Chapter 2 - First Coming-1

After half a year of living in Dusk City, a city full of crime and murder, sex and corruption, I thought there would be no more surprises.

But I was wrong. There was something that surprised me. And that happened quite recently at that.

As for what surprised me… It was a notification.

In other words, a job change.

This shit. I thought I was just getting used to the job after working like a dog.

It was not the result of sound consultations and discussions with superiors. I just went to work, and the notification came right away. To change jobs.

I wanted to protest that it is illegal to issue personnel without justifiable reasons under the Labor Standards Act, but… Oops! Has the Dusk City Labor Standards Act been repealed by government in decades?

Well, even if there was a Labor Standards Act, I didn’t have a choice but to accept it because I was in a tight position.

My fake ID, my lodging and my job… All provided by the company. Food, clothing, shelter, money, and everything a person needs to live. The moment I join the company, my life was in their hands.

And if you resist even a little bit, then the boss will say, ‘What? Is that bastard a bit naughty?’ If he doesn’t do the job, because it makes him feel uncomfortable, then he can just leave.

In a world where people’s lives are worth less than that of a fly, I have no choice but to do as they say because I am an unidentified, an illegal alien.

No need to border reporting it, because the police will say this, (Dusk City Police Department), hey this bastard’s ID is strange? And take you in, that is why.

As a result of a close examination, it is revealed that he is a suspicious person with a fake ID and no nanomachines, and when the corrupt police see people like him, they will sell them to the Black market…

It won’t be a peaceful end, but a very desperate and terrible end.

A lonely man with no connections and no identity? It’s just perfect for selling.

You’ll either be taken to a laboratory mormot, or you’ll be left with a cold corpse whose organs have been stolen. I hate to even imagine those outcomes.

So the conclusion is? That you have to keep your mouth shut and do as they say.

As if he would accept the reality of being thrown into this f**king cyberpunk world.

But that’s it, and since I’m a human, I can’t do much but get angry and resentful. I was wondering if I could find a way to stay where I’m working now, but would that even work?

But I couldn’t think of a way, so when I timidly asked the superior to tell me the reason, the answer I got back is very simple.

‘This is the boss’s order.’

Yes, obviously. It’s not anyone else, it’s an order from the CEO.

It’s not just in words, but he’s a really thorough, vicious and scary CEO. And he’s notorious for squeezing dry his subordinates.

There are a number of cases where the branches are blown away just because they didn’t do their things right. What happens after that, is left to the brain’s imagination.

Thinking back on it, I was really curious about my game character’s past. How on earth could you beg for a job in front of that cold-blooded CEO?

In the end, people become desperate for anything, and when the danger of death comes, it seems that the ability to cope with a crisis that was not there comes out naturally.

Anyway, it was the day before yesterday that I was kicked out like that, so when I asked where I’m being dispatched to, they didn’t know that either, and they said that guidance would come later.

So, I was resting thinking that I had taken a vacation, and just yesterday, I received a message from the CEO himself to direct me to the work.

“As previously stated, your affiliation has been changed to Warawa Hara Corporation as of today. It’s a brand company that deals with my favorite alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and drugs.”

I don’t quite understand why drugs are a luxury item, but as you know, this is a cyberpunk world. Drugs are common enough to find in luxury stores. So I nodded and continued reading the texts.

“You are assigned to the department in charge of alcoholic beverages, basically the dog’s den. They usually serve sake, but… Recently, I have also expanded to Yangju Area.”

So I am going to another big company. So what he is trying to say is that if I don’t perform well this time, I won’t get another chance. And Now I’m going to Yangju. By the way, what kind of liquor all of a sudden? What do I know about alcohol?

“I don’t expect you to have a great knowledge of alcoholic beverages. So your role is to work as an employee of a Western-style liquor store, called a bar or pub, under a brand that opened a few months ago. Please consult directly with the manager there for more work details.”

Sure! I’m not sure what you can do at a bar or pub, but I’m sending you off so that you don’t have any time to rest.

He is thorough, and the CEO is the type of person who much rather see his employees die than see them play around.

“There must be some valid reason that I am being transferred to a different location, as they cannot just torment me for no reason.”

…there must be some valid reason, right?

He calmed his uneasy mind and glanced at the following contents.

「The name of the pub is Dragon’s Lair. It is a small tavern located in an alleyway between East Monica and Sproulfield blocks. Please refer to the attached materials for the exact location.」

“Dragons Rare, Dragons Nest. They are quite well-known names in the back alley pub.”

It’s called sprawlfield by the way.

Why are you doing this to me? I really can’t live up to my reputation.

“Do not miss out on anything unusual about the other employees who work there—especially about the manager, and report it regularly every week to me.”

I think this is a very important topic. There are only a few emphasis expressions in one sentence.

Like ‘Special’, ‘especially’, ‘make sure not to miss’, ‘regularly every week’.

My experience so far, and my intuition and perception, say… that’s real.

My main job is not just working there, but also reporting any suspicious or unusual aspects of the job while working as an ordinary employee.

It wouldn’t be too difficult if it was just reporting equipments… But I don’t know why you entrust such a huge task to an ordinary citizen like me.

“Don’t they usually put professional spies or corporate personnel for that kind of job? Like most other CEO of a big company do.”

The fact that it’s spread across the sprawlfield, and the fact that I need to report anything unusual… It’s a very uncomfortable job.

I hope that there will be no danger, but eventually I will have to escape from this situation.

I cannot fight, because I am just a weak human after all, I don’t have any physical modifications or enhanced cyberware.

But what’s the worst thing can happen in a small outskirt alley pub?

“The first day of work is March 21st. Starting from Monday, which is only one day after receiving this message. Please arrive at the office by 6:00 p.m., one hour before the start of work.”

6 PM works, Barney. They open in the evenings and nights, rather than during the day. At least I can get a good day’s sleep.

“The salary received from the head office remains the same as before, and for additional service pay, please inquire directly with your workplace.”

“It’s more than that.”

That’s how it turned out.

I received a message yesterday, but as I was chatting, the day went by really quickly.

Suddenly, it’s today, March 21st, 2107. It is my first day at the new job.

The current time is 5:03. My new job will start soon.

The Kabuki Building in East Monica A-149 Asian Town where I live is quite close to my new job, but still a 10-minute walk away via monorail and ground bus.

It’s probably because the city is so vast, and my workplace is located in a remote area. At least, that’s what my navigation system says.

I heard that the total travel time in summer is about 30 minutes, but it is a good idea to leave early, considering it’s my first day at the new job.

Then will you wake up? Stop being lazy and get the hell up.

Young tea-.

I woke up and stretched in my capsule-like bedroom. The ceiling was low, and I couldn’t fully extend my arms without bending my waist.

The low ceiling is not the only issue; the space itself is quite narrow. Maybe from 9 to 10 feet (3.05 m)?

Hey, this is kind a like a studio.

A building rented by the company. The official name is Kabuki Condominium… It is convenient to think of it as a simple one-room apartment.

One-room apartments are clustered on one side of the building like beehives.

This is the status of the lower class. Fortunately, this is the best way to live among the lower classes. Even though you have to be under the pressure of monthly rent and management fees.

I sat up and took a sip of lukewarm Pepsi-Cola that was placed on the hard plastic bed stand.

The taste of artificial sweetener sticking to my tongue. The smell lingered in my mouth.

It didn’t taste very good because the steam is gone. Well, even with the steam, it is not very tasty.

If you want to stay hydrated, you still have to drink it. Water is more expensive than cola in this town.

You think it’s a joke, but it’s real. I can tell you one more funny joke?

No Coca-Cola here. It’s all Pepsi. Because PepsiCo won the Coca-Cola Company in the Corporate War.

Don’t ask how. It’s because I don’t know much about the history of this world.

I roughly threw away the empty cola can and shut the window shutter.

And now the view.

The sun had already set. The sky above the dome was tinged with crimson, and the air is obscured by smog.

The towering mega building forms a wall in itself, with a series of glossy curtain walls creating a massive screen.

Amidst all that, an Asian woman with white powder on her face is smiling, so bright it is as if she is trying to keep the clichés of the cyberpunk world out.

A scene from Blade Runner comes to mind.

T/L: Note – This is what Blade Runner means:Dark city, rainy night. A world where brightly flashing signboards and lights block the streets, and humans and androids coexist. Blade Runner is one of the representative works of this cyberpunk genre.

The image of the woman fades away and is replaced by a dazzling cosmetics advertisement featuring various characters and lighting.

The purple skyline is melting under the city seen far away.

The LED lamps shaped like lotus flower lamps blink in red when you turn your gaze to a nearby place.

A neon sign shaped like the form of an Eastern dragon, the dizzying scent of ginger and cilantro.

A strange urban language mix of English, Japanese, and Chinese echoed throughout the apartment. Because of the poor soundproofing in the building.

The megacity that seems to overwhelm the people, and simultaneously captivates the gaze with its mysterious beauty.

This scene I’m looking at is the Dusk City, the city of twilight.

The place where I am now is an entertainment district filled with Orientalism for the lower classes, and an Asian town where the lower classes and upper middle classes coexist.

The name is Asian Town, but it is a very contradictory and unique town where Asians make up less than 1% of the total population.

“… Yawn~, let’s go to work.”

I yawned and closed the window shutter again. It’s been five months since I moved into this apartment.

At first, I was overwhelmed by the imposing cityscape, but now I can pass by it without hesitation.

This is the proof that I became a full-fledged dusk city citizen.

Checking the watch-shaped retro cyber device on my wrist, it is already 5:08.

Now I really have to go.

He took out a cheap jacket from the clothing storage unit and put on a thick dust mask. Then, he pushed aside the thin reinforced plastic door and left the apartment.

It is time to go to my new job.