Where Did He Go?

"Damn it, Iron Lump, what goes through that head of yours all day? If we want to survive in this dump, we have to stick together. And the more of our own we have, the better. That way, we won't end up arguing over disagreements like last time."

Sun Jack explained another reason he'd recruited AA to Taipai.

"Before, Song 6 had cobbled the team together. The two of us were basically just muscle. Song 6 was useless at a lot of things, but he was right about one thing: teamwork really is better than going it alone."

"Oh? You want to build your own team?"

"If Old 6 can do it, why can't I?" Sun Jack retorted.

"We've already done two jobs, so we know the basic process. We've also made a bunch of contacts, and we already have the resources. Why throw all that away? Old 6 doesn't want them? Then we'll take them!"

"Aw, look at you, all clever. How did I not notice before?" Taipai patted Sun Jack on the head.

"Get lost!"

Sun Jack turned his attention to the System UI and started searching. Old 6 was gone, so he needed another broker—one he could really count on.

His team was only missing a broker. Once he found one, Si Ai, Vajra, and Priest should all be manageable, based on what he knew about them.

"Maybe I should just pay for information?"

Sun Jack tried selecting several keywords at once and waited for the system's big-data analysis to recommend something automatically.

But he soon realized this wasn't going to work. All the free recommendations were useless.

After a few hours of tinkering, Sun Jack grew annoyed and ordered takeout. He planned to eat, then go ask Priest about his problem. Some things were better discussed with someone in the business.

He leaned against the bed, gazing out at the neon-lit world in the pouring rain and the apartment that was gradually starting to feel familiar.

Ever since he'd arrived, he'd been fighting tooth and nail to survive. He still had plenty to worry about, but after all the struggle, he'd at least managed to stay alive.

Suddenly, something occurred to Sun Jack. He picked up his fully charged phone and started taking pictures of the view outside.

Afterward, he scrolled through his photos, nodding with satisfaction at his latest work.

"Nice, nice. My photography skills are still top-notch."

As he browsed through the pictures, one familiar yet foreign image caught his eye. It was a picture of his home. He'd forgotten what he'd meant to photograph at the time; he'd just taken it at an angle and caught one corner of his computer desk.

The focus was off, so the picture was very blurry, and the angle was crooked too.

Yet as Sun Jack looked at the blurry photo, images from the previous century suddenly flooded his mind. A powerful longing for home welled up inside him.

Sun Jack kept scrolling through the photos on his phone, looking at bits and pieces of his memories. The more he saw, the clearer that world—already beginning to fade in his mind—became.

His family, his friends, everything from the past, and the home he could never return to—that was his world. That was where he belonged.

As Sun Jack recalled all the happy moments from the past, his eyes grew damp. He missed home.

"Sun Jack! You're a fucking idiot!" Taipai's profanity yanked Sun Jack right back to the present.

"Fuck!" Sun Jack stuffed his phone against his chest and stormed into the living room. "What's wrong with you? Did the system catch a virus? Why are you cursing me out for no reason?"

"You said you'd @buy me supplies, then you turned around and forgot, didn't you?"

"Damn it, Old 6 hasn't sent the money! How am I supposed to pay you? And show me some respect from now on! I'm your fucking master!"

The door opened with a click, and Si Ai walked in, staring at the two of them wide-eyed.

Sun Jack's heart sank. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to explain what she'd just heard.

But before he could say anything, Si Ai spoke. She came up with an explanation on her own, so he didn't need to.

"Master? Is this some new kind of play? Was my barging in by accident part of it too?"

Sun Jack's face darkened, but he had no idea how to explain. "How do you have access to this room?"

"I borrowed it for a few days as a fuck pad, so I still have access." With a cigarette dangling from her lips, Si Ai curiously leaned into Sun Jack's bedroom to peek around.

Sun Jack grabbed her and pulled her back out. "What are you even doing here?"

"Where's AA? I came to remove her surgical staples. By the way, how did things go between you two? Did you sleep together?"

"She's not here! I'll bring her to your clinic tomorrow. You can leave now."

Sun Jack shoved Si Ai toward the door. He could tell she'd just come by to gossip. She hadn't even knocked before barging in—she'd obviously wanted to see something juicy.

"Stop pushing me! I still have something to tell you. It's about PUS."

Hearing that it had to do with Old 6, Sun Jack was taken aback. "What's that kid up to now? Don't expect me to take another job with him. We're done, and that's final!"

"No, did you get paid for the last job? I checked the BCPD 6th Division website. That job is marked complete." Si Ai's expression finally turned serious.

Before Sun Jack could answer, Taipai rushed over. "(ﾒﾟ皿ﾟ) I knew that bastard was up to no good! He never planned to split the money with us. Old 6 skipped town!"

"Are you sure that's true?" Sun Jack asked, quickly messaging Vajra and Priest to confirm.

"I don't think so." Si Ai sat down on the sofa and crossed her legs.

"You don't think Song 6PUS would steal our money?" Sun Jack asked uncertainly.

"Are you kidding? If he didn't steal our money when he had the chance, would he even be PUS?"

"I mean, given his personality, if he'd stolen our money, he'd either be mocking us nonstop on his live stream or out partying. He wouldn't just disappear without a word. That's not like him."

"So you think he was kidnapped? By whom? The Graffiti Gang?"

Si Ai shook her head. "Unlikely. Every line of work has its own rules. The job was only just completed, and if they went after PUS today, they wouldn't just be kidnapping Song 6—they'd be slapping the 6th Division in the face. They'd have to be crazy to do that."

Sun Jack looked baffled. That was strange. As far as he knew, they hadn't made enemies of anyone lately besides the Graffiti Gang.

"If you ask me, this is great news. Who cares if he croaks? Who's Song 6PUS? Never heard of him! ヽ(｡◕‿◕｡)ﾉﾟ" Seeing Old 6 in trouble, Taipai looked delighted.

"But our 20@ reward is still with Old 6." Sun Jack's words instantly changed Taipai's screen to a different emoticon.

"(..•˘-˘•..)"