Malfunctioning Utopia

Chapter 36: AA

"Thank you," AA said quietly, sitting nervously on the couch. She looked around the clean, spacious apartment with a trace of envy in her eyes.

Sun Jack sat across from her and explained the details of the mission. He emphasized that their target might be a cyber psychotic. While the team would do their best to protect her, there were significant risks involved.

AA didn’t hesitate for a moment; she had only one question: "What’s the pay?"

"Hey! Song 6! Are you awake? Get up already! Tell me—how much are you paying the bait for this job?"

"What? That little?"

"It’s decent, bro. All they have to do is walk around. It’s not exactly rocket science."

Ending the call, Sun Jack turned to AA. "3@. Are you in?"

"I’m in!" AA nodded vigorously, clutching her water glass with both hands.

"Alright, then. Let’s get going. Since there’s nothing else pressing, we’ll go scope out the location and prepare in advance."

"Okay!" AA stood up eagerly. "By the way, I still don’t know your full name."

"My name’s Sun Jack. Just call me Jack. And this here is Tapai." Sun Jack gestured at the wall where Tapai was charging, uninterested in the conversation.

"Jack, thank you. I’m really, really grateful," AA said, her excitement spilling over at the chance to work.

"Don’t mention it. None of us had jobs recently, and you helped me find one before, too."

The memory of AA suggesting he apply at Club 69 still left Sun Jack speechless.

"Tapai, let’s go. Enough charging," he called out.

AA glanced at Tapai, her eyes gleaming with envy. "Does Tapai only need to recharge? No food required?"

"Jealous?" Tapai stepped down from the wall.

AA nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! If I could do that, I wouldn’t need to spend money on food anymore. I could save so much!"

Sun Jack’s expression turned complicated. "Forget scoping the site for now. You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I’ll treat you to some noodles."

Balance: 9.902@

Soon, two bowls of noodles arrived. Staring at the simple beef noodle soup before her, AA couldn’t hold back her tears. They trickled down her face, landing in the broth.

"She sure cries a lot," Tapai commented in a message that floated across Sun Jack’s vision. "Doesn’t seem like someone this soft is suited to be bait."

Sun Jack shot him a glare.

Tapai shrugged and pushed his bowl toward AA. "Come on, girl. Stop crying. Your tears are going to make the noodles salty."

AA nodded, wiping her face as she started eating. She wolfed it down in big bites, tears still streaming, and even drank the soup down to the last drop. ꞦаＮỌ𝐛Е𝘴

Sun Jack pushed his bowl to her, but AA politely shook her head. "Thank you. I’m full. This organic food is amazing."

"You’ve never had noodles like this before?" Sun Jack asked.

"Once. When I was eighteen, I sold my uterus, and to celebrate, I ordered this. But organic food is so expensive; I can’t afford it normally."

Hearing this, Tapai leaped up, pointing at Sun Jack dramatically. "Aha! I told you beef noodles are a luxury item! But no, you just had to argue with me!"

"Will you shut up? Stop ruining the mood!" Sun Jack punched him and turned back to AA. "So, what do you usually eat? Nutrient paste?"

"Nutrient paste is too expensive. I can’t afford it regularly. I’ve learned some money-saving tricks from forums. Sometimes, I secretly cultivate algae. But if the United Fruits Corporation’s patent bureau catches me, they confiscate my equipment. They say algae cultivation is patented and that I’m infringing. They even fine people for it."

"F***ing capitalists," Sun Jack cursed angrily.

"What about your family? Can’t they help you out?"

AA covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Haha, I don’t have a family."

Sun Jack didn’t pry further, finishing his noodles in silence. Some things were better left alone.

After breakfast, Sun Jack and AA took the subway to the operation site.

Though still within the Puxi District, the area was entirely different from Idol Street. Here, buildings stood packed tightly together, rain perpetually dripping between them. Looking up revealed rows of hive-like windows and no sky.

Office workers in raincoats and with umbrellas shuffled silently between the buildings. The only sounds were the patter of rain and the occasional footsteps, as everyone remained absorbed in their systems. Even just walking among them made Sun Jack feel stifled.

"Are you sure this is the place? It doesn’t look like the kind of area where murders would happen." Sun Jack double-checked with Song 6PUS over the team channel.

Sun Jack had expected a filthy slum, similar to his own neighborhood, not these congested office blocks.

"This is it. That’s exactly why it’s such a big deal—because it happened here, where corporate employees' safety is threatened. If it were in the Queens District, no one would care," Song 6PUS replied, chewing on something loudly.

Sun Jack sighed. Even death wasn’t treated equally here.

"Let’s go. While it’s crowded, we’ll map the area." Dressed in a raincoat, Sun Jack blended into the crowd with AA and Tapai.

Using his system, Sun Jack scanned the entire block, recording every alley and path in his memory. In a potential fight, the more details he had, the better his chances of success.

By evening, the streets had quieted, and the rest of the team arrived around 8 PM.

Sun Jack introduced AA to the others, keeping it brief.

"Alright, let’s begin. AA, follow the map I sent you. Walk in a loop, act lost, and draw them out," Song 6PUS instructed.

King Kong had taken control of all cameras in the C3 zone, while Four Ai’s six drones hovered over key positions, ready to provide fire support.

"As for us," Song 6PUS said, looking at Sun Jack, Tapai, and Father, "we’ll stay in the car. The moment that guy shows up, we’ll move in."

Sun Jack watched AA walk into the rain with her neon umbrella, uneasy. "Are you sure this plan will keep her safe?" he asked.

"Haha! Of course not," Song 6PUS replied, biting into his burrito with a nonchalant grin. "You’re asking the wrong question. We’re mercenaries. Our job isn’t to guarantee the bait’s safety—it’s to complete the mission and get paid as quickly as possible."