The All-Master of Cyberpunk-Chapter 17

Of course, this resulted in some of the existing guild members harboring bad feelings towards me, but what could I do?

If they didn't have the skills to earn recognition, it was their problem, not mine.

In the original game, these were the same idiots who would foolishly follow the guild leader to their demise. No need to worry about them.

My real interest at this point was the Underdog Bikers.

Compared to the Chilgok Guild, which was all flashy on the outside but a mess on the inside, the changes in the Underdog Bikers were astonishing.

After dealing with Oh Ki-young and becoming the new leader, Pyo Je-young was quickly absorbing nearby forces while minimizing conflicts with local residents.

Now, they were more like a vigilante group than a gang, focusing on driving out other criminals and gangs from different areas. Surprisingly, this approach was more profitable than harassing innocent civilians. Were they some kind of golden goblins?

“Hello, brother Do-jin!”

“Oh, hello. Great work.”

And they were definitely well-indoctrinated. I initially worried they might harbor ill intentions, but now that worry seemed baseless.

Every time I visited, they lined up like puppies, eager to greet me.

It was getting hard to tell whether I was a hunter or a gang leader.

“Thanks to you, we ate well today, brother.”

“...Right. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thank you, brother! We’ll follow you forever!!”

What on earth did Oh Ki-young do to manage them? All I did was provide three meals a day, and they were willing to pledge their lives to me.

Thanks to this, I managed to take control of the organization faster than expected.

These guys would play a crucial role in the upcoming fall of the Green Zone. If they were this loyal, I'd even provide them with snacks and morning coffee.

Proper internal benefits were key to increasing loyalty.

“By the way, when will the bike modifications be finished?”

“Next week.”

I accepted a cool glass of water from Pyo Je-young.

The reputation of Meister Kim Chang-su was known even inside the Green Zone. As soon as Pyo Je-young heard his name, he got all excited.

“I’m really looking forward to it. Actually, Oh Ki-young wanted to get modifications from Meister too, but he got rejected for being part of an unworthy gang…”

So, he had actually gone to meet Kim Chang-su. It seemed he had always been a gutsy guy, daring to show his teeth even to an A-grade hunter.

Unfortunately, he had ended up with his guts literally spilling out.

I downed the water in one gulp and placed the empty cup on the table.

It was time to talk business.

“So, how’s the progress?”

“Oh, brother, don’t worry! We’ve already secured ‘Daecheon Transport’.”

Pyo Je-young flexed his arm.

Daecheon Transport, officially known as Daecheon Transport Corporation.

Not all public systems had collapsed after the world turned upside down.

According to the lore of Seoul 2056, Korea had managed to maintain its government system relatively well after the initial chaos.

Despite the small land area surrounded by chaos on all sides, six major cities had survived.

During the process of restoring order, the government had split into the old government and the new government, leading to a delicate power struggle that continued to this day.

Regardless, in 2056, Korea remained a loosely centralized administrative state with Daejeon-Sejong as its capital.

However, some public systems inevitably fell apart. One of the hardest-hit sectors was public transportation.

Buses and subways were being replaced by AI-operated monorails, so human drivers in the public transportation sector were scarce.

The government had no intention of changing its policy, regardless of public outcry.

They consolidated all transportation services, public and private, into a unified network managed solely by the government.

Daecheon Transport, one of the few remaining bus companies in Daegu, couldn’t withstand this and turned into a gang.

Yet, strangely, they refrained from looting.

Could we even call them a gang?

“It was tough to persuade them, but they couldn’t resist Granny Oh-wol.”

“They chose symbiosis to survive. They’ll make the same choice now.”

At least they were cooperative and peace-oriented.

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Daecheon Transport would be an important shield to protect Buk-gu from the collapse, alongside the Underdog Bikers.

We needed manpower to defend, after all.

“And as you mentioned, they’ve started refurbishing the buses.”

“Good. Let’s keep it going like this.”

I handed a prepared envelope to Pyo Je-young, who was moving around busily. It contained 1.5 million won in cash as a reward for his efforts.

“Thank you so much, brother!!”

“Keep up the good work.”

There had to be a system and order.

The subordinates were satisfied with warm beds and good food, but the gang leader needed extra incentives.

There was no need for extravagance. The Halberd modification, for instance, was a necessity.

The budget I had saved for weapons had been freed up since I found the military-grade impact gauntlet in the last raid.

With weapons, vehicles, and even living arrangements handled by Choi Hyun-su, I had no other worries.

So, the remaining money naturally went to supporting my forces, including the Underdog Bikers.

There was no point in saving money when it would become worthless in the next region.

It was better to use it meaningfully.

As I was about to return to the guild after my usual inspection of the Underdog Bikers, my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was the new model Reverend Joo had provided as a reward.

Phones had fallen out of favor due to biochips and tech bodies, but this futuristic design was quite appealing to someone like me who had been living in the 2020s until recently.

It was a palm-sized device with a holographic interface. The name [Reverend Joo Kang-hyuk] glowed brightly on the hologram.

“Hello, this is Do-jin.”

“Ah! Brother Do-jin, how have you been?”

Reverend Joo Kang-hyuk's soft voice came through the wireless earphone he had also provided.

Being a pure organic, I was not supposed to implant anything into my body, but wearing something outside was fine.

“I’m fine.”

“I’m glad to hear that. There’s someone who wishes to meet you through our church.”

I straightened up immediately. A special request.

At this point, a request through him was likely part of the main storyline of Seoul 2056.

I focused on his next words.

“Your reputation seems to have spread. Your dedication to helping the least fortunate is finally being recognized.”

Having solved numerous requests in Nam-gu, where the Last Refuge Church was located, Reverend Joo's approval rating was already at its peak.

As a 100% attendance member, it was only natural. That’s why I received this special request.

“You flatter me. Who is the client?”

I cut off Joo Kang-hyuk’s increasingly flattering words appropriately.

“I contacted you because of that. Can you come to Jung-gu now?”

“I’ll be there immediately.”

“I’ll send the detailed address via message.”

A special request from someone in Jung-gu.

I didn’t need to hear more.

It was clearly the main storyline.

I waved at the puzzled Pyo Je-young and got into the vehicle parked in front of the office.

Jung-gu.

The undisputed center of Daegu Green Zone.

It was the area where everything in Daegu converged, from administration, economy, military, technology, to culture.

As proof, as soon as I entered the inner ring road connecting Buk-gu and Jung-gu, skyscrapers reaching the sky came into view.

Buildings so tall they towered over the city walls.

The great fortresses of conglomerates that had survived the chaos and the cradles of corrupt powers.

I could imagine the power holders laughing and chatting in the neon-lit city, unaffected by the mutants swarming beyond the walls.

The person who requested me through Reverend Joo must be one of them.

It felt wrong to talk about morality now, but they were as unlikable as Choi Hyun-su.

‘So, it’s likely a corporate matter… or it could be government-related at this timing.’

It didn’t matter either way. As long as I established a connection with Jung-gu, my activities in any field would ultimately lead to preventing the fall of the Green Zone.

I checked the address sent by the Reverend while looking at the approaching skyscrapers.

[88 Pyeonghwa-daero, Jung-gu, Daegu]

There was no need for further speculation.

The answer was already clear.

The new Daegu Government Complex.

It was time to meet the rulers of society who governed within the boundaries of law and order.