Chapter Thirty-One: Pay the Money

Listening to Taipai's sarcastic remarks, Song 6's rarely blushing old face flushed, and he ultimately didn't lie with his eyes closed.

"My bad, my bad, this commission was my oversight. I got greedy for a bargain at a crucial point. Next time, I'll definitely spend more money to buy intel!"

"And there's a next time?"

Sun Jack's eyes widened, his prosthetic finger quickly flipped outwards, shoving the cannon barrel directly against his jaw. "Do you know that because of you, the four of us almost lost our lives there!"

"No, no, no, bro, I'll pay, okay? I'll pay!!"

Hearing this, Sun Jack's expression immediately softened, and he sat up straight. "Pay... how much?"

"5@?" Song 6 cautiously held up five fingers.

"What?! Our lives are only worth this much?" Taipai picked up the sake bottle beside him and directly smashed it onto Song 6's head.

"Thank you for your patronage~" A consumption notification slowly floated before Sun Jack's eyes.

"Why should I pay for what you smashed?" Sun Jack glared at Taipai discontentedly, picked up the sake bottle beside him, and smashed it onto Song 6's head again.

"Why shouldn't you pay for what I smashed?" Taipai picked up the sauce dish and smashed it onto Song 6's head again.

"Do you have to break things to pay? Are we rich or something? Can't you learn from me and be more frugal?" Sun Jack swung a stool and smashed it towards the old man's back.

"I'll pay, I'll pay! 10@! That's all I have!"

Just as Taipai was imitating Sun Jack and picking up a stool, preparing to smash it onto Song 6's head, a transfer record popped up. "Song 6PUS transferred 14.491@ to you."

"That's all! All my money! I really have no money left!" Song 6PUS, lying on the ground, covered his face with both hands and shouted desperately.

"If you had just paid earlier, wouldn't that have been easier? Do you think you're a game BOSS, needing to be hit a few times before dropping gold coins?"

Seeing that the transfer amount had odd cents, Sun Jack finally put down the stool in his hand and sat back down. "Also, you're treating this meal."

"I gave you all my money, how can I treat you?"

"Don't have money? Can't you mortgage your organs? Don't have money? Can't you borrow from loan sharks? You've lived in the Metropolis for so long, what do you do when you're out of money, do we still need to tell you?"

Taipai walked to the side to charge his device and pointed at Song 6pus. "The electricity fee I'm charging also counts towards him."

Song 6pus, lying on the ground, was utterly shocked. These two were so shameless.

After extorting Song 6, Sun Jack, standing on the subway, looked at the @ in his account and felt much better. 19.442@

It seems being a mercenary really pays well. The 80@ surgery fee isn't out of reach. He earned this much from just one trip.

"Why did you suddenly demand compensation from Song 6? I thought you were going to give him a good beating." Taipai asked.

"It's nothing, I'm just starting to adapt to the rules of survival in this city." Sun Jack then quickly explained the cause and effect to him.

"I need to save enough money as soon as possible. Here, as long as you have money, nothing else is a problem."

"Are you really planning to be a mercenary to make money in the future? You almost lost your life."

"But do we have a choice? What else can we do if we don't do this?" Sun Jack arrived at the station, but the subway station was full of homeless people and trash.

Confused about where he was, Sun Jack simply activated the navigation system. He followed the arrow in front of him towards the subway exit, "I need money, enough for surgery."

"And after the surgery?"

"After the surgery, I'll upgrade your memory."

"And after upgrading the memory?"

"After upgrading the memory, we'll make a fortune and leave this dump. I'd rather go survive in the wilderness than stay in this place. I feel uncomfortable here."

Sun Jack didn't hear a response for a long time. He turned to look at Taipai, who was acting strangely. "What's wrong with you? Did you break your brain by adding more details?"

"Can't I ask questions?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Are you done asking? If you're done, let's go," Sun Jack walked out of the subway station with Taipai.

Looking at the heavy rain outside, Sun Jack looked around and bought a transparent raincoat from a nearby vending machine. He put it on and walked towards the unfinished building in the distance.

As the two reached the elevator, they saw Linda Linda, a catgirl they had met a few times, also standing there, presumably waiting for the elevator.

"Xiao Deng, just got off work? So early today?" Taipai waved and greeted her. Sun Jack was confused by his strange behavior.

"What are you doing again? Why are you bothering her?" Sun Jack sent Taipai a message through the nervous system.

"Didn't you tell me to be more human? Shouldn't a normal person greet their neighbor?"

"Who says? Am I not a normal person? Why don't I greet my neighbors?"

"That's because you have no manners. Can I be like you?"

After arguing with Sun Jack online, Taipai continued to chat with Linda Linda, "How's business lately?"

Linda Linda chewed her gum and looked at Taipai as if he were an idiot. After a long pause, she replied perfunctorily, "It's okay."

With a "ding," the elevator door opened, but Taipai still didn't stop his awkward conversation. "This job must be very hard, do you have health insurance?"

Linda Linda slung her sparkling small bag over her shoulder and walked out of the elevator in her transparent high heels.

"It is indeed very hard, but the income is quite good, at least much better than mercenaries who risk their lives for money. I constantly remind myself not to fall to such a lowly profession."

"..."

Taipai looked at Sun Jack in surprise. "(o_O)! Jack! Is the social status of our profession this low? Even lower than prostitutes?"

Sun Jack looked at him helplessly, "You should really put away that reserved memory. You're acting really weird like this."

"You open it when you want, you close it when you want. Are you playing with me?" Just then, Song 6PUS called again.

"Shhh."

Watching Song 6PUS's avatar keep shaking, a hint of confusion appeared on Sun Jack's face. Why was this guy calling again so soon after they just parted?

As soon as he answered, Sun Jack heard and saw Song 6PUS's grinning face, as if he didn't care at all about what had happened earlier.

"Bro, I thought about it after I went back, and I feel like what I did before was very wrong. I don't just want to compensate you, I want to compensate Si Ai and the others too. So, we're having a dinner party tonight! My treat!"

Looking at the holographic projection of Song 6PUS's grinning face, Sun Jack was completely bewildered. What was this guy on? A Free Rider was actually offering to treat them to a meal?

"Bro, thanks to you for that last commission! To show my sincerity, I've even specially picked out a Chinese restaurant for you!"

"A Chinese restaurant?" Sun Jack couldn't help but swallow. "Which restaurant? Sichuan or Cantonese?"

"Kejia Cuisine."