บท 220: Wakako, I’m Going to Die
"Hahaha! Desert... Cook!"
As they walked out of the restaurant, V was doubled over laughing, slapping Jackie on the back repeatedly, causing Jackie's face to darken.
"What a stupid nickname! Just wait till I catch the person who came up with it, I'll…"
"You'll go and eat them alive, right? Haha! I can't take it!"
"Alright, enough laughing. We're in Tyger Claws' territory now—don't want to run into another corporate agent here."
The three took the subway, laughing along the way, until they reached Jig-Jig Street, where the black braindance dealer named Lenny usually hung out.
As for Jotaro Shobo, Leo vaguely remembered this pervert's main hangout was a nightclub called "HO-Oh," but just having a name wasn't enough.
Firstly, it was an underground club, so even if you tried to find it online, you'd need the right connections first.
Secondly, while Night City in the game was impressive, no game could replicate an entire megacity with nearly ten million people accurately. The game's addresses didn't always match the real city, and Leo didn't remember every detail.
So, while a name was useful, without any leads to tie it to, it was just a name.
Jig-Jig Street was Tyger Claws' territory, but unlike other Tyger Claws areas, it was mainly the turf of the fixer, Wakako.
The last time Leo had come to City Center, he'd had a minor clash with this Japanese queen of the streets—but in the end, things had smoothed over, and there was no real grudge between them.
Optical camouflage was tricky, so Leo made a note to buy a fully functional military visor on his next procurement trip.
"What's in that case of yours?"
V stopped laughing and looked at Leo's new gear—
There was the hacker coat, a standard-issue synthetic leather by NetWatch, offering some bullet resistance and equipped with special attachments for heat sink fins. It could enhance brain cooling without exposing cyberware.
The size also covered the exoskeleton inner ring Leo wore.
His two mechanical arms held a case each, placed by Leo's sides. Thanks to the Little Octopus module, he didn't need to worry about controlling arm coordination—they were even more precise than his natural limbs.
Leo patted the cases, saying, "Backup ammo, temporary mod tools, grenades, meds, a mini power source… all the support equipment you can think of is in here."
He glanced at Jackie. "I've got food, too. Some high-energy bars we swiped from the Wraiths last time."
It was a good thing, but thinking of his nickname darkened Jackie's face again.
"...I'm never eating in a situation like that again!"
"Why not?" Leo asked, confused. "Eating can boost the power of your berserker components."
"Either way…I'm never eating in front of others again!"
They arrived at Jig-Jig Street, which featured a massive statue of a monk—
Or possibly a monk; the only indication was his robe, visible from the waist down.
The monk had four arms, two crossed in front of his abdomen and the other two holding a spherical object aloft. Cybernetic lines were etched across his body, and his head was adorned with a layered mask.
The pathway was lined with cyber-cherry blossoms, holographic trees constructed with projectors, even including animated falling petals.
Because of this, the market on Jig-Jig Street was called the Sakura Market, even though the cherry blossoms were only holograms.
Beneath the virtual cherry blossoms, the street showcased the typical offerings of Japan Town—a thriving sex trade.
Low-grade sex dolls, both male and female, and even rarer genders could be seen. These dolls ran on the cheapest behavioral chips, offering neither discretion nor satisfaction but one key advantage—
They were cheap.
"I can keep you hard for hours."
"Hey, looking for a partner tonight?"
Lewd voices drifted to Leo's ears as the sex dolls stared intently at them—or more precisely, at V and Jackie.
Behind them were various custom cybernetic limbs unique to sex dolls, like oversized extensions and cannons. Some people in nearby shops were even snapping photos, picking out their preferences.
There were more "high-end" sex doll shops too, with holographic displays featuring pre-recorded seductive videos of the stars, or even live performers striking poses in display cases, doing their job as mere products.
Passersby ogled the displays, swallowed hard, and then wandered into the casino next door.
In a way, there was an odd sense of order to it all.
Above Jig-Jig Street loomed the massive H8 megabuilding, its pink-and-green paintwork marking it as Tyger Claws territory. The building looked a bit run-down compared to its neighbors, with rust showing through the paint.
Below it was a small, unassuming electronic casino—the office of Wakako Okada, queen of Japan Town and fixer for the city. This casino was the trio's first stop:
Wakako Okada's office.
When you're on someone else's turf, it's only courteous to say hello, right?
It was a small electronic casino with two rows of pachinko machines lined against the walls, leaving a single narrow path—
Leo heard two old guys chatting as he entered:
"Why do you dress so stylishly to gamble?"
"So my wife thinks I'm just going to work! Haha, she hasn't noticed a thing for six months!"
"Nice."
This was Jig-Jig Street—Night City's premier red-light district, where vices of every kind were catered to.
Win at gambling? Hit the club. Not satisfied? Find a pharmacy for a quick high, then get back to gambling. Run out of cash? Take out a loan.
People existed here just to have fun and to generate money for Tyger Claws and Wakato.
What happened to them? No one cared, not even themselves.
The trio walked through the narrow path, the barmaid and the burly guard at the office door visibly tense—
Their cyber-eyes flashed blue, seemingly receiving a signal from Wakako, and they lowered their heads, letting the trio pass without interference.
Leo entered the office alone, leaving V and Jackie to stand guard outside.
It was a traditionally decorated Japanese-style room, complete with wooden screens, incense, ebony wood furniture, porcelain, a teapot, and real leather couches, suggesting Wakako might live there.
The queen of Japan Town, Wakako, smiled as she looked at Leo. "Welcome, Burger King. Are you here looking for a job? I might not have any work suitable for you right now."
"No worries, we found a job ourselves—a member of the Tyger Claws is snatching people off the street, and I don't like that."
Wakako laughed. "Stop kidding around, Burger King. We know you're working for the NCPD."
Leo nodded. "But I really don't like it. And it's a chance to make some cash. What's the harm?"
Wakako's smile remained. "You might not like it, but a lot of people rely on the Tyger Claws to make a living."
"I'm not targeting the Tyger Claws—this guy crossed the line by kidnapping kids."
Leo pulled up a chair and sat across from her. "Look, one way or another, I'm dealing with this. I respect you, so I'm here.
That guy is dangerous, a sicko. I'm sure he's just using the gang as a front to carry out his twisted desires.
If he keeps going unchecked, eventually the NCPD, the Moxes, maybe even the Valentinos or the 6th Street will get involved.
And when that happens, people will come to me for the job. What do you think?"
Wakako's smile faded. "Sounds like a threat."
Leo shook his head. "I'm a merc. If it sounds like a threat, that just means you see value in my firepower. Think of it as a little advertisement.
If you think about it, I'm actually helping you by getting rid of this psycho."
Fixer and local gangs often had complex, sometimes tense relationships—but rarely were they fully aligned.
Balance was key—more conflict meant more opportunities to manage it.
"You sure know how to talk. You've convinced me; there's indeed a scumbag like that in the Tyger Claws.
But I don't know exactly who it is—you'll have to find out for yourself."
"Glad we're on the same page. You know a black braindance dealer named Lenny?"
"Yes, Jig-Jig Street's underground tunnel, right nearby."
"Thanks—I'll give you a 5% discount next time there's a big job."
Leo got up to leave, but Wakako suddenly said, "Burger King, you say you're just a merc, but that's not quite what the people in the circle think."
Leo paused, thought for a moment, and then said, "Wakako, I'm dying. Maybe I've got a few months left. As long as I can make money and find a way to survive, I'll do anything."
Wakako was taken aback, watching his back as he walked away, lost in thought.
Her cyber-eye flashed, and she sent a message to her people: "Burger King said he's dying. Send someone to confirm in Heywood."
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