Chapter 20: Hunger
Hearing the girl’s words, Sun Jack was left speechless. He didn’t know what to say.
After a few seconds of standing there dumbfounded, he reached out and gave her shoulder a comforting pat. “It’s okay. We’ll definitely find work. Don’t lose hope. Keep your chin up.”
AA sniffled, wiped her tears away with her sleeve, and stood up again. “Thank you. You’re a good person. When I heard you speak earlier today, I knew you were different from the others.”
“Heh, there’s no such thing as a job for a good person in this godforsaken place,” Sun Jack replied with self-deprecation.
Perhaps finding solace in their shared misfortune, AA suddenly felt closer to Sun Jack and even enthusiastically tried to help him.
“You haven’t found work either, right? Go inside and try. They’re still hiring n, and they haven’t filled all the spots yet. You’re definitely better than —you’ll get in for sure. Good luck!”
After saying this, AA perked up and headed toward the nearby subway entrance.
Watching her disappear into the distance, Sun Jack turned and stared blankly at the neon-lit entrance to Club 69.
“Huh?”
Just then, Tapai sauntered over, grinning cheekily. “What’s up? Thinking of giving it a shot? How’s your stamina? Can you keep up?”
“Give your uncle a shot! I’m going ho!” Sun Jack leaped onto Tapai’s back.
Back at ho, Sun Jack took a hot shower, then stood by the window in his pajamas, gazing at the neon-soaked cityscape in the rain.
Everything was quiet now, but his mind wasn’t.
“Tapai, do you think I’ve been wrong about everything? Maybe people like Song 6PUS don’t avoid steady jobs because they don’t want them. Maybe they just can’t find normal work.”
The day’s events had given Sun Jack a glimpse of the darker reality hidden beneath the city’s dazzling neon. Perhaps no one wanted to go mad; maybe they were just pushed to the brink.
“Do I really have to beco like them to survive?”
“Shut up! You chose Guardian Mode, not Counselor Mode. I’m not here to chat with you.”
Sun Jack didn’t have the energy to argue with Tapai anymore because he was starving. Ever since he fell from the sky, he hadn’t eaten in over a day.
With a sliver of hope, he opened the fridge, checking shelf after shelf, hoping to find sothing edible. But the fridge was emptier than his wallet. In the end, all he could do was knock a chunk of ice out of the freezer and chew on it.
“Sir, are you short on cash? Learn more about our zero-interest loans today!”
“Huh?” Sun Jack, still chewing ice, froze. “Tapai, are you calling ?”
But Tapai, charging on the wall, remained silent.
Following the voice, Sun Jack realized it was just an ad playing on his apartnt’s 3D television.
“D*mn it, this data tracking stuff makes it feel like I have zero privacy,” he muttered as he walked over, still chewing the ice, to watch the ad.
It didn’t surprise him much. Even in his ti, shopping apps seed to read his mind, instantly suggesting products after he rely thought about them. Technology today was just even more over-the-top. ????ΝóＢ????
“It’s an easy calculation. Based on how many tis and how frequently you’ve submitted resus today, it’s obvious you’re a broke-a** who’s nearly down to their underwear.”
Sun Jack shot Tapai a disdainful look. “Can you shut up for once? Didn’t you say you’re not obligated to talk to ?”
“Light banter, casual insults, and roasting users help maintain their ntal health under high-stress conditions, minimizing the risk of ntal illnesses. Tapai robots—you deserve one!凸(>皿
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