Chapter 20: First Gig

The homeowners association is a non-profit organization that is widely present in the United States, with homeowners voluntarily joining and providing membership fees. The main purpose of the association's existence is to manage public facilities, security, landscaping, and other shared resources in residential communities, ensuring that the overall quality of the community is maintained and improved. It is a part of American community culture. Of course, in places like Hell's Kitchen, which is a poor neighborhood, the existence of a homeowners association is somewhat delicate, especially in such a special time. In any case, Leo decided to establish himself in society using this method, and the most pressing issue he needed to address was security. This meant he needed a legitimate identity to handle these matters, like a company that provides security services. Security services aren't just about hiring bodyguards; they also include electronic security systems, such as surveillance networks. Drawing from the comprehensive man-machine interactive security systems in the Cyberpunk 2077 world, such systems might be full of loopholes in that world, but that's because they are based on the formidable personal abilities of hackers in the cyberpunk world. In the Marvel world, in this era, Leo's hacking skills are undoubtedly among the top. In the field of security, if not exceeding 99.9% of people, he's at least better than 99% of them. For example, the facial recognition systems used in cameras, the mechanisms for identifying and recording dangers, and the experience in designing security systems—these are all things that can be organized into a security plan. However, his clients were all broke, and he didn't have the heart to charge Mr. Ricaldo. So, the first money had to be earned by himself. He had a lot of software that could be borrowed from the cyberpunk world, but he was just a kid from the slums who had recently woken up from a coma. Wealthy people wouldn't just invest in him like that. He had to build a reputation first. Another reason was that the people in this community had helped his family a lot during his coma, so he couldn't just leave without giving back. First, the initial task was to restore and secure the community's existing surveillance network, both private and public. Mr. Ricaldo didn't comment on what Leo was planning to do first. He handed over a stack of signed agreements and documents, somewhat angrily saying: "With you and me included, we have eight households in total, 26 people, and one family... Hmph, that kid said he found a job as a typist and plans to move out. Damn it, he still owed me two months' rent! I always thought he was broke, so I let him delay because of his little girl! But as soon as I mentioned it yesterday, he paid up and ran! Coward!" "That's still quite good—besides, the remaining families have some strong men." Leo scanned the resident information with his Kiroshi Mk.II Cyberoptics, recording all the data in his mind. As for the documents Mr. Ricaldo gave him, they appointed Leo as the homeowners association representative and authorized him to carry out the relevant work. "What good are they? They're just some porters. There's no work at the docks, and they're all waiting to starve." "In the current situation, they're not useless." Leo put the documents away in his patched-up cloth bag. "Then I plan to sign a contract with my own company to modify the power lines around the house and overhaul the surveillance network—for free." "If it's free, do whatever you want—just don't break anything. Speaking of which, there are cameras in the apartment, but they don't have power. The company that installed them went bankrupt and ran off; no one knows how to fix them." Mr. Ricaldo mimicked those people's voices: "'The wiring here is like maggots in a cesspool'—to hell with them." Leo confidently replied, "I'll fix it—oh, and I need two bodyguards." He picked two strong men from the data. John Burnett, 32 years old, African American, with a young son at home; Anthony Flores, 40 years old, Latinx, married to the loud-voiced Natalia, with a daughter. Both were porters, and in this field, they were considered naturally gifted—eating little, working hard, and still strong. On the streets of Hell's Kitchen, someone like Leo would probably get beaten up just by walking around, let alone keeping his wallet. As an aside, why did tenants join the homeowners association? Because in the U.S., tenant rights have been strengthened several times and are quite broad. But in Mr. Ricaldo's case, everyone was poor and behind on rent by several months. They had nothing else to do, so if they didn't do this, they'd be kicked out. Might as well tag along and see what happens. After knocking on doors and finding people, Leo's work team was formed. Looking at the two bodyguards, Leo said, "Today's job is to sort out the wiring in the apartment and reinstall the surveillance system." Anthony raised his hand and asked, "I know you, Leo. Last year, when you still had a job, I chipped in for you. How did you suddenly become a little prodigy?" Huh? Leo felt a bit embarrassed—he had just met a lifesaver. "Uh, well, I have to help my mom relieve some of the pressure, right? And since nobody wants to end up homeless, I've naturally been studying hard." "That's true. All right, I'm willing to work with you. I can't find a job out there now, and if I lose the house, I'll have to take my wife and kids and go wandering. But let me make it clear, we're all law-abiding citizens—we won't do anything illegal or dangerous." The African American guy beside him had no objections, seeming more quiet and reserved. With two bodyguards—one black, one white—following him, Leo felt a lot safer. The street punks seemed much more tolerable now. As a city with a history spanning centuries, New York's electrical wiring was a nightmare, especially in slums like Hell's Kitchen. The wires stretched haphazardly from the poles, covering the street like a spider web. It was an electrician's worst nightmare. But the scanning function of Leo's Kiroshi Mk.II Cyberoptics could easily help him record and trace the apartment's wiring. The significance of tracing the wires was that Leo could see where the substation powering the apartment was located and consider optimizing the circuits, reducing the risk of fire, and, more importantly, ensuring a stable power supply. He could even install a backdoor in the power grid. The two bodyguards followed Leo boredly as he marked all the substations along the line, eventually arriving at the transformer station. Then, Leo needed to hack into the transformer station. So how would he hack into it? In the Cyberpunk world, hackers could hack in with just a glare because everyone was essentially connected to the network. But in New York in 2011, this was a bit more challenging. A seasoned hacker wouldn't be stumped by this step. Leo spent an entire afternoon staking out the transformer station, using his Kiroshi Mk.II Cyberoptics to find someone with a badge labeled "Senior Engineer." After finding his name, Leo searched online for this person's specific information. Once he had the information, he could locate him on the network—in an ideal situation. But in 2011, most people didn't have the habit of sharing their details online. So Leo had to trigger the communication base station; he could directly intercept the data packets between telecom companies, find the engineer's name, and hack into his phone via the base station. Once he had the basic working procedures of the transformer station and other information from the phone, he could install a hacking device in a suitable place to control the power grid. This process wasn't entirely legal, but it was necessary for now. Otherwise, the surveillance would be working three days a week and off the other three, which is no good. For safety, perhaps he should do a bit more. Thinking this, Leo found the nearest communication base station. Then, to his surprise, he discovered a sneaky figure tinkering with it. Bang. "Why's this so hard? It's nothing like what they said on the BBS." The figure was clearly a girl. With a bang, she slammed the metal door of the control panel shut. She was still grumbling. When she looked up, she saw Leo flanked by two large men, one white and one black, staring at her. "Oh, crap!" The girl was startled and immediately turned to run, panicking. With a thud, she tripped over a wire and fell to the ground. Leo and his two companions exchanged glances and decided to go check it out.