Chapter 35: Rat

In winter, Night City is hardly friendly to gamblers who bet on the lottery of the dead.

In a single night, dozens freeze to death on the streets.

This greatly increases the difficulty of guessing the correct numbers.

They are forced to step outside their homes—either going out themselves to gather intelligence, or posting commissions to hire others to track the survival status of those street rats.

Aside from them, no one cares whether the homeless live or die.

January 17, 2074, 17:10

The sun seemed weary of the city's stench of corruption and impatiently withdrew the last glimmers of warmth.

Bone-chilling cold mixed with biting winds howled savagely.

Death carelessly swung his scythe, reaping row after row of gaunt, homeless crops on the streets.

Laura's nerves were taut as she slipped through narrow alleys, carefully stepping over the cold corpse of a woman collapsed on the ground.

January 17 was her birthday.

In the past, Mother always took her out cheerfully on this day to celebrate.

They would buy two new outfits from the clothing stall downstairs.

Each time, Laura would follow Mother's instructions, seizing the one chance a year to examine herself closely in the mirror, noting changes in her appearance and height.

The clothing vendor was a kind man who allowed the little girl to mark her height on the mirror's edge with chalk.

Then Mother would take her to an old ramen shop in the alley and order a large bowl of steaming ramen.

Year after year, it was always like this.

It was Lola's happiest, most joyful day of the year.

Until three years ago.

Mother took her into the alley as usual—but never walked out again.

Lola could no longer clearly remember what happened that day.

She only remembered the relentless, brutal shouts of several men and her mother's agonized screams.

She only remembered the murky fluid that kept flowing and spreading across her vision.

She only remembered the dried tears and the blood trickling from her mother's lips.

Lola pulled her head down, tightening the tattered cotton coat wrapped around her.

It was the only legacy Mother left her.

She pressed her lips, pale from cold, and walked on, each heavy step dragging a moan across the alley's rough ground.

She walked, passing towering buildings, brushing past the home she once knew.

After Mother's death, unable to pay rent, she was forced onto the streets.

She walked past a filthy stall.

She heard the kind vendor had died.

Supposedly, he was beaten to death for secretly photographing customers changing clothes.

She thought of this, slowed her pace, and turned toward the abandoned, ruined stall.

Amid the pile of ragged clothes, the mirror bearing her height marks still leaned crookedly, like a dog guarding a grave.

She gently wiped the thick dust from the mirror's surface—the small face within was scarred and smeared with black grime.

So ugly.

She let out a quiet sigh.

Three years ago, she had used a key to carve deep, bloody gashes across her once-beautiful face, right before this mirror.

Just to survive.

To avoid being dragged violently into the alley's depths.

She rubbed her slightly reddened eyes, picked up a tattered scarf hanging nearby, and wound it tightly around her face, layer after layer.

She stepped forward, heading toward Japan Street.

It was said that Japan Street had the most leftover scraps—and the tastiest.

If lucky, she might find a half-eaten fish.

Lola lightly licked her lips, tasting only a faint metallic rust.

May God grant her, on this day of her eighteenth birthday, a meal still intact in the trash.

She clasped her hands together, murmured a prayer, and walked toward the roadside trash bin.

January 17, 2074, 18:00

"Yahweh! I'm hungry." After playing all afternoon, Xida finally complained.

Yahweh stroked the girl's silver hair and glanced sideways at the short-haired woman quietly rubbing her stomach.

"I'm hungry too," Lucy said, rubbing her stomach, her tone cool.

"What do you want to eat?"

"In Japan Street… of course, Japanese food!" Xida closed her eyes, savoring her boyfriend's gentle touch, whispering her request.

"Won't that be too expensive…?" Lucy rubbed her chin—she'd only just arrived in Night City and couldn't afford such luxury.

"Yahweh's treating us! After eating, we'll buy new clothes!" Xida subtly jabbed the man's solid abdomen with her elbow; the strange sensation made her addicted.

Yahweh smiled helplessly—his secret stash had clearly been found out by Xida.

But it was black money from Biotechnica Company anyway; might as well spend it.

"Oh? So you've been hiding pocket money…" Lucy exchanged a glance with Xida for less than a second, then immediately played along.

"Fine, fine, I'll treat you… I'll treat you…" He raised his hands in surrender, hoping to avoid further teasing.

"Let's go!" Xida nodded happily and took the man's several bulky bags herself.

Lucy raised an eyebrow and deliberately moved far away from the two, feigning disgust.

The interaction between Xida and Yahweh made her feel somewhat envious.

She had only seen such scenes on the useless data fragments of the Deep Web.

"Lucy?" The silver-haired girl turned back and called softly, waking her from her daze.

"Coming."

Lucy moved with agile steps, quickly catching up to the two figures tightly linked ahead.

January 17, 2074, 18:15

"The environment here is quite high-end..." Xida tapped curiously on the tables and chairs, acting as childish as a little kid.

Yahweh sighed, reached out to catch the flailing Xida, pulled her into his embrace, and locked her tightly with both arms.

Lucy sat opposite the two, propping her head up, casually crossing her legs and swinging her leisurely feet, watching the sweet interaction of the foolish couple without speaking.

Xida struggled several times, but all attempts failed.

Finally, she collapsed weakly into the man's arms, pressed her face against his throat, and rubbed back and forth.

Lucy rubbed her stomach and frowned her beautiful brows.

The dishes hadn't even arrived yet, but she already felt thirty percent full.

"What are you thinking about?" Seeing no one speak at the table, Yahweh asked gently.

"Thinking about you..." The girl lying in his arms murmured softly, paying no mind to the outsider present.

Lucy helplessly shook her head, wanting to speak but holding back, so she simply took the dish plates brought by the waiter and arranged them one by one on the table.

She picked up her chopsticks and ate with her head down.

Yahweh and Xida watched her deliberately silent act with amusement and stopped playing around.

January 17, 2074, 18:16

Laura's small body rummaged inside a trash can and finally found food that could be eaten.

She squatted by the wall, eating in huge mouthfuls, feeling the happy sensation of cold food scraps mixing with warm gastric juices as they slid down her esophagus, and smiled blissfully.

Gazing from afar at the high-end restaurant across the street, she stretched out her cute, delicate nose, trying hard to sniff and catch the faint scent of delicious food drifting on the wind.

Smelling this faint fragrance made her feel as if she had already tasted the delicacy.

She thought happily and gently licked the dry, cold sauce clinging to her fingertips.