Cyberpunk: Nirvana of Shoko Toyokawa

"That's it."

Lixi stood up.

But Hai Ling also stood up.

"I'll be able to come over after this is over."

She unwrapped the "Melting Milk Jelly! Chocolate Flavor!" and took a sip.

"what's up?"

"…Do you accept hired jobs other than mercenaries?"

"Let's talk first."

"Without the bass, we can't rehearse. I'll give you the bass technology software and skill chip, as well as [1980s Bassist Taste Selection], and you can be the bassist."

……

The plug-in that Li Xi gave was very good. If possible, Hai Ling hoped that when she worked as a mercenary, she would have such a good boss. She plucked the borrowed bass twice and completely understood all the knowledge required to master this small instrument.

Maximizing the saved time is Hai Ling's usual style. Therefore, she arrived a little earlier than the gathering time.

But today, she seemed to have come at the wrong time.

"Huh? Why?"

In the rehearsal room decorated with solid wood, the pink-haired guitarist of Lixi's band was asking loudly.

"So," Li Xi, the drummer, crossed his arms and stood aside, "I'm going to arrange for a new bassist to join. I've already found someone."

"Wait a minute, where's Su Shi?" The guitarist did not compromise.

"That guy is no longer good."

"No? I don't understand what you mean at all! Although it's true that she ignored me before, but...it's possible that we just misunderstood!"

"……Why?"

The gray-haired lead singer of the band who was sitting on the sofa also spoke.

"Why not?"

"...I talked to that guy." Li Xi hesitated for a moment, but still said.

"Wait! Why don't you ask us to go with you!" the guitarist was very dissatisfied.

"That rascal--"

Lixi seemed to be about to say something, but at this moment she noticed Hailing outside the door.

"… Sorry to have kept you waiting."

Hai Ling gave everyone a brief greeting.

"Do you need me to come back later?"

"Let's go." Lixi said.

"wait a minute!"

But it seems that the band has not yet reached a consensus.

……

"I'm Hachiman Kairin."

"…I'm Chihaya Aine, the guitarist, and she's the lead singer, Kotobuki."

The self-introduction part was fine. Student bands were not like the old-timers that commercial teams or mercenaries always had to deal with, all full of tricks.

But the subsequent cooperation will be more problematic.

The guitar sounded hesitant, the lead singer couldn't sing at all, and Li Xi was also getting restless.

Hai Ling, who had just learned to play the bass less than 12 hours ago, has become the most stable member here.

Hai Ling has never participated in a performance, but she has participated in many tasks.

She can easily distinguish between tasks that can be completed and tasks that cannot be completed.

"—"

Hailingla stopped playing.

"Hai Ling." Li Xi's voice.

"It seems that I still can't forget my former members."

"Wait a moment--"

"Contact me again once you reach a consensus."

Hai Ling put down her bass.

"I will cheer for you."

After saying this to lead singer Deng, Hai Ling left the rehearsal room.

……

Band...a band?

In fact, when I agreed, I also considered making Li Xi's band my destination on my way to the "top".

After all, that’s how seven bands broke through the suffocating web of Music City.

I heard that Lixi and her friends had confronted the Kidney-Shredder members head-on, so they should be quite strong.

But now it seems...

"...As expected, it's not possible."

Walking on the street, Hai Ling thought.

at this time.

hum.

Hailing's brain-computer received a new message.

The sender's mark is [Transaction object][1 time][ID: Oblivionis].

Chapter 41: Eating a Meal

Hai Ling was familiar with the name Oblivionis. About a week ago, her last transaction regarding [point chips] was with this person.

Oblivionis is a trade that is hard to forget.

She was not a client introduced by a middleman, but by Sanjiao Chuhua.

When Hai Ling first started working as a mercenary, she didn't take jobs all over the city like she does now. Instead, she was based in a bar near Hanasaki River.

And that place happened to be Chuhua's base for taking jobs.

Like Hai Ling, Chu Hua was also a young mercenary who worked for money in an underground bar. They worked in the same bar, took orders from the same middleman, and were of similar age. As they met more often, they inevitably developed some friendship. Later, they also cooperated on several missions.

Chu Hua is an excellent partner, bold and careful, steady and cautious, skilled in using submachine guns and assault rifles, able to break a deadlock in an instant and break through any seemingly indestructible defense line.

Her proficiency in "combat" itself was surprisingly high. Although Hai Ling dropped out of school, she was also a top student who had received complete training in the police academy, but in terms of understanding the battlefield, she sometimes still felt that she was inferior to Chu Hua.

It was a pleasure to work with Chuhua. However, after a while, this reliable partner no longer appeared on the "waiting job" list.

"I'm not working as a mercenary anymore." Chu Hua said to Hai Ling the last time they came to the bar, "I'm going to make my debut."

"I see. Congratulations."

Hai Ling was very surprised. She didn't know that this highly skilled young mercenary was planning to step onto the open stage of Le City.

"In fact, I came to Lezhicheng through a talent agency that poached newcomers." Chu Hua was very frank, "However, in the initial period, I was still a trainee and had no income. In order to pay for my daily living expenses, I took some underground jobs. Now I don't have to do that."

"You are very brave." Hai Ling said, "You entered this dangerous city without any savings. The waters here are very deep. Most people would choose to save some money in the undeveloped badlands around before entering the City of Joy, rather than coming directly to work in the City of Joy."

"Actually, I have considered that. However, in the end, I still want to enter the City of Joy as soon as possible."

Chuhua smiled. She looked a little embarrassed.

“The jobs here pay better, and…”

"…Besides, there is someone I want to meet."

Hai Ling always admires people who have goals. She blessed Chu Hua.

After that, the two separated and didn't see each other for nearly a year.

The next contact was over a week ago.

Chu Hua took the initiative to call Hai Ling.

"The bar owner said you're still looking to buy [Reaction Chips]." Chu Hua said on the other end of the phone, "I have a friend who has some. It's upgraded from 12 to 13."

This was the first time Hai Ling heard the word "friend" from Chu Hua.

Hai Ling, who was a little impatient because she had no idea where to get advanced chips, readily agreed.

The "friend of Chuhua" who came to the appointment was Oblivionis.

Oblivionis was a very pretty, very young girl, a rarity in the speakeasy bars of Las Vegas.

Hai Ling herself dropped out of school in the third year of junior high school and started to mingle with the underworld. She was already young enough. The only person she had seen who was her age was Chu Hua.

But Oblivionis looked even younger than her and Chuhua.

"(Are they really just personal friends?)"

Hai Ling thought so and completed the deal with Oblivionis.

Chu Hua is a very reliable person. Even if she is no longer a mercenary, it is still the same. Hai Ling soon discovered that the Oblivionis she introduced to him also had above-average qualities - very polite, clean, and detail-oriented.

and……

…showing “something” that transcends age.

"I would like to establish long-term cooperation with you."

Oblivionis said to Hai Ling.

"I am preparing my own mercenary team. If there is an opportunity, I also plan to make my debut and gain a voice in public."

"You are excellent, I hope you can join us. What do you think?"

weirdo.

Hai Ling thought.

"You want to share the cake of [Seven Bands]?" Hai Ling responded at the time. "If you put it this way, aren't you afraid that I will refuse and then leak this news to [Seven Bands]?"

"I know Ms. Hachiman is the type of person who would consider this proposal, so I said it directly." Oblivionis said with a smile.

A strange, but dangerous person.

"That sounds too long. I'm not available lately."

Hai Ling said.

At that time, she had just arrived [Reaction: 13] and was anxious to take on the mission she had been waiting for a year, so she was not very interested in this invitation.

"What about short-term jobs?"

"I'll consider it after this week." Hai Ling gave an ambiguous reply.

"Chuhua thinks highly of you. Just being able to work with you for a short period of time is very valuable to me."

Oblivionis seemed to have anticipated Hai Ling's answer and took a step forward at just the right moment.

"I will send you a task with a quotation in a week."

"I'll be looking forward to your help."

……

"…They really sent me a mission."

Hai Ling looked at the message received in her brain and thought.