At the same time, but the crazy

Chapter 488 Order
As darkness fell, David dragged his weary body back to his apartment.

Pushing open the door, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere hit me.

The lighting was dim, with only one lamp lit in the entryway.

To his surprise, he actually saw Gloria.

His mother sat at the simple dining table, her back to the door, her shoulders slightly slumped, seemingly staring blankly at something.

She came home very early today.

David's heart skipped a beat.

At this time of day, she should still be out working hard.

"mom……"

He opened his mouth, his throat feeling dry.

Everything that happened at the school gate today, the fact that I was expelled, and those bastards like Katsuo Tanaka...

He originally intended to say everything at once.

Just drop out of school!

He didn't want to stay in that awful place any longer!

But when he looked at his mother's slightly hunched back, he swallowed the words back.

He knew that Arakawa Academy held all her hopes.

That was the only way she could make him "a superior person"—a path she earned with her blood, sweat, and perhaps even her dignity.

How should he begin?
Tell her that all her efforts might be in vain?
Tell her that her son, on whom she had placed so much hope, can't even get into school?
Just as David was struggling internally, unsure of what to do...

Gloria heard the noise and turned around.

Her face showed obvious fatigue, and she had faint dark circles under her eyes, but when she saw David, she still managed to force a smile.

That smile made David feel even worse.

"You're back, David."

Gloria stood up, her voice slightly hoarse.

"I've already received the notification from the school."

She paused, as if organizing her thoughts, and then spoke in the most relaxed tone possible.

"You don't need to worry about the repair bill."

"I have already communicated with the school and they will try to find a solution."

Just focus on your studies and don't overthink it.

She walked up to David and reached out to straighten his slightly disheveled collar, but David instinctively avoided her.

Gloria's hand froze in mid-air, then she casually withdrew it.

"mom……"

David looked at her, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He certainly knew what that money meant.

That's a number his mother simply can't afford!

The "find a solution" thing was just a way to comfort him.

But looking at the unwavering determination and deep-seated expectation in his mother's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

He didn't want her to worry.

I don't want her last remaining hope to be shattered.

In the end, all the words were reduced to a single, dull syllable.

"……Um."

He nodded, lowered his head, and dared not look into his mother's eyes.

Gloria breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her son's obedient demeanor.

It seems that her son has become much more sensible after that car accident...

"Alright, go wash up, you must be exhausted today."

She patted David on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to make something to eat."

Hearing the sounds coming from the kitchen, David silently returned to his small room.

He closed the door and leaned against the cold door panel before letting out a long breath.

A sense of powerlessness overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

But he quickly clenched his fist again.

No!

This can't be allowed to continue!
He remembered what Uncle Zhang Qi had said.

This force, called "magnetic field rotation," is a manifestation of the will of the strong.

This happened because he was too weak!

Destiny...is in your own hands!

He now possesses power!
Although it is still very weak and cannot be fully controlled, it is at least a glimmer of hope!
From that day on, David's life changed.

Because the bill hasn't been paid yet, he no longer needs to go to Arasaka Academy, giving him plenty of free time.

During this time, he began to study this power...

[Electrically driven]...

According to Uncle Zhang Qi, this power can be strengthened through training.

Concentrate your mind and guide that power with your thoughts, allowing the subtle bio-currents to flow and accelerate throughout your body.

It was very difficult at first, and quite exhausting. He often practiced until he was covered in sweat, but he couldn't feel any change.

But the thought of his mother's expectations gave him the motivation to persevere.

Meanwhile, Gloria's pressure is increasing day by day.

That day, she surprisingly didn't receive any emergency medical assignments and dragged her tired body home early.

The apartment was empty; David had disappeared again.

Gloria slumped into a chair at the dining table, staring at the enormous repair bill sent by Arasaka Academy.

That was a huge sum of money that could have crushed her.

She rubbed her throbbing temples, a deep sense of powerlessness washing over her.

Although she readily agreed, she had absolutely no idea how she would get the money.

How to do?
Where are you going to get so much money?

Emergency medical technicians are paid a pitifully low salary; even if she works overtime day and night, it's just a drop in the bucket.

As for reselling the implants from those who died in accidents... that won't work either.

I was incredibly lucky to get my hands on a military-grade S.A.S ...

Such good things are rare and hard to come by.

If... if only we could have a few more sets...

The thought had barely crossed her mind when Gloria extinguished it with a wry smile.

Dreaming.

Just then, her personal terminal rang.

A burly man's portrait popped up on the screen, with sharp eyes and a thick stubble on his chin.

It's Mann.

Gloria hesitated for a moment, but still answered the call.

"Hey, Gloria."

Mann's voice came through.

"Mann? What's up?"

Gloria took a deep breath and asked.

If it weren't for business dealings, she would never want to have any contact with these mercenaries.

"There's a big job with pretty good pay."

But this job requires someone skilled at handling "special items"...

Mann got straight to the point, then paused, seemingly observing Gloria's reaction.

"I know you're a bit short on cash lately. So, what do you say? Will you take it or not?"

Handling "special items"?
Gloria was taken aback; of course she knew what Mann was referring to.

That means danger, it means walking on the edge of law and morality, and it could even... lead to death.

She instinctively wanted to refuse.

She didn't want to get any deeper involved.

All she wanted was to raise David peacefully and help him escape this damned quagmire of the lower class.

But... that bill...

David's future...

Arakasaka Academy...

Thinking about all this, the words of refusal stuck in my throat.

Mann had worked with her more than once; she had sold him the prosthetic bodies she obtained through her position, such as the one with Sianwistan last time.

This is a huge order that even Mann mentioned, and the reward this time... might really solve her immediate problem.

silence.

A long silence.

Only Mann's steady breathing could be heard through the communicator.

Finally, Gloria let out a long, almost resigned sigh.

"I received...the time and place?"

Her voice was very soft, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"Very good, see you in the next life at nine o'clock tomorrow night. We'll talk about the details then."

There seemed to be a hint of amusement in Mann's voice.

Communications were cut off.

Gloria leaned back in her chair, exhausted, and closed her eyes.

She didn't know if her decision was right or wrong, but once she stepped onto this path, there was no turning back.

But for David's sake, she had no other choice.

However, what she didn't notice was...

It's in the bedroom, just one wall away.

David, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, suddenly opened his eyes!
Just now, as he concentrated his mind, trying to extend the power of the [electric current propulsion] and sense the surrounding electromagnetic signals...

He "heard" it!
He clearly "heard" his mother's conversation with the man named Mann!
Every word felt like a needle piercing his mind!

Big job...payment...handling special items...

Those are... outlaws!
The word instantly popped into David's mind!
What people in Night City call those reckless mercenaries!
His mom... in order to scrape together that damn repair bill for him, she's going to join the outcasts and do dangerous "big jobs"?!
(End of this chapter)