Malfunctioning Utopia

Chapter 50: Where Did He Go?

“D*** it, what exactly goes on in that tin brain of yours all day? If we want to survive in this hellhole, we’ve got to stick together. The more people we’ve got on our side, the better. That way, we avoid the kind of disputes we had last time,” Sun Jack explained to Tapai, sharing his second reason for recruiting AA.

“The team we had before was just a hodgepodge of people Song 6 threw together. The two of us were barely muscle. Say what you will about him, but he was right about one thing—teamwork is better than going solo.”

“Oh? So you’re trying to build your own team now?”

“If Song 6 can do it, why can’t I?” Sun Jack shot back.

“We’ve already handled two jobs. We know the basic flow, we’ve got contacts, and the resources are right there. Why waste them? If Song 6 doesn’t want them, we’ll take them for ourselves!”

“Well, well, looks like that brain of yours isn’t just for show. Why didn’t I notice before?” Tapai teased, giving Sun Jack a playful pat on the head.

“Get lost!” Sun Jack snapped, turning his focus to his system UI. He began searching for a new fixer—someone reliable.

With Song 6 gone, they needed to find a replacement quickly. If he could lock down a fixer, then Four Ai, King Kong, and the Father would be easy to bring onboard based on what he knew about them.

Sun Jack tested out a few keywords, letting the system’s big data analysis churn out recommendations. But all the free suggestions were useless fluff.

After hours of frustration, Sun Jack gave up. He ordered takeout, deciding to eat before visiting the Father to ask for professional advice.

Leaning back on his bed, he gazed out at the neon-lit world outside, drenched in rain, and at the increasingly familiar apartment around him.

He’d been struggling for survival ever since arriving here. Though there were still problems, at least he was alive.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. He grabbed his fully charged phone and started snapping pictures of the view outside.

As he scrolled through his newly captured photos, one caught his eye. It was an old, blurry picture of his home. He couldn’t even remember why he’d taken it, but the shot had come out crooked, capturing a corner of his computer desk.

Despite its poor quality, the image triggered a flood of memories from the past century. A wave of homesickness hit him hard.

Scrolling through his photo gallery, Sun Jack felt his brain reconstructing the world he’d left behind—his family, his friends, everything he once had. That world, now lost forever, was where he truly belonged.

His eyes grew misty as he reminisced, his heart aching for home.

“Sun Jack, you’re such a p****!” Tapai’s crude comment yanked him back to reality.

“F***!!” Sun Jack shoved his phone into his pocket and stormed into the living room. “What’s your problem? Got a virus in your system? Why the random insults?”

“You promised to use some of your @ to buy supplies for me, but you completely forgot!” Tapai complained.

“D*** it! Song 6 hasn’t sent over the money yet! How am I supposed to buy anything? And watch your tone—I’m your owner!”

The door clicked open, and Four Ai walked in, her wide eyes darting between them.

Sun Jack’s heart sank as his mind scrambled for a way to explain what she’d overheard.

But before he could speak, Four Ai saved him the trouble. “Owner? What kind of roleplay are you two into? Let me guess, me walking in uninvited is all part of the act?”

Sun Jack’s face darkened. Explaining would only make it worse. “How do you even have access to this apartment?”

“I borrowed it for a few days for some fun, so I’ve got the key,” Four Ai replied, cigarette dangling from her lips as she peeked into Sun Jack’s bedroom. Her curiosity was written all over her face.

Sun Jack yanked her back. “Why are you here?”

“Where’s AA? I’m here to remove her suture rivets. By the way, how did your little chat go? Did you two, y’know, seal the deal?”

“She’s not here! I’ll take her to your clinic tomorrow. Now leave.” Sun Jack shoved Four Ai toward the door.

It was obvious she’d just dropped by to gossip. She didn’t even knock—she’d barged in, hoping to catch something juicy.

“What’s the rush? I’ve got something to tell you about PUS,” she said, her tone turning serious.

Hearing it was about Song 6, Sun Jack was intrigued. “What’s he up to now? Whatever it is, I’m not teaming up with him again. We’re done. End of story.”

“That’s not it. Did you get paid for the last job? I checked the BCPD 6th Unit’s site, and the mission is marked as completed.”

Before Sun Jack could respond, Tapai jumped in. “I knew that b*****d was up to no good! That snake never planned to share the money! He’s bailed on us!”

“You’re sure about this?” Sun Jack quickly sent messages to King Kong and the Father for confirmation.

“I don’t think that’s likely,” Four Ai said, settling onto the sofa and crossing her legs.

“You think Song 6 wouldn’t skim off the top?” Sun Jack asked, skeptical.

“Are you kidding? If he didn’t steal our money, he wouldn’t be PUS anymore.” Four Ai smirked. “What I’m saying is, if he’d taken our cash, he’d be gloating about it on his livestream or blowing it all on parties. Going quiet isn’t his style.”

“So, you’re saying he got kidnapped? By who? The Graffiti Gang?”

Four Ai shook her head. “Unlikely. There are rules in this business. Going after someone right after a job is like slapping the 6th Unit in the face. No one would risk that unless they’re looking for trouble.”

Sun Jack frowned. The more he thought about it, the stranger the situation seemed. Aside from the Graffiti Gang, they hadn’t pissed off anyone recently.

“You know what? Who cares! Let him rot. Who’s Song 6PUS? Never heard of him! ヽ(｡◕‿◕｡)ﾉﾟ” Tapai cheered gleefully at the misfortune.

“But our 20@ payment is still with him,” Sun Jack reminded.

Tapai’s display immediately shifted to a somber emoji.

“(..•˘-˘•..)”

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