episode_0151

“Umm…”

I was lying on the sofa in my office, looking at something called the cell phone of this world.

There wasn’t much useful information on the phone.

It seemed like it had been organized in advance.

Still, I decided to be satisfied since I succeeded in finding out Hornet’s number.

I also got a cell phone.

“But this is a cell phone?”

In my hand, I was holding something that looked like a thin, translucent membrane.

This is what this world, the mobile phone of the future, looks like.

It’s not for nothing that I was embarrassed the first time I saw it.

I couldn’t understand how this transparent, thin membrane-like thing functioned as a cell phone.

How on earth do things like boards and cameras fit into this small thing?

Tuk-tuk.

I felt the weight of my phone being thrown lightly.

It was even light.

The way it was handled was also very different from the existing cell phones I knew.

Before I learned how to use it, I couldn’t even turn it on.

It was only after learning directly from the person I was trying to steal that I was able to use it to some extent.

Fortunately, it wasn’t that difficult to use once you learned it.

Once again I saw a photo of a woman naked looking at the camera.

A smile appeared on his lips.

Perhaps she, Yuri, is dreaming of revenge.

For reference, I found out her name by looking at her SNS account on my phone.

Even in this crazy cyberpunk world, social media was still active.

In fact, it seemed more active than in modern times.

And while looking through the SNS account, I discovered something interesting.

The traces of Xian, who had entrusted the request to me, could be found on Yuri’s SNS account.

That too from block lists and past posts.

Let’s say you can do that by giving in to the things on the blocked list.

It’s common for gangsters and businessmen to not get along.

However, in past posts, Xian and Yuri seemed to be getting along quite well.

There were selfies and videos taken of the two getting along well, and there were even photos taken of them hugging each other closely.

Why are two people who are so close to each other now blocking each other?

Because each other’s positions are divided into gangs and corporations?

It just didn’t seem like that was the problem.

“What if these two people fought?”

I smelled something.

Although he spoke as if he hated gangs, Xi’an had gangsters and rough men on its walls.

And Yuri, the lover of Hornet, who is actually the right-hand man of the gang.

The past of two close friends and the present where they argued and blocked each other.

Somehow, I felt like I was slowly getting the hang of it.

“It’s fun.”

Maybe we can put pressure on Xian with this information.

I thought that this quest might end more smoothly than I thought.

I smiled and got up from the sofa.

This time I was thinking of going to a place called the corporate district.

According to Sian, this is a place that reporters really want to go.

It is said that it is a space where entry is prohibited unless you are a businessperson.

I couldn’t stand hearing that explanation.

After looking at my phone a little more, I slowly walked out.

***

“This is a bit…”

I was staring blankly at a huge wall crossing one side of the city from inside a self-driving car.

The same goes for people in other cars.

I would leave the driving to the artificial intelligence and just stare blankly at this huge wall next to me.

The corporate district was a place frequently mentioned in novels.

A city created solely for companies, created by companies joining forces.

I thought this was a metaphor.

But, no.

It was truly one huge city.

It is a fortress-like city with all the outskirts of the city surrounded by walls.

“…Isn’t there a single graffiti on this wide wall?”

In this world where gangs and outlaws exist, there was not a single graffiti on this long white wall.

I don’t know if he didn’t scribble or if he erased it all.

This neatly maintained wall seemed to explain how powerful the corporation was.

The cars lined up slowly moved, and soon it was my turn.

At a place marked as a checkpoint, a tired-looking man was checking passes.

“Haru, window – Ah, that’s it.”

I was about to order them to roll down their windows now that we were at the checkpoint.

As if that was common sense, the artificial intelligence Haru rolled down the window before I could even give the command.

The world has really gotten better.

After coming to this world, I kept having these thoughts and felt like I had become an old man.

“Nice to meet you. I will check your card.”

“Surprisingly, there is someone checking it.”

“Job creation. What.”

The man chuckled at my question and took the temporary pass card and checked it.

Since it was a card, I naturally thought about swiping it on the machine, but there was a person checking it.

The man looked at the card, nodded, and handed it back.

“It’s a temporary pass from the Nobody company. It has been passed.”

“Nobody… Ah, thank you.”

I got my card back and slowly entered the corporate area.

As soon as I entered, I saw buildings rising high into the sky.

[Entering the corporate area.]

[Updated map information for corporate zones.]

It was only after entering this area that I was able to obtain map information.

In other words, this meant that the inside could not be checked from the outside, even on a map.

“Please go to Nobody Company.”

[Set the destination.]

The car slowly changed direction and started moving.

The appearance of the streets in the corporate district was too neat and tidy, so there was no sense of humanity.

Despite the fact that reporters wanted to come so badly, let alone a scoop, there wasn’t even trash to be seen on the streets.

It was a boring and clean place.

Of course, as a reporter, I have to look into whether it is clean to the core.

[You have arrived at your destination.]

“Is it here?”

I saw a building with [NOBODY] written on it in English.

What was surprising was that it looked like an ordinary shopping mall from the 1st to the 4th floor.

Of course, the items being sold were something I had never seen before.

“What is that-”

I hurriedly got out of the car after seeing something I couldn’t believe with my own eyes.

And then, as if possessed, he rushed into the entrance of the first floor.

When I saw with my own eyes what products the Nobody company was handling, I couldn’t help but gape.

A woman came up to me and spoke to me.

Trudging. Trudging.

She had regular steps and an incredibly beautiful appearance.

[Welcome to Nobody.]

[Create a humanoid to suit your taste.]

[You can create humanoids with various appearances and to perform various roles.]

It was clearly the voice of a clear announcer, but it was not this woman’s voice.

The voice was natural, but devoid of emotion.

No, in the first place, the woman in front of me was not a living being.

A company called Nobody was a company that produced humanoids, that is, robots that resembled humans.

Even now, faces and body parts that looked almost identical to humans were displayed on the walls.

Next to it was written the price and who it was modeled after.

Among them were famous actors, idols, and singers.

“Is this okay…”

[These are all models who have completed contracts with the parties involved.]

“…”

In that case, there was nothing for this side to say.

I cautiously decided to add humanoids to my shopping list.

The first floor was where humanoids were manufactured by assembling pre-made parts, while the second floor was in charge of custom manufacturing.

In addition, the third floor is said to be in charge of repairs, and the fourth floor is in charge of humanoid experiences.

Unfortunately, I don’t have money to buy a humanoid right now.

Now that I think about it, it’s time to start saving money.

Just sell the gold like always.

At that time, someone came down from afar at a fast pace.

“Xian.”

I tried to raise my hand in greeting, but Sian quickly came over and snatched my hand away.

Without even knowing why, I was dragged along by the hand.

Xian’s towing ended only when we arrived at the side of the Nobody building, a quiet alley that smokers would like.

“What’s wrong?”

“I saw a parked car and wondered… Why did you come?”

Xian asked with a frown.

They didn’t seem happy about my visit.

“I’m curious.”

“Phew… listen carefully. If they find out that you and I are involved, it will be the end for both of us. Do you know how much companies hate reporters?”

He held his head for a moment as if he had a headache from my light answer, and then poured out the words.

Of course I don’t know.

However, he nodded and said he understood.

Do you really hate reporters that much?

To the extent that my and Xian’s positions are in danger?

“…So? What happened to the gang’s ledger?”

“Not yet, I got this instead.”

I waved a thin membrane instead of a tenon.

It was a cell phone from this world.

“What is that?”

“This is a cell phone belonging to a guy named Yuri.”

“Yu, Yuri? How do you do that…”

Xian’s eyes were shaking as if there had been an earthquake.

Although he was pretending to be calm, his eyes were shaking and even his legs were shaking.

“How about we watch it together?”

My suggestion made Xian swallow.

Then, slowly and carefully, Sian came close to me.