[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer":3,"chapter-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-20":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cyberpunk: Cross-dimensional Science and Engineering",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1151461,1495,"Chapter 20 - 19 Homeowners Association","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>After a peaceful night, Lille got moving early the next morning with Matt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first step was to establish contact among the landlords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Humans have created skyscrapers hundreds of meters tall, can kill tens of thousands of lives instantaneously with weapons of war, and can flee this 6 sextillion ton planet beneath their feet to fly into space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a single human can easily be tripped by a small stone and die from the fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more scattered and suspicious of each other we are, the easier we fall right into the enemy’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Mr. Rigordo, incidents like yesterday are bound to happen many more times, but if we unite, we can certainly curb those ruffians.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Rigordo was in his fifties with salt-and-pepper hair, but he was in good shape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear from that day he nearly fought with the thugs that not only was he tough, but he also had a fiery temper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Rigordo seemed to have passed away early due to illness, but he still had a young son—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the boy wouldn’t listen to reason and got mixed up with a gang; the father and son hadn’t been in contact for a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You talk like my father, but you’re just a kid whose hair hasn’t even grown in properly—you probably haven’t seen the news...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll be the president of the landlords’ association; I can take this risk, and I’ve also hired Attorney Murdoch as our legal counsel.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rigordo looked at Lille with surprise: \"Kid, your mom still owes me three months’ rent. Where did you get the money?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh...\" Lille was embarrassed, \"I convinced him to be our legal counsel for free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the rent, I’ll pay you back. If you don’t mind, I can clean for you every day to make up for the interest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rigordo took a sip of tea, glanced at Matt beside him, and sized up Lille again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you had only said the first part, kid, I might have considered kicking you and your mother out tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But forget about the cleaning, it would be troublesome if you worked yourself to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s your plan?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first aim of increasing numbers is to put pressure on the NYPD. With incidents like yesterday, if there’s only one caller, the NYPD can completely ignore it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if everyone in the apartment, even everyone on the street, calls together, it’s a different story.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Naive...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Plus, if there are many of us, we can certainly catch those ruffians. In fact, that’s exactly what I plan to do; I’ll handle the evidence, and Attorney Matt will provide legal support.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this was more to Rigordo’s interest; he swallowed back what he was going to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, he just wanted to catch those thugs and give them a beating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Catching them is to raise their cost of deploying ruffians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’ve bribed the NYPD with money, for every additional capture, the NYPD will demand more money from the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They use violence and fear to divide us, but we can use their greed against them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly Rigordo didn’t want to hear this kind of strategic explanation, and seeing his landlord’s frown deepening again, Lille quickly said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And obviously, the ones they use to intimidate us are just ruffians—tough-looking on ordinary days but they run as soon as they meet real resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We take care of one, and more will want to band together; then they send more, and we continue to beat them up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, we fight until they’re too scared to come back.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s the way to do it!\" Rigordo breathed heavily through his nose, \"Damn it, I’ve been pissed off at those bastards for a long time!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Rigordo banged on the wooden stairs with a thud, thud, thud, sounding as if he were going to war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone out! Everybody come out—I know you’re all home. Not one of you had the guts to stand up yesterday. Now—get out here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The residents hesitantly opened their doors, and they all had families, men and women, and children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it was working hours, they were still at home—obviously, they were unemployed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Listen up, we can’t ever let those damn thugs bully us again. From now on, I’m joining Lille’s tenants’ association, and you should too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t think you can keep out of this like you did yesterday. If I really can’t stand it and am driven out, you’ll have to go too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I might lose some money, but who else will let you stay on credit like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nat, Facardo, John, Dean—you lot of big men, so strong looking, yet as timid as women!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the woman of the house spoke up, \"Rigordo! Shut the fuck up, I told you we should resist! If it weren’t for this coward holding me back, I would’ve gone out and beaten those guys up yesterday!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was as harsh as a goose’s call, and the woman’s shoulders were almost as broad as her husband’s. Her six-foot-tall husband looked more like her brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm.\" Rigordo laughed and gave a gentlemanly bow, \"My apologies to you, my Natalia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now Natalia’s husband, who seemed to be Latino, was displeased, \"We have children, Rigordo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But you’re right; if things are as complicated as you say, we should band together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, we have children!\" someone retorted, \"Have you forgotten last month’s case?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of a sudden, Rigordo exploded at the frail Irishman, \"Then you scram! We do the hard work, and you enjoy the good life? There’s no such thing in this world!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other person sulkily shut the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s no denying it, Rigordo indeed had some clout in there; Lille’s ears were a bit sore from just a few shouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille knew it was his time to step up, \"Everyone, Mr. Rigordo is telling the truth! If we don’t stand up for ourselves, we’ll end up homeless!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"New York is a dump, but it’s our home. Right here, this is our home!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Think about it! Helping each other is the key to our survival!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without further ado, the stakes were clear, yet Lille knew they needed some time to digest everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday the thugs kicked in the apartment’s main door; the day after tomorrow, they might break into their homes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille didn’t think they were unable to understand that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you for your help, Mr. Rigordo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph, a trifle.\" Rigordo took another sip of tea and then solemnly said to Lille, \"But just like they said, they have families.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You have to promise me, you’ll protect them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course.\" Lille raised his right hand, \"I swear to protect them. In fact, we’ll protect each other. That’s what mutual protection means.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm—mutual protection, you talk like...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Get to it; I imagine you’re not planning to just sit here and wait for someone to come knocking? If that’s the case, I might as well take United Construction Company’s money tomorrow and find a place to retire...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Rigordo turned and went back to his own room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Matt said, \"All things considered, not a bad outcome. But convincing the rest of the community won’t be so simple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right, that’s why we need to get the word out and then ensure safety protocols are in place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille smiled slightly, \"Technology changes lives. We’ll use the internet, but before that, we need to register a tenants’ association.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I need to set up a company that provides community services so that I can offer some technical support to the tenants’ association in an official capacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like replacing all this old wiring in the apartment, and then rearranging the security system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m a legal illiterate; I’ll need to engage your firm for this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Matt shrugged, \"I was already decided on helping you. But you’re naturally quite commanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Give me some time. But honestly, I’ve never helped someone register a company before...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do I count as having a big client now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not yet.\" Lille said meaningfully, \"But you will in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1333,"2026-06-03T12:33:12.630Z","2026-06-03T12:33:19.524Z",1,"novelbin.me","916fbeaf3b064f4e2dd3586f26505e3dee196ca8b2de1d3c79dadcf5b77502dc","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-21","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-19",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cover.jpg"]