"Information trade, huh, interesting."

Qiao took the severely corroded chip, scrutinized it for a moment, and then his expression suddenly turned grim.

John was close by.

He even saw Qiao's pupils involuntarily contract, his emotional fluctuations affecting the state of his implants.

"You... uh, where did you get this? What exactly is your job?"

Qiao became proactive.

John shook his head helplessly. He couldn't possibly say he found it at a scrapyard, so he vaguely said,

"I'm a mercenary, it's a confidential commission."

Qiao got a bit anxious, trying repeatedly to inquire about the details, but after several unsuccessful attempts, he sat on a half-broken bench by the roadside and started talking.

John noticed:

When Qiao referred to himself, he sometimes used "he" instead of "she."

"Wow, you can just ask directly, no need to beat around the bush. It's not a secret in the community or the camp."

Qiao lounged casually, elbow resting on the back, while the other hand held a metallic e-cigarette dangling between the legs.

"I got two sets of gear, male and female, got it?"

"Wow, that's cool."

"Aha, that's what you think? Fine, I thought so too at first, until I came of age, and my dad saw it as an advantage, so he threw me into a brothel in exchange for two guns, a small pack of contraband drugs, and three hundred bucks in loose change..."

"Until I couldn't take it anymore and shoved a spoon into a john's eye socket, finally climbing out of a window and joining Damascus Camp on the run."

"Back then we weren't in Eden City, the tribes hadn't split, and Nando hadn't yet become the head of Damascus."

Qiao calmly recounted his story.

His eyes were calm, devoid of sorrow and sadness, or the thrill and bravado of bragging, just... describing.

[Talk with Qiao. (Not Accomplished)]

Qiao had done many jobs, even worked as a mercenary, and his diverse social experiences eventually led him to become a teacher at the camp.

John was quite surprised.

As a native of Eden City, he felt education was something very distant and luxurious, not to mention private institutions, even the expenses of public schools were beyond reach for most people.

Major companies funded educational institutions.

Those places would bind company employees and their offspring, or train successors for the elite class, even linking student loans to labor contracts.

In the Cyberpunk era, education's popularity was extremely low.

"Didn't expect that there were teaching positions even among the Wanderers."

John exclaimed sincerely.

Qiao laughed and crossed his legs, as if speaking of a proud matter.

"You've seen many vehicles at the camp, right? Those clearly not meant for living in, parked around abandoned buildings..."

During the Wanderers' stay, they would designate usable buildings as meeting places, living areas, hospitals, schools, or other public facilities offering shelter.

To city dwellers, Wanderers seemed nomadic.

But in reality, their educational level was very high.

They not only abandoned the "barbaric education" of the old era but also rejected technologically driven information dissemination, instead following the tradition of rural American home education.

Teachers were responsible for educating adults and children.

Large camps like Damascus would even set up mobile libraries, online operation stations, and communication centers to maintain contact with the world and acquire the latest information.

"We even have mobile cinema, like those open-air motel sound movies, with the wind blowing, teasing girls, and cheering at the key moments..."

The Wanderers' teaching focused on practical knowledge.

Such as mechanics, agriculture, or engineering construction...

The main source of income for Wanderers came from seeking mobile trade orders and job opportunities between cities.

This knowledge helped them perform better in jobs and gain team and technical advantages in competition with local residents.

Some Wanderers would even delve into classic literature or philosophy.

"In the big tribe before, I even saw poets, the kind who could make the news in first-tier cities, adored by the elite class as fans."

Qiao talked about his profession.

John also noted that his spoken language was very pleasant, possibly due to systematic language training.

Qiao spoke with ease.

It seemed like it had been ages since he talked about his past, and there was a newfound warmth in his eye contact with John.

[Obtain clues from Qiao. (Not Accomplished)]

"So, do you actually recognize this thing?"

John once again brought out the remains of the prosthetic body.

Qiao's expression was very complex.

He saw the partially melted black gelatinous material in the connection port, chuckled bitterly, but his eyes turned completely dim, discussing the reason why he left Damascus Camp.

When he first arrived in Eden City, he had brought a batch of students.

Back then, Damascus was still weak and busy, while the kids were in a phase of excitement, loving the social education class the most — experiencing life in the city, accompanying camp members on procurement, or riding along on transport tasks.

When Qiao led the team.

A little guy was kidnapped.

"It was a boy named Dijie Dans, but we all called him Cane, tall and skinny, never dared to speak nonsense."

"He had the gentlest personality among the kids, always taking candy last, not willing to eat it, and often got melted by body heat blocking data ports..."

As Qiao narrated, his breathing became rapid.

He swallowed nervously at the end, blinking wildly, even more fragile than when discussing his own experiences.

"Nando and I used all resources, but at that time relations were shallow, in the end, we couldn't catch the beast, not even a corpse. It's highly likely the work of a Ghoul."

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