Sugar Bean Man leaned back slightly, looking as if he had a sudden realization.

"Randall, huh? Well, just like the rumors say, you and that old drunk get along quite well."

"An acquaintance?"

"Not really."

Sugar Bean Man swayed his pixelated head.

"We could strike up a friendship."

"Is it necessary? I'm practically half-dead."

"Heh heh heh, don't be so pessimistic, big guy, those corporate dogs don't know a damn thing; there are survival cases of Martyr GTX."

"..."

John frowned and couldn't help but look at him.

This was the first time someone said he could live.

"Did you see it with your own eyes?"

"Not exactly, it's all rumors. Back then, a badass Mercenary also installed a GTX, charged into the parliament building against the special task force... oh, it wasn't called that at the time."

"What was that person's name?"

"Martin Remington."

Sugar Bean Man's fingers rolled over the desktop, the mosaic panel changing patterns, as if he were a bored duty officer looking to chat.

"Heh heh, that's the street for you—legends appear and disappear so quickly. Nowadays, newcomers haven't even heard of Martin."

"He installed a Martyr too?"

"Yes, he pissed off all the big shots in Eden City, couldn't hack it anymore, and fled. But many can prove he survived for at least six months after installing the Martyr. Later on, I heard someone ran into him in Pompeii. You know Pompeii, right? The city that got blown apart by a rogue AI with a space-based weapon..."

Sugar Bean Man started rambling.

John sat on the metal bench, listening half-heartedly, occasionally glancing at the green numbers on his arm.

[New contact established - Sugar Bean Man]

[Street reputation increased, new relationships unlocked.]

"Why would I need the funeral home's contact?"

"To handle the bodies, of course. As a Mercenary, you likely don't have many friends or family, but you can make some extra cash while working."

Sugar Bean Man saw John wasn't getting it and shook his head, directly asking.

"Do you have an ECPD intranet account?"

John looked enlightened.

Mercenaries don't just run into nobodies on the job.

Some notorious street figures are also wanted by ECPD. If you can obtain their bio-data and confirm they're dead, you can claim a bounty on the intranet.

These guys aren't easy marks; they're armed and loaded with valuable tech.

ECPD just needs death confirmation.

The body goes to the funeral home first for a strip-down; you can make extra money by extracting the valuable stuff.

That's the power of connections.

"There are other benefits, you know. In this economy, it's hard to run a legit business. I've got a side gig. If you need a little something to perk up, come check my place."

[More items unlocked in the black market.]

Sugar Bean Man moonlights as a drug dealer.

John isn't all that resistant to drugs; he recalls those two tweaked-out Ghouls and instinctively wants to refuse.

Sugar Bean Man, however, stood up.

He fiddled with some button, standing his massive body upright and pulled out two familiar respirators from the vent pipe.

"I don't just sell stimulants and hallucinogens; I've got stuff for sleep and body recuperation too, lots of kinds, wide range of effects... If you're not feeling secure or have mental issues, give me a call."

"Are you a doctor?"

"Mhm, I'm more effective than a doctor. Human trauma isn't just physical or Prosthetic Body-based; the mind matters too~"

While speaking, Sugar Bean Man shoved the respirator into John's hand.

[Drug: Anningle (Blue)]

[Manufacturer: Unknown]

The mosaic face switched to a different color.

"Here, try it out, don't be shy."

The expression made of yellow bars looks a bit grim.

"My two clients—did you take them out? Oh, don't get me wrong, taking them out definitely helped the city. I'm just thinking of bringing the bodies back; they still owe me money, you know. Every little bit helps."

John pointed him in a direction.

Sugar Bean Man bowed in thanks, dragged two body bags out the door, and returned fully loaded after about ten minutes, diving into the basement.

"Um... damn, what's going on?"

Gino woke up, clutching her head.

She frowned and blinked, wiping drool from the corner of her mouth.

John could see the fatigue and confusion on Gino's face had indeed faded quite a bit.

She snapped back to her senses, remembered where she was, and cautiously glanced around, only to see a bleeding crack in the wall right as she turned around.

"Fuck! Look at this!"

"No worries."

John explained what had happened to her.

Gino had slept well, the confusion had faded, and her reactions were quicker.

Thump, thump, thump.

Familiar footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Sugar Bean Man came up with a cheap hard plastic box in his hands, moving hurriedly, stuffing it into their hands almost haphazardly.

"Here, keep it safe, this is your best friend. It's hefty, so hold it steady. Here's some Prosthetic Body fragments for you as well, all neatly packed."

He pulled out several medical vacuum bags.

They even had the [Emergency Unit] logo on them, unsure if they're reused or genuine.

There were several Prosthetic Bodies inside.

They still had coagulation marks and severed neural bundles, the silver-gray metal structure smooth yet complex, filled with intricate interfaces and nodes.

[Prosthetic Body: Plato-TPC Network Access Vault]

[Function: Quick decryption execution, cyberspace support, RAM capacity recovery, and attachment cooling, etc.]

"This one's the most valuable, high-end Plato, almost brand new."

"Indeed, it was just installed last night."

Gino folded her arms, glancing at Sugar Bean Man.

"I thought you'd take us for a ride."

"I've already made money; the price is fair. I'm friends with Mr. John now."

Cheerful symbols danced on the mosaic mask.

His hands and feet didn't stop, quickly pulling out bag after bag, filled with other metal structures extracted from the jute body, whether useful or not, he returned the complete set.

Sugar Bean Man squeezed behind the bar to rummage.

"Aha."

He seemed to uncover some treasure, pulling out a paper coupon.

[Item: Shanglang Road Cemetery Coupon]

"This is through my private channel. Call them, say I recommended you, and you might get a discount and a good spot!"

"What's the deal?"

John frowned and inquired.

"You're acting like you're ready to make a move."

"Ah... well, John, I found a biometric Chip embedded in the spines of those two fools while I was dismantling their bodies."

The Ghouls had internal management too.

The crueler the methods, the higher the snuff film sales, the hotter the organ trafficking business, the larger the market share such a team commands, which means more stringent monitoring methods.

Similar to gangs.

They'd implant tracking tools in some subordinates to monitor if they're doing their jobs properly, sneaking around, or to have the convenience of revenge if accidents or targeted assassinations by peers occur.

"How will the Ghouls know it was us?"

Gino immediately questioned.

She was indeed sober, her mind faster than John's.

Sugar Bean Man smiled, his fleshy mass wriggling backward, hands raised in a gesture that resembled either surrender or distancing himself from the matter.

"They'll know the people died around here and definitely come asking me. You know, Mr. John, I'm just a businessman. Plus, they have dealings with the Xiaoting gang, and this is Sakura Cross Street, East Asian turf, so I had to give them some concrete information..."

"Fuck, you bastard, you sold us out!"

Gino reacted like a furious Boxer.

But John grabbed her arm, pulling her out without a word.

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