ccnovels Chapter 505 323: Debt Collection
Chapter 505 323: Debt Collection
John rested for a few hours.The Neural Ark merely reshaped his body. It didn't turn him into a machine monster that didn't need rest, so sleep and energy replenishment were required.
[Mission Objective Updated]
[Head to West District, meet Bone Shards. (Not achieved)]
Silver Rider 577 once again traversed the wilderness, diving into the steel forest. Through the city's scorching sun and glaring holographic advertisements, it vaguely saw the silhouette of Bolago Club.
Bone Shards were difficult to find.
Not because he hid, but because the entire West District was in a war environment, driving into the streets felt like stepping into another world, with shattered glass and smashed, burned-out facades everywhere.
The streets reeked of a pungent smell, a blend of blood and burning.
Bolago Club was firmly rooted in the center of the commercial district, revolving product ads proclaiming that—it was still the territory of the Black Gold Gang.
There were not many private cars on the streets.
John drove all the way through, seeing a dozen empty car shells and barricades made of piled-up building materials.
Gang wars had become brazenly open.
The borders between territories were the most dangerous.
John even saw bodies that hadn't been removed in time—without any caution tape, plainly lying in an alley, with one leg exposed to the daylight sun, the upper part fallen into a homeless man's shelter.
The sound of advertisements seemed feeble.
The rock noise rose and fell.
The Owl Town Gang and the Black Gold Gang had been fighting for four months.
The entire layout of the West District was no longer like what John remembered.
The once clear territorial borders were now blurred, turning into a state of mutual infiltration, with some blocks changing control several times in a single day.
Both sides were bleeding profusely but hadn't yet reached the point of giving up, like two dogs biting each other, neither willing to let go for fear of losing, so neither did.
Jingke Heavy Industry was pushing from behind.
The municipal government was watching from the sidelines.
The civilians were caught in the middle, unsure of where to go.
Any outsider trying to find someone specific had to find the thread in this chaotic mess.
John chose to let the "thread" find him.
Silver Rider 577 brazenly roared through the streets of the West District, drifting, crazily speeding around Bolago Club.
Before truly reaching the core commercial district, he encountered three interrogations.
The muscular men of the Black Gold Gang gave armed warnings, asked the same questions, called different leaders, until someone recognized Silver Rider 577, and someone had heard of John's name.
Then it became simple.
"Where's Bone Shards?"
"Is Jilead still alive?"
"Any news on Mr. Vito?"
John questioned every gang member who intercepted him.
Information was certainly hard to gather; some even stared at John with malicious intent—it's rumored that Eastern People were constantly trying to assassinate Bone Shards, and the Owl Town Gang's situation wasn't much different.
John wasn't afraid to make a move.
The Black Gold Gang members were strong but not stupid; they could tell John wasn't an easy target, they wouldn't foolishly conflict with mercenaries until word from above came down.
The messenger led John into Bolago Club.
His biological information had been updated; it's a pity the old membership account couldn't be used anymore, many services and packages hadn't been enjoyed a few times.
Bolago Club wasn't exactly desolate or quiet.
The money pit made for super-rich people was still operating, just with added layers of security checks.
John cooperatively went through them all.
Bone Shards were in the office on the upper floor above the sky garden.
John passed through soundproof carpets and familiar corridors, flanked by weapon-bearing, suited bodyguards, as if returning to the night he participated in the Central Arena competition.
Someone pushed open the heavy door.
Bone Shards sat on a spacious desk, not in an office chair but casually perched on the corner, surrounded by monitors displaying the streets of West District and several key industries.
He glanced at the mercenary walking in.
"They say cockroaches are hard to kill, and I'm inclined to believe it now." Bone Shards pointed to the guest sofa.
John sat down under the scrutiny of over a dozen security personnel.
"You don't seem too surprised."
He reached out to grab the overturned metal-edged cup on the coffee table, fitting it into the perfectly sized groove, sliding the terminal, selecting a glass of pure water among the array of coffee, stimulant drinks, and brand-name liquors.
"Spend enough time on the streets, and you'll have seen it all. There's no time to worry about where you've crawled back from."
Bone Shards paused his work, sitting in an independent spot.
Naturally, a bodyguard handed over an electronic cigarette.
"The deal is settled, what about the remaining part?"
John calmly demanded payment, sipped from the metal cup, not even sparing a glance at Bone Shards.
He had killed the Crocodile; now it was time to collect the reward.
John should have come four months ago, but he was already in a deep sleep back then.
It's worth noting that, in his blurred memory fragments, Kenichi Sora, who occupied his body, had contact with Bone Shards. The specifics were unclear, but when he awoke in the morning, there was no money in his account.
So the only option was to ask the employer.
Bone Shards remained expressionless and didn't waste words, pressing a hand on the black coffee table to verify biological information, manipulating the holographic screen.
"There are many people around, mind your words, John."
He removed the external glasses, detached the connection line from the frame and slot, using his frank and pressuring eyes to stare directly at John.
"I've never owed any promise, let this be a reminder to you. This was something you requested four months ago."
John paused for a few seconds.
He knew it was Kenichi Sora who made the request.
"What did I say?"
"...Heh," Bone Shards let out a cold chuckle. "You're quite unwell. You said you wanted to leave the city for treatment, storing things here, maybe for half a year, maybe for a year, you'd come back to get them sooner or later. So you came back in four months."
The door was pushed open again.
Suited bodyguards arranged a large and a small box.
[Item: Rigid Shockproof Box]
Bone Shards slid his thumb over the seal, verifying biological passwords, pulling out the popped-up security structure, unlocking all security measures on the box.
He casually waved.
The box spun on the table, aligning toward John.
Inside were three rows of unregistered fund chips, the kind common on the black market and cleaned for merchandise transactions.
The amount was substantial.
The delivery bodyguard didn't leave but handed over a mobile terminal.
John had seen such things.
Back when he first started out, searching for an apartment in the West District, he signed the lease contract using similar equipment.
Now the same kind of thing was displayed on it.
"I promised you an apartment, at Dan Street, No. 013, the floor you lived in before your incident. The network monitoring was thoroughly blown up, but it's been repaired and cleaned up, ready for move-in level."
Bone Shards pointed to the contract in John's hand.
John hadn't dealt with legitimate business transactions before, and didn't know if the wording was correct, he skimmed through the clauses briefly, but the meaning was clear.
No rent required, independently owned.
"Is this considered a long-term lease agreement?"
John needed a place to stay but wasn't interested in apartment ownership—promises in Eden City were worthless, as soon as one dies or loses the ability to resist, any fixed assets would vanish like a holographic projection.