Cyberpunk: Nirvana of Shoko Toyokawa

Page 13

"I'm going to debut in the City of Music!"

Xiangzi thought of Chuhua's excited tone, which was no different from when he was a child.

Since Xiangzi returned to the City of Joy, the two have drifted apart.

It's not just the geographical distance, but also the distance in the heart.

Chuhua did contact me, but at that time, Xiangzi had just started to form a band and Chuhua was also busy preparing for her debut.

Both sides are busy.

Xiangzi devoted himself to the band, his mind full of his musical dreams, and never met this "old friend" once.

What now?

In the past, I only focused on my passions, using excuses like “I don’t have the time” and thinking, “I don’t have to see old friends all the time, so a quick greeting is enough,” and I lived each day with a clear conscience.

Now, when you encounter difficulties, you think of her and go to her with a smug face?

"(——How can I still have the nerve to ask Chuhua for help at this time!)"

Xiangzi gritted his teeth and rejected this plan.

"(I can -- myself -- too!)"

beep - beep -

In the distance, the waste transfer truck blew its whistle to remind the administrator to raise the pole.

Xiangzi looked towards the entrance.

A new waste transporter has arrived at the station.

Chapter 13: Sister Meow, the Society is Cruel and Wild

wealthy suburb.

Bar Street.

Roselia's territory.

It was early morning. On the empty, clean streets, adults in suits and ties occasionally walked out of a dimly lit door. They spoke quietly and politely to the people inside, then left slowly with slightly shaky steps.

The music echoing in the street was low but soft.

Although it is not the peak hour, it can be seen that although it is also a place of debauchery, it is much more orderly than the crowded and chaotic Kabuki district under Morfonica's rule.

Even the Kabuki district under the management of Pastel*Palettes, a company that specializes in managing nightlife venues, is probably not as well-organized as this place.

"(Is this Roselia's wrist?)"

Walking on the street with my head down, Xiangzi thought.

Scrap transport trucks are a popular hitchhiking option for street thugs. Now, Xiangzi, who has fallen into this trap, has experienced its convenience.

A few hours ago, Xiangzi took advantage of the garbage station manager's inattention and jumped into the empty waste transfer truck again.

But this time, she carefully checked the route marks on the waste transfer trucks and made the decision after careful selection.

Xiangzi chose the train heading to the city center - wealthy area.

The reason for this consideration is that it is Roselia's territory.

The first five bands, known as the "Old Five Bands", have the strongest strength and heritage.

But if you have to choose the older one among the five old groups with slight differences in their founding time, it would be the original two groups: the light-hearted Poppin'Party and the metal-style Roselia.

The strength of both bands in the dark side should not be underestimated.

Especially Roselia.

This dark-style band has been discussed countless times on the topic of "The Strongest Force in the City of Music" on online bulletin boards, and is considered by many to be the strongest in the City of Music.

"The strongest" is always a controversial topic and there is no final conclusion yet.

But Roselia is definitely the most iron-fisted force with the strictest territorial management.

Because of the almost strict style of Roselia's captain, [Purple Rose] Minato Yukina, cameras are everywhere in this area. From the largest artist management company in Lezhi City to private prosthetic doctors, every business operator will be subject to regular and irregular surprise inspections. Those who do not meet the regulations and evade taxes will disappear quietly the next day. The daily life activities in the open and underground are clearly distinguished. During the day, you can even let your children play alone on the street without worry. If any blind thug dares to disrupt the order here, Minato Yukina and her four powerful confidants will reach him in the shortest time and make everything calm.

This is exactly why Xiangzi chose this place to make use of the [Point Chip].

Any lynching by outsiders would be seen as a provocation to Roselia's authority.

In such an area, even if the Kidney Shredders came after them, they would not dare to act rashly. They would observe and observe again, and be cautious again, so as not to be on Roselia's elimination list.

This gave Xiangzi the maximum amount of time to use the [point chip].

“(I have to seize this opportunity.)”

Seize the opportunity and act quickly.

After changing his clothes, Xiangzi walked slowly along the bar street.

In any area, bar streets are where underground transactions are most frequent.

Xiangzi had just arrived. She looked around the street, trying to figure out which bar was the most reliable.

"(The second one on the right... seems to be an old store. Old stores usually have regular vendors... but it's hard to say. Regular vendors may only serve regular customers.)"

"(How about the fifth one on the left? The sign is new, the porch was just replaced, it looks very wealthy... a newcomer? Newcomer bars usually attract a lot of new vendors who are looking for a base... However, this kind of place also has the most scams...)"

"(The one in the alley on the right? Someone just came out... um... but the entrance is so hidden, it might be a membership-only store...)"

Xiangzi kept thinking.

Suddenly, she saw two people coming out of a small door across the street.

The girl facing Xiangzi was a shop girl with short lavender hair. She was wearing a tight top and a short skirt, with a charming look, and was seeing off a customer.

"...Oh my, what are you saying? I am the one who should thank you for your patronage! You know, I am a big fan of yours! If time is not tight, I really want to take a few more photos with you. I also want to see the [Great Devil]..."

The girl was very sweet-mouthed and kept saying nice things.

The one with his back to Xiangzi is...

"Hehe, this little bit of time is nothing! Let's take a photo together, shall we? [Great Devil], it's not impossible."

"!"

Xiangzi's pupils suddenly contracted.

The guest the girl was escorting was a very short girl. She was carrying a bulging black backpack that was obviously too big, and her dark purple hair was tied into two strands and curled into a spiral shape...

That turned out to be one of the five members of the Roselia band, drummer [Fallen Angel] Ayako Uedagawa!

"(This person can trade with Roselia's members!?)"

Xiangzi was startled and immediately shrank behind an advertising billboard nearby.

"Come, Great Demon—"

Across the street, the two took a photo together.

Ako Ueda, who took a photo with the girl, looks like a young girl who likes to play pranks.

But Xiangzi knew deeply that in the City of Joy, appearance and character should not be underestimated.

Here, age can be fixed, the body can be modified, and any personality you want can be created by implanting a variety of plug-ins.

The most important thing is always strength.

Udagawa Ako's [Physical] score is very high, and she has a rare plug-in built into her brain, which allows her to dual-wield the largest heavy machine guns with almost no recoil. According to former eyewitnesses, she once cleared an entire street by herself in one minute.

She can be said to be the most important firepower output point for Roselia's dark side activities.

Is there anyone who would trade with such a person...

"Ya Zi, it's time to go."

Another soft voice sounded beside him, and Xiangzi was suddenly startled.

When she turned around, she saw a thin girl with long black hair walking out of the stairwell next to the billboard where she was hiding and walking across the street.

"Youkina is still waiting for us." said the girl.

Xiangzi had also seen this girl in large-format advertisements.

"(… Platinum Rinko…)"

Shirogane Rinko is also a member of Roselia. She is the keyboard player of the band on the surface, but secretly she is a master hacker.

Her skills are so advanced that they are staggering. Any desperado who tries to escape Roselia's pursuit will eventually disappear quietly, which is her work. On the anonymous online version, she is called a "rock-solid technical expert."

Some people say that her [Technical Ability] and [Calmness] scores are both over 16.

Some people also said that those were the data from the battle between the [first two groups] for the central area. A few years later, Platinum Rinko had already reached the full 20 points in both items.

20 points. Terrifying data. It represents the limit of the ability of cyber-transformed humans.

She has two items.

If it were anyone else, Xiangzi would think it was just another round of nonsense on the Internet.

But for Roselia members, that's really possible.

……

"Eh~ So fast! Tsk~"

Yazi's clear, shrill voice stopped Xiangzi from thinking.

She saw Udagawa Ako and Shirogane Rinko talking in low voices, waving goodbye to the girl, and leaving in the opposite direction.

“(That person——!)”

Xiangzi immediately set his eyes on the girl.

Being able to trade with Roselia's members shows that she at least has strength and reputation.

But those who have strength and reputation will take care of their reputation.