The doctor finished speaking, and the cybernetic eye flickered twice involuntarily.
It's not surprising that a biotechnology company can develop cloning, but to mass-produce bodies and get caught up in a conspiracy... it wouldn't be surprising to die, let alone become directly involved in such events.
John's reaction was much calmer than his.
How much worse can it get?
He actively accessed the mission prompt.
[Main Mission: Invader]
[Description: Investigate what the invaders did to "Chavez" and the "cargo," pursue the matter, and figure out who you really are.]
[Reward: Prosthetic Limb [Model-T01]]
This was a mainline mission that hadn't progressed in a long time.
Bone Shards once said that the frozen "corpse" of [John Chavez] was intercepted at the border transport station. The investigation process ultimately refocused back on the Tiebang Logistics transport incident.
Currently, the vacuum tube [VT] was missing.
John could only start with the corpse, either by asking around or waiting for clues to surface on their own; both required time. Meanwhile, he needed to get his life back on track.
"Alright, let's end it here."
John ended the small talk, still having important business to attend to.
The doctor, similarly relieved, got up and led him back along the path to the clinic, becoming worried once again.
John figured it was about Raphael.
Since no mention was made, he didn't want to ask proactively.
Standing again beside the treatment chair, the doctor pointed at Gaf, who was already unconscious from the medication.
"Once she's back on her feet, do you want to take care of this part?"
Ryan used a scalpel to cut through Gaf's clothes, lifting the parts stained by the fluid from her wounds, revealing a patch of burned skin.
The area was substantial, stretching from her abdomen to her back.
"I've checked the tissues, the surgery is feasible. Replacing the necrotic skin with artificial leather, the cost for subcutaneous armor is extra. The issue is, she doesn't seem to be the type to afford it. Are you going to pay?"
The doctor waited until Gaf was unconscious to bring this up, primarily because he wasn't sure of the patient's value in John's eyes.
"Go ahead and replace it."
John had no hesitation about it.
The doctor chuckled dryly, pointing to Gaf, reminding him, "This is the life of ordinary people in Eden City, unable to afford prosthetics, struggling to meet surgical and suppressant costs."
He continued, speaking with the tone of someone experienced.
"Mercenaries earn money fast, but it comes at the cost of their lives. A stray bullet grazing a critical spot could spell disaster. No one's obligated to look after anyone. Having her limbs replaced makes you a saint in the eyes of a church already."
"Don't make it sound like I'm some do-gooder."
John explained Gaf's status as an employee.
"The ones who eat at my place are the scum that haven't been weeded out yet. Who knows if someone would get drunk and misfire? One misfire, and I'd have to find another reliable and grateful laborer. Business would only get better. You can't just limit her usefulness to save on initial costs."
"It's up to you. I work for money."
Ryan shrugged, "You speak with such confidence. Do you have the money?"
John grinned, opening the accompanying chip box.
Ryan whistled.
He looked surprised but wasn't eager in his movements—indicating that William had involved them in tough jobs, at least showing them the world.
"Black market chips, huh."
In a city monopolized by banking and financial systems, stable cash that's untraceable makes it solid currency—its actual value exceeds the amount labeled on the chip.
The doctor finished toying with it but didn't extract the fees.
He calmly closed the box, saying, "The combined cost for the prosthetics and surgery doesn't even reach the corner of what a Martyr GTX is worth, the favors owed to me don't need this interest, either. Transfer the cash when you have it."
The doctor interrupted whatever John was about to say, continuing,
"Black market chips are very useful. If you're going to keep running a restaurant, you'll definitely need to connect with a few reliable and well-resourced suppliers."
He tapped the box body with his thick fingers, "They need to deal with smuggling forces and local bosses. The black-market chip is hard currency. Carry one, and any smuggler's neural interface would light green for you."
The doctor turned to Gaf, raising his chin at her.
"Prosthetic implanting requires adaptation. Have two bottles of suppressant on hand for backup. Restore cranial pressure and heart rate to normal ranges. Wait until the phantom limb pain completely disappears before doing the subcutaneous armor surgery."
"So much trouble?"
"That's normal; you're the anomaly."
The doctor was a bit tipsy, it wasn't due to drugs; he simply sat back on the sofa, enjoying a break.
Gaf could wake up and return on her own.
John, therefore, bade the doctor farewell and drove away from the East District Market.
[Mission Objective Updated]
[Go to the Radiant Dust Farm to find Nando. (Not Achieved)]
Passing through the West District with a faint smell of gunpowder, he continued onward, heading towards the direction of the city checkpoint near the industrial zone.
A giant skyscraper made of raw concrete came into view.
One of the tallest buildings in Eden City, converted into a vertically structured fresh food assembly line.
The Farmer and the capital group behind him were immensely powerful.
Silver Rider 577 passed through the business complexes, officially entering the industrial zone, and the look of that skyscraper became even clearer.
Radiant Dust Farm had just openly developed four months ago, facing commercial targeting and armed assaults. By collaborating with Wanderer, they filled in their weaknesses, capable of going head-to-head with food companies within the city.
The situation was different now.
The cement-colored skyscraper was emblazoned with Radiant Dust Farm's logo. Fresh food commercial ads rotated around it, encasing it in a layer of holographic projection framework. Countless transport drones hovered around the building, forming a "Meteorite Belt."
Silver Rider 577 was intercepted from afar.
John glanced at the navigation system, estimating the general distance—about one-third of the West District industrial area was encompassed by Radiant Dust Farm, with security installations and basic firepower configured according to Eden City's commercial protection laws.
The scale had surpassed that of Eden City's original fresh food enterprises combined.
While waiting for inspection, John saw the abandoned factory buildings had been rebuilt into production lines, even the parking lots featured several sections, all sprayed with identical distribution logos.
Neat and tidy, it seemed like a proper place of business.
The city couldn't consume this much volume.
But Eden City had a port, land transport lines. Radiant Dust Farm was at the very edge of the West District, a turn would take it straight out of the city while its ally was the largest smuggling force in the wasteland (Wanderer).
The waiting time was longer than expected.
The ones on guard weren't Wanderer... well, maybe they were, but they no longer wore wasteland attire; instead, they were dressed in standard uniforms and dress shirts, exuding a commercial security vibe.
Quite odd indeed.
Meanwhile, the city was in the throes of conflict.
Yet Radiant Dust Farm's development seemed completely unrestricted, as if the whole world were siding with them.
John estimated the ongoing assembly lines here.
Considering the transport and packaging workers, probably almost half of the ordinary citizens in the West District worked here, not to mention the unregistered stowaways.
Knock, knock.
Someone tapped on the car window.
John took a passkey from the person's hand, a kind of credential allowing free passage within the park.
He still received respect from the Wanderers.
"Where's Nando?" John asked proactively.
The on-duty soldier reported a block and floor, no pleasantries exchanged, and showed no enthusiasm for John's name.
John moved forward, mostly encountering new faces.
Wanderers had a different vibe within Radiant Dust Farm compared to the wasteland camp—it seemed more commercialized here.
A bit cold, actually.
