Chapter 049: Promotion
"What's your decision?" Donnie looked at Mason, his face calm, but a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.
Mason's heart skipped a beat, knowing he had no choice but to feign gratitude.
"Boss Donnie, thank you for the opportunity. Although I'm not mentally prepared yet, I've already committed to you. Don't worry—it won't be long before I accept the augmentation and officially join the Gear Gang!" Mason assured him confidently.
"Very good, I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"
Donnie's expression softened. "In that case, I'll contact that person. When they ask you anything, you must answer truthfully. Don't lie."
Mason feigned nervousness—in fact, he was genuinely nervous. Although he trusted his acting skills, the constantly evolving advanced technology of this world made him somewhat worried.
"Where are we going to meet this person?" Mason asked.
Donnie chuckled. "Where else do you think? Right here, of course. You don't actually think that 'big shot' has time to see you in person, do you?"
As long as it wasn't a face-to-face meeting, Mason felt slightly relieved. Then, Donnie activated his communicator. After a soft chime, a young man with a cold expression, around 30 years old, appeared holographically in the office.
He was about six-foot-three, with a straight posture, and outwardly showed no signs of augmentation. However, Mason noticed a patch of skin on the man's face that looked somewhat off—it appeared to have been augmented, with synthetic skin attached.
People like Mad Dog Johnny were from the lowest rungs of society, and the augmentations they underwent were often crude and simple, directly exposing the modified areas.
In high society, such modifications were considered vulgar and uncultured, and were often concealed with synthetic skin.
The man before him was clearly in this category.
"Sir, this is Mason. He's the one who delivered that package the other night."
Seeing Mason in a daze, Donnie snapped, "What are you standing there for? Show some respect."
The man waved his hand, signaling Donnie to be quiet. "Mason, do you remember the package you delivered to 58 Chiba Street two nights ago?"
"Did you notice anything unusual when you delivered the package?"
Mason narrowed his eyes slightly, feigning thought. He suppressed his surprise. On the edge of the man's left collar, he saw the exact same logo as on the crate the female android had ordered weapons from.
This guy works for that android company!
"When I arrived, the owner didn't receive the package himself. He was probably messing around with his female android. That android is seriously hot, her curves are absolutely..."
"Mason!" Donnie interrupted.
Mason pretended to recount the events, but omitted the part about being stabbed and dragged into the house by the female android.
Now it seems this matter is far from simple. The media only reported the homeowner's death, completely omitting the female android's escape and subsequent rampage on the streets.
This incident has surprisingly caught the attention of the android manufacturing corporation, which also has intricate connections to the Gear Gang.
The man repeatedly questioned him, but Mason kept repeating the same basic story. During this time, Donnie mentioned Mason's delayed mission submission that night, which Mason conveniently dismissed as a result of being flustered by the female android and running off to cool down.
"That's basically what happened," Mason summarized.
The man glanced at Mason but remained silent. "Sir... what do you think?" Donnie asked tentatively.
"Alright, no more questions. Proceed as you suggested regarding the matter you mentioned." A calculating gleam flashed in the man's eyes.
"Also, are you certain he hasn't undergone any augmentations?"
Mason was startled by the man's words. He lowered his head, his cheek twitching slightly, and he nearly bolted!
"What's going on? Did he detect the battery in my chest?!" Mason's mind was racing, and he couldn't even process Donnie's next few sentences.
"I wasn't there, so I couldn't use my optical scan ability, but based on experience, he's probably been augmented," the man said hesitantly.
"Sir, has your cybernetic eye been upgraded again? Now you can even use your abilities through holographic projection?" Donnie flattered him with a smile.
"Stop kissing up. You've got optical augments yourself. I've never heard of using abilities through holo-projection. It's just experience," the man smiled, verbally declining Donnie's compliment, but his expression clearly showed he was pleased.
"It's unfortunate, though. I was unlucky with my first gene splice. I didn't get the Thunderbird's optical ability—I only gained some electrical resistance..." the man sighed.
Hearing the topic shift, Mason breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this man was only suspicious and not entirely certain, but this incident still served as a wake-up call for Mason.
Even though he was careful enough not to actively contact devices that could scan his body, the powerful augmented individuals in this world could still uncover Mason's secrets through their own modifications.
"You should be close to the second level now, right? Next time you'll definitely get a satisfactory gene splice!" Donnie continued to flatter him with a smile.
"Alright, alright, stop talking. I'm still far from the second level. Don't say things like that, or people will mock me."
"However, since Mason hasn't been augmented, it seems I misjudged him. Things are different now. I can approve your temporary absorption of Mason into the Gear Gang, but I expect you to arrange his augmentation as soon as possible!"
"After all, flesh is weak, but the machine is eternal!"
"Flesh is weak, but the machine is eternal!"
Donnie bowed slightly, his face respectful. The air shimmered for a moment, and the hologram cut off.
"Alright, since this gentleman has agreed, then as I just said, you'll be in charge of supervising all the runners in the several blocks around Chiba Street." Donnie turned his head, reverting to his usual boss-like demeanor.
"Boss Donnie, I was a little nervous facing that man just now, so I didn't catch everything." Mason had been so flustered, thinking his secret had been discovered, that he'd missed a few words of their conversation.
"Where did your fierce attitude from yesterday go? You're pathetic!" Donnie laughed and chided.
"But it's not your fault. This man is a renowned Prime Warrior, having already broken through to the first level and completed gene splicing. With his talent, reaching the second level is only a matter of time!"
Donnie only said a few words casually, then stopped talking, not even mentioning the man's name.
He tapped his wristwatch, and a map of the surrounding area appeared holographically. "With Chiba Street as the center, the surrounding blocks are all under your jurisdiction. You're responsible for all the runners in this area."
"The important thing is that you ensure all packages arrive safely and handle robberies and insider theft by the runners. Also, watch out for other gangs causing trouble."
Mason stored the map information on his wristwatch and nodded.
Donnie stepped forward and patted Mason on the shoulder. "Do a good job—I believe in you!"
"Go out and find George, have him introduce you to your runners."
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