Cyberpunk: The Relentless

Chapter 145 - 145 - The Job and the Blue Eyes We Meet Again

"I love The Afterlife.""Jack, this isn't your first time here. Is it really that exciting?"

"You don't get it, Carl. Every time we come here, it's a new life. Why else would it be called The Afterlife?"

At the entrance of The Afterlife, the bouncer, Emmerich Bronson, watched as Carl's team approached. He didn't say a word, simply stepping aside to let them through.

"Good evening, Emmerich."

When Carl saw Emmerich, he stopped talking with Jack and greeted the bouncer with genuine enthusiasm.

"Good evening, KK."

Emmerich nodded, then reached out to push open the bar's door. Immediately, the familiar green lighting spilled out, casting a ghostly glow over the three of them.

"Still got that eerie afterlife vibe."

Shaking his head, Carl walked into the bar, taking a seat at the counter alongside Oliver and Jack.

The Afterlife's bartender, Claire, noticed the three of them and approached with a friendly smile.

"What can I get you guys tonight?"

"Just three sodas. No booze today."

Jack answered, and Claire, upon hearing that they weren't drinking, squinted slightly before giving them a knowing smile.

"Looking for work?"

"Can't be hammered while waiting for a gig."

"Want me to spread the word? With your reputation, there's no shortage of people who'd love to hire you but just don't have a way to reach you. I'd bet someone will come up to you before long. I'll get your sodas ready. Ice?"

"Yeah, do us a favor and let them know we're open for business. Three sodas, on ice."

"Got it, give me a sec."

With that, Claire turned away to prepare their drinks.

"Wanna order something to eat? Just drinking water feels kind of bland."

Jack turned to Carl, only to be met with a dramatic eye roll.

"Yeah, right. I already checked last time—this place doesn't have anything decent to eat. Just vending machine junk. If I have to eat that crap, I'd rather starve."

"Man, you're picky as ever. If you ran a All-Foods factory, I bet I'd never have to worry about finding some weird-ass surprise in my meal."

"Give me a break. Even if I were in charge of All-Foods, I still wouldn't eat their garbage."

As Carl's team continued their casual banter, time passed quickly. Claire came and went, bringing them their sodas. By the time Oliver was starting to feel the need to hit the restroom, someone approached them.

The guy, from his attire, looked like just another corporate suit. He didn't waste time on small talk—he simply walked over, said a single sentence, and placed a small note in front of them.

"This is the contact number of a gentleman who reserved a job with you in advance."

After delivering the message, the corporate man left without another word.

Carl looked at the note, considering the meaning behind his words.

"Reserved a job in advance?"

Who would do something like that?

As he was thinking, an image suddenly flashed through his mind.

A middle-aged man with cybernetic eyes glowing bright blue.

"Once you finish this mission, I'll contact you immediately."

That mysterious, blue-eyed man who had approached Carl and his team at the Wild Wolf Bar—immediately knowing they were working on a Militech job investigating the Adamant Titan—left a lasting impression on Carl.

Back then, he had wondered how the man planned to contact them, considering they hadn't exchanged numbers. But now, it seemed like tracking them down was no challenge for him at all.

Jack also recalled the enigmatic, oddly-spoken middle-aged man with glowing blue cyber-eyes. He glanced at the note on the table, then looked at Carl.

"So… what do we do about this job?"

"We don't have anything lined up right now, so we might as well check it out first. If it seems off and there's no down payment, we can always turn it down. That guy clearly has some kind of inside intel, but sketchy business dealings aren't exactly reassuring."

Saying this, Carl picked up the note and dialed the number written on it.

Beep.en, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand…

One hundred and fifty thousand eddies.

That was about the same payout as when they took down former lieutenant James Norris.

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