Chapter 34: Poison

"Mr. Zhang, we have entered the territory of Night City."

The mechanical alert jolted the man from his long contemplation.

January 17, 2074, 14:14

The scorching sunlight tried to penetrate the Floating Car's interior, eavesdropping on a secret conversation, but was barred by the specially treated windows.

"How are the negotiations with Biotechnica going?" The man turned his head, gazing at the fleeting scenery outside the window, and asked softly.

"Biotechnica has been mired in scandals lately; without Militech as its patron, it can no longer block Zhang Corporation's entry." The seductively dressed woman replied coolly.

"Ah… the painkiller Securicine… a massive scandal…" The man gently swirled his wineglass, shaking his head. "Miss An Xianyuan, I heard your sister died from its side effects?"

"Zhang Xian'an, I don't wish to discuss personal matters during work." An Xianyuan shot him a furious glare and took a deep breath.

"Fine…" Zhang Xian'an nodded lightly, refraining from provoking the woman across from him.

"This city… is truly beautiful…" He gazed down at the world outside, speaking softly.

The Floating Car passed through a massive 3D projection above the city, stirring ripples of blue light.

The chaotic city lay quietly on the ground, allowing the Floating Car to roar over its head.

"Have you already begun imagining yourself standing atop this city?" She crossed her legs, her toe swaying lightly, offering a cool taunt to the man across from her.

"Arasaka in Japan can do it—why can't Zhang Corporation in Korea?" He opened the Floating Car's roof panel, loosened his shirt collar, and greedily breathed in the city's rotting scent.

The rushing air disturbed her golden hair.

She squinted, using her hand to shield herself from the intruding, insubstantial sunlight.

"Is it really those drugs extracted and manufactured from pregnant women?" She frowned, lightly tapping his leg with the red stiletto heel, her tone icy.

"Wait and see, Miss An…" Zhang Xian'an caught her probing gesture and slowly peeled away the alluring sugar coating.

"Hmph…" She scoffed coldly, saying nothing more.

A well-dressed beast, no matter how elegantly attired, cannot hide the savage stench seeping from its marrow.

"Enough…" She calmly seized his hand, reaching further to uncover secrets, her lovely face devoid of any blush.

Zhang Xian'an sighed softly and closed the Floating Car's roof panel.

"Is the laboratory ready?" He wore a resigned smile as he willingly changed the subject.

"Why not just use an existing one?" The woman wiped the grime off her soles and replied coldly.

"Is the laboratory ready?" He wiped the smile from his face and asked again, his tone flat.

"Yes… in a hospital in Westbrook." An Xianyuan lowered her head and slowly slipped on her high heels.

"Westbrook?" Zhang Xian'an flipped through his files and nodded lightly. "Good location—plenty of rats."

"Hmph…" She chuckled softly, offering no comment.

January 17, 2074, 16:00

Yahweh strolled through the mall with two beautiful girls of similar height.

It was genuinely boring.

"Aren't you tired?" He asked the two short-haired girls, who remained energetic, his face filled with confusion.

"Can't even handle this little walking?" Lucy turned back to glance at him; her gaze inexplicably ignited his anger.

Yahweh spread his arms wide, displaying the bags hanging from his body, his handsome face etched with questions.

"Pfft…" Xida turned back, seeing her boyfriend's predicament, and couldn't help letting out a soft laugh.

Lucy sighed, pulled a tissue from her pocket, and wiped the ink off his face.

Yahweh glanced at the black smudge on the tissue and clenched his fist.

"It wasn't me," Xida immediately denied responsibility.

"Not me either," Lucy tossed the tissue away, also declaring her innocence.

"Sigh…" Yahweh shook his head, letting out a long sigh.

Since noon, things had taken an unexpected turn.

Xida heard Lucy planned to find a reliable cybernetic surgeon for a new implant.

The enthusiastic girl dragged Yahweh along to help their new friend.

Said she was helping—but clearly, she just wanted to play.

On the drive to Westbrook, while Yahweh dozed off, Xida and Lucy cruelly covered his face with doodled question marks.

Then, as if nothing had happened, they dragged him around the mall for hours.

They happily shopped, bought, bought, bought.

He, with his face covered in graffiti and arms laden with bags, was utterly overwhelmed.

Yahweh recalled this miserable afternoon and sighed deeply.

Now, they sat in a well-known café on Japan Street, taking a brief rest.

"Angry?" Xida sat beside him, her small head leaning close to his ear, whispering softly.

"Not at all…" Lucy answered.

Yahweh rubbed his temples.

The two had been coordinating, playing off each other all afternoon.

He hadn't expected the cold, icy beauty to have such a talent for humor.

But he only found them noisy.

"Angry?" They asked together.

"No." Yahweh wiped the sweat from his face and answered softly.

Only the pessimistic indulge in joy now,

because they believe they have no future to look forward to.

He was somewhat worried about the psychological state of the two girls.

He knew Xida's situation clearly.

He also knew a little about Lucy's symptoms.

Maybe I should grab an expert from the Deep Web another day.

He took a light sip of coffee; the fine, silky texture barely made the ticket price worth it.

"By the way... have you found a reliable ripperdoc?" he changed the subject to avoid Xida, who was sensitive, noticing anything amiss.

"I asked Jack," Xida answered vaguely while eating a strawberry Cake.

"Victor Victor. In the field of ripperdocs, he counts as a living legend."

"The name is quite a mouthful..." Lucy shook the fizzy drink in her hand.

"When I first came to Night City, I thought all legends' names included the word 'Hand'," Xida said, wiping cream from her face after Yahweh's reminder.

"Like 'Johnny Silverhand' or 'Morgan Blackhand' and the like." She took a sip of her drink and continued to complain.

Lucy laughed at her, a pleasant curve rising involuntarily at the corner of her mouth.

"What about this doctor then?" Yahweh signaled the Waitress to bring another plate of Cake. "Victor Victor. Miracle Hand?"

Xida laughed so hard she couldn't straighten her waist, nearly dropping the Cake the Waitress had brought.

Lucy rubbed the corner of her mouth. "I'd better not laugh. After all, it's me who's going on the operating table..."

"Ha..." Seeing Lucy's pretense of being cool, Xida simply sat beside her and started getting handsy.

Watching the two of them play and joke like sisters, Yahweh couldn't help but reveal a gentle smile.

How much longer will these happy days last?

Even he could not know.