“Connected.
Can you hear me?” David stood at the connection between the subway cars, engaging in a silent neural call with Lucy.
This was a private neural communication technology based on cyberware interfaces.
As long as a person mentally articulated the words they wanted to say in their head, the corresponding neural impulses and micro-muscle movements would be captured in real time and converted into digital voice signals.
“Loud and clear.” Lucy sat on a bench in the middle section of the car, separated from him by several rows of seats, looking like two complete strangers.
“I hear you too,” David added, then asked, “Target?” “Three o’clock position.” David glanced sideways out of the corner of his eye toward the right side of the car.
Sitting by the window was a middle-aged man in a brown suit.
His tie hung loosely around his neck, a briefcase clasped in his arms, and his head was nodding rhythmically downward.
Clearly, he was exhausted.
“Initiating hack.” A faint red light flashed in Lucy’s eyes.
The fingernail-sized chip silently popped out of the employee’s neural port, tracing a barely visible arc in midair.
At that exact moment, a pale blue glow enveloped David’s vision.
The world slowed down.
He reached out and cleanly caught the tiny chip between his fingers.
Time resumed its normal flow.
The flickering lights in the train car returned to their standard rhythm.
The employee didn’t even open his eyes, his head dropping a few inches lower.
“Success.” David looked down at the chip in his hand and smiled slightly.
Although it couldn’t compare to the tens of thousands of Eddies that other guy handled, earning his first piece of money with his own hands still gave him a sense of accomplishment.
“That was the tutorial,” Lucy’s voice came through his receiver, carrying a hint of amusement.
“The next one is for real.” “Got it.” An unprepared corporate woman, a guy fully immersed in a braindance…
both were easy pickings.
With Lucy’s coordination, David effortlessly pulled off two more jobs.
“Too easy, isn’t it?” The corners of his mouth turned up.
“Is the tutorial officially over?” Compared to the work that other guy did…
Stealing really was way too simple…
“Okay,” Lucy’s voice suddenly took on a playful tone.
“Now we move on to the monster hunt.” Monster?
David turned his head as instructed.
Standing near him was a man built like a sumo wrestler.
His head nearly touched the ceiling of the carriage, his shoulders were wider than a double-door refrigerator, and his suit was stretched so tight the seams were practically bursting.
“He’s not a regular corporate employee, is he?” David asked, surprised.
If this guy caught them, they probably wouldn’t get away without drawing blood…
“Arasaka bodyguard.” Lucy gave him no time to refuse.
“Three, two, one!” The chip popped out.
Sandevistan activated, world slowed down!
David stepped forward, threading through the frozen passengers to stand behind the massive man, successfully snatching the chip.
Time resumed.
He caught sight of the man’s reflection in the train window.
If there was any sudden movement, David was prepared to draw his gun at a moment’s notice.
Fortunately, the man merely rolled his neck, making no further move.
“Next stop, we get off.” The subway decelerated, and the doors slid open.
The platform at Corporate Plaza was blindingly bright, its marble floor reflecting the shadows of passersby.
The two walked out of the train car one after the other, neither looking at the other.
Leaving the platform, David leaned against the street railing, smiling as he asked Lucy, “So?
How did I do?” “We’ll switch lines and keep going,” Lucy stood beside him.
“Need to alter the route.” Her gaze landed on the exit in the distance.
“Someone should have noticed by now…” Lucy failed to notice that right beside her, David’s nose was bleeding uncontrollably.
*Oh no!* David felt dizzy.
He had almost forgotten Vik’s warning…
His body went limp, and he tumbled straight forward.
…
When David opened his eyes again, the first thing that met his view was a blood-stained vehicle interior.
An ambulance?
They didn’t just throw me on the side of the road?
“How’s his condition?” Lucy’s voice came from nearby.
“Rookie mistake,” the paramedic said without looking up, tinkering with her equipment.
“Forcing high-load implants without proper acclimation.” “Which suppressor is he using?
Does he have insurance?” “No idea.” Lucy, sitting beside the gurney, rested her face in her hand, her tone casual.
“Doesn’t look like he has any.” “Any family to contact?
An emergency contact?” the paramedic pressed.
Although David knew Gloria’s number, he ultimately stayed silent to avoid bringing trouble home.
“I told you, I don’t know,” Lucy glanced at him.
“He’s an academy student, so he should have parents, right?” “Arasaka?” The paramedic’s fingers paused, her tone turning subtle.
“No wonder he has an implant like that.” “Hold on a second…” She temporarily stepped out of the back of the vehicle.
Lucy didn’t notice the paramedic’s sinister expression.
Seeing David open his eyes, she leaned in closer.
“How are you feeling now?” “Nauseous.” “Which suppressor are you using?” With a thought, David retrieved the green injector Vik had given him from his inventory space.
“I don’t know.
See for yourself.” “Where did you pull that out from?” Lucy’s eyes widened slightly.
“Magic?
You can do tricks like that?” David watched her surprisingly cute, startled look and couldn’t help but smile.
Just as he was about to answer, the ambulance horn suddenly drew both of their attention.
Lucy looked out the window.
Unnoticed, the ambulance had driven onto an overpass, which was definitely not their intended route.
“Hey, we missed our stop…” She frowned, speaking to the paramedic.
Before she could finish, the crisp sound of a handgun safety clicking off rang out.
The paramedic raised her gun, threateningly, “This kid’s cyberware is worth a fortune.
If you just shut up and cooperate…” Before she could finish her sentence, Lucy cut her off with a light laugh.
“What…” “Are you planning to sell us to the Scavs?” She had seen this scenario far too many times.
Far from feeling threatened, she found it laughable.
“If you’re unwilling, then we’ll take your cyberware too!” The paramedic aimed her gun straight at Lucy.
“Haha.” “David, looks like the split really is eighty for me and twenty for you.” Before David could react, Lucy kicked out with her slender leg, striking the gurney.
The gurney bounced violently, slamming straight into the paramedic.
In pain, the paramedic dropped her gun.
Taking advantage of the moment, Lucy popped the door latch, then straddled the gurney over David, face-to-face with him.
The corners of her mouth curled up into a smile as she kicked the doors wide open.
The gurney went rolling off the speeding ambulance, plunging right into the night traffic.
The gurney slid at breakneck speed.
Lucy turned her head to navigate the stream of cars, her back arched slightly like a cat poised to strike.
Looking up at her side profile, David felt a rush of excitement mingling with his nervousness.
She was truly crazy!
To actually use a method like this…
Lucy steered the gurney, weaving left and right through the traffic.
The screech of wheels against asphalt mixed with the blare of horns, rushing in from all directions.
Her fair face flushed with a faint rosy glow from the adrenaline.
“Tonight is so damn awesome!” The gurney hurtled through the stream of cars.
Lucy looked down at him, her eyes reflecting the streetlights flashing past overhead one after another.
Even if a car on the roadside were to crash into them and kill them the very next second, not a shred of fear could be found in David’s eyes.
In this oppressive city, the girl’s wild, passionate freedom at this moment was breathtakingly radiant.
So…
A person could actually live like this…