Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 123 Disappointment (23)

After David went up to the bar, the first thing he saw was a big guy standing next to a private room.

This guy had dark circles under his eyes, was wearing a dirty basketball jersey, and had a blank expression.

With stiff steps, David slowly moved to the side of the somewhat obese man, a typical North American face with a lot of junk food.

"Uh...is Kirk there?"

The chubby guy wiped the salad dressing from the corner of his mouth with his arm, "Uh..."

David felt that this guy wasn't very bright.

"This is it, my friend."

Smoke from a cigarette billowed from the head of the person sitting on the sofa behind the fat man, who raised his hand and waved it.

Looked around.

There were no other people in this area besides them.

David breathed a sigh of relief; it was better than he had imagined. At least he didn't see any menacing bodyguards—nor did he see any gangsters with guns and black cybernetic bodies.

I hope everything goes smoothly.

Kirk, wearing sunglasses and holding a magazine, glanced at the somewhat nervous young man sitting opposite him.

"David... what was it again?"

David quickly added, "David Martinez."

Kirk stubbed out his cigarette. "You don't seem like someone from Arasaka Academy. You look more like a street kid. Don't try to fool me, though—I have a bad temper."

David waved his hand, "I have my identification code, the Arasaka Academy badge, and my student information. I brought all of these with me."

Kirk raised his chin.

"Da Qiao, check if what this guy is saying is true."

The huge guy plopped down next to David, who felt like the springs under the sofa were about to bounce him up!
With no way out, he could only watch nervously as the oily-faced, expressionless man pulled out a soft thread and inserted it into the back of his neck.

A few minutes later, Da Qiao snorted, and Kirk nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright, alright, Arasaka Academy is short of money too, right?"

Kirk took out bundles of banknotes from his bag. "Thirty thousand euros, it's all here."

So smooth?

David was somewhat incredulous.

Just then, Kirk gestured for David to come and get it.

Even with a bad premonition, David, blinded by his need, hesitated briefly, but still mustered the courage to place his hand on the money—

Snapped!
The next second, Kirk grabbed his wrist.

David's heart sank; Kirk's grip was very strong, making his wrist ache.

Kirk muttered under his breath, "You think you can just take my word for it? Don't you know the rules, you idiot? You didn't leave me anything, and you think you can just take the money and leave?"

"First, I'll copy down your personal information, including the authorization code, and oh yes—your home address... We're all civilized people, and I understand you need the money urgently, but I also need to know you so I can find you and get you to pay me back, right?"

and many more!

Authorization code?
David's expression changed.

The Arasaka school rules clearly stipulate that authorization codes cannot be copied, this is for network security reasons to prevent black market hackers from infiltrating the school's network.

David knew this was something he absolutely couldn't touch. If the academy's network were attacked, he wouldn't be able to continue his studies, and he might very well be taken to court by Arasaka.

The private prison was David's final destination.

David knew that Kirk wasn't doing clean business, but it still exceeded the limits of what he could bear the consequences of.

So he forced himself to calm down, took a deep breath and said, "You're interested in my Arasaka Academy identity because of the authorization code, right?"

Kirk nodded. "Otherwise, why do you think a poor student from Santo Domingo can get 30,000 euros from me? Because your mother works at an outsourcing company collecting corpses? Help me out, you're a college student—I'm only giving you money because you're good-looking?"

It turns out that everyone knows everything about me.

He wanted to help Mr. Rin solve his problem, but not to get himself involved first.

David shook his head. "Authorization code... won't work."

Kirk's expression changed.

Da Qiao coughed and immediately squeezed closer to David.

David felt the pressure from the guy next to him, and cold sweat kept pouring down his forehead.

Kirk chuckled dryly. "Fine, then help me integrate this into your attendance system, and I'll give you 30,000 euros."

David stared at the small device in Kirk's hand, wondering what the guy was going to do.

To be honest, David wanted to leave.

At this point, he had fully realized his own naiveté.

Mustering his courage, he pushed the money toward Kirk and tentatively asked, "Can I not take the money?"

Kirk smacked his lips and stroked his stubble. "Hmm...okay!"

David felt a sense of relief.

But Kirk's next words stunned him.

“But you can’t just leave like this. I’m not joking with you by taking out cash. You have to calculate the interest and lost wages on this money. You need to come up with 33000.54 euros.”

what? !

This is fucking—

David was instantly enraged and yelled, "I didn't use your money!"

As they were talking, David suddenly stood up, and Joe immediately pushed him back down onto the table.

David pressed his face against the cold glass. "Liar!"

Kirk signaled to Joe to forcibly read the data. David watched as the guy's hand slowly reached out, and fear completely filled his mind.

How to do?
at this time--

"Excuse me! Fatty! Let me talk business first, I'm in a hurry."

A pleasant but flat female voice came from behind. A slender girl stood next to Da Qiao, curiously looking at David, whose face was distorted.

David's face was flushed, but after seeing the girl's face and hair color, he stared blankly at her cheeks.

"Da Qiao, step aside."

Da Qiao snorted and stood up. David immediately realized what was happening and was just about to slip out—

The girl placed her hand on David's shoulder.

too close.

David took a small step back.

Lucy's every breath carried the sweet scent of fruity chewing gum, and her expression was playful.

"Hmm, I've seen you many times before, from Arasaka Academy."

David felt as if an electric current had run through his body, and he stared stiffly as the girl's hand moved from her shoulder to his chest.

Lucy suddenly exerted force with her hand!

Despite her slender arms, she possessed tremendous strength, shoving David inside with a single blow!

There was a muffled sound.

David had just gotten up from the floor when Lucy stepped on the edge of the table to block his way and then sat down next to him.

Seeing the girl's slender, beautiful legs stretched out in front of him, David hesitated to make a move.

pat!

Lucy lit a slender cigarette in her mouth, glancing out of the corner of her eye at David, who looked like a startled fawn. "What are you up to now, Kirk?"

Kirk spread his hands and leaned back on the sofa. "Just private lending."

Smoke rose.

After a brief silence, Lucy let out a cold laugh. "I'll keep an eye on him for you. Settle my bill first."

As she spoke, Lucy tossed two chips to Kirk. Kirk picked them up and examined them for a long time, his eyes shining behind his sunglasses.

But business people never praise goods, which is not conducive to bargaining.

Lucy said calmly, "It's a company car that's subject to license plate restrictions, and it's located somewhere in the parking lots around the company square—as for how to use these things, that's up to you. I'm only responsible for providing the authentication chip."

Kirk pulled a wad of bills from his bag. "Twenty thousand euros."

Lucy shook her head. Kirk could only pull out a third of the wad of cash from the stack beside him. "Thirty thousand, that's the most I can do."

Lucy reached for the money, rubbing her fingers together to make a rustling sound.

Kirk patiently waited for Lucy to count the money.

David was completely dumbfounded.

The girl gave him an extremely dangerous feeling at that moment.

"And you, from Arasaka Academy, how much are you planning to borrow? I can lend you some too, at a lower interest rate than Kirk's."

David hadn't expected this girl to concern herself with his affairs... but fear gripped him, and he dared not speak, his eyes darting around for a way to slip away.

Upon hearing this, Kirk said helplessly, "Lucy... I advise you not to get involved in this."

Lucy?

David muttered the name for a moment, then realized what was going on and continued arguing with Kirk.

"I haven't used your money, so why should I pay an extra three thousand yuan in interest?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow, realizing how Arasaka had been tricked.

Kirk remains as dark-skinned as ever.

Lucy said helplessly, "Kirk, if you ask me, you should stay away from this kind of guy. There's no guarantee he doesn't have some kind of trauma team program on him. If something goes wrong, the people here at Wild Wolves will kill you."

Kirk held the euros he was going to "lend" to David in his hand, his tone somewhat impolite.

"That's none of your business. Do you know why I'm able to stay here?"

Lucy: "Oh, let me guess? It seems to be a gang? I heard you have connections in the Valentino gang, a Mexican paradise."

Kirk's expression was arrogant. "That's right. If this kid gives me the authorization code today, I'll pay him every penny. But if he insists on leaving, then I'll just have to ask for a little something for his trouble."

Then he looked at David.

"But you can call your family, it's only three thousand euros, is that too much trouble? I can call right now."

Is this okay?

David dared not let his mother know about this—

He couldn't take it anymore and suddenly lunged forward, wanting to teach Kirk a lesson.

However, Lucy suddenly stretched out her hand, and a burst of orange light accompanied by a soft shout made David's neck feel cold, and his hair stood on end instantly!

Is it a singleton line?!

Finished!

David usually enjoys studying prosthetics, so he knows how destructive this prosthetic, which is most favored by hackers, is. It can easily cut through steel pipes, let alone heads.

"Thanks! But don't steal my business, you can go now, Lucy."

Kirk didn't move, looking at David who was as stiff as a statue, and nodded to Lucy.

However, Lucy didn't talk to Kirk. Instead, she said to David, "Why didn't you study properly and came here to mess around? Do you think life up there is too good?"

David swallowed hard. "I've been scammed! I just need some money!"

Lucy was speechless at this silly boy. "Go a little further up the Watson District, and you should know what the Cleaners are up to—and besides, there's no such thing as a free lunch at Haywood. This isn't an amusement park."

Then, her eyes, adorned with alluring eye makeup, looked at Kirk. "Forget it, it's best to avoid people from Arasaka Academy. I'll pay for it for him, how about that?"

Kirk sneered, "You think I don't know what you're up to? The authorization code for Arasaka Academy is still quite valuable."

Lucy rolled her eyes; she really didn't want to have anything to do with Arakawa Academy.

She simply wanted to casually send this guy who didn't belong here back to where he belonged, but that was misunderstood.

"Five thousand euros, here you go."

As soon as Lucy finished speaking, Da Qiao blocked her way.

Kirk didn't say a word, only David, with monomolecular threads wrapped around his neck, was sweating profusely.

Kirk tapped the table with his finger. "Not enough."

Lucy's lips curled into a smile. "Hmm..."

David suddenly regretted his actions, feeling like he had been traded like a commodity, with no means of control over his own life.

"Hey! It seems like we can't leave from Arasaka Academy~ What should we do?"

The cigarette butt in Lucy's mouth burned slowly, and she found the situation quite amusing—at least more interesting than stealing chips from a train.

Lucy glanced at Da Qiao out of the corner of her eye, who had almost completely blocked her escape route.

The atmosphere is getting worse and worse.

David was also completely confused at this point, and he didn't even know whether Lucy and Kirk were in cahoots.

The cigarette butt burned out, and Lucy spat it out. Across from her, Kirk crossed his arms, seemingly unafraid of anything.

"Looks like I won't be bleeding money today—Arasaka, your verification code is mine now."

Since Kirk thinks he should grab the verification code, then so be it. After all, Lucy won't admit that she felt sorry for him.

Bang!
Lucy suddenly kicked the table in front of Kirk!

Kirk reached out and blocked the advancing table, the glass shattering as it hit his prosthetic arm.

"Ugh!"

Realizing what was happening, Da Qiao tried to pounce on Lucy in a bear hug, but Lucy braced herself on the sofa, her back arching backward—

Click!

The hard part of the synthetic leather toe slammed into Da Qiao's chin!
The man's jaw snapped, and he fell backward to the ground!

"Still standing there dumbfounded?"

Lucy's expression was filled with a crazy smile. David stumbled and was pulled out, and the monomolecular line was flung towards Kirk, who was trying to dodge.

After dodging the attack, Kirk drew his gun and yelled, "You little bitch!"

This…

Just as David was in a daze, his body was suddenly pulled!
Lucy's hair brushed against David's profile as he stared blankly at the lively girl who was half a head shorter than him, like a puppet.

Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and a gust of wind brushed past David's ear!
Did Lucy just let him dodge a bullet?

The next second, David's feet left the ground, and he flew into the air!

"I go!"

David felt a sense of weightlessness throughout his body.

The monomolecular thread in Lucy's hand coiled around the iron fence like a snake.

She grabbed David by the collar, and the two rappelled down to the first floor. Before David could even stand up, he heard the sound of metal fragments falling from above as a single molecular line snapped through it.

Kirk leaned out from above, and several bullets came flying down!

The Wild Wolf Bar was thrown into chaos immediately after those gunshots!

"Oh shit!"

All around were screams and angry shouts.

Keep in mind that there are still many customers in the bar.

Depend on!
David was pulled away by Lucy's hand due to inertia.

That is…

David, turning his body to the side, let his blank gaze fall on someone in a private room on the left side of the bar.

Mr. Rin? !

Why is he here?
David looked like a child who had done something wrong, and his steps faltered.

Lucy frowned, noticing that David seemed unable to walk.

"Damn it, what are you doing?"

In David's vision:

The man with his lips pursed had a calm gaze, devoid of any expression.

But David read an emotion in his dark eyes.

That kind of emotion only appears in my mother's eyes when I'm being rebellious—

The title is: Disappointment.

……

(End of this chapter)