Distressing Mission

Chapter 8: 8. Troublesome Task

"Surgery complete, all right, get up. The anesthesia will last a while, but don't move too much."

Hearing Viktor's words, Karl touched his spine and slowly sat up from the operating table.

"How do you feel now?"

Oliver, who had been watching silently for hours, afraid of disturbing the surgery, finally didn't have to hold back. He immediately rushed over, curiously asking about the effects, "It took me a long time to adapt back then."

"I can only say, it's more acceptable than I expected."

Karl said, finding that he could now try to connect to the local network servers of various companies with just a thought.

"I removed the background programs left by the company selling it. This access port only gives you some basic access functions. To increase the computing power or use it for technical things, you need to install other things. Don't overindulge. If you're not careful, hackers can invade your own body."

Viktor reminded, moving his hand, which was a little numb from the surgery. He used external machinery for the surgery, and the whole process strained his physical arm. After such a long time, he was a little tired.

"You can try creating a private account on it now. You can put your money there. Unless someone can take you out or hack into your operating system and crack your account, no one can take the money from your private account."

Viktor glanced at the blood-stained money, "If you need to install other things in the future, use online payment. This money is not easy to launder."

Hearing Viktor say the money was hard to launder, Karl's mind flashed with the image of a mob boss saying the money was hard to clean.

Viktor's appearance was too deceptive. Just from his appearance, who would have thought that such a mature, handsome man with a face that told a story would be a Ripperdoc with such good skills?

"I'll keep that in mind, but can you take money from someone's private account if you take them out?"

"The money in the private operating system of a dead person can be hacked into."

Oliver said from the side, "If you had this access port before, we might have been able to buy everything in full."

"I'll pay attention next time."

Walking to the side where he had put his gun bag before the surgery, Karl opened the bag and threw Oliver's gun back to him.

Oliver happily caught his handgun.

"Oh, my dear DR-5 Nova, you're back. Are you going to find some work, KK?"

[DR-5 Nova]: A traditional revolver, easy to damage, easy to repair, everyone needs it.

"I have to work when I'm broke."

Stuffing the extra two hundred eddies Viktor handed him into his pocket, Karl picked up the bag, "I also need to find a gun store to sell these things cheaply and buy some bullets."

"Are you planning to find work now?"

Viktor, who had gone back to his computer to continue watching the boxing match, heard their words, slid his feet on the ground, and turned his chair around.

"Your cybernetics don't have any protective capabilities. If you're going, remember to buy a bulletproof vest at the weapon store. It won't stop weapons, but sometimes it can give you a lucky break and save your life."

"Bulletproof vest, thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

Karl remembered that the United States before he transmigrated prohibited the sale of bulletproof vests. Cyberpunk was indeed different. He nodded and thanked Viktor for the reminder.

"No need to thank me. I think it's good to have more polite young people like you in Night City."

Viktor turned back again, and the sound of the boxing match resumed.

Karl and Oliver left the Ripperdoc's clinic. Before leaving, Karl also closed the clinic's iron folding door.

Viktor was indeed a good person. In this day and age, there were few people who didn't value money and were willing to offer discounts, let alone a Ripperdoc. He could come back here for new cybernetics or repairs in the future.

In Night City, no shops were easier to find than gun stores. In Night City, where everyone had a gun, there were even more gun stores than convenience stores. Karl and Oliver took a few steps from Viktor's clinic and found a gun store on the roadside.

The bag full of guns didn't sell for much. The whole bag only sold for two thousand five hundred eddies. It was obviously underpriced, but since it was something they picked up anyway, and the shop owner was willing to give them a few boxes of bullets and a holster, Karl didn't mind selling it. Experiencing the data transaction and realizing that his private account had two thousand five hundred eddies, Karl could only say that the first experience was magical.

"Beep."

Oliver, who was waiting for Karl to finish the transaction, suddenly found that his account had been transferred one thousand two hundred and fifty eddies. The number made him immediately understand and look at Karl.

"Half for helping out."

Putting his Lexington into the holster given by the gun shop owner, Karl blocked Oliver's words before he could refuse and transfer the money back, "Since we plan to cooperate, a fifty-fifty split is only natural. If you want to be so clear, we'll split it up when we do big jobs."

What Karl meant was that they were just rookie mercenaries, so there was no need to be so detailed. They could divide it up based on contribution when they did big jobs in the future.

"No, I just wanted to say, this seems to be the first money I've ever earned."

Oliver didn't care about that. He was just a little emotional. "I used to spend my dad's and sister's money all the time. I was kicked out of the gang in less than a week. This feeling of earning money myself is the first time."

"Then it seems like you had a good life before."

For Oliver, who came from the streets, to have never earned money by petty theft before, his father and sister must have been people who protected him very well.

After giving Oliver some of the bullets, Karl looked at the gloomy sky outside the door, "So, how should we find work now?"

"Find a Fixer?"

[Fixer]: Intermediaries who connect edgerunners and clients. Although they take a portion of the client's reward, they can also help mercenaries solve most of the procedural troubles. In this day and age, they are indispensable partners for mercenaries who want to do big things.

The information about Fixers flashed through his mind. Karl agreed with Oliver's suggestion to find a Fixer. Mercenaries who didn't understand the relationships and situations would probably be scammed out of their rewards before they even got them. Finding a Fixer was definitely a smart thing to do, but before that, there was a small problem.

"Do you know any Fixers?"

"I didn't plan to be a mercenary before, and I don't have any reputation, so of course I don't know any."

"I see."

Karl and Oliver looked at each other.

How to take on tasks? Find a Fixer. But they didn't know any Fixers. If they made a name for themselves, Fixers would naturally come to them, but how could they make a name for themselves without doing tasks? Then find a Fixer to take on tasks.

Okay, it was a vicious cycle.

On the first day of the Karl and Oliver mercenary team, they were troubled by not being able to take on tasks.