My cyberpsychosis is a task prompt

Chapter 164: Life

"Ticket folder?"

"Wow... Uh, damn, you know me?"

The sunglasses on TicketClip's nose fell off, revealing his scrutinizing brown pupils and the metal screws embedded in the corners of his eyes.

He hesitated for three seconds whether to run or not, but finally greeted her with a smile.

"I'm sure we've never had a feud, man. For people in our profession, being called names by strangers is usually not a good thing. Maybe they'll curse or pull out a gun in the next second."

"It means you have a bad reputation. Stay away from me."

John had no interest in dealing with him.

The ticket folder came over on its own initiative.

"CMOE~MAN~How dare I offend a big shot like you? I must be sure of making a fortune before I dare to introduce business to you. It doesn't require stealing or robbing. Just a little investment will bring you stable income~"

He held up his hands in surrender, his mouth full of gold with one or two blackened gums.

"I see that you have come out of the robot fighting field. Are you interested in investing in a piece of equipment and making some money..."

Seeing that John didn't move his legs, Ticket Clip introduced him quickly.

Robot fighting is not Guzha’s idea. There have been similar activities in abandoned construction sites and illegal casinos before. It’s just that Guzha legalized the illegal projects and made money from both box office and gambling.

"You are the only one who can make a profit from the bone slag?"

John looked at a dead body.

"But they are short of machines. I happen to have the channels, but I just lack a little working capital. Guzha can't possibly cooperate with the company on everything. Besides, if you take away other people's jobs, you should at least give us some of the leftovers."

Those "old players" have second-hand cars on hand, which they can use for investment to make money, and help Guzha to maintain the place and make it lively. It is a win-win deal.

The Black Gold Gang has casinos that give rebates to participating robot owners. By secretly adjusting the multipliers, they can ensure that the contestants earn enough money to cover the cost of the equipment.

John did understand, but he still wasn't very interested.

"There are ways to make money with this kind of investment, so what's the point?"

"Of course you can earn more. Only when there are enough contestants can this thing be scaled up. Bone slag lacks this. If all robots are managed by the Black Gold Gang, who would dare to bet?"

The ticket holder's artificial eye began to glow.

John asked, crossing his arms.

"You know security robots?"

"You're here to test my professionalism, right? As long as you're free, it's okay for us to have a good chat..."

The ticket folder actually followed the topic.

The robots produced by small OEM companies can only be used in their respective factories. Not many people use them to participate in fighting competitions. Most small companies only produce robotic arms and control modules.

At present, in the Eden City intelligent robot or security market, the companies with the highest sales share are Jingke Heavy Industry and Faqi Group.

The two are mortal enemies.

Precision Heavy Industries is a European company that mainly focuses on services in the field of intelligent robots, covering apartment management, hotel management, whole-house environmental sanitation systems, early childhood education and protection, etc.

The robots they make are lifelike and use networked data algorithms to provide customized services to customers.

John nodded.

His mind immediately came to the waiter robots in the Danny Street Apartments and the Borago Club.

Those highly anthropomorphic smart products are always on the edge of the uncanny valley effect and hallucinogenic drugs, making people waver between the sense of superiority of the service recipients and the phobia of AI.

Jingke Heavy Industries is also strong in the field of mechanical engineering.

The digging robot that John transformed into Black Spider is a best-selling series under their name. "Jingkr" is a representative enterprise for post-war reconstruction, ruins search and rescue, and exploration of harsh environments.

The situation of [Faki Industry] is more complicated.

It is not the same as the [Faki Group], but is just one of its subsidiaries that focuses on the field of engineering construction and also has a large number of patents for engineering equipment.

But the market share is small and the two are not on the same level.

The Faqi Group is a real behemoth.

Another division under its name, [Faki Military Industry], has a very strong voice in the field of intelligent machinery. Unlike Jingke, which focuses on the civilian service market, Faqi is engaged in the security market.

John had seen screenshots of these while browsing black market news and illegal radio programs.

Their products include not only alien mechanical monsters such as search centaurs, defense dogs, and sonic bat reconnaissance aircraft, but also humanoid security robots of different specifications. They are not only supplied to the government as additional supplements to street police force, but can also be rented or sold to customers who lack a sense of security like private armed forces.

John had encountered that kind of security robot before and suffered a lot.

He stopped thinking and looked at the ticket folder with a smile on its face.

"You know more about this than I thought. Who taught you? Is there professional training for street scams nowadays?"

"Ha, you have a really venomous tongue. It's true. I'm just attracting casual customers. Someone is spending money to promote the robot competition. It might be bone slag. I'm part of the street marketing of the sponsor behind the scenes."

The fact that the ticket folder was open and honest with nothing to hide proved that this idea might really be able to make money.

John still shook his head.

"But you're unlucky, man. I've been spending a lot of money lately and I don't have a penny left in my pocket."

"It's okay, big shot. I've seen you fight. Are you interested in participating in the man-machine fight? You'll earn a lot of money for every tough guy you defeat."

"..."

John gave him a meaningful look.

"You get a commission from this too?"

"Of course!"

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth.

【Newly created contact-folder】

John threw a gold-rimmed separation chip on the co-pilot seat, which contained an invitation to the Mechanical Boxing League.

John didn't throw it away.

Perhaps when he desperately needs some money, to gather some materials, or to make some street connections, he will stand in the ring and impress the underground legends of Eden City with his fists.

During the two or three days of his indulgent rest, he increasingly felt that the cost of a stable and comfortable life in Eden City was really high. He had been unemployed recently and most of his savings had been invested in the store.

John has been eating, drinking, having fun and subscribing to programs in the commercial street near the Borago Club these past two days. He can choose mid- to high-priced items on most menus, so he doesn't feel too burdened for the time being.

But long-term enjoyment is definitely unbearable.

Theoretically, with John's current balance, he could go shopping in the red-light district, but with the fame he has accumulated in the West End, it would be more cost-effective to pick up girls in bars.

If you want to experience a high-end place like "Steel Hot Forest", you will probably be stretched after a few times.

After John adjusted his physical condition again, he went to the clinic to have all the bullet holes repaired on his body. His account balance was running low. He had no problem eating, but he couldn't even afford a decent gun.

Inside the Danny Street Apartments.

John was shirtless in the living room after taking a shower, checking his emails.

Maya and Gary sent me information about the store - everything went smoothly from site selection to preliminary preparations. Today, the most critical equipment has been purchased from the second-hand market, and we are ready to start trial operation and make money at any time.

[The efficiency is already very high. I will go and take a look tomorrow. This store is very important to us.]

John simply replied to the email and dumped all the takeout boxes on the glass table into the trash bag.

Paid housekeeping services are certainly convenient, but there is no need for mercenaries to be too refined when they are poor. The program projected on the TV is playing "Cyber ​​Night Talk".

John subscribed to their variety show on impulse buying. The guests were divided into two factions and quarreled with each other. The theme of this episode was whether intelligent machinery combined with rendering could replace artificial sex dolls.

[Selling one's body is the oldest profession of mankind. The experience of selling a piece of iron and selling living flesh is absolutely different! ]

[This is fucking bullshit. You are an idiot who goes into a club, pays money, gets done, and leaves without paying. Sex dolls have the highest rate of prosthetic transformation in all industries. They must upgrade their bodies to survive in the market competition. Otherwise, they can only use the excuse of not being high-end enough to be reduced to picking up casual customers in small dark alleys! ]

[I don’t think there is any essential difference between current sex dolls and robots. ]

[Very good, then you can go back and have sex with the water dispenser tonight. Anyway, I prefer my sexual partner to be alive.]

[Oh, really? Even if he/she wears a behavioral chip and uses the sentences derived by the algorithm to enter your dark and hurt heart? ]

……

"Cyber ​​Night Talk" is indeed the hottest talk show at the moment. It has sharp words and tricky angles, and it is all about tearing each other apart from the beginning to the end. It is very suitable for numbing a tired life.

John collapsed on the sofa and slept until he woke up naturally. He felt like his head was full of paste and his whole body was uncomfortable. Even after doing a set of training with the equipment in the room, it was still not enough.

Mercenaries will indeed get sick if they stay for too long.

John came to the basement and specifically chose the Alloy RCH. When the motorcycle roared out of the gentle slope and corrected its direction on the street, his muscles and bones woke up from the vibration and wind pressure.

The blazing sun was obscured by smoke and tall buildings.

A mixture of slightly granular air and an inexplicable heat blew across the viaduct and traffic lights.

The motorcycle left the central street and came to the junction of the west district.

This place is already on the edge of the Black Gold Gang's influence, the style of graffiti and gold worship has declined sharply, and there are no sports equipment in the street corners.

Gang members from various regions have reached a delicate balance here, and occasionally they engage in illegal business along the blurred dividing lines.

Areas like this in Eden are prime locations because the city government and ECPD will not allow frequent, large-scale gang fights to occur along intercity rail and subway lines.

Because it will affect the normal operation of the city.

A large number of business people have set their sights on this small safe haven.

Many shops are located in the shadows of buildings, forming a series of street-side shops and small style streets in the gaps between brutalist-style circular parking lots and skyscrapers.

The room John rented is at least 200 square meters.

It started out as a luxury store, but then the commercial center shifted, and after several gang wars, industrial areas and land were rezoned, causing the area to fall from a bustling street to the shadow of a glass curtain wall.

"Six months ago, this was a chain convenience store that also sold some packaged food and bedding. Later, it was bombed and the load-bearing part was damaged, endangering the apartment building behind. The real estate company paid for the repairs and occupied this place."

Gerry folded his arms and reported the situation to John.

Logically, this store does not belong to the Black Gold Gang. It was a conflict that was resolved when Mr. Vito was in office. As a reward, the real estate company transferred it to the gang indefinitely, and it was eventually included in the territory of Bone Shatters.

"The back door is connected to a small alley where trucks can park and unload. There's a small market further in. You know, the kind where basements and low-rent apartments are rented out..."

Inside the shop there are red industrial leather benches and several rows of old tables.

The kitchen is at the innermost part, and there is also a car sales window in the area close to the road. The food can be delivered directly after it is prepared, without having to go through the ordering counter in front.

John whistled.

"My goodness, this is like a high-end restaurant."

He admired from the bottom of his heart, marveling at the purchasing power of the start-up capital and the hard work of Maya and her husband.

This area and location are already far ahead.

Except for those directly operated by companies, the small shops on the streets of Eden City basically survive in the cracks. The shops selling food are either small stalls or just a window facing customers, with shelves and kitchens crammed inside, leaving people with no desire to take a closer look or explore.

“We’re definitely going to make money!”

John sighed expectantly.

Gerry and Maya looked at each other, smiled, hesitated, and then scratched their oily foreheads and said.

"In fact, we are still missing something."

The preliminary work of the store has been basically completed.

The Radiation Farm has already hooked up with the Wanderers, and in return is willing to supply goods to John's small shop. If he plans to expand the business in the future, they can continue to discuss costs and profits.

"We need a truck for delivery, boss."

All of Gerry and Maya's savings were destroyed by the Rift Party. They now owe a bank loan and have no money in their personal accounts. Their apartment and previous delivery vehicles have long been seized.

“It’s a small problem.”

"Meia said the same thing. Find a street thug or try your luck in a parking lot. If that doesn't work, go to a dismantling yard and ask if there are any semi-scrapped cars. Use them for a while..."

Gary suggested getting a car through unusual channels.

But this will inevitably lead to various retaliations. Resources and dangers always coexist. On the streets with unbalanced moral standards, there are always brutal and troublesome guys glaring.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple."

John pulled out a stool, put it under his butt like flipping foam, and spoke to the two "employees" next to him.

"We are making fresh food. Whether it's raw materials or cooked food, the profits are very high. There are many people targeting us, and we may be robbed or have an accident at any time..."

A scrapped car that is about to fall apart is definitely not an option. If you hit it casually, it will be stopped in the alley and left to be slaughtered.

John first thought of using the Jurassic ZT15.

But it doesn’t have enough internal space, and you also need an armored vehicle when you do missions yourself.

"I'll figure out a way to get the car. What else?"

"We still need some serious recipes."

Gary was originally started out as a snack stand owner. The pie recipe he brought from Mexico was obviously not enough to run a store. He needed to at least have a few foods that were acceptable to the general public in Eden City and easy to sell.

The prices in the store are definitely not low.

Even in such a densely commercial area, you have to aim for the mid-range or higher end. At this time, the dishes and craftsmanship are very important. In addition, whether you need to hire a chef and helpers...

"It's all up to you, boss."

Gerry and Maya both turned their eyes to John.

[Series Task Operator: Store Preparation]

[Reward: Shop Operation]

John asked Gerry and his wife to learn how to use guns, at least to survive street conflicts. As for whether they would need to recruit mercenaries, chefs, and employees in the future...

Consider it after the store makes money.

[Mission target update]

[Obtain a cargo vehicle. 0/1 (Not achieved)]

【Enrich the store menu. (Not achieved)】

John left the room and got on his motorcycle, scratching his head.

As a mercenary, I am used to fighting and killing, but this is the first time I have done such a strange job.

John thought that Mr. Vito's retirement party was still in two days, so he had time to deal with the matter.

(End of this chapter)