retaliation from these tough characters.

John finally understood the importance of an establishment.

This was a process of building connections and networking.

Customer numbers decreased in the afternoon.

The scorching sun cast a pale filter over Eden City's skyscrapers.

Gaf was dealing with remaining customers.

She optimized the production process, using spare time to prepare meals, readying for the evening and midnight peak.

Maya was counting goods in the underground cold storage.

Gerry excitedly reported the turnover to the boss.

They had a good measure.

Everything needed John's report and they would offer some suggestions.

John was accustomed to high consumption and high-income lifestyle, not so thrilled about this steady business.

His proposal to hire staff was rejected.

The restaurant's successful opening relied on hype; future profitability would depend on customer approval of fresh food.

"We could hire some temporary workers, easy to manage, and if they prove as reliable as Gaf, we can consider long-term contracts."

Also, there's daily restaurant management.

Including bar decoration, wine cabinet expansion, sound system, cold storage upgrade, drink supply, and menu update...

"There's a lot of room to grow; as long as we have the funds, I can get everything arranged beautifully for you, just make a decision!"

Gerry and Maya poured all their enthusiasm into it.

John was happy to entrust the restaurant to competent people.

It would become a source of income not requiring much worry, while his energy and time had to be spent on mercenaries.

[Eden City - Dan Street 013]

John finished the restaurant matters near evening.

Eden City's skyscrapers were shrouded in a yellow mist, intercity trains through the high sky gleamed gold, only the planes slicing across the higher sky left a clear white line.

Neon lights and billboards gradually came into focus with each blink.

[Eden City - Dan Street Apartment 013]

ding—

The elevator cab opened.

Two pairs of new shoes rested on the carpet at the apartment door.

[Equipment: Business Elite Elastic Shoes [Embedded Carbon Plate]]

[Equipment: Business Elite Women's High Heels]

John turned his gaze inside the room.

Oulos should be awake.

But in the dim apartment, there was no one.

The television in the living room aired a news channel, broadcasting a speech from Raqi Haruhiko at a press conference.

The air was filled with a faint mist.

And a pleasant fragrance.

whish——

The metallic sliding door of the bathroom opened.

Oulos stepped out in a bath towel, glanced at John, and walked to the sofa, picked up a cup of coffee as if no one else was around.

Her prosthetic eye flickered, seemingly processing messages.

A middleman always had unfinished intelligence work.

John lacked the energy for greetings, walked into the steamy bathroom and washed off the greasy smell.

When he returned to the living room, he heard Oulos say.

"Change your clothes."

She pointed to a coat rack a little further away.

There hung a row of new clothes encased in plastic wrap.

[Equipment: Company Elite Bulletproof Lining Suit Jacket [Advanced Black]]

[Equipment: Breathable Enhanced Bio-Cotton Trousers]

[Equipment: Embossed Striped High Collar Loose Shirt]

John glanced at Oulos, then casually unwrapped the towel and tossed it onto the bar counter.

The white shirt fluttered and covered his solid muscles.

The suit and tie outfit felt a bit unfamiliar.

John raised his head, clumsily tying the tie.

"Stand still before you strangle yourself."

Oulos got up, brushed off his hands, took his tie off, shook it, and neatly draped it back around his neck.

"Do you remember what I said last night? To investigate Black Light, you need to first understand what's happening to you..."

[Authorization Invitation/Confirmation]

Oulos waved her fingers and pulled him into visual sharing.

She always managed to make good use of the Messiah Company's prosthetic eyes.

The dim living room in front of John's eyes was immediately covered with a pale blue filter — various documents opened and closed in front of him, connecting photos and videos with a mind map format, pointing to the next clue.

The event's origin was the hijacked cargo from Tiebang Logistics.

Driver [John Chavez] was knocked out by robbers.

His consciousness was stuffed into an unfamiliar body, which is the current [John], and [Black Light] also emerged simultaneously.

The incident details were learned through Silver Port's footage.

Serum was a suspected participant.

But after she escaped, she vanished and was seen in cyberspace, destroying the Pandora Algorithm maze, and clashing with cyber police.

John asked Gino to contact Serum, but there was no news for now.

The mercenaries robbing Tiebang Logistics had no trace either.

Until recently.

Raqi Military Industry's transport ship was hijacked over the Pacific Ocean.

Three extremely lethal weapons were sent into Eden City.

Rift Party's Du Remon purchased the [Wandering AI Matrix], was killed by John during the extortion of Raqi Heavy Industry, the transaction failed, and the released Wandering AI caused hundreds of casualties.

Several lawmakers and company executives died suddenly.

Oulos found illegal weapons trade footage while decoding [Du Remon's] mobile device.

The weapon sellers were the same group as the Tiebang Logistics robbers.

Oulos shared the information with Eden City's powerful figures.

"They can't tolerate anyone threatening their lives; the big shots are different, they got a very important piece of information, an informant captured the second trade's scene."

A video began to play.

The scene depicted an abandoned factory.

The mercenary who knocked John out leaned on a distant guardrail, calmly watching the transaction below.

Two men in nanotube suit jackets were shaking hands.

The buyer stood on the circle's outer edge, temples graying, seemingly an African American judging by the exposed skin.

His build was impressive yet not exaggerated.

A mechanical hand had complex golden rings.

Suddenly.

A guard in the distance seemed to exclaim.

The photographer was discovered.

Bullets shot at the iron railing, sparking a series of bright sparks.

The African American buying weapons turned around.

A golden cooling circuit marked his cheek, revealing a lion-like gaze.

"Mr. Vito!?"

John blurted out.

The video frame shook violently.

But John was sure he didn't mistake it, that was undoubtedly the long-missing former Speaker of the Black Gold Gang.

Vito Russell.

The photographer dashed away amidst gunfire.

He was barely out of cover when a pair of mechanical arms caught him.

The mercenary who knocked John out appeared on the screen.

Fully armed, with short hair and thick brows, in a swift move with Sianweistan teleportation, he appeared before the photographer, grabbed his neck, and slowly lifted him.

Data streams flickered in his prosthetic eyes.

[Let me see, little mouse, who are you sending messages to...]

Zzzzz—

The screen abruptly cut off.

"Vito Russell bought a super weapon!?"

John snapped out of the video.

Oulos pursed her lips and nodded slightly.

"Mm-hmm, even better, we're going to his retirement party now."

"F*ck, this is f*cking crazy!"

Vito's retirement party was hosted by Bone Shards and Jingke Heavy Industry.

They're all hoping for the former Speaker's demise.

Who'd have thought...

Vito bought a "big toy" waiting to be shared together!

If it opens on-site, everyone attending would be in trouble.

"What kind of weapon is it, is it also the Wandering AI?"

"I don't know."

Oulos shook her head calmly, already dressed in formal wear, applying lipstick.

Snap.

She closed the mirror, turned, and smiled.

"The video hasn't spread yet, so pay attention at the site, whoever's absent among the guests, it means they've received the news."

Oulos's smile became more radiant.

She lifted a finger to John's lips, cutting off his question.

"The hovercar's here, let's go."

"..."

John frowned, picked up a whole bag of weapons, and followed Oulos into the elevator.

The rumble of engines echoed in the hot night wind on the rooftop.

A sleek black business hovercar hovered ahead.

Electric steps extended to the passenger platform.

Inside, the red thick carpets and luxurious single sofas beckoned to them.

[Mission: The Godfather's Dinner]

[Reward: Unknown]

...

...

ps: Thanks to "yesing123", "papapapa", "The more you read, the more dishes you cook, the more practice you get" for the rewards.

Not sure how many days I can update, thank you all for following!!!

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