John made an online reservation, provided a budget quote, and then drove directly to the location of Habitable Company.
[Eden City - Dan Street]
It's only a twenty-minute drive from Genius's restaurant, yet this area falls under the Black Gold Gang's territory.
The Habitable Rental Company is built next door to a strip club.
The voice on the phone was a gentle electronic tone, but in reality, a muscular black man received John.
That's how small and medium-sized businesses operate in Eden City:
They use electronic voices for online operations, while the on-site staff tend to be more pragmatic. Only high-end venues and profitable businesses can afford to place a dignified and durable robot at the reception that can maintain a polite smile for customers 24/7.
The office is very tight.
The walls have graffiti and rap posters, and they're piled with fitness equipment. There's even firearm parts on the coffee table in the lounge area.
The big guy took out a tablet to check the reservation details, and then led John away from the volume-explosive office.
Most of the properties are around Dan Street.
This area is the territory of the Black Gold Gang.
They are predominantly people of color, adhering to the old American gang rules, mostly equipped with flashy prosthetics, and keen on street art and gold ornaments.
Graffiti is the hallmark of the Black Gold Gang.
Gang members contribute more than 80% of the graffiti in Eden City.
They have a strange impulse to express themselves, love exploring personal styles, and even leave distinctive patterns at crime scenes, proudly landing themselves on wanted lists in police stations.
In the Black Gold Gang's territory, drugs and firearms are rampant, and those without some skills dare not venture easily.
John followed the car into an underground parking lot.
As he looked up, he saw graffiti works circling the walls, done with expensive gradient fluorescent paint.
The elevator doesn't go directly up; you have to take a detour.
The black guy fist-bumped with gang members along the way.
John silently followed him, having also been through gunfire and kept a calm demeanor throughout, so the Black Gold Gang members didn't dare to provoke him easily.
While passing through the overhead walkway, John saw there was a commercial street outside the apartment, with all sorts of amenities for clothing, food, shelter, and transportation fully equipped.
In a sense, it's quite livable.
The first ten floors of this building are shared living units, and above that are independent apartments.
It was bustling while walking through the hallway.
Drugged addicts, idlers scattered about, and night club bouncers off-duty flirting gathered here. If the sex workers think you look decent, they'd even be willing to lift the hem of their clothes and propose overtime requests.
John ignored it all.
The lattice doors of the old-fashioned elevator creaked.
John and the big guy each took a corner, the light tube overhead flickered incessantly while the numbers on the electronic screen gradually slid towards the fifteenth floor.
Property leasing isn't the Black Gold Gang's main business.
The black guy's work attitude was also very poor.
He took out a tablet and entered visitor access for John, allowing him free access to the independent apartments above the tenth floor.
The room on this floor was fully furnished.
The big guy turned on all the equipment, proving they were functioning normally, and then sat on the sofa by himself and played music.
There was a ready-made electronic contract and authorized room card on the table.
The black fellow saw John had nearly finished browsing the room, then pulled out a portable Super Sensing Device, which, when worn, allowed immersive browsing of all unoccupied properties.
John was stunned after hearing this and questioned, "You could have taken it out earlier, why did you have to make me run around?"
"Gotta clock in."
The black guy's reason was rather silly, and taking out the electronic work badge only added a sense of dissonance.
He's not a talk-less, tough type, just purely simple-minded.
"The rooms are mostly the same, this one is the nearest."
The black guy said energetically. "If you're willing to raise the price, there's a better one across the street, just cross two blocks. Want to go?"
John didn't say a word.
He had many things to spend money on, and renting a place was just one part of it. Being able to rest well and organize supplies was enough.
"I'll switch when I make more money in the future."
John signed the contract directly, placed his palm on the scanner, verified his biometric information, and paid a quarter's rent.
He had browsed Eden City's rental websites too.
With his current savings, the apartment provided by the Black Gold Gang was already the most cost-effective choice.
Not sure if Genius put in a word or not.
The actual payment John made was 15% less than the amount on the bill.
This apartment was primarily in shades of gray and blue, with rounded edges and hidden lighting strips, leaving no exposed bulbs.
Above the living room, there's a hanging cylindrical projector.
This thing can let you see the screen from any corner of the room, and if you insert the Super Sensing Chip, you can enjoy blockbusters on the couch.
The shower room, bed, tables, and chairs were all well-equipped.
The low-cost apartment wasn't equipped with a kitchen. People mingling in Eden City receive calls and work endlessly every day, having an automatic pancake maker and a non-exploding microwave oven in the room suffices.
John opened the most anticipated workspace.
A refined safe room unfolded before him.
The walls are made of soundproof material thick enough to safely use the console to modify equipment. It also has industrial anti-magnetic and firewall measures to block remote hacking.
The walls on three sides are pegboard.
He can hang up his firearms and tools.
The computer and monitor are also included in the package.
John scanned it briefly, and sure enough, the equipment in the low-rent apartment came with plugins and viruses.
However, it's no big deal.
John just needs to connect a data cable for physical hacking, and Black Light can make it cleaner than his own face.
The room overall...isn't bad at all!
John reported his safety to Genius.
He lay on the sofa, went online, first selecting some daily necessities, and then visited an open pharmaceutical website.
Gaia Cell Company's Logo slowly unfolded on the screen.
It's the largest biotechnology company in Eden City, permeating medical services into every stratum.
As long as customers pay online, drones will deliver drugs of all grades right to their doors.
Gaia Cell's online consultation system is also impressive, capable of resolving over 80% of common ailments and providing corresponding treatment solutions, having successfully outcompeted public hospitals, causing the impoverished to lament incessantly while keeping the affluent confined to its privately-owned clinics.
It even monopolizes medical rescue services.
Clients with abundant resources can become members, enjoying the most comfortable treatment assistance services according to the annual fee package.
Biological chips will upload clients' health conditions to the company through the network.
No matter in which corner of the city the client gets injured, as long as they can still breathe, they will dispatch a professional battle team to rescue them from gunfire.
John cursed twice about how good it is to have money.
His rib and internal organs injuries needed medication for recovery.
He was reluctant to seek treatment in unfamiliar neighborhoods and couldn't drive across half of Eden City just to seek help from Ryan Randall for a bone.
Funds need to be spent wisely.
John believed that securely recuperating was critical.
Although these companies are bloodsuckers, they do the job once they have the money.
After placing the order, he hadn't even finished a combat shower when he received the access information for the delivered package.
Logistics drones don't stupidly park at the door.
They all have docking points similar to relay stations, ensuring they aren't illegally intercepted or remotely shot down.
John confirmed the client information.
Two metal boxes glided from afar, capable of hovering for acknowledgement with just one square meter of stable ground.
[Device: Ring Rotor Drone]
[Manufacturer: Tiebang Logistics]
The bed and blankets made of compressed cotton weren't much to look at; the focus was still on the medication.
[Medication: Super Healing Potion]
The item was contained in a pump syringe, with illustrated instructions included, and you could access the official website to watch video demonstrations.
There's a disclaimer, but it's meaningless.
John had just finished signing, when suddenly the doorbell rang again in the hallway, and the newly ordered takeout also arrived smoothly…
Neon flashed outside the window, with a forest of billboards.
The news of Eden City played overhead without any greasy fumes, sweat stench, or the nuisance penetrating the walls. The leather sofa was soft and comfy, able to slowly enjoy a supreme pizza loaded with double bacon.
John felt a sense of settled comfort, with unlimited longing for the future flourishing in this delightful peace of mind.
He pulled out the medicinal injection, leaned back against the sofa, and drifted off to sleep.