Chapter 45: The Audience

"Pleasure doing business, Mr. Zhang."

"Pleasure doing business." Zhang Xian'an hung up the phone and turned to look at the three tall shadows behind him.

They stood silently amidst the crimson, cold and lifeless.

January 18, 2074, 12:20

"Good afternoon, Night City! Breaking news interrupting your broadcast..."

Sophia, led by Bonnie, walked toward a Chinese Restaurant on the streets of Downtown.

The moment she stepped over the threshold, her attention was captured by a television mounted on the wall, playing the news.

"... three unidentified thugs are committing violence right on the riotous streets of Downtown! A gang of ten drug dealers has all been beaten into mince! Looks like someone wants to step forward and be Night City's vigilante again!"

"Ha, so naive." Bonnie shook her head, her tone disdainful, and led Sophia to a window seat.

"Right in Downtown... could it be dangerous?" Sophia wasn't as optimistic as the young lady beside her, speaking with some worry, her eyes fixed tightly on the TV news.

In that fleeting, blurry footage, three figures wearing hoods and cloaks were firing at the drug dealers.

Perhaps due to the overwhelming firepower, in the blink of an eye, those human bodies burst apart like giant balloons pierced by a needle.

Blood and minced meat splattered everywhere, as if trying to leap through the screen and straight onto her face.

"Relax, relax, this is Downtown! A few corporate tycoons are all ruthless; how could they let a few terrorists run wild under their feet? I think those thugs won't cause trouble for long." Bonnie shrugged, speaking dismissively, and ordered a Yuan-Yang Hot Pot from the Waitress.

"Alright..." Perhaps frightened by the bloody scene, Sophia's face was somewhat pale.

"Oh well, order food first, think about the rest after eating! Be good!" Bonnie stood up, sat beside Sophia, and hugged her tightly in her arms.

"Oh..." Sophia drew out the sound, responding in a muffled tone.

"Hey, hey, hey, did you see that handsome guy over there?" Bonnie exclaimed dramatically, whispering in Sophia's ear and shaking her back and forth vigorously.

"Stop shaking! You're making me dizzy! You love-struck girl..." Interrupted by Bonnie like that, Sophia felt herself recover quite a bit.

While struggling free from Bonnie's claws, she curiously sized up the "handsome guy" her best friend mentioned.

"Whoa, he reminds me of the church we went to together when we were kids... that statue."

"Isn't he much better than your old man?"

"Wipe your drool, someone else has a partner." Sophia propped her head up, rolling her eyes at Bonnie, who was looking at her phone.

"Appetite whetted..." Bonnie licked her lips, took the several plates of beef slices brought by the Waitress, and used serving chopsticks to drop them into the pot one by one.

"I heard some young ladies discussing you, Yahweh." Xida teased while scooping out several slices of tripe from the red broth bubbling with chili oil, placing them into her own bowl.

"Shows you have good taste." Yahweh ladled winter melon from the white broth on the other side, dividing a few slices into Xida's bowl.

"Get me some soup to drink before you add more water."

"So experienced? Had this before?" Yahweh took the porcelain bowl she handed over and asked with a light laugh.

"I bought a few food Braindances before, and they had Chinese Hot Pot in them..." Xida took a sip of the hot soup and continued, "After watching, I just ate a few pieces of bread mixed with water; the taste wasn't bad."

"Remembering the bitterness to appreciate the sweetness; those days are gone forever. I won't let you eat bread in the future..." Yahweh rubbed the girl's head, ladled another bowl for her, "I specially ordered the White Ginkgo Chicken Soup Base for you; drink more, it's good for your health."

"Mm." Xida lowered her head, rubbing her hair, and agreed softly.

"Into the spicy side, or the non-spicy side?" Yahweh reached out with serving chopsticks to hold fresh meat slices, asking her.

"Half and half... I see you like both." She composed herself, swept her loose hair to the side, revealing her rosy ears.

"Bonnie! Bonnie! Stop staring, you've been dazed for so long." Sophia nudged her best friend with her elbow; since the beginning, Bonnie had been staring at the handsome guy and the silver-haired girl's interaction, the beef in the pot was already cooked, yet she hadn't picked up her chopsticks for ages.

"Ah, sorry..." Bonnie came to her senses and quickly scooped beef from the pot.

"What's wrong, Miss?" Sophia was somewhat worried about her best friend. Bonnie was a bit love-struck, but never to this extent.

Bonnie turned to look at her, just as she was about to speak, a thunderous explosion crashed in.

Sophia instinctively screamed, pulling Bonnie down to crouch under the table together.

The shockwave, mixed with wild wind, burst into this quiet restaurant; flying wood shavings and people's panicked screams were everywhere, soup and food spilled across the floor.

"Do not be alarmed, ladies and gentlemen." A mechanical male voice stepped in from outside the restaurant; the sound was grating and unpleasant, like a thousand sheets of iron being roughly rubbed against each other.

"Now, you are our hostages. Do not do anything foolish."

The male voice fully entered; Sophia, pulling Bonnie, hid under the table, and through the glass reflection, terrified, watched the three armed thugs gradually approaching them.

"Shall I intervene? Xida." Yahweh asked softly; only their table remained unaffected.

Time seemed to stand still.

The shockwave and the grating roar vanished silently half a meter away from him, as if they had never existed.

Whether it was the panicked crowd or the armed thugs, they all seemed to be blind to the two of them.

"What's happening?" Xida asked vaguely while eating the last slice of beef.

"Data betrayed their five senses; in their eyes, this spot of ours transcends time, independent of the entire world." Yahweh ate a beef ball, speaking casually.

"That powerful?"

"This world should be so." Yahweh put down his bowl and chopsticks and let out a gentle burp.

"You always exceed my imagination..."

"Shall I act, or will you do it yourself?" he asked gently, as easy and relaxed as brushing away dust.

"Don't rush; that girl discussing you just now clearly has some connection with these three thugs; let's see..." Xida wiped her mouth with a tissue, "If there's a problem, you can still make amends in time, right?"

"Remembering my good points now?" Yahweh moved a chair and sat beside her.

"A kiss?"

"Two."

"Greedy..." She gently pinched her boyfriend's cheek, raised her head to lean in, granting his wish.

Yahweh happily snapped his fingers, and everything returned to normal.

The drama temporarily paused on stage resumed; the only two audience members sat below the stage, quietly admiring.