Elsewhere two cities away in 'Entertainment Central City', in a private suite of Velvet 9, a luxury pleasure brothel that catered to bored mercs and minor gang heads, four men sat sprawled around a low chrome table.
Thick smoke coiled in the blue light, curling through the air like lazy ghosts.
The men — Jeong Do-yoon, Ha Ji-hoon, Han Chul, and Jeong Chang-ho — were loud, half-drunk, and still riding the high of their last run.
Two android hostesses leaned against the couch, programmed laughter spilling like glass.
A few human attendants — women barely out of academy age — lounged beside them, pretending interest as they poured drinks, whispered compliments, or brushed their fingers along the men's necks.
It was the usual scene for Do-yoon's crew — noise, neon, and bad decisions wrapped in perfume and credits.
"Oh holy gutter shits!" Chang-ho suddenly yelped, squinting at his holo-pad.
The others jumped, surprised by his sudden excitement.
"What the hell, man?!" Ha Ji-hoon—
Some of them even spilled their drink.
"Ahh!"
"Do you wanna die?!" Han Chul pointed his pulse gun in his direction while he pushed the girl who sat on his lap off of him.
The poor girls scooted away, putting distance as two of her other colleagues came and checked on her on the side.
Han Chul was stopped by Do-yoon who turned to his cousin with a question.
He took a drag of his cigar and slammed back his drink before setting it down, roughly.
"THUD"
"What's the matter? Why are you so amped up?" Jeong Do-yoon asked him as he motioned for the girl beside him for another drink.
One of the android girls, skin glowing faintly under neon light, laughed and leaned across Do-yoon's shoulder to pour another drink.
Chang-ho waved his hand excitedly, trying to get them to come over.
"Just look!" he finally got out.
He pointed the pad out to them.
Everyone crowded around to get a better look.
"Holy shit! Didn't we see that little scrapwhore with that weird-looking mech the other day leaving the lower yard? Look at this pic."
Han Chul grabbed the pad to get a better look.
He recognized Loadon instantly.
Do-yoon frowned, snatching the device away to have a look.
On the cracked screen, the ZepeNet Communia-Chat app flickered — the feed showing an official scrapyard post.
A blurry still image showed a hulking mech with glowing optics and armour on.
Underneath the photo, red letters read:
⚠️ UNIDENTIFIED ROGUE MECH – REWARD: 15,000 CREDITS.
Information leading to the owner or creator will be compensated in full.
Han Chul leaned over Do-yoon's shoulder to see.
He shivered.
"Ugh. Look at those eyes," Han Chul muttered, rubbing the goosebumps crawling up his arms.
"That's the one. I'll never forget it — those freakish eyes, man. They gave me the creeps." Ji-hoon muttered with a far off look.
Tsk.
Do-yoon leaned forward, a grin cutting across his face.
"You're damn right that's it. The one from the scrapyard. The one that got in our way of little Iseul."
Tsk.
Han Chul scratched his drink and a pack of smokes off the table.
"Man, it still pisses me off when I think about it. The thing would be perfect to train as a plowtoy!
He bit and licked his lips like he was fantasizing about it.
"Mm so tender. The little innocent slagwhore waiting to be ruined by big hyung Chul!"
Han Chul turned his attention to the young hostess he shoved earlier, showing off her nice perky ass when bending down refilling his drink.
Of course he, a real man, can't resist such temptation of a sight. Han Chul leaned forward a bit and open palm squeezed her peach bottom firmly.
"Eep!" Xu Meiran jumped in surprise and slight pain from his rough squeeze.
She really hated serving guys like him.
When will their time be up?
Xu Meiran felt like crying from the humiliation she felt to be treated like a used scrapped object-size like that.
Xu Meiran bit her lip to stop it from quivering, forcing a silly girlish giggle while playfully swatting his mudrat hands off her.
"Haha!"
"I knew it would feel as good as it looked! Brother take a grab!" Han Chul chortled completely drunk.
"Ah! Oww!"
He yanked Xu Meiran onto his lap roughly, and started to touch her up roughly.
She away flinched, not liking his touches. Han Chul noticed and tightly held her in place, kissing her roughly.
"Haha!"
Thud!
The men all barked in laughter, some even slapping the table in excitement.
After calming down from their cheering, they went back on topic.
"But seriously that little cutie Iseul would've tasted so sweet!" Ji-hoon raised his glass, shaking the empty cup to an android hostess opening more bottle.
"Woulda radiated, shoulda radiated and coulda radiated even if I still die. There's always other times to encounter one another." Chang-ho shrugged indifferently.
He wasn't feeling particularly nor disappointed.
As long as they were a woman with womanly parts he didn't really care for the matter.
"Still doesn't sit right with me just to leave her feeling like she won this one."
Han Chul voiced his displeasure.
The other guys paid no mind as they voiced their agreements and disappointments.
"But for fifteen thousand credits? It can definitely make up for the loss," Ji-hoon said slowly, his grin widening.
They all pondered over the large amount of money before one of them came up with an idea.
"For a little information they're willing to pay 15,000 credits, but what if we bring her to them? How much do you think they're willing to pay us? That's easy money, boss." Han Chul carefully analyzed all variables as he voiced his thoughts.
Do-yoon's grin sharpened.
"It's more than easy. It's a message. We should've handled that bitch the first time."
"You boys and your plan are all parts, but no gears." Abigail, one of the hostesses that was serving Do-yoon, said.
She had rolled her eyes, muttering loudly under her breath, not caring that everyone had heard her comment.
Everyone looked at her.
"Oh how so?" Chang-ho asked the hostess who spoke up while he laid his head on another hostess's lap.
She looked up like a deer caught in headlights, not realizing they would ask her opinion but still gave an answer.
"Well, if you want a girl's attention or to try to get her to turn her in while she's obviously not going to just come right to you, you're gonna have to give her a reason to come to you, one in a way where she can't refuse." Abigail told them simply as if it was the most simple common logic.
"Hmm shit, well the pleasure whore has a point now doesn't she?" Ji-hoon threw his head back and laughed.
Abigail shot him a dirty look not liking the term he called her.
He was a lowlife gutter, metal-seeking scrap rat. Han chul didn't do anything except get high on radiant suppressants, but you don't hear her calling him back to his face, though everyone knows it.
"Hmm" she crossed her arms, pouting, and looked away with a fake smile.
The men ignored her after.
Han Chul leaned forward nodding his head.
"Little Iseul got siblings. Word is, they go to the academy zones nearby. Some maintenance or prep school for lower citizens."
Ji-hoon's eyes gleamed.
"Oh, that's even better. We take one of them — just one. She'll come running herself. Big sister won't sit quiet when her brat's screaming for her help." He reassured.
"What about the mech junk that follows her around like a guard?" Chang-ho asked, voice half muffled from his face being pressed in the breast of the hostess, who was serving him.
"Oh yeah, we did see it with her earlier today when we left the scrapyard." Ji-hoon remembered slapping his thigh.