[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer":3,"chapter-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-88":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cyberpunk: Cross-dimensional Science and Engineering",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1151429,1495,"Chapter 88 - 84: Nightclub in the Next Life (Three Updates)","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-88",88,"\u003Cp>Next Life Nightclub, where the legends of Night City gather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is a legend?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people think a legend is someone who caused major trouble for a company and then was sent to the graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Johnny Silverhand, this infamous terrorist attacked Arasaka Tower in 2023, and detonated a nuclear bomb on top of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nuclear bomb dyed the entire sky red, and the radiation cloud persisted for decades—so did the red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This period was thus known as the \"Red Era\".\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or take Morgan Black Hand, a guy with hardly any prosthetic enhancements, who led a team of Military Science soldiers into Arasaka Tower. Within minutes, they broke through the heavy defenses of the Arasaka Company, even past the super assassin Adam Hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Adam Hammer... was actually a legend himself, still holding the record for cybernetic enhancements to this day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s estimated not even two pounds of flesh could be scraped together from his entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To become a big shot, you gotta go to places like that, I’m getting excited...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the car, Jack began to lecture Lille and V about the deeds of these legends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But hearing this stuff once or twice is enough, Jack constantly bringing it up was a bit annoying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille resignedly said, \"Jack, can you cool it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver, V, also showed disapproval, \"Jack, I know that’s where the big shots hang out, but you talk about it so much, it makes the place seem cheap.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack shook his head, absorbed in his own thoughts, \"You all have issues, big issues.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While driving, V said, \"Speaking of issues, we do have one — are we really going over there in this Mackinaw? It feels a bit degrading — why not use your almighty car summoning trick to get us a sports car?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While we’re at it, why do you always hack these clunkers? G240, Columbus V340, Viper...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cars have individual ICE protections. In a time crunch, of course it’s quicker to operate a familiar hacked car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I think I could hack you a Bimong Armored Vehicle right now, want to take that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No thanks, so you mean to say given time you can actually hack us a sports car?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure—if you don’t mind always having NCPD cop cars tailing you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s skip that.\" V sighed, \"I knew I shouldn’t have been drinking everyday, should’ve bought a car first. Now look at us, the Burger King dumb big shot squad arriving at Next Life Nightclub in a black pickup truck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just a dumb name, even the car we drive is dumb.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille shrugged his shoulders, making no comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About half a minute passed, and Jack spoke again, \"You know, Next Life Nightclub used to be a morgue...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille and V exchanged a resigned look —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going to start all over again?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the outside, Next Life Nightclub doesn’t look at all like a place for big business dealings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dirty and cluttered, uninhabited apartment buildings, dark and damp grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the cars parked there were indeed interesting — Alvarado \"Delegation\", Thrace 388 Jefferson...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All very business-oriented and secure stretch vehicles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was even a Herrera Bandit parked next to them — globally, probably less than 1000 units, less than 10 in Night City, a rarity entirely handcrafted by designers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V envied as he watched— as a street kid, the Bandit GTS supercar was something they dreamt about growing up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, raised on handouts, what they felt most was people’s intense desire — beyond sex and drugs, the most valued was money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just liking money seems too vulgar; luckily, cars are different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Embodying every ounce of the craftsman’s effort, a combination of peak industrial technology, creates such luxury vehicles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s fitting to elicit desire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now she began to like this place too—maybe one day, they too could drive such a car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack elbowed V, \"How about it, chica, now you see how awesome Next Life is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Its awesomeness depends on what kind of jobs we can land—let’s go inside and sit down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille suddenly noticed an unnoticed car in the corner of the parking lot — their \"old acquaintance\"!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Columbus Freight V340!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look! V, I told you big shots also drive this kind of car!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Idiot, then you can drive a Columbus Freight in the future!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille shook his head secretly: the brainwashing of consumerism, too terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If not this car, then what?\" he thought, having only a few ten thousand yuan to his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After parking the car, the three walked towards the unremarkable apartment building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nightclub outside was adorned with cheap neon light strips and the walls were covered with various styles of graffiti.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside stood several customers with particularly extravagant hairstyles and clothes, not just extravagant but also looking very expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille could even spot someone wearing a genuine leather coat—the real organic kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You should know that most of the world’s fauna had long been extinct; such original leather coats were not cheap at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were to activate his scanner right now, request access to the NCPD criminal record database, the results would come back:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Non-existent, or you don’t have the required permission.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few men dressed in cheap woven garments were sitting outside the staircase leading to the basement, their implants simple and uncomplicated, clearly modified just for shooting, straightforward and professional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked relaxed, seemingly waiting for some work—a typical sign of mercenaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Going underground, before formally entering the next life, there was a corridor filled with mercenaries arranged in small squads, all equipped with numerous combat prosthetics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For such experts, the industry had a more vivid title for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Edge Runners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They roamed the edge of the law when working, their will teetered on the edge of collapse, each operation a race against the edge of life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the trio stepped into the corridor leading to the nightclub, Lille’s phone rang, caller ID: Rogel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The queen of Afterlife, the most influential fixer in Night City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rogel, \"I’ve heard your name a long time ago from Father. I didn’t expect it to take so long for you to show up here. You really have patience.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille, \"Patience is required to handle big jobs, and here I am, caught the eye of the queen of Afterlife, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rogel, \"Interesting, kiddo, go ahead and enter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, passing through the corridor and by those edge runners, the three reached the entrance of Afterlife nightclub—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There stood a hulk of a man, roughly the size of Jack, with his hands crossed in front of his stomach, standing there like a mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Lille and his companions approached directly, he raised his right hand, briefly verified their identities, and then cleared a path for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his expression as he looked at the trio was somewhat peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need to say... It was all because of that damned name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is it...\" Jack eyed the ordinary-looking double doors; through the glass, he saw the flickering lights inside—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They stepped through the main entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bursting rock music hit them hard, instantly clearing their minds alongside the pungent smell of smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dazzling light pollution was everywhere, filled with highly modified mercenaries in black leather jackets, low-key hackers, and extravagantly dressed customers...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every place, every room, every corner could potentially be dealing a headline-making big business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone here might become the next legend to die on Arasaka Tower or some other grand place suitable for legends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or they could just as well be found tomorrow curled up in a box like unwanted toys in the junkyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, they had all truly entered the Afterlife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack, as if walking on clouds, surveyed everything around him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The heart of Night City! Right here, beating non-stop, do you hear it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Can you imagine, Susan Frist, Old Snake, even Morgan Black Hand, they all sat on these stools, slept on this bar...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a dreamer, Jack murmured as he found a spot at the bar and sat down, the dazzling lights in the nightclub dancing in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V smiled and said, \"Now it’s our turn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille also took a seat nearby, just as an elderly woman passed by wearing a yellow coat and black leather pants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two exchanged glances and nodded, a silent greeting well understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack whispered, \"Damn, that’s Rogel! The most powerful fixer in Night City, the queen of Afterlife! She’s looking at us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille waved his hand, \"Cool it, Jack, you’re acting like a total noob.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bartender approached them with a smile still lingering on his lips:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What would you like to drink?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1429,"2026-06-03T12:33:12.909Z","2026-06-03T12:33:19.802Z",1,"novelbin.me","5ea90ec860c934119a1c9bc66d07a0db69450174181303d8e1600ecbe99e4f5b","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-89","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-87",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cover.jpg"]