After finalizing the name and other details, Haywood accepted the money and promised to sort out Su Mo's identity by tomorrow afternoon at 6 PM.
This local bigshot was quite loyal, seeing that Su Mo had no place to stay, he smoothly arranged a single room for him to spend the night.
The reason? Probably because Su Mo's actions seemed mysterious, and he wanted to win him over while there was still time.
If he misjudged, there would be no loss anyway.
But if the bet paid off, the initial small help might yield significant returns later.
The next morning, Su Mo woke up naturally.
He turned on the TV, brushing his teeth while passing the time watching the news.
At this moment, the TV screen suddenly changed.
The logo for "New Moon Morning" appeared at the bottom left of the screen, the most famous morning news program in New Moon City.
The reporter stood in front of a villa broadcasting: "Breaking news! The New Moon City Public Security Bureau discovered the body of a man in a villa in the Anmi New District. The deceased has been identified as a renowned mercenary intermediary, Elder Tang."
"Elder Tang was highly reputable in New Moon City's mercenary community, having closely collaborated with government departments and multiple enterprises. It's hard to imagine such a well-known figure suddenly dying in his home."
"Officer, could you tell us about the situation at the scene?"
The camera cut to a sheriff, who said solemnly, "Based on forensic evidence at the scene, we are certain the deceased was murdered. The murder weapon is highly suspected to be a sharp blade, one fatal strike, indicating the work of a professional."
The reporter eagerly questioned: "Has the Public Security Bureau identified any suspects or have any preliminary suspects in mind?"
The sheriff shook his head: "We can only say that given the deceased's past work experience, the possibility of retribution from an enemy is very high. We are not authorized to disclose any more information; please await further investigation by the Public Security Bureau."
Su Mo smiled slightly after watching the news.
He knew it was Nuobai's doing.
Yesterday, he had given Nuobai the name of Elder Tang.
Actually, at this point in time, Elder Tang had not yet betrayed Nuobai.
All those claims about someone selling intelligence to a company or leaking her identity were fabrications by Su Mo to extricate himself.
But Su Mo had played through the later scenarios and knew what kind of scum Elder Tang truly was.
Eliminating such a trash middleman earlier would benefit both Nuobai and other mercenaries in New Moon City.
As for whether Nuobai would be caught, Su Mo wasn't worried at all.
The Public Security Bureau, a bunch of lazy bureaucrats, thinking they could capture the infamous Silent Death God? Pure fantasy.
...
That evening, Haywood sent a message as promised, notifying that the identity was sorted out.
The technological level of the Dawn Realm was higher than in his past life; citizen identities were no longer recognized through documents but stored in implanted microchips.
These chips integrate multiple functions like identity recognition, electronic payment, public equipment rental, and return. All kinds of civil services can be accessed with a simple scan, even more conveniently than QR codes.
Haywood brought back the microchip and directly implanted it into Su Mo's wrist using an original injector.
Then he tossed a black pendant tag to Su Mo and said, "Remember to wear the dog tag when entering the city, or else if the sheriffs catch you, you're in for trouble."
This black tag was a tool used by the New Moon City authorities to differentiate "Border District People" from "Inner City People."
According to the New Moon City Public Security Management Regulations, legal citizens from the Border must wear this black tag at all times when entering the Inner City, to distinguish themselves from Inner City residents, or they would face security penalties.
Because the tag hung around the neck, resembling a dog tag, people gave it a mocking nickname—dog tag.
It wasn't that Haywood was intentionally messing with Su Mo, but his money could only secure a "Border Citizen" identity.
To get an "Inner City Citizen" identity through the Public Security Bureau would cost several million moon currency in bribes alone, not counting intermediary fees—Su Mo's 150,000 was just a drop in the bucket.
After securing the identity, there were still 50,000 left on the card Nuobai gave him, and Su Mo used 8,900 to get a second-hand motorcycle from the black market for transportation.
He filled the motorcycle's tank and headed towards the Inner City.
Traversing the dilapidated Border District, a towering wall stretching to both ends of the horizon appeared at the far end of the road.
The wall, about 100 meters high, was made entirely of alloy metal. Covered with dark red rust from exposure to the elements for years, it appeared desolate.
This was the "Rust Wall," erected by the New Moon City authorities after the Border Isolation Act was enacted, to separate the Border from the Inner City.
There were 27 checkpoints along the Rust Wall, where sentries would inspect each person entering the city.
Legal citizens from New Moon City and other cities could enter and exit freely.
Those without legal identities were restricted to the Border District outside the Rust Wall.
Su Mo arrived at a checkpoint, where the explosion-proof gate made of special alloy was tightly shut.
He got off the motorcycle and lightly knocked on the duty room's glass.
The on-duty sentry was leaning back in his chair, watching short videos. He glanced at the black tag around Su Mo's neck, deliberately ignoring him, exuding arrogance and laziness.
Su Mo proactively opened the window, placed a small box on the table, and smiled, "Officer, let's get acquainted."
The sentry sized up Su Mo, put down his phone, and opened the box to look inside.
Inside were 12 cans of fruit, all of ordinary quality.
The sentry was somewhat irritated and was about to push the box away when he saw that one of the cans had been opened.
He removed the barely closed lid and saw that the empty can contained five 1,000 moon currency notes.
The sentry's expression became amused. He discreetly stuffed the bills into his shoe and then pushed the cans and box back, maintaining a stern demeanor: "Regulations say I can't accept this."
After scanning the microchip in Su Mo's wrist and confirming his identity, he called the control room.
Soon, the explosion-proof door opened slowly.
"Su Mo, right? I'll remember you. From now on, come through our side whenever you pass." The sentry waved, continuing to watch short videos.
He also kindly reminded, "Remember to wear the dog tag in the city. Those sheriffs there are bastards, always looking to hassle Border people."
"Thank you, officer!" Su Mo returned the cans to the motorcycle's trunk and started the engine to enter the city.
It was already evening when he got into the city, and the Inner City's scenery was completely different from the Border's desolation outside the Rust Wall; it was filled with a dreamlike prosperity.
That night, there was a light drizzle. Su Mo rode the motorcycle on an overpass, and the swiftly passing scenery blurred beside him.
Under the hazy curtain of rain, neon lights, predominantly blue and red, glowed on towers and skyscrapers, sketching outlines of the buildings' facades, creating an illusionary world of light and shadow.
On the overpass, the mottled car lights and city lights gleamed and reflected each other, with various advanced car models racing in formation under an autonomous driving system.
From above, dark shadows occasionally flitted across the sky—those were legitimate airborne vehicles, ferrying wealthy and influential figures, avoiding ground traffic congestion and saving their precious time.
The pedestrians on the street wore fashionable clothes embedded with electronic light elements and LED strips, forming pulsating lines and patterns as they walked. Raindrops splashing on them created ripples reflecting brilliant lights and shadows.
Countless images filled with technological sense intertwined, forming this glitzy city.