Chapter 4: "Mission triggered"

Chapter 4: "Mission triggered"

"Intern Patrol Security Officer Jonathan, your body has recovered, please leave the healing pod."

Jonathan woke up, opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the transparent glass cover of the healing pod. His physical condition was marked as green for health on the built-in display.

What he had experienced was not a dream, he had not returned to the first world.

A nurse came in, helped Jonathan open the healing pod, and then removed the IV tube from the back of his hand and the bandages wrapped around his head.

"You can go now, rest for the next couple of days and avoid vigorous exercise," the nurse said kindly. "Remember to submit your exemption application to your squad leader, otherwise you will be deducted from your attendance salary."

"Okay." Jonathan nodded quickly by the instinct of a poor. He couldn't forget such an important thing as attendance salary.

Jonathan stood up straight, his feet touching the cold metal floor, stood up and moved his muscles and bones. Having slept in the healing pod, Jonathan was full of energy.

He took a couple of steps and saw his current appearance through the reflective metal wall. He had medium-length silver hair in the first world, and his basic appearance in the second world was seven or eight points similar to the first world, but the medium-length hair had become neat short hair close to the ear.

Jonathan's skin was pale and his body was thin. At first glance, he looked a bit frail. His body had no visible injuries, and the wounds were well-healed.

He stood in the room, at a loss for a moment. Because he didn't know where to go, he didn't even know where he was. This world was completely unfamiliar to him.

Jonathan guessed that he was at the headquarters of the investigation department. From Doctor Neil's words, he could learn that there were different groups and departments within the investigation department. Neil's badge said he was the director of the medical office, so Jonathan might have undergone surgery and treatment at a place like the investigation department's medical center.

Jonathan learned from the game panel's identity setting that he himself belonged to the "Seventh Squad of the Field Group".

There wasn't much time to hesitate, he couldn't stay here still. Jonathan adjusted his mood and walked to the metal door.

The metal door automatically opened, revealing a corridor behind it with blinking indicator lights, the corridor was empty.

Jonathan stepped into the corridor, and a cold mechanical voice suddenly appeared in his ear.

"Intern Patrol Security Officer Jonathan, your team leader Martin of the Seventh Squad you belong to has notified you to report to his office, please follow the green indicator light to proceed."

A row of indicator lights in the corridor turned green, guiding Jonathan's direction.

Jonathan calmly observed his surroundings, seeing the surveillance camera embedded in the wall pointed at him.

He paused for a moment, following the green indicator light forward, and the camera also switched angles with his steps. When Jonathan came to a fork in the road, the indicator light in the right passage blinked in time to remind him to go right.

After passing through the long corridor, Jonathan suddenly saw two people coming from the opposite side. One of the men had an emergency bandage on his arm, the bandage seeping with blood, but he didn't seem to be seriously injured and could walk clearly. The other person was a bit surprising to Jonathan. He was supporting the injured man, and Jonathan could clearly see his right arm glowing with a stiff gray metallic sheen... he was equipped with a mechanical arm.

In the cyberpunk world, people would modify their bodies, and the modified mechanical limbs could greatly facilitate people's work and life. Mechanical modified people were very common, and natural people who had not undergone any modifications were the minority.

Jonathan was now also a mechanically modified person. Although it was not visible from the outside, he had an invincible iron skull.

The two men coming from the opposite side seemed not to know Jonathan and had no reaction when they saw him.

Jonathan thought for a moment and decided to take a little risk and initiate a conversation.

"What happened?" He didn't use any titles, as if he had just happened to meet a colleague and was making small talk.

Fortunately, the two men also treated Jonathan as a regular colleague coming to chat. The injured man grumbled, "What else could it be? The port has been bombed again, those damn guys are really getting annoying, wait until my wound heals and I will take up arms and wipe them out!"

"Save it, wait for the minister's unified command before acting, don't go to your death." The man with the mechanical right arm said coldly.

They walked away, cursing all the way.

The port was bombed again?

"Let's go, Jonathan." Dr. Neil nodded at Jonathan.

Jonathan stood up from his chair, "Thank you, doctor."

"No trouble, it's my duty." Dr. Neil said, "Captain Martin, I will report to you as soon as the results are out."

Jonathan followed Dr. Neil down the corridor in silence, with Dr. Neil chattering, "There were many casualties in the case at the port. Several people had mechanical limb transplants, and a few replaced bionic organs. I performed five or six surgeries today, I haven't even closed my eyes."

"You're lucky." Dr. Neil sighed, "Some couldn't be saved. You're so young, it's good that you made it through. When will the gangs in Black Sea City be cleaned up? They're causing trouble every few days, this time they even wanted to blow up the port, the economic lifeline of Black Sea City."

Neil is quite the actor... If Jonathan didn't know about his undercover identity, he would think that this benevolent-looking doctor was very dedicated and cared for the people. He was intentionally or unintentionally revealing some information to Jonathan, and Jonathan accepted and memorized it all.

If this were a game, every sentence NPC hinted at could be of great help in beating the game.

After arriving at the medical room, Dr. Neil pressed his wristwatch, and the lights in the medical room dimmed.

"Moss is everywhere, we need to use devices to avoid its surveillance in order to communicate freely, otherwise it might be listening to us." Neil put away his benevolent look, "I didn't expect your strategy to be pretending to lose your memory... but it's surprisingly effective."

His tone outside was like an elder talking to a junior, but here where Moss couldn't monitor, his attitude towards Jonathan was full of respect. Jonathan was part of the core of the Mechanical Dawn Organization, a higher rank than him.

Dr. Neil was a man with two faces.

Jonathan subconsciously touched his pocket. The silver bracelet communicator and data chip that Dr. Neil had given him were in his pocket. He suspected that the silver bracelet also carried a similar function, which could block the surveillance of the AI, Moss if used correctly.

"Can you forge a physical examination report for me?" Jonathan asked proactively.

"Of course," Dr. Neil said with a smile, "Isn't that why I brought you to the medical room?"

Half an hour later, the forged physical examination report was done. Jonathan took the report and left the medical room, returning to Martin's office.

Martin stared at Jonathan's physical examination report several times, his gaze lingering on the last line of the disease suggestion column, "Proper rest will help memory recovery."

"Go back," he sighed a hint of helplessness in his voice, "If there are signs of memory recovery, report to me immediately. Your vacation is still three days."

Jonathan said, "Yes, sir."

Until he left Martin's office did he feel a sense of relief wash over him.

A thin layer of cold sweat had formed on his back. He knew he had passed the first test, managing to maintain his facade without raising any suspicions. The challenges to come would only be harder.

This was a world where high technology coexisted with super powers.

"Mission triggered."

"Task Description: The humble Black Sea City is an important port city in the Federation and a nest of numerous gang forces. Now Black Sea City is shrouded in conspiracy, unknown forces are extending their claws here. You are tasked to thoroughly investigate."

"You have the option to accept or reject the mission."

"Refusal may reduce your risk, but acceptance may yield unexpected rewards."

"Task content: Investigate the Black Sea City port bombing case."

Jonathan remembered the sixth piece of advice before entering the game - everything comes at a price.

The gifts of fate always have a price tag hidden in the shadows. To gain, one must bear the risk.

Jonathan was a player in the second world, and also an explorer of this new world. Both danger and opportunity lay before him, and he now stood at a crossroads of destiny.

Jonathan chose to accept the mission.

"You have accepted the mission."

"Mission progress: 0."