Chapter 134: Chapter 92: Employer Meeting_2
John blew up the control panel.
He raked the cameras and defense facilities with gunfire.
The rifle Oulos had prepared for him was trash, just the kind street punks would use.
But John’s chip and cybernetic limbs were decent.
His experience with bullet storms was fairly extensive too.
He cleared the mechanical guards outside and shot the entrance panel to smithereens.
John cleared the scene and headed back.
He tossed a "run" to the two girls, then hoisted Legizamon and left, spotting a familiar black business car by the roadside, pulling open the trunk and stuffing the fat corpse inside.
John didn’t go to the back seat.
He opened the driver’s door, saw no driver, and the touchscreen displayed "smart cruise."
Swish—
John canceled the auto-drive, slammed on the gas, and dashed under the massive pipes.
He turned off all lights, deliberately chose narrow paths, finally even rushed into a dry drainage channel, zooming past bonfires lit by homeless people.
ECPD notifications appeared on the municipal broadcasts.
Kanmer Company’s hovercar and the insurance company’s emergency response team were rushing to the scene of the incident.
Rumble!
Suddenly, a massive fireball shot up into the sky, causing a wave of car alarms to blare.
Then chaos ensued.
John seized the chance to blend in, got onto the freeway before the traffic jam, and separated himself from the commotion.
The passenger seat lay flat.
John crossed obstacles and partitions to the back, seeing Oulos staring intently at him, her gaze like she was trying to dismantle a perplexing package.
"There was an explosion at the film studio direction..."
He tried to start a conversation.
"I did it."
Oulos admitted without expression.
"Two drones and some nitroglycerin, the site had enough flammable materials to let dichloroethane and methyl acrylate drift ten kilometers."
Her pupils were unfocused, as if she was distracted, chatting with someone beside her while thinking.
"Tomorrow’s headlines will report that during the Kanmer Company’s arms dealer warehouse inspection, an accident unveiled illegal scandals, caught the police’s attention, slapped with charges, forcing the company to cough up profits..."
John could tell.
This wasn’t the best outcome, at least not for Oulos and Blake.
They should have secured more gains, yet now had to compromise to cover their tracks.
"Hey..."
"Shut your mouth, John, and look at me."
Oulos didn’t let him speak, trying to see through him with her eyes.
The flames that shot up were left completely behind, blending into the night with Eden City, looking almost unreal.
The hovercar’s hum and sirens brushed past each other.
"Did you notice?"
She glared at John. "The first time I met you, that sense of caution and composure you had is slowly fading from you."
"Is it?"
"I’m not kidding, you’re going to get yourself killed."
It was as if Oulos jolted John awake.
"Doesn’t matter, I’m already f*cking toast."
John looked at the gun in his hand.
He lived in a luxury apartment, ate food cloned from kidney cells, kidnapped an arms distributor for an international weapons firm...
And yet he felt nothing inside.
The cyberpsychosis was driving him mad.
The Omega Inhibitor was a poison that was gradually losing its hold.
Then there’s the Internet Surveillance, the Black Ice Program, the AI riddles that plagued him...
Every mess had its trail severed.
John hadn’t realized until now—deep down, he’d really lost hope.
"Is this how you repay your debt?"
Oulos frowned.
John let out a few bitter laughs.
"Get me some tougher missions, cut the stealth and disguise crap, something reckless that might stir shit up, I don’t care about anyone anymore."
"Despair is a sign of weakness."
"Am I supposed to be f*cking strong? The one who’s all messed up isn’t you, feeling like you’ve got dynamite in your head, waking from nightmares without a target to shoot at... cough cough!"
John only saw Oulos lift her body.
Then he was kicked in the head, neck smashing against the massage seat’s protrusion, almost spraining it.
The attack came a bit too suddenly.
"F*ck you, John!"
Oulos stood up, removing her corset, shielding her front with her hands in the dim yellow light.
John rubbed his nearly dislocated jaw.
The next second.
His eyes widened.
Oulos lifted a piece of synthetic leather, revealing a cybernetic heart under a nearly transparent cover.
It was surrounded by blood vessels and soft tissues, stubbornly maintaining the host’s life with an incomprehensible power.
"Your attempt to act melancholy has backfired; I was locked up in the Messiah European Branch for two years. Bullshit about hopelessness and confusion, cyber psychosis is just crap in my eyes."
The car became very quiet.
Oulos covered the heart again, dressed back up, as the neon signs outside all lit up, and the car arrived at the coastal dock on the edge of the East District.
[Mission Target Updated]
[Trade with Ghouls. (Not Achieved)]
John lifted Legizamon out of the trunk.
He was thrown like livestock waiting to be slaughtered next to a container, with six electric needles still embedded in his body, blood gushing from the wounds, yet he could only look at John with terrified eyes.
A red Calormen van drove in.
Several ghouls, skinny but heavily modified, got out and greeted John.
"Are you Rhino?"
The ghoul blurted Legizamon’s stage name from the dark web.
"No, I’m the driver."
John didn’t remove his ghoul’s face mask, kicking the squirming Legizamon over.
The ghouls squatted, examining him, whistling, telling their companions that this fat guy’s implants were quite valuable.
They could make a huge profit!
Upon hearing their voices, Legizamon started trembling uncontrollably, his eyes almost popped out.
These were his suppliers!
They kidnapped girls who met certain criteria in the city and regularly cleaned up corpses, tidying his perverted filming set.
John smirked coldly at Legizamon under his mask.
Legizamon was an idiot with a reputation.
He had always considered himself superior, usually trading with ghouls under a false identity, quite mindful of privacy, yet never anticipated ending up in such a situation.
John began to improvise his performance.
"Rhino said you guys have a sick script."
"Do we? Which one are you talking about?"
The ghoul’s forehead protruded with steel pins, appearing somewhat sluggish in response.
"Ah, the one we talked about last week, right?"
"Rhino wants to see your abilities, and if you can film something more thrilling than him, he’ll give you a hefty bonus as a reward."
John looked down at Legizamon.
"He’s the star of the next film."
The ghouls were overjoyed.
Legizamon was trembling with anxiety, showing symptoms like sweating, convulsions, and incontinence.
The countless crimes he had committed would soon be reenacted upon himself.
The ghouls prepared to pay John.
Removing implants required giving a commission to the supplier.
John kicked Legizamon in the throat, making his whimpers even weaker immediately.
"He’s a crazy talker, before leaving, I hope he stays quiet."
"No problem."
The ghouls were very professional, pulling out equipment and started working on Legizamon.
"F*ck, no, no, I...ah!"
Legizamon only let out a short scream, not getting the chance to explain his identity before becoming mute.
John watched the ghouls toss him into the Calormen trunk and drive away.
This deal was arranged by Oulos.
She got the website account and used some of the connections she had built in Eden City.
Killing Legizamon was Blake’s request.
This task was considered finished.
Before leaving, Oulos gave John some advice.
"You’re pushed too hard, if you don’t want to quickly drive yourself insane, find some fun, let your brain and body relax."
She pursed her lips.
"Every big shot has to go through trials before making a name for themselves. If you give up, it means... this is just your level. I have a lot to personally deal with, originally planned with you, but alas, talk when you regain your form."
The black car drove dozens of meters away and then stopped again.
"Don’t die, dear."
[Mission: Carnivore (Complete)]
[Reward: None]
This was his first completely unpaid job.