Inside the clinic.
David regained control of his body once again.
He blinked, then flexed his fingers.
From what that entity said, it probably wouldn’t be back until tomorrow.
Tonight, he was free to act on his own…
David let out a long breath.
Although he hated being controlled, he had no way to resist it.
Still, since the thing possessing him was some kind of evil spirit or demon, maybe he could seek help from the forces of justice…
David walked to the door, preparing to leave.
Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks, as if remembering something.
“Um…” David turned back to Vik.
“I think I’d actually like to keep my bladder.” Vik was already sitting back at his workbench, watching an underground boxing match.
Hearing David, he didn’t even raise his head.
“Suit yourself.” Relieved, David finally pushed open the creaking iron gate and walked out quickly.
Little China at night was even livelier than during the day.
Neon signs bathed the entire street in pinkish-purple light.
Street vendors pushed their carts, shouting loudly for customers, while a few street kids in neon jackets crouched at an alley entrance smoking, their restless gazes scanning the passersby.
David kept his head down and hurried through the crowd.
Since the 6th Street gang members who knew he was the killer were all dead, and the NCPD had given up the chase, he should be able to go home tonight, right?
David stood before the white Makigai car he had stolen, hesitating for a moment.
Forget it…
He didn’t know how to drive.
Even though he had technically driven while possessed by the evil spirit, he didn’t dare drive on his own.
David silently apologized in his heart to the poor guy whose car had been stolen, then turned and headed toward the metro station.
At the station.
The train car wasn’t crowded, but it was stuffy, and everyone kept their heads lowered.
Most were corporate employees who had just gotten off work.
Dressed in suits and ties fastened with meticulous care, their eyes were hollower than the next.
The train entered the tunnel.
The lights outside the window began to flicker in a rhythmic rhythm.
David’s gaze drifted aimlessly across the carriage, gliding past the tired faces of those corporate workers, until it landed on the far end of the car.
Standing at the end of the train car was a girl.
She was tall and slender, carrying the delicate lightness unique to young women.
She wore a black Netrunner bodysuit underneath a loose, off-the-shoulder white jacket.
Her asymmetrical bob featured light white and pale pink hues that faded into a rainbow gradient at the tips.
“Looks so familiar…” David muttered to himself.
Had he seen her somewhere before?
The girl walked slowly through the train car, her steps light, like a cat.
As she passed a dozing middle-aged corporate employee, a neural chip the size of a fingernail popped silently out of the man’s neural port.
Caught telekinetically, it slid into her sleeve.
The entire process took less than two seconds.
The employee obviously had no idea what had happened, not even lifting an eyelid.
David froze.
So that was her line of work…
Neural flash chips were the hardware terminals ordinary people used to connect to the city grid and manage cyberware data.
The ones plugged into the necks of those corporate employees were high-end civilian models produced by Arasaka.
This kind of chip fetched a decent price on the low-tier cyberware market.
Brand-new originals were absurdly expensive, but salvaged parts like these, once refurbished, were precisely what scavengers and small gangs needed.
Besides, corporate rats riding the subway were mostly bottom-tier staff who wouldn’t dare report a missing chip anyway.
Low risk, steady return.
David lowered his eyes, staring at the tips of his shoes.
Mind your own business.
He had already caused enough trouble today, and now he just wanted to go home and sleep.
The girl continued moving through the car with clean, swift movements.
David turned his face toward the window.
Then, he heard a very faint *click*.
A slight chill touched the back of his neck as his own chip slid out from his neural port.
David’s body moved before his brain could process it.
A subtle electric shock surged down his spine, and the world abruptly slowed before his eyes.
Dust floating from the air conditioner vents froze in midair.
The exhausted expressions of the corporate employees locked into static oil paintings.
Even the girl’s retracting fingers moved as slowly as if they were underwater.
For the first time, he had activated the Sandevistan on his own initiative.
Lucy had just gotten David’s chip when he grabbed her arm tightly.
Time resumed its normal flow.
*Clang—* All the ambient sound rushed back at once.
Lucy glanced down at her pinned arm, then looked up at David, a flash of surprise flickering in her eyes.
With a twist of her wrist, she shook off David’s hand.
Before David could react, Lucy reversed her grip on his wrist, dragging him through the connecting door between the train cars into the cramped gangway.
“Follow me.” David didn’t resist.
He was curious about what the girl wanted to do.
The flickering lights in the gangway illuminated the handrails, while the rhythmic clanking of wheels rolling over rail joints echoed loudly.
“What’s your problem?” Lucy stood half a head taller than him and stood close, looking like an older sister scolding an disobedient younger brother.
“What?” “You interfered with my work.” “Was I supposed to just stand there and let you steal from me?” David replied, annoyed.
He hadn’t expected such a pretty girl to be so unreasonable…
“You were staring at me the whole time.” “I didn’t expect you to be a thief.” A thief?
Lucy didn’t like being called that.
The smile remained on her face, but in her heart, she had already decided to teach this kid a lesson.
She suddenly reached out, her fingertips pressing against David’s body, gently trailing from his cheek down to his chest.
“Where have we met?” “No, probably…” David’s throat bobbed, his entire body stiffening.
“Probably the first time.” The moment the words left his mouth, Lucy’s smile changed.
David felt a sharp knee strike plant heavily into his abdomen.
Before he could catch his breath, Lucy seized his wrist, twisted it back, and slammed him face-first against the wall.
What the hell?
The sudden movements pulled at David’s surgical wounds, causing cold sweat to pour down his back.
A red light flickered softly in Lucy’s eyes as she aggressively breached David’s neural network.
“Huh?
You’re wearing something like this?” She seemed to have discovered something amusing.
“A kid using a Sandevistan?
And it’s not a mass-produced model either?” “Not that I’m going to pry.
After all, this is Night City.” “As a trade-off, why don’t we partner up?” David’s cheek was pinched between two slender fingers, leaving him able to squeeze out only a few words: “Be a thief?” “My targets are only Arasaka people.” “Do I look like an employee to you?” David asked, exasperated.
Lucy let out a soft laugh.
“A quick scan showed an Arasaka Academy ID.
Though you really don’t look like an Arasaka kid.” *Meaning I don’t have the noble air of those bastards, right?* “Don’t look down on people,” David muttered.
“Your targets are only corporate people, right?” Compared to killing…
Stealing didn’t seem like such a big deal…
“You agree?” Lucy chuckled, the Monowire retracting back into her wrist.
“You should thank your parents for raising you to be so smart.” Listening to the whirr of the wire spool, David touched his neck, fear creeping into his eyes.
If she had wanted to kill him, he would already be dead…
“You really are full of openings…” Lucy had already turned and started walking back into the train car, her steps light.
“You still have a lot to learn.” David caught up with her.
“So how do we split it?” “Eighty for me, twenty for you.” “Huh?” David kept pace.
“Are you kidding?
Aren’t you using my Sandevistan?” “I’m the one with the channels to fence the chips,” Lucy said without turning around.
“Plus, count it as your tuition fee.” “Tuition fee…” David tried to push back.
“At least seventy-thirty.” “Deal.” Lucy turned around, placing her hands on her hips with a slight smile.
“Paid out on the spot when we finish.
That’s settled.” She held out her hand.
“I’m Lucy.” “I’m David.” He shook hands with Lucy.
The girl’s palm was cool to the touch.
She said softly, “Pleasure doing business with you!”