Chapter 6: first weekly sign-in feature (Recruitment )

Almost three hours later

"It's good to be back home.-" Noah groaned as he glanced around the neighborhood before looking at our house not far from where we stood.

He had picked up his backpack from the 'cab', it's black shiny body looked odd for some reason and surprisingly we paid an amount cheaper than my initial estimate, 860-star credits, that's over 4 months of my previous salary.

"Right, I borrowed money from a Cassey two days earlier. I almost forgot about that." I informed Noah, sounding more embarrassed than I intended it to be, but he simply shrugged, that kind of money didn't mean much to us again.

"You know you can finally respond to her feelings now, You rich?" he glanced around evasively before hanging his backpack over his shoulders with a laugh.

I didn't bother to offer a response to his words, I simply wired her money back with a little something extra while thanking her for the assist.

There was no response after a while, so I simply looked around.

The crowded, smelly, and dangerous city.

A city where anyone can die at any time, and no one would care.

Would soon be our stomping ground, as long as we do it right... It would be embarrassing to fall even with a system.

But then Noah's slow steps pulled me from my ambitious reverie.

Honestly, this part of the city was 80% trash and garbage piled up, and 20% neon signs.

It felt super surreal each time I walked over these sidewalks. Noah glared at anyone who dared take a second look at him or me as he walked the street towards our home, well it looked that way to me.

"Why are you doing that?" I asked him from behind. Prompting him away from the moments of introspection I had been in.

"Doing what?." he asked in confusion. Looking over his shoulder I could tell he was frowning in confusion. "It looked like you were glaring aggressively at everyone." he grew silent...

After a while, he suddenly asks, "Do you think it has something to do with the classes we got? I don't feel like I am glaring at anyone but I noticed something, you suddenly have a sinister vibe or aura, I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it earlier..."

I guess he had a point. I returned to looking forward as we got into the entranceway. As we entered two older men were playing some board game in the corner to my right, one of them had something that looked like a rechargeable fan in his arm and a sneer on his face. I ignored those two...

the lobby was dimly lit and a little smoky.

I wrinkled my nose a bit at the smell as well.

What a dump.

Noah brought us towards the elevator which to my surprise was working today and he hit the button for the fifth floor.

Noticing my confusion, he said, "It was part of my request while providing the rent money ".

'That sleazy old man'

The door to the right of the elevator was ours. He wheeled me inside and I couldn't help but look around slightly. It was a small apartment, full of lots of random stuff. Posters for music groups. Knick knacks. The living room was directly in front of us as we entered.

It was an odd mix of modern, and future tech. Well, The whole place. The apartment, the city itself has always felt like that.

"Home." Noah spoke with a stretch, I guess the class thing really messed him up, I wasn't any different.

Our room was on the right. A single large room with the weird bed emplacement that Spark City seemed to like.

I blinked as I entered the room before heading straight for the shower, all that smell of blood and sweat was making me nauseous.

As soon as I was done, I glanced at my face in the mirror, realizing my facial structure had slightly improved, with the former face being boosted with a charismatic effect.

"C'mon man I ordered dinner you hungry?" Noah asked as he seemed to have just answered the door.

"Ah... Sure." I bobbed while patting my face, I stepped out of the room to the other side of the apartment, where a small kitchen nook was located. Right next to the other bathroom.

I was in front of the kitchen table and a burrito was placed in front of me. Noah grabbed his own and started eating, water dropped off his hair from time to time.

Right...

I unwrapped the burrito, and after a few bites but I kinda felt a little grossed out at the inside, after eating all that fancy stuff yesterday but I chowed it down anyway.

Oh well.

It's not like I could cook them up.

After a quiet meal, I cleaned up and threw the trash away before walking over to Noah. "Perhaps there's a way to reduce the vibe or aura thingy, it would be awkward to scare people before we even open our mouths right?"

"Yeah..."

"Well let's get to it. Best to do it right now... Don't forget to sign in, once it's passed midnight, it will be a new week, and we'll lose the chance." he stated plainly and I nodded.

I watched him relax on the sofa calmly Before turning my attention to the system. 'Let's just sign in first, no need to draw out the matter for too long'.

[Ding! It has been noted that you intend to use your weekly sign-in function, please choose the resource pool you want to get your random reward from?]

[Equipment, Revenue blueprints, or Since you have now picked classes, Recruits have been added to the pool]

[Please note that prizes range from Grade F- Grade B]

With a little surprise, I said to Noah, "Check the Sign in page out, Equipment ranges from external gadgets to Cyberware and bionic equipment, Revenue blueprints range from already made goods like the chip and formulas like fate, but recruitment has to do with employing random gangsters?".

"Let's try that out first!" Noah said with obvious excitement.

"Alright "

[You have chosen the Recruitment pool]

"Sign in"

[Ding! You have successfully recruited a D-grade Spotter]

[You just unlock a new achievement 'My little Minion']

[You have earned 250 prestige]

[T-Bone will arrive at your location in 8 minutes]

"WOAH! What's a spotter" I exclaimed.

Noah on the other hand answered lightly, "I got an E-grade Enforcer called Fat Tony, arriving in 15 minutes, what did you get?"

"D grade Spotter called T-Bone, arriving in 7 minutes 15 seconds".

_____________

Tat-Tat-Tat...

A Fat-looking man of about 6'2 in a black trench coat stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for the twins' apartment with a strange familiarity. His body tremored silently as he moved to the door and knocked, exposing his silver-colored fist.

"Come in" a male voice came from inside.

The man said nothing before opening the door and stepping in.

"Ah Good, everyone is here," Aiden says casually while turning off the TV. The new member in the room was Tony or rather Fat Tony... He silently took in the room before finding his Boss, Noah Colie, sitting topless on the Sofa.

He looked exactly like the one who spoke earlier, but Tony could tell their differences instinctively, besides the feeling gave off was different. Tony nodded calmly before saying curtly "Boss"

The third guy in the room looked around with great curiosity, his three horizontally lined eyes scanned the room repeatedly. A spotter, Tony muttered before finally greeting the one who spoke first before.

"Your name." Aiden pointed at him with his chin as he tossed some canned drinks to everyone, his khaki shorts drooping slightly as he moved. For some reason he was topless, sampling his streamlined muscles but his poise made him appear as a careless person.

"My Name is Tony, Tony Parson at your service! Crow kings" Fat Tony replied confidently while stroking his sweaty nose subconsciously.

"Tony. Welcome to the Gang."

"...!" the skinny spotter immediately got up when he noticed everyone was looking at him, he fiddled with the bandages on his arm before speaking. His black leather jacket hung over his shoulders like he picked up something randomly before coming over, it was a mismatch with his neon green pants and silver combat boots, his gray tank top did nothing to cover his skinny body that were riddled with tattoos.

"Cole Newlove also known as T-Bone" the man seemed overly enthusiastic about the situation and gave off a weird feeling. His eyes which looked like small shiny stones seemed to flash red for a second before going back to blue.

'Crazy person...' Fat Tony thought subconsciously.

This time, Noah sat up from his resting position before he opened his drink and spoke up, "Where are you guys from?".

This brought a bit of a frown to their faces as they tried to remember but after a while, Tony let out a sigh, "I'm sorry, I only remember that it is not the same world, the world I came from wasn't this healthy... Like it was dying, like the end was already taking place and my final memory was dying in a pool of blood but I was suddenly brought to this place, all patched up with the idea that I should find my Boss."

T-Bone nodded repeatedly before saying with an awkward laugh," Mine was losing my gas mask and dying due to lack of oxygen hehe".

Noah and Aiden looked at each other for a second before ordering the other two to guard the entrance.

_______

Noah's POV,

[Tony Parson(Fat Tony)

[Class: Enforcer]

[Boss: Noah Colie]

[Role: ]

[Affiliation: The Crows]

[Level 5]

[Exp 0/200]

[Health: 750/750]

[Energy: -/-]

[Stamina: 350/350]

[Personality: Calm and Focused, Observant]

[State: Normal]

[Skills: Street Brawl Lv3(passive), Gunner Lv1(Passive), Driving Lv1(Passive), Fear Lv2(passive)]

[Perks: fists of Iron bones of steel]

[Traits: Guardian]

[Body Modification: F Grade Raven Class prosthetic hands(Both arm)]

[Balance: 0]

[Loyalty: 100%]

[Salary: 5000 per month]

[Cole Newlove(T-Bone)]

[Class: Spotter]

[Boss: Aiden Colie]

[Role: ]

[Affiliation: The Crows]

[Level 5]

[Exp 0/200]

[Health: 500/500]

[Energy: -/-]

[Stamina: 300/300]

[Personality: Cunning and Irritable, unstable]

[State: Normal]

[Skills: Street Brawl Lv4(passive), stealth Lv3(Passive), Driving Lv2(Passive), Spy Lv5(passive)]

[Perks: slippery slo’]

[Traits: set ablaze]

[Body Modification: E Grade Colian Class eye prosthetics, F Grade blue Ivy arm Cyberware(left forearm)]

[Balance: 0]

[Loyalty: 100%]

[Salary: 8000 per month]

[Each recruit request a certain form of salary, which would be deducted from the Gangs account, please make sure the account is always funded enough. If the salary isn't paid on time, the recruited gangster might choose to quit when loyalty drops below 50% as the gangster system will now retrieve the individual. Don't worry, there would be no form off betrayal...]

“This is a rather interesting development “ I commented while reading through again.

“Yeah, I think we can still use the next sign in in the same manner... Right now we have no urgent need for equipment or resources but we lack bodies you know”Aiden’s attitude was back to normal, his earlier act was something we thought of to see their reaction and it didn't seem to even matter.

I nodded in response while minimizing the gangster system page, For some reason, it was attached to our own main system like an app or program of some sort, “Let's do that, we're going to the black market tomorrow, we could use the protection just in case...meh, I need to sleep, fucking tired.”

Aiden's response came more like a reflex action, obviously engrossed in what he was thinking about or doing, “Sure, Gnight “.

I smirked, trying to remember the last time he had a passion for something like this before familiarly accessing my own system. It was like accessing a VR system with my eyes. If I flick my eyes in this way a small side board of options will appear. Phone. Text. Scan. A list of different things, but I was looking for something else.

Ah, there it is, Music...

I played something while heading to bed.

Why do I feel like I am forgetting something?...

Without much thought I texted Lia, asking how they were doing and immediately she called.

I reluctantly pick up the call with yawn, “whats up little girl?”

“You remembered me today...” she says in defiance.

“Hahaha what do you mean? I remember you every day... If not I won't be your favorite brother “

She snorted in response and declared pompously,”who gave you such an Idea?, my bestest brother ever is and always be Aiden... You come in second though so don't worry, Liam is just a big headed clown”.

“Hahaha, Come on that's not fair...but for real though, how are you guys doing?”

“We are fine, the money you and Aiden sent the other day, allowed us clear most of what we owed the school...The rest will be held for survival”

“I see, I’ll see what I can do alright?”

“Alright, thank you for everything... Make sure Aiden is eating ok? You know how he is with work... How did y'all get that mo... I've got to go, talk to you later, it's light out time...ugh I hate boarding school!”

Beep Beep...

“...” Silent for a while, I chose to just sleep...