Cyberpunk Patriarch

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Arthur was about to say something more when suddenly his eyes lit up as the old captain's call came in.

"My dear sailor, I have a job for you now. I wonder if you're willing to take it?"

Arthur had just picked up the old captain's call, and the man went straight to the point.

"I'm so idle right now that I'm almost rusty. It would be great to have something to do. By the way, I happen to need a lot of workers. I don't dare to use Rock from Taipingzhou."

It wasn't that Arthur had any racial prejudice—Night City was a tolerant place. There were even robots walking around, let alone people from different races. No one cared much about whether you were black, white, or from another island. It was more about whether you had money or not, and what your identity was.

The issue with Rock from Taipingzhou was more personal. They came from the same island and shared a deep blood connection, even if they weren't directly involved in a gang. There was almost always someone in their family who was.

These people were a bit unstable. Once they had money in their pockets, they tended to get ideas that could stir trouble.

So, Arthur needed to avoid using anyone from Taipingzhou and instead wanted some non-Pacific manpower to break up the workforce supplied by the Voodoo Gang. The goal was to distribute the workers to various departments to keep everyone in check.

He knew that every chip produced outside the factory was still money. Stealing chips from the factory meant stealing from his own pocket. Arthur would never tolerate such behavior.

"It just so happens that these outstanding workers need a righteous person like you to stand up for them," the old captain continued with a smile, clearly pleased with himself.

Every time the old captain mentioned "upholding justice," Arthur felt a little headache coming on. The last time he had taken on such a role, he found himself involved with Military Technology and Biotech.

Arthur didn't want to get dragged into Arasaka's mess again.

"It sounds like you need to get paid for your work, but Michael, the factory owner in Charter Hill, Westbrook, doesn't think so," the old captain continued.

"Michael hasn't paid his workers in months. It's been almost half a year, and now the workers are hearing rumors that he plans to dump the factory to Military Technology to clear things up. But the Military Technology guys aren't going to cover his workers' wages."

"Now, we need someone to speak for justice and set things right. Please see the attachment for more details."

Soon after, the old captain hung up. Arthur tapped his chin thoughtfully, feeling that this job might be a good one.

Why not? He could uphold justice in Night City and make a lot of money at the same time.

Then, Arthur suddenly remembered that he hadn't signed in today.

A system prompt chimed in:

[Ding~ Sign-in successful. Congratulations, you've obtained full-level prosthetic doctor experience.]

Arthur felt a jolt of coldness through his mind, as a vast amount of knowledge about prosthetics flooded his thoughts. This was a nice bonus—a double blessing.

Mann, who had been drinking in silence, noticed that Arthur had finished his phone call. He grumbled, "It's the old captain again. There's never any money-making work when he's involved."

Arthur shrugged it off, standing up and patting Jack on the shoulder. "At least the old captain doesn't send me straight to hell like Faraday does."

Before leaving, Arthur glanced at the antique arm in Mann's possession. "You need to replace that arm. The model's too old, not compatible with your system, and prone to malfunctions. Plus, it's a second-hand arm. It's putting a heavy burden on you, and if you keep using it, my chip will never be able to fix you."

Mann didn't seem to care, but Arthur could tell that his advice was well-meaning. Arthur then headed out of the Turbo Bar, and as he got into Jack's car, he turned to his friend.

"I'll take you on a job tomorrow," Arthur said, settling into the passenger seat. "I'll introduce you to a middleman. You'll be able to get some help from him in the future."

Jack raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind of job?"

Arthur leaned back in his seat and explained, "The job the old captain gave me isn't a big deal, but it's at least safe. The commission might be a little high, but I won't let you get killed over it."

Jack looked a little frustrated but nodded. "Please, I really need a big job to prove myself, something to get me into the Afterlife Bar."

Arthur could see right through him. "Ah, so that's what this is about. You want to get into the Afterlife Bar. You know, if you're like Johnny Silverhand, you might end up showing everyone in Night City your 'big mushroom.'"

Jack shot Arthur an incredulous look. "Isn't that asking for death?"

Arthur grinned, enjoying his friend's reaction. "You know, Jack, you're still young. You haven't even crossed the threshold yet, and you're already trying to climb to the top."

Jack sighed. "It's not that easy. I want to make my mark, but there's no real opportunity out there. I've been around, but it's like I'm still just a nobody."

Arthur could feel the weight of Jack's words. Jack was trying to make something of himself, but it was clear that his spirit had been crushed over time. In Night City, when you accepted that you were just an ordinary person, it was often the first step toward your downfall.

After a few moments of silence, Arthur broke the quiet with a smile.

"Hey, you know what, Jack?"

Jack looked confused. "What?"

Arthur leaned back and continued, "When I was a kid, I used to wonder where my Xiang went after it was flushed down the toilet."

Jack blinked, clearly puzzled. "If I were your father, I'd beat you for asking that question."

Arthur chuckled. "Well, I asked my mother once, and she told me it just got washed down the sewer. So then I asked, what happened after it got washed down?"

Jack gave him a puzzled look and replied, "Arthur, you're seriously weird."

Arthur shrugged. "Maybe, but it's the little things that keep you sane in this city. You just have to ask the right questions."

As Jack navigated the busy streets of Night City on his motorcycle, Arthur could sense the weight of the city's chaos around them. It was a place of contradictions—beloved by some, hated by others—but one thing was for sure: It would never let you go without a fight.

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