Malfunctioning Utopia

Chapter 55: Explosion

Sun Jack’s punches didn’t stop at just one—he continued, blow after blow, until Song 6PUS was on his knees, begging for mercy.

Collapsing onto the ground, Song 6PUS clutched his head with both hands. Tears, blood, and snot mixed together, streaming down his face as he wailed, “Bro! Stop! Please, stop! Bro, did you save me just to beat me to death yourself?”

Finally, Sun Jack stopped. At that moment, the bald man who was being held at gunpoint by Tapai started to feel like something was off.

Before he could say anything further, Tapai lowered the gun and began walking toward Sun Jack.

The bald man was momentarily stunned but quickly broke into a grin. Just as he turned around to signal his underlings to kill the group, he suddenly felt a heat in his pocket.

Looking down, he saw two armed grenades stuffed into his jacket.

“Wait! I’ll pay more!!”

A deafening explosion erupted with a blinding flash, and Answer.01 was obliterated, leaving behind nothing but a pair of shoes standing in place.

Seeing their boss dead, the remaining members of the 18th Street gang went berserk, charging at the four survivors.

“Run!!” Sun Jack, Tapai, Father, and Song 6PUS bolted toward the only door behind them.

In the narrow corridor, chaos erupted on both sides. Fortunately, the confined space limited the advantage of the gang’s numbers.

The first to charge at them were the two dogs raised by the bald man. With a resounding "boom," Father’s shotgun reduced one of the beasts to shredded chunks, splattering against the wall.

The second dog lunged forward, its jaws wide open, clamping down viciously on Tapai’s metal arm. Without flinching, Tapai lifted his arm and smashed the beast against the nearby wall repeatedly.

Not to be outdone, Sun Jack lobbed grenades and launched various explosives at the 18th Street thugs outside the door.

In such a confined space, the use of explosives had devastating consequences. Though Sun Jack was left with ringing ears and coughing up blood from the shockwaves, the house itself began to collapse rapidly.

“This way!” Sun Jack shouted, grabbing Song 6PUS and diving through a hole in the wall that the explosion had blown open.

Unfamiliar with the layout, Sun Jack led them through an improvised escape, retreating while fighting. Eventually, with the aid of AA’s sudden blackout, the group managed to slip into a dense forest, narrowly escaping pursuit.

“Wait a second, a forest?” Sun Jack looked around, touching the vibrant green leaves. To his astonishment, they were real—not holographic projections.

“A forest? In this fighting arena? The Metropolis still has forests?” For a moment, Sun Jack thought he had crossed into another world.

Upon closer inspection, he realized this was actually a lush forest enclosed within a room. It was clear the place was frequented, as the ground was covered in soft straw with numerous footprints left behind.

As Sun Jack cautiously surveyed the area, he suddenly felt a gaze locked onto him.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” Sun Jack raised his right hand toward the left, while Tapai’s head instantly rotated 180 degrees, projecting a beam of light toward the indicated direction.

Illuminated by the beam was a doe, its innocent eyes curiously observing them.

It wasn’t just the deer. Soon, several animals poked their heads out of the forest, one after another.

However, unlike the mutated, cyber-enhanced beasts from the fighting arena, these animals were untouched by extreme modifications. Their eyes were free of violence or madness.

These animals were clearly well-cared for, with smooth fur and elegant physiques. Most were canines, felines, and primates.

“Is this… a zoo?”

Sun Jack muttered, but the thought didn’t sit right. If it were a zoo, why was it hidden in such a remote location, with no signs or advertisements?

If not a zoo, then what kind of place would keep so many animals?

The idea that the 18th Street gang were extreme animal rights activists was a joke Sun Jack would never believe.

As he stood there, puzzled, a red-haired orangutan wearing a red dress suddenly scurried over. It lifted its skirt and stuck its butt out provocatively.

A question mark practically popped out of Sun Jack’s head. He was utterly confused.

“Bro, this is a brothel. An animal brothel,” Song 6PUS’s words hit like a thunderclap.

“What… did you just say?” Sun Jack’s jaw dropped so far it might as well have hit the ground. Staring wide-eyed at the cats and dogs rubbing their heads affectionately against him, he stammered, “Th-they…”

“That’s right. They’re for... entertainment.”

Sun Jack’s mind went blank, completely shutting down. He thought he’d seen enough depravity in the Metropolis to steel himself against anything, but this city continually shattered his expectations in the worst ways imaginable.

While Sun Jack’s brain was stuck in a crash loop, Song 6PUS suddenly lunged toward the orangutan.

“Hey, hey, hey! No need to be that desperate! They’re still chasing us, you know. Once we get out of here, you can find yourself a glowing cat if you’re that thirsty!” Tapai grabbed Song 6PUS, trying to pull him away from the orangutan.

But Song 6PUS, his face suddenly alight with excitement, forcefully shook off Tapai’s hand. “F***! Look at this orangutan’s eyes!”

Sun Jack and Tapai turned to look. The orangutan’s eyes were unusually expressive, and it even winked seductively at them.

“Animals don’t make expressions like that,” Song 6PUS muttered, then glanced at the other animals around them.

“What?” Sun Jack, following his lead, began observing their eyes and other details. It didn’t take long for him to notice the oddities too. These animals were far too obedient, unnaturally so.

“Bro!” Song 6PUS jumped in front of Sun Jack, his expression buzzing with excitement. “Bro, connect to the network and get King Kong in here! Have him locate the spot nearby with the highest power consumption!”

“What the hell are you looking for? They’re out there hunting us! Now isn’t the time for this,” Father said, carefully peeking out from the doorway.

Gripping Sun Jack’s shoulders, Song 6PUS shook him vigorously. “Trust me, bro! Do you really think I’d screw you guys over?”

“Yes,” Sun Jack and Tapai replied in unison.

“Sh**! I’m stuck in the same mess as you guys! You think I’d screw myself over too?!”

From the look on Song 6PUS’s face, Sun Jack could tell he wasn’t joking—at least not this time. Glancing around, Sun Jack spotted a chip port embedded in one of the trees. After a moment’s hesitation, he notified King Kong and pulled a connection cable from his neural system, plugging it directly into the port.

Seeing this, Song 6PUS’s excitement practically exploded. “If we find what I think we’re going to find, I can wipe out the 18th Street gang completely!”

“What the hell are you looking for?” Sun Jack demanded.

“Bro, you’ll know when we find it. I’m still not sure exactly what it is,” Song 6PUS replied cryptically.

Before long, King Kong sent feedback through the system. Following the instructions, they sprinted through the maze-like fighting arena, heading toward the marked location.

Their frantic movements soon drew the attention of the 18th Street gang. Before they knew it, both sides were locked in another heated skirmish, the tension rising to a boiling point once again.

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