My Cyber Psychosis is Task Prompt-Chapter 439 - 270: Raphael’s Intentions (Part 2)

The number of news drones was increased to three.

ALW (American Insights World Broadcasting Company) headquarters is just two blocks away, and their field reporters arrived thirty seconds earlier than the Special Event Handling Action Team.

Platinum members were escorted out of the building one by one.

The security chief stood on the rooftop, his hair messed up by the hovercar.

From his elevated vantage point, he could see vehicles fleeing the Morton Building like cockroaches, while he remained stuck due to elevator and hallway congestion.

The internal communication system was remotely shut down.

The security company’s hacker was burned to a crisp.

They lost the cyber competition miserably; the opponent’s tactics were brilliant, and they were completely fooled.

Maybe this can be emphasized in the incident report.

The chief thought further and sighed.

"They’re gone, that’s it, the chase that follows has nothing to do with us; looking on the bright side, at least we have a life to find the next company to work for."

He made a professional judgment.

At this moment.

John sat in a luxury business vehicle.

[Vehicle: Fafnir-Leader T]

This was thanks to the late Mr. Tommen Gark.

When he returned to the room, he used access authorization, while Kenichi Sora obtained the vehicle authorization in Tommen’s name by "jumping" biometric information.

During the blackout, John moved smoothly into Tommen’s private garage, entered his luxury ride, and erased the last trace of risk with Black Light.

The building does not belong to Rongju Company.

Therefore, Tommen’s death information was not timely synced to the corresponding server.

So...

This deceased company executive, riding in his vehicle, joined the stream of cars leaving the Morton Building.

When John passed through security, Tommen’s body was still swaying against the glass facade on the 42nd floor.

Sora was waiting for the chance.

Assisting in the escape didn’t occupy much of its computing space; if Sora went all out, it would have led to total failure over the network lines.

But that would alert the network inspection and SAT.

John wouldn’t survive.

Thus, Sora was busy distracting the security company while repeatedly pondering Raphael’s true intentions.

[I’ve figured it out, was the data board silenced!?]

"Exactly, oh heavens, you’re terribly simplistic for an AI, which company still expects you to calculate things..."

John sighed.

[I just made errors in predicting the direction, if you told me Raphael was the bad guy, I’d understand it clearer than you!]

"You underestimate the employer."

John tapped the steering wheel, patiently making his way through the lockdown area.

Tommen indeed had a considerable stature, as a Rongju executive, his vehicle authorization level was high enough to cut through the emergency lanes.

As the policeman waving the glow stick passed by, John continued to speak.

"I only mentioned needing a gun, but she gave me one targeted at the assassin Fatsuki, heh, nothing happening in this city escapes intermediary eyes."

Tommen was a high-level corporate dog.

Would Raphael entrust someone she didn’t understand for such a life-and-death mission concerning him?

She knew the data board was greedy.

Simultaneously, she knew the data board was capable of uncovering Tommen’s dark secrets.

"This hot water situation is too much, believe me, even if the data board returned alive and appeared at the rendezvous only he and Raphael knew, he’d die in the ’mission’."

John said confidently.

He could think this deeply because he had been in contact with Oulos.

Sora said nothing.

Just when John thought it was stunned, the AI’s rebuttal suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Just like you?]

"Huh?"

[A dangerous mission, corporate secrets, mercenary narrowly escaping death going to the meeting point arranged by the intermediary.]

"..."

John frowned.

[Even worse, you sent the video over and didn’t leave yourself any chips.]

"...Fuck!"

John slammed the steering wheel, searched in the passenger seat.

[What are you looking for?]

"I need a smoke."

[Uh-huh.]

Sora took over the system, flipped open the glove compartment, revealing a gold-plated lighter and half a box of Golden Apple collectible cigars.

[Help yourself.]

John fiddled with the lighter for a moment, hesitated briefly, pocketed the cigars, pondering whom to give them to.

Sora continued its train of thought.

[Actually Raphael had already moved on from this, but you offered yourself, so she conveniently handed the task to you, on the surface an angry intermediary punishing and seeking revenge."

"Actually, she wants the trade secret. A data board can’t extort an arms company, but she can."

John felt somewhat regretful.

[I thought you were well-acquainted with Raphael!]

"We are close. She knows me well, no wonder I always felt this job couldn’t go smoothly no matter what I did. I’ve never done commercial espionage, yet here I am, thrown into a two-hundred-person security team."

John shook his head with a bitter smile.

"She didn’t intend for me to survive. Gark alone would suffice. Whether the secret is obtained or not doesn’t matter, there’s no loss anyway."

[Are all middlemen this bad?]

"..."

John didn’t answer immediately.

He squinted his eyes, peering through the car window glass, seeing the diverse holoprojections crossing the fountain at City Core Square.

In that bubble-like dazzling light and shadow...

John’s mind flashed back to Oulos holding his hand, the blood of a red falcon dripping through their fingers.

"Yes, that’s the nature of middlemen."

John sighed with regret, a bitter smile lingering in his tone.

"Sorry to disappoint you. Mercenaries aren’t the righteous characters like in games. We’re hired executioners, and our work has nothing noble about it."

Sora let out a sigh of realization.

John could feel a surge in the car’s system.

A few seconds later,

The luxury sound system emitted a grand yet melancholic accompaniment, blending with the bizarre city nightscape outside the window, giving John goosebumps.

"...Where did you get that accompaniment?"

[How is it—suitable, right?]

"A very old tune, completely different from the commercial noise produced nowadays. Hmm, any songs with lyrics? I enjoy listening to old songs sung with a scratchy voice."

[You have taste, my friend! Try this, it’s the most popular road song from the era stored in my database.]

The music switched.

An old, smoky voice began a bluesy folk ballad, making John’s eyebrows twitch.

He lightly tapped the steering wheel.

Wave-like holoprojections appeared on the car window glass.

Like two kids who had caused a major incident, yet escaped unscathed, celebrating with stolen fine wine!

"Let’s find a chop shop, convert this luxury ride into cash, and then I’ll take you to get some good food, find some fun."

John wriggled in the comfortable leather.

"Perhaps Raphael is already looking for another foolish mercenary to come and take me out."

Fafnir’s luxury car sped through the city streets.

Its speed wasn’t graceful, nor was the driving ostentatious; it roamed the outer ring road with abandon, lane changing like an ostentatious, nouveau riche fool.

[Maybe... things aren’t that bad.]

Kenichi Sora’s tone was somewhat hesitant.

"What crazy idea have you thought of now?"

[I was going to say earlier, but seeing as the atmosphere was so tragically poignant, I didn’t interrupt. We think Raphael wants to silence us because you feel Raphael sent you to your death...]

The voice lowered.

[But you’re alive and well.]

"That’s because you’re here."

Kenichi Sora took care of all the hacking work for this mission.

[Raphael knows I’m here.]

"..."

John squinted his eyes.

[Right? So she assigned you high-intensity work because you have an amazing buddy!]

"That seems to make sense."

John realized that what Sora said seemed reasonable.

"Should I follow the procedure, call the middleman to report the situation, and then what? What if she asks me to go to a designated location to collect the promised weapon?"

[Let’s start with the first step.]

Sora’s tone was very relaxed. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

But John could tell it was excited about its own "cleverness."

Sora took control of John’s free right hand, spinning that golden lighter into an afterimage.

[Mission Goals Updated]

[Contact Raphael. (Optional)]

[Silent Escape. (Optional)]

"Alright, I..."

Just as John made up his mind, he found his hands losing control, starting to twist the steering wheel violently.

Sora’s voice exploded in his mind.

[Watch out!]

Bam—

A strong light enveloped the car windows.

An armored vehicle crashed out from the blind spot.