Master of Kaidan
Chapter 316 An Irresistible Way of Socializing

Chapter 316: Chapter 316 An Irresistible Way of Socializing

"Solika Company model KN-711 bionic eyes, offering you a unique visual experience, now available with direct loan access, handling all procedures at the push of a button. What are you waiting for..."

"Rhein-27 Inhibitor, effectively alleviates mental strain caused by high-frequency brain activity, with a ten percent discount on group purchases..."

"CIA-33 dopamine supplement, for the ultimate pleasurable experience!"

...

Listening to the chaotic sounds of advertisements, Feng Xue walked on the garbage-strewn ground, his expression peculiar. Although he had a basic understanding of the "Cyberpunk" world view, it was only when he "set foot on the ground" that he truly understood what "the big shots don’t use their feet" meant.

Literally.

He was not sure if every part of the world was like this, but at least, in the city he found himself in, despite the towering buildings and flickering neon lights that were clean and neat whether they were old or new.

But on the ground of this city, it was filled with all kinds of trash.

From its shattered state, ninety-nine percent of it had been thrown from great heights, including evaporating, rotten beverages, standing unknown liquids and greasy cleaning materials, along with various scattered mechanical parts and unclassifiable food remnants.

Although it hadn’t rained, puddles were everywhere on the ground. Feng Xue suspected some were from people urinating out of windows after taking too much dopamine, but more likely, they were runoff from washing the buildings.

Luckily, Feng Xue was in his Masked Rider transformation, and his air filtration system blocked most of the odors; otherwise, he really couldn’t walk on this land.

It was not hard to guess from the cleaning robots sprawled on building faces that solving the garbage issue in this city might just be a matter for these machines, yet it was clear that no one was taking care of it. This made Feng Xue realize this was a world purely ruled by capital, or rather, interests.

Buildings were clean and sparkling only because they held advertisements and the big shots would see them; they travel in flying cars, using highways in the sky, never coming to the lower levels, and those who walked down here saw ads but couldn’t afford to buy anything, so there was no need to spend money on cleaning.

Even though he had no evidence, Feng Xue felt this was probably the logic.

However, despite what he said, there were beings akin to mushrooms and weeds on this steel jungle’s underbelly, like the scavengers looking for usable garbage among the high-flying debris, and those settling private scores in this unsupervised area.

Feng Xue had only walked about a hundred meters when he saw two men dragging a corpse away, their bodies largely modified, their eyes shimmering unnaturally, interfaces on their skulls and necks, complicated seams on their fingers...

Such assorted sights unfolded a bizarre new "ecology" in front of Feng Xue.

"Hey, man, I need help with getting an identity; can you show me the way?" He casually flicked a coin, and what was initially a scavenger ready to curse at him immediately dropped his trash bag and nodded eagerly:

"No problem, boss, just tell me what you need, I’ll find the best for you!"

"This is really..." Feng Xue looked at the sycophantic scavenger, his lips twitching slightly. Although his coin could enforce the trade, it actually didn’t distort people’s thinking (unless altering the thought itself was part of the trade). His proposal was merely for guidance, but the man’s reaction undoubtedly mirrored his usual way of life.

"I need a full set of identity data, including records and terminals, the kind that allows access to public facilities." Feng Xue stood with his hands in his pockets, the air of a rich man experiencing life at the bottom. Though unseen, the crocodile skin wallet, expensive steel pen, and the label "Money Printer" effectively played their parts.

Seeing his demeanor, the scavenger immediately imagined a profile for him, and his tone grew even more submissive:

"No problem, the Mobike Gang handles this kind of business, I’ll take you there now."

Assured by the coin’s power, Feng Xue harbored no doubts and followed the scavenger. They entered a building, took an elevator to the 20th floor, then walked on an elevated pedestrian street for about fifteen minutes. Finally, the two arrived at a bar that didn’t quite look "punk."

However, as soon as Feng Xue entered the bar, he felt he owed an apology for his prior thoughts. Not to mention the décor, just the alternating orange, blue, and purple lights were so uncomfortable to the eye that they were utterly punk. He had to activate the filter built into his Iron Armor to relieve his eyes a bit.

But regarding aesthetics, Feng Xue didn’t hold too many opinions. After all, this world is full of people with electronic eyes; perhaps others see things differently from him?

"Stray Dog, why are you here so early today? And why did you bring a pretty boy with you?" Barely a few steps in, someone at the bar waved at the scavenger and called out. The scavenger’s face immediately soured at these words, giving Feng Xue a sycophantic smile then scolding the speaker,

"Shut up, he’s a very important guest!"

Upon hearing the scavenger’s words, the area near the bar noticeably quieted down for a moment, and it seemed everyone was influenced by the affluent air Feng Xue exuded; their gazes changed.

Some people’s eyes clearly showed a mix of greed and malice, some showed slight fear, and some women—at least, those who appeared to be women—flashed unsettling smiles, even boldly approaching—

"Handsome, want to cool off?"

Feng Xue glanced at the avant-garde weird hair color and the stiff-looking frontal armor, disgustedly turned his head, and gave the scavenger a look.

The scavenger quickly got the hint and started shooing away the approaching figures with various slang terms, while brushing a strange component on his right hand across an area of the bar.

The bartender, who hadn’t said much, looked up like a robot receiving a command and then handed a small sign to the scavenger saying,

"Room 333."

"Thanks!"

After saying that, the scavenger led Feng Xue to the so-called Room 333. As the door opened, a music even more shrill and aggressive than the chaotic tunes in the hall blasted from the crack like a tsunami, almost knocking Feng Xue to the ground.

Damn! What the [bleep] kind of noise is this!

Feng Xue rolled his eyes, activated the Taiyin Transformation Technique, and added several noise-cancelling layers to his ears, which made things slightly more bearable. The people inside, upon seeing the door open, immediately looked over.

"Isn’t that Stray Dog?"

A voice with a mechanical tinge came from the couch, where a man with his arms around two synthetic women nonchalantly reclined.

Feng Xue couldn’t be bothered to wait for the scavenger to introduce him and casually flicked out a coin,

"I need a legal identity, including a new personal terminal."

The man, still hugging the women, caught the coin with a speed that even Feng Xue didn’t anticipate. He smiled, his face seemingly altered by some modifications,

"If it’s just an ordinary identity, this is enough. But I’ve got a feeling, for someone of your stature, you’re not looking for cheap stuff, right? Throw in three more, and I’ll sort out all your problems, how does that sound?"

"This is a deposit; the rest will be given later. Also, make sure the terminal is wearable—I wouldn’t dare to casually use anything provided in a place like this." Feng Xue, with his Heart of Bright Mirror active, was well aware the man’s asking price was high, yet he didn’t bargain, only continuing with another request.

The man didn’t seem surprised at this response, and pocketed the coin, smiling,

"Deal!"